Wednesday, 18 December 2013

The Hangover




Most of us have been there; an evening of booze –fuelled festivities morphs into a morning of headaches, nausea and trying to remember the last thing you did. You know very well you should have stopped at the last one but where is the fun in that. Life is short, and there are so many more good times to be had.

We all know there is no cure for a hangover but over the years, I have learnt a trick or two. Basically out of necessity, like how to get through a 12 hour shift, faking it for a meeting or preparing yourself to do it all over again for yet another festive party.

So, my tricks of the trade are:

1. Never drink bad spirits. Some are so high in sugar they will cause the mother of headaches. There is just no recovery from that.
2. Two Panadol and large glass of water before bed. Don’t forget. The process has to start some were.
3. Before you have anything else in the morning, drink 2 cups of English breakfast tea. I have only recently learnt this and promise you, it’s like heaven in a cup.
4. Have a piece of toast.  Settles the stomach and lifts those blood sugar levels.

Now that you are feeling human again, here are my tricks for coping with the day:

1. Order some fried goodness with your brunch. No scientific facts, it’s just hot and salty and makes everything better.
2. Have a Bloody Mary. It’s like a soothing tonic and it’s a vegetable.
3. Drink Sprite. There is even some medical research to suggest it could be a cure.
4. Have a dosa (Indian pancake filled spiced goodness) for a late lunch. Kathakali in Devon St, New Plymouth do a great one. Worth a trip.
5. Take more Panadol.
6. Have a small scoop of ice cream. It will wash away the last remnants of the night before.

Merry Christmas and good luck to you over this festive season.

Victoria Hodson –don’t do anything I say.

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Rule # 1 -Life is too short for bad drinks


Call it what you want: escapism, indulgence, recklessness, a waste of money, fun, good times…. but I love a well-made drink. These are beverages that people have put time, love, skill and passion into making. From a wine maker, to a brewer, barista or cocktail maker –they all have one thing in common – they all enjoy making something that you will enjoy drinking.

With every change of season, I am on the hunt for that season’s drink. Something new, something I get to learn about and something I get to share. Weird to some, but not to this hospitality lover.  I call it “broadening my horizons”. If I want to be a great hostess, then I need to make sure I have done the research.

So, the research is done and these are my picks for the coming summer:

1. Summer in a glass  -White Sangria
Refreshing, great for groups and easy to make. Just make sure you have more than one bottle of Pinot Gris in the cupboard. One jug is just not enough.
Use a 1 litre jug.  ½ fill with ice.
Add 750ml Pinot Gris 
90ml Stolen white rum
30ml St Germain Elderflower
30ml Pear liqueur
Stir
Add slices of pear, apple and cucumber.



2. Margrain Pinot Rose
Delicate and decidedly moreish. Prefect long lunch wine 
Check them out www.margrainvineyard.co.nz



3. Christmas in a glass
Always nice to finish any get together with a nightcap. Not only will you have a good night sleep, but it will give that lingering visitor a subtle hint.
1 part Drambuie
3 parts hot apple juice
Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon wedge
Add a cinnamon stick
Serve in a coffee glass.

Thanks for the photo Gina
Stolen rum -all the way from NZ
http://stolenrum.com/

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

The Christmas Challenge –Random acts of Christmas Spirit


Those of you who know me may claim that I am somewhat of a Christmas Grinch. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas, but after many years of working in the hospitality business, I have: 


fed and watered hundreds of people;
had far too many early starts and late finishes;
worked long days on my feet without a break;
heard every Christmas carol at least twice an hour for weeks on end; 
dealt with too many stressed out grumpy customers;
had to “manage’ too many overzealous drunk people who claim I have ruined their           Christmas.

You will forgive me but, on occasion, I have been known to somewhat lose that jolly Christmas spirit.

This year, I am fighting back and I have set myself a challenge: a challenge to spread the Christmas Spirit of Giving and Kindness.

So, in this spirit, here is my list of 10 random acts of Christmas. This year I will:

1. Give a Santa sack full of little gifts and treats to an adult. Watch them unpack it and           smile like a kid.
2. Make a Christmas cake and give it to the old lady on the corner who lives by                     herself. 
3. Post 10 Christmas cards to friends and family.  This just never happens any more.
4. Give a box of chocolates and a thank you note to my local café.
5. Bake some Christmas cookies and give them to the voluntary fire service with a               Merry Christmas note.
6. Put money in a stranger’s parking meter that’s just about to expire.
7. Give a food donation to the local food bank and SPCA
8. When I get my takeaway coffee, I am going to pay for two so the next person gets              theirs free
9. Send a Christmas card to my favourite young person and tell them how proud I am of         them. 
10. Leave a box of chocolates out for the rubbish collecting guys.

So now I challenge you. What will your random acts of Christmas Spirit be?