Pink lemonade & summer time....

Sunshine is amazing, suddenly we lose the drab colours of winter not only in our gardens but also in our clothes.  Last weekend we heard that half the nation was busy having BBQ's and that got our imaginations going.  How can you jazz up a BBQ to make it extra special.  Adorn the garden or patio with bunting, use a pretty length of oil cloth to set off the table and dot tea lights around to add to the party feel.  For many juicy burgers and plump sausages are the main feature but for some it is fish parcels lovingly seasoned with fresh herbs and wrapped into little foil bundles to cook on the BBQ. The recipe options are endless and the side dishes can be simple yet delicious. 

What if you have no outside space, well the answer is simple have your BBQ indoors, but change the BBQ for the grill and have your very own grill-y-Q.  Pop the table by an open window, hang your bunting around the window, make a simple table runner from a scrap of cloth or even a pretty tea towel.  Indoor picnics of all types are fun, a winner with little ones and it means you do not have to mind the rain showers or get sand in your sandwiches.  You can still have paper plates, even put a picnic blanket on the lounge floor, the possibilities are endless.

So what to drink, how about some good old recipes such as Pink Lemonade or Lemon and Lime. Perfect in a flask for the designated driver if you are off in the car to the Proms in the Park or a country picnic. Want to add some zing then a splash of vodka, gin or brandy works well. Here is a simple easy to follow recipe which you can scale up or down to suit, we worked on serving 6 people. You can make this the day before and keep in the fridge.  Also you could substitute some of the sugar for the low calorie sugars now available.

Pink Lemonade  

1 1/4 cups of sugar (if using unsweetened cranberry juice, 1 cup if using sweetened)
4 cups water (divided into 1 cup and 3 cups)
1 cup cranberry juice (try to get not from concentrate usually found in the chiller section)
1 cup lemon juice (you can use freshly squeezed or bottled from the supermarket)
Ice cubes optional / slices of lemon optional

Method

1 Make a syrup by heating all the sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small pan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat as soon as all sugar is dissolved.

2 Stir together the remaining water, cranberry juice, lemon juice and syrup you just made, stir well. Make adjustments to taste by adding more sugar if needed. Chill for an hour and then add ice if desired but not too much or it will water it down and top off with the lemon slices, again optional.  Stir just before serving

Lemon and Lime

1 1/2 cups of sugar
4 cups water (divided into 1 cup and 3 cups)
1 cup lime juice (you can use freshly squeezed or bottled from the supermarket)
1 cup lemon juice (you can use freshly squeezed or bottled from the supermarket)
Ice cubes optional / slices of lemon & lime optional

Method

Make a syrup by heating all the sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small pan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat as soon as all sugar is dissolved.

Stir together the remaining water, lime juice, lemon juice and syrup you just made, stir well. Make adjustments to taste by adding more sugar if needed. Chill for an hour and then add ice if desired but not too much or it will water it down and top off with the lemon & lime slices, again optional.  Stir just before serving.

 

Seek It Out: changing the world, a stitch at a time!

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Jubilee Mania

With the big build up to the Jubilee, the games and a summer of Rule Britannia just wonder how many will have a lasting legacy to remember.  Will it just be a crumpled rain splattered row of paper butting to remind you or something far more special.


A special picnic with lots of photo's to keep the memories alive.  A family or solo project to make the decorations, bake a special cake or create something fashionable to last long after the moment has gone.  What could you do to give your Jubilee more of an impact - the possibilities are endless.  The important thing is to look back later and smile as the memories flood back.

So are you ready, only days to go and what have you decided to do.  You do not have to follow the Union Jack theme, you can create anything you like.  Knit a hat or crochet a cushion cover in any colour safe in the knowledge that every time you put on your hat or plump up your cushion you will know that was your very own Jubilee project.  So better get cracking spring will not last long, it will be Jubilee and summer before you know it!

Seek It Out: changing the world a stitch at a time.

No longer just cabbages & kings

Here at Seek It Out HQ we are always being surprised by the amazing imagination the public has.  We have just taken delivery of some fantastic wool felt brooches from Felt So Good and we were discussing what you might use them for, well the obvious such as adding to a bag or a coat came first.  Curtain tie back additions was next and then topping off a present to make it totally special, shame Mother's day has passed.  We will match some up with some of our SeeKITout craft kits as well as selling them standalone to let people decide for themselves.

What we want to know is what clever use you might have for them ?  How could you use them in a craft project?  Like all our customers buying goodies from the Seek It Out site, we will encourage those buying the brooches to send in a picture of their brooch in use so we can show off their idea on our gallery.  After all, we love to give our customers a moment of fame as a thank you. 

We wonder if you did a survey in the street would people say they thought Brits to be creative or not, whatever the outcome we know you are a very creative and busy lot.  It is something we should all shout about, time for those who craft to come out of the shadows and spread the fun to everyone.  Crafting is after all KING!


Seek It Out: Changing the world a stitch at a time!

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Being social is not always so wise

 

Welcome to our guest blogger Janie, who is going to be a regular part of the SIO blog team.  Janie is a specialist in small business support and advice.

 

Firstly, thanks to Seek It Out for inviting me to add to the SIO blogs, quite an honour I can say.  Hello to you all, especially the small business owners amongst you or those longing to escape the hamster wheel of employment for the, tough but worthwhile, world of self-employment.  When invited, I will be adding blog posts on running a business, ideas on how you can avoid pitfalls, ways to market and other similar topics.

Being social is not always so wise! 

 

Strange heading you might think but social networking does not always pay dividends.  Sometimes as small business owners we muddy the waters between personal and business, this can apply in social networking. Doing this we act from the heart not our business head.

The other day I saw some comments by few disgruntled stall holders at an event, cross because the venue was cold and draughty.  This was a two day event and these comments appeared on Twitter at the end of day one.  Fine to let off steam but why do it where potential attendees might see.  Those potential attendees may take one look and decide to spend the next day elsewhere.  That hurts your bottom line, your secondary marketing (raising brand awareness), and makes you publically the cause.  So not only might you annoy the event organiser, fair you may say, but you will possibly annoy other stall holders who also lose out if folks stay away.  Those stall holders could be ambassadors for your business long after the event, but not if they feel you have spoilt their take or reputation.  Tell the event organiser, constructive feedback good or bad is vital in business, but do it directly not from a soap box or your business might be the real loser.

 

Keep your personal views where only those close to you can see them. How would you feel if that was one of your products or services someone was publically decrying from a social media soap box, you would be devastated. Do not kick your business it has done nothing wrong, instead help it to thrive & survive by avoiding pitfalls like these!

Thanks for letting me ramble, hope it was informative and look forward to the next episode. Janie

Seek It Out: changing the world a stitch at a time.

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