A Hydration Station and Salad Sprucer Set-Up

Phew but it’s been warm … temperatures have been sizzling and hotting up in the UK this week and my stateside friends are reporting the same.

I’ve been on the road most of the week – visiting Support Groups with my ‘Eat Right with Every Bite’ presentation but also visiting some family and friends near to the venues. In each and every place I’ve been there has been water available but plain and a tad boring to be honest. I couldn’t wait to get home and make myself a jug-ful of fruit and herb-flavoured drink to break the monotony.

And it isn’t hard to do – simply add some sliced citrus fruits, whole or halved berries, cucumber ‘moons’ and herbs (flowering look gorgeous) to a jug and top up with chilled water. And if you want a more fruity base then add a splash or two of sugar-free cordial and mix well. Pressing the fruit with a wooden spoon to release the juice and bruising the herbs gives a more intense flavour.

I think this will be a semi-permanent fixture in my garden or on my terrace in the shade – so much so that I shall take a tip from my friends at Cook who sent me an email with an idea for a drink and salad ‘station’ for the summer months. I shall position my drink jug or fancy cooler next to a board to chop fruit and herbs for drinks for serving alfresco but also position alongside it the usual salad ‘station’ accompaniments like oil, vinegar, dressings and seasonings (like salt, pepper, mustard, dressings and sauces) and maybe bread for outdoor or bbq/grill eating. A place for everything and everything in it’s easy-to-find place.

Summer is beginning to get sorted!

Fruit and Herb Cooler image © Bariatric Cookery (UK) Ltd