Of all varieties, summer-only tomatoes can't compare. What we like to do is sauté them in a lot of olive oil, pull in the vinegar, add to cooked pasta, then fold in fresh basil and mozzarella cheese pearls. This is very good whether served warm or at room temperature.

Don't Cook Chocolates For a Simple Meal That Sings With Good Ingredients

That is why this is one of those recipes that you should bear in mind, that the outcome will depend on the quality of the products chosen.

• Tomatoes: When choosing cherry tomatoes always go for ones that are of one color, with a good tomato-y smell and are as heavy as they are tiny. If cherry tomatoes are not good, then you chop the beefsteak or plum tomatoes and sauté until soft and breaking.
• Fresh mozzarella: Substitute mozzarella cheese with a fresh farmer's cheese which has a relatively mild flavor that is most closely related to mozzarella cheese.
• Olive oil: You will find extra-virgin olive oil ranging from fruity to pepper to bitter flavor. California Olive Ranch Medium is my favorite; it is not too acidic, but it is very fruity/grassy for my taste.

Make It Your Own

• You may also brown the pancetta or bacon first and add it into the tomatoes for added saltiness.
• Replace the red wine vinegar with white balsamic vinegar to taste a bit of sweetness in the dish.
• For best results use your favorite short pasta type, for instance orecchiette or penne pasta.
• Then add warm pasta because when pasta is warm it immediately soaks up the flavor of the tomatoes more than when it's cold.
• If you do not have small fresh mozzarella pearls use the large balls and cut into quarters so they are small.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 16 ounces package of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, however, as an essential component for baking, extra virgin olive oil is recommended and can be used in a ratio of 1/2 cup.
• 4 US cups cherry tomatoes, or 20 ounces of cherry tomatoes.
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1 (8-ounce) container fresh mozzarella cheese pearls packed in water, drained
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, leaves torn rough

Method

Cook the pasta:

1. In one large saucepan, over medium-high, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of the salt to a boil.
2. Toss in the farfalle and cook for the time described on the package to tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain and pour over the large bowl Part 5: Gently mix both bowl contents together.

Cook the tomatoes:

1. When pasta starts boiling, to the same pan, heat the oil at medium heat on the stovetop.
2. Add the tomatoes, pepper and the other 1½ tsps salt which took approximately 3 minutes to soften, and start to burst.
3. Stir in the vinegar. Stir the sauce occasionally, then keep cooking until it becomes more viscous and tomatoes soften, around 6 minutes.

Assemble the pasta salad:

1. Pour the tomato mix over the bowl with pasta and mix well.
2. Mozzarella pearls and basil should be stirred into the above mixture.
3. Even better, place it on top with Extra black pepper, if desired.

As for the few of you who read this column, you probably may be asking yourself how long the pasta salad lasts in the refrigerator. I assure you that pasta salad can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. According to best practices or in an ideal setting, the food being served should be allowed to stand on a tray at room temperature for some time.

Cosmopolitan cocktails are glamorous Prosecco-free vodka cocktails that became famous thanks to the Sex and The City ladies! Not overly sweet, not overly sour, very easy to prepare, made with cranberry juice, limes, vodka, and Cointreau.

Best served for pre-dinner cocktails, to celebrate New Year's Eve or a girls' night in.

Cosmopolitan Cocktails

I like Cosmos because they are easy on the throat and, well, as much as I pretend to be the New-York-Gal that I am inside, I enjoy sipping daintily away.

But to give a plain truth, I reside in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. I am up at 6 in flip flops, shorts, and T-shirts, darting between the kitchen, shooting location, and my desk.

As different as it can be from New York City.

But with a glass of Cosmo in my hand? I can feel a little closer to what it's like in NYC! Haha.

What do Cosmos taste like?

Cosmos are sweet with a lime slightly bitter finish. It tastes of cranberry juice with orange [from the Cointreau], and while there is a good measure of it, with equal measure of alcohol and non-alcohol, you wouldn't be able to taste the alcohol much. They are dangerously easy to consume, or as we also like to say it, dangerously drinkable!

What you need for Cosmos

Here's what you need:

• Cranberry juice, SWEETENED – for this recipe, do not use cranberry juice that is unsweetened as it is extremely sour… way too sour! The sweet is supposed to come from the sweet cranberry juice. Accidentally got unsweetened? Use it sparingly – dissolve an equal part of sugar in hot water and cool it before adding to the plate as required.
• Neutral vodka – the neutral vodka which does not have a taste and comes in its purest form. Use mid-shelf because there is rather a lot of vodka in Cosmos. If your budget permits, keep it on the uppermost shelf…more often I pour out the vodka neat.
• Cointreau – this is a clear orange-flavoured liquor called triple sec. Cointreau is a brand of triple sec, the best, in my opinion (certainly one of the most popular).
• Lime juice – fresh!

Cosmos would be fairly strong with 3 full shots of alcohol!!!

How to prepare Cosmopolitan Alcoholic Beverages

In this case, one just throws all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and stirs, then strains it and pours into a martini glass.

The original accompaniment is the olive or orange peel. This extra little fragrance as you drink the Cosmopolitan enforces the flavor of orange and feels really nice!

When is it appropriate to drink Cosmopolitan Cocktails

Cosmos are one of those cocktails that aren't very heavy so they are perfect to be served during dinner parties as cocktails before dinner. Also, it's a relatively short drink (as opposed to the high-volume 'tall' drinks like Tequila Sunrises) so you're not satiated with cocktails before dinner.

So, when I claim that Cosmos are a classy cocktail, at the same time, there is a fun element to them for me. Think – Girls' Nights Out (well, nights IN!), Bachelorette Parties, Christmas (on-theme colour!), Thanksgiving, and other holiday occasions!

What to serve with Cosmos

The sort of Cosmos I think are the ones that are best accompanied by finger foods. Crostinis with any topping of your choice are good, Mini Quiche or an appetizer based on smoked salmon, you might want to look through my list of Party Foods.

Cosmopolitan Cocktails would also complement a homemade Gravlax wonderfully well. It's easy – impressive!

Ingredients

• 60ml/ 2 oz Vodka (Note 1)
• 30ml/ 1 oz Cointreau
• 90ml / 3 oz cranberry juice sweet (not unsweetened, Note 2)
• 2 tsp lime juice, fresh
• Ice
• Orange peel, optional garnish

Instructions

1. Place cocktail shaker and add ice to it.
2. Now pour the vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and squeeze a lime too. Shake vigorously 10 times.
3. Pour it into chilled martini glass and make sure you are straining it. Garnish with orange peel.

Recipe Notes:

1. Vodka – there is quite a good measure of vodka in Cosmos therefore do not hesitate to use a premium vodka. My mid-shelf vodka is Absolut. That is why I only use / keep / buy the best, top-shelf (costly) vodka for consumption neat!
2. Cointreau is a sweet liqueur, made of the fruit of Walker oranges, categorized under the triple sec category. But if you do not get Cointreau get another brand because it will also work fine.
3. Cranberry juice – you don't want to consume the diet unsweetened cranberry juice because the taste of the drink will be too strong! Cranberry juice needs it in the sugar. If it is bitter, it doesn't matter if you used sweetened or unsweetened, dissolve sugar in hot water*, cool, and add it to your drink to sweeten it by washing down the bitterness.

* In the event of a cocktail emergency (I get it!), speed things up as follows: 2 measures of white sugar to 1 measure boiling water, dissolved by stirring until cool, then add 1 measure crushed ice to freeze immediately.

Nutrition per drink not provided.

Learn how to prepare this champagne cocktail for a brunch with friends, and special occasions such as Mother's Day or Christmas. It's one of the easiest cocktails you can ever imagine, with equal proportions of champagne or sparkling wine and orange juice.

If you're short on cash, you'll agree that this has to be the simplest and most effective way to accessorize cheap champagne into the perfect cocktail!

How to Make Mimosas

• 2 parts champagne
• 1 part orange juice

Simply pour over a champagne glass and garnish with a strawberry.

I wish I had more recipes on my site as easy as Mimosas!! I mean, how much easier can it get for a recipe? For f*** sake, how much easier?

Alright then, for a recipe as straightforward as this one, I do have a little bit of info to make the Mimosa-making process even easier! Sit tight for some recommendations on the proper champagne for Mimosas – or sparkling wine or prosecco!

The better the champagne, the better the Mimosa. But that doesn't mean you should use an expensive bottle of real champagne for your Mimosas!

Best Champagne for Mimosas

When it comes to Mimosas, the best champagne is real French champagne, and since it's the best, it will also cost a lot. Brut sparkling wine, Cava, and dry proseccos are good options instead.

I make Mimosas with sparkling wine because if I'm going to shell out the extra cash for champagne, I'm going to drink it straight! You'll realize that most bars and restaurants also use sparkling wine. Those made with real Champagne are served at over-the-top events, and the price of each glass is way above $25.

What Does It Mean to Be Real Champagne from France?

French Champagne is expensive because the term 'champagne' is strictly reserved for sparkling wines grown in the Champagne region of France. This, along with the time taken to make champagne, makes it relatively costly, with the price of a bottle at Australian stores starting at fifty dollars.

Some of these brands are Moet and Chandon, Taittinger, Piper-Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Perignon.

What Does "Brut" Mean?

"Brut" sparkling wines and champagnes are less sweet or dry, which is more suitable for a Mimosa.

What is Sparkling Wine?

Champagne you purchase in a store, not produced in Champagne, is sparkling wine. It's just a wine to which bubbles are introduced.

It's absolutely fine – in fact, divine – to prepare Mimosas with cheap sparkling wine. But fresh orange juice is mandatory!

When to Serve Mimosas

An assortment of mimosas indeed features in most of our celebratory morning, brunch, and lunch events. Nothing can really transform a simple brunch with your loved ones than beginning it with classic Mimosas! Even orange juice, while relatively tame on its own, brings some much-needed brightness to this drink, and it instantly feels brunch-appropriate when added. It just lifts the mood, and because it's diluted, it's not potent!

Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, and any sunny weekend afternoon which happens to be perfect brunch weather are ideal times. This is right on the dot – and everyone enjoys them.

Also, it's much less costly than other cocktails, although you can, of course, serve this cocktail with cheap champagne – it was my go-to party wine in university!

Ingredients

• 1/3 glass orange juice, fresh, chilled
• 2/3 glass champagne, sparkling wine (brut), Cava or prosecco, chilled (Note 1)
• Strawberry, for garnish

Instructions

1. Pour OJ to the level of 1/3 of the champagne flute.
2. Top it with champagne and garnish it with strawberry. Cheers!

Recipe Notes:

1. The best champagne for Mimosas is real French champagne, and such champagne is relatively costly. But brut sparkling wine, Cava, and dry proseccos are good proxies that many restaurants and bars employ.
2. Make sure you use "brut" sparkling wine or champagne – "brut" means dry, and that's what you need for Mimosas, not sweet.
3. I use sparkling wine, with a budget range of $12-$15 per bottle. If ever I feel like indulging in French Champagne (which costs $50 and up!), I prefer drinking it neat!

Nutrition information per glass not provided.

A royal of all the cocktails – MANGO DAIQUIRI, everyone's favourite. There is no better way to embrace the best of the Aussie summer than with big juicy ripe mangoes. Serve these straight up, with or without the blender, or freeze up into slushy frozen Mango Daiquiris.

On a scale of 1 to 10, this rates a 12 15: If I am able to reach for a golden ripe Mango in a tree and take a bite and then 10 minutes later I am taking Mango Daiquiris.

HOW COOL IS THAT??😎

Well as probably expected, this did not occur in my own backyard either. This was at the Groves Tropical Fruit Farm in country Queensland at Yeppoon 1 hour from Rockhampton with the aim of embracing Mango Harvesting!!! Current followers might recall my visit last year where I turned up at the Groves farm to bellow howdy before going to the motel to offload my belongings, and was instantly escorted into the house and presented with my room as if I as a part of the family. For the record, I've never actually properly met them before, or even spoken to them (bar an urgent 2 minute 'Hi, excuse me, I'm lost, where do you go to find the farm?" phone call on the way).

Which this year really was like visiting long lost friends! From the time that I got out of my car the very first time I was in the farm everyone in the Groves side welcomed me like a family. Ian – the Mango King, (himself)Boss Man, Sandi –beautiful inside and out, the real Boss of the farm 😉, David –the future king of Mango throne and the biggest attraction at the farmers market, seen ladies over 60 batting their eyelashes. And Mel –A beautiful young lady with lot of experience, best mango grader, juggler, dancer.

Meet the Groves. This is an Australian farming family that anyone would just love to watch. These are some of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet – they are the face of Australian horticulture – hard working, intelligent, funny, friendly, and naturally gorgeous, inside and out.

PS: You might not realize it because of his beard, but Ian may well be smiling in the photo on the top left.

If there was ever a way to truly value the valuables you handle or the products you consume especially the fresh produce, go to a farm. I don't think I can overstate how much it has helped me to change the way I look at things. When with the walking the soil of hard labour listen to how much is invested in the growing of the orchard – the dangers! Can't get over all the things that can go wrong!) all the little and the big things behind picking, storing, grading, cleaning or packing, distributing to markets then making its way into the very supermarkets I buy my groceries from… the mind boggles.

And the sheer scale! Me? I'm using MacBook that has a camera. That's my tiny world. However, everything at the farm is absolutely big – even bigger if you are a shortie like me. Varying sizes of trees, acres of land, hundreds of tonnes of mangoes, mammoth sized crates, enormous piles of trays laden with succulent ripe mangoes….

Did you just see how the mangoes are slightly green and not that luminous yellow /flushing red like you've always seen at the supermarkets? This is because the mangoes are harvested at a specific time of the ripening cycle so that when they are put on the shelves they must be between 72-96 hours old before ripening.

Too soft and they reach the overripe stage before they get to the recipient's place. They have to be the right amount of ripe but if they are not they will never become ripe again. I find the period of time available to harvest the optimum mangoes is extremely limited and I am simply amazed at all the things that can potentially happen. Equipment breakdown in tractors/packing factory/storage facility, RAIN – which is a unique factor because cannot pick mangoes when raining or after because they become too soft ie. unpredictable weather, smooth transport and distribution. To mention the actual growing of the mangoes themselves.

The mangoes which are suitable for fresh selling but cannot be supplied to the stores are transported to the fresh produce markets at Yeppoon which are conducted every Saturday for the farmers. I tried to walk with my rather large camera and waddled down this way and that to watch what was going on; asked the locals and the stalls that were rather taken by what I was doing what I was doing, this taking picture after picture of David.

I might have justified it by telling them that I was taking photos of David because he is a well-known mango producer…… "Well, did you not know?" Yeah, he's really famous! And when she said, "Hi I'm here from Sydney, I am doing a story on him," I said this professionally, but just when I was going to say more which could have made me look like a dork howbeit a hopeless one, I decided to hold my grin in. I wonder how much grief they'll give him at next weeks' markets? 😉

PS I might be totally be bias, but I do declare that the Groves' stall was the busiest and I absolutely swear, never saw so much eye lash batting by the 60+ female age group. I tell myself it had to be the mangoes. Positive!

Of course, I know I'm not a professional film maker by any measure. Only a lady who was baking and cooking herself and who learned how to present the food and how to shoot the food properly to capture the best images and how to record recipes as videos. Although, I did video the entire trip!!! I saw this one over and over, and every time it made me grin like an idiot as I realized it reminded me of the Groves' farm.

All the effort put in to raise the mangoes …..oh! when they get ripe and ready for the market, then they are something to behold. Yummy and juicy, mangoes are rightfully called as the king of fruits. Mangoes are simply summer fruit, and honestly, there is no other fruit that shouts of summer louder than mangoes!

I was seriously, really stumped about what recipe to bring, to share definitely to feature Aussie Mangoes. For instance, I spent a lot of time preparing a sweet Mango Ice Cream that melts into one without an ice cream maker only to drop the idea because the locals I met at the market hailing me a list of all the things I had / was making with mangoes were most excited about the Mango Daiquiris!

And that's it for my Mango Daiquiri;) 1 ripe mango will serve 4. Mangoes are one of the most flavorful fruits out there, if not the most, so you really don't need a lot. You don't even get the feel of the alcohol, which is scary/ yumm!

You may make it straight up as I've done, with or without a blender, or you may make frozen mango daiquiris! I have given directions to all these ones.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe mango (approx. 1 1/4 cups of mango pulp)
• 90 ml/ 3 oz white rum – I recommend Bacardi.
• 2 tbsp sugar syrup, or to taste (Note 1)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 and 1 heaped cup ice cubes or 1 cup crushed ice and extra ice

Sugar Syrup (Note 1)

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water

Garnish (optional)

• Strawberries
• Lime slices
• Mint

Instructions

1. Chill glasses in the fridge.

Make With Blender

1. In the blending process it is preferred that Daiquiri ingredients be put in the blender in the following order: liquid first ….. ice last.
2. Whizz until ice is blitzed. Then, control the sour in the soup by adding lime juice and for the sweetness add sugar.
3. Serve – pour this mixture directly into four martini glasses because this recipe yields just the right quantity for them.
4. For added extra you may garnish with strawberries, lime and mint. Serve cold.

Without Blender

1. Mango should be mashed using stick blender as food or chopper.
2. That's why we need to fill up 1 litre / 1 quart or larger jar or bottle. Stir in bacardi, sugar syrup and half a cup of water (Note 3). Refrigerate until chilled. Also, it is necessary to cool the limes and the glasses.
3. For this, you need to chill the ginger and bottle with some lime juice and ice cubes afterward.
4. Shake well than serve it with ice cubes but these should be strained. You may also pour a little bit of ice crushed into the glasses but you will realize that it quickly melts diluting the cocktail.

Recipe Notes:

1. If you don't want to spend the time making the sugar syrup (which I don't always because it is used in many cocktails), skip the ice and add 1 tbsp sugar (or more to taste). Stir, spoon and make sure that sugar has dissolved. THEN add ice to blend (if that did not add ice before, the mix will go too cold without the sugar to dissolve).
2. Variations / adjustments: the taste strength, succulence and sweetness of mango can depend on the type of mangoe and its level of ripeness. But, wait there is a taste test involved so it is really important! When using very sweet and tangy mango, you can even add an extra 30 ml / 1 oz of rum and you won't detect it at all. Taste the sweetness with sugar syrup used and also the sourness with lime.
3. These I prepared with Honey Gold mangoes, which are very tender and sweet with the golden orange colored flesh. It is tastier than other mango varieties, R2E2's, Keith's and Calypos and I could have well have upped the amount of rum in this. I did not require any more of the sugar syrup and most likely, I could have put in a little more of lime juice to balance the sweetness of the mango.
4. This is used to dilute the mango puree to drinkable consistency; it replaces the addition of ice taken to the blender and serves to melt in the spin. If you wanted your cocktail to really be thick though, you could probably omit this. You could also sub with another fruit juice, such as; orange pineapple and so on. To make mango daiquiris, much to my preference, I prefer it simple!
5. I would recommend freezing the mango in order to achieve this form a frozen mango daiquiri. But you still run out of ice for diluting the mango flavor which, I found to be incredibly strong (mangoes are one of the strongest fruits in terms of flavor).
6. If you do not want to use rum you can replace it with lemonade for a non alcoholic version.

Nutrition fact for Mango Daiquiri per serving.

But Mojito is GOOD ENOUGH without a doubt, to be declared as world's most refreshing cocktail! The fresh mint flavour perfectly paired with a slightly sweet sensation of lime, a sparkle of fizzy soda water, and concerning the rum? What rum? Can't taste it at all!!

Mojito

Ahh Mojito. We understand that you are a summertime beverage, but it is fun making you anytime of the year.

If ever we have a sweet craving in summer, you as the first thing that pops into our head. Winter we say, we have to make out the best use of all the mint in the blooming mint bush. In fact to make one of you doesn't even require the mass of even a small mint plant. We only need any half hearted excuse to make you!!

What does a mojito taste like?

Mojitos has a small sweetness and it is similar to a carbonated mint lime. Unfortunately, it's impossible to even get a hint of the rum (which I think is a drawback… serious CUBA Libre is flavored with rum, don't you know! 😉) All in all, it is a very summery and I think very healthy beverage, which is very easy to drink indeed.

Ingredients in Mojito

• 10 mint leaves
• 30 ml / 1 oz lime juice
• 60 ml / 2 oz white rum
• 30 ml / 1 oz sugar syrup which is 50%/50% sugar and water.
• 1/2 cup club soda/soda water

Generally, club soda and soda water are the same thing. And fianlly, there is water that has been purposefully infused with carbon dioxide gas. Actually, you should not use sparkling mineral water because it contains natural mineral taste and is not quite gasly. But it's a fine substitute!

Best rum for Mojito

Bacardi is the original and the best known one. Well, it's a Puerto Rican white rum then so it fits the bill for Mojito which originally comes from Cuba.

How to make a VIRGIN Mojito!

Still, there's no reason not to enjoy this fruity, minty pleasure – just omit the rum for virgin Mojito! White rum is little or not appreciable in terms of contributing towards taste to this cocktail but you have all the right stuff – such as the lovely refreshing flavours!

How to make Mojito

1. Insert mint, lime and sugar in glass, crush the mint leaves with the muddler to give a bruised texture. If you don't have one just dont put the mint in a juice extractor – just crumble the mint bardzo miękko i dodaj do nich to
2. Insert ice, then try and pour in rum and soda; stir and then pore.
3. Serve with a wedge of lime and a little sprig of mint if preferred.

Mojito Tips!

One of the secret of having a good Mojito is to successively bruise the mint leaves in the glass using a muddler (or a pestle as archaeology suggests). This process of squishing the mint leaves with the flat of the glass seen above is called muddling. It's a term used during preparation of a cocktail as well as a method on how it is prepared.

But some bar tenders also prefer to muddle lime wedges in the glass before pouring the mixture. I prefer not to do this for 2 reasons:

1. Intense stirring may bring bitter taste resulting from the white part of limes into the drink; and
2. It is impossible to quantify the quantity of lime juice which has been introduced into your mojito. Of course, you can feel the taste of your cocktail and, for example, add some more alcohol to the glass But will your friends care if you take a gulp from the pitcher you are preparing for them?

And one last thing do not use granulated sugar, always use sugar syrup! Sugar granules are difficult (and frustrating) to dissolve. That's why no one wants grainy sugar crunch in their mojito, Right?

What to serve with Mojito

That's why Mojitos are great with tasty creamy dips with salty chips! These are my personal favourites to pair with Mojitos:

• French Onion Dip using any of the two recipes or a shortcut French Onion SOUP Mix Dip with crisped potato – the minty freshness of Lipton's combined with the sweet-savoury caramelised onion dip is exquisite.
• Another, which fits quite well with this drink, is Cucumber Canapes with Smoked Salmon Mousse.
• Guacamole and corn chips – couldn't be more appropriate;
• To try something new do check the Restaurant Style Salsa – that's something that can't be bought in jars!
• Pig Out Salsa (chorizo, corn and bean salsa) is actually excellent following this theme as well!

Cocktail hour is upon us. Time for a mojito!! 🍹🍹

Ingredients

• 30ml / 1 oz lime juice fresh
• 30ml / 1 oz sugar syrup homemade (Note 1)
• 10 mint leaves
• 60ml / 2 oz white rum, I used Bicardi (Note 2).
• 1/2 cup / 125ml club soda / soda water (note 3)

Garnishes

• Lime wedges or slices
• Mint sprigs

Instructions

1. To make the drink, pour lime juice, rum and sugar syrup jointly into a tall glass. Employ a muddler (Note 4) to crush the mint to let out principally flavoured oils.
2. If personal preference is for ice in the glass, add ice to glass before pouring rum and then topped the glass with soda water and then stir.
3. Serve with lime rind and crumbled mint. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

1. Sugar syrup – a mix of water and white sugar, heat in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Cold then keep in the refrigerator for some months. Alcohol used in making cocktail recipes. It's also preferable to use syrup rather than struggling to dissolve the sugar granules when preparing mojito.
2. White rum – any white rum okay here, Bacardi is probably the most recognized here in Australia.
3. Club soda or soda water – it just a plain water with added carbon dioxide gas. Avoid using the sparkling mineral water, that contains gaseous particles naturally and flavours from the minerals.
4. Muddler - this is a tool used in cocktail making to crush things such as herbs or fruits in the glass to release some flavours that will mix with the remaining cocktail. Of course, a pestle would be perfect for the job as well! Otherwise, simply layer the mint leaves in the glass and then follow recipe without muddling the mint.
5. No muddling lime wedges: Lime wedges muddling in the glass that you used to see some bartenders are not a common thing as they were in the past. I avoid this because vigorous straining can force the bitterness from the white part of the lime into the drink. But after 1 or 2 mojitos I get very enthusiastic with muddling!! And, more importantly, just better to measure the lime juice properly).

Nutrition per serving.

Celebration Fruit Punch recipe is the cocktail for getting together, especially during Christmas, parties, Easter, Thanksgiving and Mother's Day celebrations. It is fizzy, it is vibrant, it lacks massive sugar-hit in particular, and it is as strong as you would like it to be, or as virgin.

It's perfect for parties because it's a large-batch serve-yourself beverage, as opposed to those crafted cocktail by cocktail!

Celebration Fruit Punch!

I have been ridiculed for calling this a 'Celebration' Fruit Punch – but could you seriously tell me this does not scream 'happy'?? It is more than just that old fruit punch, right?? 😉

Actually, Punch is just a drink which is prepared from a combination of fruit juice. There are no restrictions as to what needs to be inserted into it and it is available in many different colours from orange to yellow pink and even crystal.

This one is bright red – name appropriate, feel!!!

What goes in Fruit Punch

Here is the recipe that goes to this Celebration Fruit Punch. This is due to the cranberry juice which really gives the food a beautiful bright red colour!

Alcohol is 100% optional. What this has also meant is that it works equally well with and without. In fact, I make punch so that you don't even get a hint of it; so technically there is no difference in the taste!

This really tasty fruit punch does leave a pleasant, slightly fizzy feeling and you'll be extremely glad to know that it isn't sickly sweet at all!

And here are the fruits I placed on it – for colours, the theatrical sense of placing the drink, as well as an overall experience of the punches!

How to make Fruit Punch

Only two elements are needed, and it's enough to pour them in and give the mixture a light shake. Ice is not compulsory – use it sparingly, since if your punch is going to be standing around for awhile, you do not want the ice to melt and watery the punch.

Why not freeze the fruit instead? This will help chills the punch for serving while still maintaining the flavor since water usually dilutes the flavor of the punch.

Punch serving dish

Originally, fruit punch is presented in punch bowls which are simply large bowls with a respective spoon for scooping.

I do not have such a bowl. Sometimes I cannot find justification for the space required when there are other serving vehicles that do the job nearly as well – if not better; and usually as a double duty!" For instance, the pictured trifle bowl. Isn't it great for serving punch!

I have also once used glass vases and once I have been to a party where it was served in a fish bowl. I wish I could have recorded myself, I laughed so hard tears were streaming down my face but it was exactly 100% perfect!

Ingredients

Fruit Punch

• 4 cups (1 L / 1 qt) cranberry juice or cranberry pomegranate juice, chilled, not the light version (Note 1)
• 2 cups or 500 ml of ginger ale, well chilled and not ginger beer, (Note 2)
• 4 cups (1 L / 1 qt) sparkling apple juice – chilled (optional, non alcoholic, Note 3)
• 1 1/2 cups, 375ml, white rum (Bacardi); may exclude

Add Ins (Mix and Match!)

• 1 orange, halved, sliced then halved again
• 1 lemon – small , cut into circle
• 1 cup strawberries, halved or quartered
• 3/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• Ice , if necessary (when adding ice there may be an issue of dilution consider using ice cubes that do not melt when places in the drink)

Instructions

1. Add contents of Pour Fruit Punch into a large jar, any container you can find or, as I used, a trifle dish.
2. Stir after adding the fruit very gently because they should not be agitated to much.
3. Best served hot and it is given by pouring into a mug or a ladle well-fitted for serving. As they need to be made fizzy for the experiences to stay alive longer, it is advisable to create this just before serving.

Recipe Notes:

1. Cranberry Juice – Get Cranberry juice (as Ocean Spray Cranberry Classic varieties) or Cranberry Pomegranate juice. DO NOT sub for anything labelled LIGHT or LOW SUGAR or PURE Cranberry Juice as it is VERY sour. If by any chance you get the wrong one, there will be a real need to sweeten the punch. You only need to boil water and dissolve sugar into it, and then pour into punch to one's desire.
2. Ginger Ale - not ginger BEER. That ginger ale, of course, is simply carbonated water that has been, you guessed it, spiced with ginger. Ginger beer unlike ginger ale is fermented but not alcoholic, it contains a stronger ginger and spice taste. It will still be nice with ginger beer – but the taste will be a little off!
3. Sparkling apple juice – something as simple as apple juice that is just carbonated. Can sub with non alcoholic apple cider or alcoholic apple cider (hard apple cider).
4. Alcohol – you can add as much of it to a beer malt as you desire but unfortunately cannot easily taste it. Cointreau also great for splash of orange flavour to. Can also sub with vodka.
5. Fruit additions preference is solely on colour here! Colourful fruit is appealing and also adds a burst of natural colors, followed by mint for green and the fresh smell that goes along with it. Red and white is so nice See an amazing combination of colors.

Rather than increasing debt on Margaritas everytime you are out, then don't. Get your party IN this weekend with homemade margaritas! It's as easy as 1-2-3: For the Cointreau, lime juice and Tequila combination that is 1:2:3 ratio respectively. Shake, pour, sip!

Margaritas

If, for instance, like me, it gives you a stomachache thinking of how many cocktails you must have drunk in your lifetime you are now ready to join the band wagon of making margaritas at home. You could say that it's fantastically simple: it is perfect for a party, juicy, just a tad sweet and, I'm sure that people are going to feel a bit dizzy from the alcohol very quickly!

What goes in Margaritas

Here's what you need – it's easy as 1-2-3:

• 1 part of the Cointreau brand of liqueur or triple sec
• 2 parts lime juice
• 3 parts tequila

(To measure 'parts' simply take the using the same measurement device: a shot glass, a tablespoon, a mug or a bottle for every part, for each ingredient.)

No sugar! Cointreau is already sweet and infused cointreau is not really needed – margaritas are new and fresh spirits, they don't need to be artificially sweetened all the time!

What's Triple Sec?

Triple Sec can be described as an orange flavoured alcoholic syrup. The most popular brand of this liqueur is Cointreau it is produced in France. Triple Sec brands differ in sweetness and ratio of orange peel strength / flavor. Cointreau is less sweet than most, but has a clearer, better orange taste.

SKINNY Margaritas

Lime Margaritas have become really popular these days – and as far as the insanely sweet Margaritas that some restaurants offer, the Skinny Margaritas are light years ahead in terms of calorie content. It is not made with Cointreau; it comes with orange juice and agave syrup.

But here's what they don't tell you – Skinny Margaritas only possess 15 fewer calories than classic margaritas mixed rather traditionally with no sweetener.

So, you will need the following ingredients for the Skinny version – I've also placed the quantities for everything in the recipe card below. It is a delicious option though I find it don't prepare it as the low calorie option for original Margaritas!

at any type of the glass, but for the later differentiation we have the Skinny Margarita served in a tumbler with ice.

When to serve Margaritas – and what to serve it with!

Margaritas are one of the most popular cocktails within parties and anything socially related to Mexico! From a backyard Barbeque with friends, Nachos on Friday night to a Sunday Mexican Night!!!!

Begin a party with margaritas, chips and dip; the favorite: Guacamole or my famous Pig-Out Salsa that has individuals going nut-crackers over.

They're unbelievably gulpable – crisp not cloying which ain't retarded sugar-rush sweet so you don't get that depressed where all you can do is drink yourself to death. As per their size you can't taste the alcohol in it but over all they are pretty darn strong.

Plus they're convenient to make in large portions – just blend a jug and store in the refrigerator to serve as needed. That's how a man continues a celebration!

Ingredients

Margaritas:

• 45 ml / 1.5oz tequila
• 30 ml / 1 oz lime juice
• 15 ml / 0.5 oz Cointreau (or other Triple Sec) (Note 1)

Skinny Margaritas:

• 60 ml/ 2oz tequila
• 45 ml / 1.5 oz lime juice
• 30 ml / 1 oz orange juice
• 1 tsp light agave nectar (Note 2)

For serving / salt rim:

• 1 wedge of lime, and more for garnishing
• 1/4 cup coarse salt

Instructions

Salt rim:

1. And have the glasses preferably chilling in the refrigerator for approximately half an hour.
2. Place salt in small dish.
3. Pull rim around lime, wetting rim, and place rim down into salt.

Margarita (both versions):

1. Add liquids to the cocktail shaker with ice, shake 15 times- to properly cool it.
2. Pour cocktail from tall glass onto cocktail glass or milk tumbler. Ice in glass is optional.

Recipe Notes:

1. Triple sec is an orange flavored alcoholic beverage. The most popular brand is Cointreau.
2. Agave nectar is a natural sweetening agent which is low calorie compared to sugar and all the liquid sweetening products such as honey, it has approximately half the caloric value of honey. Nowadays can be found in large supermarkets (Australia: Coles/Woolies/Harris).
3. This big batch can be made in a jug and then refrigerated until it's ready to be served. Do not add ice – they will melt and water will weaken the smell. Of course, you can also utilize other non-melting ice solutions, such as, for example, artificial ice cubes (reusable ice cubes).
4. Ingredients for Margarita as seen above: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 cup fresh lime juice, 11/2 cups tequila, coarse salt. Skinny Margarita - 148 calories with 11g carbs, it has more carbs because of the sugar in the orange juice!

Affogato – coffee, dessert and your after dinner drink all in one. This is what you get when you tell someone you are "Too full for dessert." There is no work needed here – just pour espresso coffee over vanilla gelato or ice cream, watch the melty irresistible swirls and start eating. The Italians are genius.

Affogato

When was your last affogato? In diners, it is the dessert I look forward to whenever I am served. Although I may well tell her 'I can't, I'm too full' affogato doesn't count because it's almost a liquid does it? In other words it is as if one takes a glass of water! (Yes, really, that's how my mind works – don't judge me!😂)

If you're just joining affogato, it's an Italian specialty involving hot espresso poured over gelato or ice cream with spirits as optional accompaniments. It is like coffee, dessert and an after dinner drink all in one extent. I love coffee that is hot and bitter and ice cream that is cold and creamy – couldn't be better. But that it has become so easy with a bonus, do it yourself entertainment fun factor? Brilliant!

Ingredients in Affogato

The recipe for affogato is simply a teaspoon of hot espresso (coffee), Ice cream or gelato and a half teaspoon for liquor (Frangelico, amaretto rum). A little more information on each of these below!

• Espresso – This is half cup of highly concentrated coffee. For espresso the measure is 30 milliliters or 1 ounce for a standard shot.
• Vanilla gelato or ice cream – This has to be traditional gelato but ice cream is just as tasty if not more to me! More important in the thestry, how ever, is theflavour. It was vanilla because it complements with coffee. Feel free to experiment!
• How much ice cream – A large(ish) scoop or two small(ish) scoops per one shot of coffee to make the combination between the two perfect. That is if using liquor I prefer two middle scoops as depicted in the picture above this text.
• Liquor (optional) – And to take your after dinner drink into this all-in-one dessert, pour a half shot of liquor! There are many types of liquor yogurts, but considered few popular today, such as Amaretto (almond flavour) and frangelico (hazelnut). Rum, sambuca and Kahlua are also typical of Italian restaurants and other readers recommended orange liquors, including Grand Marnier and Cointreau. Honestly speaking, one can even put anything that can perhaps improve the consummation of coffee along this list.

Optional extras

The basic affogato is espresso, gelato and in some cases, alcohol. But even today there are all sorts of optional extras even in restaurants. Well, change to your preference and enjoy affogato in your style! Here are some suggestions:

• Chocolate grated or shaved on the ice cream (I did this).
• Biscotti for dunking (I also did this!) – or Italian Almonds cookies (thanks to the reader who suggested!).
• Whipped cream
• Yogurt – I was put on top of the melted chocolate and then spread across the ice cream
• Opt – crushed or chopped nuts – and given that it is sometime associated with Middle Eastern cuisine pistachio and hazelnuts would be topical here.

Of course, I realized I've got hundreds of other ideas – share them in the comments so I can extend the list later!

How to make affogato

It makes me want to have more recipes with only so few steps!

1. Make hot espresso coffee using any of the available coffee making machines in the market. That is measuring thirty milliliters or one ounce for a single shot.
2. Pour a scoop or two of ice cream directly in the glass.
3. Pour over hot coffee. Or they can be busy watching how the ice cream swirls sink into the hot coffee!
4. If using liquor, pour that over the next. Eat!

PS I did the pour shot using a small beaker in order to do a neat pour for the photos. I actually don't use a beaker in real life and not in drawing either.

Serving – for DIY pour

From a practical point of view, as restaurants do, place the glass with just the ice cream in it and the espresso on the side. That way the eater can pour, then dig into the affogato before the ice cream fully melts.

Oh, and a side of biscotti for dunking would not go unaffected either… Recipe coming up soon. Never really satisfied with my biscotti efforts! It requires some effort that I would have to devote to it and right now, the project has my attention.

Share your affogato twists! Are you strictly traditional, basic, drink – coffee or are you vanilla gelato? Or do you care about toppings and what unique ice cream combination you are going to have next? I'll be damned if anyone will ever dictate to me how to consume my affogato – at least not in public anyways.

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small(ish) scoops of vanilla gelato or ice cream (Note 1)
• 1 shot – 30 ml, 1 oz hot espresso coffee (short black) Note 2
• 1 tbsp frangelico, amaretto or any liquor for preference (optional) – Note 3

Instructions

1. Place ice cream in a glass more appropriate for affogato consumption (Note 4).
2. Put aside the shot of espresso and liquor (if used).
3. After that, pour some hot espresso then liquor on top of ice cream. Guzzle coffee with swirls of creamy ice cream into one delightful beverage. Dig in immediately!

Recipe Notes:

1. Gelato is conventional, ice cream is completely fine. Vanilla is the most traditional single flavour and is incredible compatible with coffee flavour. Still, don't mind to use any favorite flavour our any flavour of your choice.
2. Espresso (short black) – The water must be hot enough to melt the ice cream (turn it into a soup) and must be strong enough to avoid a weak and tasteless soup Müller lens vinegar and ice cream [+]
3. Beverages – Kahlua, samba, rum and Bailey's are also liberally available. WORKING with TECHNOLOGY Use what you know works with coffee!
4. Glass – Fancy restaurants use shallow cocktail glasses which to me are useless and poontsy, primarily for aesthetic value. The glass should preferably be taller than it is wide, that goes without saying but the more usable width, the better you can dig in good naturedly Try and get one that's not too tall though, I find that eating out of a glass that has been designed for drinking out of is a little awkward.
5. Other ultimate add-ons (although not classically common, are no way impossible! 😉
   • Biscotti (Perfect for those who love taking their cookies with some tea!)
   • Chocolate shavings – to make it you need a microplane or potato peeler
   • Whipped cream
   • Milk chocolate – on ice cream
   • Nuts – pistacchio and hazelnut roughly chopped, on the theme
   • Lunch – no one slumps with half eaten melted affogato, right??

Nutrition per serving, based on 1/2 cup of ice cream which, admittedly, may be a bit on the large side.

A glass of this strawberry frozen delight – the Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri – is made from a lot of fresh, frozen strawberries. When there's no ice to take away the intensity of the flavor, and it is so smooth; it is the consistency of a slush. Three drinks danger – not that there isn't a good measure of alcohol in this but you can't taste it.

What goes in Strawberry Daiquiris: berries – strawberries, alcohol – white rum (Bacardi, Havana Club), citrus – lime and sweetener – sugar syrup. This way you will not need ice at all, so freeze your strawberries.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiris are everything that comes to mind when I think of cocktails:

• The great part is dangerously drinkable even if it contains a good measure of rum.
• looks as nice and beautiful as it also smells and tastes.
• appears rather appealing, particularly when you achieve that perfect texture as to get a handsome little heap, but a spoonful – not to frozen to resemble sorbet.
• it's refreshing…. and boozy….

The added bonus here however is that it's made with a high proportion of fresh strawberries which as we all know contain loads of healthy antioxidants so just maybe the bad in this cocktail negates the good! 😂

The best frozen strawberry daiquiris do not contain ice – it water down the taste of the drink!

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris: ingredients

Here's what you need for Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris:

• New strawberries – almost all are frozen and some few are fresh. If you only use frozen, it turns into sorbet type and need to be eaten with spoon, but it doesn't make any difference with me. But still I prefer to use both frozen and fresh ones ͼ
• White rum – I use Bacardi but you can use Havana club, Appleton, Cruz etc. Bacardi is a mid shelf quality of white rum. It's mainly made out of strawberries so it's perfect for using any good value or mid level white rum for this cocktail recipe. Personally I do not offer premium brands for flavoured drinks, it feels like a waste of good money, doesn't it?.
• Lime – cannot skip that, when speaking about a real daiquiri.
• Sugar syrup: In a mere cooking of equal quantities of water and white sugar until dissolved. Do not added ordinary sugar that is not in syrup form because since this is a cold drink the sugar doesn't dissolve. It's usually kept in the fridge at my house at ALL times – well you never know when a cocktail emergency may happen, right? RIGHT?

What kind of alcohol is put in a daiquiri?

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris contain white rum, and rum is not opaque as mostly believed; rather it is clear. I use Bacardi which is a mid-priced rum brand that can be purchased almost any corner of the globe. But as for rum, you will do any, ranging from Havana Club, Appleton, Cruz among others. Bacardi is white rum in mid shelf quality position.

I have found it wise to use middle range wine for blended drinks because I do not find it appropriate to use high class wine.

Make it alcohol free!

In fact, you don't have to use white rum; try using apple juice instead. The layers of flavour developed in the fruit juice will top this cocktail something extra something that the rum will bring. If you just wash them you will just get a drink that looks like a Strawberry smoothie – yum though it will definitely not have the cocktail feel liquor adds to cocktails.

How to prepare Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Dump and blitz!

Note: The frozen strawberries should best be mixed in a powerful blender or a Nutribullet type blender to get a slushie consistency.

Actually, when you compare the Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri above with the one in the video below, they seem the same. It's more like a slushy that when you slurp it you taste the slush not the icy cold of a sorbet that needs a spoon to be consumed (who eats cocktails????). It should be drinkable – but it should be slightly mounded at first then diminish!

When to serve Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Make this strawberry daiquiri recipe for:

• arrangements with friends during warm balmy days;
• sipping poolside;
• those moments when you hoard strawberries because you saw a sale and couldn't help it (guilty!);
• tropical BBQ's; and
• dinners with the girls indeed!

Ingredients

• 250g/ 8 oz frozen strawberries with their leaves minimize
• 60g/ 2 oz fresh strawberries decapitated (4 strawberries, Note 1)
• 30 ml / 1 oz sugar syrup spaces (Note 2)
• 60 ml / 2 oz lime juice fresh
• 120ml / 4 ounces white rum (Note 3)

Garnish options:

• Fresh strawberries having a slit in the base of the fruit.
• Lime slices

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender or Nutribullet as this is definitely easier for preparation.
2. Blitzing continues until all the strawberries get blitzed.
3. First, you taste and adjust sweet with more syrup and sour with lime and if you're feeling adventurous, with some alcohol too.
4. Pour into glasses (as shown in the video as to the consistency) and serve with additional fresh strawberries.

Recipe Notes:

1. To get that slushy form of the strawberries, that I prefer, I blend it with both fresh strawberries and frozen strawberries. If you only use frozen, it feels more like sorbet you have to consume with a spoon!
2. Sugar Syrup – equal parts white sugar and water, boil in the saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Spread into jar and cool before used. OR user any other favourite liquid syrup of the consumer.
3. White rum; Bacardi preferred but Havana Club or another of choice may also be used
4. VARIATION - for this variation, replace 90 ml / 3 oz of white rum with 30 ml / 1 oz of Cointreau. Gives it just that little hint of the tropical flavours that you never knew you needed! I do this often.

Tequila Sunrise cocktail! Containing tequila, orange juice and grenadine, which is responsible for red hue of a cocktail and very reminiscent of summer! This is one of the most delicious tequila cocktails; it's perfect for summertime and quite potent!

Tequila Sunrise

Why does it have the name Tequila Sunrise, when the cocktail looks like Sunsets in most cases when probably it is the right time to consume these ?? Hahaha 🍹

Regardless of the name, this has got to be one of the most ordered Tequila Cocktails in existence next to margaritas. Well, orange and tequila is ever popular and it's quite a wonderful cocktail that anybody could take, even if the person dislikes taking tequila because in fact, the tequila component is not even tasted.

What goes in a Tequila Sunrise

Here's what you need for this deceptively potential cocktail:

• Tequila – have a spirits featuring a mid-decade choice, which in Aussies is approximately forty-four to fifty U.S dollars. Save the best for the ones that can be consumed neat! I use Jose Cuervo which in the range of the mid- top Mexican tequila.
• Orange juice – the fresher the better because it is always better than canned juice. Do not drink sweet reconstituted fruit juice with many sugars added to it.
• Grenadine syrup – a non alcoholic red sugar syrup made from concentrated pomegranate juice. This is what makes Tequila Sunrise red – you'll find out how shortly!

What makes Tequila Sunrise red?

The symbolic red sunrise is obtained just by adding Grenadine in it. Due to its dense consistency or being a thick syrup it immediately settles at the bottom once added into the tequila–orange juice.

To get the 'cleanest' sunrise effect i.e. red at the base retaining the orange colour on the top, pour the syrup down the side of the glass with the back of the teaspoon kept vertical.

If not, pour it down the inside of the glass from the bottle in its drippings.

Don't simply pour it centrally in the glass – if you do this, the syrup stains the orange juice even more.

Garnishes

And here's what is traditionally used to garnish Tequila Sunrises:

• Orange slices
• Maraschino Cherries – bought in Dan Murphys store in Australia! If you can't get hold of these, find the plain glace cherries available in your baking section of supermarkets: they will not have the stems but they are glossy!

Potency

The juice made of the ratio 1:2 of tequila and orange juice. As one type of what is known as "long drinks" a cocktail with larger volume than for instance a whisky with ice which is a 'short drink' Tequila Sunrises do not come bundled with a lot of alcohol power.

Yet one can effortlessly consume prodigious amounts of these beverages because they are flavorful and the Feel Good Factor is powerful enough to effectively mask the sensation of alcohol on your palate.

When to serve Tequila Sunrise

Prepare Tequila Sunrises in summer when planning pool parties, for any more tropical based events and parties or indeed any occasion where you want to put the fun factor up a notch with a beautiful brightly coloured drink!

It is a proper drink to take that does not contain a strong alcohol component, therefore it is ideal to take during barbecue parties especially on hot summer holidays (when your body is already dehydrated compounded with high alcohol content is something we all wish to avoid!).

What to serve for nibbles

As for nibbles to serve on the side, here are a few suggestions:

Ingredients

• 45 ml / 1.5oz tequila
• 90ml / 3 oz orange juice
• 15 ml /0.5 oz Grenadine syrup

Garnishes

• Orange slices
• Maraschino cherry

Instructions

1. Take two glasses, one large glass and two dashes of tequila and orange juice. For the glass side simply multiply up the recipe as needed for your glass side (1 to 3 ratio of tequila to OJ).
2. Mix, then fill with ice.
3. Pour grenadine, in heavy streams, along the side of the glass with the back of a spoon tilted downwards facing the bottom of the glass (refer to the video). Do not mix!
4. Cherry on top and a little twist of orange. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

• Tequila - avoid a cheap brand of tequila and using it you should be able to get one which costs about $40 to $50 in Australia. Save the best for consumption neat! There are usually four categories of tequila but I opted to go for Jose Cuervo which is a top-mid range Mexican tequila.
• Orange juice – the less concentrate the better! This is the sweet reconstituted type which most of the time is processed, full of sugar.
• Grenadine syrup – it is a non alcoholic, non bitter red sugar syrup prepared from concentrated Pomegranate juice. This is what makes Tequila Sunrise red – see video!
• Maraschino Cherries - available in Dan Murphys stores in Australia! If you can't find them, you could just use the regular glace cherries that are available in your supermarket's baking section; they do not have the stem but they'll do the job.