Hosting dinner, movies, or games with friends turned into a favorite weekly occurrence even before we were quite moved in to our new apartment. Now that the dust has settled over more than a few bookshelves, and most everything has its comfortable home I focus more on adding those special details when expecting company. Serving your friend a delicious cup of tea is quite a treat - but why not pour it in an antique set, and serving mini-muffins with a folded lace napkin on the side? Okay, so nearly none of us has time to embroider handkerchiefs anymore, but there are plenty of little touches to elevate any gathering from simply hanging-out, to quite the classy soirée.
Here's a old trick that our often busy minds just forget as one way to liven up the table: simply add some fresh citrus fruit to perk up a pitcher of cold water. Add berries for a smart bite. Mix and match lemons, oranges, limes. Thinly sliced cucumbers add a crisp edge - the sky's the limit. And you'll feel like you're out in the sunshine on one of those lazy, picnic-in-the-park kind of afternoons. Friends and family scurrying around for those last minute school-supplies? Enjoy a little luxury all to yourself. Whatever your favorite ingredient for this, go on and indulge. For those of you who (perish the thought) don't care for drinking plain water, this could be your answer to getting in those eight cups a day!
Eau d'Orange (Orange Water)
First gather your fruits or veggies of choice:
1 orange
1 lemon
Rinse well! You don't want to be drinking any of those harmful chemicals, pesticides, or that waxy coating they sometimes put on fruit.
Next, thinly slice across the midsection - the widest point. You will only need two to three slices per fruit, depending on how strongly you want the water infused with their juices. I like more subtlety.
If you are using a cucumber, try peeling stripes vertically before slicing horizontally. For peaches, plums, and other pit-iful fruit, cut smaller wedges. Black and Blueberries just plop in whole, unless you want to go through the whole process of mashing and straining.
*A word to the wise: drink this immediately after making: the water will be fine to drink a day later, but never looks as charming as when it's fresh.
