A treasure trove lurking in the back of the freezer becomes a bounteous find of floral and fruity cabochon. A cascading haute bijouterie of edible flowers fruits and herbs in ice cubes which seemingly skirts the edges of a post as I gawk at the rain and attempt to rationalise as to why I’ve switched on the central ‘cheating’ – it’s September which, back in the day, used to be code of Summer?

Hence this SA16 (summer/autumn 2016) we are to be giddy with frozen style since there’s little harm to be had from observing paradise in a glass even if its only a drop of fizzy water.

 

   

   

 

Ones unflinching reserve endeavours to further capture and harness a back catalogue of the summer kaleidoscopic gems. Thusly in our happy chaos we exchange eccentrically dressed plates for equally eccentrically dresses glasses, well maybe with a little hint of tincture here and there.

 

A mere inkling of tinkling trivia, a vague soupçon of secret garden and ‘chandelierium’ as we head towards some melting moments of ethereal looking ‘dinky dos’ to add further to ones irregular form of ruthlessly documented frippancy and phaph.

 

  

  

 

As we incline towards the idle meadow riches, subtle fragrances that can be harnessed and subsequently shared at a later date. The pleasure, of herbs, berries, fruits and petals once preserved in ice become quietly hypnotic (depending on how much Gin you’ve already drunk dearie)

 

  

  

 

The why: Our two gardeners had been fishing with some of their many brothers.  They caught more fishes than you could shake a stick at.  Thinking that through a tad, there’s a mystery of what that would ever achieve (other than to confuse an already mortified fish) guessing that can’t be bettered/battered?  Digression ends.  He arrived with a frozen fish brick that cunningly filled a shelf in one of the freezers.  Exchange being no robbery,  I made him a cup of tea (there’s no end to my generosity don’t cha know) and we set about fitting said fish brick into the allotted slot-ment. I only had to remove a small bag of ‘twinkle-ness’ and we were good to go.

 

 

 

What’s that? quoth he?

“Twinkle-ness. Obviously! Last years floral ice cubism” said I in a plastic pretendie huff, whilst assuming acute obviousness. I might have taken serious flack for the fact that I make pretty ice cubes etc but he then asked to take a few home for his little girls which ever-so-very-slightly answered his own question?

 

  

  

 

They had recently ‘edited’ a flower bed, which now needed 10 new rose bushes. So whilst they dug dung and compost into the bed. I dragged the remorselessly observant, Tea Boy (kicking and screaming I might add) to a couple of local garden nurseries. Now, now don’t judge me, he was gifted the option to get stuck in and help them, but declined.

Oh he so loves the garden nurseries, the irksome, shuffle shoe’d know-alls. The aged gawkers and dawdlers, their ‘squeaky cheeks’, whence Crimpline remains vogue (and 100% washable by necessity). Their stuffing-crumb lapel decoupage and gravy stained woollies remain all the rage. The deciphering of tongue-twisting-latin-clad labels and animated eyebrows declare scholarly indigestion. Their tag-alongs, equally indignant, more deliciously cantankerous, until punctuated by the sharp asides of their great leaders .

 

   

   

   

 

Once suitably coerced our kindly Tea Boy remained oh so very cheerful and full-some of self. (Perfect lie. My apologies) Don’t overly worry though, the Sauvignon swiftly washed away his riotous anathema and distaste for the adventure and also helped balm his wallet.

 

So my erstwhile Gung Ho, have a go, ice-cube whisperers of walky-aroundy-the-hedgerows-nearly-autumn-feely fame. To make the frozen Tom (Tom foolery = jewelery). Well Im certainly not going to suggest you make some ordinary old ice cubes? As I love to use old inserts from packaging and weird stuff as ice-cube formes. There after all the colours, flavours and twinkle-ness can abound.

 

  

  

 

Should  you prefer implacably opaque, misty, etherial looking frozen object d’virtu use tap water otherwise, if you’re a stickler for mirror-shine clarity use pre-boiled water from the kettle or bottled water.  After all the arduous preparation (pour water in to dish or mould), it’s the old medieval alchemy of chuck it all in versus delicately placed organic petal-age whilst toying with tweezers, gifting said petal-age to settle and move once you have closed the freezer door.

 

 

  

  

  

 

Shown above are some, lack lustre, strawberries that were sliced made into long sticks latterly added to fizzy water and cranberry juice to become a red berry cooler. Also shown are cubes make from fresh lime or cordial and blue berries, whizz, wallop, “wiv or wiv-out wodka”. At the top are little cubes of thyme, apricot with a pop of pomegranate, these melt wonderfully for sophisticated nearly grown ups in ginger ale or oldies prosecco.

Frozen flower pops? I make these  mostly for use during the winter, to pretty a water jug hither and thither, so I’ve hung on to most of my little frozen flower cubes  as they bring a glint of joy during colder months.

 

 

  

  

  

  

 

Do try: mesmerizing borage stars in a Hendricks gin and tonic or Pimms, a total wowzer! Bombay Sapphire too for that matter, and a tidily drip of blue food colouring ? Plymouth Gin bays for cucumber twists /swirls and lemon and lime notwithstanding.

Botanicals and Gin equal hurrah. Vodka ‘flavours’ the brave. Aficionados may also wish to consider orange for a kitschy mimosa (cue inward gasp) A cosmopolitan (Cranberry).

The toast is:-

“Toot toot and twinkleness” x

 

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