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Mrs. O Around the World
Mrs. O Around the World
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I loved trying White Port and Tonic
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An English summer tradition: the BBQ

  • FIRST POSTED: 20th August 2012 | LAST UPDATED: 12th April 2016
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This post has been brought to you in association with Taylor’s Port

When I moved to England, almost 7 years ago, I knew there would be compromises – the weather, the beaches, the food and, of course, my family and friends.

What I didn’t really know, was how to enjoy sunny days in this part of the world. Where would I go for fresh grilled fish? How often would I see the sea (as in the beach)? Little did I know how much fun one could have in a small, medium or large garden.

The ultimate European BBQ - meat, fish and seafood
The ultimate European BBQ – meat, fish and seafood

The Brits are obsessed with BBQs, I found – and once the sun is out.. there come the invites! I personally became such a fan of this quirky tradition, that I found myself organising an Olympic-sized BBQ this year – for 50 of my closest friends.

No mean feat, a lot of prep involved, but what I really wanted was to mix it up a bit – every Portuguese tradition I have adopted at home has been welcomed with open arms by my UK-based friends, especially if it involves food or drink.

Mrs. O gets her hands dirty!
Mrs. O gets her hands dirty!

I may have mentioned my sangria-making skills once or twice, and this time around, I was determined to out-do myself – to make Mrs. O’s sangria using not sparkling wine, but rosé port. You heard it here first.

Croft and Taylor’s Port challenged me to recreate some Portuguese classics using Port instead of wine – and I must say, these 2 drinks were the absolute hit of the party.

 

Croft Pink Rosé Port Sangria - the real deal
Croft Pink Rosé Port Sangria – the real deal

I know what you are going to ask me.. did we get headaches the next morning? Absolutely not! We mixed 1 bottle of rosé port with 2 litres of lemonade (sprite for the non-Brits), lots of ice and, of course, the fruit (anything you want, but strawberries and peaches are a must for me).

Another nice surprise? Dry white port and tonic.. with some mint leaves and lots of ice. Very refreshing and perfect as an apperitiv. We mixed it as we would mix an European Gin & Tonic (no mean UK sizes).

I loved trying White Port and Tonic
I loved trying White Port and Tonic

Time for some food and we tried every meat in the world – I think we totally over-catered and will have food for weeks (any excuse to have more friends around and fire up the BBQ). One thing I now love is corn on the cob, something we don’t have a lot in Portugal, and I could have it pretty much every day.

Love BBQed corn on the cob
Love BBQed corn on the cob

We have been blessed with 2 amazing weekends in August, and I had the chance to test some more Portuguese delicacies, which I would love to share with you.

Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato - clams with wine wine, garlic and coriander
Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato – clams with wine wine, garlic and coriander

Ameijoas, or clams, must have been one of Mr. O’s first Portuguese words… he has never forgotten them, and I am now almost able to make them. As they say, the more you try, the luckier you get.

Summer on a plate
Summer on a plate

But grilled sardines is my ultimate summer staple – it is as simple as it gets. And makes me miss Portugal a little bit less.

How how did we finish our day? With a slightly chilled glass of 10 year old tawny. So amazingly different – I am liking Port more and more!

Chilled... yes, chilled!
Chilled… yes, chilled!

 

Wishing everyone a fab summer – not long to go now, sadly, but determined to enjoy it until the last minute!

xo

Mrs. O

 

PS. A big thank you to Taylor’s and Croft for sharing their cocktail recipes. As we say, Port is not just for Christmas 🙂

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This was a very good place to ‘unlock’. I miss hotels so much and by having an outdoor afternoon tea at @heckfield_place, you get to see a little bit of the hotel as you walk in and out of the terrace and if you go to the loo. All covid precautions in place and very friendly staff. They even organised some glorious sunshine to end my birthday week. #MrsOapproved (PS. Hotels remain closed until May 17 2021 in England and we are only allowed outdoor dining experiences).
One of my sister’s closest friends, @globetrotter_architect is an airline purser and is now temporarily based in India (she’s from Portugal). As it happened, she had a little time off and got to go to the Taj Mahal... and had it almost to herself. As she was saying, quite an Easter to remember. I keep looking at this photo and can’t quite believe it. Have you been?
Spring is here (or could be wishful thinking). See #linkinbio for this lovely tablecloth and other bits. ⁠
Spring is in the air 🥰
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This was a very good place to ‘unlock’. I miss hotels so much and by having an outdoor afternoon tea at @heckfield_place, you get to see a little bit of the hotel as you walk in and out of the terrace and if you go to the loo. All covid precautions in place and very friendly staff. They even organised some glorious sunshine to end my birthday week. #MrsOapproved (PS. Hotels remain closed until May 17 2021 in England and we are only allowed outdoor dining experiences).
One of my sister’s closest friends, @globetrotter_architect is an airline purser and is now temporarily based in India (she’s from Portugal). As it happened, she had a little time off and got to go to the Taj Mahal... and had it almost to herself. As she was saying, quite an Easter to remember. I keep looking at this photo and can’t quite believe it. Have you been?
Spring is here (or could be wishful thinking). See #linkinbio for this lovely tablecloth and other bits. ⁠
Spring is in the air 🥰
I missed seeing water so so much. And today we had our first hint of a beautiful spring day. Absolutely glorious.
Which Mille crepe flavour? Vanilla or chocolate? Have you tried them? Divine 🥰

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