#FashionableFruitFriday - Fashion Forecast: Spring Summer SS14 Tropical Fruit Trend

Liora Lassalle - Soft Fruit,
Hard Lines at Wowcracy

London Fashion Week may have just ended but let's not get ahead of ourselves with the temptation of the gorgeous Autumn/Winter collections showcased - even though the doom and gloom of February had me wishing for one of the many stunning coats that went down the runway.

The Spring/Summer London Fashion Week last September may just be a distant memory for many of us but now is the time to get buying and wearing the trends we fawned over almost six months ago.

Liora Lassalle - Soft Fruit,
Hard Lines at Wowcracy

As much as I'd love to take you through every trend you'll see this Spring and Summer, as an office fruit supplier we had just one trend in our mind, heart and stomach - fruit.

Tropical fruit is a huge mainstay for this season and works well in conjunction with typical SS trends of neon, florals and pastels.


Designers such as Liora Lassalle and Clements Ribeiro were practically announcing their tropical fruit influences to revellers of SS14 London Fashion Week in September and now that the high street has caught up and started to bring in their range of next season goodies it's clear that their exotic fruit trend has caught on.

Orange Print Slingback Espadrilles
River Island - £25

Pineapple Print Blouse
River Island - £22

Pineapple Runner Shorts
Topshop - £14

Lemon Print Dungarees
River Island - £40

Tweet us @office_fruit and let us know if you'll be looking triumphant in tropical or safeguarding the SS staples of neon, pastel or floral. Also, give us a shout in the comments if you'd like to see more fashion forecasts from Fruit for the Office!

Enjoy the British Summer with Naughty Fruit Desserts

With all the cold, wind and potential flood warnings, it's easy to forget it's July. All those promises you made to diet on sweet, chilled fruit and jog in the warm summer air have been demolished by the need for comfort food and raincoats. So, with bikini season slowly drifting away in a wash of rain, it may be time to get back on the desserts... Not that us here at Fruit For the Office are bad influences or anything but, really, with all the horrible weather downing your mood, it might just be time to treat yourself - and all these desserts can be made with our office fruit, so they can't be that bad, right?

Fruit Salad

Starting with the most basic of all fruit desserts, and the healthiest too, fruit salad is so easy to make and you can use any fruit you fancy from your London office fruit supplier. Here's a simple recipe for you that has a little naughtiness with the optional addition of syrup:

Take any fruit you fancy - most commonly used are melon, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, orange, apple but use your imagination - and peel and cut larger fruit into small, edible chunks.
If you want to add some syrup then take 8 tablespoons of water and mix in a saucepan with 200g of caster sugar. Heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool then pour into bowls, mix the chopped fruit in and serve.

Apple Pie or Crumble

The ultimate comfort dessert, this is also one of the most welcome accompaniments to Sunday lunch.

Easily made with pastry and crumble from scratch or pre-made packets from the supermarket, it can be modified in a variety of delicious ways, with plenty of cinnamon or ginger or with another variety of fruit such as blackberries, rhubarb or pear.

Eton Mess

Another British institution, Eton Mess is an easy, fuss-free and delicious dessert that suits the warmer months (despite how little it currently resembles summer!)

This sweet treat is easy to make by whipping 250ml of double cream until it has soft peaks. Then break 4 meringue nests into pieces and add to the cream. Once you've folded the meringue in, take either 350g of de-stalked and cut up strawberries or 200g of strawberries and 150g of raspberries and fold into the mixture. Divide the mixture into bowls or glasses and serve.



What's your favourite fruit dessert? Let us know in the comments below!

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Top 5 Fruity Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Summer Cocktails

Whether your party has been moved indoors as you wait for the glorious summer rain to dissipate or you’re soaking up the sun during a BBQ, cocktails filled to the brim with fresh fruit are a summer staple.

With alcoholic and non-alcoholic variants a plenty, we take you through the top 5 fruit cocktails, which can all easily be made with the leftovers from your office fruit delivery!

Pina Colada

For a taste of the Caribbean, try this classic tropical cocktail that always tastes better when made from scratch! For a non-alcoholic version, remove all alcohol and add a double measure of pineapple juice.

Pour 35ml gold rum, 20ml of coconut rum, 50ml coconut cream, 50ml pineapple juice and 4 chunks of pineapple into a blender and blend until smooth. To serve, pour into a glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge, an orange slice and a cherry.

Sangria

Full of fresh fruit, this much-loved BBQ drink is guaranteed to bring back memories of Spanish holidays. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the red wine with 2 parts cranberry juice and 1 part red grape juice.

Mix 3 parts red wine, 1 part orange juice and 2 parts lemonade into a large jug full of ice. Add lots of sliced lemon, orange and apple to the jug and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint. Serve in glasses and add more wine, juice or lemonade as desired.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Sweet, decadent and fun, this drink is guaranteed to keep you cool and the non-alcoholic version is perfect for kids as it’s just like a slush puppy! For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum and liquer with 30ml of lemonade.

Mix 4 fresh strawberries, 2 tsp white sugar, 35ml white rum, 1 tbsp strawberry liquer, 25ml lime juice and a handful of crushed ice in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Peach Bellini

A classy and sophisticated drink, a peach bellini is easy to make and can also be made with different fruits such as nectarines or berries. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the champagne with lemonade, sparkling white grape juice or fizzy water.

Half 2 ripe peaches, remove the stones and blend them until they are a smooth puree. Pour into a jug and mix with a bottle of prosecco, champagne or sparkling wine. Serve in chilled champagne flutes.

Margarita

A cheeky but refreshing drink, this can also be served in slushy form by blending with crushed ice in the same way as the frozen strawberry daiquiri. For a non-alcoholic version, replace all alcohol with orange juice, lime cordial and lemonade.

Pour 35ml tequila, 20ml Cointreau and 35ml of freshly squeezed lime juice into a cocktail shaker. Add some ice cubes and shake for 10 seconds. Take a martini glass and dampen the rim with water then dip in salt. Strain the mixture into the glasses and garnish with a lime wedge.

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Vodka Watermelon: A Cheeky Way to Get 5-a-Day

http://www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/

It's summer and - one of these days! - it will get seriously hot. Watermelon is a refreshing staple of any garden party but sometimes it can do with a little kick, something to spike it with that'll get your guests feeling healthy and hydrated but also a little more inclined to dance...

A vodka watermelon is a great addition to any summer party, will definitely get your guests talking (and maybe also a little unable to stand!) and is also available from your office fruit supplier!



How to make a vodka watermelon:

• Buy a large and preferably seedless watermelon along with any size bottle or brand of vodka (flavoured vodkas, especially lime or strawberry can also be used to add a different flavour and use different size bottles depending on how cheeky you want your melon to be!)
• Using a sharp knife, cut a circular hole into the watermelon, deep enough that it reaches the middle of the red flesh and wide enough that it will fit a funnel. (If you are transporting the watermelon to a party make sure not to throw away the 'plug' as it will come in handy to close the hole)
• Insert a funnel into the hole and begin to pour the vodka in slowly as the watermelon will take time - maybe several hours - to absorb a whole bottle of vodka. Continue this process until the bottle is empty and all vodka has gone from the funnel.
• Whilst waiting for each funnel load of vodka to be absorbed, keep the watermelon in the fridge to maintain freshness.
• Keep the watermelon refrigerated until all vodka has been absorbed (normally 24 hours depending on the amount of vodka) and is ready to serve.
• Slice the watermelon into wedges and serve as they are or on lolly sticks.
• Enjoy and make sure only those over the legal drinking age consume these treats as they contain pure alcohol!