Strawberry-Thyme Lemonade

Strawberry-Thyme Lemonade

 

This super-yummy lemonade comes from Real Simple magazine and is intended for both family and adult drinks.

 

This lemonade base is perfect for sipping in the sun, and you can add a splash of vodka to turn it into an adult version.

 

Brennan and I can vouch for the family-friendly variety.  It is really, really tasty over crushed ice!

 

Start by heating sugar, water, and thyme sprigs until the sugar dissolves.

 

Hull and slice a quart of strawberries.

Remove the thyme sprigs and add the thyme syrup, fresh lemon juice, water, and the strawberries to a large pitcher. 

 

Stir and chill 30 minutes.

 

Pour over crushed ice, garnished with a sprig of thyme.

 

Really, really delicious!!

 

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Enjoy!

 

 

Homemade Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

 

I like to have a pitcher of fresh lemonade in the fridge for the boys, or myself, or for when friends stop by to sit by the pool and catch up.  A pitcher of lemonade and some fresh strawberries makes the perfect snack!

 

I use fresh lemons and juice them on a citrus juicer.  Then add sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, before adding water and chilling the lemonade. 

 

5 lemons makes about 1.5 cups of lemon juice.  I add 2/3 c sugar. 

 

Some recipes call for equal parts lemon juice and sugar, but there is no way I'm adding 1.5 cups of sugar to a pitcher of lemonade. 

 

2/3 c is the right tartness/sweetness ratio for my family.

 

 

 

A fun thing to do is fill the juiced lemon halves with sherbet (I used pineapple sherbet below) and freeze for game night with the kids, or a pool treat.

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Enjoy!

 

Sweet Pea Paula's Beer Margaritas

Sweet Pea Paula's Beer Margaritas

 

 

Paula shared her Beer Margarita recipe with me a couple of years ago, and I tucked it away with all of the other recipes that I'm attempting to get to.  Slowly, but surely. 

 

We had friends over to sit by the pool sit on the screened in porch and watch the thunderstorm and enjoy some tamales together this week.

I knew it would be a great time to try out Paula's recipe.

What I liked about this simple beverage, besides the fact that you can make up a pitcher ahead of time, is that it is smooth, and slightly sweet.  Without that tartness of sweet and sour that hits the back of my throat in other margaritas.  This one is almost too smooth.  Really good, and I will certainly make it again.

 

You mix a beer (I used a bottle of Corona), a 20 oz Sprite, frozen limeade concentrate, and then half of the limeade container filled with tequila.  Combine and refrigerate.  Stir before serving.  Run a lime wedge around a cup, dip in margarita salt and add crushed ice and Beer Margaritas.

 

We all loved it.  Some chose to add a couple of lime wedges to theirs to up the tartness.  I will certainly make this recipe again and again.  Perfect for out by the pool on a hot summer day!

 

 

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Enjoy!

 

 

Citrus Sangria

Southern Living's Citrus Sangria

 

We hosted our Wine Club last weekend and I made a big batch of this Citrus Sangria from the December 2011 Southern Living. 

 

It's so simple.  I wanted to share it although does two ingredients really count as a recipe?

 

Combine 2 bottles of white Zinfandel and 4 cups of white grape juice.

Slice a lemon, orange, and lime and chill for 4 hours.

Serve over ice.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Pineapple Puree

Pineapple Puree

Brennan chose this recipe from the You Are What You Eat Cookbook  and got the ingredients at the grocery store.  He was not to be deterred!

It was a great smoothie/puree that is easy to make and easy to customize.

We trimmed an entire pineapple and pureed it in the blender. 
Then we added two bananas and blended it again.

We chilled the smoothie before dinner and everyone really enjoyed the thick, sweet treat.
Instead of chilling, you could also add ice to the blender for a chilled treat.

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Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

I saw a number of cantaloupe recipes in Redbook magazine this summer and cut them out to try.

I like agua frescas a lot, and they are so simple to make.
They're also called agua de fruta at times.
They're very common in Mexico, and I shared a watermelon version here.

You start by cutting up a cantaloupe into large chunks, then blending the fruit with 4 c of water in the blender.  I did mine in two batches.

Then you strain the mixture in a fine mesh strainer - straining the juice into a pitcher, and reserving the pulp for a smoothie later on!

Once you have your agua fresca, mix in the juice of two limes and chill.

When you're ready to serve, add some fresh mint.

I think it's almost heartbreaking sometimes to cut up a melon and then turn it into a beverage - I'd rather eat it as is! 

But sometimes it's great to make an agua fresca if I've got a lot of leftover fruit, or just for a change of pace.  And I do save the pulp for a smoothie, which works well.

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Buen Provecho!

Peach and Mint Iced Tea

Peach and Mint Iced Tea

This recipe sounded great when I was reading The Kind Diet. 

I decided to make it last week, and we ended up drinking two pitchers of it.

I used the kukicha teabags, but the original recipe also says you can use green teabags.

I think any kind you like would work!

I sliced the peaches in large slices, but you could do much thinner slices.

Boil 8 c of water and add your teabags, allowing them to steep for 10 minutes.

Remove the teabags and add sweetener if desired, fresh mint, and sliced peaches.

Chill and serve.

Refreshing, and a great flavor!

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Enjoy!



Cucumber, Basil, and Lime Juice

Cucumber, Basil, and Lime Juice

Do you follow goop.com?  Goop was founded by Gwyneth Paltrow. 

It has everything from food, to travel, to clothing. 

This juice recipe is from goop.com, and is shown doubled below.

Most of us in this house like a good homemade juice. 

Brennan is the exception.  He hasn't found one that he has loved just yet.  We're going to keep looking though.  And in the meantime, Thomas will finish his. 

This is a super easy one that calls for 2 cucumbers, 2 apples, 1 cup of fresh basil, and a peeled lime.

I juiced everything together in the juicer.

If you want it super cold, you can then transfer the juice to the blender with a handful of ice.

I don't think the fresh basil added much to this juice.  It barely dribbled out of the juicer - it felt like such a waste of good, fresh basil! 

I would hold onto your precious fresh basil for a better recipe where you can truly enjoy it.

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Enjoy!

Roasted Brown Rice Tea

Roasted Brown Rice Tea

On my trip to Jungle Jim's last week I picked up an interesting looking bag of Roasted Brown Rice, not having a clue what I would do with it!

I put most of my grains and beans in containers and have written the name and expiration date on the outside.  I need to pick up a fat-tip Permanent Marker so the label is easier to see.  The good thing about Permanent Marker on glass is that it cleans right off.

The roasted brown rice is packaged with popcorn to draw the moisture away.

It's easy to make the tea.

In a small saucepan you boil 2 cups water and 2 Tbsp roasted brown rice.

Let simmer for 5 minutes, strain and serve.

I added a little brown rice syrup for sweetener but unless you're using a lot of sweetener, it retains its nutty flavor.

I drank most of it before I remembered to snap a photo!

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Enjoy!



Pomegranate Mimosas

Southern Living

Pomegranate Mimosas

I found this recipe in the December 2009 Southern Living.

I served this cocktail with wine, water, and Smirnoff Ices at my birthday get together.

While this version of a Mimosa is rather sweet, they were a hit!

For an "unleaded" version you can use sparkling water or Sprite.

There are only two ingredients - Pomegranate Juice and Champagne. 

You mix to taste but typically half-n-half.

I used the largest bottle of Pom along with a full bottle of Champagne.

It's a great color cocktail for Valentine's Day or Christmas!

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Cheers!



Glühwein

Glühwein

Last year at Christmas my mom made a delicious batch of Glühwein for our family.

This weekend our Wine Club was over so I made it for everyone.

When I was young we lived in Germany.  In the 7th grade my class took a trip to Nürnberg at Christmas and we visited the Christkindlmarkt (outdoor Christmas market).  There I saw this huge batch of Glühwein for sale by the mug to adults needing a hot toddy while they shopped. 

While it didn't look delicious then, I think it would hit the spot now on a snowy December shopping day outdoors in Germany!

source

Glühwein is also known as Mulled Wine.

It's served warm and can be garnished with a cinnamon stick or thin slice of orange.

I made a double batch last weekend and it was just about gone.

Here is the recipe for the single batch.

You heat water in a pan and add the cinnamon sticks, honey, and spices.

Then you cut the orange in 8ths and poke the cloves in and add to your pan.

Add the wine and heat to almost boiling then remove from the heat.

Once it's cool enough to taste, check for sweetness and add sugar to your liking.

I added 1 Tbsp and stirred it to dissolve completely.

Mine was simmering so could be served in mugs or glasses.

Note:  I did not have whole clove so I used ground gloves.  They don't dissolve well so I will use the whole clove next time.



Watermelon Agua Fresca

Watermelon Agua Fresca

This was one of my favorite drinks I learned to make when we lived in Mexico.

This weekend Thomas had a friend staying over so I made this with breakfast yesterday.

What a hit!

Agua Fresca or Agua de Fruta is sold throughout Mexico - in restaurants, at resorts out by the pool, and by street vendors everywhere.

Thomas got addicted to the mango version when we went to a resort in Manzanillo.

It's super easy and delicious.

You blend 4 cups of a watery, fresh fruit with 1/2 cup of water and 2 Tbsp of sugar. 

The amount of sugar varies with your taste and the sweetness of the fruit.

I usually stick with 2 Tbsp.

Once blended it's important to strain it for pulps or seeds.  I usually end up with just 1/4 c pulp left after smushing it through with a spoon. 

Then garnish with lemon, lime, or mint.

If you have a flavored simple syrup on hand, you can substitute that instead of the water and sugar.

Lime simple syrup is really popular with watermelon.

Other popular fruit varieties are:  cantaloupe, mango, papaya, guava, strawberry, and lime.

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Buen Provecho!