Today we’re sharing an amazingly simple and delicious herbal iced tea that’s the perfect addition to any summer spread. This pairing of lemongrass and mint is something I’ve carried around with me for years, only getting the urge to mix up a batch on the hottest of summer days, just like the first time I had it.
Remember when I promised a use for Tuesday’s leftover watermelon mint salad? Hands up if you guessed mojitos! Today’s drink couldn’t be easier to make (or drink), especially if you have your watermelon cut up into nice little cubes.
Have you tried quinoa yet? It’s an uber nutritious grain, or psuedo-cereal, that’s high in protein, fiber, and minerals. Quinoa is native to the Andes, and that’s still where most of the world’s crop is grown, but with its increasing popularity over the past decade or so, it’s easy to find in most markets across the US. If you haven’t tried it before, don’t be deterred. Cooking quinoa is as simple as boiling water, and then you can eat it warm and lightly seasoned in place of rice or couscous as a side to meat and veggie dishes. Beyond side-dish status, we love to throw quinoa (warm or cold) into salads. It’s a fantastically simple use that quickly ups the salad’s nutritional content and can turn it into a hearty meal (and we aren’t the only ones singing the quinoa salad’s praises).
Hey Seasoned sippers! With mint as our ingredient of the season, you’re likely to see a lot of mojito recipes on the blog this summer. Today I’m going to put a simple twist on the classic mint mojito recipe. A mint simple syrup twist to be exact.
or cheese cloth
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along with half of the ice.
, add more ice if desired and top it off with club soda. Garnish with a slice of lime and a few mint leaves.
As you can see, I like to drink my cocktails while browsing through a book or two. First I pulled out this classic Old Mr Boston Bartender Guide to compare mojito recipes, but alas there was no mojito recipe to be found. I quickly became bored of browsing cocktail recipes (shame on me, I know) so I decided to flip through Two Eagles. It’s a large photo book that looks at the natural history of the United States and Mexico borderlands. It is over 200 pages filled with fantastic photos and interesting text so you may want to mix up another mojito!
Summer is for swimming and reading and napping and popsicles, at least that’s what I always say. Sometimes I find it hard to stay focused on my screen when the sun is shining outside. I usually reward myself for working with little popsicle breaks. Who needs a lunch break anyway? I’d rather have three popsicle and iced coffee breaks instead.
A couple weeks ago, we shared some popsicle inspiration. I mentioned that Paletas by Fany Gerson of La Newyorkina is an amazing recipe resource for popsicles and shaved ice. Today’s recipe is straight from Paletas. While we love sharing original recipes, sometimes the best ones are already out there and that’s totally the case with these creamy avocado lime popsicles. The key is to use ripe avocados. Remember we taught you how to pick and de-pit them? Time to put those skills to use!
Let’s just get this out of the way. I love (lovity love love) mojitos, but I’m a purest and only ever order or make the traditional mojito. I envisioned kicking off our summer of mint with a basic mojito, but then I saw some fresh rhubarb at the farmer’s market. Knowing that rhubarb season ends soon, what could we do but start the season with a deliciously pink Rhubarb Mojito?
As you’ll see, this is a dish where any vegetable goes; the only constants are my roasting and seasoning methods. For those reasons this post reads more like an instruction manual and less like a recipe. If you’re making these for dinner, be sure to begin prepping them about two hours before you want to eat. I know that sounds crazy, but I like to do a lower roasting temperature that leaves the vegetables moist and concentrates their delicious flavors. After you’ve had them once you’ll see that the prep is so easy and they taste amazing, so it’s totally worth the cooking time. Throughout this post we’ve included photos of our past roasted veg experiments, all at different stages of preparation.
The temps were high in North Carolina this weekend. It felt a lot like the middle of July around here. I was busy entertaining a few friends and we all decided to check out a local bikram yoga studio. Yep, we thought the smartest way to beat the heat was to enter a 115° room for ninety minutes. Our moment of salvation came at the end when the instructor gave us each a cold scented towel and a freeze pop. Those little frozen treats left us wanting more. We took our time thinking about it by the pool and then came up with this simple strawberry and greek yogurt popsicle recipe. With only four ingredients, there is really no excuse not to try this naturally sweet fruit pop.
Ok, back to Sarah and the lovely pop ladies ~
or wooden spoon
These pops are perfectly creamy and sweet. They are sure to please a crowd of kids or for that matter, a group of gal friends.
Yesterday we taught you how to infuse olive oil with rosemary and today we will teach you how to put it to good use. There are a hundred and one ways to use rosemary infused olive oil, but which is the easiest one? Adding flavor to homemade croutons!
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.” I try as best as I can to live by this mantra, which is how I first came to make my own croutons. I bought two baguettes (something you should avoid) thinking I would eat them both immediately, but a few days later the remaining baguette was hard as a rock. I could have killed someone with this baguette. Birds would have ate the murder weapon. How’s that for the perfect crime? I decided to forgo the murder and figure out what to do with my baguette bat.
Oil infusion may be my new favorite hobby. I’m a first timer, but I’m here to rave about it. Make this rosemary infused olive oil and thank yourself while cooking all your future meals. I felt like a little chemist with the measuring, pouring, heating and transferring (sorry to all the chemists I’ve just insulted). Oil infusion may not be the most exciting or glamorous activity for a Friday night, but it’s so stinkin’ easy and it’s plain stinkin’ too. It makes your entire home smell super fresh. The green herbs combined with warm olive oil ease your senses into an aromatic daydream. Personally I was skipping along green hillsides in Italy. I’m excited to try other herbs and even fruits like lemons and oranges. A little basket of different oils and yummy breads would make a great gift for a chef or a snacker or an anyone.
