Strawberry Rosemary Soda & A Guest Post at German Foodie

July 13, 2012 By 13 Comments

Happy Friday!!!

Are you counting down the days to #icecreamweek? I am! Only 2 more days until we’re swimming in ice cream.

I’m knee deep in the cold stuff. I have a freezer packed full of various flavors just waiting to have there picture taken. My husband is patiently anxiously waiting for me to give him the go ahead to dig in.

Can you tell I’m a wee bit excited? I’ve been doing a #icecreamweek happy dance since Jen emailed me our fancy button.

Today, I happen to be guest posting for my dear friend Sofie over at The German Foodie. If your not familiar with Sofie, you should go on over and visit her site. She makes the most delicious German food, and her photography is stunning. Sofie knows a thing or two about photography. She was nice of enough to share her photography knowledge with me a few months back when she taught a free webinar on Lightroom 4. She may have even convinced me that Lightroom is the best thing since sliced bread, and that every photographer should own it to make great pictures even better. Thanks, Sofie!

Now, I’m half German, but I’m not familiar with authentic German cuisine, except for sour beef and dumplings, which I don’t care for. My father makes it once or twice a year, but I’m not a fan. Nope. Not a fan at all. I can’t seem to get past its sour smell.

I stuck with what I know and I made a strawberry rosemary syrup for homemade soda. The woodiness of the rosemary cuts through the sweetness of the strawberries, creating the perfect balance of sweet and earthy.

Add a little vodka and you have yourself a cocktail. If you want the recipe, go on over and visit my friend Sofie at The German Foodie. Tell her I said hi!

Filed Under: Drinks Tagged With: , ,

Blueberry Soda

June 21, 2012 By 38 Comments

It’s officially summertime here in Baltimore. Today, it’s a smeltering 100 degrees and the humidity is out of control. It feels like hot dog breath outside- blek! Let me just tell you, this weather is not helping my hair situation. I have a mini fro going on, and it’s a frightful sight.

I made a refreshing summer soda to help beat this dreaded summer heat. It’s blueberry, it’s super fresh, and screams summa summa time!

I made a simple blueberry syrup that I found on Joy the Baker. It’s delicious and fruity with a touch of mint. I sweetened it with agave syrup to keep it all natural.

All you have to do is add a little syrup to a glass of ice and top it with club soda. Voila, homemade soda! You control how sweet you want your soda by adding as little or as much club soda as you like.

Blueberry Syrup

adapted from Joy the Baker

3 cups water
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen blueberries
1 lemon, juiced
6 mint leaves
3/4 agave nectar

In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, blueberries, lemon juice, mint leaves, and agave. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a large bowl (preferably one with a spout for easy transfer). Using a spatula, press down on the blueberries to release all of their juices.

Transfer the strained mixture back to the saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the mixture reduces to about 2 cups of liquid.

Chill the syrup in the refrigerator until completely cool, about 2 hours. Add ice to a glass, pour in desired amount of syrup, and top with club soda. Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Drinks Tagged With: , , ,

Iced Green Tea

April 7, 2012 By 9 Comments

Happy almost Easter, everyone! I hope all of you are enjoying time with family and friends. I know I am. My family is in town from Pennsylvania this weekend. We’ve been enjoying each others company since they arrived on Friday. Yesterday, my Aunt watched me cook and we chatted about the goings on in our lives. Last night we had a bonfire at my mom’s house- a lot of junk food was consumed and a few of these cocojitos. Today, we’re going to grill some food and enjoy some family fun time. We may even bust out some board games.

I made iced green tea yesterday. This tea is my mom’s favorite. I came up with recipe while I was piddling around in the kitchen one day- I piddle a lot. I use Tazo Zen green tea bags in this recipe. The combination of lemongrass and spearmint create a lovely, refreshing iced tea.

I use honey to sweeten this tea instead of sugar. The honey pairs perfectly with the lemongrass and spearmint notes in the tea. A squeeze of lemon brightens the tea.

Add a generous amount of ice to a glass and a lemon slice, and you have the perfect drink for porch sippin’.

My Aunt and I enjoyed this tea out on my deck yesterday while listening to 80′s music (my fav) and reading food magazines.

Love and sweet treats,

Jennie

Recipe:

11 cups water

4 Tazo Zen green tea bags

1 lemon

3/4 cups honey

Bring 11 cups of water to a boil. Take the water off the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 3 minutes, no longer (any longer and the tea will become bitter). Add honey and the juice of one lemon, stir. If you like your tea a little sweeter, feel free to add more honey. Transfer the mixture to a heat proof pitcher and refrigerate until cool. Pour over ice and add a slice of lemon. Enjoy.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: Drinks Tagged With: , , ,