Smoothies

I've lived through a lot of summers, and not until this one did I figure out how to make a smoothie. Ridiculous, I know. I've always suspected that smoothies should involve some combination of dairy, ice, and fruit - but Lord knows that I haven't guessed correctly at proportions in the past.

The newsletter that I receive with some regularity as a result of my membership at the Seward Coop often contains recipes, and this one looked like it was worth trying out:

Frozen Fruit Smoothies - serves 2

1 frozen banana, peeled and sliced

2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries or cherries

1 cup milk

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2-3 Tbsp honey, or to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Garnish with fresh fruit, if desired.

So the problems I had with this recipe were few but significant: I don't keep orange juice at my house, because I think it's disgusting (see the note about Ballerina Breath to the right of the screen); I hate bananas (which is challenging, because banana flavor is pervasive in purchased smoothies); I had neither plain nor vanilla yogurt on hand; and I didn't need two persons worth of smoothie, because I'm just me.

And so, I made my smoothie like this, and put it in a big summery cup:

1 cup of odds and ends of frozen fruit in my freezer (mixed berry, mostly)

1 overly ripe mango

a handful of nearly-too-ripe blueberries

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup Greek yogurt (honey flavored)

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

and, well, it was amazing.

Summer Cocktails

Simple syrup is not a new concept to me. I'm quite aware of the fact that it is a key component of many a drink, but I've never made it at home. And wow. It is easy! And delicious. If you're a fan of sweet, summery drinks (with or without alcohol), whip up some simple syrup and go nuts! I added mint to mine (mint I grew myself, don't forget!), and it made a lovely addition. I made a drink based off a The Kimmy, a recipe I found on culinate.com. For simple syrup, simply bring equal parts sugar and water, plus mint in this case, to a boil and then let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. If you added something such as mint, simply pour the simmered mix through a strainer and press the leaves for maximum flavor. The recipe on culinate.com recommends using 1 cup of loosely packed mint leaves. Once you've got your syrup, keep it in a glass jar in the fridge and use at will!

The drink I made included gin, tonic, a splash of both lemon and lime juice, simple syrup and mint for garnish. Mint simple syrup is a key ingredient in mojitos, a personal favorite, so that's what I'm going to test it on next. Wish me luck!