Ginger Berry

Ingredients:

- shot of dark rum

- ginger ale

- a couple strawberries

- water

Directions:

A few hours or days in advance clean and cut the strawberries into small pieces.  Then place chunks in a clean ice cube tray, fill the tray with water, and stick in the freezer.  

When the ice cubes are ready pour the rum into a glass, add the ice, then pour the ginger ale over the top.  Stir and enjoy.

This drink has me dreaming of spring.  I think it might taste even better with 7up, but I'm not a giant fan of Ginger ale.  But hey, this recipe helped me finish off the liter I bought of ginger ale a few months ago when I was feeling sicky!  Happy Thirsty Thursday, chris!

A New Series: Happy Thirsty Thursday!

Last week I shared my recipe for a Cherry Mojito on (thirsty) Thursday, and it got me thinking this might make an awesome regular series.  So here we are, Happy Thirsty Thursday!  Mint grows like wild fire, and I keep thinking up new mojito recipes to put it to good use.  We had some fresh strawberries, so I decided to give them a try.  

Ingredients: (for one Strawberry Mojito)

- half a lemon

- half a lime

- mint leaves (7 - 10 leaves)

- a couple strawberries

- half a shot of simple syrup

- a shot of white rum

I started by picking some fresh mint.  I used about ten leaves.  I rinsed those off, plus a couple deep red strawberries.  I dropped the mint into the bottom of my glass, and sliced a strawberry up, dropping the slices into the glass as well.  Then I squeezed half a lemon and half a lime, removed the seeds, and poured the liquid into the glass.  Next, I poured in a shot of light rum, and a half shot of simple syrup.  If you would like to make your own simple syrup, check out my recipe here.  I mashed all that stuff together in the bottom of my glass, making sure to break up the strawberry slices, and smoosh the mint.   Once it was nice and flavorful looking I filled the glass up with ice, and poured my club soda over the top.  I used the wild cherry club soda I had leftover from my Cherry Mojito recipe, but I'm sure this would be great with regular club soda too.  

To finish off the look I sliced up my other strawberry, and tucked the slices in around the ice.  I saved one slice to spear with the top bunch of mint leaves, and float on the top of the drink.  I didn't realize how simple it is to make layered drinks like this.  All that red on the bottom is sooooo pretty.  Be sure to stir before you take you start drinking though, because other wise all the rum and favor will stay on the bottom, making your last sip beyond strong.  Ha!  I made this last night, and looking at these photos this morning makes me want to make one right now!  This drink is dangerous, you totally can't taste the rum in it at all.  Yet at the same time it's not overly sweet tasting.  The lemon and lime juices balance out the sweetness of the strawberries and the simple syrup, and it makes for a super refreshing light summery drink.  

While you're reading this I'll be hanging out on LBI with one of my favorite buddies from college.  I'm going by myself, which isn't something I do often, but it's nice to have some girl time.  I love Aaron, but I'm pretty sure I love him even more after a day or two with the girls.  :)  I wish I had more girlfriends that lived near me, so I could have girl nights more regularly.  i don't have too many friends that live close by.  The few awesome buddies I do have, don't know each other, so it's usually Aaron and I, and another couple hanging out together.  Maybe one day I'll invite all my lady friends over, and do lady things together.  Like painting our nails, and talk about hair, and boys.  :)  

Hope you have a lovely thirsty thursday, and happy DIYing, chris!  

Stawbuttery and Black & White Oreo Fudge

Hey ya'll, Happy Nom Nom Mondays!  Ha!  I guess I'm doing my best impersonation of Paula Deen there.  I do love butter, which brings me to my first treat for today.  I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It is called Strawberry Honey Butter from Half Baked.  

I made three and a half jars.  I gave one to my grandmother, and one to my mother for mother's day.  I tied a simple red bow of yarn around my grandmother's, because that's her favorite color.  :)  

My mixture came out a lot runnier and darker than Half Baked's.  I was in a rush, and I didn't carefully follow the directions to a T.  I missed that she said cook the strawberry mixture until thickened.  I cooked for a quick three minutes, and to bring it down to room temp I placed the sauce pan in a bowl of ice water.  I usually like to read the comments on blog recipes before I try them, because you can find helpful hints in there.  This time I rummaged through the comments afterwards.  I wanted to see if anyone else had similar results, and someone did!  Paula  (not Deen) thought it was due to not cooking the strawberry mixture for long enough.  I tried to thicken my mixture by using a half cup more of butter.  Not sure it did anything, but make it creamier, which definitely didn't hurt.  

This spread tastes great!  Strawbuttery!  I want to try it again with cooking the strawberries down all the way, to compare the results!  I spread it on a cinnamon raisin english muffin for breakfast.  Then again for an after dinner desert!  I switched it up a bit, and tried a hazelnut spread (Nutella knock-off) under the strawberry honey butter.  Love this mixture!  Great way to fill that chocolate craving, mmm, mmm, mmm!  

I also made some Double Decker Oreo Fudge.  I found this recipe on Pinterest from Bakers Royale.  This is my first layer in the pan.  

I used Spring Oreos, they have yellow cream instead of white centers, which made this layer a little yellow instead of cookies and cream colored.  That's a color right?  Definitely not the same as black and white ... oh, no, not at all. :)  

The recipe said it only needed an hour to setup in the fridge.  I left it in there for a couple hours, but the Oreo layer was still sticky yesterday.   I took these photos the today, and after sitting in the fridge overnight it was a thousand times easier to cut.  

My layers were not as perfect as Bakers Royale's, mostly because I used a larger pan.  This did not effect the flavor.  Still yummy Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate Oreo fudge.  I don't know why I think of fudge as a summer treat, but I think I might go fudge crazy this summer.  I forgot how simple it is to make, plus it doesn't take many ingredients, which makes it inexpensive to make too!  Maybe Peanut Butter Fudge next?  I love peanut butter.  :)

Hope ya'll had a great Monday, and Happy DIYing, chris!

Berry Sweet Tea

I'm ready for long hot days in the sun, and cold sweet fruity drinks!  I love tea, and in the winter I like it hot and unadulterated with sugar or milk.  However, in the summer I revert to my days as a kid craving sweaty glasses of sweet tea.  Since my taste in tea has matured, so has my taste for sweet tea.  Lipton's powder mix will no longer suffice.  This past weekend I mixed up this little number, and I'm in sweet tea heaven!  

The leftover strawberries from yesterday's Strawberry and Cream Muffins was the main motivation behind this recipe idea.  I wanted to add a little more fruit to my tea, so I also bought some lemons and blackberries.  I started off by making 8 cups of hot tea with Lipton's Organic Black Tea bags (one bag for each cup of water).  While it was hot I added a cup of sugar, and let it dissolve.  

While the tea was steeping and the sugar melting, I cut the strawberries and blackberries into small bits.  Next, I cut a lemon in half, and then I cut two slices into small triangles.  I squeezed the lemon halves into the hot tea, and let the wedges float on top.  

Once everything was ready, I put four ice cubes in a glass and poured the tea over them.  I dropped a handful of the berries into the cup and squeezed some honey over them.  I can never get enough honey!  Mmm, this tea is tasty.  I will be drinking this all summer long!  If you don't like your tea to be super sweet, you can skip the sugar, and just add some honey to each glass when serving.  

Happy Tuesday and happy DIYing, chris 

Strawberry Cream Muffins

Last week we celebrated my brother getting engaged!  We had dinner at our house, and I made Strawberry and Cream Muffins.  Not sure how I found this on the internet, probably pinterest.  They didn't turn out as pretty as Jane's Sweets.  Her food photos are definitely drool worthy.  Even though they weren't all that pretty, they tasted fantastic.  I'll try this again, and maybe next time they'll come out prettier!  

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

*for the muffin mix (will make about 12 - 14 regular sized muffins)

-  1 cup of whole milk (we didn't have any so I used 2/3 cup of 2% milk and 1/3 cup of half-and-half)

- 1/2 cup unsalted soft butter

- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

- 2 large eggs

- 2 cups all purpose flour

- 3/4 Cup granulated sugar

- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup strawberries (the redder the better!) diced into tiny pieces

*for the cream cheese layer

- 4 ounces of cream cheese softened

- 1 1/2 tablespoon of an egg that has been lightly beaten

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Begin by heating your oven up to 400º F.  Line your muffin pan with paper liners.  Clean and cut up your fresh strawberries;  set them aside.  

Now mix together the ingredients for the cream cheese layer in a small bowl.  Don't worry if it's a little lumpy, set aside but do not refrigerate.  

Next mix together the muffin batter.  Start with a saucepan on low heat and melt the butter down.  Then add the vanilla and almond extracts, and the milk.  Stir until throughly mixed together.  Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in the eggs.  In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Then make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and pour the ingredients from the saucepan in.  Mix together, but be sure not to over mix.  Again it's okay to have some lumps.  

This is the tricky part.  I always have a hard time with portion, and I think that's why my muffin's aren't as photogenic.  Fill the muffin cups ONLY half way with the muffin batter.  It's better to be a little under halfway then over!  Then drop in a few strawberries.  Now add a tablespoon and a half of the cream cheese mixture.  Top off with the remaining muffin batter and a few more strawberries, but be sure not to overfill!  

Generously sprinkle sugar over the tops just before you stick them in the oven. 

Cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned on the tops, a toothpick through the middle should come out (mostly) clean.  I think I could have left my muffins in for slightly longer, but they were still very tasty.  We ate them straight out of the oven, and the muffins stuck to the paper a bit.  I think some people ate their's with a fork.  

There were a couple left over, and I ate one the next day.  I think it may tasted even better the next day!  Plus, the muffin was no longer sticking to the paper.  

These would be a great thing to make on the weekends, and to take to work for a quick morning breakfast.  Plus your left with a bunch of fresh strawberries, because this recipe barely uses half a pint of strawberries.  I'll have a great suggestion for your left over strawberries in tomorrow's post!