Blackberry Mojito

Not sure when I became such a mojito person, but now it’s totally my go-to drink at home when I’m craving a little something. Maybe it’s because my mint plant is still booming, or maybe it’s just because I like mashing things together in a glass. Regardless, when I saw blackberries for next to nothing at the grocery store, I bought a few packs with smoothies and mojitos in mind.

While you can definitely use some simple syrup, one random thing I like to use when making mojitos is raw cane sugar instead. The tart blackberries and lime with the sharp mint and a touch of sugar makes for a beautiful and delicious drink. This definitely won’t be the last mojito you see around here!

Blackberry Mojito

Ingredients:
4 blackberries
4 mint leaves
1 tsp raw cane sugar (like Sugar in the Raw – I just use a 5 gram packet)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 1/2 oz white rum
Soda water

Yield: 1 drink

Directions:
Muddle the blackberries, mint, sugar, and lime juice in the bottom of your glass. Add the rum and stir. Top it off with some soda water and garnish as desired.

Source: Slightly adapted from One Martini at a Time

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

This recipe is a nice twist on your standard blueberry muffin – the lemon gives it a brighter flavor and the addition of cornmeal adds a different (but nice) texture. Using your own hand picked blueberries makes it a little more special too!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the blueberries and lightly stir to incorporate. Combine the milk, butter, lemon juice and zest, and egg in a bowl. Lightly whisk together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir together until just moist. (try not to over mix!)

Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops of each with a pinch of sugar. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin immediately and cool on a wire rack. Serve while warm (ideally) and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from myrecipes.com

Blueberry Picking

One perk of living in a small country town is that there are neat places nearby to do food related activities like…blueberry picking!

About 5 minutes away from our home, there’s a farm where you can go pick your own blueberries, so hubby and I went for a fun outing. It’s a huge property with endless rows of plants – the employees were so nice and led us to the most fruitful spots.

After only 45 minutes, we’d picked 3 pounds and decided that was plenty for our first trip. Let me tell you, these berries are plump and SO fresh! A few berries may or may not have been eaten in the picking process…

There will be some mighty tasty blueberry recipes to follow – stay tuned!

PS: If you live in the North Texas area and want to join in the blueberry picking fun, let me know and I can point you in the right direction

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I’ve officially fallen in love with strawberry spinach salads. They make a mighty tasty one at the place I work, which sparked my current obsession and forced me to try making my own at home. Packed full of flavor and easily customized, it’s such a simple, healthy, and delicious lunch choice or light dinner option. You can add grilled chicken, cheese, or whatever your heart desires. Try it for yourselves – but don’t blame me if you fall in love too.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
For dressing:
2-3 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper

For salad:
Baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried if needed
Sliced strawberries, for topping
Sliced almonds, for topping (optional)

Directions:
To make the dressing, simply combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (add a little more berries or sugar to taste if you think it needs more sweetness)

Arrange spinach on a plate and sprinkle with sliced almonds and some strawberry slices. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Source: Inspired by several things, including Annie’s Eats, dressing slightly adapted from Vegetarian Perspective