Today marks three years of blogging for this butter-loving lady. Yay!! If you are feeling like celebrating practically anything, here is the cake you should be making.

It's Friday and that means it's time for another installment of Thirsty Friday. I kicked off this Summer series last week with my blackberry mint limeade which was as refreshing as it was pretty. Now it's time for something fizzy!

Orange & Rosemary Italian Cream Soda {Pedantic Foodie}

Real talk, I've been sick with a really icky cold all week. It's ironic, considering that this has been the hottest week of this year so far for my area of the world. Anyways, I completely exhausted my supply of vitamin C tablets so I went straight to the source itself.

Hey there oranges! I owe you a bit of an apology. I know you're still bitter about me always giving the orange lollipops back to the bank teller and asking for cherry instead. And I'm sure it didn't help when I turned my nose up to every orange flavored popsicle and soft drink. But since then I've learned that you, the unartifiical you, is truly amazing. Especially when you're candied and dipped in dark chocolate. What I'm trying to say is that, when you are yourself, you really are appealing. Hah, haha, heh... Sorry...

P.S. Best part of having colds is being able to successfully imitate Thor. Pro tip!

If you are already perplexed by the weirdness of this post, I would like to say that at this moment I'm heavily under the influence of allergy medicine. Again, I'm sorry.

Let's just talk about the recipe.

Oh Italy, you do everything right. Gelato, pasta, accents, and soda. I mean, you really are a fabulous culture.

An Italian cream soda is very simplistic. Sweet, fruity syrup is combined with sparkling water and a shot of heavy cream - that's all! They are fizzy, creamy, and they really feel like a special treat. The best part about them is the fact that, if you make your syrups ahead of time, they can be whipped up in a matter of minutes!

This syrup is a rosemary syrup and it really benefits from a night in the refrigerator. Though this drink could be made at the last minute, the rosemary flavor really develops as it sits.

That beautiful, herbaceous, rosemary flavor is captured by pressing the leaves into granulated sugar which will later go into our syrup. This process releases all those fragrant oils and draws out this lovely herb's unique flavor.

This may sound very familiar if you were around last summer for my rosemary lemonade.

We combine fresh orange juice with our simple rosemary syrup and sparkling water.

Slice some oranges and set aside a bit of extra rosemary for garnishing.

Paper straws because, well, we are all under the influence of Pinterest.

Pretty beverages are going on my list of "things I love most about Summer."

At the very last minute pour in a dash of heavy cream and it's ready to serve!

And just like that we are ready to enjoy summer through a straw!

Happy Friday friends!

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Orange & Rosemary Italian Cream Soda

serves 4

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice*, about 2 large oranges
2 cups sparkling water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
rosemary stems and orange slices for garnish, optional

In a small bowl combine rosemary leaves and sugar. Use the tines of a fork to press the rosemary into the sugar, thus releasing the essential oils.

Combine rosemary sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring often. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and a light syrup has formed. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, or place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. After the syrup has cooled, strain to remove the rosemary leaves.

Squeeze and strain orange juice and pour into a small pitcher. Add rosemary syrup and stir to combine. Stir in sparkling water and cream just before serving. Pour over ice and garnish with a stem of fresh rosemary and a slice or two of orange. Enjoy!

*Yes, it really is essential that you squeeze your own orange juice. It’s not labor intensive and it will really make a world of difference in the final product.