{Thirsty Friday} Mango Rum & Mint Limeade Slushie

Once upon a time I was in Southeast Asia, and I discovered the luxury of eating multiple mangos every single day.  We had them for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks, and I gawked with envy as we bought three of the ripe, blushing fruits for less than a dollar.

Sadly, I couldn't take a mango tree back home with me, so I returned to my little section of the world where these beloved fruits come at a much higher price, but are nonetheless delicious.  Especially when we turn them into slushies…oh my goodness.

I'm out of control with the slushie game this Summer - it's not a cry for help as much as a request for more paper straws.

The silky texture of the mango is perfect for creating smooth, perfectly-thickened slushies that will whisk you away from your annoying long to-do list and to a personal island where every day is Friday and stress stops at the shore. 

Okay, maybe I can't promise all of that, but if you need some help cooling down after a stressful week, this slushie is your new best friend. 

So here we go!  Frozen mango, ginger beer - the strong, spicy stuff, please, and rum extract - blended until silky smooth.

Maybe you turn your nose up to the thought of rum extract, but I kind of love it because it provides a whole lot of that rich, buttery, rum flavor while still keeping our slushie appropriate for early afternoon sipping and the youngest of palates.

This is our first layer.

Next we combine tart lime juice with a simple mint syrup, sparkling water, and a good handful of ice, and let the blender do her thing.  

This is a layered slushie that doesn't layer perfectly because the mango Slushie is slightly less viscous than the mint limeade layer - but it's Friday and refreshment is more essential than perfectly even layers.

The slushies are layered and garnishes are prepared.

I love how vibrant and colorful food is during the Summer.  It's just so cheery.

I hope your weekend is filled with relaxing afternoons and third and fourth refills.  

Happy Friday, friends!

Sincerely,

  Pedantic Foodie

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Mango Rum & Mint Limeade Slushie

serves 4

for the mint syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn 

In a small bowl combine sugar and mint leaves.  Use the tines of a fork to press the mint into the sugar.  Allow to sit for about 15 minutes so that the oils from the mint can permeate the sugar. 

In a small saucepan combine mint sugar and water and place over medium high heat.  Stirring often, cook until the sugar has dissolved and a light syrup has come together, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the remaining components. 

for the mango rum slushie

• 1 medium, ripe mango, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon imitation rum extract 
• 1 cup ice 
• 3/4 cup ginger beer

Spread the cubed mango out unto a baking sheet lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until frozen solid. 

In the pitcher of your blender, combine frozen mango, rum extract, ice, and ginger beer.  Pulse until smooth. 

for the mint limeade slushie

• mint syrup
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 2 cups ice 
• 1/2 cup sparkling water 

Combine all ingredients in the pitcher of your blender and pulse until smooth.  

assembly

• fresh mint and lime wedges, for garnish

Layer the slushies in glass, adding the mango layer first and then the mint limeade.  Garnish with fresh mint and a slice of lime and serve immediately with cute straws and fun friends.  Enjoy!

{Thirsty Friday} Grapefruit & Jalapeño Spritzer

It's Friday. 

I have been longing to say those words all week, and what a week it has been. 

It is time for a drink.  A bright, acidic, spicy drink.  Yes, spicy.  We are putting peppers in our spritzers this week, get into it! 

I have had the idea for some sort of jalapeño grapefruit concoction swimming around in my brain since I first began "Thirsty Fridays," and this week the idea finally came to fruition.

To be perfectly honest, I was a bit leery of the concept.  But, with a bit of bravery I chopped up some peppers and threw them into a pot with a healthy amount of sugar and ample water, and let the stovetop do her work. 

Pepper syrup?  Why not?

I mixed my spicy syrup with tart grapefruit juice and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and then poured in the bubbly stuff.  

Sparkling water makes me really happy, probably because it has the word sparkle in it.  

The acidity from the grapefruit and lime juices will really help to balance out the heat from the peppers. 

Pour over a glass of ice and grab a straw.  Just don't drink too fast on the first go, this spritzer packs a serious punch.  

And there it is - a perfectly balanced, lightly sweetened, tangy and bright drink ready for you to enjoy alongside a big bowl of queso dip. 

Happy Weekending! 

Sincerely,

  Pedantic Foodie

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Grapefruit & Jalapeño Spritzer

makes 4

for the Jalapeño syrup

• 1 Jalapeño pepper, sliced*
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water

In a small saucepan, combine peppers, sugar, and water.  Place over medium high heat, stirring often until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, until the syrup has thickened slightly.  

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before straining.  You may wish to reserve some of the candied pepper slices for garnishing later on.  

*I did not remove the seeds, but if you would like to tone down the spice you can certainly remove them. 

drink and assembly 

• 1/4 cup Jalapeño syrup
• 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)
• juice of one lime 
• 2 cups sparkling water
• candied pepper slices and lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Combine syrup, grapefruit juice and lime juice in a medium pitcher.  Stir until the syrup is fully incorporated* and then add sparkling water.  Pour over ice and garnish with lime wedges and candied pepper slices.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!   

*At this point you could refrigerate the juice until ready to serve.

You will likely have some pepper syrup leftover so make another batch of spritzers or try adding it to your next batch of lemonade!  

{Thirsty Friday} Peach and Basil Spritzer

I'm kind of annoyed that science has not been able to materialize time-travel technology yet.  Though I realize that with this advancement would come numerous, disastrous outcomes, and I am truly thankful that the whole concept is complete and total fiction, there is a small part of me that wishes it could be real for one moment.  Because, in that moment there is one thing that I would desperately love to do.  

It's nothing so daring as you might imagine.  I simply wish to be whisked away to 1920.  To meet the Fitzgeralds and to wear as many dazzling flapper dresses as I could manage in a 24-hour period.  

Though one can become far more familiar with the thoughts of Scott than those of Zelda, I feel as though I know her through her husband's writing.  Fiction though it was, nearly every story he wrote portrayed his wife in some form or another.  Cool and feminine, coarse and vulgar, annoyingly innocent yet rebellious - she was present in every female character that appeared.  

Now perhaps this is the literature nerd in me, but over the years those characters, frustrating and impossible as they are, have become dear to my heart because they were real.  Real women who were all trying to find happiness in whatever lay around the corner.  Though their stories are far from happy, they carry a charm that is undeniable. 

In my mind, this is the drink that Fitzgerald's ladies might be found sipping on the warm, southern afternoons spent on their terraces, as they waited for the next adoring gentleman to come along.

It's summery in the most elegant of ways - redolent of fresh herbs and sweet peaches.  I think even Daisy Buchanan would approve. 

This drink, like most drinks, begins with a syrup.  A basil syrup, to be precise.  

Now maybe you are turning your nose up right now because the idea of herbs in your drink does not really excite you.  I get it, but just trust me this time.  The basil brings a refreshingly fragrant note to the drink that mellows the sweetness of the peaches and plays perfectly off the lemon and ginger.

Though this may look like a lot of steps, the whole drink comes together rather quickly.  The basil syrup can be made a day in advance for extra ease. 

Spicy, bubbly ginger ale is the final element in our drink.  Ginger and peaches are always a good match. 

And here we are.  Ready to sit on the porch swing and dawdle the afternoon away.  

I wish you all the loveliest of weekends.

Sincerely,

 Pedantic Foodie

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Peach and Basil Spritzer 

serves 4

• 1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 ripe peaches, halved and skins removed 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounces ginger ale

In a small bowl, combine basil and sugar.  Use the tines of a fork to press the basil into the sugar, thus releasing the flavor into the sugar.  

Place the basil sugar and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil for about 3-5 minutes, until a light syrup has formed.  Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer; refrigerate until cool*.  

In the base of your blender combine halved peaches, lemon juice, basil syrup, and ginger ale.  Pulse until smooth.  Serve immediately over ice and garnish with fresh basil.  Enjoy!  

* This syrup is best after it has sat for at least 1-2 hours.  The basil flavor will be stronger and more developed after it has had some time to rest.