Strawberry Mint Limeade

What a week it has been.  I have needed to step back, take a couple of deep breaths, and set aside the soundtrack of stress that my brain so loves to play on repeat.  

If you have noticed my vacancy on social media lately, I’ll be back with more coffee and flower pictures soon.  I just needed a quick breather.

I'm making "To-Read" lists, trying to decide if I really want to buy a bathing suit, and drying tears - mostly my own. 

I hope you're planning picnics, farmer’s market trips, and decadent hours of relaxing with your favorite people. 

For now, let’s make a batch of something sweet, tart, and slightly herbaceous. 

I am smitten with this color palette.  When I was five years old my favorite color was chartreuse and I still get a little jolt of delight every time I have an excuse to juice limes.  Their natural ombre power makes my eyes happy. 

We begin by infusing a pitcher of water with sweet, sliced strawberries.  In just an hour this water will be pink and fragrant with strawberry flavor.  Did I mention it would be pink?  YAY! 

While our strawberries are steeping, we prepare a sweet, mint syrup.  I love the combination of mint and lime.  Last year, I made this Blackberry Mint Limeade and it’s still a favorite. 

Freshly torn mint is pressed into granulated sugar with the tines of a fork.  This will release the oils and help us capture all of that fresh, minty flavor in our syrup. 

The subtle minty notes in this syrup will become more and more apparent as it cools. 

After juicing limes by hand for years, I am now convinced that a reamer is a kitchen essential.  It's a small luxury that you will thank yourself for buying every time you have to juice a big basket of citrus fruits. 

Gold straws are another luxury, far less practical, but nonetheless beguiling. 

Can I take a moment to say how much I looooove my new fish pitcher? My fiancé hates it and we spent a good fifteen minutes in the middle of Target, kindly discussing why I should/should not buy it… and then we walked away with my new found treasure in hand. 

This limeade is best after it has sat for a few hours and the flavors have had a chance to meld.  

These Spring days have been such a delight.  Though the strain of life does not diminish, its touch is less lasting.  

The cool morning air reminds me of the promise of new beginnings. 

Give yourself a break this weekend, if only for a few moments. 

Happy Friday, dear friends!

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Strawberry Mint Limeade

makes about 2 quarts

- 6 1/2 cups filtered water, divided 

- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 

- 1 1/8 cups granulated sugar 

- 1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 

- lime wedges, for garnish

Combine six cups water with sliced strawberries in a large pitcher.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  While the strawberries are steeping, prepare the mint syrup. 

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and fresh mint.  Use the tines of a fork to press the mint into the sugar.  

Place sugar and remaining 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.  Stir often, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has begun to simmer.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the syrup has thickened slightly, and then remove from heat and allow to cool.  

Combine lime juice and mint syrup with the strawberry water.  At this point, you can refrigerate until ready to serve.  The longer the limeade sits, the more apparent the subtle flavors will become.*  

Serve over ice and garnish with fresh lime wedges.  Enjoy! 

*I liked this limeade best after it had sat overnight.  However, you will probably not want to keep it past two days, because the strawberry slices will become soggy and discolored. 

Poached Pear Spritzer

I think everyone feels like they are always the one doing the inviting.

We feel that we are always the one asking so-and-so to coffee, scheduling play dates, or doing the hosting.  

Of course, if we all think that, someone must be mistaken.  But it’s not us.  It’s definitely not us. 

I had been feeling like that for a while - like I was the perpetual initiator.  

Then, someone invited me to join them for an afternoon of frappuccinos and pedicures, and I had a little celebration before replying to that marvelous text. 

It was the little happy jolt that I needed and it completely made my week.

My nails now look fabulous, by the way.  It’s still too chilly to wear flip flops here most days, but if you would care to see the proof I’d happily take my socks off for you.  You’re welcome.

Though I am well aware of the fact that much of my “perpetual initiator” feelings are not exactly grounded in truth, it was so very nice to be the on the receiving end of the invitation. 

After a bit of careful, cookie-fueled self-examination, I realized that the most wonderful part of this invitation was the fact that I did not have to think at all.  A lot of my interactions with people are co-planned, we throw dates and ideas back and forth until something finally makes its mark on the calendar.  This is just fine, but it was luxurious to be able to simply say “yes,” provide my coffee order, and just show up.  That was the truly special part - no thinking required. 

So, let’s do some inviting and give a few of our favorite people the happy jolt that comes with receiving a no-coordinating-required kind of invite. 

May I suggest that you invite them over to try out a new recipe?  Like this one?  You really should… 

You know what a fan I am of the mocktail.  I spent most of last Summer blending, juicing, and squeezing, in order to drink my Summer through a straw.

Though this drink does contain wine, the majority of the alcohol is cooked off during the poaching process.  So, it's cool if you would like to drink one (or three) of these on a Monday afternoon.

The flavors here are so elaborate, yet so delicate.  The gentle notes of pear, sauvignon blanc, ginger, lemon, and apple will bounce around your palate in one glorious ode to Springtime. 

Now call your friend and make her/his day.  Happy jolts for everyone. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Poached Pear Spritzer

makes six 6-ounce servings

- 1 cup water 

- 1/2 cup dry white wine, I used a Sauvignon Blanc (chilled) 

- 5 slices fresh ginger, peeled

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 

- 2 medium Bosc pears, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

- 16 ounces sparkling apple cider*

- lemon slices, for garnish 

Combine water, wine, ginger, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir often, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Add pears to the simmering syrup and cook for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender.  

Remove from heat and pour the contents of the pan into the pitcher of your blender.  Blend on high until smooth.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator. 

When ready to serve, fill six, 6-ounce glasses with ice.  Fill each glass halfway with pureed pears and top with 1/2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Slowly fill the glass to the brim with sparkling apple cider (about 2.5 ounces per serving) and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

*You can find some variation of sparkling apple cider at most any grocery store.  I prefer the Trader Joe’s brand, but any brand will do. 

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Spicy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate from The Homemade Kitchen

When I returned home from my trip there were various pieces of mail eager to grab hold of my attention, but I ignored them all and reached for the one item I had been anticipating the most. 

I love flipping through new cook books, cluttering pages with sticky note bookmarks and growing more and more hungry with each flip of the page.

This beautiful book is the work of Alana Chernila - if you wish, you can get better acquainted with her on her site.  I read a great many cookbooks.  Some great, some good, some not so good. This book, The Homemade Kitchen was one of the good ones.  Though the recipes are mouthwatering, it was actually the layout of this book that made me love it.  

I like the fact that Alana teaches you how to make pumpkin puree, simple though it may be, and then goes on to teach you how to use it in various recipes.  Some sections are as uncomplicated as “How to Make a Salad,” but the concepts are taught well, making this not only a book of recipes, but a tool to improve your kitchen skills. 

As I flipped through this book wondering what I would make first, I stopped at one recipe and looked no further; I had found what I was looking for.  Spicy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate? Don’t mind if I do. 

It’s no secret that I am shamelessly downing every pumpkin-flavored drink I can get my hands on these days.  I know, it’s cliche, it’s stereotypical, it’s completely mainstream, but it’s also pretty darn delicious and I have no plans to stop.  Though I am no stranger to pumpkin-y beverages, I had never tried pumpkin hot chocolate.  After the first sip I was seriously regretting that.

We begin by making pumpkin puree.  Yes, homemade.  Oh, you brought a can of pumpkin?  To be fair, there are times where canned pumpkin puree would be acceptable.  However, fresh pumpkin pureed at home is far more flavorful, and since this recipe comes from a book called “The Homemade Kitchen,” and since it specifically calls for homemade pumpkin puree, we are going to use that.  (Roasting your own pumpkin also gives you the opportunity to roast up all the seeds you are going to scoop out.) It’s okay, you can save your can for something else…like target practice. 

Just find yourself a cute lil’ pumpkin and cut it in half.  It goes into the oven and an hour later we are ready to meet the food processor. 

Homemade pumpkin puree!  Or baby food, depending on how you look at it.

The pumpkin puree meets with steamed milk, a heavy dose of semisweet chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a teeny bit of cayenne.  A teeny bit!  Like 1/8 of a teaspoon at most. 

While we are on this subject, allow me to offer a bit of advice.  If you ever get the idea to make spiced hot chocolate in hopes of impressing a gentleman, do not, really, do not go heavy-handed on the cayenne.  You could potentially send him into a wild coughing fit, and after that humiliating scene concludes he will explain that it was very good, but could he please have some more water.

I love that this hot chocolate is made in the blender because it's super easy and it also makes the final product really frothy.  I love a good frothy top on my hot chocolate.

Isn't that decanter pretty?  Would it somehow become less elegant if I told you that I got my hand stuck in it while trying to wash the silly thing?  It is really best to pretend like some things never happened.

Alana insists that this hot chocolate be served with a hearty spoonful of whipped cream and I kindly listened.  I'm very good at listening when cream is involved.

Freshly pureed pumpkin, milk, chocolate, a bit of sugar, and a handful of spices and here we are, sitting at our desks on a chilly October morning with a beverage that comes straight from the stovetop, rather than a drive-thru window.    

This week, buy yourself a of couple pumpkins and start roasting - homemade feels so satisfying. 

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. As always, all opinions are completely my own.

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Spicy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

serves 4 / recipe adapted from The Homemade Kitchen

for the pumpkin

• 1 medium sugar pie pumpkin (about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Use a large, sharp knife to remove the very top and stem of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin into two equal halves.  Remove all seeds and strings from the pumpkin with a large spoon.  Lay each half flesh-side down on a rimmed* baking pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the flesh is fork tender and the skin has started to blister. 

Allow the pumpkin to cool for 15-20 minutes, then use a large spoon to separate the skin from the flesh.  Place all the pumpkin in the work bowl of your food processor and pulse for 2-3 minutes, until the puree is smooth.  If your pumpkin is too dry and will not become smooth, add several tablespoons of water to help it along.  

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use!

*It is important to use a pan with fairly high sides as the pumpkin will release a good amount of water while it cooks. 

for the hot chocolate

• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate 
• 1 cup freshly made pumpkin puree 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 
• 1/16-1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 

Pour milk into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.  Cook just until steaming; do not bring to a boil. 

Pour milk into the pitcher of your blender along with the chocolate.  Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes, to melt slightly and then add pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices.  Blend until smooth.  

Depending on the temperature of your pumpkin, the mixture may have cooled down a bit.  If so, return it to the saucepan and place over medium heat until it is warm and steaming.  

In a large bowl combine heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar.  Use an electric mixer to beat the cream until soft peaks form.  

Pour the hot chocolate into mugs and top with a generous spoonful of whipped cream.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!