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Strawberry Mojitos

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Well friends, we made it to Friday. Congratulations! You deserve a drink :) It was almost a year ago that I moved into my new apartment (well, 9 months, but who’s counting) and declared that I needed to make more cocktails. I’ve been pretty good keeping up with my promise and now that the warmer weather is hitting us once again (pool!!!), I’m trying my hand at some new concoctions. This one is a drink that I think would be especially delightful poolside. When it comes to goals like “make more cocktails,” I guess I’m pretty good at keeping them :)

I swear I thought I had a bottle of rum in my liquor cabinet. But when I went to make these strawberry mojitos, I realized we only had a bottle of Bacardi 151. Oops. It was the weekend, so I figured it wouldn’t be a problem.

Strawberry Mojitos (makes 1):
Adapted from
My Adventures in Food

• 3 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar to water)
• 4-5 medium fresh strawberries
• Small handful fresh mint leaves
• 2 oz. rum
• 2 t fresh lime juice
• Splash of club soda
• Lime slices

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Make your simple syrup first because it’s going to need to cool. I knew I was planning on making 2 mojitos, so I used 3/4 C sugar and 3/4 C of water. Just make sure you use equal parts sugar and water.

Bring water and sugar to a boil and then turn down the heat and stir until the sugar melts. Remove from the stove and cool to room temperature.

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I muddled my ingredients in a shaker, but you could do it in a drink glass, too. Whatever you use, put together the strawberries, mint, and crushed ice (you could use cubes, it will jut be a little tougher).

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Muddle everything together with the back of a spoon or a muddler. Or a reamer, like I did.

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Add in the simple syrup, rum, and lime juice.

Pour into your glass and top off with club soda.

Add in some fresh limes and garnish with a strawberry.

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Sip away! But be careful if you used 151. It’s kinda strong :)

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I’ve always been a pretty big fan of mojitos and love this strawberry variation. One of my favorite Boston-area restaurants, The Fireplace, has fabulous mojitos, including a blackberry one. I may have to try making that one, too!

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I know, I know. If you live in the New England area, it’s back to being pretty freezing again. And it probably seems like I’m teasing you with this super summery drink. But you could always crank up the heat, put on some Kenny Chesney, and sit on the couch in the bathing suit. OK, that might be kind of weird. But here’s to hoping the sun comes out and the heat returns soon.

Keep your eye out because I’m planning on having plenty more drink recipes this summer. Let me know if you have any special drink ideas or requests :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My fabulous Aunt Judy is in town from Buffalo, so I’ll be spending some time with her and my family. And getting some major cleaning and organizing done around the apartment. I have a) wedding magazines, venue information, and wedding mailings, b) tax documents, and c) food magazines and recipes pages absolutely everywhere. I have a great filing cabinet, but… I’m really bad at using it. Order needs to enter into my life ASAP! Organization? Well, that calls for another cocktail.

Do you drink summer cocktails even when it’s not warm outside?

[Sues]


Cranberry Mojitos

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It’s officially the holidays!!! Thanksgiving has been celebrated and I finally allowed myself to listen to Michael Buble and light my peppermint Yankee Candle, while Chris and I assembled our Christmas tree. We also did quite a bit of Black Friday shopping online. Er, one for you and one for me was my basic philosophy. Oops? Maybe that’s what happens when you’re sipping on a glass of zinfandel while you shop. Or a cranberry mojito…

One of my favorite things about the holidays is, duh, holiday cocktails. So, I’m pretty excited for the first official Cocktail Friday of the holiday season! Oh, happy day! I started with one of my favorite seasonal ingredients, cranberries, and transformed them into one of the best drinks, a mojito. Now, mojitos are typically a summer drink, but I do love mint in the winter, so I thought the addition of cranberry flavor would work well. Plus… the colors!

Cranberry Mojitos (makes 2):
Print this recipe!

  • 8 oz. fresh cranberries
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 C water
  • 20 mint leaves
  • 2 T lime juice
  • Ice
  • 4 oz. rum
  • 4-6 oz. soda water

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I didn’t want to use fake cranberry juice in my drink and really wanted to incorporate the real deal in. So, I made a simple cranberry simple syrup. Really, it’s so easy! Which is probably why it’s called a “simple” syrup in the first place.

Just put cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

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Then lower the heat a bit to medium-low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, before your berries start bursting. Remove from heat.

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Once the berry mixture has cooled, you can strain them. I ended up letting my mixture cool overnight in the fridge. I wanted to make sure the berries had seeped as much as possible and left lots of flavor behind. But I don’t think it was totally necessary. You can strain the berries right away if you prefer.

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Now you’re ready to get your drink mixing on! Put about 10 leaves of mint and a T of lime juice in each glass. With the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler mash the mint up.

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Now put ice in each glass and pour 2 oz. of the cranberry syrup and 2 oz. rum into each glass.

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Top off each glass with soda water. And sprinkle some fresh cranberries in for garnish.

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These drinks were so refreshing and awesome! I love the sweetness of the cranberry syrup and freshness of the mint.

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Plus, these colors are the absolute best for the holiday season. Yup, this is definitely the perfect holiday party drink.

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The next month is already shaping up to be a super busy time for me, but I’m really hoping to try out a few more holiday drinks. I’d love to do a little something something with eggnog and perhaps some gingerbread and peppermint, too.

I surprisingly didn’t document our entire Thanksgiving dinner since I really wanted to just relax and enjoy the evening (I’ve definitely been leaving my camera behind more often than not lately and feeling MUCH more relaxed and in the moment in the process). But I did take a photo of our Thanksgiving table, with my dad sitting at the head. The Butterball turkey he made this year was definitely the BEST yet!

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Oh, and as always, I’m obsessed with my mom’s Thanksgiving plates. She sets a mean table.

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And we also took some lovely family photos while at my parents’ house.

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Thanksgiving memories forever! :)

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Our last Thanksgiving as a non-married couple :)

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And now the countdown to Christmas is on! In the meantime, I’ll be overindulging on all things Christmas movies, decorations, foods (and drinks!!), candles, music, etc. etc. Oh, and maybe some shopping, too. Just a little bit. Promise. But pour me another cranberry mojito while you’re at it :)

Do you have a favorite drink for the holiday season?

[Sues]

Fresh Strawberry Mojitos

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This fabulous post comes from the lovely Brandi of BranAppetit. Brandi is one of my absolute favorite food bloggers because not only is her food always delicious-looking (seriously, check out these photos!), but she’s one of the sweetest ladies I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Her personality really comes through in her posts and if you read her blog for just a little bit, you’ll definitely want to become friends with her! I’m lucky enough to have met her and have a feeling we’ll be hanging out more in the future. Enjoy!


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Hi WANM readers! I’m Brandi, the taste-tester and dish-washer over at BranAppetit.

I am soooooo so excited to be guest posting here for Sues and Chels. I met them a few years ago and have been able to hang out with them a few times – they are two of the sweetest and funniest girls I’ve ever met and I’m so happy to call them friends in real life.

Plus, I want both of their wardrobes…like, everything in their wardrobes. They both look so cute all the time! I just need to find a reason to move closer to Boston so we can share closets. Or they need to style me from a few states away.

If you read WANM, you know that Fridays usually mean cocktails….so that’s what I’m bringing today. I knew I had to do a cocktail for my first ever post here. I can’t compete with their cupcakes (I can’t decorate baked goods at all) and these mojitos were just too good to keep to myself.

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Summer = berries = berry cocktails. It’s just common sense.

Our strawberries are officially over for the year, but you can still find a ton at farmer’s markets all over the country. Fresh is best since the syrup is just strawberries blended with simple syrup, but frozen berries will work in a pinch, too.

Fresh Strawberry Mojitos

Makes: 4 drinks. Multiply as needed. And you will.

Ingredients:

·       1 cup sugar

·       1 cup water

·       1 and ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled

·       2 limes

·       ¼ cup mint

·       8 oz. rum

·       2 cups sparkling water

·       Ice cubes

Directions:

1.     Pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and add the water. Bring the mix to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and set it aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.

2.     Once the simple syrup has cooled off, pour it into a blender and add the strawberries. Blend together until all the syrup is smooth and frothy. You can strain this if you don’t want the strawberry seeds in the mix, but they’re not really noticeable in the drinks.

3.     Cut 1 of the limes into thin slices and add 2 slices to the bottom of 4 glasses. Divide the mint between the glasses and pour in a ¼ cup or so of the strawberry simple syrup.

4.     Muddle the lime, mint, and strawberry syrup together until the limes start to break down and the mint is a little crushed.

5.     Add 2 oz. of rum to each glass, then slowly pour in ½ cup of sparkling water.

6.     Drop a few ice cubes in each drink, stir, and serve.

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Thanks again to Sues and Chels for letting me share this recipe!

I hope you all try using some of your own berries in a bubbly mojito this summer – they’re easy and delicious!

[Brandi from BranAppetit]

Poptails: Mojito Cocktail Popsicles

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What, you might ask, is a poptail? Well, duh. It’s actually just what it sounds like: half popsicle, half cocktail. Hello. Could you be any more up my alley? I mean, maybe if you could somehow add a cupcake to that, but let’s be real here (fine, if we’re being real, you could probably actually buy cupcake vodka and make some absolutely incredible popsicles. And frost them, too?) But seriously, happy Cocktail Friday!

It’s a funny story, actually. Because when the publisher reached out to see if I wanted to review Poptails: 60 Boozy Treats Served on a Stick, I immediately said yes and jumped for joy. And then, upon further inspection, I realized I know the author. It’s Erin! Of Erin Cooks. Who used to live in Boston. Now I was even more excited and if you know how excited I already was about the popsicle/cocktail combination, then you know being even more excited probably meant I was pretty much dancing around my apartment and singing Whitney Houston at the top of my lungs (I sing “I Wanna Dance With Someboday” when I get really excited… Trust me, you don’t want to hear). I couldn’t wait to get my popsicle-making on. But I forced myself to wait until I moved. And thus, mojito poptails are one of the first treats I whipped up in my new kitchen.

Mojito Poptails (makes 10):
Recipe from Poptails: 60 Boozy Treats Served on a Stick

  • 1 C prepared white or light rum
  • 1/2 C simiple syrup
  • 3/4 C flattened club soda
  • 10-20 fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 C freshly squeezed lime juice

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I was definitely wondering how on Earth you could successfully freeze alcohol. Now I know and my life has been changed forever. I mean that. Erin lets you know how much alcohol you need to actually obtain the necessary amount. I wanted to end up with 1 C, so I boiled 1 1/4 C. Once I brought the solution up to a boil, I let it go for 2 minutes and then immediately removed from the heat.

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I also made a nice simple syrup, which is easy and something you should always keep in your fridge because you honestly never know when you’re going to need it. I need it a lot and it’s so handy to always have it waiting for me.

Mix the rum, simple syrup, flattened club soda (you’ll have to let your club soda open up and flatten for at least a few hours), 10 mint, leaves, and lime juice in a bowl. You’ll want to muddle it together quite a bit. I’m pretty psyched I now own a muddler. A pretty snazzy one, too.

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I’ve been meaning to buy a popsicle maker pretty much for forever. But once I knew I would be reading this book, I immediately bought one. I chose the Progressive International PLP-1 Freezer Pop Maker mostly because it had good reviews on Amazon and wasn’t expensive. OK, and the rainbow colored popsicles on the cover drew me in, too.

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My only real pet peeve with Poptails is that a lot of the photos looked awesome but then the directions didn’t really tell you how to recreate them exactly. The mojito recipe basically just wanted you to pour the liquid in and freeze, leaving you with plain white looking popsicles. I decided to add a mint leaf to each popsicle mold to give them a bit of a different look.

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And then I froze the boozy popsicles for just a couple hours.

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And hello, popsicle heaven.

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These were to die for. Like, legit tasted exactly like a mojito. But way more refreshing, of course. And a whole lot more fun to eat. As they started to melt, they started to remind me of a mojito slushy.

Also note, popsicles may be one of the most difficult things to photograph. I want to know how the book editors did it because it’s a toughie!

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Going along with my tropical quinoa salad from the other day, bring these to a BBQ or pool party and be the most popular person there.

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Guests will absolutely love getting their cocktail on in popsicle form. It’s a novelty. It’s unique. It’s something you don’t experience every day. Unless you do and then, well, good for you. I’m jealous.

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Poptails has 59 other fabulous recipes, too. Seriously something for everyone. I’m pretty excited to make the Cape Codder, the Dirty Martini, and and Festive Spiked Eggnog. My only problem is that I don’t have enough places to bring these popsicles and I feel a little bit strange sitting on my couch eating alcohol in popsicle form weekend after weekend.

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But why not? I need to get over those shame feelings and just enjoy. Does it really matter what form your cocktail comes in as long as it comes? I think not. And that’s why Poptails make what I consider to be one of the best Cocktail Fridays ever.

What kind of cocktail would you like in popsicle form?

[Sues]

Lavender Lemonade Mojitos

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It’s likely that I’m currently on a boat on Lake Chautauqua or sitting by the pool catching some much-needed sun. And maybe, just maybe I’m also sipping on this cocktail. Because when I made it, I also whipped up some extra lavender simple syrup to bring with me on vacation. It’s a part of my whole vacation cocktail strategy, which is almost as important as making sure you’ve packed enough underwear and the proper footwear. Maybe even more important because if you have a vacation cocktail strategy, you might not even care about not having enough underwear or the proper footwear with you. Pack a couple simple syrups in a cooler, have a few good cocktail recipes in mind, and you’re basically vacation ready.

I’ve been wanting to cook, bake, and cocktail with lavender for a long time now. Mainly because it’s purple. But also because it’s deliciously tasty. I finally “splurged” on a 1/2 pound of dried lavender from Amazon.com. It was only $11. And was A LOT of lavender.

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So, I mean, you should probably expect to see a lot of lavender recipes here in the coming days. I think macarons may be up very very soon. In case you’re interested, lavender actually has many health benefits… It helps you relax, it can beat bloating, and it can reduce itchiness. So, basically, this cocktail could make you feel like a million dollars. Worth a shot, right?

I’ve seen lavender cocktails all over the internet, which is partly why I couldn’t help myself from purchasing some lavender for my own use. The herb goes naturally with lemon, but I decided to add some rum and mint and make a mojito out of it. Because when life gives you lavender, make a mojito. Always make a mojito.

Lavender Lemonade Mojtos (makes about 4):
Print this recipe!

  • 1 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4-7 lemons)
  • 1 small bunch mint
  • 2 C water
  • 1 C light rum
  • 3/4 C lavender simple syrup (see recipe below)

Lavender Simple Syrup:

  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • 1 C water
  • 1/4 C dried lavender

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Pretty, right? If you’re buying lavender, make sure it’s for culinary use. You could also use it for scented sachets or simply to make your home smell nice. I want to put a little bit by my bedside to help relax me at night.

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You’ll want to start by making the simple syrup. Put the sugar, water, and dried lavender in a medium saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.

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Once mixture comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickens.

Then turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and let steep for about an hour.

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Push syrup through a mesh sieve to strain out lavender buds and into an airtight container. Place in fridge to cool.

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In a medium bowl, juice all of your lemons.

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In a pitcher, muddle mint leaves with lemon juice until well combined. Add water, rum, and 3/4 C chilled lavender simple syrup.

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Pour into ice-filled glasses.

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And sip away. I’m pretty sure this is the ideal vacation sipper. But I also kind of think it would be perfect to sip on before bed. The combination of the lavender and rum will most definitely help you feel all nice and relaxed until you fall asleep. Not to mention, you’ll be getting your fair share of vitamin C.

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Is there anything quite like freshly squeezed lemonade? Well, yes. Freshly squeezed lemonade with lavender simple syrup and lots of mint.

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This is way better than any mojito I’ve ever made. Also, did you know that yesterday was National Mojito Day? Well, it was. And it’s not too late to celebrate.

Of course, feel free to add more rum here if you want to. Some like a little and some like a lot… take your pick. If you must, you could also enjoy this cocktail in a mocktail version.

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I’ll be honest; I’m not even a big herbal/floral type person, but I’m in LOVE with this drink and with all of my beautiful lavender. Maybe I am becoming more of a floral fan. Though I’ll still always choose fruity and dessert-like candles and perfumes over flowery ones.

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The color of the drink certainly wasn’t as vibrant as some of the lavender cocktails I’ve seen, but I also have learned that some cocktails still use food coloring, even with the all-natural lavender. I think the longer you steep the lavender buds, the deeper the purple gets.

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Lavender, welcome to my life. A refreshing drink that’s packed with all sorts of goodness. And rum, too. Can’t forget the rum. Happy Friday!

Are you a fan of lavender?

[Sues]

Pineapple Kiwi Mojito

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Guys, we need to have a Cocktail Monday. Seriously though. For lots of reasons. One is because I have all these cocktail recipes piling up and Fridays kind of keep whizzing by. Well really, it goes a little something like this: Monday I’m totally on top of my blogging game, mostly because I spent some time Saturday or Sunday pulling things together. Wednesday I manage to get a post out too, probably because I had Monday night to edit photos, Tuesday night to start writing, and Wednesday night to finalize things and hit publish before midnight. But then the next day is Thursday. And I’m so wiped out from my week that when I get home from work, I can’t even open Photoshop. And then it’s Friday morning and I realize Cocktail Friday will have to wait until evening. But somehow I end up staying at work until 7 p.m. and then I come home and crash on the couch, cocktail photos unedited and blog post unwritten. Repeat. My poor, poor cocktails.

So, that is what happened to Cocktail Friday. But I think I’m desperately going to need a cocktail this Monday anyway. I mean, I fell asleep on the couch both Friday and Saturday night by 9:30. And if you know me at all, you know how absolutely crazy this is for me. I guess I’m just plain tired. So, basically, if I drink this cocktail now, I’ll be asleep within about five minutes. Head to the desk.

Luckily, you could pass this cocktail off as half juice. In fact, I’d be totally content sipping on it without the rum. Well, maybe not quite as content as I am with the rum… But it’s not usually acceptable to fall asleep at your desk at 9:00 a.m. Even on Mondays.

Pineapple Kiwi Mojito (makes 1 cocktail):
Print this recipe!

  • 1/2 C diced pineapple
  • 1/4 C diced kiwi
  • 1 T fresh mint leaves
  • 2 t lime juice
  • 2 oz. light rum
  • 3/4 C soda water

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As with most of my cocktail recipes, this one is ridiculously easy to put together. It mainly just requires a little bit of chopping, namely a whole lotta’ pineapple and kiwi.

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In fact, all you’re going to do is muddle the chopped pineapple and kiwi with the mint in your glass. Add in some ice. Then squeeze in the lime juice and rum. And top it all off with soda water.

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Hey, I can clearly barely keep my eyes open after work… I obviously need to keep things simple around here if I want to be drinking fancy cocktails.

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I did, however, manage a pineapple garnish… Which consists of three cubes of pineapple on a toothpick. I know, I know. I totally went overboard.

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Usually when I make a mojito drink like this, I’d add in some sugar or simple syrup, but my pineapple was so naturally sweet, I didn’t feel like I needed it. I also considered adding in actual pineapple juice, but then decided against it.

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So, I kind of loved that all of the sweetness in this cocktail came from the juices of the fruit.

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And it was so, so minty.

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Is it safe to say we can officially stick with summer drinks now? The last couple days in Boston have been marvelously perfect. But it was only a few days ago that I was shivering to the bone. It could most definitely turn on a dime… But for now, I’m sipping mojitos and enjoying the mini heatwave.

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And here we go… Off to start another crazy packed week. I’m glad we talked about cocktails today because who knows the state I’ll be in by Friday.

 What state are you generally in by Friday evening?

[Sues]

Watermelon Jalapeño Mojitos

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Watermelon Jalapeno Mojito

Happy Monday, friends! I just wanted to shoot you a note to let you know that I’m guest blogging over at The Economical Eater today. Head over to Michelle’s blog to see my recipe for Watermelon Jalapeño Mojitos (and stick around because Michelle’s blog is awesome).

Also? A little FYI that WANM will likely be down starting tonight and possibly for a couple days. But for happy reasons… It’s time for the big redesign! It’s been a long time coming and I’m crazy excited for larger, cleaner photos, recipe organization that’s a billion times better, and more. I’m hoping (fingers crossed) to get on a more regular blogging schedule, with lots of fabulous recipes and other fun stuff that I’ve been slacking on a bit. Seriously excited.

Also, also? Just for fun, I had to share these. And ask if anyone has tried them. And would you? They’re pricey, but I’m SO SO intrigued.

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Image via Dr. Oetker

Yes, edible cupcake wrappers. They’re from Dr. Oetker, who frankly I had no idea made anything but frozen pizzas. Consider my mind blown (though  I can’t find where these are sold in the U.S., FoodBeast reports that they’re $4 for a 6-pack). Speaking of edible cake decorations, though, Wilton’s Gold Shimmer Sheets are a bit more reasonably-priced (and can be fashioned into a seriously fab chevron design).

Anyway, I hope you all had fabulous weekends. Mine was gone in what felt like the blink of an eye and I can’t even believe it’s Monday already. Here’s to another productive, perfect summer week for everyone (hey, I’m trying to have some Monday morning optimism here!)

[Sues]

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