Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade

Watermelon is my favorite fruit to make agua fresca - I usually just blend it up, maybe strain it and add lime juice. It's very refreshing and a pretty pink. This recipe was originally a boozy one with gin, but I've been drinking it booze-less for now. The boozy version adds 8 oz of gin.

Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade
Adapted from a recipe on Food 52

1/2 of a medium-sized watermelon, cut into big cubes
5-6 lemons, juiced
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup water

Blend the watermelon in a blender, juicer or food processor until completely blended. You don't have to strain watermelon juice, but I normally do - sometimes I leave in a little pulp but not all of it. I got about 4 cups of strained juice from half a medium watermelon.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt the sugar in the water, with the rosemary sprigs. Once the sugar is melted, put the lid on the saucepan and let the rosemary infuse the simple syrup for at least 15 minutes, an hour or more if possible.

In a pitcher, mix the watermelon juice with the lemon juice and rosemary syrup. Either chill it in the fridge until cold or serve it immediately with ice. If you want, throw in rosemary and lemon slices.

Tahini Date Smoothie- 2 ways

Lately I've been into smoothies and doing yoga. They kind of go together. I also just biked to work for the first time since August since the weather is now only somewhat chilly. My bike route takes me on a bike trail right next to the Schuylkill river. It is actually a pleasant commute minus the fact that I'm completely out of bike shape! Anyways, I've been making this shake from Cookie+Kate continuously. In fact, I'm drinking it for breakfast right now. I use Soom tahini in the smoothie. It's super smooth and made of Ethiopian sesame seeds. My cousin turned me onto this brand which is Philly based. In fact, one of the best restaurants here (Zahav) uses it in their hummus. Soom also makes a chocolate tahini which is the second way I make this smoothie!! I know a tahini smoothie sounds strange but I promise it's delicious.

Tahini Date Smoothie

Makes one large smoothie 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 frozen ripe bananas

1/4 cup tahini 

4 Medjool dates

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch cardamom

Ice cubes, if desired

Soak the dates in some warm water for a couple hours if they seem tough. Then drain and throw everything (minus Ice cubes) in a blender. Blend until really smooth! Then add ice cubes (maybe like 3) and blend again. Top with more cinnamon and black sesame seeds.

Chocolate Tahini Smoothie

Makes 2 medium smoothies

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 frozen ripe bananas

1/4 cup chocolate tahini 

2 dates

1 blood orange, peeled

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 pinch cardamom

Place everything in blender and blend until completely smooth. Alternatively you could make the smoothie above and add cocoa powder if you don't want to buy chocolate tahini paste. But then you wouldn't have a whole jar to eat out of!! If you choose to go this route, I would taste once blended and see if some maple syrup is needed.

Summery Lemonade #3! Blueberry Lemon/Limeade

Sorry for so many lemonades, but I can't stop myself this week. I don't have a favorite from the three I've made so far this summer - they've all been good. This one is probably the prettiest color, though!

It's Twilly's third birthday!! Such a big boy.

BLUEBERRY LEMON/LIMEADE

Adapted from Damn Delicious

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup lime juice

5 cups water

ice

Summery Lemonade #2! Rhubarb Rosemary Lemonade

Earlier today Britt sent me a pin for this pretty pink lemonade, and, of course, I was like, YES this is exactly what I want today. Because rhubarb, rosemary and lemons are my three favorite things! (By the way, did you know that the Pgh Kitchen has a Pinterest account? Probably not, because I just started it a half hour ago.)

It seems like all I want to do lately is juice lemons in my very lo-tech glass juicer thing. Soon I will have muscles like Ser Gregor Clegane a.k.a. the Mountain that Rides (warning: that link contains GoT s4e8 spoilers!), at least on my right arm.

RHUBARB ROSEMARY LEMONADE
Adapted from the Merry Thought

2 cups rhubarb, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 sprigs rosemary
1 cup lemon juice
ice
water
garnish with more rosemary & lemon slices

Lavender Lemonade + Garden Pics

Now that it is semi-officially summer (i.e. post-Memorial Day and weather-wise), make some lemonade! This lavender lemonade recipe is great as is, but is also amazing if you substitute fresh rosemary for the dried lavender flowers. You could also swap the water for club soda for a carbonated version. Maybe add some vodka. There are a lot of possibilities, but all versions should be drunk outside or at least by an open window.

Check out my makeshift strainer - I used a sifter, like for powdered sugar. Very hard to clean lemon pulp out of but I can't find our fine mesh strainer!

Some leftover lemonade soaking in those afternoon rays on the hammock.

LAVENDER LEMONADE

From Green Acres Lavender Farm via the Kitchn

5 cups water, divided into 1 cup & 4 extra cups

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp dried lavender flowers

1 cup lemon juice (I used 5 lemons)

Ice cubs

Lemons, sliced for prettiness (optional)

Lavender sprigs for prettiness (optional)

Turmeric Milk

The idea for this milk came from My Edible Sunshine's Instagram one day. Turmeric has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since I had been feeling sickly (too many cookies + freezing cold weather during December), I figured I would give this tea a try. You can definitely taste the turmeric but it's surprisingly subtle, and the honey balances it out nicely.

Fast forward to Vietnam!! I discovered that my grandpa also drinks turmeric tea! By turmeric tea, I mean he just mixes the turmeric with water. He also eats bee pollen (like me!) and bird's nest water (ew). I promise you, my version is a lot tastier.

The practice of medicine is dramatically different here and it has taken me awhile to get used to it. I agree with the practice of Eastern medicine (herbs, acupunture, and food as medicine), but I can't agree with the rampant use of antibiotics plus other drugs. Then again, it's a third world country. What can I expect?

On the other hand, the people here know so much more about food than I do. It's just common knowledge on what foods cure which ailments. Sore throat? Drink some aloe vera. Stomach pains? Tapioca+water. In that way, the pharmacist here has been teaching me so much. Lastly, there's a lot of focus on what foods make you hot (mango, longan, rambutan) or cold (coconut water, avocado, watermelon, and green mango). If there's an imbalance, then you're more susceptible to sickness. It's a pretty cool system that teaches you to be in tune with yo body! So now you know!

 

Turmeric Tea (one serving)

1 1/4 cup cashew milk
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1-2 tsp raw honey

Warm up the cashew milk in a little saucepan until lukewarm. You don't want it to get too hot since heat destroys the awesomeness of the enzymes in the raw honey. Meanwhile, mix the spices with the honey in the bottom of a large mug. Once the milk is warm enough, pour into mug while stirring to incorporate all the goodness. Add more honey if desired. Drink up first thing in the morning.
An alternative is making cashew cream to store in the fridge and then mixing it with the spices and honey. Then adding some warm water to the mix.

Limoncello

While reading one of the local food magazines in Pittsburgh, Table, I came across this recipe. The article I read brought up a good point- citrus is actually in season during the winter! So it was time I tried some lemony recipes starting with this simple infused vodka. It is pretty sweet, so I enjoy it over ice cream.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups vodka
5 lemons
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

1. Cut the lemon peels in long strips from the lemon getting as little of the white pith as possible onto the peel (it makes the drink bitter).

2. Pour the vodka into a mason jar or a container with a lid. Drop the lemon peels into the vodka.Wait for 4 days until the lemon peels infuse the vodka with their oils.

3. You will see the vodka turn a bright yellow color. Strain the vodka and reserve the lemon peels to make candied lemon peel!

4. Make simple syrup by heating up the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup cool and then add as much as you like to the vodka mixture. I think this recipe would be even better with some lavender simple syrup!

The lemon peels being candied:

Avocado Smoothie

My favorite drink in Vietnam is an avocado smoothie. My mom used to make these for me when I was little. This is a great way to use ripe avocados. They turn out to be such a pretty pale green color. This recipe is just  for 1 smoothie so feel free to double or triple it for multiple people (or just for yourself).

1 ripe avocado, seed removed and flesh scooped out
1 large spoonful of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup almond milk (more or less depending on how thick you want the smoothie)
1 squirt of agave nectar (or 1 spoonful of granulated sugar)
5 ice cubes

Place in a blender and blend until smooth. I put my smoothie in a mason jar so I could take it to work. Yum! Next time, I think I'll add some spinach for some more green color!

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

I told you I was obsessed with my crock pot. This hot chocolate is a thick, creamy, sweet, ultimate winter comfort drink.

You'll need

• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 cups milk (I ended up adding more milk because it was too sweet) 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

I cut everything in half because this makes a lot of hot chocolate and there's only two of us.

Combine all ingredients together in the crock pot. Cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Adapted from Mrs. Happy Homemaker

The Great Pumpkin Breakfast

It's Halloween weekend, so after going to Amazing Yoga with Nick, I decided to make us a seasonal breakfast. After all, I had to find something to do with all that pumpkin puree that I made earlier.

I was inspired to make pumpkin pancakes by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's article on all things pumpkin, but I definitely changed it up a little. My version follows.