Blackberry Lemonade

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Andrea

Remember a short while ago we discussed making lemonade at home? I decided to take that lemonade up to another level by making blackberry lemonade!

Earlier this summer I saw a recipe on another blog featuring blackberry lemonade and I was intrigued by this and immediately read the recipe only to be disappointed in the results.

The person used store bought lemonade.

Ugh.

Being that it is so easy to make lemonade, it’s silly to purchase lemonade. I made a mental note that once I mastered making lemonade, that I would then turn my efforts to blackberry lemonade.

This time I was greatly rewarded.

Andrea’s Blackberry Lemonade

5 Lemons

1/2 Pint Blackberries

3/4C Cane Sugar

Follow the basic lemonade recipe, this time add 1/2 a pint of fresh blackberries in with the lemons.

The blackberries are going to get steeped in with the lemons. Blackberries are delicate berries so you can expect them to fade and start to fall apart.

Homemade Lemonade

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Andrea

Lemonade was not something that I grew up drinking. In fact we never had it. Ever. The first time I had lemonade was at some point during my teenage years. My sister and her then boyfriend (now husband), owned a boat and we headed out on the water one day. She brought food and drinks to go with us and one thing she made was lemonade.

It was the basic instant mix kind but one sip on a very hot Western PA summer day and I was hooked. It was amazing.

Sweet and slightly tangy, to me it was perfection.

After that point I started making lemonade on my own using the same instant mix. Then flavors started appearing and raspberry lemonade was about the best thing on earth at that point.

Eventually I realized that instant lemonade is not good for you at all. Much like instant tea, it’s full of icky things we don’t need. I stopped making lemonade for years after that. A few times we’ve purchased lemonade at the store. The kind that’s located next to the OJ in the fridge section. It was alright but I thought to myself, “It can’t be that hard to make lemonade. It’s just lemons, water, and sugar.”

Ohio Summer Spritzer

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Andrea

Yesterday evening, Camelot Winery unveiled it’s new look with a Grand Re-Opening event. I was lucky enough to get invited not only to the event but to also provide some appetizers as well.

The inside looks completely different and definitely has a more welcome and cozy feel to it now. You can expect a full post on what’s new soon! The event was a huge success and many people arrived ready to check out the new look and to sip on some wine. Luckily I was able to make my way around the place a few times and got a chance to chat with friends and introduce myself to new people.

For the appetizers I made mini cheddar corn fritters using Ohio Sweet corn. I made 240 little fritters with the expectation that most people would take two. I don’t know about everyone else but Scott and I definitely had more than two!

To help celebrate the new ownership and new look of Camelot, I put together a summer inspired drink featuring one of their wines.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Andrea

It’s the end of March and yesterday Columbus was blessed with a snowstorm that lasted all afternoon. It was the last thing that any of us wanted. Okay, well there might be a few residents who don’t mind but the rest of us were cursing and shaking our fists in the air.

So to beat the winter blues, I’m posting something springy and fun! Something that nourishes both the body and spirit.

Pina Colada smoothie! Super green in color to perk up any blah winter day and tasty enough that you might start looking around for some rum.

Andrea’s Pina Colada Smoothie

1C OJ

1C Unsweetened Coconut Milk (like SO Delicious)

2 Large handfuls of baby spinach

1 Frozen Banana

1/2 C Frozen Pineapple

1/4C Frozen Mango

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This will be a thicker smoothie, like milkshake or frozen drink style. Makes enough for two large glasses.

Perfectly tart and creamy. It tastes just like a pina colada but looks like spring. The amounts of frozen pineapple and mango are estimates because I didn’t measure those out. Go by what you like. The pineapple is more tart while the mango is more sweet. You need to use enough pineapple to ensure you get the pina colada taste because that’s what makes the smoothie.

At Home Barista: Pumpkin Latte

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Andrea

Since it’s Pumpkin Month it’s about time we get some pumpkin goods up in here, am I right? As soon as the end of August starts getting near and the thought of September hits our consciousness, what does everyone start thinking about?

Pumpkin Lattes!

Don’t play, you know it’s true.

The concept I’m about to discuss is not one that I came up with, I have to acknowledge Mama Pea for this inspiration. Last fall she discovered that a pumpkin latte from Starbucks made with soymilk and no whip is in fact not vegan.

Apparently there is some dry milk or something similar in the pumpkin spice syrup used to flavor the coffee. I’m not really down with that. I’m not vegan by any stretch but my preference for dairy comes in the form of cheese. If I don’t want dairy and I’m actively trying to avoid it in food products, I really don’t appreciate having it snuck in behind my back.

Coconut Lime Spritzer

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Andrea

Guys I am so behind on recipe posting! I have a ton in my little notebook of stuff that I need to get written up and published ASAP! So be prepared for a recipe posting spree over the next few weeks, K? :)

I again bring your attention to the fact that it’s summertime and that means HOT. Or if you live where I do, it means HUMID with a side of sticky. You don’t really want to do much of anything except take time out to sip on something delicious and preferably very cold.

I do not drink mixed drinks because that kind of alcohol always seems a little heavy on my stomach. Plus a lot of drinks are made so they are super sweet and I’m not one for sweet. Even with wine I do not like sweet. Scott on the other hand likes mixed drinks a great deal and I will occasionally make him a little sumptin’ sumptin’ to sip on while dinner cooks or perhaps while he’s manning the grill out back.

Kentucky Summer Sippin’ Tea

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Andrea

To me, one of the best things about blogging is that it gives you the chance to meet people you otherwise might never have crossed paths with. It makes the world a little bit smaller and helps us make meaningful connections with others. I have met so many people because of this lil blog and I’m so thankful for that.

Blogging also helps us get the chance to sample products we might otherwise never have known about. One of my blogging buddies, Lori, sent me this tea for my birthday earlier this year. She’s in Kentucky and sent me a blend of tea made at a local Inn. Elmwood Inn is located in Perryville, KY and they’ve been making teas since 1990. Once a public tea room, they now focus exclusively on selling and importing teas.

The tea Lori sent me is Elmwood’s Kentucky Blend Tea which is a combo of different Chinese black teas. The first mug of this I had, was on an unseasonably cold April afternoon. It was perfect! Sometimes black teas can have a bit of a bitter finish to them but this was very smooth and needed very little honey to help balance it out.

Making Iced Tea

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Andrea

I grew up drinking iced tea, sweetened with sugar. Not the instant kind made from a powder that smelled strange and had a fake lemon aftertaste but actual iced tea that you brewed. Not sun tea either although my mom had tried that a few times early on but then stuck to regular iced tea.

My mom even had a Mr. Coffee iced tea maker for a while but to be honest I was never really down with it. It worked alright but it didn’t make things any easier really. Making iced tea isn’t something that is very hard or time consuming.

When Scott and I first moved in together, our iced tea worlds collided. He comes from an Instant Family so you can see how we would have butted heads. I couldn’t get over someone liking a “fake” tea spawned from a powder containing lord knows what, when I could make iced tea that had three ingredients: Tea, water, sugar.

Andrea’s Favorite Smoothie

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Andrea

I make smoothies everyday for Scott and I to have with our lunch. We’ve been doing this for almost a year now and love it! Back when I was doing the oh so boring Food-Log style entries, you could see my smoothies everyday. Now they only get busted out for special occasions. ;)

This particular smoothie combo is my very favorite. It’s clean tasting and very filling. I don’t have it too often because I want to keep it special and I also save it for the times when I feel like my bod could use some very straight up clean eats.

You know those times when you’re feeling just a bit rundown. Or maybe you had too much wine/beer/Boones the night before because it was Aunt Sally’s 80th birthday and how can you turn down an 80 year old on their birthday? Even if that would put the tally up to your 6th glass of Wild Island.

Review: POM Wonderful

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Andrea

POM Wonderful

I had been seeing POM Wonderful pop up on foodie blogs for a while. Apparently the POM Fairy was super busy dispensing POM all over the place. POM had been winking at me and catching my eye while I grocery shopped. But it didn’t flirt with me enough or offer to buy me a drink so I ignored it. Finally I decided to be a modern woman and make the first move. And also I was tired of waiting around for the POM Fairy to call me and tell me it had a surprise just for me.

My next grocery trip, I grabbed the POM by the handle and took it home to have my way with it and do my own review for the blog, gosh darn it! A little side note, POM does not mind being roughly handled. Take that as you will.

I had heard rumors that your first time with POM might not be like what you’ve read about in books or have seen in movies. It’s sort of tart and a little bit more assertive than what you’d expect from something labeled as Wonderful. It can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared.