berry refreshing

Lemonade is tricky, no?

Too sweet. Too tangy. Too tart. Too weak. Too strong.

It never seems to be just right.

But I like to push my luck (not really), so I volunteered to bring homemade strawberry lemonade to a function last week.

It'll be so summer-y and fun!

(Palm-to-forehead.)

Fortunately, this recipe was a little star! She was easy to prepare, lovely to present, and tasty to the people. Can we ask for anything more?

Strawberry Lemonade

Makes 1/2 gallon

for the simple syrup:

2 c. water

1 c. white granulated sugar

for the strawberry puree:

2 c. strawberries, hulled (I thawed frozen ones)

1 c. cold water

for the lemonade:

zest of 1 lemon

1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (totally used bottled, and not ashamed)

1 c. cold water

ice (I used a couple of large handfuls)

lemon slices and sliced strawberries, optional, for presentation

1. Make the simple syrup: In a saucepan over high heat, combine water and sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves and it becomes a clear syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool.


2. Make the strawberry puree: In a blender, pulse the strawberries and 1 cup of cold water until the mixture is pureed.


3. Make the lemonade: To a pitcher, add lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 c. cold water, and ice. Add the strawberry puree and simple syrup, and stir until well combined. Taste for sweetness and add more cold water if needed. Refrigerate to chill through, and use lemon and strawberry slices in the serving pitcher for garnish. 

* If you're finicky about pulp and the like, you can strain the lemonade after you mix it all together and before you serve it. Personally, I like it all natural. It makes it taste more authentic (since I cheated on the fresh-squeezed lemon detail.)

* This would be so fun served in chilled mason jars. I don't have the energy or space to accommodate that, but a girl can dream.

* I doubled this recipe for a gathering of around 15-16 people, which was the near-perfect amount.

Cheers, folks!

thankful thursday #140

My dad is a lover of tradition.

Our Christmas tree looks very similar to the one his family decorated growing up, strung with big colored light bulbs and silver icicles. I can't stand those bulbs, and the icicles are the messiest ornamentation I can imagine, but I love that they are my dad's tradition.

There's something about traditions that are comforting to me. They are familiar, and safe, and anchors to my soul.

As a single person, traditions can be hard to establish, frankly, and for me, they never start on purpose; they just happen. I look up one day and wonder how it is that this has happened every year for the past however-long.

I don't know, but I'm glad for it.

About four years ago, one of my longest childhood friends invited me to visit her family's cabin in Highlands, North Carolina. I had vacationed there with her and her family when we were young, perhaps two or three times, but when we went together for the first time as adults, I fell a little bit in love with that town.

When she invited me again the following year, I didn't have any real reason to deem it as such -- it just was two years in a row -- but my heart called it a tradition.

We have missed one year since, but not this year! I'm so pleased this trip is on the books again ...

... and I'm grateful for the traditions that have made themselves known in my world.

What traditions do you most appreciate? Go on, be grateful!

thankful thursday #139

Oh, the joy of a birthday surprise!

Couldn't have been happier to see these smiling faces for dinner tonight. The surprise face was our friend from Texas, who shared my bonehead moment with me two years ago in Peru. (I keep good company, always.)

My heart is overflowing with love -- and gratitude!

What about you? Go on, be grateful!

thirty-five things

/1/  Today is my birthday.

/2/  I'm 35.

/3/  My mom calls me every year on this day at 5:48 p.m., at the exact minute I was born. Never fails.

/4/  Speaking of my mom, she had to cancel a tennis date on the day I was born.

/5/  I have two younger brothers.

/6/ They are tall.

/7/  One of them celebrates his birthday the day after me. It makes my phone call to him on his birthday pretty short, because we already spent time chit-chatting on my birthday, when he called me. I always feel like he gets cheated because of that.

/8/ The other one gets his birthday month all to himself. I wonder sometimes if he's glad about that, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't care. At all.

/9/  Two years ago I turned 33 in Peru.

/10/  Ten years ago I turned 25 on the day I closed on my very first home purchase.

/11/  I don't have a lucky number, per se, but I do claim 7 as my favorite number. It's in my birth month, date, and year. And it was my volleyball jersey number in high school.

/12/  I am a little superstitious about odd numbers being preferential to even ones. In school, I'd much rather be graded a 95 than a 98. And I have never felt great that of the five addresses I've had as an adult, only one of them has had an odd street number.

/13/  It's why I'm excited to be 35, rather than 34. And that it's 2013, instead of 2012. It's a good time for me.

/14/  I have this crazy phobia of styrofoam.

/15/  Cheese is my favorite food, but cheesecake is not my favorite dessert.

/16/  Carrot cake is. Dense, homemade ones are best.

/17/  I run so that I can eat cheese and carrot cake. But more cheese.

/18/  I've run two half-marathons, which is basically a full. In my head it is, anyway.

/19/  My awesome sister-in-law has run a for-real full marathon, but that's not why she's awesome. It's just one of the awesome things she's done.

/20/  I've worked for the same boss since I was 22.

/21/  In the very first company retreat I attended, there were about six people there. This was us last month:

/22/  Sometimes I wonder what it's like to work with people you don't like. I can't relate.

/23/  Cooking is therapeutic for me.

/24/  I have a few go-to, repeat recipes, but mostly I like to try new ones.

/25/  When I was little, my friends and I were all the time planning dance routines to showcase, or duets to sing for an audience our parents. I don't know what happened along the way, but I really hate the limelight as an adult.

/26/  I don't even like to play Charades.

/27/  I have never broken a bone.

/28/  But I sure have taken some tumbles and have the scars to prove it.

/29/  I sleep every night with my two baby blankets. They travel everywhere with me. Shameless.

/30/  Even though it's an even number, I quite enjoyed turning 30. And I never dread getting one year older.

/31/  On my 17th birthday, I got my ears pierced, gifted to me by my cousin Emily.

/32/  The piercing lady told me my ears weren't even, and then made the hole in my left ear a little lower on that lobe, so that earrings hang evenly. I have mixed feelings about this.

/33/  I am a serious introvert, working in an extroverted job. Many days, going home to silence is my greatest reward.

/34/  My birthday celebration this year is lasting days. I am so grateful for the people who love me so well!

/35/  I'm hopeful this year is my best yet. And it's an odd year, so that bodes well.

their world

When your friends and family live close by, and you can see them frequently, you share worlds. Your days intersect often, conversations are less about catching up after days or weeks or months, and more about the daily grind, and there's a visual of the life they're living, because it's yours too.

On the other hand, when your friends and family aren't so close, I sort of feel like it's important to be intentional about seeing their world. So even when you don't share their world, you can at least visit it, and get that visual.

It makes their world seem closer, if I've seen it.

Little Man and his family moved about a month ago to their new home, in a new city, in a new state, and it was time to see their new world.

We ran some errands.

(Any city with a Target is complete, I'd say.)

We enjoyed the view.

(I seriously could have sat there for hours.)

We swung on the dock.

(Dad says his grin is "devilish" in this shot, but I just call it cute.)

We enjoyed a low country boil.

(This is serious business in my family.)

And it was an overall fabulous time to see their new world. It's a good one!

thankful thursday #138

Sometimes it's the easiest thing in the world to be thankful.

Today's one of those days, because I got to catch up with the lovely Lori, who left Birmingham a bit ago for a new adventure. I miss her, but couldn't be happier with her new story!

When she moved away a few months ago, I knew the first time we reunited would not come soon enough. And it wasn't really soon enough, but it came.

We met up in Durham, North Carolina -- I was traveling for work, and she drove the hour to see me there -- and we had the most delicious meal at Piedmont.

I can think of few things more satisfying to my soul than a brief menu of fresh, culinary goodness, and a long conversation over which to enjoy it. I left feeling full in more ways than one, and for that, I'm grateful.

Are you finding it just as easy to be thankful today? Go on, be grateful!

a sweet fourth

After the Peachtree yesterday, I consumed about a million calories of Fourth of July goodies. My contributions to the menu were two desserts, both of which have served as trusty go-to's at one point or another over the last few years.

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies will make you climb the walls they're so sweet. But oh, they are worth it. And you can cut them into tiny bite-size pieces to make yourself feel better about yourself if you'd like.

Once I'd committed to making those, I felt like a fruity option might be a nice alternative offering. I don't know why we feel like desserts need to be "lighter" -- I think it defeats the purpose, really -- but just in case, this trifle is a favorite in my family that comparatively qualifies as a lighter dessert.

I stumbled on this recipe years ago, and I felt very proud of myself when my mom asked for a copy. (Is anyone else validated when their mom asks for a recipe? Just me? Oh.)

The English Trifle calls for whipped heavy cream as the topper, which was a challenge for Mom. She had a time getting her cream to whip, but she also couldn't remember what exactly she was whipping, so we just let her use Cool Whip and be done with it.

You can do that, too, of course, if Cool Whip is a standard in your desserts like it is my mom's. But personally, I like that the heavy whipping cream cuts the crazy-sweetness of everything else.

Regardless, your trifle will be festive and sweet, and will get better each day in the fridge.

English Trifle

1 box of white cake mix, baked according to package directions and cooled
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 c. white sugar
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 bananas
1/4 c. orange juice
1 (3.5 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. milk
1 c. heavy whipping cream
slivered almonds, for topping
maraschino cherries, for topping

1. Sprinkle sugar over sliced strawberries, and stir well. In another small bowl, slice bananas and toss with orange juice. Combine pudding mix with milk, and whisk until smooth. Cut cake into 1" cubes.


2. In a trifle dish, layer half the cake cubes, half the strawberries, half the blueberries, and half the pudding. Repeat the layers in the same order.


3. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream to stiff peaks and spread over the top of the trifle. Top with almonds and cherries before serving.

* If you're grocery shopping for this one, don't forget the ingredients that are listed on the box of the white cake.

* I don't take the time to be super-exact about the cake cubes. I usually score them, but then just use my hands and crumble it up as I go. So much more fun that way.

* If you can, this is best after at least a couple of hours in the fridge, if not overnight.

* I don't put the cherries on until right before serving; otherwise, they can kind of bleed and make the topping turn pink. No need to ruin the pretty white topping!

thankful thursday #137

Has it rained every single day for the past week where you live?

I should be building an ark.

Instead, I was running this morning in the Peachtree Road Race ...

... and frankly, I had spent a lot of time preparing myself mentally to run in the pouring rain.

(And I do enjoy some puddle jumping.)

Would you believe it rained all the way to the MARTA station, but didn't rain one drop the entire time I ran? I was grateful.

I wasn't so grateful for this muddy mess, however:

Those aren't the feet of anyone I know, but you get the idea. I was a little bitter about my kinda-new running shoes taking such abuse, but alas, it is Thankful Thursday.

Did you stay dry on your Fourth of July holiday? Dry or not, go on, be grateful!

let's chat (to start july)

Let's chat, shall we?

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I returned from my week-long vacation to two glorious days of work. And they are glorious, because they are the only two days I will work this week. My heavens, I love my job right now.

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My baby bro is visiting me this week, and he's being roped into all kinds of cooking experiments. He is a good sport.

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On Thursday, I'm running the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. The weather forecast tells me there is "100% chance of rain," and that "July 4th outdoor activities may be impacted" by "flash floods and up to 5 inches of rain." Should be good times.

 

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A friend of mine and his wife adopted a 5-day-old baby two weeks ago. It's the sweetest story. I can't stop thinking about it.

 

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I have received a slew of thank-you notes this past week from people -- colleagues, specifically -- not because of anything I've done, but because they're just impossibly kind to me. I don't deserve them.

 

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Downton Abbey has positively owned me (and my free time) for the past month. I am late to the party, per usual, but I can't for the life of me find one thing wrong with viewing twenty episodes in four weeks. Five more episodes await me, and I can hardly wait.

 

 

Here's hoping you get to chat with your closest friends and family over the Fourth of July!