Springtime Strawberry Sparklers

My little strawberry plants have little green strawberries on them right now, but I think in a week or so I'll have some wee little strawberries to eat. The mint, on the other hand, has already tripled in size. I think I'll have to start harvesting it and drying the leaves for tea. 

So I wrote that first little bit a couple of hours ago and then went away to do some stuff. Sometimes I write about things and think how incredibly boring it must be for people to read this. Wow, I have strawberries growing, how exciting and fascinating. Blogs are so weird. I've gotten really interested in some other bloggers and I'm interested in just about everything they write about, but strawberries, really. There are things growing, it's spring.

Maybe it's more interesting to mention that I'm writing this from my bedroom, where my little 'home office' is. I spend a lot of time here, editing pictures, or writing, or doing social media. The window is always open and it's in the country, so I just hear birds singing most of the time, without any traffic noise. The Manitoba countryside is pretty isolated. Even though I'm only 20 minutes from a city, houses are almost a kilometre apart here. My window looks out on to a strip of tall evergreens the little orchard. I love the peace and quiet to work in, but I miss having my workspace in the main part of the house. It's been odd to be cooped up in my bedroom so much for the past month. I'm listening to Leonard Cohen (this song, which is utterly enchanting) to drown out my family talking in another room, hah. 

This drink is even easier than the popsicle recipe in the last post, and seasonal on top of it. Five ingredients, and absolutely stunning. It's perfect for summer. I was looking through the recipe index and noticed that I've posted very few drink recipes, mostly because I have this idea that people don't want recipes for drinks. I just toss a bunch of stuff into the blender and hope for the best most of the time. 

It's essentially a strawberry slushy topped up with sparkling water to make a refreshing, very fruity drink. You don't have to add the water if you don't mind a more gelato-esque texture, and it makes excellent popsicles. I think it'd be great mixed with champagne instead of sparkling water if you drink champagne. The mint flavour is mild, but you could add more if you're looking for something a little more herbaceous. I am in love with this recipe and it's my go-to with strawberries. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen strawberries

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons raw honey or other liquid sweetener (optional)

4 mint leaves, plus extra sprigs for decoration

Sparkling water* 

Add the strawberries, lime juice, honey, and mint leaves to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. If it's not mixing well you can add a splash of water. 

Fill glasses halfway with the strawberry mixture, and top the glass with sparkling water. Top with the additional mint and serve immediately. 

If you're not serving it all right away, keep the slushy mixture in the fridge and don't add the water until serving. It's best if you have it right away, but still good after it's been in the fridge for a day or two. 

Notes:

1. I have a sparkling-water machine, but you can use any kind that doesn't have anything added to it. You'll need a couple cups of water at minimum.