Next On the List Is - Blueberry Quenchin Bliss!

I am definitely not a big water drinker, and with the hottest days of summer upon us I needed to find a way to keep myself  hydrated...I find water tasteless, so it does nothing to satisfy my taste buds, or quench my "mental" thirst. I do however realize it is something my body needs to survive. So when I came across this delicious recipe for a blueberry soda I decided to give it a try.

Everyone knows blueberries are not only an excellent source of fiber, but they also contain vitamin C, as well as manganese, potassium, and vitamin K. I figured this way I would be getting the much needed water which I seem to avoid to keep my body healthy, along with quite a few added benefits. I found it was not only refreshing, but quite delicious, and satisfied both needs. With blueberries at the peak of their season it is a drink that is not only good for you, but also cost efficient.

As "Mikey" use to say in the cereal commercial from years ago..."Try it, you'll like it". Oops...did I just give away my age????? The directions are quite easy, and it is well worth the few minutes it takes to prepare. I hope you enjoy...


Ingredients:
 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
9 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar

 

Directions for making Syrup:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Slowly bringing to a simmer over medium heat, stir constantly until all the berries have popped, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from the  heat and let cool.
2. Pour syrup into an airtight container, like a mason jar, and refrigerate overnight.
3. To use, take out of the refrigerator and strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (in the refrigerator)

To make the drink you will need ice; blueberry syrup from the above recipe; and sparkling mineral water.

Directions:

1.  For one drink, fill a tall glass with ice. Add 3 Tbsp. of the Blueberry Syrup and then top with seltzer water. Top glass with a lemon slice for that extra zing a ling, toss in a few fresh blueberries just for the heck of it,  then stir gently.  It is so refreshing, and great for hot summer days! 

 

 

Sharon

 

Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancake & Waffle Mix review...

Hi all. As you well know there have been several things going on in my life lately and the blog has taken a backseat to all my life's crisis so to speak...

My mom is still in rehab after breaking her hip and having surgery three weeks ago, and it seems she fell again last night while trying to get up by herself. They say she is okay, so I guess I' ll  know more when I visit this afternoon. I would like to thank all my friends and followers out there for your prayers.

So needing a break from my continual "THINKING" this morning about what else could go wrong in my life,  I decided to try a pancake & waffle mix that Cherrybrook  Kitchen was so kind to send me to sample and review.

This product is all natural, peanut free, dairy free, nut free, and egg free, for those of you who might have allergies to any of these things.  Looking at the ingredients list on the box I find that the main ingredients are white rice flour, and potato and tapioca starches. Basic enough. Maybe a little too basic as it comes down to being basically starch, starch, starch...I personally like a little protein added for bulk and substance. Although if you read the labels on most of their competitors products you might just find the same ingredient list or pretty darn close with a few exceptions along the way.

The directions on the box calls for the mix, rice milk and vegetable oil. It notes that you can switch out the rice milk for soy or regular milk if you prefer.  I thought I would use buttermilk instead, just for the added extra Vitamins A, D, and also calcium.  I then ended up adding about 1/4 cup more regular milk to thin it out as the batter was way to thick at this point. A miscall on my part...

The pancakes browned and rose perfectly. The taste was a little sweet, (the mix includes cane sugar) but all in all had a very good flavor. I must admit with all honesty though that they seemed a little dense and doughy.

To be fair I  decided to remake another batch of pancakes and follow the directions on the box to a T... The pancakes once again browned beautifully and rose to perfection. I used regular milk as I had no rice milk on hand, and personally felt like there were enough rice ingredients in the mix itself as it was.

The pancakes still seemed a little dense and doughy for my liking, but once again had a good taste. I guess I like my pancakes a little dryer in texture so that once I smother them with butter and syrup and they will still hold up.

Since the company was kind enough to send me the samples to review and I have no idea what this product cost in the stores so I checked the Internet to get a pricing of several different products similar to this one. With the ingredients list in mind I feel the pricing to be much in the same range as similar products.

If you have followed the blog and tried any of my recipes  you know I love using sorghum and a few others in my home made flour mixes in addition to rice flour. I guess in my own personal opinion the only thing this mix might be needing is a little protein...

Rating:

Browning  5
Rising  5
Texture  3+
Taste  4
Cost  4