This past weekend, Shelby and I snuck away for a girl’s afternoon that involved retail therapy and a lunch date.  It also included a version of this Sweet Tea Shock Cocktail.

If you’re a fan of an Arnold Palmer (1/2 sweet tea ~ 1/2 lemonade) you’ll love this refreshing cocktail.  It’s a perfect year-round drink that ‘shocks’ you with bursts of lemon and Shock Top ale.

~ Sweet Tea Shock Cocktail ~

2 ounces Sweet Tea Vodka
2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon
1 ounce agave nectar
4 ounces Shock Top ale
1 large orange wedge

Fill tall glass with ice.  In a shaker, combine vodka, lemon juice, and agave nectar.  Shake and pour over ice.  Top with Shock Top and squeeze of orange wedge.

Recipe inspired by Marlows Tavern.

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It’s Independence Day weekend and that calls for a new cocktail recipe to celebrate.

Kiwi Mojito {with Agave Syrup}. 

Shades of green with kiwi, lime and mint.  There’s nothing like a rum cocktail to transport you squarely into a holiday weekend.

I woke this morning to lightning strikes followed closely by roaring thunder.  It was awesome.  I’m a huge fan of thunderstorms, they’re akin to riding a rollercoaster for me, when my adrenaline is free flowing.

As much as I wanted to sleep in on this holiday weekend, Mother Nature had other plans.  So I counted the seconds between lightning bolts and thunder rumble.  Every second between a lightning bolt and thunder represents a mile (generally speaking), because light travels more quickly than sound.  Thanks to Siri for this tidbit.

Side note:  I first learned to count between lightning and thunder while watching a movie.  I think it was Poltergeist but I’m not sure.  I’ve googled numerous ways to try and confirm.  Can anyone help confirm this?

Counting thunder claps led to me slowly start planning out my day.  Get up (a good place to start), confirm indoor walking track is open, walk my daily minimum, get my toes done, then buy a few multiple-recipe ingredients at the grocery store and come on home.

Ugh!  Neither the website nor Facebook page said they were closed.

As of this week’s weigh-in, I’m down 55 pounds.  I’ve somehow managed to balance my love to eat, love to cook, love food photography…with my love of cocktails, like Kiwi Mojitos.

So when life throws a curve ball into my pre-planned day, I say no worries.  A break in the weather motivated me to make this ‘walk’ happen.  I’ve shared before that I’m a big fan of walking.  Never underestimate the benefits of moving.  No gym membership required (although good walking shoes are worth the money).

I followed the sidewalks around the CLOSED rec center.  They led me across the street to the high school and back up to the splash park.  When you’re desperate for steps you just keep walking….which delivered me to this place.  Seriously.  I had no idea this gem existed in the woods behind my bad-weather indoor walking center.  I sent a picture text to my walking buddy “your kids would love this place.”

It was a drizzling, spitting rain, bursts of downpours kind of day.  But these heavily wooded trails kept me mostly dry.

It’s hard to explain the feeling associated to discovering new walking trails.  Walking is when I download.  I love my walking buddies and I love my walking self.  I’m more of a listener than a talker when we group walk, but when I’m alone….I’m a talker.  Ha!

My rec center being closed today for the holiday weekend was a blessing.  I logged a three mile walk/hike in a new environment, with a dose of self-therapy.   I’ve now got a new favorite walking path with lots of personality.  And it happens to be very close to my favorite get-your-toes-done place.  Another reason to celebrate with a Kiwi Mojito {with Agave Syrup}.

Print

Kiwi Mojito {with Agave Syrup}

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 kiwi fruit
• 4-6 mint sprigs divided
• Lime cut into wedges
• 2 Tbl. agave nectar
• 4 ounces white rum
• Tonic or club soda

Instructions

• Peel kiwi. Add to glass with mint and lime wedges. Muddle.
• Add ice, agave nectar, rum and swizzle. Top with tonic or club soda.
• Enjoy!

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Here’s to a fresh and healthy start to the New Year.  I’ve only had my new Vitamix blender for a few days now but I’m certain I’m going to love it.  I’ve made Orange Vanilla Vinaigrette and Thai Pumpkin Soup using recipes from the Vitamix cookbook.  Both were delicious.  This morning I made this Going Green Smoothie without a recipe.  We’ll call it a trial run.

I pulled together a good assortment of ‘greens’ from my fridge.  Kiwi, green grapes, celery, a lime wedge, a sprig of fresh mint, and two big handfuls of kale.  I knew adding pineapple or banana would sweeten the mixture but I vowed (to myself) to keep it green.

So in addition to all the green goodness, I added a 1/2 cup of water, a cup of ice, and a squeeze of agave nectar into the blender container and gave it a whirl for about a minute.

Voila!  I don’t think it can get any greener and it definitely had a smoothie-like texture.  But how did it taste?

Before we get to that, let me come clean about a secondary reason for craving a Going Green Smoothie.  Last night I posed this question to our facebook friends “Is it wrong that I just layered a Biscoff cookie with jalapeno peanuts, topped with a mini-Twix bar and popped them in the microwave for just a few seconds?”

This morning the evidence was still laying on the counter as if to say you might ponder this question a bit longer.

One friend suggested that I might be experiencing some cravings.  But my favorite response to that question was this “Your choice, your belly, nothing wrong with that…except to ask…is it possible you’re experiencing cravings due to a lack of some nutritional factor?…just saying. Love your page!”

Last year when I first suggested that I thought I would love a Vitamix, there was concern that it would become another gadget that rarely got used.  I tried to recite all the fabulous ‘health’ reasons that demo man had given for owning a mega-blender, but he wasn’t buying in.  Flash forward a year, good things come to those who wait.  It’s too early to rule on whether my new Vitamix will keep it’s prime spot on our kitchen counter or whether my body will begin to crave raw juices and soups instead of airplane cookies and leftover Halloween candy.

But for now, my Going Green Smoothie was delicious, in a slightly earthy ‘green’ kind of way.  The fresh mint and lime were front and center, but the veggies were present as well.  No recipe to go with this trial run yet, other than I followed the ‘method’ suggested by Vitamix.  Water in first, fruits and veggies next, topped with ice.  Turn on blender set at the lowest setting then gradually increase speed.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

In the process of typing up this post I’ve now also made Tomato Basil & Avocado Soup served hot right out of the Vitamix.  I think I’m hooked.

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Sesame Chicken.  This recipe recreation was too good not to share.  We recently made a fabulous dipping sauce for some sweet potato steak fries and the key ingredients were agave nectar and soy sauce.  One taste of it and my love for sesame chicken came rushing back.

I say that as if sesame chicken is a staple meal for me.  Quite the contrary actually.  We rarely never go out for Chinese Food.  It’s been years.  But every bite of sesame chicken I’ve ever eaten was like dessert.

I set out to recreate this dish sans the sodium bomb, and I think we’ve got a keeper.  Served with white rice and steamed snow peas, this Sesame Chicken was a fabulous restaurant quality meal, enjoyed in the comfort of home.

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Sesame Chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the chicken…

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 egg whites
• 1/5 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbl. coconut or canola oil

For the sauce…

• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1 1/2 Tbl. low sodium soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger minced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

For serving…

• 1 Tbl. sesame seeds toasted
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• Serve with rice and steamed veggies

Instructions

For the chicken…

• Dip chicken in egg whites.
• Combine the cornstarch and black pepper in a covered bowl. Add chicken chunks in batches and shake to coat.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet (or wok) over medium heat. Add coated chicken pieces in batches, browning on all sides until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Repeat with additional batches until all chicken has been cooked. Meanwhile prepare the sauce.

For the sauce…

• Combine all sauce ingredients. Return all cooked chicken to the skillet, add the sauce and gently stir over medium low heat until chicken is well coated, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat toss in toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
• Serve with rice and steamed vegetables.

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Peach Basil Relish aka Peach Basil Salsa.

Fresh juicy summer peaches bring a sweet-tart happiness to this relish.  Finely diced shallot and lots of fresh basil and mint add balance.  A little lemon juice and agave nectar encourage the ingredients to dance.  Right into my mouth.

I made Peach Basil Relish to serve with Crisp Cod Cakes.  The leftover Peach Basil Salsa made a wonderful snack with baked tortilla chips.

Print

Peach Basil Relish {or Salsa}

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Weight Watchers lightly adapted

Ingredients

• 2 large peaches pitted and cut into 1/4″ dice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl. Refrigerate unused portion.

Notes

Per Serving (1/2 cup relish) = 0 WW Pts+

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