lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade and Mid-Week Inspiration

May 20, 2015 by Asharae 3 Comments

Every once in a while I love to share a few of the things that have been inspiring me lately – I call them my “mid-week inspiration” posts. I know that come the middle of the week I can use a little something to inspire me to make it through to the weekend, so I like to share some of that with you! This week I’m focusing on one in particular – it’s a podcast called The Boredom Experiment.

This podcast is created by two of our very favorite wedding photographers, known as We Are The Parsons. Jeremy and Ashley Parsons are the kind of people who soak up life to its fullest extent – and when they feel they aren’t doing that well enough, they take a step back, reevaluate, and try something new. It’s been a beautiful thing to watch their business grow and flourish, to read their captivating way of telling stories, and admire all they’re doing from afar.

The Boredom Experiment is the chronicle of their year as they take a break from social media. It’s thoughtful storytelling woven together with music, with the words of Jeremy and Ashley’s kids, and with such real emotion that it’s easy to imagine you’re cozied up with them in their revamped Shasta trailer, sharing stories and laughing over a glass of wine. We haven’t yet met Ashley and Jeremy in person, but I imagine we’d be kindred souls.

A few weeks ago I shared about a thought-provoking Ted Talk I enjoyed. The Parsons’ podcast is in the same vein. As we become more and more desensitized to the lure and the influence of social media, our phones, and other things that suck our time away without us realizing it, these voices of reason become ever more important for us to hear. I urge you to follow along with Tim and I as we look forward to another Boredom Experiment podcast each month.

All this thinking is making me thirsty – how about some strawberry lemonade to quench our thirst? Last week we went strawberry picking with our small group and returned home with a gallon bucket, overflowing with fresh strawberries. We’re reaching the end of strawberry season here in NC, so now’s the time to take your family strawberry picking or snag some at your local farmer’s market before they’re all gone! Further north you’ve probably got a few more weeks left of your growing season, so enjoy it!

I adapted this recipe from one I made last summer for blueberry mint lemonade. This method of lemonade-making has endless possibilities, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with it!

Strawberry Lemonade

Asharae Kroll

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Ingredients

3/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice 5-6 medium lemons
3/4 c sugar
1 c fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries
1 c hot water
3 c cold water

Instructions

Using a blender (or a large pitcher and an immersion blender - my preferred method) combine fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and hot water. Blend until sugar has dissolved. Add fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries and blend again till berries are well blended.
Add 3 c cold water, blend till combined. Pour through a fine mesh sieve if you wish to remove some of the strawberry seeds.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Blood Orange Strawberry Limeade

February 18, 2015 by Asharae 7 Comments

Let’s all take a moment to step away from our declarations of love for snow days, snowmen, and all things winter. And let’s pretend that warm weather is here! This limeade hits the spot if you’re feeling the winter blues – it’s beautiful and delicious and it just screams summer!

Blood oranges are still in season too – if you’ve never tried a blood orange, drop everything and go to the store. I’m not a huge fan of regular oranges – but I could eat blood oranges all day long. They only have a short season, so hop to the grocery store before they disappear!

A couple notes on making this recipe even simpler! I highly recommend using a juicer like this one – it’s perfect for juicing limes and oranges and even grapefruits as it has two different sides for smaller or larger fruits. We got ours as a Christmas gift and I have been using it every chance I get!

I also tried something new for blending my ingredients together – instead of hauling out the blender and having to wash it once I was finished, I used our immersion blender to do the heavy lifting. This is genius I tell you.

Go now, and buy your own immersion blender. It’ll be the best $35 you’ve ever spent on a kitchen appliance. If you’re wondering what else you could use a blender like this for, see this smoothie recipe, blueberry lemonade, or even this butternut squash soup.

I included a range for the amount of sugar you can use for this limeade – if you want it to be more tart, use 1/4 c sugar, and if you’d rather it be sweet, use 3/4 c. I think that 1/2 c is probably the perfect amount for a limeade – not too sweet and not too tart. Adjust the flavors to suit your preferences.

Blood Orange Strawberry Limeade

Asharae Kroll

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Ingredients

1 c strawberries thawed if frozen
1/2 c fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1/4 c fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4-3/4 c sugar less for a tart limeade, more to make it sweeter
1 c hot water
3 c cold water

Instructions

Combine strawberries, blood orange juice, lime juice, sugar, and hot water in a blender (or a pitcher and use an immersion blender to blend). Blend until strawberries are pureed and the sugar has dissolved.
Using a sieve to remove the pulp, strain into a large pitcher.
Add cold water, stir to combine, and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade and a Review of Daring Greatly

September 15, 2014 by Asharae 3 Comments

I finished reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown the other week and can’t stop thinking about it. She has started a beautiful and extraordinarily important conversation about shame and vulnerability.

As a shame researcher, she provides a framework, the words, and the definitions to talk about shame and vulnerability. Those don’t sound like fun things to read about, but the way she writes keeps you absolutely captivated with stories woven into each chapter – sometimes it feels like she plucked them right out of your own life. Brown addresses everything from gender shaming to shame in the classroom to using (and preferably not using) shame as a parenting tool to the feelings of shame and the fear of “being wrong” that hinders innovation and creativity.

I flipped through her book a few times trying to find a quote suitable to share here. I’ve scribbled and underlined and circled and asterisked (is that a word?) all through her book, and one part I keep coming back to is in her chapter titled “Understanding and Combating Shame.” She defines “shame tapes” as “the messages of self-doubt and self-criticism that we carry around in our heads,” and she gives the metaphor of a gremlin as the tricky little liar that tries to fill our heads with that nonsense.

“Understanding our shame tapes or gremlins is critical to overcoming shame because we can’t always point to a certain moment or a specific put-down at the hands of another person. Sometimes shame is the result of us playing the old recordings that were programmed when we were children or simply absorbed from the culture…Sometimes when we dare to walk into the arena the greatest critic we face is ourselves.“

Now, when Tim and I are facing a difficult decision, combating self-doubt, or just having a crummy day, we’ll ask one another, “What are the gremlins saying?” It has been an incredibly helpful framework for us to put words to the things that are discouraging us, the lies we’re listening to, and the doubt that we’re facing. We’re still learning how to take a step back from all of that and listen to the words of peace and encouragement and direction that the Lord whispers to us instead.

I hope you’ll go pick up a copy of Daring Greatly – and when you do, come back and let me know what you think of it!

We made this lemonade for the first time after going blueberry picking this summer. It’s ridiculously delicious. I’ve made it with both fresh blueberries and frozen ones, and with and without mint – use what you’ve got on hand! Even though blueberry season is long gone, you can still enjoy a little taste of summer by using frozen berries! I hardly feel like summer has begun, and somehow we’re already talking of fall. What. When did that happen? (Um. Also. Some of our friends have already gotten snow. Let’s not even go there.) Don’t get me wrong, I love wearing boots and sweaters and scarves just as much as the next girl, but right now I’m still craving sun-kissed skin and ocean waves and lemonade. At least I’ve got one of the three right now.

And soon to be two of the three. Tim and I are headed to Martha’s Vineyard this weekend to photograph and film his cousin’s wedding day! Family, the ocean, a ferry ride, the salty breeze. We could not be more stoked. I’m trying to contain my excitement and refrain from using too many exclamation points. (!!!)

That’ll kick off our grand road trip the next few weeks shooting weddings – we’ll be traveling from NC through New York City on to Martha’s Vineyard, out to visit friends in Massachusetts, camping near Niagara Falls, onward to see friends who just started working at Taylor University, and then up to Chicago where we have two weddings the following two weekends. If any of ya’ll are along the way and want to grab lunch/coffee/dinner/schedule a photo session/provide a place for us to stay (wink wink, nudge nudge) – let us know!! Also. If you have suggestions for budget friendly things we should do/see/eat along the way, send them our way!

Blueberry Lemonade

Adapted from Kitchen Treaty

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Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 6 medium lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup hot water
3 cups cold water
Handful of mint leaves optional

Instructions

Combine fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar, blueberries, and hot water in a blender. Blend until sugar has dissolved and berries are pureed.
Pour into a large pitcher, using a small sieve to remove the pulp. Add cold water, tear mint leaves and add, stir to combine, and chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
Serve over ice. Use a small sieve to strain the mint leaves out at this point if you don't want them in your drink.