I saw a recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Entertaining Cookbook for a Blended Mojito and thought it would be a fantastic way to say "Hasta luego!" to the summer (or "Bienvenidos!" to an Indian Summer). Blended with ice, it works as a refresher. However, it's a mojito.

For as long as I could, I tried to stay away from the mojito craze that swept bars and cocktail parties across the country for the last few years. Part of the reason is that I consider myself "allergic" to anything too trendy, and if you weren't drinking a mojito, who are you? Well, you should all know by now that mojitos are soooo 2006. In fact, if you're caught drinking a mojito, you'll be ridiculed for having been living under an overturned martini glass for the last two years. With the popularity of mojitos gone, I am now starting to enjoy the drink.

However, the other reason I stayed away from mojitos is that I don't do well with rum. It may just be psychosomatically induced from some previous episode wherein I spent a late night and early morning looking straight into a rum cocktail...in my toilet. (Don't worry, it was during college.) Regardless, I couldn't bear the thought of re-living that experiences, so I've always stuck with my poison of choice, vodka. Does it really count as a mojito if you make it with vodka?

Does it matter?

I made blended mojitos based on the recipe in my book, and they were, quite un-modestly, absolutely delicious. Mojitos are typically a summer drink since fresh mint is a summer herb, and particularly because the drink is blended with ice, so it seems out of season to be drinking it going into September. However, the refreshment is really nice in this late summer heat. I poured these into glasses, put on a white straw hat, and sat out on my balcony flipping through cookbooks with Bossa Nova playing in the background.

Here is the recipe I used, based on the one that was in my book. I call them Faux-jitos because, like I said, I have to use vodka instead of rum:

Sarah's Blended Faux-jitos
Serves 4, 2 if you're pouring generously, and 1 if you drink like I do.

Wash a bunch of mint leaves and about three limes.

Squeeze juice from enough limes to make 1/2 c. juice. I used about 4. Place the squozen limes with a handful (or half a bunch) or mint leaves in the bottom of a large glass container and muddle together to release "the essence." Add 1 c. vodka to the limes and mint, stir, cover, and let stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Strain the vodka (the leaves will be dark green) into a blender. Add 1/4 c. sugar (you can add more if you prefer your drinks sweeter), the lime juice, 1½ c. club soda, and enough ice to fill the blender.

Blend until slushy.

Pour into glasses, garnish with lime, and bottoms up!