"strawberry" news and stories

Tuxedo and matching wedding dress strawberries are always an elegant touch at a wedding. They are also pricey. I never really considered what it would take to make them at home until I came across a post on the subject at My Sweet and Saucy.

It turns out that they are fairly easy to make. My Sweet and Saucy has a step-by-step guide with pictures to walk you through the process. If you are hosting a wedding, you may want to check it out. Better yet, get a friend to check it out and make them for you!

She puts them in little bags and gives them away as favors. I've also seen them on a dessert table and served at the reception.

It seems like every other post on my favorite food blogs these days involves some sort of jam -- fruit, spice, anything! Here's a round-up of some particularly fetching jam finds on the blog circuit:

Tomato Jam from Habeas Brulee, who serves it with hearty dishes.

Oatmeal Cookie Rasberry Jam Bars from Cookie Madness. Jam is in the cookie, so it counts.

Strawberry Freezer Jam from Apronista, a newly discovered blog that it just gorgeous.

Strawberry Bay Leaf Jam from Mac and Cheese. Phenomenal strawberry photos.

Rhubarb Jam from Sugarlaws. Catch this while rhubarb's in season.

Spicy Fig Orange Microwave Jam from Simply Recipes. A post from last year, but how could I exclude?

Blackberry Jam Cake from Salt and Chocolate. Jam AND cake.

Mixed Berry Jam from Epicurious. Sometimes it's too hard to pick just one berry.

Have a favorite jam recipe? Send it over.

Are you an avid tea drinker looking for a different way to enjoy your tea this summer? A lot of tea drinkers go iced in the warm summer months, some even adding lemonade to their iced tea, but there is an even colder way to enjoy your tea in the summer months if you enjoy green tea: smoothies!

Below you will find the recipe for my personal summer tea concoction, which will require matcha (powdered green tea). Matcha is high in caffeine content compared to regular steeped tea, so you may not want to indulge in one of these smoothies too late in the day.

INGREDIENTS
1 tsp matcha (powdered green tea)
4 oz. cup of fruit-flavored yogurt (Light 'n Fit works well, low in sugar)
frozen strawberries (or other desired fruit)
frozen peach slices (or other desired fruit)
apple juice

I've got a bias against infusions. I admit it, and I feel so much better for having gotten that off my chest. Why the bias? I'm not sure. Maybe it has something to do with altering the integrity of a spirit. Maybe because everyone with a mason jar has got some science experiment going on behind the bar. Maybe I'd just rather taste the fresh flavors of the fruit/herb/vegetable rather than the vodka-soaked version.

Oh, I know. Most of them don't work. Up until about a month ago, I would have said none of them work. Then, I got to taste Tequila Por Mi Amante.

I have to thank and give credit to Paul Clarke for this one. Paul has introduced me to quite a few cocktails and cocktail ingredients, and I'm a better bartender for having read his site. He is, in my opinion, the best blogger on cocktails on the whole internet and one of the best writers on this topic in the world. Bookmark his site. Go ahead, I'll wait. . . .

I always associate strawberries and cream with Wimbledon and July 4. Neither of those things are today, but it's National Strawberries and Cream Day anyway.

Not sure exactly what type of recipe to put here, since strawberries and cream is pretty much self-explanatory. But here's a variation on it, using Strawberry Schnapps. Here's another one that uses Grand Marnier. The Mayo Clinic has a recipe that uses fat-free sour cream.

In related news, yesterday was Pick Strawberries Day!