grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Blackberry Mint Julep

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blackberry mint julep

Ohhhhh. We made Blackberry Mint Juleps on the 4th of July. This is such a refreshing drink on a hot summer day, and a great way to use some of that mint growing weed-like in your flower bed.

The recipe came with the local Texas blackberries in our Greenling Box.

how to make blackberry mint juleps

Blackberry Mint Julep

Print Recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pint fresh local blackberries
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup rough chopped mint
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 4 cups ice cubes

Method
 

  1. Puree blackberries, sugar and bourbon in blender.
  2. Add mint and puree.
  3. Add ice. Blend until smooth.
  4. Garnish with mint leaf.

Be careful and don’t splatter on your clothes. Blackberries = stains. (Although you can smear a bit on your lips for a natural lipstick while you work the blender.)

making blackberry mint juleps

This delicious recipe makes four so you’ll have plenty to share with your happy, happy neighbors. Be forewarned, the bourbon will sneak up on you. If you prefer, omit the bourbon and enjoy a blackberry mint slush.

Pour into shot glasses to serve a group.

blackberry mint julep shots

We’ll be making these soon at the lake!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

This Is How We Roll, Florida Georgia Line

Dallas Staycation

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Over 4th of July weekend, John and I enjoyed a Dallas staycation. He took two rare days off work, and I tried my best not to work on my manuscript. We crammed lots of simple fun into our staycation—two movies (a 4th of July miracle), grilling with friends and family, shopping, gardening and lots of reading.

Saturday we spent the afternoon wandering around all the cute boutiques in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas.

Bishop Arts District, Dallas

We stuffed ourselves at Eno’s Pizza. Check out the Pig Smiley pizza. Best pizza name ever. Spicy sausage, ham, cheese and local honey. If you’ve never had honey drizzled on your pizza, you are missing out.

Pig Smiley Pizza at Enos, Bishop Arts District

Pig Smiley Pizza, Eno’s Pizza, Bishop Arts District

 

Since John had never driven over the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (designed by Spanish artist, architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava), we made sure to do that. He drove while I took pictures from the sun roof like a tourist. It is truly stunning.

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Tx

We wasted time in Lost, one of our favorite antique stores located on Riverfront. We only browsed. I’m still patting myself on the back for not buying anything.

Antiquing in Dallas

Getting lost in Lost Antiques, Dallas.

 

Yes, I even passed up this table of Fiesta pieces!

Fiesta!

I bought my annual Life is Good t-shirt at Whole Earth, along with my new lake hat:) These summer essentials make me hap-pap-py. Da doo dada da, dee da da dee da da…

My favorite summer purchases.

How’s your summer going?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. The two movies we saw: Jersey Boys ✯✯✯✯✯ and The Grand Budapest Hotel ✯✯✯✯. Loved them both!

Musical Pairing:

In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry

Birthday Girl and the Memphis Queen

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Birthdays are still kinda fun to me, and I’m happy to have another one today. Soon, my mother will call and sing Happy Birthday. I’m lucky that way.

One of my most memorable birthdays was my 9th because my party included a Mississippi River boat ride on the Memphis Queen. Here we are with Nana who always posed like a model and never took a bad picture. My friend Sara, sister Staci, and I are wearing matching Memphis Queen Line berets because we are fun tourists from Arkansas.

Memphis Queen on the occasion of my 9th Birthday

I remember being nine years old. The beginning of the Jan Brady years…

Jan Brady and Me

I loved Donna Osmond. His life-sized poster covered the door of our bedroom closet.

I played with Malibu Barbie and wanted to be Nancy Drew when I grew up.

Take a look at the party picture below and let’s discuss…

My ninth birthday party!

(l-r) Staci, Me, Sara with Nana (Frances Johnson Creecy)

This is the BAT cave kitchen. My mother still lives in this house on the farm. Although much has changed (new floor, cabinets, etc.), the kitchen is in the same location in the house. If that room could talk…

See the expando hat rack on the wall? It now hangs on the back porch, and I’m pretty sure Momma still has at least two of those same hats.

By the time we ate cake, my Memphis Queen beret already hung on the rack. Never much of a hat person, I was over that thing.

And speaking of cake, Nana’s fresh strawberry cake (always my birthday cake choice) sat on the table in front of me, yet Staci somehow ate chocolate?

I wish Momma still had the dinette set. It’s a collector item now.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Donny Osmond, Go Away Little Girl

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!