Kokocooks has shared her recipe for Strawberry Mojitos that are as beautiful as they are fresh!

The gals of The Crafty Collaborative are always up for trying out our bartending skills; so this perfect-for-summer drink was right up our alley!

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Please click here to visit Kokocooks to see the recipe that we followed!

Reviewer #1 - Amanda

Mission:  To create a drink worth drinking (can you tell I am not big on rum? More of a wine lady here).

Details:

• I used Bacardi Rum and felt it was fine. Moderately priced. Really the fruit is the star here anyway.
• The strawberries used were actually sliced because we were having company over and I had already done so.
• Also, I didn’t use crushed ice but would definitely suggest it. I had to work for these drinks. Trying to crush whole cubes is not ideal so follow the tips from the orginal post.
• I had never made simple syrup before but found it to be very easy and worth the effort. It made the drink sweet without being grainy with sugar.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Definitely used a tall glass. I chose a skinny mason jar (it was decorative and pretty – just the way I like things).  It was difficult to muddle the ingredients together in such a small glass.

Pros:

This time of year you should be able to get beautiful strawberries with lots of flavor and if you are a gardener fresh mint from a pot outside is a bonus.

Cons:

This drink is a little fussy for me but that is mainly because I prefer to open a bottle and pour – no effort made there!

Conclusion:

This beverage is not only pretty but a nice touch to a dinner party. Really adds visual appeal and the taste was fabulous! It would be perfect for a night of girl talk and appetizers.

Reviewer #2 - Maren

Mission: A refreshing and sweet treat for the hot days of summer?  Where do I sign up!

Details:

• I used Bacardi Rum, because I love it.
• I didn’t have a muddler, so I used a flat-end wooden spoon which worked like a charm!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Making simple syrup is super easy – I made mine in the microwave!

Just dump your 1/2 & 1/2 in a microwave safe dish, nuke for a minute or so, and stir gently with a flat bottom whisk until dissolved and let cool!

Neither my mom [my official mojito tasting partner] nor I are fans of super sweet drinks, but after tasting mine, my mom replied with an enthusiastic, “Sure!  I’ll have one of those!”  I thought that it was pretty sweet but also pretty tasty!  I was also happy that I could still taste the rum!  I do think that when making these cocktails in the future, I would prefer cutting back on the simple syrup since it got really sweet towards the end of the drink.

Pros:

Although this drink required a few more ingredients than the average cocktail, it was easy to make since all you had to do is mash them together and pour in the booze!

Cons:

I wish I would have known just what size glass or amounts of soda that Kokocooks used, because I don’t like guessing when it’s my first time making something.

Conclusion:

Sweet and delish!  If you love fresh strawberries, mint and rum – this is the drink for you!  It’s surprisingly easy to make and hits the spot for refreshment.  It was over 100 degrees out when we made these cocktails and they delivered!

I think that the Strawberry Mojito would be a great addition to any summer get together, whether it’s a girls night or a block party!

The lovely Strawberry Mojito photo taken by Kokocooks

Nutrition to invigorate Mind, Body & Spirit tells us that we can make a delicious and refreshing  White Sangria Sparkler without busting out our elastic waist pants!

The gals of The Crafty Collaborative don’t often pass up a great cocktail!  We just had to test this one out!

Please click here to visit Nutrition to invigorate Mind, Body & Spirit and see the recipe that we followed!

Reviewer #1 - Amanda

Mission:  Create a delightful pitcher of sweet, slightly bubbly White Sangria

Details:

I chose two fairly cheap bottles of wine. The Souvingon Blanc was Anekena from Chile and was $10 at my local booz store. For the Vino Verde I chose Gazebo which is perfect at the cheap and cheerful price of $6! I had to use strawberries instead of the same amount of peaches due to the fact that I am partly lazy and partly trapped in my own house more often than not thanks to a traveling hubby and my gaggle of children. The fruit was frozen (minus the kiwis) which added a nice coolness and they held their shape better this way too. I also used honey instead of liquid Stevia. I don’t typically keep sugar substitutes on hand.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I suggest starting with the wine chilled to keep your drink fresh longer. The honey was a great change and a much cheaper option than liquid Stevia.

Pros:

Crisp, fresh and strong. Just the way I like my Sangria!

Cons:

None here. This drink was everything it promised to be.

Conclusion:

I plan to make this pitcher of deliciousness several times this summer. I have a large pot of mint flourishing on my deck and it will be put to good use. Now if only I could grow grapes and start a vinyard….

Reviewer #2 - Maren

Mission: To make a refreshingly crisp sangria that isn’t too hard on the waistline!

Details:

• René Barbier Mediterranean White Wine - one of my favorite super light, crisp [and cheap!] whites, available at Trader Joe’s!
• Fresh fruit and mint
• I halved this recipe, but then forgot and added the full amount of raspberries.  Oops.
• I didn’t use Stevia… I forgot to pick it up at the store.  Another Ooops.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

We first taste tested the sangria after it had only been melding for about 2 hours.  At this point it was extremely minty!  Then we had our second glasses at about 3 hours and the peaches and raspberries were much more prevalent and the mint more muted.  We loved it both times!

Pros:

Easy, delicious and totally refreshing!  I especially enjoyed noshing on the boozy fruit after the sangria itself was gone!

Cons:

I halved the recipe!  I wanted more!

Conclusion:

This simple sangria was crisp and refreshing as promised!  I will definitely make it again!

Lovely photo of the White Sangria Sparkler taken by Nutrition to invigorate Mind, Body & Spirit