Rose Lemonade

The first whiff of this drink will put you somewhere in the middle east that too in the times when kings and queens prevailed and they often enjoyed exotic drinks from ornate cups. At least that where it put me. Yes, exotic is the right word for this drink. To bring you back to modern times, thaw out of winter and welcome spring while you enjoy your favorite TV show at the end of an exhausting day - it is guaranteed to put a spring in your step - no pun intended. I already spoke enough about the smell and yes that is the best part and what's more, that fragrance makes the crisp bubbly lemonade - the kind that you have had several times before - just that extra special.

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Lemon Crinkle Cookies

If you have been a regular visitor to my blog you must have known by now that I have a clear obsession with chocolate and also most of my baked goodies are either chocolate based or consist of nutella. Every time I think of dessert, I think chocolate. Even when I am online looking for ideas, I type chocolate based search words... even when I am blog hopping, the category I check is chocolate baked goodies. You get the idea.

This time around when I was in the mood to bake some cookies I was again drawn towards making double choco, fudge (God help me :)). But this time I struggled hard and overcame my obsession. It was mainly because of my not-much-of-a-chocolate-fan hubs (how can you!). Baked a lemon cookie instead. I loved the results so much that from now on you will be seeing lots and lots of citrus in my baked goodies lol. These cookies are so fresh, light and flavorful that even a no dessert and only chocolate person like me ate 2 whole cookies (much to my hub's surprise) ha ha!!

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Strawberry Lassi

uscious plump strawberries so aptly represent the essence of spring and summer in my opinion. Nature at its prime, vibrant and full while the strawberries are gorgeously plump, red, sweet and juicy, a delightful treat for the eyes and taste buds alike. The bright sunshine, the blooms and the flowers make you feel good and you are practically forced into thinking what a beautiful day it is. It just feels like mother nature is... well... happy. That is exactly how I feel at the sight of the red strawberries which are to be seen everywhere. My shopping baskets get filled with the bright reds every time I visit the stores – they are irresistible. Between getting them out of the grocery bags, washing them and putting them away in the refrigerator, quite a few of them are gone already. Hubs being his usual nonchalant self, will open a box, grab one with its leaves on top, take a big bite, chuck the stub into the trash, repeat the steps with a few more of them, emphatically claim that they were awesome, forgetting it as soon as he says it and return to whatever it is that he was doing before he raided the box. Makes me smile every time.

It might seem a little strange but even though I have claimed our love for strawberries, neither hubs nor I like smoothies the way they make it here. Can't explain why, we just don't. So I have always wanted to incorporate these berries into a smoothie-like drink. This lassi was the perfect answer. It has all the goodness and the perfect texture of your traditional lassi. It is thick and creamy, feels like a mouthful and drenches your throat as it goes down while leaving that tingling taste in your mouth involuntarily making you go for the next gulp.

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Strawberry Basil Sorbet

othing screams summer more than this refreshingly delicious strawberry basil sorbet! A sweet and refreshing summer time treat. Luscious plump strawberries so aptly represent the spring and summer in my opinion. Nature at its prime, vibrant and full while the strawberries are gorgeously plump, red, sweet and juicy, a delightful treat for the eyes and taste buds alike. The bright sunshine, the blooms and the flowers make you feel good and admire nature and so is the sight of the red strawberries which are to be seen everywhere. My shopping baskets get filled with the bright reds every time I visit the stores – they are irresistible (and also very cheap lol:)) And so as you have guessed I have been making a lot of things with these beauties lately. Basil is my most favorite herb after of course cilantro. I have a big beautiful basil plant in my little kitchen garden that entices me with its sweet aroma every time I pass by. After making strawberry basil lemonade I thought of taking the combo and making a sorbet out of it. An exotic combination of sweet strawberries and fragrant basil intensifies the flavors of this sorbet. It is a delight with fresh flavors and we could not but fall in love with this one.
Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavored with iced fruit (typically juice or puree), chocolate, wine, and/or liqueur. The origin of sorbet is variously explained as either a Roman invention, or a Middle Eastern sharbet, made of sweetened fruit juice and water. The term sherbet or charbet is derived from Turkish: şerbat/şerbet, “sorbet”, from the Persian sharbat, which in turn comes from the Arabic sarrbāt meaning “drink(s)” or “juice.” Sorbet is sometimes served between courses as a way to cleanse the palate before the main course. (Wiki)
Ice cream is based on dairy products whipped to make it light. Sorbet has neither dairy nor air. It is fruity- dense and slushy.

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