Blueberry Ginger Mojitos

The homebuying process is one big fat emotional rollercoaster, I tell you what.

Here's a sampling of my day:

What do you mean the seller doesn't have the funds necessary to close next week??

What do you mean he's trying to 'find' the money??

'Shocking discovery' my ass.

Exactly how much money is he trying to 'find'??

Because I'd like to know where one can miraculously 'find' the money one needs to either buy or sell a house. I could have used that magical fountain-o'-cash, oh, five years ago when my husband and I first began saving to buy a house.

This afternoon at work I was sitting there in the bright sunshine (sunshine? are you kidding me? where are dark clouds when you need them?), my elbows resting on my desk, head cradled in my hands, rocking back and forth, back and forth, a nerve twitching slightly above my left eye, foot tapping, telling myself I definitely should have gone out for a drink at lunch instead of calling around for quotes on homeowner's insurance, because really now, how can I buy a house from a seller who spends all his money on 4-wheelers, guns, taxidermied black bears, xboxes, framed porno cartoons, fishing rods -- that's right! I saw it all while touring your house, Mister. Would it have killed you to take the framed pornographic cartoons down off the walls and hidden them under a bed while showing the house?

My friend Kelly was quick to rush in and reassure me that I shouldn't worry, once he got all his porn out of there, there would be plenty of room for my own porn.

Stopping to listen to Darrell Scott sing I Still Miss Someone on my ipod helped a little -- have you heard him sing that? Because he can sing the hell out of that song.

.... and that's when my cousin Jennifer swooped in at the last minute to save the day. From across the continent, no less.

She emailed me about this mojito recipe she just saw on The Food Network and while she couldn't indulge, what with being a new mom and the breast-feeding and what-not and only a bit of red wine for her, she was more than happy to pass along the mojito-ee goodness to me. If anyone needs a blueberry ginger mojito, it's her with her healing ladybits, or as she calls it, her va-jay-jay. But she selflessly answered my homebuying distress call and offered up this recipe.

You peel and grate some ginger, stir and boil it in a pan with sugar and water to make a gingery simple syrup:

Once strained, this syrup tastes simply exquisite. Take a wooden spoon and 'muddle' some blueberries, lime wedges, and mint leaves in a glass. Stir in some gingery syrup, club soda, vodka -- and hey! Look at how my bottle of vodka-with-a-twist-of-citrus coordinates with the purse I was carrying today:

Nothing's classier than marching (with a purpose!) out of a liquor store on Friday night with a bottle of vodka wrapped in a brown paper bag tucked under one's arm. The bright green tells me this drink was meant to be. Not only that but I am up to my eyeballs in blueberries. Plus, I've been passing by my potted mint for weeks now thinking it was high time to make a mojito or two. Mojitos are the reason I bought the mint in the first place, after all.

Here's the recipe. Consult the link above for the original recipe and making a full pitcher of these babies. Come to think of it, you might want to consult the website no matter how many mojitos you plan to prepare considering the fact I typed the following under the influence of a particularly vodka-friendly version of this delectable drink.

Cheers!

Blueberry Ginger Mojito

Serves two

For ginger simple syrup:

1/4 c fresh ginger

1 c sugar

1 c cold water

For mojito:

1 c fresh blueberries

1 lime, cut into wedges

20 - 24 fresh mint leaves

4 oz. ginger simple syrup

4 oz. vodka

5 oz. club soda

Ice cubes

Blueberries for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish

For simple syrup: Peel and grate the ginger and stir together with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain and cool in fridge.

For mojito: combine blueberries, lime wedges, and mint leaves in a glass. Muddle with a wooden spoon so blueberries are broken and mint and lime release their juices and flavor.

When ready to serve, add simple syrup, vodka, and top off with club soda. Stir quickly and pour over ice cubes into glasses. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint.

Comments

[Lyra]

Sounds yummy...not many blueberries around right now in DC though unless I want to buy some shipped from Minnesota. I have lots of peaches however...I wonder if you could make a "mojito" with those?

Good luck with the house stuff!

[molly]

Lyra -- a peach mojito sounds divine.

[Mari]

Oh the joys of buying a home, I've done it twice and it has driven me to tears on the work floor both times. Good on you for self-medicating in the face of crisis and props to your cuz for hooking you (and us) up with this fab recipe!

p.s. I LOVE your bag!

[Patricia Scarpin]

I absolutely love your bag, Molly! :)

And the mojitos sound delicious - I should try them next time my husband starts making cocktails for me while I cook. :)