{Sharing a special recipe and household favorite from my summer ebook, A Backyard Summer, Grain, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Recipes for Summer Entertaining, which you can download here.}

I believe in celebrating.  Not just the big moments in life, but also the day to day celebrations.  Celebrating a new day and the chance we give to live life to the fullest.  To me, sometimes the best daily celebrations are the quiet moments sitting on the porch, watching the sunset, sipping on something colorful and fun!

Most afternoons in our house a daily ritual occurs—my husband comes home from work and quickly goes to the fridge, slicing and juicing limes, picking mint from our ever growing plant outside, and making these fabulous mint, lime sparklers!  I have quickly learned to buy bags of limes each time I go to the market, and to daily water the mint plant, because it seems like all my plants always die—but thankfully the mint plant is still alive and very green.

It is in those moments of a daily ritual that memories are made, life is celebrated and the stress of the day is pushed aside for a moment.  A chance to connect, laugh and relax—something so needed in this world today!  A chance to gather around the table, enjoying good food and celebrating life’s little accomplishments.

“Making meal time a sacred, joyful event is something I look forward to with much anticipation each day.”

When we rush through life, constantly choosing the fastest, most simple option, we miss these moments—the memories made sitting in our deck chairs, waiting for the steak to grill, or making mojitos and talking about our day, are cherished moments and something I can never give up.

Mojitos, Nutrition and a little lesson from the Europeans

Well, mojitos don’t exactly equal nutrition, but the concept of relaxing, tasting, smelling and calming your spirit before eating a meal plays a huge role in your daily nutrition.  As I explained in this post, The Tastes, Smells and Joys of Eating | Importance of Digestion, eating in a relaxed manner sitting down at the table significantly encourages your health.  Food, even healthy food, eaten quickly or while stressed can greatly inhibit and harm your digestion, something absolutely fundamental to nutrition.

Many cultures, particularly the Europeans, serve an aperitif before the meal—a way to welcome you into their home and calm your spirit before enjoying the meal.  Aperatif means “to open,” a way to open your senses, preparing your taste buds and brain for the meal about to be enjoyed.  Now, this does not mean to consume an alcoholic beverage before every meal, but the lesson is to relax before eating and enjoy the process of coming to the table rather than rushing through the event.

I love the combination of blackberries and mint, not only because it tastes so delicious and summery, but also because these foods offer so many nutrients.  Blackberries are not only rich in antioxidants and fiber, but also are a high in tannins which help with digestion and reduce inflammation.  Blackberries and other berries are a low glycemic fruit making them a great natural sweetener.  These little purple clusters bursting with color and sweetness are summer’s perfect candy!  Mint can also greatly help with digestion, relax muscles, reduce inflammation and detox your liver.

So go ahead, celebrate life each day, make memories and daily rituals, savoring the tastes and joys of the day.  Enjoy the cooking and eating process, not as a mundane daily necessity, but as a magical event filled with laughter, flavors, and nutrients.  Take a few moments before you eat to relax, take a deep breath, say grace or start conversation with the person next to you.

{Please note, I am by no means promoting the regular consumption of alcohol, simply providing a fun drink recipe made with fresh fruits and real ingredients.}

Blackberry Mojitos {sugar free}

Summer blackberries paired with tart limes for a colorful, refreshing drink—fresh and entirely fruit sweetened.  The perfect drink to sip on while the BBQ is heating and the kids are swimming in the pool.

A recipe from A Backyard Summer: Grain, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Recipes for Summer Entertaining 

makes 1 drink

Ingredients

• 6 blackberries, crushed
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz white rum (optional)
• 4 fresh mint leaves
• 3-4 oz sparkling water
• large handful of ice

Directions

• In a glass, crush blackberries with a muddler to extract the juice.
• Using a mesh strainer, strain seeds and pulp leaving only blackberry juice.
• In a tall glass, muddle mint leaves with lime juice to extract flavor.
• Add in blackberry juice and rum, giving a quick stir to mix. Add a handful of ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Entertaining Tips & Variations

• To save time, you can prepare the blackberry juice ahead of time and keep in in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
• If you or your guests prefer a drink without alcohol, simply omit the white rum and top off with an extra splash of sparking water.
• The rum adds a bit of sweetness, if choosing to omit you may want to add a drizzle of raw honey to contrast the tart berries, although I personally don’t think its needed!