Spring Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail

This Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail is a refreshing drink that is ideal for spring and lazy afternoons.
The emphasis of this drink is on organic ingredients. Having a good homemade lemonade which has a balance of sweet and tart is delicious, but adding the rosemary infused ice is what makes this cocktails amazing! The flavor combination of these ingredients are delicious! Here are the directions to how you can create this drink, and you can use the technique in other drinks with other herbs such as mint or even basil.

*Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz of Tequila
• 4 oz of lemonade (either homemade or store bought)
• 3 to 4 Organic Rosemary Infused Ice Cubes*
• Rosemary sprig and slice of lemon for garnish
• Honey (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place rosemary ice in tall glass. (You can add on the rim of the cup some salt)
2. Add tequila and top with lemonade. (If you want to add honey still it in another cup with the lemonade & tequila before adding it to the ice)
3. Stir
4. Garnish with rosemary sprig and slice of lemon

*Instruction on how to make Rosemary infused Ice Cubes:

• 3 cups water
• 6 organic rosemary sprigs

1. Pinch 12 to 15 tips from rosemary sprigs. Set aside.
2. Bring water to simmer.
3. Add rosemary sprigs to heated water.
4. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Strain into heatproof container. Allow to cool.
6. After rosemary water has cooled, pour rosemary water into ice tray.
7. Add rosemary tips to individual ice cubicles. Place in freezer.

Avocados !

Avocados are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10,000 years. Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape. The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree". One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.

Avocados will not ripen on the tree. They must be picked from the tree to initiate ripening. The leaves supply a substance that prevents ripening. The best way to store avocados is to leave them on the tree; they will store for 7 months or more when left on a tree!

Avocados are one of only a few fruits which contain beneficial fats. They also have vitamin B,K, and E. Not only that but they also contain more potassium than bananas! Here are even more reason for why you should eat avocados: prevent prostate cancer, oral cancer defense, breast cancer protection, eye health, lower cholesterol, stroke prevention!

There are several ways you can prepare avocados, you can use them in food recipes or even as facemasks.Brazilians add avocados to ice cream and Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for dessert drink. Here is a simple recipe for guacamole and a dish that Amanda's grandpa used to make.

Guacamole via allrecipes

*Guacamole:
- 2 avocados mashed
-1 small onion finely chopped
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 ripe tomato chopped
-1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste

~ mix all ingredients and chill for half an hour for flavors to blend

Image via kinsfarmmarket

*Grandpa's Recipe:
- Half the avocado and remove the pit
- Fill the pit with baby shrimp
- Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar
- and eat!

April Showers

"April showers bring May flowers"

Springtime brings many different changes, flowers bloom, birds come out, clocks go forward, and the weather is constantly changing. One day it is warm out and the next day it is cold, one minute it is raining and then all of a sudden there is a beautiful sunshine. The term April showers is used lightly, these "showers" are not usually your normal showers rather they are normally very heavy downpours of rain. In fact, we experienced one this morning. Israel is known for its warm weather and by this time of year it is sunny bright and warm outside, but not this time. This month has gone through quick weather changes, for example yesterday was a nice blue sky kind of day and this morning has been non-stop pouring rain, it was even hailing! It will probably clear up in a couple of hours and be nice and sunny again, and then who knows how tomorrow will be.

We love Spring! :)

Photo by Free Wallpapers

Photo by Careful Cents

Mint!

Although this beautiful plant can grow all year round (depending on where you grow it), it thrives best in the Spring time.

The mint, also known as mentha, is part of the Lamiaceae family and is used for many different reasons. Some use mint for medicinal purposes, especially for relieving digestion related problems such as upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Others extract mint into oil and use it for aromatherapy or a cosmetic scent. Mint is also used in toothpaste, soap, mouthwash, and chewing gum, and is rich in Vitamin A and C and contains a number of minerals including Potassium. Mint is also used in many recipes either for garnish or for the mint flavor, it can be used fresh or dried, and is used for sweet and savory dishes. One of our favorite ways to use mint is to add it to some hot water with a little bit of lemon and let it sit for about 15 minutes, it makes such a refreshing tea whether it is hot or cold.

Mint leaves by Mignonesia

There are endless recipes and ways of using mint for dishes. A personal favorite of ours is Tabbouleh, which is a salad we both grew up eating at home and is so delicious especially because of its fresh mint flavor. It is also a very simple dish that contains either bulgur or couscous (whichever one you prefer), tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley, MINT, onion, and garlic, and is seasoned with olive oil, lemon, and salt. In order to make the best Tabbouleh you must get only fresh ingredients! Enjoy!

Our Homemade Tabbouleh

Spring Cleaning Time!

The weather here in Israel has been hot and cold, dusty, windy, rainy, and then all of a sudden the sun comes out and it's nice and beautiful again. Crazy weather but we love it. It is a great time just after winter and right before summer to get out the cleaning supplies and touch up the house, sweep and mop the floors, scrub and shine, and turn your house into a beautiful oasis.

Photo by: mizmeliz

To get yourself going just put on your favorite playlist and get the party started. It really helps to get all your cleaning supplies ready and to figure out what area you want to start with first. We suggest to start with the biggest rooms in the house (living room and kitchen), then work your way to the bathrooms, and finally to the bedroom. It is better to start off by sweeping and scrubbing and then finish up with the mop. You can even take it a step further and organize your drawers and closet to a spring time setting (tank tops, shorts, sandals, etc.). Whatever you do, have fun!

If you need further help please check out Artsy Fartsy Mama, she taught us some really cool tricks!

Spring Vacation

For the past 2 weeks we have been on Spring break and it has been amazing! We did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted and it has been so much fun. We both did our own thing, Natalie went and stayed in Jerusalem where her family and friends live, which was incredible to be with them for so long, and Amanda went on a backpacking trip to Germany and Switzerland with a close friend of ours (Talya).

I (Amanda) had one of the best experiences of my life, really. My friend (Talya) and I started in Berlin and made our way down to Dresden, then Munich, then somewhere in the country side of Bavaria, down to Zurich, and back up again to Berlin. The whole trip was filled with excitement, new discoveries, cool people, good food, and so much more. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life and it holds a very special place in my heart, thank you Talya for being such a wonderful travel partner! 

Photo taken by Amanda Ben-Ezra: somewhere in the Bavarian countryside

Photo taken by Talya Rind: in Dresden, Germany

Photo taken by Talya Rind: Zurich, Switzerland

A Woman is like an artichoke, you must work hard to get to her heart.

Quote by: -Inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther (2006)

Spring is the best time to find perfect artichokes; big, green, and full of leaves. This beautiful vegetable is not only delicious but it is also high in fiber and antioxidants, lowers cholesterol, and is good for your liver. It may look intimidating and difficult to cook at first, but once you try it out you will find that it is very easy!

Image via Delallo

Tip: when selecting an artichoke look for a heavy, firm, and healthy green color with lots of leaves. The bigger the better, and the bigger the heart.

Last night we made a delicious dish with steamed artichoke and a mayonnaise/lemon dip. We paired it with an Arabic dish called mujaddara (مجدرة‎) which has rice, lentils, cumin, and sauteed onions. The two went very well together and by the time we finished eating our stomachs were very satisfied. Here is the final product, sorry about the picture quality.

Our version of the recipe:
-You can either boil the artichoke or if you have a large enough steamer pot you can use that.
-After washing the artichoke cut off the stems and pluck off the bottom leaves.
-Once the water has boiled, place the artichokes with stems facing upwards.
-To make sure the whole artichoke is submerged into the water you can place a plate on top to push them down and cover with the lid.
-Depending on the size of the artichoke it will take about 30-45 minutes for it to cook.
-You can tell if it is cooked when the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.

Quick Dip recipe:
-All you need is a tablespoon of mayonnaise and half a lemon (you can adjust the amount of lemon)
-Scoop the mayonnaise into a bowl (we used a tea cup as you can see)
-Juice the lemon and pour into the cup with the mayonnaise
-Start whisking away and voilà.

Our favorite part of eating an artichoke is the process of peeling off each leaf, one by one, until you get to the best part, the heart! It's kind of like Christmas and Hanukkah (our favorite holidays), you get to open a bunch of gifts and eventually you get to open up the best one. 

Spring Is In The Air

Spring time is full of beautiful flowers, warm weather, and some of our favorite fruits and vegetables.
The grass is green and lush, the flowers are blossoming, and nature awakes. The colors of spring are vibrant and everything comes to life,  it is possible to capture some of the most breathtaking photographs of the year.

It just so happens that spring is our favorite season for many reasons. First of all the weather is perfect it is just where its supposed to be, in the middle, not too hot and not too cold. It's the perfect time for shorts or jeans, tank tops or even a light long sleeve, making our lives a hell of a lot easier. Not to mention spring break which is the time for us as students to relax, travel, and go wild. It is also a time of year where we get together with our families for Easter & Passover and have a massive meal and enjoy the holiday atmosphere.

This is just the beginning, expect posts on recipes, fruits and vegetables of the season, personal anecdotes, activities, and much more that you will just have to wait and see...