Hey Friend, and Happy First Sunday of July!

I know it’s summer, and I know I live in Florida, but this summer is feeling HOTTER than ever. I’ve never been more grateful for modern luxuries like ice and AC. In fact, I recently just got another clear ice making tray so I can make Good Ice™️ even faster. 🧊

So yeah, I am currently in the phase of summer where I obsess over ice cubes. 😅 When it’s THIS hot out, I love leaning on fresh summer produce to help keep cool, too. Ingredients like berries and stone fruit can be eaten straight outta the fridge or turned into the perfect summer sip!

🤿 Wanna dive deeper?

Check out the FULL BLOG POST HERE sharing what’s in season this month!

🍒 be a summer produce pro!

• cherries - summer is peak stone fruit season, and cherries are a perfect pick this month! Look for cherries that are deep red or crimson in color with the stems still attached. Avoid wrinkly or soft looking fruits with stems that are brittle, broken, and dark brown. And make sure you have a way to remove the pits!
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• strawberries - strawberries are a crop where I ALWAYS buy organic, because they’re notorious for being doused in pesticides. In the summer, you can find organic berries for around the same price as non-organic berries, so I love stocking up + freezing fresh berries, too! Bigger doesn’t mean better with berries, so choose smaller-sized berries that are deep red all over and avoid ones that are light pink or white.
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• blackberries - buy these berries when you plan to use them within 24-48 hours, because they tend to have a shorter shelf life (similar to raspberries). Look for fruit that is deep, dark, and purple-black in color, avoiding berries that are reddish colored (they’ll be more sour). Transfer them to a paper towel lined bowl when you get home, and don’t wash them until right before you’re going to use them.
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🚿 speaking of washing your produce…

Every few months, there are food recalls + news headlines that stress the importance of properly prepping your produce. In fact, I have a TikTok video from 2022(!!!) that has over a million views showing you exactly how to wash lettuce. The same principles apply to other produce, like summer berries, too.

Most folks just run their produce under the sink faucet for 10-15 seconds and call it a day, but SOAKING your produce is the real power move. I love using a salad spinner because it’s got a colander-lined bowl for easy soaking + draining.

A generous splash of distilled white vinegar (up to 1/4 cup for a gallon of water) helps to clean off any pesky pests and bad bacteria. And contrary to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, do NOT use dish soap to wash any of your ingredients! 🤦🏻‍♀️

🥵 need to cool off?!

Are you doing a dry July? Whether you’re drinking or not this month, I’ve got a few recipes that will help you keep cool in this nationwide heatwave we’re all going through!

Both beverages use my blackberry simple syrup recipe, so grab some fresh or frozen berries (whatever is on sale!) and make a batch of this syrup for the week(s) ahead!​
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Blackberry Simple Syrup This blackberry syrup is heat-infused, which helps to mellow out the sometimes sour-tart flavor of blackberries and gives the finished syrup a deep, sweet, and jammy taste! It’s perfect for using in drinks, salad dressings (blackberry vinaigrette anyone?!) and more! get the blackberry syrup recipe!

Sparkling Blackberry Basil Lemonade Regular lemonade?! Psh, not for YOU! This lemonade is fruity + herbal thanks to the addition of a few muddled basil leaves! Talk about perfect for summer! It’s also got bubbles, which makes drinks even more fun (it’s science)! You can make a single serving or a whole pitcher, depending on your thirst! get the lemonade recipe!

Blackberry Basil Margarita I’m currently having a ranch water summer, but this blackberry basil margarita always makes an appearance or two when I make a batch of my blackberry syrup. It’s bold + balanced thanks to good quality tequila + fresh summer basil. My top margarita tip? Always pick 100% blue weber agave tequila, bonus points if it’s also marked as being additive free! mix up the blackberry margarita!

Whether you’re mixing up a margarita, crafting a seasonal lemonade, or just trying to keep your berries from becoming fridge sludge, I hope this month brings you tons of fun + fresh flavor!

Cheers! 🥂💕

P.S. I'm still deep in testing mode on basil recipes, but I think my basil syrup + basil daiquiri are pretty close to being ready to share. Wanna try it out before it’s posted to the site? Reply to this email and let me know if you want either basil recipe! 👀