Coconut Key Lime Mojito

The combination of sweet coconut, refreshing mint, & tart key lime make this Coconut Key Lime Mojito the perfect end of summer cocktail...

My son just about has his first full week as a high school senior in the books, we have made it through his first cross country meet of the season, and Little Miss's first full day of Pre-K went on without a hitch. I think those are all reasons enough to celebrate with a little cocktail this weekend- don't you all think? ;) 

And even though we are in full-on back to school mode here, the humid temps outside are reminding me to not give up on summertime altogether quite yet. There is still time for sipping on a tropical cocktail on the back deck. Still time for backyard BBQ's, and s'mores by the fire pit, and sunset watching. 

Yes, I have accepted the fact that the school year has officially begun, but I am not ready to let go of summer just yet. Who else is with me on this? If you are, then whip up one of these refreshing Coconut Key Lime Mojitos & raise a glass with me this weekend, okay? 

Here's to squeezing out just a little more summer from the next couple of weekends.

Here's to a new school year (and some long overdue peace & quiet for the work-at-home & stay-at-home parents out there- can I get an amen? ;) ).

Here's to the perfect flavor combination of creamy coconut & tart key lime in a boozy cocktail.

Peach-Mint Green Smoothie

As a Blue Diamond Tastemakers blogger, I am sharing with you all this recipe for a refreshing & healthy Peach-Mint Green Smoothie. This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze Almondmilk.

In late spring of each year, I get down into the dirt and start planting seedlings and seeds in a spot in our backyard with dreams of having a garden brimming with homegrown veggies come July and August. And almost every summer, I am met with a little disappointment. A few tomato plants seem to do well early on, and then for what seems like no reason at all they just dry up and never produce another tomato. Pumpkin vines start sprawling through half my garden making me excited for all the fun (and free) pumpkins we would have in October only to have them bloom and produce cantaloupe sized pumpkins... in mid August. This year I decided that I needed a break, so we didn't plant a garden. Then a very strange thing started to happen late last month... plants just started appearing on their own.

First, it was the parsley plant I had dumped over the side of my deck railing at the end of last fall. It came back to life. Then it was a single pumpkin plant in what was my garden last year. And after a few good rains here the past couple of weeks, I now have an abundance of fresh, beautiful garden mint at my disposal. I have come to the conclusion that maybe I am better at accidental gardening than purposeful gardening. ;)

Now when I say I have an abundance of fresh mint, I am not exaggerating. I have a TON, folks. Since peaches are so affordable right now due to it being peach season, I knew I wanted to create a healthy and summer perfect recipe combining those sweet peaches with the refreshing crispness of the mint. And that is just what I did with this Peach-Mint Green Smoothie... 

Blueberry Ginger Mojitos

A classic summertime cocktail gets a delicious twist with the addition of fresh blueberries & ginger ale in these refreshing Blueberry Ginger Mojitos...

Post updated 7/9/17- This tasty Blueberry Ginger Mojito post deserved some updated photos. I did leave one of the originals below just so you all can see for yourself why this recipe so desperately needed a little face lift. ;)