Hello? Anyone out there? Yes guys, I'm alive. And today I am back from a long and unexpected hiatus to bring you a delicious - and ridiculously easy - recipe for a refreshing drink, along with an explanation of said hiatus.
I actually made this agua frescas over a month ago, and then some exciting stuff started happening so I haven't had a chance to share it with you all until now. Remember when I promised you that I'd explain our exciting family news? I'm a girl who is true to her word, and today the wait is over. Our family trip to San Francisco was to celebrate my beautiful sis-in-law's baby shower! In February we found out we were going to have a little niece or nephew come fall, and believe me it has been so hard to keep the surprise a.... well, SURPRISE this long!
Apparently we weren't the only ones excited for fall to come, because our sweet nephew decided to make a summer entrance instead. On August 21 our perfect little angel of a nephew was born. Without further adieu, I present to you, Diego.
To say we love him in an understatement of epic proportions. He melts my heart. I cried when we met him and burst into tears when we had to leave. So as you can see, I've been a little distracted by the preciousness for a few weeks. You forgive me, right?
Along with welcoming our nephew, we also up and moved. We've spent the past couple of weeks getting settled in our new place and it's starting to feel like home now. Chico has decided that the stairs in the new house are much cooler than the stairs in the old house, and runs up and down them about 25 times a day. He's a goof.
So now that the dust has begun to settle, I will be getting back into my cooking/baking/blogging routine and will be bringing you yummyness on a more regular basis. You know I'm obsessed with fall, and I'm so excited that it's finally here! YAY, scarves and boots! Except that it's gonna be about 90 degrees here for the next several days... womp womp. Might need to make a couple more batches of agua frescas to get us through the heat wave.
Agua Frescas are very versatile. You can make this with all sorts of fruits - pineapple is fantastic. Some mexican restaurants offer this on their drink menu, and around here we indulge when it's Fiesta. Fiesta (aka Old Spanish Days) is a celebration of Santa Barbara's spanish roots and includes tons of food, dancing, music and booths of trinkets and treats and carnivals for the kids that span across the town. It's great fun.
I have been on a cantaloupe binge, but feel free to switch up fruits when you make yours. I'd love to hear how you customize.
Aguas Frescas
| Serves 6-8 | Prep time: 15 mins. |
1 ripe cantaloupe, cubed
1/2 c agave
1/4 c honey
Place cubed cantaloupe in a food processor (you may need to do this in batches) and puree until completely smooth. Transfer puree to a large bowl or pitcher. Rinse the bowl of the food processor and reassemble. Strain the puree back into the bowl of the processor. Depending on the fruit you use, the pulp can be a bit thick, so you may need to use a wooden spoon to coax along the straining process. Discard the pulp. Add the agave and honey to the strained juice and puree until completely mixed. Taste for sweetness. Enjoy very cold/over ice.
