so i didn't have a backyard garden market this weekend (darn you torrential rain!), BUT i did make use of lots of the kale and mint we've grown back there to make some major green juices, and then there's that bulk-sized batch of kale-basil pesto i made that we're still eating our way through. we also managed to clean up more of the yard, mainly the part all the way in the back that was composed of dirt, bricks, more dirt, and a really overgrown but charming potting table. frank leveled out all of that dirt, covered it with mulch, and hung the outside lights that we've been itching to get up since we got here, making it all a bit more cozy :) while frank was busy taking on the dirt, i planted a bed of meadow flowers and beach grass, with some herbs and lavender weaved throughout. right now it's looking a little stark, but hopefully after a few more rains and some hot summer sunshine it'll fill out and give off that easy breezy, wild flower vibe i'm going for :) we've also got another patch of dirt right outside our door that we've attempted to grown grass on. after the grass grew in patchy with a ton of weeds, we realized we didn't want to buy a lawnmower for a 6x6' lot of grass. so we scrapped the whole idea and plated creeping thyme that we're hoping will grow and spread - fingers crossed!

some of you may know the tess masters from her blog, The Blender Girl, her app, or her new cookbook! i was lucky to receive a copy of her latest book which has 100 smoothie recipes ranging from light, mild, exotic, and leaving you with some high vibe dessert smoothies (the peach crumble smoothie is totally on my summer to-do list!). this green mojito (sans liquor - i know, i totally should have spiked it), is incredibly light, fruity, savory, and tangy all in the same sip. all of the ingredients are easily found in your pantry or at the market, and you don't need a super crazy high-speed blender, which i know is a plus for a lot of folks out there. the lime and mint really shine through in this drink, and truly makes it reminiscent of a traditional mojito - minus that buzz ;) ;)

happy july, everyone! xo

green mojitos (v + gf)

the recipe below states 2 cups of frozen pineapple, however since i'm not the biggest fan of pineapple, i substituted it with 1 cup of frozen mango, and 1 cup frozen peaches. i also didn't have liquid stevia, so i replaced that with 1 teaspoon maple grade B syrup. as for tess's "optional boosters" i added about 1/2-inch worth of ginger, and 2 teaspoons coconut oil; i also reduced the amount of limes from 3 limes to 2.

| serves 2 |