recipe: rhubarb punch

When a friend told me she had more rhubarb in her garden than she knew what to do with I offered to take some off her hands.  Rhubarb is awesome.  It can be used to make lots of delicious treats AND its rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.  With the rhubarb I was given, I decided to make one of my favourite summer drinks - rhubarb punch.  It’s sweet, delicious, and would be great for a picnic or summer get-together.

Rhubarb Juice

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs (3 cups) of rhubarb stalks, trimmed of leaves
• 4 cups of water
• 1¼ cups of sugar

Directions: 

Wash the rhubarb stalks and cut into 2½ cm (about 1 inch) pieces.  Place in a large pot and add 4 cups of water and 1¼ cups of sugar.  Heat mixture on the stove, reduce heat upon boiling, then cover, occasionally stirring.  After about 20 minutes the rhubarb should be soft.  Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool.  Pour into blender and liquify.  (Keep refrigerated).

Rhubarb Punch

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of rhubarb juice
• 1 tablespoon of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 4 cups ginger ale

Mix, pour, and enjoy!

I like to make the rhubarb juice and keep a supply handy in the fridge to mix into the punch when desired.

Note:  Only the stalks of rhubarb plants are edible - the leaves are slightly poisonous!

Oh!  Please excuse the pulp on the edge of the mason jar in the picture above.. I couldn’t resist taking a sip!  

x

an evening at the park

Hat from Winners//Shirt from Forever 21//Jeans from Gap//Pendant Necklace from Nixon//Flats from unknown//Bracelet from H&M

Ah the chambray shirt, one of my favourite closet staples.  I feel like this button-up can be worn with almost anything.  It is amazingly comfortable - even my cat sees to agree.. I found her napping on it - and perfect to wear on a relaxing summer evening at the park.  

The floppy hat is one of my best thrifty finds.  I came across it on a clearance rack at Winners for 90 cents..All it was missing was some fabric to go around it.  This was quickly resolved by picking up some Extra Wide Double Fold Bias Tape and tying it around the hat with a small bow.

Do you have a favourite thrifty find?

umbrellas and windy days

Dress from Jacob//Jacket from Zara//Hunter Wellies//Umbrella from The Travel Bug//Bag from Forever 21//Bracelets from Charlotte Russe//Nixon watch

Because sometimes you just need to go dancing around in the rain.. with an umbrella... until a gust of wind comes along and almost blows you away.. yes.
Let me just say, I love umbrellas, or maybe I love the idea of umbrellas.... Patterned, see through, solid colours...I think they make adorable fashion accessories! However, the strength of the wind here on a typical day makes it difficult to be able to use them without a) breaking the umbrella or b) flying away à la Mary Poppins.  So, when the rare occasion presents itself that it's raining and not windy I take the opportunity to go for a walk in the rain. Unfortunately on this day the wind was a little stronger than I had thought...  What do you think?  Are umbrellas cute accessories or are they not as functional as they may seem?