Watermelon Salsa

In case you missed my last post, earlier this month I had a lovely vacation in Southwest Colorado. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with family and get some much needed R&R – and to learn several new delicious recipes!

I sipped on a delicious and refreshing Bayfield Breeze the first day I was there, but it wasn’t until a few days later at our family reunion I tried another must-post recipe: Watermelon Salsa.

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about how well watermelon would work when my cousin-in-law first told me about this salsa – but I was a convert after my very first bite. The slight sugary-ness of the watermelon is actually a perfect substitute for the subtle sweetness of tomatoes, and actually does a better job of absorbing the other flavors of the salsa for a more cohesive whole.

This salsa is a simple and delicious seasonal substitute for your run-of-the-mill Pico de Gallo. Whip some up today!

The Bayfield Breeze

Sorry about the lack of posts recently – I was on vacation!

Now, not too many people choose Bayfield, Colorado (pop. 2,361) as their vacation destination, but it’s a special place for me. All my relatives on my mom’s side live out there, and every summer growing up we’d make the three-day road trip down to see them. It was three weeks of sun, thunderstorms, fishing, swimming, bicycling, relaxation, outdoorsiness and – of course – family.

So needless to say, when I was able to make it down this year for our big “Christmas in July” reunion, I was super excited!

And luckily for you all, I managed to pick up a few new, delicious recipes from all my family out there. This cocktail, made by aunt Christy, is a refreshing drink that’s best served with a bright sun and light breeze. It seemed only fitting to name it after Bayfield!

The Bayfield Breeze is light, chilled and ever-so-slightly sweet. Pear, peach, and white cranberry are all subtle flavors that impart a wonderful meld of fruity flavors. None of the three are cloying or overpowering however, allowing each to shine through in drink. It’s the perfect way to beat the heat – whether you’re in Colorado or Washington!

The Bayfield Breeze

Ingredients

• 1 part pear vodka
• 1 part white cranberry peach juice
• 2 parts ginger ale
• Ice, to serve

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients into a glass and enjoy!

Banana Bread Muffin with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Recipe developed by fellow foodie-politico Max Patashnik)

Those who’ve read my blog for a while know that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I regularly call on my sister Hannah to guest post some of the awesome deserts that she makes. She’s busy getting ready to head to graduate school at UCSD (!) right now though, so when my coworker Max made these treats for a staff birthday I cajoled her into letting me post the recipe here.

Now let me tell you – this is a recipe with an identity crisis. A delicious, mouth-watering identity crisis.

Is it a muffin? Is it a cupcake? Is it banana bread? WHO KNOWS!

I do know it’s splendidly tasty while still not too decadent. The “muffin” part tastes just like banana bread, with just slightly more structure so that it can support the frosting – which is creamy and just the right amount of sweet to compliment the banana flavors without overpowering them. Throw in some walnuts and chocolate chips to add another layer of flavor and you’ve got a dozen awesome treats to wow your coworkers with at your next office party.