Italian sodas are all the rage at our house. With mom making simple syrups like it is going out of style, the kiddos are making Italian sodas of every size, shape and flavor. When they have friends over, the kitchen becomes an instant science lab as they pour together multiple syrups and flavors. And lest you wonder, I never forget the kid in each adult, and below you will find a recipe for an ‘adultized’ Italian Soda.

I make simple syrups, then we pour and blend them with club soda over ice and add a dash of half & half on top. (Some kids like it without the cream).

Simple syrup became my focus when I became enthralled with making a perfect mojito; in addition, I went to a restaurant and had a fabulous Ginger Lemon Drop (Crow restaurant, Seattle). The mojito need and the ginger experience lured me to enter the world of novelty drinks and cocktails through the door of flavored sugar syrups. So, I created a Mint Simple Syrup for my mojito, a Ginger Simple Syrup to spruce up lemon drops and a Gingersnap Simple Syrup for a drink about to make a Halloween debut.

Adult concoctions aside, the kids discovered that these liquid pleasures were specialty drinks for them as well. My 10 year old son loves mint Italian sodas; my 11 year old son loves berry Italian sodas. But they, like me, are always ready to try the next great flavor!

Kid Italian Soda
2 oz. simple syrup (I just tell the kids about 1 inch worth after the ice cubes are in)
Club soda
Half & half (optional)

Fill glass with ice cubes, add ‘1 inch’ simple syrup, fill soda to ‘1 inch’ from top. Taste and top with half & half, if desired.

Adult Italian Soda
2 oz. simple syrup (I just tried Blackberry Blueberry)
2 oz. vodka
Club soda
Splash of half & half

Fill glass with ice cubes (in picture is a chilled 8 oz. jar serving as a glass), add ‘1 inch’ simple syrup, add vodka, fill soda to ‘1 inch’ from top. Top with splash of half & half.

My son has been dedicated to loving the color yellow for 9 solid years. Not just any yellow, but dandelion yellow. If asked, his favorite color was bright, friendly, smiley-face yellow. This color obsession went well with pokemon, spongebob and soccer socks; he noticed yellow houses, embraced yellow daffodils and sunflowers, ate yellow popsicles and used yellow toothbrushes. I bought him yellow shirts and sheets, school folders and notebooks.

But this year something is different: royal blue is his new yellow. As in, the italian soccer team jersey blue, and yes folders and socks and shoes are now all a bright, royal blue. Don’t get me wrong, he still has great affection for his golden yellow, but blue is the color of the day, the color on his feet, on his back and in his backpack.

So it goes with broccoli. In our family, it is tricky to provide a vegetable that everyone enjoys. And although beans, carrots and broccoli seem to satisfy multiple palates, even they get old unless they change their flavors once in awhile. My first triumph is finding a sure-hit recipe (simple for me, yummy for them)—a favorite vegetable side, our ‘yellow’ so to speak. But once we have enjoyed it numerous times, and soaked up the triumph of yellow, it is worth considering the other colors. So I try something new and different, adding a different color and flavor to an old standby.

My good old yellow is Lemon Broccoli, but my new blue is Parmesan Broccoli. The premise is the same, lightly cook the broccoli either by steaming or boiling on the stovetop or steaming in the microwave (Add 2-3 T of water and cover). When the broccoli is finished, combine with other ingredients and serve.

Lemon Broccoli
8 oz. broccoli (I use baby broccoli sometimes, nice visual with the long stems and tender stalks)
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 T olive oil
Kosher salt

Cook broccoli, meanwhile combine zest and juice of 1 lemon with 2 T olive oil in bowl. Remove excess water from cooked broccoli and mix with lemon & oil. Serve.

Parmesan Broccoli
4 oz. broccoli (I admit, I usually just microwave broccoli florettes—tops only—until tender. This is when I only have 2-3 minutes and want a veggie on the table).
1 T butter
2 T parmesan (flakes, shreds or powder: you be the judge)

Cook broccoli, remove excess water, stir in butter and parm. Double or triple as needed.

Simple Syrups are easy-squeezy to make, and the number of flavors you can concoct are endless. Pictured here are a raspberry, blackberry and a combination of blackberry blueberry.

My first venture into the world of simple syrups was my impatience for a great mojito. I wasn’t about to waste any rum on a bad mojito, and I wanted to get the ratios just right. So came the Mint Simple Syrup: to get an in-your-face mint forward drink, with already dissolved sugar. Then my mojitos were easy to whip up: all I had to do was add rum, fresh lime and soda. (Lets be clear, some of the early versions of my mojito involved green looking swamp water, undrinkable flecks of mint all over my teeth and throat, and post-sip facial winces from my husband followed by a not-so-believable smile).

So began my infatuation with simple syrup—and vanilla, peach, mango and gingersnap flavors followed. I have only started simmering the sugar on this one; no doubt many syrups will follow. In fact, I may package a trio of syrups for a neighborly Christmas gift.

If I do offer simple syrups for a hostess or friendly gift, I will probably attach a sticky label or tie on a card with 2-3 drink ideas (I realize I may be more excited about melting sugar than the next guy, so providing ideas makes it easier for others to enjoy). Drink ideas might include Italian Sodas, Gingersnaps or Mojitos. No doubt I will have to keep stirring the kettle to come up with more! Let me know if you come up with a fabulous new syrup or simple syrup inspired drink!

Blackberry Blueberry Simple Syrup
1 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
15-20 blueberries
15-20 blackberries

Bring to simmer over medium heat; simmer 5 minutes (sugar should be dissolved). Add berries and turn off heat. Cool to room temperature. Strain out berries and pour into bottle (keeps for weeks at room temp with tight lid; I recycle olive oil and maple syrup bottles and make my own labels for whatever inhabits the jar next).

Raspberry Simple Syrup
1 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 pint raspberries

Same instructions as above.

Not a cookie but a cocktail. I don’t know about other parts of the country or globe, but in our little Pacific Northwest corner, ‘novelty cocktail’ is all the rage. Inspired, untried, herb-infused, tea-tipped, drinkable confections are literally setting a new bar.

So of course, naturally, I had to take a crack at it. And not just once, I am having a blitzkrieg hey-day over here. Thank god slurring doesn’t translate well to blog text. Eh?

My goal was to usher in October with something fresh and overlooked, so I decided to make a cocktail affectionately named after the infamous fall cookie: Gingersnaps. My favorite part of this little doozy is the lingering effect: it rolls over your tongue and keeps rolling like a good wine with a provocative finish. You can taste the ginger, cloves and molasses and if you really focus you can taste the sprinkles of sugar that top the cookie.

Gingersnaps
Serves 2.
2 T Gingersnap Simple Syrup (below)
6 oz. Vodka

Note: mix Gingersnap Simple Syrup with vodka over ice. Shake, muddle if desired, strain and serve.

Gingersnap Simple Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp molasses
2 cinnamon sticks
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into large strips
2 tsp brown sugar

Note: bring sugar and water to simmer. When sugar is dissolved, add cloves, molasses, cinnamon, ginger; let simmer 2-3 more minutes. Turn off heat and let steep for 10 minutes; strain out all solids. Stir in brown sugar to dissolve. Store at room temperature in container with fitted lid.

The farmers market is a great place to snag yellow wax beans, a cousin to—if not just a color-altered version of—green string beans. Take a pile of them, enough to serve the number of mouths at your table, and snip off the ends. GREAT JOB FOR KIDS: snipping off ends of green or yellow beans a la scissors.

Bring water to boil on stove. Take 1 small leek, light green and white parts sliced thin; saute in 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter over low/medium for 6-8 minutes. Add 2-3 ounces of prosciutto and saute another 2 minutes (good amount for 10-16 oz beans, increase amounts as needed). Meanwhile, place beans in boiling water, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water onto paper towels, rolling around to absorb excess water. Place beans into saute pan with leeks and prosciutto and saute for one minute, until blended and warm. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsley ground pepper (KS&CP). Serve.

What you need
Yellow or Green beans
2-3 ounces prosciutto
1 leek
Olive oil
Butter
kosher Salt & Coarse Pepper