How to Make Blackberry Vinegar

 

Sometimes I never know what my next experiment is going to be until I find something unexpectedly. For example, our cheerleading team was hosting a garage sale fundraiser several months ago and I found four, white porcelain ramekins for $1. Not each, but all four for one dollar..BONUS! As soon as I saw them I KNEW I was going to make some kind of macaroni and cheese dish and that's when I created the recipe for Rosemary & Goat Cheese Mac n' Cheese. Perfect right?

Well this is the exact same way this recipe for Blackberry Vinegar was created. I was walking through Target one day and I like to look through those few isles where they have everything for $1. These cruets caught my eye and I loved how they had a chalkboard front. Since Spring is just around the corner, I thought making some homemade vinegar would be a great idea to post about to get us all out of this winter doldrum.

Making your own vinegar is SUPER EASY, it's the waiting that's a killer! Two ingredients: vinegar and fruit of your choice are all you need. My local market has had an abundance of blackberries lately so I chose to use those, but feel free to experiment and substitute as you wish. Once you make the vinegar, you can use it as the base for a salad dressing; to marinate meat, poultry or fish; or toss it in with your favorite pasta salad recipe. Here are some other fun recipe combinations I can't wait to try:

• Raspberries + Balsamic Vinegar
• Pears + White Vinegar
• Oranges + Rice Wine Vinegar
• Strawberries + Red Wine Vinegar
• Peaches + White Vinegar
• Vanilla Bean + White Vinegar

Don't they sound good? I can't wait for salad season! ~Enjoy! 

Recipe Rerun: Fresh Berry Tart

Fresh Berry Tart

The July 4th holiday is only one week away, can you believe it? This year is really flying by! I don't have many festive recipes for this holiday; however, I did make this delicious, beautiful Fresh Berry Tart a few months ago using raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries so I guess this would count. :)

I really enjoyed this dessert not only because it was light and easy (I don't like to make complicated desserts for all of you new to CEK), but because it wasn't overly sweet. Click on the name to be taken to the original post and if you're looking for more fun food and craft ideas for the July 4th holiday, check out my Red, White and Blue Board on Pinterest!

I'll be taking the next week off to spend some time with family and friends, as well as making our first college visit for the summer (Yikes!). If you're new to the blog or haven't stopped by in while, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, have a look around to see what you might have missed and leave me a comment letting me know you were here. I just love company!

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 Enjoy and I'll be back July 8th with some 

new recipes to share with all of you. Happy 4th!