Things to do with Strawberries - Bubbly and Muffins

What happens when you spend a weekend with friends in Tahoe and another couple also brings a 4 lb. box of strawberries?!

Strawberry-Mint Sparkling Limeade
adapted from Cooking Light, May 2012

3 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled


Place all ingredients except the wine in a blender and process until smooth. Pour 1/2 cup strawberry mixture into a glass, then slowly add 1/2 cup wine and gently stir to combine. Enjoy.

TIP: If you already have all-purpose flour, you don't need to buy a whole other bag of self-rising flour. Wish I'd looked this up before I did...

1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder + 1/4 tsp. salt = self-rising flour

Why am I mentioning this? Oh, here's another strawberry recipe to make while you're enjoying your bubbly:

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Muffins
adapted from Southern Living, April 2012

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup meyer lemon juice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

2. Stir together sour cream, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs and add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold strawberries into batter. Spoon batter into lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, filling three-fourths full. If you like, sprinkle additional sugar over batter.

3. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 1 minute; remove from pans to wire rack, and cool 10 minutes.

We also concocted possibly the best quiche yet: zucchini, mushroom, and feta. Yum! I'll just go add that to my quiche post...