My mom's side of the family has a history of Alzheimer's. My mom, her mom, and her grandma, all died from complications of this horrible disease. Now my siblings and I are next in line to see if Alzheimer's will pass along to us. It's an unpleasant thought, I don't dwell on it, but I am being proactive with my lifestyle to keep my brain and body healthy. Diet and exercise, enough sleep, hobbies, socializing...all those factors contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Today is the Friday Feed and I found a fun recipe that uses summer produce - blackberries and basil. The bold blackberry flavor combines with fresh herbs for a brain friendly drink. Blackberries deliver antioxidants to enhance memory and improve blood flow to the brain. The tea adds inflammation control and the honey adds a dose of sweetness as well as supporting restful sleep.
Bright Blackberry-Basil “Sangria”
Ingredients
- 4 cups blackberries
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 cups fruity herbal tea
- 1 cup sparkling water
- 2 limes cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 cups ice
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups of the blackberries, 1 cup of the basil leaves, the water and honey. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Let cool and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. You should have roughly 1 cup of syrup.
- In a serving pitcher, combine the blackberry syrup, tea, and sparkling water.
- Add the limes slices, remaining 1/2 cup basil leaves, remaining 1 cup blackberries, and ice.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
The Alzheimer’s curse
runs in my mom’s family.
Food as medicine.
This is a refreshing, tasty drink on its own but...it makes a great cocktail, too! I like mine with tequila and Todd likes his with vodka. Versatility is a spice of life.
