A way to use cucumbers: Cucumber Drink!

Last year, we found ourselves with an overabundance of cucumbers.  So we had to start trying some creative ways to use them. 

Cucumber Drink

We started making this drink, which we creatively named 'Cucumber Drink', and it soon became our favorite way to use cucumbers.  

I love it because it takes me about 2 minutes to whip up. And because it has lemon juice in it, it is like a refreshing lemonade! This drink tastes best when the cucumbers are picked when they are small and not bitter.

 Cucumber Drink (makes 6 cups)

• 3 small cucumbers, ends chopped off (roughly 0.5 lb)
• 5 cups cold filtered water
• Lemon juice to taste (I add about 2 tbsp)
• Sugar or Honey to taste (I add about 1 tbsp)
• Thinly sliced cucumbers as garnish (optional)

Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Serve over ice, and garnish with cucumber slices (if using).

Note: We have a Vitamix blender which is able to blend even the skin to a smooth consistency.  If you aren't sure if your blender can do this, you can just peel the cucumbers before adding them to your blender!

Do you have any creative uses for cucumbers? I'd love to hear!

For more fun posts, check out the Monday Homestead Barn Hop!

Tonight's dinner brought to you by: Your backyard!

These days we're eating something (and usually multiple somethings) from the backyard every day.  But last night's dinner actually came exclusively from the garden:  

Summer garden meal

2 fried eggs, mixed fresh green beans, roasted yukon and red potatoes, sliced rutgers tomato, and a few sungold cherry tomatoes.

It was delicious! And there is plenty to have this again tomorrow. :)

Yesterday's tomato harvest.

Harvest meals: Early spring

Garden meal: lettuce, snap peas, eggs.

 "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." - Julia Child

As the season progresses, I'm finding that more and more of our meals feature produce from our garden.  In fact, for over a week, we've been eating at least one meal a day that came MOSTLY from the garden.

Here are the most frequent harvest-heavy meals as of late (you might notice a trend):

• Wilted/fried collards with eggs (poached, over easy or sunny side up)
• Sauteed kale with eggs
• Fresh garden salad with snap peas
• Fresh garden salad with eggs 

Believe it or not, we aren't bored of these meals, even though we're eating one of them every day.  I mix things up by flavoring the greens in different ways (topped with sauces, chutneys, sauteed with garlic), and by using different dressings on the salads.  But really, it is the fresh ingredients that make a world of difference.