Strawberry and Jasmine Tea Granita

It’s winter and most of you have been caught up in a blanket of snow, so I decided to give you teeth-clattering, mitten-donning, snow day-offers some more cold with this Strawberry and Jasmine Tea Granita. I know, it makes no sense. But you know the rule here—no promises of any sort, especially sensibility.

I will say two things though: (1) strawberry season is just barely starting here in Southern California– so I got overexcited (2) this is actually a recipe shot for a magazine.

The upside: the recipe is great. I love how the tea notes come through with a quiet subtleness that compliments the strawberries to keep you spooning for more. The downside and failing number one for the week: the magazine asked for a reshoot. The original photos were too spare in styling, the pictures you see here are the reshoots (still waiting to hear if they like it). I’ll say this, granita is a pain to shoot, it melts crazy fast and being bright red—when it melts it looks like raw ground beef, gross.

Failing number two for the week: My little guy’s birthday is tomorrow. February 26^th. As usual, I’m scrambling to get my end of things all together, while Matt is done with his. I’m so envious how he is like a machine that delivers with precision and timeliness. While I on the other hand scrawl things to do on my hands and on Post-it notes scattered throughout the house. But hey, I can make killer french toast, so it all balances out.

As I was saying . . . failing #2 for the week and I mentioned Cole’s birthday is the 26^th. Somehow his teacher has it down as the 27^th and my poor 1^st grader came home nearly in tears saying the teachers told him he had his own birthday wrong.

Well after an email from Matt to the teacher to correct the folly, he was informed the original enrolling paperwork indicates the 27^th for the date of birth, not the 26^th. The signature on the paperwork—signed by yours truly. Gulp!

Details – stuff for the birds! Mom failings – guilt that keeps you up at night.

The recipe is coming. Sorry, guys, I have to wait for the magazine to either publish it first. Or if they decline it, than I’m free to post it here in a few short days. Sure, I probably should have posted something else and maybe not share all the backstory on this since it may be declined, but as I previously mentioned – sensibility can be spotty here.

Strawberry and Jasmine Tea Granita

Yield: Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tbsp. loose jasmine tea
• zest of one lime
• 1 1/2 pounds (2 pints) strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 tablespoons honey

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