I’ve been trying to get ahead on the blog tonight. I think I’ve photographed at least five different dishes since I got home from work. It wasn’t meant to be this way. Usually I do almost everything photo-wise on the weekends.

During the summer I’m a little more lax about it, since it’s so easy to get away with shooting outdoors on long summer evenings. Well, this week is not a good week to be lax, and unfortunately some of my photos from the weekend aren’t great. But fortunately, they were of things that we have multiple servings of. So I could redo them tonight when I got home.

I had a goal of shooting two new recipes tonight, and the idea for this tasty drink in my head. I had finished testing and shooting the first one. A few recipes later, I was on my last one: this cucumber limeade.

I don’t know if I would have even finished the testing and photos if it hadn’t turned out to be so refreshing and delicious. After I shot this photo, I drank it alongside a spicy curry dinner, and it was the perfect compliment. The cucumber flavor cooled down my mouth in a way I really wasn’t expecting. So there’s that! Pair with spicy foods.

Here’s what you need per 8 oz. beverage:

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
3-4 basil leaves
2-3 cucumber slices (save 1 for garnish)
Sparkling water

In the bottom of a glass, muddle the basil leaves and cucumber slices into the lime juice and simple syrup. Add a handful of ice, and fill the glass with sparkling water. Stir gently to combine and garnish with the remaining cucumber slice and more basil if you have it handy.

Oh, if you would like, I think this could benefit from a shot of gin. But I was already drinking a beer tonight, and did not need to be double-fisting.