Salted Blueberry Agave Milkshake

How did I let this happen? How did I let all these weeks go by without a single post? I hope I still know how to do this. Maybe it’s just like riding a bike…

I’m thinking you are all dying to know what we decided to name the restaurant. Can you believe it – my last post received almost 700 comments! We had folks from all over the world thinking about the perfect name for our little mac and cheese shop. We were on the news, in the papers, we were all over the place because of the crazy ordeal with McDonald’s. But I’m stalling. Can you tell? Stalling because I cannot yet reveal the name we’ve chosen. I promise, as soon as I can, I’ll tell you. But for now, we’re checking out trademarks and dealing with lots of other legal mumbo jumbo to make sure our name is safe.

Hey, you know what else? My last post was #100 on Local Lemons! Who would have thought I’d have so much to say? Or cook? I know the restaurant has been front and center on Local Lemons for a while, but once we get its own website up and running, I’ll go back to focusing mainly on the recipes, with only mentions here and there about our progress.

So. Why a milkshake? Well, it’s quite a story. For the last few weeks, I was planning a surprise birthday vacation to Big Sur  for Alejandro’s 35th birthday. Hiking, horseback riding, relaxing on the beach, barbecuing, drinking wine under the stars – the whole deal. I found a tent-cabin on the Big Sur river for the first night (we’re wimps when it comes to camping), and for the next three nights, we were staying in a restored vintage trailer, set up in the middle of the mountains. How cool is that?

The day before we left, I started feeling a bit dizzy and a touch tingly, but I blamed it on stress and lack of sleep. I had a fever of 101, but still, I wasn’t worried. The next day I felt slightly better, so I shrugged it off as I packed the car and headed out to pick up Alejandro at work. Well, it was all downhill from there.

I was sick the entire vacation. Fever, chills, aches, pains – and gosh, my stomach. For four days, I sat in the trailer, in bed, looking out at the beautiful mountains, and feeling the warm breeze on my face. And Alejandro and Ema right by my side. No matter how much I begged him to go out and enjoy his birthday vacation, Alejandro wouldn’t leave my side. Can you see why I love him so much? We did take a walk to see the waterfall, and attempted, unsuccessfully for me, to eat at the Big Sur Bakery. But despite my sickness, it was an amazing vacation. If you ever find yourself in Big Sur, you have to stay at Caroline and Wern’s trailer, it’s incredible. Here’s a quick photo journey of our trip:

Anyway, I was sick for a full week, during which time I couldn’t eat more than saltines and apple juice. Every day, every minute, I fantasized about big bowls of pasta covered with fresh pesto, margherita pizza with salty anchovies and a big bold glass of juicy Zinfandel.

Instead, I lost eight pounds.

In an attempt to gain back some weight, I made milkshakes. Fresh blueberry milkshakes made with blueberries, organic Straus ice cream, agave and topped with fleur de sel. Experiment with any of summer’s fresh fruits–nectarines, peaches, strawberries, cherries–and finish them with honey, maple syrup, chocolate shavings or even toasted nuts.

I’m sure there are better, healthier ways for me to gain some wight back, but few would be so tasty.

Salted Blueberry Agave Milkshake

1 1/3 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons agave, plus extra for drizzling
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
Fleur de sel

Place blueberries, 1 cup ice cream, milk, ice cubes and agave in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass, and add a scoop of ice cream on top. Drizzle on agave and sprinkle with salt.

Where I Shopped:
Organic blueberries: Old Oakland farmers’ market
Straus milk and ice cream: Whole Foods, Berkeley

Tagged as: dessert