“I feel stronger with you close by.” ~Beth March, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Today is a special day. It’s my big sister’s birthday. She is a strong, hardworking and resilient woman, a great mother, and a happy girlfriend.  This post is for her, and for all you other women who work diligently every day in your home, at your workplace, and in your relationships…because sometimes we need a little sumthin’!

My big sister and I haven’t always been good friends. Mum says we played together when we were little. I don’t remember a whole bunch from when I was a kid, which each of my family members will attest to. But I do remember watching her and our cousin put on the “Dixie and Denise” radio show when I was about 7. I remember playing “Little Women” in the back yard of her friend’s house when I was about 8 years old. And I remember singing ABBA songs into fake microphones with her when I was about 9 or 10.

And that’s where my mind draws a blank. Somewhere, we stopped playing together. We each had our own friends and we grew up. We went off to college. We got married. And then we started having children…and we somehow came back to each other. Not as siblings. Not as rivals. But as friends.

I’ll tell you what…I wouldn’t want to be without her again. Through divorce, single parenting, dating again, and dealing with teenagers, we have held one another up. Even though we live 10 hours from each other now, I can still feel the support she gives me. We see each other when we can. We’ve drooled over Justin Timberlake at his concert. We’ve  been “lost” on the subway in New York City. We’ve road-tripped to see Madonna perform in Vancouver. And we’ve danced.

And sometimes, from far away, we share a drink and “cheers” each other across the miles. Most times, it’s a glass of wine, or a cosmopolitan. Today, it’s this. A blueberry basil mojito which my sister helped “invent” after her last trip to Mexico. I’m telling you right now, you will not want to lose this recipe. Here it is, exactly how I wrote it down over the phone when she called…

Sounds good, right? Well, don’t take my word for it….go ahead and make one! Here’s how…

Start by gathering up all your fresh ingredients.

Put your basil into your martini shaker.

Throw in your blueberries and dark brown sugar…

If you don’t have a shaker, don’t let it stop you. Use a mason jar with a lid, as this drink does not require any straining.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon…

Now muddle it with the end of a wooden spoon, or a thick metal one if you have it…

Now add your 2 oz of vodka and ice cubes to fill the shaker, and give it a whole lot of shakin’!

Add a big ol’ splash of soda water…

Don’t forget to sugar the rim of your glass before pour the drink from the shaker. I have done this and it’s just not the same without it!  Run the lemon over the rim of your glass, tip your glass upside-down into a small bowl brown sugar…

Now pour it in your glass…leaves, berries, ice, and all. Cheers!!

Happy Birthday, Candi. I love you. I’m so happy to see you happy. You are such an example of living life joyfully and wisely. Thank you. Salute. xo

Oh, and one more thing, moms… you can make this in a kid friendly version too.

My kids enjoy it…especially in the summer time when we are camping! (Sometimes we use raspberries and mint instead of the blueberries and basil.)

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

~Arlee, Small Potatoes