I’m not sure I can adequately put into words how excited I am that today is here. Today, my amazing husband is graduating from college. Higher education has been a long road for him with lots of ups and downs, but today, he graduates (with honors!) with his degree in visual communications, and I couldn’t be prouder of that guy.
I know college isn’t for everyone, but I had a really wonderful college experience, and I was excited when my husband said he wanted to go back to school a few years ago—I just knew it would be great for him, and oh my gosh, has it been.
Of course he’s graduating with more book knowledge, but he’s also graduating with more confidence, more self-assurance, and more pride in himself than I’ve ever seen before. I’ve been a big fan of his for a decade now (duh, hence the whole marriage thing), but I think it’s been really wonderful for him to have the adoration of people who aren’t legally bound to him for eternity. He’s won awards. He’s been at the top of his class. His peers and professors respect him. I think he’s finally starting to believe he’s the rockstar I always knew he was. And it’s been amazing to watch unfold.
Of course, like most last semester college students, he was about 1000% ready to be done with school weeks ago. The last semester of college is hard—especially when you’re in the midst of a thesis project—and I think he’s about half past ready to not need to stay up to 2am doing homework every night.
I’m sure he’s glad he did this and checked it off his bucket list, but I think he’s also totally thrilled to be going back to normal life. Not that we know what normal life looks like. The last time Craig wasn’t a student, we were both working full time and childless. Figuring out our new normal as a family of three (without college classes in the way) is going to be so much fun this summer.
We have, of course, been celebrating like crazy over the past few days. It seems like every step in these last few weeks has been something to celebrate, and I’m never one to turn down an excuse for a good cocktail, are you?
His last “real” day of classes was last Tuesday, and we celebrated the end of his time in the classroom with a big ole pitcher of these strawberry mojitos enjoyed in the peace and quiet of our front porch.
These Pitcher Strawberry Mojitos are perfect for parties or even just your regular weeknight celebrations. This recipe makes 4-6 good-sized servings (you could probably squeeze eight out of it if you serve it in smaller glasses at a party), and they are always a hit.
A lot of mixed drinks recipes are SUPER sweet to my tastebuds, and I’ve never been the biggest of fan of mixing a ton of sugar with booze—that’s a recipe for a nasty hangover. This mojito recipe is a lower sugar recipe that we just adore. I don’t mind the taste of rum, so I’m fine with cutting back on the sweetener, but if you’re alcohol adverse, you might want to play with the sweetness until it’s perfect for you.
The traditional mojito flavor of mint and lime is a perfectly refreshing way to celebrate on a warm spring day, and adding strawberries gives it a little bit of fruity sweetness that is off-the-charts awesome. These things are so incredible! Craig’s family is in town this week to help us celebrate his graduation, and I plan on making these mojitos more than once this week. We’ve got some serious celebrating to do!
Enjoy!
Pitcher Strawberry Mojitos
Serve these Pitcher Strawberry Mojitos at your next summer party and get rave reviews!
Ingredients
- 2 limes, cut into quarters
- 10 strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup–1 1/2 cups white rum, depending on how strong you like it
- 8 cups club soda
- Additional lime, strawberries, and mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice of the lime quarters into the pitcher, set the squeezed limes aside. Add in the strawberries, mint leaves, and sugar to the pitcher. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until the strawberries start to release some of their juices
- Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, mash the strawberry mixture together in the bottom of the pitcher to release the flavors.
- Add in the juiced lime quarters and rum. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add in the club soda. Gently stir to combine. Pour over ice into glasses and garnish as desired.
Notes
The strawberry, lime, and mint flavor only intensifies as the pitcher sits in the fridge. It's best after about 30 minutes, but make sure to drink them within 24 hours—any longer than that, and the citrus peel turns the mojitos bitter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 94Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 0g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
