Sorrel (hibiscus drink)

So out here in our part of Brooklyn there are a lot of Caribbean people, which means a lot of delicious Caribbean food. And drinks – which brings me to the topic of this post. Sorrel is what the Jamaicans call a cold drink made with hibiscus and sugar, which is very similar to Hibiscus Cooler. It is super-refreshing and yummy. Here's the recipe I've settled on, which took some tinkering to come to (makes 6 cups):

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1–2 inch piece of ginger
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1.5 oz Splenda (or 12.5 oz = 1 3/4 cup sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups cold water

1. Peel the ginger, slice it into thin coins, and put it in a bowl with the hibiscus.
2. Bring the 2 cups water to a boil and pour over the hibiscus and ginger.
3. Steep for 10 minutes.
4. Strain into a pitcher.
5. Add the sweetener, vanilla, and lime juice. Stir to dissolve.
6. Add the cold water, chill, and enjoy.

Note: very good with vodka.

Simple sesame noodles

Another Pioneer Woman instant classic. These are completely delicious, and I make no modifications to her recipe except to use a full pound of noodles instead of her 12 ounces -- there's still plenty of sauce. So easy, and so so good. Oh, I also used Sriracha instead of chili oil (since I don't have any chili oil) and that was good; Mom, you could just leave off the spiciness. Wuss.