This lavender earl gray blackberry ice cream float is my summer drink mascot. For starters, there’s ice cream involved (no brainer) and, even more importantly, it was inspired by the mocktail (or faux-tail?) bar that Sherrie set out for the #bossbabefestMSP retreat last month – complete with bitter black tea, infused simple syrups, fruity shrubs, and an unending supply of La Croix to make it sparkle. I’ll be sipping my float variation of the fruity bitter black tea soda for the rest of summer to incite perpetual déja vu of the most epic Minnesota weekend.
Each sip transports me back –
The setting: A gorgeous 3,700 square foot house on one of St. Paul’s many lakes,
The company: Nine of my food blog heroes (L -> R) – Amanda, Alanna, Liz, Shelly, Kristan, Jayme, Renee, Emilie, & Sherrie
The scene: For a few short days that would carry on even after we parted ways, Amanda and Sherrie brought together a sisterhood of like-minded food lovers and infused it with all the feels. We shared mocktails, cocktails, flower crowns, allofthedeliciousfood, and tricks of the trade. (Recipe highlights: pineapple sage shrub, strawberry French 75, beet deviled eggs, & salty date caramel scotcharoos). These two worked tirelessly for months to create the most relaxing, rejuvenating, respectful, productive, and love-filled weekend.
Over the course of the weekend, we took advantage of our at-home meals to bust out our cameras. We styled and photographed smoothie bowls, grain bowls, & hummus bowls, during which we got to observe the way each person approaches designing the food, choosing props, and finding the light. After shooting, everyone took the same raw image and shared their editing process in their own unique style. We then opened each person’s image side by side and, as a group, more or less successfully matched photo to person.
As someone who is always second guessing my photography and editing (living a constant battle of asking my husband, “does this look right? Or does this look more right? But what if I did this?”), this exercise was so powerful for me. Each image was so distinct and I honestly loved every variation, which goes to show: there certainly is more than one way to do things and each of these women comes from a distinct and beautiful point of view.
From this photography collaboration to our late-night pow-wows about traditionally taboo blogger business topics, this tribe of boss babes taught me so much in such a short time.
Fun fact #1: On my first night away from the baby, Alanna and I may or may not have stayed up until 4am like little girls at summer camp playing our own rendition of MASH: blog MASH, in which Alanna was fated to have a blog named Prairie Dinette, gaining fame for her flavorless water panna cotta recipe (YUM).
The weekend culminated in a farm to table multi-course meal hosted by La Croix with an in-home private chef that lasted hours after the plates had been cleared as conversation flowed in a way can really only be described as a giant group hug that you never want to end.
I’d take that 97 degree humid heat wave any day if it meant hanging with these boss babes just one more time. I’ll bring the ice cream floats, ladies!
[Special thanks to our official sponsor, Vital Proteins, who made #bossbabefestMSP possible, and to all the other sponsors that made the weekend extra special: Bob’s Red Mill, General Mills, NOW Foods, Rodelle, and Udi’s Gluten Free, and Vital Farms.]
Feeling nostalgic almost as soon as we got home, Alanna and I planned this float fest in honor of #DRINKTHESUMMER to riff on Sherrie’s fruit & bitter tea elixir spread, adding ice cream because: duh (we went over this already).
I puréed plump blackberries with bitter concentrated tea and an herbal lavender-infused simple syrup, and mixed it with sparkling water for a summer soda to pour atop scoops of my ultra-creamy coconut-based vegan vanilla bean ice cream. Lavender enhances the earl gray notes, helping them both stand up against the tart blackberries. Without both, the flavors get muddled, but together, you can easily pick out the floral, bitter tea, sweet fruit, and creamy coconut notes in each sip.
For the float party, Alanna blended red rooibos tea with fresh peaches and vanilla beans for a syrup that’s worthy of opening up a summer soda shoppe.
Fun Fact #2: We used up 1.5 quarts of homemade ice cream making approx 8,294 floats to photograph and in the process they all melted before we could drink them all (this was just a two person float party!). So, naturally, I froze them into popsicles. I now have float popsicles in my freezer. Come over.
For more float goodness to bring to the party, check out our trio of floats from last summer!
These lavender earl gray blackberry ice cream floats are a symbol of my hot summer days at home with a new baby. A strong dose of caffeine to get me through the day, lavender for a splash of refined rebellion, and bright berry tartness blended into the bitter herbal fruit syrup that’s fizzed up with soda and playfully poured over vanilla bean ice cream.
(Related note: when can I introduce ice cream floats to the baby?).
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- ¾ cups sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon culinary dried lavender*
- 1½ cups boiling water
- 5 earl gray tea bags (or 2½ tablespoons loose earl gray tea)
- 2 cups blackberries
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 cups sparkling water
- 1½ pints vegan vanilla bean ice cream (or your favorite vanilla ice cream)
- Prepare the simple syrup. Head the sugar, water, and dried lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until the sugar melts, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the syrup and let cool.
- Brew the tea. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, pressing excess liquid from the bags, and let cool.
- Purée the lavender simple syrup, earl gray tea, blackberries, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain the puree to remove any seeds. You should have about 3-3½ cups of puree.
- In a large pitcher just before serving, slowly and carefully add the sparkling water to the blackberry puree (it should foam up a lot!).
- Place 2-3 scoops of ice cream in each of six large glasses and pour blackberry soda over the top. Add a splash more sparkling water to add a little foam to the top and serve immediately.
Scope out the rest of the delicious beverages folks mixed up for #DRINKTHESUMMER:
Abby @ Heart of a Baker -
Girl, you have my heart (and my stomach!) with these! I never play around with lavender much, but after seeing these I know I have to! Also, I 1000% can relate to the doubting photo styles, all the time. I so often ask my husband ‘Which picture looks better, this one or this one?’ and he replies ‘Aren’t they the same?’ DUH NO. Oy vey!
todd wagner -
Is it too early to officially call you the Float Queen? Or, maybe that’s what we call Zoella!! Sweet potato puree and milk floats? Hmm..might need some work.
What an epic weekend indeed! The photos are fabulous, and I’m so happy you got to spend some well deserved party time away from the little one.
Sarah Menanix -
Oooo I bet she’d be ALL OVER that sweet potato float. I think you should write a baby float cookbook. :)
Allyson -
Your retreat looks fantastic. And the color of this float is fantastic. I just found a variation of Earl Grey tea called Princess Grey that’s Earl Grey with lavender and rose petals. I think I’m going to have to use this tea to make these floats. They look delicious.
Sarah Menanix -
Oh wow! That princess grey tea would be PERFECT! And also simplify this shiz like woah.
heather (delicious not gorgeous) -
i’m always looking for ways to sneak earl grey into food and drinks, and this ice cream float is after my heart! also a sucker for those dreamy pictures with the melty ice cream swirling through the rest of the drink.
Sarah Menanix -
Me too! Earl gray in all the things! And thank you!! <3
Nicole ~ cooking for keeps -
Well, this is just the prettiest thing I’ve seen all week!
Sarah Menanix -
Aw thank you so much!
Aysegul -
How funny it is that we all question ourselves and our work so harshly? In a weird way, it makes me feel good to know that people whose work I admire so much feels the same way. I guess it is a working progress for all of us. It is a constant struggle. Sigh…
What a fun time you guys had. Looks so productive as well. Your photos are gorgeous Sarah.
This float is everything! Seriously, even in its popsicle form I am in! Coming over now.
Cheers to #DRINKTHESUMMER 2016!!!
<3
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
Those flower crowns!! There are too many beautiful photos in this post to even choose which ones to exclaim about. I LOVE the idea of swapping editing processes. That would be so cool! I’m so glad you got to be a part of a weekend long group hug Sarah, it sounds amazing!
Sarah Menanix -
It really was so cool, Karen! I feel like we could do a giant joint workshop where everyone shares their tricks and tips and learn SO MUCH.
what can i use instead of the la van der i cant find it please they look delicious -
What can i uuse instead of lavander please
Sarah Menanix -
You can definitely make these without the lavender! Or try subbing in a vanilla bean!
Nancy Stern -
Love love love the recap of your Minnesota retreat how much fun was that! You never cease to amaze me with your food creations and visually extraordinary photo shoots. Now I think I understand the question about lavender!
Sarah Menanix -
Aw thank you! All of the float had melted by the time we were done shooting or else I would have shared! I’ll have to make them again:)
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish -
4AM blog MASH sounds ah-mazing!!! What a fun trip you ladies had! And these floats… I’d totally like to devour 8,294 asap :)
Sarah Menanix -
I’m up at 4am on the regular if you ever need a blog MASH round;)
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish -
I’ve been up since 3:52 this morning… so I might just have to take you up on that offer sometime :)
Kate @ Eat Boutique -
You and Alanna definitely know how to summer! Your floats look, sound, and, I am sure, taste amazing. Plus, I can’t imagine how ridiculously fun the time in Minneapolis was. Thanks fo much for sharing photos of it.
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness -
These are seriously your most beautiful photos EVER! I am OBSESSING OVER THEM.
And it looks you had so much fun!!
Sarah Menanix -
<3 <3 Thank you!
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain -
These photos, swoon!! Also, I want to dive right into this float!
Sarah Menanix -
Where can I get a swimming pool full of ice cream float because that sounds amazing!
naomi -
Such an excellent idea and these photos are gorgeous. The lighting is gorgeous.
Sarah Menanix -
Aw – thank you so much! That means so much coming from you!
Brian @ A Thought For Food -
Such a lovely gathering of friends, food-lovers, bloggers, photographers. Looks like a huge amount of fun! I’ve loved seeing all of these creative ice cream floats and yours, with that lavender and the blackberry is the most wonderful color!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much, Brian! I wish we could have one gigantic blogger party where everyone brings their own float to share. You in?
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) -
So, so pretty! I haven’t had a float in forever (maybe since the Coke floats I loved as a kid!) and I need to make this much more sophisticated one happen as soon as possible.
Sarah Menanix -
I have so many memories of the floats as a kid too! But adult floats are where it’s at!
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek -
Love love love the idea of these floats! And they’re so pretty. (Also I can’t get over how gorgeous those glasses are) Happy (late) #drinkthesummer! xoxo
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much Kelsey! (The glasses are from Anthro and I’ve seen them there a bunch – I bet they still have them!)
Liz @ Floating Kitchen -
My gosh, are these beautiful! I can’t get over the colors and all that messy goodness. And float popsicles sounds AH-mazing. Miss you so much, girl. It was a blast. Thanks for being a bad ass Lightroom lady and showing me some new tricks!
Sarah Menanix -
Miss you too lady! Can we get together over floats sometime/anytime soon??!
gerry @ foodness gracious -
Gorgeous colors and looks like a fun trip!!!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks Gerry!
Jayme | holly & flora -
I haven’t made an ice cream float yet this summer, but these photos, as I told you, are completely gorgeous!! I can’t get over them. Such a lovely recap of our time together in MN. And props to you for making popsicles out of all the leftover ice cream floats! …I do that with extra smoothies and boozy slushies, too. ;-) XO!
Alanna -
Um, boozy slushy popsicles? I’M IN!
Sarah Menanix -
Yeah, I’m in too. We’re coming over.
Alanna -
Blog MASH and flavorless water panna cotta 4ever!!! Thanks for being my traveling buddy, roomie, and fellow ice cream floater. I wish I could sip one of those purple beauties right now!
Sarah Menanix -
Let’s do it all again. The trip and the float party.
Alanna -
Yes and yes!!
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire -
These look amazing. I love the flavors! It looks like you guys had such an incredible time together!
Sarah Menanix -
It was the most amazing time! Thank you so much Amanda!
Esther -
This looks SO good. I love lavender!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much!
Eden Passante -
These look amazing! I love the flavors you chose for this recipe!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much! It was pretttty hot this weekend and I wished I had an ice cream float to cool me off!
Sherrie -
These floats are gorgeous. You’re gorgeous. I miss this weekend so hard. Thanks for hanging with us for #DRINKTHESUMMER 2016 Sarah, xx oo xx oo !!!!
Eden Passante -
Gorgeous photos and excellent ideas in this post! Love it!!
Melina -
Hi Sarah, I just discovered your blog a few days ago and I am in love with your photography, your recipes, and your story telling! Definitely will subscribe :) Can’t wait to see more! :)