This is easily the second most asked question I receive: how do you come up with this stuff?

 

Well… it’s not like it’s a big secret.

1. I don’t really think about anything other than food. Except for shoes. And what I will have for dessert tonight. Wait. Is dessert food?

2. I have no life.

 

Okay really… here is an example of how I came up with the watermelon mint soda floats posted today. This is nearly verbatim from my head.

 

The place: my mind.

The time: some point last week.

 

I totally forgot about those nectarine mint milkshakes I made a few months ago. That was so good. I have to make another this weekend.

Wait… but maybe I’ll use watermelon because then I can post it on the blog.

Yessss… watermelon and mint. Watermelon mint milkshakes!

Ugh. Do I really have to wait until this weekend? I want one now.

But Jess… you just ate one of those Magnum ice cream bars that your cousin has been telling you about. Milkshake can wait. Go eat a salad.

Oh and let’s be real… you’ve eaten TWO of those Magnum ice cream bars. Wait until the weekend.

 

…days pass…

 

You know, watermelon mint milkshakes sound kind of boring. They sound really good, but you already did nectarine mint milkshakes. It’s too similar. You don’t like to do similar recipes like that.

Crap. Now how am I going to make a drink with watermelon and mint? No mojitos, everyone is doing those.

But I’d really like to drink a mojito. And I really want to find some of that coconut La Croix that we had at the beach even though I tend to despise carbonated beverages.

Wait… La Croix! Maybe I can blend the watermelon and mint with La Croix… and add ice cream?!? Smoothie??

I should probably do unflavored bubbly water first though… try the flavored later, give the readers the option.

Yes. Floats. I like floats. Hellllo… Hot fudge root beer floats anyone? Man I hope this works.

Uh oh… but blending the water will make it lose some carbonation. I learned that when I made the beer marshmallows.

Oh well. Try it anyway. See what happens.

And I should probably strain the watermelon stuff. Don’t want to suck seeds through the straw.

Sweet. Do I really still have to wait until the weekend?

No. Now you have to wait until NEXT week because you just ate the third and final Magnum bar. Go do some sprints.

And that my friends… is how I come up with recipes. 98% of the time that is how it happens. Nothin’ special. If it is inspired by/adapted from/stolen, I tell you in my posts. So if you don’t see that note, assume I’ve been talking to myself like a crazy person for the last 8 days.