[This is post #016 towards #100DaysOfFoodBlogging, our goal to do 100 posts in 100 days as part of The 100 Day Project.]

I’m a little upset that the world did not give me a heads up sooner on how awesome the combination of grapefruit and cinnamon is. Seriously, why didn’t anyone introduce me to this combination sooner? It’s not new. Apparently Don’s Mix is a classic grapefruit/cinnamon ingredient in many cocktails.

Maybe I should be making and drinking more cocktails. (I’m sure Andrew from Cook In / Dine Out would appreciate it.)

At some point I screwed up and skipped a few experiences here and there that might have led to this discovery earlier. Today, however, we reconcile that with a post that is birthed from two experiences, both solely spawned by having this blog.

Without this blog and being introduced to the food blog world, I never would have discovered The Blueberry Bison. Although on a hiatus currently, Johnny and Jessa have tons of creative recipes (see the 5 Rabbit Inspired Deconstructed Latin-Style Lobster Roll) that will make you want to chew through your computer monitor. Aside from the creatively complex recipes, there are also simple staples that are begging to be added to your regular rotation. Like what? I’m glad you asked!

How about some Organic Blueberry Mint Simple Syrup? A syrup that is simple to make, but will transform your drinks into something refreshingly complex. Turn boring ‘ol tea into Blueberry Mint Tea! Turn lemonade into Blueberry Mint Lemonade! Turn that labradoodle into a Blueberry Mint-Doodle!

Anyway, we’ve made the syrup a few times (especially in the summer) and it has become a go-to recipe in our house. There always seems to be an old unmarked San Pellegrino bottle in our fridge with a mysterious blue liquid.

Getting back to the grapefruit/cinnamon combination…

As with the The Blueberry Bison blog, we probably would have never eaten at True Food Kitchen (check out our video review here) if it weren’t for this blog. I mean, eventually we would have eaten there, but had it not been for our infatuation with Tastemade (which we learned about by having this blog), we wouldn’t have eaten there when we did.

(Man, what were we doing before Get in my Mouf?)

So, during our visit to True Food Kitchen, the seasonal soda was grapefruit cinnamon and my life was changed for the better. It seemed like an odd combination at first, but the second I took a sip… There was a grapefruit cinnamon dance party and all my tastebuds were invited.

And here’s where it all comes together…

When I got home after the meal, I couldn’t get that soda out of my mind.

I needed a fix.

Bad.

So, I did what anyone with a blog would do: I made my own. Remembering the solid simple syrup foundation that was established by The Blueberry Bison’s Organic Blueberry Mint Simple Syrup, I swapped a few things out to create the Grapefruit Cinnamon Simple Syrup. A quick mix with some sparkling water and I got my soda fix.

Thus, a big thanks must go out to True Food Kitchen for the inspiration and a triple-thanks to Johnny and Jessa for a formula that is ROCK SOLID.

Once you make the syrup, the possibilities are endless. Cocktails. Sodas. Cut with some maple syrup and pour on pancakes. Pour a little on ice cream. I’m sure you could even put it on your cereal, hamburgers, and french fries…

 GRAPEFRUIT CINNAMON SIMPLE SYRUP

Adapted from the The Blueberry Bison‘s awesome Organic Blueberry Mint Simple Syrup recipe.

• 2 Whole Grapefruits
• 3/4 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
• ¾ cup White Sugar
• ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
• Juice of half a Lime
• 1 1/2 Cups Water

1.  Use a potato peeler to peel large pieces of the grapefruit skin. Toss into a medium sauce pan.

2.  Juice the grape fruit (don’t worry about seeds, we’ll strain it later) and add to the sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Strain the syrup, but don’t throw away the grapefruit peels! They are delicious and can be saved for a snack and/or a garnish for drinks.

3.  After the syrup has cooled to near room temperature, store in the refrigerator. We like to use old glass sparkling water bottles to store the syrup in.

GRAPEFRUIT CINNAMON SODA

All you have to do is mix the Grapefruit Cinnamon Simple Syrup with sparking water and a squeeze of fresh grapefruit juice. I like a 1:1:1 ratio, but you should play around with the ratio to get your preferred balance of sweet and tart.