Strawberry Rose Italian Cream Sodas

1. Prepare the roses by washing them to remove bugs, then pull off the petals and snip off the white part that attaches the petals to the stem (that part can be bitter, I’m told). It’s best to do this outside in case there are any bugs hiding inside the flowers.
2. Wash and cut off the tops of the strawberries, then put them in a saucepan with the water (or rosewater). Add the sugar (or other sweetener) and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until the berries are well cooked and the syrup is a beautiful strawberry red color.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the rose petals. Let the mixture cool slightly, then pour into a jar, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight or until you are ready to use the syrup.
4. When it’s time to make the sodas, strain out the berries and rose petals through a cheesecloth or flour sack, capturing the syrup in a bowl below. (You can puree the rose/berry mixture for use in baked goods like cakes or muffins … use it like applesauce in place of oil.)
5. Pour the syrup into a bottle and store in the fridge.

To make a cream soda:

1. Fill a tall glass mostly with ice, then add about 1/2 cup of club soda and 2 tablespoons of the syrup. The glass should be mostly full at this point. (If not, you can add more soda & syrup.) Stir it a bit to mix the syrup with the soda, then…
2. (This is the best part!) Gently pour the half & half over the soda and watch the beautiful swirls of cream.