Low Country Lemonade

It's been so hot...

this looks so good!

from Wedding by Color

Low Country Lemonade

Ingredients:

Lemonade

Peach Schnapps

Add a drop of Blue Curacao

Sugar Rimmed Glasses

Refreshing!

Flavored Waters

I am loving summertime,

and I am loving these flavored water recipes...

from tumblr

CITRUS CUCUMBER WATER

• 1 large lemon, sliced
• 1 large lime, sliced
• 1 large orange, sliced
• 1 large cucumber, sliced
• 1 half-gallon of water

LEMON, LIME AND ORANGE WATER

• 1 large lemon, sliced
• 1 large lime, sliced
• 1 large orange, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)
• 1 half-gallon of water

FRUIT WATER

• 1 ea of the following fruits: apple, lemon, orange, pear
• 4 large strawberries
• Handful of raspberries
• Handful of mint leaves
• 1 half-gallon of water

Cut large slices or thin wedges of each fruit; place them in a large glass pitcher and add cold water. Refrigerate 2 hours and serve over ice in tall glasses.

So refreshing!!!

Lemonade With Raspberry Ice Cubes!

A Delicious Idea

from 5 Dollar Dinners

via SC Johnson

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade 

with Raspberry Ice Cubes

Ingredients

Raspberry ice cubes
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 pint raspberries

Simple syrup1 cup sugar
4 to 5 cups water
8 lemons, juiced

Directions

Raspberry ice cubes

1. To make the raspberry ice cubes, add one cup of water and half cup of sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 

2. Once boiling, add the raspberries and let cook for about five minutes. 

3. Remove from the heat and use a potato masher or fork to gently mash the raspberries. You want some of them to stay mostly intact and others to let out their delicious red juices. 

4. Let cool for about 20 minutes, and then pour the raspberries and syrup juice into ice cube trays. 

5. Allow four to six hours for complete freezing. Makes 30 to 36 ice cubes.

Simple Syrup

1. For the simple syrup, add one cup of sugar and one cup of water and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. 

2. Then remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes before adding to the lemon juice.

3. Juice the lemons and pour the juice into the serving pitcher.

4. Dilute with three to four cups of water, depending on how strong you like your lemonade. 

5. Stir in the slightly cooled simple syrup and refrigerate for at least two hours.

6. Serve the fresh squeezed lemonade with raspberry ice cubes.

Makes four to six servings.

Spring Cocktails

Some new libations 

to try this Spring...

from Marie Claire

The Cointreau Teese

Dita von Teese's cocktail is a bold drink featuring Cointreau as well as Monin violet syrup (a fragrant syrup that represents Dita's favorite flower). 
 

1 1/2 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. apple juice
1/2 oz. Monin violet syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice 

 

Sweet Standard
Honey isn't just for morning toast or tea — choose the right blend, and adding it to your vodka will create a cocktail that's as soothing and whimsical in winter by the fireside as it is refreshing on the veranda in summertime.

Russian Standard vodka
1 tsp. honey
2-3 ice cubes

Delicious Night Blackberry Martini

Combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Strain into a well-chilled martini glass. Pour 1 1/2 scoops of mulled blackberries through the center. Stir slightly. Garnish with a blackberry on the edge of the glass.

1 oz. p.i.n.k. Vodka
1 1/2 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. blackberry brandy
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Splash of sour mix
Fresh blackberries



It's 5 o'clock somewhere!!!

Lemonade Ice Cubes

This is a

"MUST TRY"

from Martha

That Martha is 

always so clever!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

If you haven't tried it...

You REALLY should!

from Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS

4 cups whole milk

1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) chocolate chips

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamonPinch salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients and 1 cup water over medium heat, whisking constantly, until hot but not boiling, about 8 minutes (the mixture should smooth). Pour into 4 large mugs.

Perfection!

Italian Soda's

ooooh, 

I'm going to have to try this...

from flickr

these look & sound delicious!

I will report back!

Favorite Foods of Fall ~ Day 3

Favorite Foods of Fall Week continues with...
HOT CHOCOLATE


Who doesn't love a warm cuppa cocoa?!
And this recipe for
RED VELVET Hot Chocolate
with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream is TDF!

Yes, that's right, I said it...

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Can you stand it??? I can't. Anyhow...

When I saw this, I thought I'd died & gone to heaven! 
But the real question is...

Is it as good as it looks & 

the answer is... 

YES!!!

from Une Deux Senses

Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Yields: 4 servings

Original recipe here.

4 cups whole milk

1 dash water

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. red food coloring

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 - 4 tbsn. whipped cream cheese, room temperature

In a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream and sugar. Whip on medium speed with the whisk attachment for 2 - 3 minutes. Just before peaks form, add the cream cheese and whisk for another 2 minutes. Taste and add more cream cheese to taste. Be careful not to over whip though, or else you'll have butter! In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Add a splash of water and the chocolate chips, constantly stirring gently. When almost melted, add the red food coloring and stir. When the chocolate chips are thoroughly melted, pour the hot chocolate into mugs and top with the whipped cream.

Drink Up!

Mojito Monday!

"Mojito Monday's" 

continues with

Mango Mojito's

from My Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 lime wedges
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup club soda
• 3 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup
• 1 tablespoon mango nectar
• Crushed ice

Preparation

Squeeze the lime wedges into a small glass; add wedges and mint to glass. Crush with the back of a spoon for 30 seconds. Add soda, rum, Simple Syrup, and nectar; stir gently. Serve over ice.

Mojito Monday!

"Mojito Monday's" 

continues 

with

Grapefruit Mojito's

from Sugar & Charm

Grapefruit Mojito Recipe

Ingredients (makes 4) 

Handful of fresh mint leaves

4 oz fresh lime juice

2 oz Agave nectar

6 oz light rum

5  oz fresh grapefruit juice

5 oz grapefruit liquor

Sparkling water

Directions

Muddle mint, lime juice and Agave together. 

Add rum, fruit juice, liquor and ice in a shaker. 

If the shaker isn't big enough you'll have to split the recipe into two and shake at different times. 

Once shaken well, pour into a cocktail pitcher 

and top off with sparkling water. 

Mojito Monday!

"Mojito Monday's"

continues with

Kumquat Mojito's

from Food & Wine

INGREDIENTS

• 1. 20 kumquats (1/2 pound), halved lengthwise
  2. 1 cup mint leaves
  3. One 10-ounce can frozen kalamansi or orange juice concentrate, thawed
  4. 1 3/4 cups white rum
  5. 1 quart club soda
  6. 1 large lime, cut into 10 thin wedges

  7. DIRECTIONS

     1. In a large pitcher, combine the halved kumquats and mint leaves. Using a large wooden spoon, vigorously muddle the mixture. Pour in the juice concentrate, rum and club soda and squeeze in the lime wedges. Fill the pitcher with ice and serve.

Mojito Monday!

"Mojito Monday's"

continues with

Cherry Mojito's

from Martha Stewart

Cherry Mojito's

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (about 9 limes)
• 3 pounds dark cherries, such as Bing or Burlat, pitted
• 2 1/4 cups best-quality black cherry or plain vodka
• 1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling water

Directions

1. Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
2. Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve 2/3 of the cherries; add all cherries to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
3. Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top with sparkling water; serve immediately.