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So This is Christmas Cocktail

So This is Christmas Cocktail

So This is Christmas Cocktail

 

1/2 ounce Rosemary Simple Syrup (see below)

1/2 ounce pomegranate juice

1 tsp. pomegranate seeds

Champagne, for topping glass

Rosemary sprig, for garnish

 

Rosemary Simple Syrup:

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

2 cardamom pods

2 small fresh rosemary sprigs

 

 

In a champagne flute or highball glass, combine the rosemary syrup, pomegranate juice, and pomegranate seeds. Top off the glass with champagne and add a rosemary sprig for garnish.

 

Rosemary Simple Syrup: Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Strain, transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate; the syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

 

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 11mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 48g

 

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

 

1 1/3 C. Sugar

1 C. Water

8 Lemons

1 C. (or more) Vanilla Vodka

1 L Bottle Club Soda

5 large Sprigs Fresh Mint, more for garnishing glasses

 

First you will need to make a simple syrup mixture: place the water and sugar in a small pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved—about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill. Now cut all of the lemons in half and juice them over a bowl large enough to hold all the juice. Mix the juice with the simple syrup mixture and vanilla vodka in large pitcher (or 2 carafes). Slowly pour in the club soda—you may not want to use all of the soda so taste it after you’ve added about 2/3 of the soda . You can also add more vanilla vodka if you want it a little more boozy and vanilla-y. Add the mint sprigs to the pitchers. Pour the lemonade drink over a glass of ice and add a sprig of mint. Salut!

Mixed Berry Smoothies

Mixed Berry Smoothies

Mixed Berry Smoothies

 

1/4 C. water

1 C. raspberries

1 C. strawberries

1/2 C. blueberries

1/2 C. cottage cheese

1 handful of ice cubes

2 tsp. honey or agave nectar

 

Add all of the ingredients to the blender in the order in which they are listed. Blend until smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more honey or agave nectar as desired. Start with a medium size handful of ice cubes and add more to adjust the consistency of your smoothie. Adding more ice will both thicken and chill your smoothie.

Fennel Apple Limeade

Fennel Apple Limeade

Fennel Apple Limeade

 

1 apple, chilled

2/3 C. sliced fennel bulb

1 (4- to 6-inch) celery stalk, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 T. lime juice

1 3/4 C. cold water

4 ice cubes

3 drops stevia, or sweetener of choice, as desired

 

Wash and core the apple, and cut into slices. Place the apple, fennel, celery, lime juice, water, and ice in a blender. Blend on high until fully incorporated. Taste, add the sweetener as desired, then blend again to incorporate. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag.  Pour and drink!

Raspberry Twist Smoothie

Raspberry Twist Smoothie

Raspberry Twist Smoothie

Creamy, frothy, and lightly sweet, this pretty in pink smoothie is a snap to put together and goes a long way to keeping you satisfied through the morning.

 

½ C. Frozen Raspberries

½ Banana, sliced, Frozen

Juice 1 small Orange

¼ C. Unsweetened Almond Milk

¼ C. Greek Yogurt

1 T. Almond Butter

1 C. Raw Spinach

 

Blend on high until smooth.

Mango Smoothie with Chili and Lime

Mango Smoothie with Chili and Lime

Mango Smoothie with Chili and Lime

 

1 ripe mango, peeled, cut in pieces, about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup peeled, chopped fresh pineapple

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 red jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger with juice

1 cup ice cubes or frozen coconut water cubes

 

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve cold.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup

Rhubarb Simple Syrup

Rhubarb Simple Syrup

When fresh rhubarb is not available, frozen can be used in its place. Also, keep in mind, rhubarb stalks range in color, from a light green to a stunning red. The lighter stalks will create a less vivid red syrup. Adding a few cranberries during the cooking process will enhance the color of the simple syrup.

 

4 cups fresh Rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups Water

1 1/2 cups organic granulated Sugar

 

Add the water, sugar and rhubarb to a heavy bottom pot. On medium heat bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, cooking until rhubarb has softened and is breaking apart. Set mixture aside until it has cooled. Using a fine mesh strainer, reserve the syrup. Allow mixture to strain naturally without pushing down on the rhubarb. Doing so will leave sediments in the syrup.  Store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Reserve the cooked rhubarb to be used in cakes, muffins, breads, as well as to top ice-cream.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Vodka & Cocktails

Rhubarb & Strawberry Vodka & Cocktails

Rhubarb & Strawberry Vodka

 

4 C. rhubarb  (the pale pink, thin-stemmed kind), cut into short lengths

8-12 ripe strawberries, halved

1.5 C. Granulated sugar

2 thin slices fresh ginger

2 pints vodka

Optional, vanilla bean, halved

 

Put all the ingredients in a large clip top mason jar and shake well to dissolve the sugar. Leave in a cool place and shake 2-3 times a week for 3-4 weeks until the liquid is a rich pink color. Set a large sieve over a large bowl and line the sieve with muslin. Strain the vodka though the sieve, then transfer to a jug and pour carefully into clean, dry bottles. Seal and label the bottles. The vodka is now ready to drink, or will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Serve over ice or neat in chilled shot glasses or make into a long drink topped with soda or fizz, adding half a strawberry just before serving.

 

Rhubarb & Strawberry Martini

2 oz. Rhubarb & Strawberry Vodka

1 oz. Triple Sec

1 oz. Lemonade

4 Crushed Strawberries

Squeeze of Lemon Juice

 

Shake all ingredients together and pour into martini glass.  Garnish with strawberry if you like.

 

Sunburnt Greyhound

 

304 Mint Leaves

2 oz. Rhubarb & Strawberry Vodka

6oz. Grapefruit Juice

Juice of half a Lime

 

Add ingredients to muddler and muddle the mint. Shake with ice and pour into glass.

Pear, Lemon & Mint Smoothie

Pear, Lemon & Mint Smoothie

Pear, Lemon & Mint Smoothie

 

2 Ripe Anjou Pears

½ C. packed Mint Leaves

1 ½ T. Mint or Simple Syrup

4 T. Lemon Juice

2 C. Water

2 ½ C. Ice Cubes.

 

Peel and core pears.  Add everything to blender and puree until smooth.  Drink immediately; pears will oxidize and turn an ugly gray.

Canning Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Canning Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Canning Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Makes 6-8 pints or 3 quarts of canned concentrate

 

6 C. strawberries, cleaned and hulled

4 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 C. sugar

 

In a food processor, blender or bullet puree strawberry in batches.   Transfer strawberry puree to a stainless-steel saucepan over medium-high heat. DO NOT BOIL. Add lemon juice and sugar and stir to combine. Using a thermometer heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Because this recipe has sugar it will get to temperature rather quickly so keep your eye on the thermometer. Remove from heat.  Ladle mixture into jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims, add hot lids, and tighten rings just finger tight. Process in water bath canner at a boil for 15 minutes. To reconstitute, mix one-part concentrate with one part water, tonic water or ginger ale. Adjust concentrate to suit your taste.  You can use bottled lemon juice for this recipe as well!  If you do not want to process this concentrate in canning jars, freeze the concentrate in 1 to 2 C. portions.

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

1 & 1/3 C. sugar

1 C. water

8 lemons

1+ C. vanilla vodka

1 liter bottle of club soda

5 large sprigs of fresh mint & more for garnish

 

First you will need to make a simple syrup mixture: place the water and sugar in a small pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved—about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill. Now cut all of the lemons in half and juice them over a bowl large enough to hold all the juice. Mix the juice with the simple syrup mixture and vanilla vodka in large pitcher (or 2 carafes). Slowly pour in the club soda—you may not want to use all of the soda so taste it after you’ve added about 2/3 of the soda . You can also add more vanilla vodka if you want it a little more boozy and vanilla-y. Add the mint sprigs to the pitchers. Pour the lemonade drink over a glass of ice and add a sprig of mint. Salut!

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail

 

4 oz orange juice (or more to taste)

2 oz vanilla infused vodka

Ice

Fresh orange rounds for garnish (optional)

Blender (optional)

 

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in vanilla infused vodka, top with orange juice. Stir. Serve with fresh orange rounds for garnish. Optionally, you may blend the ingredients with ice to make a slushy/daiquiri-type drink!

Pineapple Peel and Core Lemonade with Mint

Pineapple Peel and Core Lemonade with Mint

Pineapple Peel and Core Lemonade with Mint

 

Peel and core from 1 pineapple

3 generously sized mint sprigs

1 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 C. simple syrup

 

Place the pineapple core and pieces of peel in a medium size pot with 4 C. of water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the mint sprigs, and let the mixture steep, covered, for 25 minutes. Strain the mixture into a pitcher or serving vessel and discard the pineapple core, peel, and mint sprigs. Add the lemon juice to the pineapple-infused water, stir, and slowly start adding simple syrup, tasting as you go, until the lemonade is sweetened to your liking. Refrigerate until chilled. This lemonade is at its best the day it is made, but can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator. Stir before serving. Any remaining simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Slow Cooker Cocoa

Slow Cooker Cocoa

Slow Cooker Cocoa

2 C. Whipping Cream

6 C. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 – 1 ½ C. Semi Sweet Chips

 

Optional: ¼ C. baking cocoa

Optional: ¼ C. Sugar

 

Combine all ingredients except marshmallows in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook, covered, until everything is melted, stirring occasionally, 2 – 2 ½ hours on LOW. Stir well after heated and melted.  Taste.  Adjust sweetness with cocoa or sugar if desired, cook 30 additional minutes, and stir well before serving.  Optional: Ten minutes before serving, add marshmallows and let them get melty.  Garnish with more mini marshmallows, if desired.

Sunshiny Smoothie

Sunshiny Smoothie

Sunshiny Smoothie

1/3 C. orange juice

1⁄2 frozen banana

1⁄2 C. frozen fresh pineapple

1/3 C. mango

1⁄2 C. low-fat vanilla yogurt

1⁄4 C raw slivered almonds

1 T. ground flax seed

1 tsp. honey

Sprinkle of cinnamon

 

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (even when it appears to be blended, blend a bit longer). Pour into a glass and enjoy a bit of sunshine in a glass. Makes 1 tall smoothie. Note: This recipe if a perfect way to use up bananas or fresh pineapple that may be overripe or may be on the verge of going bad—simply toss the fruit in a plastic bag, put it in the freezer and pull out pieces of fruit as needed to make this smoothie. Frozen over-ripe fruits make smoothies even more luscious

Apple Peel Tea

Apple Peel Tea

Apple Peel Tea

 

The peels and cores of 5 apples

4 C. water

2 1/2 T. brown sugar

2 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

 

Place the apple peels and cores, water, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer/low boil and add the cloves. Let simmer for one hour. After one hour, turn off the heat, add the cinnamon stick, and let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. You can also taste for sweetness when you add the cinnamon stick, adding more brown sugar if you like a sweeter tea. Pour the tea through a fine strainer, and discard the strained apple mush. The liquid can be stored in a container in the fridge (I generally use a mason jar), and leftovers can be drunk cold, or reheated on the stove or in a microwave.

Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal

Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal

Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal

 

1â…” cups water

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

â…“ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 apple, chopped or grated

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

 

In a saucepan, combine water with cinnamon and oats. Simmer about 5 minutes, until oatmeal is creamy. Stir in blueberries, apples, and nuts.

 

Yield: 2 servings

Calories: 174

Fat: 6.3g

Fiber: 7.6g

Carbs: 29g

Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena

Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena

Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena

Although you can experiment using all sorts of different fresh herbs, this combination makes for a relaxing tonic, as both lemon balm and lemon verbena are known for their calming properties.

6 fresh lemon balm leaves

4 fresh lemon verbena leaves

Juice of 4 lemons, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon

4 C. water Honey or organic dry sugar to taste

Pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients except the lemon slices in a blender, starting with a modest amount of sweetener. Blend until the herbs are pulverized, about 5 seconds, then taste and adjust the sweetness. Chill for an hour, or serve immediately over ice, garnished with a slice of lemon. The lemonade is best drunk within two days.

Homemade V-8

Homemade V-8

Homemade V-8

6 lb. of vine-ripened, organic tomatoes (preferably heirlooms), coarsely chopped

2 C. chopped organic white or yellow onion

2½ C. chopped organic celery

1 C. chopped fresh parsley (stems are fine)

2 T. honey

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin powder

6 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Sriracha

Splash or two of Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Put all the ingredients in a large stainless-steel pot. Bring them to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until very soupy, about 40 minutes. If a thicker juice is desired, first carefully blend the vegetable mixture in batches in a countertop blender, then put it through a food mill. For a smoother and more delicate juice, go straight to the food mill. A sieve might work but it would probably take forever. Next time I’ll try using my hand blender instead of the countertop blender. Update: The hand blender worked well. Chill for at least several hours before adding more salt or other seasonings. This juice will keep for at least a week in the fridge. I tried freezing some in a small plastic freezer container but haven’t defrosted it yet. I’ll let you know how it comes out when I do.

 

Update: When I defrosted the frozen tomato juice it had separated some, so that you could see teeny bits of tomato. It tasted okay but looked a little odd. I put it in the blender, and that made it all bubbly and sort of orange, though after sitting in the fridge for a while it settled down.

 

For long term storage, this juice would probably fare better if canned in glass jars using the instructions below. If you use the frozen juice in a recipe, I’m sure it would work fine.

 

To preserve your juice in glass jars: Heat juice 5 minutes at 190°F (I love my digital kitchen thermometer). Do not boil. Add 2 T. lemon juice or 1/2 tsp. citric acid to each quart jar. Add 1 T. lemon juice or 1/4 tsp. citric acid to each pint jar. Ladle hot juice into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 40 minutes and quarts 45 minutes in a water-bath canner.

Blueberry Smoothie

Blueberry Smoothie

Blueberry Smoothie

2 quarts (2-1/2 pounds) frozen blueberries, slightly thawed or 2 quarts fresh blueberries

1 quart pineapple, orange, and strawberry juice blend or pineapple-orange juice

1 quart low-fat vanilla yogurt

8 tsp. sugar

 

For each serving: In the container of an electric blender, combine 1 C. (5 ounces) blueberries, 1/2 C. juice, 1/2 C. yogurt and 1 tsp. sugar.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Serve immediately in a tall glass garnished, if desired, with blueberry skewers spiraled with a thin strip of orange peel.

Sparkling Watermelon & Lemon Verbena Drink

Sparkling Watermelon & Lemon Verbena Drink

Sparkling Watermelon & Lemon Verbena

 

1 C. superfine sugar

3/4 C. cold water

1/2 C. packed fresh lemon verbena leaves, plus more for garnish

 

6 C. seedless watermelon, diced, plus small slices for garnish

1 (75O-ml) bottle Prosecco or seltzer water

Juice of 1 lime

 

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon verbena leaves. Let cool completely, then strain through fine-mesh strainer and refrigerate. In a blender, puree the watermelon. Strain the watermelon puree, reserving the juice. Mix the watermelon juice with the Prosecco, lime juice, and 1/2 C. of the syrup (add more if desired). Serve well chilled, garnishing each glass with a thin slice of watermelon and some lemon verbena leaves.

Strawberry Grape Smoothie

Strawberry Grape Smoothie

Strawberry Grape Smoothie

¾ cup (120 g) watermelon, seedless

1 cup (160 g) green grapes

1 cup (160 g) red grapes

1 cup (150 g) frozen strawberries

½ cup (65 g) ice cubes

 

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed, using the tamper to press the ingredients toward the blades. Blend for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until desired consistency is reached.

Vitamix Citrus Smoothie

Vitamix Citrus Smoothie

Vitamix Citrus Smoothie

 

1 Large orange, peeled, halved

¼ lemon, peeled

1 slice pineapple, peeled, halved

â…“ cup (60 g) frozen mango

1 cup (130 g) ice cubes

 

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Select Variable 1.

Start the machine and increase to its highest speed. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. Notes: This recipe can easily be tripled in the 64-ounce container for a large batch smoothie you can enjoy with family.

Blue Moon Cocktail

Blue Moon Cocktail

Blue Moon Cocktail

1 C. crushed ice

1/4 C. vodka

1/4 C. blue curaçao

1/4 C. whipping cream

2 T. vanilla-flavored syrup (such as Torani)

2 T. fresh orange juice

1 T. Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur

 

In a blender, combine all ingredients and whirl until smooth. Pour into four martini glasses (4 oz.) and garnish the rim of each glass with a slice of orange.

Blue Margarita

Blue Margarita

Blue Margarita

1 1/2 oz. Tequila

1 oz. Blue Curacao

1 oz. Lime Juice

Coarse Salt

 

Rub rim of cocktail glass with lime juice. Dip rim in coarse salt. Shake tequila, blue curacao, and lime juice with ice, strain into the salt-rimmed glass, and serve.

Lavender Fizz

Lavender Fizz

Lavender Fizz

7 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup raw honey

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender flowers

1 lemon, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

Combine the water, honey, vinegar, lavender, and lemon in a clean half-gallon mason jar, cover with a lid, and shake well until all the honey has dissolved. Set the mixture aside to ferment, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. After 2 days, strain out the lavender and lemon. Transfer the liquid into glass or plastic bottles with tight-fitting lids, leaving about V2 inch of headroom in each bottle. (The lids need to be tight fitting to contain the carbonation that is going to develop. If the lids do not fit tightly, the carbonation will escape from the bottles, leaving you with a still delicious yet noncarbonated beverage.)  Set the bottles aside in a cool, dark place to ferment for 3 days. Then open one of the bottles to taste it. If the soda is still not carbonated, put the lid back on and let the bottles continue fermenting. Taste regularly. The length of time needed to produce carbonation will vary7 depending on the temperature and the activity of the yeasts in your fizz.               Once the soda reaches the desired carbonation, transfer the bottles to the refrigerator. The cold temperature will slow the fermentation process and keep the carbonation level as it is.  Sometimes a bit of mold can form on the surface of the soda during the fermentation process. This is just surface mold, and the soda is still good; simply remove the mold and proceed

Breakfast Smoothie Trio

Breakfast Smoothie Trio

Breakfast Smoothie Trio

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 banana, sliced

1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon almond butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Apple Pie Smoothie

1 banana, peeled, frozen, and sliced

1 cup sliced apples

1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon almond butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon raw honey or pure maple syrup

 

Cherry-Spinach Smoothie

1 banana, peeled, frozen, and sliced

1 cup frozen pitted cherries

1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk

Large handful of spinach

 

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Noelle’s tip: Using some frozen fruit makes the smoothies slightly thick and creamy bat still easy to blend. If you’d like to thin out the smoothie, simply add a little more coconut milk or coconut water.  Change it up: Add 1 scoop grass-fed collagen peptides to each smoothie to give it gut-healing properties.

Peach Melba Smoothie

Peach Melba Smoothie

Peach Melba Smoothie

 

2 handfuls raspberries

2 large ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled, pitted, and quartered A small glass of freshly squeezed orange or apple juice

1 to 2 T. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Variation: Use 4 ripe apricots in place of the peaches.

Melon and Lemon Verbena with Prosecco

Melon and Lemon Verbena with Prosecco

Melon and Lemon Verbena with Prosecco

 

¾ C. sugar

¼ C. lemon verbena leaves

1 small ripe cantaloupe

Prosecco or other sparkling wine (for serving)

 

Bring sugar, lemon verbena, and 1½ C. water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain syrup into a pitcher; discard solids. Meanwhile, halve cantaloupe and remove seeds. Scoop flesh into a blender and purée until smooth. Stir into syrup and chill melon mixture until cold and foam has settled, 1–2 hours. To serve, fill 8 glasses a third of the way full with melon mixture (you’ll have some leftover); gently top off with Prosecco. Do Ahead: Melon mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Sweet Cherry Lemonade

Sweet Cherry Lemonade

Sweet Cherry Lemonade

 

1 pound pitted fresh or frozen Bing cherries

3/4 C. sugar

1 C. water

 

1 1/2 C. sugar

8 C. cold water, divided

1 1/2 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 10 lemons

2 lemons, thinly sliced and seeded, for garnish

 

Combine the cherries, sugar, and water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing against the solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Pour into a bottle and chill well before using. Combine the sugar and 1 C. of the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 7 C. water to the cooled sugar water and mix well. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, until well chilled. Serve the chilled lemonade over ice in tall glasses. Invite guests to sweeten it to their liking with the Sweet Cherry Syrup.

Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams

 

4 ounces orange juice

1 ounce half and half

1/2 ounce sugar, or simple syrup

1 dash grenadine syrup

 

Blend all ingredients with ice and pour into a 12 ounce glass.  Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Note:  To make simple syrup – In a medium saucepan, cook 2 C. of sugar in 1 C. of water over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.  Bring mixture to a full boil.  Remove from heat and cool.  It may be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Winter Fruit Martinis

Winter Fruit Martinis

Winter Fruit Martinis

 

1 apple

1 pear

Lemon juice

Fresh blueberries

1 orange

Orange juice

About 1/4 c. coconut rum or vodka

Sugar (for coating glasses)

Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)

 

Dice apple and pear. (For fun you can cut slices of the apple with a cookie cutter.) Place in mixing bowl.  Add lemon juice to keep fruit from turning brown. Add blueberries to bowl.  Peel and segment orange: Cut off both ends and slice off rind. Then cut along natural segments. Add orange segments, orange juice and rum (or vodka) to bowl. Let sit for approximately 2 hours.  Serve in a martini glass with a sugarcoated rim. Garnish with an orange wedge and mint leaves.

Granny Smith, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water

Granny Smith, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water

Granny Smith, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water

 

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and seeded, thinly sliced into rounds

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh mint

1 gallon water

In a large pitcher combine the apple slices, cucumber slices, mint, and water. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Triple Berry Smoothie

Triple Berry Smoothie

Triple Berry Smoothie

½ cup (120 ml) water

½ cup (75 g) red grapes

½ cup (120 ml) plain low fat yogurt, or non-dairy alternative

½ cup (75 g) frozen strawberries

½ cup (80 g) frozen blueberries

½ cup (70 g) frozen raspberries

 

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached, using the tamper to press the ingredients toward the blades. Notes: You may substitute out any liquid for the yogurt, maybe try soy milk or cashew milk. For best results, allow frozen fruit to thaw at room temperature 10 minutes before blending. Note, all past recipes may have not used red grape

Plantation Iced Tea

Plantation Iced Tea

Plantation Iced Tea

3 C. freshly brewed green tea. at room temperature

1/3 C. fresh pineapple juice

1/4 C. Ginger Simple Syrup

1 fresh lime juice

Ice, for serving

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Pineapple wedges, for garnish

 

Combine the green tea, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and lime juice in a large glass measuring C. or bowl and whisk together. Cover the C. or bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Serve over ice and garnish each glass with mint and a pineapple wedge.

 

Ginger Simple Syrup

 

1 C. granulated sugar

1 C. filtered water

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

 

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring with wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. The liquid should go from cloudy to clear. Remove from the heat and let steep for about 1 hour before removing the ginger. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.