// Cocktail Hour: Red Berry Lemonade Spritzer

Another day, another cocktail! (Well, mocktail in my case... but maybe a cocktail for you!) I love me some lemonade. Like, it is probably my all time favorite drink ever and I'd live on it if it were possible. Add in some fresh fruit with that lemonade and then I'm totally hooked. Today I wanted to share a little red berry lemonade spritzer with y'all! This has kept me cool many days so far this Summer and I have a feeling I'll be drinking it until berry season has long passed.

INGREDIENTS:

Simply Lemonade Raspberry Lemonade (or any kind you prefer)

La Croix Lemon Lime sparking water (it's actually better with Sprite!)

Fresh Raspberries + Strawberries

Optional: vodka!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add your lemonade to your glass of ice, and then top it off with your favorite lemon-lime drink. I used La Croix in this version simply because it's what I had on hand, but my all-time favorite version uses Sprite! (Those extra bubbles and sugar sort of take it to the next level!) Add in some raspberries and sliced strawberries for an extra bit of flavor and texture. I prefer to layer my carbonated drink on top of the lemonade because I love how it looks. Then I garnish with a big ol' ripe and juicy strawberry! - Bonus points if you use a chilled mug or glass. Then it's extra refreshing on a hot and humid day.

The mocktail version is both gorgeous and satisfying, and it's something everyone can enjoy. If you're looking to punch it up a bit, try adding your favorite vodka. If you're not huge on flavored lemonades, use a regular ol' lemonade and then add flavored vodka of your choosing. I bet it'd even be delicious with rum! (I'll let you know in a few weeks haha!) xo

PS; I've been out of the office since last Wednesday, so if you've sent me an email please know a reply will quickly be on its way! I'll be back in the office full time tomorrow morning and I'll be tending to emails, design clients, and sign commissions! Thanks so much for your patience and understanding!

// Cocktail Hour: La Croix Mojito

Hello Summer! If there's one thing I love about this season, it's sitting pool side with a crisp, cold cocktail in hand. Since my cocktail drinkin' is currently on hiatus, I've been trying to whip up some equally delicious mocktails to get the job done. Mike likes to call this one my "faux-jito" haha! Obviously you could easily bump this up a notch for any adult by adding some rum (Mike does!), but this is the version Toby and I like to enjoy together. (And I love that I get to garnish the drink with bits from our garden!)

INGREDIENTS:

La Croix Lemon-Lime sparking water

1 tbsp sugar

Lime - wedged or sliced

2 sprigs of fresh mint
Optional: your favorite white rum!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Muddle some fresh mint in the bottom of your glass and cover with ice. Add your La Croix sparkling water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. (You can opt to mix your ice, water and sugar in a cocktail shaker if you want to ensure it gets nice and mixed up!). Slice a lime to suit and garnish your drink with a spring of mint and a few pieces of lime. Then enjoy!

Toby loves this drink because it makes him feel "fancy like an adult" he says! It's both refreshing and delicious without being packed full of sugar or artificial colors.

If you'd like to see more cocktail (and mocktail!) recipes, feel free to click HERE for a hefty dose of Cocktail Hour!

// Summer Corn, Black Bean + Avocado Dip

My absolute favorite thing to eat in the Summer is this corn and avocado dip. I guess it's technically more of a "salad" since I like to just grab a spoon and eat it (ha!), but it's equally delicious on tortilla chips, homemade pita crisps, or even a regular ol' tortilla! I don't mind putting forth the effort and time it takes to make it, but often I find that we can't eat it fast enough before the avocado turns in the fridge. So to remedy that I've started making "half" portions. Toby actually loves it (surprisingly!) so the half-batch ends up being the perfect amount for a fresh, crisp Summer lunch.

Despite showing a full jalapeno, lime and avocado below, we only use part of them so pay attention to the amounts below if you want to make a serving appropriate for 1-2 people! If you're entertaining a small group, go ahead and double the amounts!

Ingredients:

- 2 fresh, boiled ears of corn - kerneled (or 1/2 can of corn)

- 1/2 can of black beans - drained and rinsed 

- 1/2 avocado - cubed

- Handful of cilantro - diced

- 1/2 lime - juiced

- 1 dozen cherry tomatoes - quartered

- 1/4 jalapeno - seeded and diced

- 4 tbsp red onion - diced (1/4 of an onion)

- Kosher salt

Steps: I always start by rinsing my corn and black beans, then tossing them in the bowl. Then I quarter up my cherry tomatoes and drain them so they don't add too much "water" to the mix. I like to buy the diced onions because otherwise I tear up like crazy while cutting them ha. But then I add my onions, diced cilantro and lime juice. Don't forget to be careful when you're slicing and seeding your jalapeno! It doesn't matter how many times I remind myself not to touch my nose/eyes, I'm always left crying on the couch with an ice cube to my face! (Seriously... it burns so bad!) I always make sure to mix up the salad at this stage so I can then top it off with my cubed avocado. No one likes when the avocado gets all mashed up in there! After getting it all nice and ready, I sprinkle a handful of coarse, kosher salt on top to taste. If you're eating it with tortilla chips, go light on the salt! - It's an insanely simple "recipe" and probably didn't even require the steps to be listed out. But there you go!

I promise that if you make this, you will love it! It's so refreshing! Since I only use half a can/avocado/lime when I whip it up, I'm always set to make it again the next day. Let me know if you decide to give it a go. I'm thinking I might need to head to the grocery store so I can make it this week again!

// My Favorite Eats: Spring Parfait

If there's one thing I love about Spring coming around, it's the ability to get fresh, in-season produce. Saying "in season" at the very beginning of May is probably a little bit of a stretch with my berries, but at least they're way more affordable than $6 per pound like in the winter! Since the weather has been warming up, I've been treating myself to a delicious breakfast on the front porch or back deck each morning. Just sitting out under the sunshine, chowing down on my meal, admiring how green everything is becoming. More often than not that meal consists of a berry and granola parfait. Yum! I could seriously eat this for every meal... and sometimes I do. Shh!

My favorite setup is a simple bowl of strawberry yogurt, fruit and nut granola (Kashi's organic granola is my jam!), and an assortment of berries. Even if I don't have access to blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, I always have red seedless grapes! Grapes are without a doubt my favorite parfait topping! They add the perfect amount of sweetness.

I've been browsing Pinterest and recipe websites trying to find a few variations on the simple meal. New toppings to throw in, different kinds of oats or granola to use. Maybe it's just because of the season, but I legitimately want to host a brunch so I can set up my own little yogurt parfait bar! haha It's the perfect light and refreshing (and filling!) meal.

Do you have any favorite mix-ins or concoctions? Or even quick and easy breakfast ideas? I'm trying to find as many yummy recipes that are appropriate for one as I can. Part of me thinks a parfait with a little bit of maple syrup would be delicious, but I don't know if that's weird or if I'm just totally unexperienced in the food world haha! I totally had this for breakfast today, and I'll probably have a smaller serving as my mid-day snack, too. I guess you can help loving what you love, right? And yes, this has been an entire post dedicated to the wonder that is a yogurt and berry parfait. You're welcome ha! ;)

// Cocktail Hour: Christmas Cookie

Another holiday drink for you to whip up this season! I've been doing a lot of cocktail recipes for LuLu*s over the past few months and it's been such a treat to share these creations with others. If you can overlook the fact that my last few drinks look a lot alike, you'll be amazed at the variety of tastes and flavors they entail! For instance this drink is comprised of ice cream, alcohol, and a sprinkle of hard candy! (If peppermint isn't your thing, you're in luck! It's so easy to substitute in butterscotch hard candies and schnapps.) Pop over to the LuLu*s blog to get the full run down and the recipe! Mike was a huge fan of this one (but he always is... haha)

Let me know if you end up making it yourself! Enjoy!

// Cocktail Hour: Buttercup

The holidays are definitely a time of year where a ton of emphasis is put on food. Gorgeous tablescapes overflowing with delectable dishes. But you shouldn’t forget the seasonal cocktails! My perfect evening would be curled up in a chair with a book, blanket and cocktail, toasting my toes by a fireplace. Pretty dreamy, right? Today I’m here to share with you a new favorite Autumn cocktail of mine: The Buttercup. The Buttercup cocktail may sound dainty and unassuming, but this little drink packs a punch. It’s 75% alcohol in it’s unaltered state, but feel free to play with the ratios to get the perfect taste for you.

Buttercup Cocktail

serves one

2 oz butterscotch schnapps

2 oz coffee liqueur

2 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream

Milk

Mix each of the alcoholic components together in a lowball glass. Fill the glass with milk to achieve the preferred taste. (I used 2oz, but if you prefer less “bite” in your cocktail, try 4 oz). Top off your cocktail with whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings. I added a chocolate straw to give my cocktail an extra punch of flavor.

Despite this cocktail being slightly chilly, it’s sure to keep you warm on the cooler evenings! Enjoy!

// LuLu*s Hot Summer Series - 2 Delicious Summer Drinks!

Hey friends! I had the pleasure of whipping up 2 fun Summer drinks for LuLu*s recently, and they just posted them on their blog! I'd love it if you popped over to see what they're all about!

There's one "mocktail" which is a super fruity (and deliciously tart!) punch and a peach white wine sangria! A little something something for everyone.

Let me know if you try any of them out. I have a feeling we'll be drinking the summer punch 24/7 around here. Can't you just see how much Toby loves it?! Here's to a festive holiday (or week... whatever the case may be!) Thanks for having me, LuLu*s!

// Cocktail Hour: Sweet Blueberry Mojito

Just what summer needs.. A refreshing, cold cocktail! Even better? This one tastes like it is fresh from a sno-cone stand! Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the way alcohol tastes when it's coupled up with heat and humidity. I love a nice adult beverage as much as the next girl, but I don't run around looking for ways to feel sick in the summer sun, ya know what I mean? Mike and I were playing around with a traditional mojito recipe the other day when we decided to add in a few bits and bobs. The result? DELICIOUSNESS! Say hello to the Sweet Blueberry Mojito!

Would I be a bad former-bartender if I told you this was the first time I've actually drank a mojito? Because it's true. I don't know how one works behind a bar for nearly 7 years without giving it a go, but I guess I tend to stick to the whiskey drinks. I did not expect to like this concoction when I tried it... which is probably another strange thing to admit. But we liked it so much that we immediately made one to take to my mom, too. She always appreciates a new cocktail to try and she gave it her seal of approval, too.

The drink itself could be made in batches fairly easily, and it makes for the perfect summer soiree type beverage because of the fun color. Who can resist a hyper-blue drink?! We maybe made a few more that evening after Toby went to bed, and possibly even experimented with another version the next night. We're not total lushes, I promise! But I hope you enjoy this yummy drink! Here's how we made it...

Sweet Blueberry Mojito

2oz Bacardi Rum

.5oz Blue Curacao

7 mint leaves

2tsp sugar

Sprite

Lime wedge

Blueberries + mint for garnish

Begin by muddling the 7 mint leaves in the bottom of your glass. You can go ahead and add in the 2 ounces of rum to help the process. Once you get them nice and mushed up, add your half-ounce of blue curaco and your 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir everything up nice and well, then add crushed ice. Fill the rest of glass with Sprite. Garnish with a couple of blueberries and a mint leaf.

If you'd rather it not be so sweet, you can substitute the Sprite for a little club soda like a traditional mojito. You can also mix it up and use raspberry rum, too! But we'll save that flavor for another day!

If you decide to give it a whirl, let me know what you think! Seriously, it's just like a summer sno-cone! Happy Fathers Day, folks!

Oh - and I'm totally dedicating this one to my best friend Susannah who is celebrating her birthday today! Love you so much, lady!