Archive for the ‘Drinks’ Category

Fabulous Fall Drinks Round-Up

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

I am SO excited for one of my favorite times of the year, fall! While I enjoy every season and the special things we like to do in each, there’s something about the falling leaves and the cooling temperatures – and the fun holidays we get to celebrate – that makes the autumn months some of my absolute favorites.

Fabulous Fall Drinks  MomAdvice.com

And I’m here to admit that one of the reasons I look forward to the fall is all the fabulous flavored hot drinks I can enjoy again during the cold weather! You know I’m a coffee girl, and adding flavor to coffee is probably one of the greatest inventions ever in my book! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite hot drinks I’ve created as well as a few others I’ve found that I can’t wait to try.

The only thing I have to decide: which one first?

Mom Advice Classics:

Homemade_Pumpkin_Spice_Latte

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

homemade_salted_caramel_mocha

Homemade Salted Caramel Mocha

DIY_Starbucks_Peppermint_Mocha

Homemade Peppermint Mocha

Homemade_Vanilla_Chai

Homemade Vanilla Chai Mix or Cocoa Mix

(these make great gifts for anyone who needs a warm weather pick-me-up!)

DIY_Gingerbread_Latte

Homemade Gingerbread Latte

Homemade_Mint_Truffle_Creamer

DIY Flavored Coffee Creamers

Here are more fabulous drinks I found for you to try – including a couple for adults-only!

peanut-butter-caramel-mocha

Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Latte @ Lunch Box Bunch

crockpot-coconut-hot-chocolate

Crockpot Coconut Hot Chocolate @ How Sweet It Is

SprinkleBakes Whiteout Cocoa

Whiteout Cocoa @ Sprinkle Bakes

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffe @ iVillage

tiramisu tippers

Tiramisu Tippers @ Better Homes & Gardens

And here’s a fun bonus – one of my favorite ways to keep warm on-the-go drinks from being uncomfortable to hold: easy handmade knitted coffee cozies!

Knitted_Coffee_Cozies

You can find even more great drink ideas on our Drinks Pinterest board and if you’d like a few more cooler-weather ideas, be sure to check out our Pinterest boards: Soups & Stews, Slow Cooker Dishes, and my favorite, Knitting!

Well, are you ready for the cooler fall weather now? I know I am!

 

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Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

In the summer I am always looking for fun summer cocktails to share with my girlfriends and this blueberry sangria lemonade is the perfect summer drink to share with a good friend. You won’t believe how easy this blueberry sangria lemonade is to create and just how easy it is to drink…well, you might believe that last part of the sentence. This drink just screams summer, backyard fun, and begs to be enjoyed poolside.

Each month Walmart is challenging me to create a recipe using one of their produce items. Last month I tackled strawberries with a fun baked strawberry doughnut recipe and this month it is all about the blueberries with this easy blueberry sangria lemonade recipe.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Blueberries are one of our favorite summer fruits and we love to enjoy our summer bounty all year long. A few years ago I started freezing my berries in a different way using the Cook’s Illustrated method for freezing my berries and I can’t rave enough about how much better my frozen berries taste. You should definitely add this to your summer to-do list this year.

As we await our annual berry picking season, I wanted to offer some advice for selecting the perfect berries at the supermarket. Be sure to select  a package of firm, plump berries with an indigo blue color and a silvery white frost. Avoid any with a green or red tint, which indicates under ripe berries. You will want to make sure there are no juice stains at the bottom of the carton or moldy or crushed berries buried inside of the cartons as well when selecting those berries.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Now that you have the perfect berries, you can start incorporating them in this easy sangria. All of the ingredients can be found at your local Walmart store. I recommend mixing this one up the night before your gathering to really allow the flavors to incorporate together and for the best flavor.

You don’t have to splurge on the wine on this one, but make sure that you buy one that you would enjoy drinking. I love the budget-friendly and always delicious, Barefoot Chardonnay for this recipe because it fits sweetly in my budget and really tastes great for an affordable wine.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

If you grow mint in your garden, this is another fun drink to add a little mint to for fresh flavor. And don’t forget, that mint can be put to good use in our Perfect Mojito recipe too in those long and hot summer months!

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: Amy Clark
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
These blueberry sangrias scream summertime. Let the flavors meld together overnight for a truly delicious drink!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 (12-ounce) can frozen concentrated pink lemonade
  • 1 bottle (750ml) Chardonnay, (I love Barefoot Chardonnay for this)
  • 3 cups lemon lime soda
  • 1/2 cup Brandy
  • Fresh mint for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld together.
  2. Serve chilled.

Looking for more great blueberry recipes? Be sure to try these eight ideas for blueberry recipes!

walmart_mom_disclaimer

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Easy Bloody Mary Mix

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Bloody Mary drinks trump a Mimosa any day in my book thanks to their rich tomato flavor and addition of everything in your pantry and spice cabinet. Today’s recipe is for an easy Bloody Mary Mix that you can create with items you probably already have in your home. This Bloody Mary Mix can be enjoyed with vodka or without and garnished with delicious green olives and celery stalks for stirrers.

Thanks to the kiddos being in school during the day, my husband and I have been enjoying day dates instead where we can save on the babysitter and I have more time to really enjoy being leisurely in the kitchen.

I decided one week to test a variety of breakfast recipes from our French Breakfast Donuts to these Quinioa Berry Breakfast Bowls to the Bloody Mary, and my husband took the day off so we could sit around and brunch all day long while watching a movie on the television at home.

It was an inexpensive date that yielded breakfast treats and snacks all week long and tasted far better than anything we would enjoy when dining out. The bonus was that I never left my pajamas.  Doesn’t everything taste better when you are in your pajamas?

I am a little picky about my Bloody Mary so it can be a gamble when dining out if the Bloody Mary will be to my liking. I like it spicy, but not too spicy. I also like a little bit of seasoning, but I don’t like it to be gritty. This Bloody Mary mix is my favorite because it has just the right balance of spices, heat, and has a good balance of flavors, especially when left overnight in the fridge so that the flavors can all blend well together.

I hope you can give this Bloody Mary Mix a try! It is a great recipe to have tucked away for your next brunch especially since a big batch can be made the day before along with an overnight strata or quiche. This is effortless entertaining, truly at it’s finest!

 

 

Easy Bloody Mary Mix
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: AllRecipes.com
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 8
Make this one the night before so that the flavors truly can meld together!
Ingredients
  • 1 (46 fluid ounce) bottle tomato-vegetable
  • juice cocktail
  • 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon steak sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Instructions
  1. In a large pitcher, combine juice cocktail, lemon juice and brown sugar.
  2. Season with Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce and celery salt.
  3. Cover, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours to allow flavors to meld.

Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com.

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Homemade Whole Wheat Toasted Tarts

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

I love, love, love breakfast tarts and today I wanted to share with you a cute homemade whole wheat toasted tart version of this delicious treat that you can make right in your own kitchen. This recipe for whole wheat toasted tarts is so delicious that you won’t believe how much yum can be packed into one little treat.

These whole wheat toasted tarts incorporate a little whole wheat flour and in lieu of a frosting topping, I have mixed raw sugar & wheat germ for a sweet and toasty combination of deliciousness that is a little bit healthier than sprinkles and frosting (although we do love sprinkles and frosting around here too!).

I had never eaten a homemade toasted tart before and can I say…holy yum?! These are flaky, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and just the right balance of filling and crust.

I hit my local Walmart store to grab supplies for this yummy treat. They offer absolutely delicious gourmet Bonne Maman fruit preserves that have become a special treat in our house for everything from waffle topping to my kid’s peanut butter & jellies. They retail for $3.95 each and come in delicious berry combinations, strawberry, cherry, and wild blueberry. One of these days I will get the hang of canning, but for now, these are my go-to preserves and make a delicious filling for homemade toasted tarts.

Just like my all butter pie crust (you can check out a picture tutorial over there),  I employ the use of my food processor to create an easy crust without the kneading. To make sure I don’t overwork the dough, I only use the Pulse on my food processor so I can make sure that I have a very tender dough. This is really essential for a flaky crust especially since we are creating this dough with whole wheat flour incorporated in it.

You can roll your dough out on a well-floured surface or roll it between two pieces of parchment paper. I highly recommend the parchment paper since this dough is a sticky one!

Did I mention sticky? This dough is a tricky little beast for a novice chef. Refrigeration of your crust is really essential for nice crisp edges and workable dough. The experts advise chilling your dough before using it and then chilling your tarts before you bake them to retain their shape. I do the same tactic with my sugar cookies and it yields crisp results. This will be doubly important if you live somewhere with a humid climate or are working in a hot kitchen.

My advice, chill out!

Seriously, just chill out for as long as you can!

My crunchy & sweet topping is raw sugar mixed with wheat germ. A generous sprinkle of this adds another layer of deliciousness. Although the dough is chock-full of butter (as all good crusts are!), there is very little sugar in the dough itself and the raw sugar adds a crunchy texture as well as a little sweetness to this homemade delight.

These little toasty tarts were meant to be cut in perfect measurements with crisp corners.

I am no baker though, so these are imperfect…

Just like me!

The kids never noticed the difference and busy moms don’t have time for perfection when it comes to snacks.

Can I get an, “Amen?”

Toasted Tart Filling Ideas

Fruit Preserve Filling: 3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam, 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.

Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Filling: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, & 4 teaspoons flour. Whisk together.

Chocolate Filling: 9 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or 9 tablespoons Nutella. Spread or sprinkle chocolate filling.

Homemade Whole Wheat Toasted Tarts
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Adapted from King Author Flour
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 45 mins
Serves: 9
Surprise the kids with a homemade version of this favorite breakfast treat. Be sure to visit the post for filling ideas for your homemade whole wheat toasted tarts.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 quarter-pound sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk
  • 1 additional large egg (for brushing on the pastry)
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar
  • 1 tablespoon wheat germ
Instructions
  1. Process flour, sugar, and salt together until combined.
  2. Add butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible.
  3. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.
  4. Divide the dough in half. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes.
  6. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. Laying a 9″ x 13″ pan atop the dough will give you an idea if you’ve rolled it large enough. Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9″ x 12″ rectangle of dough.
  7. Roll the second piece of dough just as you did the first. Press the edge of a ruler into the dough you’ve just rolled, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and widthwise; you’ll see nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.
  8. Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle.
  9. Place the second sheet of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around each pocket of jam, sealing the dough well on all sides.
  10. Brush the tops of the pastry with the remainder of the egg and then sprinkle the wheat germ and raw sugar topping on top of your tart.
  11. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Cut the dough evenly in between the filling mounds to make nine tarts. Press the cut edges with your fingers to seal, then press with a fork, to seal again.
  12. Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.
  13. Remove the tarts form the fridge, and bake them for 25-28 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.

Recipe Adapted from King Author Flour.

 

Afraid to tackle a homemade crust? I get it! You can find an easy DIY Pop Tart made from store-bought crust over here!

 

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Peeptini Cocktail Recipe

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Looking for a fun new way to celebrate Easter? I have the perfect martini for you! Peep Martinis are a fun way to celebrate the season that is sure to be a crowd pleaser! This Peep-tini is an adorable nod to this beloved little candy!

This martini is made with marshmallow fluff vodka, heavy cream, and a vanilla simple syrup. Simple syrup is the easiest way to add flavor to cocktails or coffee drinks and is made from items you already have in your pantry.I love my peppermint syrup for my homemade peppermint mochas and my plain simple syrup for the perfect mojito. It takes only a few minutes to make a simple syrup and is a great little item to have tucked away in your fridge for cocktail or coffee-making!

If you have a dairy sensitivity, the heavy cream can be replaced with your favorite dairy substitute like vanilla almond milk, thick and rich coconut milk, or even rice milk for a more mild flavor. They all will taste absolutely delicious and paired with the vanilla vodka, it feels a little like you are cheating!

Peeptini Cocktail Recipe
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: Adapted from SheKnows.com
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 2
A fun spin on an Easter martini utilizing the infamous Peep candy for garnish.
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 ounces fluffed marshmallow vodka
  • 1/2 ounce vanilla syrup, plus extra for rim
  • 1 ounce cream
  • Sugar
  • To make vanilla syrup: 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. Cool to room temperature and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three months.
  4. Pour a small amount of vanilla syrup onto one plate and sprinkle sugar onto another plate. Dip rim of glass in syrup and then into sugar to coat.
  5. Put vodka, syrup and cream in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  6. Shake.
  7. Strain into glass.
  8. Adorn with a Peep.

I highly recommend enjoy that cocktail while gazing at your beautiful Peep Wreath that is decorating your door. You can’t beat a Peep show like that!

 The fun started with me today, but you can catch our projects all week long! Have a fun Spring project you have been working on? Be sure to add your Spring projects on Friday, March 22nd at 8 a.m. CST…on any of our blogs.  So…mark your calendars! The fun starts on Monday, March 18th! And add your Spring projects on Friday, March 22nd at 8 a.m. CST…see you there!! This is another great link-up like our Valentine’s Day link-up that was such a success in February so start thinking about your favorite Spring projects you would like to share.

Today you can also check out these Chalkboard Crosses on The Pennington Point!

This week we will each be showcasing a project and here are all of the great hostesses that will be offering fun projects this week!

Meet your hostesses…

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Fall Into Fall DRINKS with MomAdvice.com

Monday, September 17th, 2012

If there is one thing I happen to be famous for around here, it is my ability to make a delicious Fall drink for myself and my friends. Last year I was on a quest to recreate all of my favorite Starbucks drinks and I manged to recreate all of my favorites and keep a little extra money in the bank this year.

Here are a few of my favorite Fall drinks that have been on MomAdvice over the years!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

There was a whole lot of latte loving last year on the blog. I hope you didn’t miss it! The latte loving all began with this drink and recreating my favorite pumpkin treat at Starbucks. I can happily say that I rarely ordered one of these this fall thanks to this handy little recipe. It’s nice to know when Starbucks pulls a drink off of their menu, I can still get my midday fix.

Homemade Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

 

My new favorite drink at Starbucks is their Salted Caramel Mocha Latte. One sip of this delicious goodness had me daydreaming about how I could replicate this delicious salty caramel goodness at home. Coffee drinking is, after all, one of my favorite hobbies, but a girl has to do it on a budget.  A DIY version of this Salted Caramel Mocha Latte was definitely in order.

Homemade Gingerbread Latte

Although not a Fall drink, I feel gingerbread flavors are still so fabulous anytime the weather gets chilly! This drink tastes like gingerbread itself and is filled with ginger, molasses, and cinnamon within the gingerbread syrup you create for your latte.

Homemade Peppermint Mocha

Truth be told, the Peppermint Mocha is still one of my all-time favorite drinks at Starbucks…but… once I started making these at home,  I am not loving the Starbucks version as much as my homemade version. This post offers a recipe for a simple peppermint syrup that you can add to your drinks and keep on hand in your fridge whenever the Peppermint Mocha Latte urge hits you.  These are so delicious and one of my favorite recipes on our site.

Creamy Hot Cocoa Mix

A good cocoa mix is harder to make than it might seem. I like my hot chocolate to be the right balance of creamy and chocolate goodness. It needs to be yummy enough on it’s own, but also be able to endure loads and loads of whipped cream and marshmallows.

After trying and testing many variations in our house, we have determined that this is the best cocoa mix of all. It is the perfect ratio of everything and can make a fabulous gift to give to someone special in your life.

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Mix

My favorite warm drink is chai tea. The drink mixes are expensive, but mixing up a batch of this yourself can help to keep your pockets nice and warm with a little extra money. Most of the spices, dry creamer, and dry milk are already stocked in my pantry. Once you try this, you will never buy those expensive mixes again!

Butterbeer Lattes

Looking for a warm Fall drink that you can enjoy with a great movie? We decided to give a butterbeer latte a spin in our kitchen ad we absolutely love them. These lattes taste a little like  cocoa, a little like a cookie, and a whole lot like butterscotch. My kids couldn’t get enough of these and it was a fun one to have them help me in the kitchen with.

 What is your favorite Fall drink recipe you have tried from our site? Have any of these recipes become a yearly tradition for your families? I would love to hear from you!

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Fall Into Fall FOODS With MomAdvice

Monday, September 17th, 2012

The Best of Fall Recipes from MomAdvice.com.

As I begin creating new recipes for the site, I wanted to showcase a few of my favorite dishes that have been on our site in years past for the fall. Fall just so happens to be my favorite season and coincidentally, Fall foods and drinks happen to be my favorite type of sips & dishes.

Here is a list of a few of my favorite Fall foods that I can’t wait to eat this year!

Weeknight Roast Turkey Sandwiches

Few things say fall is here to me like the delicious flavor of roast turkey. While many think of roasting a turkey as only a routine done on Thanksgiving, I think of roasting a turkey as an easy weeknight dish that can be turned into delicious packed sandwiches for my kid’s lunchboxes and a lifesaver for busy weeknights when I don’t feel like cooking. You will love this easy (and frugal) technique for a great weeknight turkey sandwich!

Hearty Beef Stew

Nothing says the Fall like a great beef stew. This stew is so rich and decadent,  because of the use of bacon in this stew. The bacon fat is what all of the vegetables get coated in for cooking and then the cooked bacon is set aside for crumbling on top of the stew once it comes out of the oven.  I filled the broth with red wine and beef broth, to create a rich and flavorful broth that will have your whole family begging for more!

Soup, Soup, & More Soup

For a family that never liked soup, we have become the family with a soup night in our weekly rotation. Visit the link above to access my absolute favorite soups- an easy weeknight chicken noodle, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, our Pesto Chicken Tortellini, and so much more! If that isn’t enough soup for you this year, you must try my homemade tomato soup. It will change any negative feelings you might have about tomato soup- I promise!

Apple Pie Muffins

My family does not like apple pie (weird, I know!), but they do really love my apple pie muffins that incorporate those delicious flavors of the apple pie with a simple crumb topping. If you happen to have an abundance of apples on hand, I highly recommend giving these apple muffins a try

The batter is sweet, but not too sweet, and the apples have a warmness to them thanks to the cooked apple and the cinnamon that is worked into the crumb topping and within the muffin itself.  Serve these up with a big glass of milk and you have the makings of a perfect snack!

Apple Pork Chops

These pork chops are a satisfyingly sweet and savory dish that pairs ingredients that I typically have around our house. The brown sugar and cinnamon sauce adds a delicious glaze to this perfectly cooked pork.  Baking the pork helps it to achieve the perfect temperature and I believe you will be stunned at what a tender and juicy pork chop this recipe yields!

Baked Apple Pie Donuts

I love baking donuts and these Baked Apple Pie Donuts are the perfect treat to make for your family! The dominate flavor in this one is definitely the apple followed by the earthy and nutty flavor of ground nutmeg that helps round out the flavor profile of these donuts.  Once these delicate donuts are done baking, they are brushed lightly with butter and then dipped into a cinnamon and sugar coating that helps bring all of those delicious fall flavors together and that little bit of gritty, yummy crunch that just so happens to be my favorite thing about donuts.

Cheddar Apple Pie Dip

One of my favorite combinations for fall eating is cheddar and apples. If you haven’t tried this before, it is the perfect balance of sweet and savory and they all come together in this easy & delicious dip.  Diced on top  is a mixture of red and green apples that have been tossed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and coarsely chopped walnuts. The layer underneath offers a surprise of cheddar cheese mixed with cream cheese and sour cream, cooked until hot and bubbly. Serve with your favorite cinnamon chip or cracker.

 

The Best of Fall Recipes from MomAdvice.com.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Syrup Frosting

I wanted to figure out a way to use the leftover cans of pumpkin we had from our Thanksgiving feasting last year, and I decided to create my very own Baked Pumpkin Donuts with a Maple Syrup Frosting that would be the perfect use for the pumpkin leftover. What started as a way to use up leftover pumpkin is now worked into our fall activities and this year my kids will be enjoying these with big mugs of  homemade hot cocoa on our little front step outside when we do our raking this year.

These are flavorful and almost like a glass of wine, you can taste all the different flavors as you eat them. You can taste the hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, the rich pumpkin flavor, and then that maple syrup sweetness from the light glaze drizzle. The texture is different than a fried donut and more like a muffin or a good piece of cake. They are not overly sweet though and the pumpkin really seems to add a savory quality to these.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

I can’t tell you how many of my friends have made my pumpkin pasta a part of their fall routines. It is one of those dishes that surprises me about just how much it is loved!

Have you ever tried pumpkin pasta?  Over the years this dish has become the most favorite dish for fall and one bite of this will tell you why! The kids think it looks like macaroni and cheese so it does not take much coaxing to get them to try a bite. My husband loves the turkey sausage and the meaty flavor of this dish. Me? I just love the creamy pumpkin taste in my mouth!

If you are worried about how your family will react to pumpkin pasta, scale the pumpkin back. You can do between 2/3-2 cups of pasta, depending on your personal taste. Start with a little and ease your family into the two cup ratio.

The pumpkin recipes go on for days and days on our site! Be sure to visit my article on 11 Recipes to Try this Fall with Pumpkin!

What is your favorite Fall recipe you have tried from our site? Have any of these recipes become a yearly tradition for your families? I would love to hear from you!

 

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The Perfect Mojito

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

I am often inspired by my travels to create dishes and drinks that replicate the flavors of some of my favorite vacations. If there is one drink that simply screams, “VACATION,” it is the Mojito.

I indulged in a poolside mojito this summer and it was a deliciously minty lime indulgence that I couldn’t wait to replicate. The price tag for this delicious poolside drink was a whopping eighteen dollars! The price tag on my version is a mere two or three in supplies per drink and will make you feel like you are on vacation…even when you are only in your own backyard.

The trick to creating a great mojito is all in using the freshest ingredients, selecting a great white rum, and taking the time to prepare a simple sugar syrup that you can have on hand for all of your drinks.  Having a few fun straws or paper umbrellas can up the wow-factor on this and will let your whole family know that you will be on vacation for the evening.

The Perfect Mojito
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: Amy Allen Clark
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 1
An overabundance of mint in the garden is the perfect excuse to make these perfect mojios!
Ingredients
  • 10 fresh mint leaves
  • 1 lime cut into wedges
  • 3 tablespoons of prepared simple syrup (see directions below)
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 2 ounces white rum
  • 1/2 cup club soda
Instructions
  1. Place mint leaves and 2 lime wedges into a sturdy glass jar.
  2. Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. If you don’t have a muddler like me, just use the end of a wooden spoon.
  3. Add 2 more lime wedges and your prepared sugar syrup, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture.
  4. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice.
  5. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water.
  6. Stir, taste, and add more prepared sugar syrup, if desired.

How to Prepare Your Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the peppermint extract. Cool to room temperature and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three months. This same syrup is great with a little peppermint added for my infamous peppermint mochas.

 

Find this and many other fun recipes & ideas in the summer issue of Splendidly Homemade Magazine!

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Homemade Butterbeer Lattes

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

My son and I have been happily reading away at the Harry Potter books for a couple of years now. Although we have been reading the books, we have yet to dive into the movies and a recent dreary day seemed the perfect movie day excuse. To really round out the movie though, we wanted to try the infamous Butterbeer that Harry and his friends seem to enjoy so much in the books.

I had the kids help me in the kitchen to create these together. They loved helping with the scooping, measuring, and stirring. It only took a few minutes to create this easy and delicious afternoon treat.

The Butterbeer Lattes were absolutely out of this world and the kids said that they think they love this as much as our favorite homemade cocoa and chai tea recipe. These tasted a lot like butterscotch and a little bit like a cookie.

Want to create your own Butterbeer Latte. Snag the recipe over here!

Gain some summer inspiration on our Pinterest 100 days of summer (’12) edition where you can get another amazing round-up of 100 ideas to inspire your summer bucket list. 

This list has everything from making homemade butterbeer drinks for those Harry Potter enthusiasts, to making homemade shrinky dinks, to getting back to the basics with great dinner discussions with great family conversation starters.

There is something for everyone on here- boys and girls of all ages and craft levels. The best part is that they are ALL budget-friendly and will cost you very little in supplies.

If you are on Instagram, you can join in on the fun by taking pictures and sharing all of your summer adventures through there. Let’s use the hashtag #100summerdays. My username is momadvice and I am happy to have you follow our adventures and follow along with yours!  

By tagging your photos, it will make it easy to find each other in the group and share the projects we are tackling together. You can add the tags to your caption or you can add them as a comment later. In either scenario, the tag will pull it into our summer group.

Happy summer to each of you!

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Splendidly Homemade: The Perfect Mojito

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Today I am looking forward to sharing my recipe with you for the perfect mojito that I have created.  Splendidly Homemade Magazine is a beautifully designed magazine filled with great tutorials and pictures showcasing some amazing bloggers crafting and sharing their recipes for the perfect summer.

I had a blast contributing to their last issue with my Peppermint Cheesecakes in a Jar for the holiday season. When I was asked to create a fun summer drink, I knew the perfect drink to share with their readers. After all, what says summer more than sipping a mojito?

The inspiration for this issue happened to come from a trip to Miami I got to do in May with ALDI Supermarket. After working and networking throughout the day, I could not wait to plop into a chair and sip a mojito in the sunshine. When I received the tab for my first mojito of the afternoon, I almost fell over at the $18 bill. You can bet, I made the most of my drink and kept thinking how I couldn’t wait to replicate this drink on my frugal budget.

As soon as I got home, I set to creating the perfect mojito that you can enjoy right in your very own backyard. If you have a garden, these mojitos are the perfect way to use up some of your mint. It also happens to be the perfect summer drink to entertain with and cost pennies to create at home!

There is so much in this issue including how to dress your home up with Hampton style on a thrift store budget, how to create the perfect s’more push pop, make black raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream, and create a fun summer sewing project.

To view my recipe for the perfect mojito, head on over to take a peek at the latest issue of Splendidly Homemade! It is available for free online and a Kindle version of this is available for a mere, $.99 cents.  Give them a Like on Facebook and follow their latest news on Twitter.

 

 

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