Mocktail Mixings

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250th post, alcohol free, autumn drinks, bachelorette, bachelorette party, beverage recipe, beverages, cocktail party, cranberry cocktail, drink recipe, drinks, favorite beverages, girls day, girls day out, girls night in, girls night out, mock mimosa, mocktail, mocktail hour, mocktail party, non-alcoholic drink, party, party ideas, recipe, shirley temple, summer drinks, virgin long island

During my girlfriend’s bachelorette party, we had a mocktail hour at my house. As I was planning the day, I knew it was supposed to include one pregnant girl, one breast-feeding and one teenage bridesmaid. So of course mocktails were our way to go. Saturday everyone was boring and stuck to Shirley Temples. I did however have the recipes and fixings for other mocktails I thought would be fun to offer…

So in honor of my 250th post (yay!), I’m going to enjoy a few mocktails myself! Here are a few fall appropriate mocktails I was ready to make…

Mocktail Mixings

Virgin Long Island Iced Tea
In a pitcher mix together 2 c. strong brewed unsweetened iced tea, 1 qt. apple cider, 1/2 c. lemon juice, 1/2 c. ginger ale. Pour in pint glasses over ice and garnish with lemon slices.

Mock Mimosa
In a champagne class, pour equal parts sparkling white grape juice and orange juice.

Cranberry Cocktail
Mix 2 parts cranberry juice an 1 part seltzer water and pour over ice.

Shirley Temple – The Classic Mocktail
In a highball glass, pour Sprite or ginger ale over ice, top off with grenadine and garnish with a few cherries.

I enjoyed my evening with my girls, it was nice to have some downtime between our day out and our evening ahead.

What unconventional celebrations have you thrown?

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Summer Beverages

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alcoholic tea, BBQ, beverage, ice tea, iced tea, lemonade, limeade, limeade cocktail, party, peach iced tea, peach tea, rose spritzer, summer beverages, summer drinks, summer recipe, wine spritzer

I was recently told that I make the best lemonade and Iced Tea. Seriously? Do these people ever drink things that aren’t bottled or doesn’t come from a mix? Since it’s BBQ and party season I decided to share my summer beverage recipes perfect for entertaining any group.

Three Gallon Beverage Dispensers

Lemonade: For every gallon of water, mix together 1 c. sugar and 1 c. lemon juice. You can either use fresh squeezed lemon juice or from the bottle, but never frozen or from a mix! If I squeeze fresh lemon juice, I leave the lemon halves in the pitcher. Most people prefer the juice from the bottle, with just a few lemons as garnish.

Limeade: For every gallon of water, mix together 1/2 c. sugar and 1 c. lime juice. You can either use fresh squeezed lime juice or from the bottle, but never frozen or from a mix! If I squeeze fresh lime juice, I leave the lime halves in the pitcher. Add light rum, vodka or tequila for an adult drink.

Iced Tea: For every gallon of water, use 10 tag bags (I always use Lipton) and 3/4 c. sugar. Bring about half of the water to a boil, add tea bags and allow to steap. Squeeze tea bags to remove extra fluid, and discard. Mix in sugar while tea is still hot, this will allow it to dissolve. Add a sprig or two of fresh mint and a splash of lemon juice if desired. Then add ice to fill pitcher or container and finish off with water.

Alcoholic Peach Iced Tea: For every gallon of water, use 10 tag bags, 1 c. peach schnapps (or more to your liking), 1 fresh sliced peach. Bring about half of the water to a boil, add tea bags and allow to steap. Squeeze tea bags to remove extra fluid, and discard. Add ice to fill pitcher or container, then peach slices and finish off with water.

Wine Spritzer: I use 1 gallon of rosé wine, two 2-liter bottles of citrus soda and fresh fruit (one chopped green apple or a pint of sliced strawberries). Fill pitcher halfway with ice and add fruit. Pour wine and soda on top.

Spa Water & Cornell Style BBQ Chicken

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cornell bbq marinade, grilled chicken, marinade, porkloin, potato salad, spa water, summer drinks

My parents came up to visit for the weekend. Hubster and my Anniversary is today, and they wanted to watch Pumpkin so we could go on a date night. So I thought a Saturday Family BBQ would be a perfect way to kick off our weekend together.

 Spa Water Carafes

Spa Water:
I don’t drink soda and I recently gave up alcohol. I love water and drink a lot of it, but sometimes drinking it plain, or with a lemon/lime wedge gets a little repetitive. During our holiday, while at a posh restaurant, I saw something that sparked my memories… the water carafes. At spas, they often serve chilled water with cucumber slices in it, and I had several glass carafes I only use for entertaining. So it was time to pull them out and put them to good use.  As I define Spa Water, it’s water with vegetables, fruit, and herbs chilled together for a refreshing drink. In the first pitcher, I grated three lime peels, sliced one whole lime and added a sprig of fresh mint. I put cucumber ribbons and watermelon balls in the second pitcher. For the third pitcher, I sliced a red delicious apple, a sprig of rosemary, and added a few sage leaves. I filled all of these carafes with water and allowed them to chill for 24 hours before enjoying (to diffuse the flavors). The flavors and possibilities are endless, I plan to try a lime cilantro one in the near future.

Most people would see this as a seasonal refreshment. But in the autumn I can see combinations of apples, pears, oranges, pomegranate, cranberries, cinnamon, cloves, etc… 

Pumpkin liked the watermelon cucumber water, my parents enjoyed the lime mint and Hubster didn’t like any of them (probably because it’s not sugary, salty, or starchy). More for me!

 

 

Cornell Style Chicken Marinade

 

Cornell Style Chicken Marinade:
My mother-in-law first introduced me to this vinegar BBQ marinade. I love one particular brand of this chicken marinate, however it comes with a $5 a bottle price tag! I decided to make a variation of my own, and I actually enjoy it better. I started with 2 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, minced onions, poultry seasoning and black pepper. I poured this over chicken drumsticks and put it in the fridge to marinate overnight. Then I had my dad cook the chicken on the grill until done (we also grilled a pork loin for the red meat eaters).  

Yum drums!

 

 

 

Potato Salad:
I often make a creamy dill potato salad, but this time I decided to try a variation. I boiled two large potatoes, two large sweet potatoes, I cubed all 4 potatoes and left them in a large bowl. In a small bowl in mixed together sour cream, dill weed, minced onions, and pepper. Next, I added the sour cream mixture to the potatoes until they were well coated and refrigerated over night before serving. Of course, I love to use my trifle bowl to serve food!

Potato Salad Close-Up

Additional Menu Items:
I served steamed zucchini and yellow squash (my favorite summer veggie) that I cut with my rippled cutter (my favorite veggie cutting tool).

I made mini cheese cake cups for dessert and served them with either chocolate sauce or cherry topping (more sour than sweet). It was refrigerator cheese cake and I prefer my baked recipe.

Dinner was nice; great food and great company. My parents are always more than willing (and encouraging) to try my new recipes/concoctions. I love having them here!

XOXO,
Young Wifey