{Recipe} Summer Cocktails

Yay, it looks like summer weather is here to stay!

I'm not sure about your neck of the woods but here in Northern Virginia, we've had bouts of cold and rain so this weeks sunshine has been a welcomed change.

All this beautiful weather gets me in the mood for a summer cocktail party...especially before the Virginia humidity hits!

Here are a couple of go to cocktail recipes I want to share:

Photo: Driscolls

Spiked Blueberry Lemonade

1 cup fresh blueberries & additional for garnish

1 cup water

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup simple syrup*

1/2 cup blueberry vodka

1 cup ice

mint leaves & lemon slices for garnish

Place fresh blueberries in a pitcher with a couple of torn mint leaves.  Muddle them together slightly just to break a few blueberries and to release the oils of the mint.  Add the water, lemon juice, cooled simple syrup and the vodka.  Stir until well combined, add in ice cubes.

Serve garnished with additional blueberries, mint springs and lemon slices.

*simple syrup: 1/2 c. water & 1/2 c. sugar in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved.

These next two recipes are not only delicious but also 'skinny cocktails' from everydayhealth.com.  So you can enjoy a yummy summer cocktail and still look cute in your swimsuit.



Photo: Everyday Health

Skinny Strawberry Mojito - 80 calories

8 ounces club soda
1 ounce white rum
10 mint leaves
4 sliced strawberries
4 lime slices (1/2 of lime)
ice

In a sturdy glass, muddle mint leaves, strawberries, and lime slices by gently pressing on and twisting the mint leaves and lime. Muddling doesn’t mean grinding them to a pulp — just twist until you smell mint. The end of a rolling pin will work if you don’t own a muddler. Next, add 1 cup crushed ice, the club soda, and rum. Stir gently and garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wedge before serving.

Photo: Everyday Health

Cinco de Mayo Mango Margarita - 180 calories

3/4 cup frozen mango cubes
1 ounce tequila
1 ounce lemon juice
1 teaspoon triple sec

Blend all ingredients in a blender until you reach a slushy consistency. Garnish with lime wedge for a splash of color.

Enjoy!!



{Real Parties} Cupcakes & Cocktails

I'm blessed with great neighbors.  Once a month, we, 'The Chase Ladies Club' gather at a designated members home to have some wine...chat... have some wine... eat... have some wine... well, you get the picture! Basically, each person has an opportunity to host a month and have the ladies over. February happened to be my month, the theme?  You guessed it!

Cupcakes & Cocktails

my inspiration for the party circles came from a candy mold for gems that I picked up at Hobby Lobby in Kansas City. I couldn't stop making pink gems, so I decided to pair it with one of my favorite patterns, damask.

I decided on two types of cupcakes with matching cocktails...and in my world, the cupcakes come first!

Kahlua martini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and edible gems (paired with a Kahlua martini)

and champagne cupcakes with strawberry whipped cream (paired with a champagne cocktail)

Normally, the unanimous drink of choice is wine but the ladies seemed to enjoy the champagne cocktail and Kahlua martini for a change.  I say that because only one bottle of wine out of 8 was opened!

the munchies menu consisted of an assorted cheese platter, sausage stuffed mushrooms, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, spanakopita, some kettle corn and a cupcake fondue recipe I found on Pintsize Social

we all ended the night with a cupcake pop (really just a marshmallow dressed up as a cupcake)

One last and final picture I just MUST throw in....

my 'sometimes' supportive husband making the fondue for the cupcake fondue station

I got a lot of heat for writing that under the about me section of this blog so this one is for my husband, who was incredibly helpful that night... Thank you John!