Frosted Lemonaide

This recipe from "Mildly Meandering" says summer. It is tart and sweet and frosty all at once.

Ingredients

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

Combine lemon juice and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour into pitcher along with water. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. This step keeps the ice cream from melting during blending.
Add the lemon mixture and ice cream to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour into glasses and garnish with lemon slices.

Pineapple-Orange Prosecco Punch

I served this punch at a recent bridal shower. It is a perfect accompaniment to brunch.

Ingredients

2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup orange juice

1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling white wine

Fresh pineapple wedges

Sprigs of rosemary (optional)

Instructions:

Using a pitcher, mix pineapple and orange juice.

Just before serving, add sparkling wine.

Serve immediately, garnishing each glass with a fresh pineapple wedge and sprig of rosemary. 

8 serving

Recipe Source:  Damn Delicious

Tea Punch

My friend, Rita, served this at her wedding in 1974 and it still is a good recipe for a nonalcoholic punch.

Ingredients

4 cups hot tea
2 cups sugar
2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
24 ounces ginger ale
1 pint lemon sherbet

Instructions

Early in the day, combine the hot tea and sugar in a large bowl or pitcher. Cover and refrigerate.
At serving time, combine the chilled tea-sugar mixture, orange juice, lemon juice and ginger ale in a chilled punch bowl. Spoon sherbet on top of the mixture. Stir gently.

This recipe makes 24  1/2-cup portions of punch.

Winter Sangria

Here is the winter version of a fruity sangria. A perfect cocktail on a chilly evening.

Ingredients

2 bottles Spanish Rioja wine
1 cup brandy
1 bag frozen dark sweet cherries
1 bag frozen peach slices
1 orange, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup simple syrup

Instructions

To make simple syrup, combine one cup of sugar with one cup of water and zest of one orange in a saucepan.  Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and refrigerate until you are ready to make sangria.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Put setting on high for one hour. Reduce to warm. Ladle into glasses from the slow cooker, including some fruit in each cup.

Orange Apricot Punch

Ingredients

1 can thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 liter bottle ginger ale.
1 small orange, sliced.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in pitcher. Add ice and garnish with orange slices.

Fresh Peach Daiquiri

When peaches are in season and perfectly ripe, this is the drink to make.

Ingredients for one drink.

1 cup peeled and chopped fresh peaches
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 ounces light rum
1 ounce peach schnapps
1/2 ounce apricot brandy
Dash of vanilla
1 Tablespoon fine sugar
1 cup crushed ice

Instructions

Peel and chop peaches. Freeze the chopped peaches.
Combine peaches, lime juice, rum. brandy, schnapps, vanilla and sugar in blender.
Combine until smooth.
Slowly add ice and process until smooth.
Serve in chilled glasses.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

If you keep this in the freezer, anytime is margarita time!

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package whole frozen strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups tequila
4 cups lemon-lime flavored carbonated soft drink beverage, chilled

Instructions

In food processor, combine strawberries, sugar and limeade concentrate. Process until strawberries are chopped up well and mixture is blended.
Slowly add 1 cup of the water, blending well.
Pour into non-metal container. Add remaining 1/2 cup water, tequila, and 1 1/2 cup of carbonated soft drink. Mix well. Cover container. Stir again after two hours. Freeze overnight.
To serve, stir mixture. Spoon into glasses.
Top each glass with about 1/4 cup of carbonated soft drink.

Peachy Keen Slush

The temperature is supposed to be in the 90's all week and, so, anything cool and refreshing sounds great right now. My neighbor used to make a batch of this drink in the summer and keep it in his freezer just for such days when nothing beats a cold beverage.  This drink is like a frozen Fuzzy Navel. I wish I had one right now!

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 (12) ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (120 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups peach schnapps
1/3 cup lemon juice
Chilled gingerale

Instructions

Thaw juice concentrate.
In medium saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to boil. Boil for three minutes. Set aside to cool.
In large nonmetal container, combine thawed lemonade and orange juice concentrates, 3 cups water, schnapps and lemon juice. Blend well.
Stir in cooled sugar mixture.
Cover and freeze overnight, stirring after the first two hours.
To serve, place 1/2 cup of the slush mixture into a glass. Add 1/3 cup chilled gingerale.

Brett's Beer Margaritas

This is my son-in-law's recipe for a great summer margarita.

Ingredients

1 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
1 12-ounce bottle Mexican beer (I prefer to use Coors Light)
Tequila
Ice
Coarse Salt
1 fresh lime

Instructions

Put frozen limeade concentrate and beer into blender.
Refill limeade can up to 1/2 full of tequila (depends on how strong you want your margarita to be)
Add tequila to blender.
Add ice to almost fill the blender.
Blend until slushy.

Rub the rim of each glass with a slice of fresh lime and dip glass rim into coarse salt.
Fill glass with margarita and enjoy!

Copy Cat Orange Julius

I remember going to the mall and getting an Orange Julius, although I can't remember the last time I did that. But, here, perfect for summer, is a recipe that copies the Orange Julius that I remember.

Ingredients

6 ounce can frozen orange juice concertrate
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/4 cup sugar
8 ice cubes

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a blender and mix thoroughly.

Chai Tea Mix

No need to buy chai tea mix, you can make your own very easily.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer (not flavored)
1 cup French Vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Instructions

In large bowl, mix milk powders, non-dairy coffee creamers, sugar and tea. Stir in spices. In blender or food processor, blend one cup at a time until the mixture is the consistency of a fine powder.
Store in sealed container.
To serve, add two heaping Tablespoons of chai mix to a mug of hot water.

Mojitos

This recipe makes one mojito - so you can plan on doubling or tripling it so you will have plenty.

Ingredients

15 fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup
1 to 1.5 ounces rum
Ice
4 ounce gingerale

(Note: Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts sugar and water. Bring to boil to dissolve the sugar. Cool and refrigerate)

Instructions

In a glass, muddle mint, sugar, lime juice and simple syrup until leaves of mint of mashed. Add rum and ice. Top with gingerale.

Sandy's Coffee Punch

This recipe comes from my friend, Sandy. It is the perfect punch to serve at a bridal or baby shower.

Ingredients

1/2 cup instant coffee
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 gallon 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Mix coffee with sugar and water. Bring to a boil to dissolve. Watch the mixture carefully as it can boil over easily.

Cool the coffee-sugar mixture completely. Add 2% milk. Stir well. Refrigerate overnight.

Right before serving, pour mixture into chilled punch bowl. Add half and half. Add ice cream by spoonfuls into the liquid.

Stir and serve.

Friendship Tea

This recipe was given to me many years ago by a close friend. We used to keep a jar of this in the kitchen. My daughters and I would often make a cup of friendship tea to sip on during the evening.
So good on a cold winter night.

Ingredients

2 cups orange drink powder (Tang)
1 cup sugar
1 cup instant tea (with no sugar added)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients and store in airtight container.

To serve, use 2 heaping teaspoons (or more to taste) of mixture to one cup of hot water.

Cranberry Spiced Tea

Great on a cold winter day.

Ingredients

3 cups brewed hot tea
3 cups cranberry juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 cinnamon sticks


Instructions

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Heat to boiling.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove cinnamon sticks. Serve warm.

Pumpkintini

Ingredients for one drink

1 graham cracker, crushed into fine crumbs
Ice cubes
3 Tablespoons rum
3 Tablespoons canned pumpkin pie filling
1/2 ounce maple liqueur (1 Tablespoon)
1/2 ounce half and half (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

Place graham crackers on small plate.
Wet the edge of a well-chilled martini glass and dip into the crumbs to coat the edge of the glass.

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine other ingredients. Shake and strain into martini glass.

Gingerbread Coffee Latte

Move over Starbucks! This is just as good.

Indredients

1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups hot brewed coffee
1 cup half and half (this can be substituted for 2% milk to make a skinny latte)
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cups whipped cream or Ready-Whip

Instructions

In small bowl, combine molasses, brown sugar, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon.
Cover and refrigerate at lease 10  minutes.
Add about 1/4 cup coffee to each cup. Then, stir in one Tablespoon of the molasses mixture.
Stir until dissolved.
Fill cup to within one inch with additional hot coffee.
Stir in half and half to taste and top with whipped cream and a dusting of cloves.

Yum!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Mocktail

I made this drink on Thanksgiving for our guests who do not prefer alcohol beverages and the under-21 crowd. It was so good that everyone wanted some!

Ingredients

1 cup chilled pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon caramel sauce
 Ginger ale
2 teaspoons grenadine

Instructions

Combine pineapple juice and caramel sauce in a shaker over ice.
Shake vigorously; strain into a martini glass.
Top off with ginger ale. Slowly pour in grenadine so it
sinks to a layer at the bottom of the glass.
Garnish with a cherry if desired.