Hard Raspberry Lemonade Swirl

the beach is calling...

My husband and I are going on a Caribbean cruise in about 2 weeks. We are SO excited and ready to go! We are porting out of Puerto Rico and will be visiting the islands of St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados. This will be our second cruise (first was to Alaska), so we have a lot to look forward to even in terms of what the boat has to offer. I suppose the only caveat (mostly in my husband's mind) is that we are going with my family. Don't get me wrong! We love my family, but we will be on a boat with them for 7 days. I know it will be perfect...there's always alcohol if not every moment is.

So, in terms of preparing us for this trip I've created this drink. Yes, there's alcohol. Yes, it's beachy. Yes, we will have something similar as soon as we get to Puerto Rico. Make this frozen, fruity cocktail before your next tropical trip. Or, maybe it's just in your mind, let's go there. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Frozen Cocktails
1 (12 oz.) Frozen Lemonade Concentrate, slightly thawed
1 C Vodka (suggest Chopin)
1 (12 oz.) Bag Frozen Raspberries, slightly thawed
1 C Chambord
Ice
Optional Garnish: Fresh Raspberries, Lemon Wedges, and/or Little Umbrellas

Directions
In a blender, combine the lemonade concentrate, vodka, and 4-5 C ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a pitcher and set aside.

In the same blender (no need to rinse out), combine the frozen raspberries, Chambord, 1 C water, and 2-3 C ice. Blend until smooth.

Swirl the drinks by layering the two frozen cocktails together. In a tall glass (maybe a hurricane), pour the frozen lemonade 1/4 the way up. Spoon in the frozen raspberry mix about 3/4 the way up the glass. The raspberry mix is more dense, so it will sink to the bottom, but that's what creates the swirl. Top the final 1/4 of the glass with the frozen lemonade and a spoonful of raspberry mix. Serve with a colorful straw and garnish as desired. Sail away with me to the Caribbean. Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemonade

sunshine in a glass for Dad

Little more says summer is almost here than Father's Day. It's the last spring holiday, which honestly should be in summer. Backyard barbecues, grill outs, pool parties, golf, etc. are all enjoyed on this day for Dad. I can think of nothing better than sipping on a refreshing glass of lemonade out on the deck.

Recently my husband and I decided to tear down our delapidated deck and build a new one. My dad, being an engineer and all, was our project manager. He, my brother, my husband, and I worked for days on this thing. My mom even helped out one day too! It has been a serious family project the past few weeks. Well, we finally finshed it! On the last day of "construction" I made my blueberry lemonade and Dad really liked it. Maybe your dad will too. Here's how to make it...

Recipe - Serves 8-10
2C Simple Syrup (recipe below)
2C Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (10-12 lemons)
12oz. Frozen Blueberries, thawed
3C Water
Vodka (optional)
For serving: Ice & Lemon Slices

Directions

Make the simple syrup: In a small sauce pan heat 1 1/2C sugar and water each until dissolved. This will take about 5 minutes over medium high heat. After the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

While the syrup is cooling process the lemons with either a juicer or by hand. If doing this by hand, try to find a helper...it's exhausting!

Next, add the syrup to a large pitcher with the berries. Muddle these together to extract juice from the berries. Then add the lemon juice and water. Stir everything together. Serve over ice in a high-ball glass with a lemon slice. If adding vodka, add 2oz. per drink. Here's to ringing in the summer, back deck sitting, and Dad! Cheers!