Tag Archives | recipe

Summer Drinks {sparkling lemonade & sparkling strawberry lemonade}

Sparkling lemonade

Lemonade  is the official summer drink at our house!

Summer afternoon breaks ….. oftentimes I would find my kids and their friends gathering in the kitchen eating and making all kinds of drink concoctions or maybe more like a science experiment. When it was over and done with, the unanimous drink of choice was always lemonade.  After their thirst was quenched, they went back outside to play.  I was often left with wet & sticky counter tops and trails of sugar on the floor.  Over the years, they’ve learned to clean up their mess and have become experts at making lemonade.  It’s a wonderful sight to see all the kids mingling together, talking and having fun in the kitchen, making lemonade and making memories.

To simplify the process of making lemonade, I introduced the kids to,”simple syrup” as a way to sweeten drinks instead of just adding granulated sugar.  Sometimes I would have sparkling/seltzer water available to add a little bit of fizz to their drinks.  A large supply of lemons was always on hand.  I have to set a limit on the amount of lemonade they can consume or else they will make it to the last lemon.

 

Sparkling lemonade

Sparkling Lemonade

{1 serving, 12 oz glass}

3   tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice {1 large/2 small lemons}
1/4 – 1/3   cup simple syrup {recipe, here }
1/2   cup seltzer/sparkling water
ice

Combine all the ingredients in a 12 oz glass, stir, and serve.

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Strawberry Lemonade

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Strawberry Lemonade

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade is a twist on the classic lemonade with strawberry flavor infused into the simple syrup.
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Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

{1 serving, 12 oz glass}

3   tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice {1 large/2 small lemons}
1/4 – 1/3 cup   strawberry-simple syrup, {recipe, here}
seltzer/sparkling water
ice

Combine all the ingredients in an 12 oz glass, stir, and serve.
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To make a big batch of Lemonade
{6-8 servings}

1   cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice {6-8 lemons}
1  1/2   cups simple syrup or strawberry-simple syrup, {recipe, here}
4   cups seltzer/sparkling water
ice

Combine lemon juice, simple syrup and sparkling water in a pitcher/container,
stir, and serve over ice.

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* These recipes calls for seltzer/sparkling water, you could always substitute it with cold water.

{print Lemonade recipes, Here}

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posted by: Kay

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Simple Syrup

simple syrup

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Simple Syrup is an essential ingredient for summer drinks {lemonade, ice tea, cocktails…}. It’s a mixture of equal parts sugar and water heated up in a pot to dissolve the sugar.  This is an easy way to sweeten drinks without having to wait for sugar granules to dissolve.  It’s also great to have it on hand in the refrigerator to use whenever needed. Simple syrup will keep for one month and about two weeks for the strawberry-simple syrup.

Recently I made sparkling lemonade and strawberry lemonade using simple syrup, click here to see it.

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simple syrup

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Simple Syrup

{makes about 3 cups}

2   cups water
2   cups sugar

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir the mixture over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved {3-5minutes}.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.  Transfer to a glass container and refrigerate.  The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 month.

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 Strawberry-Simple Syrup

{makes about 3 cups}

2   cups water
2   cups sugar
16 ounces fresh/frozen strawberries

Add strawberries to water and sugar mixture, bring to a broil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes and skim foam from top if necessary.  Strain and discard strawberries.  Let cool completely.  Pour into glass container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

{Simple Syrup recipes, print Here}

 


posted by: Kay

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Jell-O with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream

Jell-O with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream

Jell-O layered with berries, whipped cream and a little bit of chocolate sprinkles is a simple sweet dessert.  The theme is red, white and blue for the 4th of July.  This is something I haven’t made in a long time as evident from the expressions and comments made by my kids and Bill. I have always enjoyed Jell-O especially when it has been mixed, layered, or combined with other things.  This recipe is basic and straight forward, the only decision you have to make is how to layer the four ingredients then top it off with chocolate sprinkles.

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Roasted Potatoes and Haricots Verts

Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

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Preparing an Easter menu and in need of a side dish?…

Roasted potatoes and haricots verts is a wonderful accompaniment for ham, salmon, chicken or beef.  The combination of crispy potatoes and tender beans with rosemary is delicious and simple to prepare for a large or a small gathering with friends and family.

Haricot verts {ah-ree-koh VEHR}  are French green beans.  They are stringless slender green beans and widely cultivated in France.  They are available in most grocery stores and other specially stores {Whole Foods Market & Trader Joe’s}.  This is my favorite beans to use in cooking year-round.

Roasted potatoes and haricots verts title-1

 {print recipe, Here}
serves 8-10

Ingredients
3    pounds red potatoes, quartered
2    tablespoons olive oil
1     tablespoon rosemary
1     pound haricots verts {French green beans}, trimmed
1     tablespoon unsalted butter
1     teaspoon minced garlic
coarse salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425˚ F .
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

Spread potatoes on a baking sheet, then drizzle with olive oil, add rosemary and salt. Toss together then spread out potatoes in a single layer.  Roast 1 hour until potatoes are crispy/golden brown and tender inside.

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Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

{10-15 minutes before the potatoes are done}

Bring a pot filled with enough water to cover the beans to a boil over high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt and green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the beans are crisp-tender. Drain beans and transfer to a bowl and set aside.

 Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium/low heat.  Add garlic and stir for  30-40 seconds.

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Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

Add cooked beans, salt and pepper and toss.  Turn heat off.

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roasted potatoes and haricots verts

When the potatoes are done baking, take the pan out of the oven and loosen potatoes off the baking sheet.  They will be brown and crispy on the underside.

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Roasted potatoes and haricots verts

Add haricots verts to the potatoes and toss gently.  Transfer to a bowl and serve

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chicken with roasted potatoes and haricots verts

Simple dinner, store bought rotisserie chicken with roasted potatoes and haricots verts.

{print recipe, Here}

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posted by: Kay

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Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

Our family always enjoys the classic Banana Bread.  But, I’ve noticed that by adding chocolate to the recipe, the consumption of bread per person doubled or tripled  {that’s a good thing, … right? }.  This Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread recipe is the one I like to use when my freezer is packed with frozen ripe bananas.  The bread is moist, chocolaty, and full of bananas.

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