Warm Cinnamon Orange Cider

Recipe from Fresh From Florida Blog

Ingredients: Yield 8 servings

32 ounces apple cider
2 cups orange juice
2 whole cinnamon sticks
4 pieces whole allspice
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Heat apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon sticks and allspice to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove allspice and cinnamon sticks. Stir in honey and serve warm.

Orange Push-Up Smoothie

from Averie Cooks

This delicious smoothie concoction came from the Averie Cooks Blog.  Enjoy and check out her blog.


Ingredients: 
Makes approx three 8oz portions
1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed
1 cup milk (or half & half, cream, nut milk, soy milk)
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups crushed ice, or to taste




Directions: 
Combine all ingredients, except ice, in a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated.  If desired, add a splash more water or more milk. Add the ice and blend until smooth.


Tips & Tricks: 

• Pour excess portions into glasses and thaw later and drink as smoothies; pour excess into bowls and freeze for orange sherbet; or pour into Popsicle molds, paper cups, or ice cube trays and freeze for homemade Push-Ups.  Or halve the recipe by cutting the can of orange juice concentrate in half and halving all other ratios.
• Averie said, "There have been people who have made this and report theirs being bitter but believe it may be due to the brand of OJ concentrate they used. I suggest trying the brand of juice I showed in the above photos, Hawaii’s Own, and I used mango-orange flavor, as originally indicated above. I bought it at Ralph’s (Kroger) Grocery store."
• Sweeten this to taste, and that may mean substantially increasing the amount of sugar used, i.e. using 1 cup or more, rather than 1/2 cup, of sugar. She used 1 cup, but that maybe too sweet for you. 
• You can also use an alternate sugar substitute such as Splenda or Stevia.

Blueberry Lemon Iced Tea

Ingredients:
1 (16-oz.) package frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups water
3 family-size tea bags
3/4 cup sugar








Directions:

1. Bring 1 (16-oz.) package frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard solids. Wipe saucepan clean.
2. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in same saucepan; add 3 family-size tea bags, and let stand 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and blueberry juice mixture. Pour into a pitcher; cover and chill 1 hour. Serve over ice.

Blueberry Pomegranate Slushy

Recipe from Martha Stewart

With a piquant sweet-tart flavor, this icy cooler is chock-full of cancer-fighting flavonoids, phytochemicals responsible for the fruits' pigments. Pomegranates also boast vitamin K, essential for proper blood clotting.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 teaspoon agave
• 1/2 cup ice
• 
  

Directions:
Puree blueberries, pomegranate juice, agave, and ice in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Summer Pineapple Strawberry Club Soda Cooler

From Mom Magazine

Ingredients: Makes 14 - 6oz servings
1 12-ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
4 cups cold water * 1 liter club soda, chilled
Ice cubes
Fresh strawberries (optional)
Short (6-inch) wooden skewers
Assorted fruits such as halved orange slices, halved lime slices, orange sections, raspberries, strawberries, sliced kiwifruit, and mint sprigs


Directions:
In a large pitcher combine pineapple juice concentrate, limeade, and water. Chill for at least 30 minutes. To serve, transfer fruit juice mixture to pitchers; add club soda, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries.  Serve with Fruit Swizzle Sticks, if desired.  Sit back, soak up the sunshine, and sip the goodness.

Fruit Swizzle Sticks: On short (6-inch) wooden skewers, thread assorted fruits and mint sprigs. Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 24 hours ahead, prepare the juice mixture and chill well. Proceed as directed.

Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:
1 – 16 ounces pkg. frozen whole strawberries
2 ¾ cup granulated sugar
4 cups water
3 large lemons – juiced








Directions:
In a large pot, combine frozen strawberries, sugar and water.  Stir over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until strawberries are mushy and have turned into pale pink in color.  Turn off heat.  


Using the back of the spoon, mash strawberries.  And then remove them into a strainer, pressing the strawberries through the strainer, to squeeze as much liquid from them.  Discard mashed strawberries.  Take 2 half gallon pitchers or glass jars, and pour the strawberry syrup into the jars, dividing syrup equally between two jars.  Fill each jar with cold water.  Chill strawberry lemonade before serving. Serve with crushed ice.


Tips & Tricks:
The bright, red colors of strawberries give this lemonade that bright red color.   So if your strawberries are not as red, then the strawberry syrup is not going to be as red as well. (If you like, add a drop of red food coloring into the syrup before pouring it into the jars.)

Blackberry Sage Club Soda Cooler

Recipe from Scaling Back Blog

This is a refreshing, easy way to make a soda  that’s lower in sugar.  A sage simple syrup is mixed with some pureed blackberries and topped off with some club soda.  I'm not 100% sold on the sage syrup as sage can have a strong flavor.  When I try this recipe I will let you know.  Sounds like it could be the perfect refreshment for a hot summer day!  


Ingredients:
15 medium sage leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
8 oz of blackberries
8 oz Club Soda


Directions:
Bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat just until sugar dissolves.  Crush the sage leaves with the back of a spoon and add to the syrup mixture and set aside to let the sage infuse for 15 minutes and then remove the herbs.  Meanwhile puree the blackberries in the blender and then strain the mixture through a fine strainer.


To serve place a tablespoon of the blackberry puree in the bottom of a glass, add a tablespoon of the sage syrup and top off with 8 ounces of club soda.  

Raspberry Lemonade

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water
¾ cup raspberries; pureed Plus more for garnish
1 cup fresh lemon juice (About 8 lemons)
4-6 cups cold water (this will vary depending on your taste)


Directions:
1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.
2. Measure 3/4 of fresh raspberries and puree them in your blender or food processor.
3. Push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp.
4. Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
5. Add 4-6 cups of cold water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.  Garnish with whole raspberries.

Blackberry Iced Tea

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
Pinch of baking soda
4 cups boiling water
2 family-size tea bags
2 1/2 cups cold water

Garnishes: fresh blackberries, fresh mint sprigs





Directions:

1. Combine blackberries and sugar in large container. Crush blackberries with wooden spoon. Add mint and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Pour 4 cups boiling water over tea bags; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Discard tea bags.
3. Pour tea over blackberry mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Pour tea through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding solids. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish, if desired.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 small ripe banana, cut in half
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
3 ice cubes

Directions:

In blender, combine banana, milk, peanut butter, and ice cubes; blend until mixture is smooth and frothy. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.