Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Serves 6
5 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup 2% milk

So quick, easy and no mess. My son likes them so much he quit asking for milkshakes when we are out somewhere.

Strawberry Basil Margarita

12 strawberries, hulled and sliced
8 basil leaves
one can frozen limeade concentrate

tequila! (I prefer the gold for this recipe.)

First, mix up the limeade. The package will say to add 4 1/3 cans of water; I usually add 3 cans of water and 1 1/3 cans of tequila. (If your friends are squeamish about drinking, or you like your margaritas less strong – well, add a bit less.) Lightly muddle the basil, or smoosh it gently with the back of a spoon – this will help the basil essence to diffuse into the drink. Add the strawberries and basil to the pitcher and stick the whole thing (covered) into the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours.

When you retrieve the pitcher everything will have turned a nice pale pink. Serve over ice, and wait for the compliments to pour in.

 

Homemade Limoncello

A must-make for anyone that likes a fine, tasty drink! You can use bottom shelf alcohol if you prefer, it’s the lemons that give this it’s unique taste.

 

 

 

7-8 organic lemons (if using another type of citrus, scale down accordingly)

1 750 ml bottle grain alcohol (80 proof or higher)

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

First, thoroughly wash and scrub any residue and waxes from your citrus.

Peel the lemons. You’ll want to peel long strips along the length of the lemon, pulling off  little to no white pith.

If you do peel any pith, scrape it off gently with a paring knife.

Add the lemon peel to a large glass vessel. Pour in the vodka or other grain alcohol, seal tightly, and let sit for at
least one week, preferably longer! (Ideally, give it one to two months but we’ll just be honest and say that’s not gonna happen, a week is good.)

After you’ve let your limoncello cure for your preferred length of time, prepare the simple syrup. I’ve gone very conservative with the sugar, although many recipes call for much more. Adjust the level of sugar according to taste.

To make the simple syrup, simmer the water and the sugar over a low heat just long enough to dissolve the sugar. Do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. When cool, add the simple syrup to the limoncello, tasting as you go. Allow it to rest for another 10-14 days.
Bottle in a beautiful jar, gift to friends, or enjoy it all by yourself. (It probably won’t last long!)Finally, strain the lemon rinds and sediment using a coffee filter.

Homemade Bloody Mary’s

We raise a vegetable and fruit garden every year. When the tomatoes first become ripe, they go fast. As the weeks go by the window sills become haven for sometimes an over abundance of tomatoes.  That’s when I whip this up and get to drinking! For the non-drinkers, just the mix is good to drink if you like tomato.

For the Mix:

6 medium tomatoes, blanched for a minute and peeled

2 carrots, rough chopped
1 onion, rough chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, crushed a bit
at least 1 teaspoons salt
plenty of black pepper to taste

 

For the Drinks:

Crush the peeled tomatoes in a large saucepan and cook over medium high heat. Put the carrots, onions, red pepper and jalapeno into your blender and puree. Add tomato juice if you need liquid. Pour the pureed vegetables into the tomato mixture, add the celery seed, horseradish, cayenne, salt and pepper. Simmer for a half hour. Then pour mixture into an airtight container and chill for several hours or overnight if you have time.

1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 oz. Bloody Mary mix
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
drizzle of Tabasco sauce
sprinkle of celery seeds

Mix ingredients in a drink shaker with ice and strain into large glasses. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges, celery stalks, olives, or cucumbers.

 

 

 

 

White Tea Blueberry Smoothie

The white tea in this smoothie is what makes this so good. You can find white tea at your local grocery store. Lipton makes it.  For those that didn’t know, white tea is an excellent source of antioxidants and is rumored to help aid as a fat-burning booster.

• 1 cup chilled white tea
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 frozen banana cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp honey

Put all this in a blender and blend until smooth.