Summer Savories: Italian Sunset Cocktail

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how hot it has been down here in the Peach State. Guess what?

It’s still hot.

Here we are in the middle of July and for me, the heat is unbearable. I’m dreading the month of August, but there is a light at the end of this scorching tunnel… Football season is right around the corner! Alas, this is not a post about football.

One of my BFF (we shall call her DJ) fell in love, married a soldier and moved earlier this year to Colorado. Before she left, they gave us a few boxes of goodies that would not be making the trek with them on their move. One of those items was a bottle of amaretto liqueur.

Back in college, I was introduced to an Amaretto Sour cocktail. While it was a delicious beverage, I had no idea what else I could create with amaretto. After I scoured the internet, I stumbled upon a recipe for an Italian Sunset and decided to give it a whirl with some slight modifications.

Fixings

• 2 ounces of amaretto liqueur
• 3 ounces of orange juice
• 3 ounces of black cherry sparkling water
• 1 dash of cherry juice

Fix It

1. Choose a pretty glass and fill it up with crushed ice.
2. Pour the amaretto over the ice.
3. Slowly add the orange juice.
4. Slowly top with the sparkling water.
5. Add a dash of cherry juice.
6. Garnish with cherries or an orange slice.

While this concoction was much sweeter than anything I typically drink, it was a perfect, light, beverage for these hot summer months. Fruity drinks are tasty (in moderation) and you certainly get the pleasant yet rich flavors from the oranges and cherries.

I also used freshly squeezed orange juice and sparkling water because I had both ingredients on hand. Beware though, playing with fruit juice can leave you in a sticky mess with a dirty glass. Fun fact: if you pour really slow and carefully, you can layer the liquids for an attractive looking drink.

I was also informed that you can add amaretto to coffee. Where have I been?!

Have any of my ten followers used amaretto? We still have a lot left…enough for an Amaretto Sour, Italian Sunset and morning coffee!

I am seriously contemplating throwing some in my coffee. Post Whole 30 of course.

Summer Savories: Fresh Fruit & Cheese Salad with a Lemon-Strawberry Vinaigrette Drizzle

As you read this post, please imagine a lovely, musical melody playing in the background of Nelly’s soothing song, “Hot In Herre.” Yes, that is how he spells it. 

I swear each summer is hotter than the one before. At least when I was pregnant with E, it oddly rained more than normal during those summer months. Currently, we are not even getting the typical rainy, afternoon showers. Even our grass is getting brown spots! For those who are unaware, my husband is a yard fanatic. Seriously. If our putting green is changing colors, then you know it is hot.

Lucky for you, I have a tasty, refreshing dish that will be a cool treat during these hot months. It is a perfect complement to any BBQ, can be eaten for breakfast or to satisfy that sweet tooth after a large meal.  

Fresh fruit is always tasty, but is so much better paired with cheese. Hello, my name is Adrienne and I am a cheese addict. Additionally, the dressing is flavorful and pink. Who doesn’t love the color pink?!

Fixings

1 apple (I prefer a Kanzi apple) -chopped

1 cup of blueberries

1 cup of strawberries- quartered

½ lemon juice

Goat cheese crumbles (substitute with Feta cheese, if desired)

Lemon-strawberryvinaigrette dressing

Fix It

1.  Wash your fruit. I feel like this should go without saying, but if you skip this step regularly, then we need to have a chat.
2. Cut your fruit.
3. Place the apple in a serving dish and squeeze the heck out of that lemon half. It gives your taste buds a little kick and prevents the apple from turning brown.
4. Add and lightly stir the blueberries and strawberries in with the apple.
5. Top with the cheese crumbles.
6.  Drizzle with the dressing.

It’s fresh, easy and tasty!

Plus, the color scheme is on point for festive occasions that utilize red/pink. While I was writing this my husband came in and also used the phrase “on point” (talking about our front yard, believe it or not). E is so blessed to have such hipster parents.

Need something compliant for your diet? Forgo the cheese and it’s perfect for Whole 30 and Paleo followers. 

Yes, even the dressing.

Want to share some of your favorite concoctions with me? Let’s connect on Pinterest and make that happen! It's a fairly new account so save your judgement. :)

Weekend Recap: Supper Club & A Lot of Nothing

One of the best things about this whole weekend recap series is that I can post about my weekend on a Tuesday since I was not prepared for a Monday post. #bloggerfail

It was my favorite type of weekend with a little bit of entertainment and a lot of nothing – the perfect mix!

Something I look forward to each month is our neighborhood Supper Club. It’s a kid free night where one couple hosts dinner and we all meet up after work for drinks and food. The meal is always good and the company is quite entertaining. After a draining workweek, I was ready to socialize with these lovely ladies.

We try and take a nice selfie each month, which is only complete when a great filter is applied. Ha!

The hosts had a delicious feast for us – bruschetta dip, salad, and “mystery meatloaf” cupcakes. As sketchy as it sounds, they were extremely cute and tasty. The cupcakes were complete with mashed potato “frosting”.

Dessert was rich and decadent - homemade cookie dough with M&Ms and covered with a chocolate peanut butter topping. So, so good. The hostess with the mostess was inspired by Pinterest and I can safely say #pinterestforthewin

The night was filled with chit chat, UFC fights and we ended the night playing Cards of Humanity, which was absolutely hilarious. I swear, I have not laughed that hard in a long time. It was a fantastic stress reliever and since I collected the most cards before J declared it time to go, I won. Hate the player, not the game.

Saturday seriously consisted of nothing. We bummed around the house and I was able to catch up on one of my new favorite shows, Blacklist. Does anyone watch it? I am obsessed with it. I’m attempting to catch up on season three before season four premieres in the fall. Give me some Reddington, Tom and Dembe any day!

Don’t judge my bare, wire showing mantle please. We recently refreshed our living room look and that area is a work in progress.

The weather was too hot to play outside so J went off in search of a very classy pool for E to play in. Any tips for indoor activities to entertain a toddler when it’s so hot outside? A girl can only take so much Nemo.

We were going to let her swim after naptime, but the weather cooled off and it began to rain. Naturally we did what anyone would do and brought it inside to use (sans water).

The evening ended with a migraine and medicine for yours truly.

Sunday was spent at church, the grocery store, doing laundry and meal prepping in the kitchen for my third Whole 30 round.

It was also spent praising God because my sister and brother in law made it home safely from being stationed overseas. And yall, they are home for good!

Cheers for another weekend recap!