Pina Colada Punch

The Punch
Ingredients:
1 can frozen pina colada concentrate, thawed (Bacardi makes a good one)
1 can frozen orange pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
4 liters of diet lemon-lime soda (That’s two 2-Liters for the mathematically challenged.)
1 bag of pebble ice (You can buy it at Sonic Drive-In or at most grocery stores in the deli or meat departments.)
1 bag of frozen raspberries

Directions:
*Pour the thawed concentrates into your punchbowl and stir.
*Use one of the empty cans and fill it with water four times and add it to the mixture. Stir.
*Add your diet soda to the mixture. (You can use regular sugar-filled soda if you want, but I think it gets too sweet .
*Next, add about half your bag of pebble ice.
add the ice before the soda. You will get an ugly foam at the top of your punch bowl.)
*Add your frozen raspberries to the top.

Up and Coming Drink (Dec 2011)

This is a traditional 19th century English drink and is very similar to egg nog.  Very rich but very yummy.

1 quart heavy cream
1 cup apple cider
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg

In a half gallon container, mix together all ingredients with a whisk.  Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.  Whisk again before serving.

Berry Drink

This is an old standby, of course:
2 Liter of Fresca
2 Liter of Diet Sprite
1 can condensed White Grape Raspberry Juice

Mix together and enjoy!

Feb 2012 at Jessica's

Harry Potter Butterbeer

Vanilla Ice Cream
Caramel Crunch Sauce (see recipe)
Rum Extract to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
Apple Cider

Let container of vanilla ice cream soften slightly. Blend in cooled caramel crunch sauce (omit pecans and Heath bars for this drink), rum extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Refreeze for several hours. To serve, pour hot apple cider over a scoop or two.

Star Punch

1 64 oz cranberry juice (can be cranapple if you can't find sparkling cider)
1 24 oz bottle cold sparkling cider
1 1 liter bottle ginger ale
1 orange washed
1 16 oz bag frozen strawberries, raspberries or blend (optional)
star anise fruit (optional)

Combine all liquids except for 1 cup of cranberry juice if wanting the anise flavor into a punch bowl.

Cute orange in half and squeeze juice of 1/2 the orange into liquid.  Slice other half and garnish on top.

Place frozen berries in punch bowl or make into a circular shape by arranging in bundt pan with some water and freeze.  Place flat side down in punch bowl after frozen.

Hint of anise flavor: Place 3-4 slices star fruit in saucepan  with reserved cranberry juice and bring to a simmer.  Remove from and pour into glass and allow to cool. Refrigerate until cool and stir into punch. 

For a nice fun star theme place a slice of star anise into glass as a garnish.

Strawberry Lemonade

1 gallon water
1 cup sugar
1 can lemonade concentrate
1 package frozen strawberries or raspberries

Combine water, sugar and concentrate.  Add Strawberries/Raspberries.  I like to mush them around every few minutes to get the flavor started.

Fruit Punch

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup frozen grape concentrate
1 cup frozen orange concentrate
1 bottle ginger ale
1 half  gallon rasberry sherbet
36 oz water

I actually just threw in the whole can of all the concentrates because I didn't want 4 oz. left in each one.  I put in about 42 oz. of water and mixed it up.  Then added ginger ale and sherbet after.  You can garnish with frozen fruits.  I used frozen rasberries and a frozen berry medley.

Raspberry - Rhubarb Punch - February 2011 at Jessica's

Raspberry Rhubarb Punch

1/2 can Orange Juice concentrate
3 packs of Crystal Lite Raspberry (each is supposed to make 2 qts)
1 quart Rhubarb Juice
Water to make 1 gallon

Notes: The original recipe called for 1 pt. rhubarb juice and 2 packages of raspberry kool-aid (add sugar if you don't use sugar-free). Unfortunately, raspberry kool-aid is almost *impossible* to find, so you got Crystal Lite. :-)

Eggnog - December at Korrie's house

Homemade Eggnog

Day 1:
6 eggs
1 14-oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 c. milk
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4-6 whole cloves
2 tsp. vanilla (or to taste)

Day 2:
2 c. milk
1 c. half & half

Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, 2 c. milk, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook this mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat. Stir one minute, then cover and refrigerate over night.

The next day, strain the mixture to remove cloves and any curdled egg bits. Put custard mixture in blender with half & half, and as much milk as you can fit in! Blend until completely homogenized. Pour in a pitcher, and stir in any remaining milk. Serve well-chilled.

Blackberry Italian Soda

August brought by Marlana

Blackberry Syrup
* 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups frozen or fresh blackberries

1. Combine sugar, water, and blackberries in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. When mixture boils, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and let mixture steep for 15 minutes.
3. Strain blackberry syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Refrigerate until cold, and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Italian Soda:
* 8 fluid ounces carbonated water
* 1.5 fluid ounces flavored syrup
* 1 fluid ounce half-and-half cream

1. Fill a tall glass half full with ice. Fill to 2/3 with carbonated water. Pour in flavored syrup, then float the half-and-half cream on top. Stir when ready to drink.

July at Angie's

Cucumber Punch

3-4 quarts of water
3 quarts ice
1 package of crystal light lemonade
1 12 ounce can frozen grape juice concentrate
1 lemon sliced
1/2-3/4 cucumber thinly sliced

In a punch bowl stir together water, ice, lemonade powder, and grape juice concentrate.
Float lemons and cucumbers on top of drink and allow drink to sit for about 20 minutes for flavors to blend.
For a fun twist you can replace limeade or raspberry lemonade for the grape juice.

Sherbet Punch

1 bottle of Simply Lemonade (any flavor-not concentrate)
1 2-liter of Diet Sprite
1 half gallon of sherbet (any flavor)

Mix lemonade & sprite in punch bowl, scoop sherbet in small scoops onto the top. Serve with a ladel.

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Sugar Syrup:
grated zest of 2 lemons
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Combine ingredients for sugar syrup in medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Pour into 2 qt. pitcher and let cool.

Lemonade:
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5-6 rinds, coursely chopped
3 cups cold water
Lemon slices for garnish, optional

Add lemon juice, chopped rinds and cold water to sugar syrup. Stir and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.


(Julies house- April- Eilyn hosting)

Gingered Lemon-Lime fizz

1 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1/2 cup lime juice (about 5 limes) You need 1 more for garnish
4 cups cold water
8 tsp honey
liter bottle of ginger ale
ice

Combine lemon juice, lime juice, water and honey. Stir well until honey is disolved. Set aside.

Put ice in glass, fill glass about half way with juice mix and then fill up to the top with the ginger ale. Stir and add lime wedge.

Makes abouut 8 glasses.

If the drink is to tart for you either add more water to the juice mix or add more ginger ale.

LaVon - March 2010 - Jenna's house

Christmas Punch - February at Julie's house

Christmas Punch (from LaFaye Bergman)

1 package raspberry Kool-Aid
3/4 c. sugar
1 qt. water
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. pineapple juice

Note: Raspberry Kool-Aid seems to be impossible to find these days. I used Raspberry ice Crystal Lite for Dinner Group. I reduced the amount of sugar by about a third.

Citrus Quencher January at Lori's

2 2liters of Sprite
3/4 cup limeade concentrate
1/2 cup orange juice

Combine all and serve over ice.

December - Korrie's House

Peppermint Punch

1 quart peppermint ice cream
1 cup milk
2 liter bottle Sprite, 7-Up, or gingerale (I used Sprite)

Place ice cream into punch bowl and allow to soften slightly. Blend in milk and gingerale and mix until frothy. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

September - Lori's House

Brazilian Lemonade (serves 4)

2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
Ice

Directions:

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, and ice. Blend in a electric blender pulsing five times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve immediately over ice. This does not keep well over night, so don't make more than you will drink.

August-At Marlana's House

THE INFAMOUS Horchata

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 quart warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Whole cinnamon sticks, optional, for serving

Directions
In a blender, combine the rice and warm water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice breaks up but does not form a powder. Let the rice mixture stand in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight.

Strain the rice mixture into a container through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth to remove the rice solids.

Pour the rice water into a blender and add the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend for 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Serve the horchata over ice with cinnamon sticks as stirrers. -- Recipe courtesy Ingrid Hoffmann, 2008

Fruit Salsa

From Collages

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
Melted Butter or butter flavored cooking spray (I used melted butter)
1-2 cups cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray. (I like use a pastry brush and put butter on both sides instead of the cooking spray, cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and then put them in a zip top bag with the cinnamon/sugar mix and shake. Then I spread them out on the baking sheet).

4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

May-At LaVon's House

REFRESHING LIME DRINK

1 can frozen Limeade concentrate
1 bottle Sprite Zero
1 bottle Fresca

Put the frozen Limeade in a gallon size pitcher; add Sprite and Fresca until pitcher is full. Mix together and enjoy.