Bloody Shrunken Head Punch

A couple of people have asked me for drink recipes recently, and I realized that I don't actually have any on my blog! To be honest, I never really though about creating drink recipes because I'm mostly just a Diet Coke girl. But really, there are a lot of fun and festive drinks you can make for the holidays that add an extra special element to parties and gatherings. 

I wanted to make something spooky with Halloween coming up. I saw this idea to make shrunken heads out of apples, and I thought they would be perfect to add to a bloody-colored punch. 

This recipe does not include alcohol, but if you want, you can certainly add a little booze for an adult version.

Bloody Shrunken Head Punch

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 apples
• 3 cups cherry cola
• 3 cups cherry juice
• 2 cups strawberry daiquiri mix
• 2 cups fruit punch
• 1 cup ginger ale

Directions

1. Peel apples and carve them into faces using a melon baller and a knife.
2. Bake apples on baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes.      
3. Remove from oven and cool.
4. Combine cherry cola, cherry juice, strawberry daiquiri mix, fruit punch and ginger ale in punch bowl.
5. Place shrunken heads on top of punch and serve.

Punch recipe adapted from Ree Drummond

Peach lemonade

I’ve had peaches on my mind since a recent trip to Washington where I had the best peaches of my life.

At Pike Place Market in Seattle there are hundreds of vendors that sell fresh produce from all over the state. One particular vendor would offer samples of the “best peach you’ll ever eat.” He served the sample by cutting a chunk off the peach with a pairing knife and putting the juicy fruit right in the hands of eager passersby.

And he was not lying. It was the best peach I’ve ever eaten. And despite the fact that my hands were a juicy mess due to his unorthodox sampling style, I went back for a second sample. And then I went back for a third and a fourth sample because free samples are the best thing this world has to offer.

(Okay I’m kidding about that last part. I only took one sample, and we actually bought the peaches.)

I think more than anything, peaches taste like summer. So when I was thinking about a refreshing summer drink, I knew it should include peaches! And I wanted it to be extremely easy. So I decided on Peach Lemonade.

There are only a couple of ingredients, and I love that you can stick the drink in the freezer and make a slushy. I added mint leaves to the side of my drink to make it even more refreshing. Delicious!

Peach lemonade

Servings: Makes about 48 ounces

Ingredients

• 3 peaches, chopped
• 12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup ice

Directions

1. Add peaches and frozen lemonade concentrate to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add water and ice and blend. If it is too sweet for you, add another cup of ice.
3. Serve with mint leaves (if you want) for a refreshing drink!

HAPPY NATIONAL LEMONADE DAY

Happy National Lemonade Day! Lemonade is a classic drink that I think just about everyone enjoys. There's nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day. My favorite has always been pink lemonade, primarily because of the color! However, I've found that many mixes are either too sweet or too tart. That's why I started making my own lemonade. This way I know exactly what's going into it - no artificial chemicals or sweeteners! My goal for coming up with a lemonade recipe was finding something that didn't take much effort. Additionally, I wanted to make it even more "summery" with the addition of fresh fruit! I used raspberries in this recipe, but you can easily substitute strawberries or blueberries. 

PINK RASPBERRY LEMONADE

Yield: 9 cups

Calories: 57 calories per 1 cup

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

·      1 cup lemon juice (you can either fresh squeeze 4 lemons or buy lemon juice)

·      1/2 cup sugar

·      1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

·      5 cups cold water

·      3 cups ice

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Combine lemon juice, sugar, and raspberries in a blender.

2.     Blend until sugar has dissolved.

3.     Place mixture in a large pitcher

4.     Add water and ice to pitcher and stir

Recipe adapted from Dawn’s Recipes