Ingredients:

• Sliced Lemons, oranges, strawberries and blueberries to taste
• 1 Bottle white wine of choice
• 2-4 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Shots white rum
• 2 Cups Reed’s Real Ginger Ale

Instructions:

• Start with the freshly sliced lemons and oranges in a large pitcher
• Pour the bottle of wine into the pitcher
• Add in two to four tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you like your sangria
• Add two shots of white rum
• Muddle the fruit, rum, and wine with a big spoon
• Add two cups of Reed’s Real Ginger Ale
• Pour into a glass with ice, add in strawberries and blueberries and enjoy!

Reed’s Strawberry Ginger Spritzer
Ingredients:

• 24 oz. Soda Water
• 1 Can Reed’s Real Ginger Ale
• 2 cups of Dry White Wine
• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
• 5 whole strawberries halved

Instructions:

• In a pitcher, combine the soda water, ginger ale and (if used) white wine and stir
• Add in the strawberries and fresh basil
• Chill for 30 minutes to infuse the strawberry and basil flavor

Recipe Notes:
If wanting to drink right away, you can muddle a few of the strawberries and basil at the bottom of the pitcher before adding the liquid to infuse the flavor quicker

One product I am using now is Truvia. Truvia is naturally sweet from the stevia leaf and is Keto-friendly. Unlike other stevia products on the market Truvia is great tasting every time. No sugar. No calories, no doubts. Resolve to treat yourself to America's favorite natural , calorie-free stevia sweetener.



Here is what you will need:

1 c. lemon juice
1 quart of fresh blackberries
1/2 c. Truvia
2 c. of cold water


Put the 1/2 of the quart of blackberries in your blender and blend well.  Strain the blackberries as not to have any seeds. Combine lemon juice, Truvia and water in pitcher, stir to mix.  I like the drizzle the juice from the blackberries to make an ombre effect in the juice.  It makes for a dramatic drink!  Chill for 2 hours and serve.

You can find many recipes using Truvia HERE.   Print the coupon below for $1.50 savings on Truvia.  Make sure to open your Valpak envelope to find a $1.50 coupon for more savings on Truvia.  These coupons can be redeemed at Walmart.

What have you made using Truvia?

Gin season is here and with it comes a wide variety of cocktails to try. Instead of using your typical London dry gin, try a unique and flavorful gin from India -- Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, which was just released in the United States earlier this year.

Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin (SRP $50) is triple-distilled and handcrafted in a traditional copper pot at one of India’s oldest distilleries, Rampur Distillery, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. It also incorporates botanicals from the four corners of India, with strong flavorful notes of darjeeling tea

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Sandals are out, shorts are on and the AC is turned to full blast - it’s officially feeling like summer! Those with a penchant for cocktails must choose wisely when drinking in the heat. Why not take your boozy beverages up a notch as a way to cool you down when sweating in the summer heat?

Try my go-to favorite to cool off with when I’m craving something sweet; Disaronno Drizzle.

Disaronno is the world’s favorite Italian liqueur; featuring an original velvety taste and unmistakable aroma, it stands out on the world stage and is available in more than 160 countries. It is perfectly smooth, on the rocks, or with the addition of lemon, proving its versatility in great classics such as the Godfather, Disaronno Sour, as well as other intriguing and innovative cocktails like an ice-cream float.

I am a HUGE Toy Story and I love all of Andy's friends, especially Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Having a child with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), the series of Toy Story movies have become some of our favorites since the very first one. Toy Story 4 is in theaters beginning June 21 and we were inspired to make some cookies of our favorite characters.

I have included all the ingredients and step-by-step directions.

What You Will Need:

Place your frosting in a bowl, and add in brown and yellow food coloring until you get a light brown color.
Frost the cookies evenly, avoiding the edges.

Place two eyes about ⅓ of the way down on each cookie.

Roll a piece of pink fondant into a 3D triangle for Mrs. Potato Head cookies. And roll a piece of orange fondant into a 3D triangle for Mr. Potato Head cookies.

Roll a piece of pink fondant into a 3D triangle for Mrs. Potato Head cookies. And roll a piece of orange fondant into a 3D triangle for Mr. Potato Head cookies.

Place a moustache candy between Mr. Potato Head’s nose and mouth.
Take a medium sized piece of red fondant, and roll like a snake. Shape into mouths for Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.
Place a thin sheet of black fondant behind Mr. Potato Head’s mouth if you would like it to be open.

We had so much fun making these cookies!  Pin this post so you can come back and get the directions! 

Life is about to get a little sweeter and that’s not just because Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Whether you are celebrating with your beau, gal or your damn self, open up a bottle of Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé to help celebrate the special night. 

Seductive, fruity and crisp, Castello del Poggio’s Sweet Rosé is great before and after dinner. So whether the plan is to open a bottle to impress your girlfriend, sweeten up an anti-Valentine’s day party or pour one out for the swipe lefts and then a generous pour for yourself as you get into the tub -  you’ll never want this wine to stop flowing.  

Sweet Rosé, SRP $12.99: Perfect for a romantic dinner. Cheerful violet hues with fruity notes of cantaloupe, white peach, and pomegranate; fresh and smooth. Pair it with fresh pasta, savory rice, delicious fish, and a carefree disposition.

Kick it up a notch with these sweet cocktail recipe featuring Sweet Rosé: 

Raspberry Kiss for the girls night  

Ingredients: 

3 to 4 Raspberries

2 oz Chilled Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé 

1 oz Tonic Water

Directions:

Put the raspberries in the bottom of a chilled cocktail glass. Fill halfway with sweet rosé. Top with tonic water. Garnish with more raspberries

With the Oscar’s quickly approaching, that means it’s time to start planning your Oscars viewing party! There have been some pretty epic film releases this past year and whether you’ve seen every movie nominated or don’t know a single one, you know you'll be watching and what better way to do so than with delicious cocktails in the comfort of your own home. 

So shake, stir and sip your way through the Oscars with these cocktails inspired by this years nominated movies. 

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A Star is Born- Gin Fizz ft. Benham’s Gin

Ingredients

1.5 oz Benham’s gin

3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice 

0.5 oz Simple syrup

1 oz Chilled Zonin Prosecco

Lemon twist, for garnish

Directions

Fill cocktail shaker with ice; add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds; strain into glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Bohemian Rhapsody- Harvey Wallbanger ft. Ravo Vodka 

Ingredients

1.5 oz Ravo Vodka

4 oz Fresh orange juice

0.5 oz Galliano L'Autentico

Orange slice and cherry, for garnish

Directions

Pour vodka and orange juice into a collins glass with ice. Layer the Galliano on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Roma- Añejo Old Fashioned ft. Tequila Partida Añejo 

Ingredients

3 oz Partida Añejo Tequila

¼ oz Agave nectar 

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 Orange peel

1 Brandied cherry 

Directions

In an Old Fashioned glass, lightly muddle the agave nectar, bitters and orange peel. Fill with ice and add the tequila. Stir and garnish with a brandied cherry.

Black Panther- The Famous Smoky and Cola ft. The Famous Grouse Smoky Black 

Ingredients

1 oz Famous Grouse Smoky Black 

.05 oz Cola 

Orange wedge 

Directions

Take a clean, highball glass and fill with fresh, solid ice cubes. Squeeze in a wedge of orange and drop into the glass. Add Famous Grouse Smoky Black. Top up with cola, stir and serve. 

Vice- Diplomatico Vice ft. Diplomatico Planas Rum 

Ingredients

2 oz Daiquiri concentrate (frozen)

2 oz Piña Colada mix (frozen)

2.5 oz Diplomatico Planas Rum 

Directions

Blend daiquiri concentrate with rum and ice. Blend Piña Colada mix. Pour both blends together in a coup glass.

A&W Root Beer has a long history of helping my family create some beautiful memories. When I was a child, we got to make root beer floats on our family fun nights.  Now, I might give away my age when I tell you our movie nights were in the age of no cable TV.   But, on Sunday night, "The Wonderful World of Disney" was on TV and we were allowed our special treat of the week, an A&W Root Beer float.

We would watch in awe of the great movies and Disney specials while we sipped our floats.The unique, creamy taste of A&W Root Beer is a simple treat that creates fun, care-free experiences for families and can help make any moment special. I loved being able to make my own float.  My Mom would make sure we had all the ingredients to make these nights special.  Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and cherries, along with the creamy taste of A&W root beer were set on our kitchen counter.  

Making an A&W Root beer Float is as simple as it comes!   Pour A&W Root Beer in your favorite glass or mug until it is about 3/4 full and then a scoop of ice cream. Top with whipped cream and of course, the cherry on top. Insert a straw and sip away!  Now, you can top with as many ingredients as you like:  colored sprinkles, nuts, cookie crumbs, and flavored syrups.  The possibilities are endless.  Personally, I just enjoy the traditional A&W Root Beer float!

As a child, there were not many times we were allowed to make anything in the kitchen.  But,we looked forward to those weekly A&W root beer floats.  Not only was it our only indulgence, we looked forward to it all week. I have two sisters and Mom and Dad would pick who got to go first each week.  After making our floats, we would gather round and watch TV and sip on our floats.  Those are some great memories when times were simple.

I have carried this tradition on with my kids and now my grandchildren.  I let the kids pick out what movie we are going to watch and we make our A&W root beer floats, just like I did many years ago.  I hope my children and grandchildren will continue this tradition for many years to come.

For “float how-tos” and recipe inspiration visit, www.rootbeer.com.