It just so happens that Peaches are in season (well sort of)! A friend of mine happened to be driving though the Texas Hill Country (down by Fredericksburg) and was gracious enough to pick me up some fresh peaches. It’s like the peach capital of Texas down there…. As soon as I saw them I knew exactly what I was going to make!

When we took out trip down to Fredericksburg Texas the other month the peaches were just becoming ripe and now we are at the end of the season, a somewhat sad reminder that the end of summer is slowly drawing near. While those of us in Texas would never guess that as 100 degree plus days seem to stretch late into the weekly forecast the end of the peach season here in Texas tells us that cooler days are not too far away.

I do have to admit Peaches are one of my favorite fruits. They look extremely beautiful, they smell fantastic, and they can be used for a million different delicious desserts from a simple peach cobbler to a delicious smooth and creamy ice cream.

With my vacation fast approaching (sometimes it feels as though it couldn’t come fast enough). This is why I wanted to share with you the recipe that I will be using to enjoy the peaches that were graciously brought up for me the other day.

That’s right Peach Sangria! I love Sangria during the summer (especially Peach Sangria) because it is such a light and refreshing drink. Peach Sangria for me is best enjoyed while on vacation; at a time when worries and schedules melt away and the fleeting days of summer seem to last forever.

This Peach Sangria recipe has been my go to recipe for pretty much every big summer vacation I’ve taken in the past couple of years. So if you happen to have a friend (or if you yourself decide you want to) stop and pick up some of the last fresh Peaches here in Texas I suggest you make yourself a large pitcher of Peach Sangria and do a little nothing for the next couple of hours or days (that’s really up to you).

Peach Sangria
Makes 10 tall drinks

Ingredients:

6 peaches skinned and sliced
1 cup peach schnapps
½ cup fine sugar
750ml bottle of rose wine
4 cups 7 up or other citrus flavored soda
1 cup rose champagne

Directions:

Place ingredients in a pitcher and stir with a spoon until well combined. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Sit back drink and relax!

What I love about spring time…

Sunny days…
Soft gentle breezes…..
Beautiful blooming flowers dripping with the morning dew…..
Peach Bellini Mimosas in the morning…..

When I woke this morning I decided that I would celebrate this beautiful Friday by starting it with a little breakfast pick-me-up. Is there better way to start the day? I doubt it. I am especially excited about this weekend because one, it has already started early and two, this extended weekend has already begun on the right foot. I plan to spend this weekend soaking up the beautiful Texas sun, enjoying the perfect weather, and spending time with family and friends! I think you should do the same!

Peach Bellini Mimosas are the perfect drink of spring (I think they need to declare this officially from the White House). They are light and sweet and make the perfect spring morning drink. They are simple to make leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy the morning dew! I hope that everyone has a beautiful weekend with plenty of sunshine and Peach Bellini Mimosas!

Peach Bellini Mimosas

Ingredients:

• 2 cup peach nectar, chilled
• 1 1/3 cup orange juice, chilled
• 1 750ml bottle champagne, chilled
• 2/3 cup grenadine syrup

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in large pitcher. Stir. Sit back. Sip and Relax!

A while back I was searching the web for a new ice cream shake and came across Bobby Flay’s recipe for Blackberry Shakes. I dog-eared this recipe and went along my merry way thinking that there would be a time in the future that I give this recipe a test run. Well last night was the night.

I knew I wanted something ice cream related for dessert but didn’t want anything that I felt would be too heavy. So I pulled out my trusty old recipe collection and found my long lost dog-ear. What I remember liking most about this recipe is the notion of using simple syrup to sweeten the shake. I also liked the subtle hint of the pomegranate juice thrown in.

The use of simple syrup to flavor your shake I believed could be a winner, something I could possibly use in future shakes as well! However, what I didn’t expect was the end result to resemble a smoothie more than a shake. For me ice cream shakes should be thick and creamy and this recipe definitely is not that. I want my shake to be so thick that it clumps as you pour it and it should be able to hold a spoon up without having to freeze the mixture like I did in the photo above.

Frustrated with my results and still wanting a true blackberry ice cream shake; I started to think of where this recipe goes wrong. What I found was adding the still hot simple syrup causes the rest of the ingredients to melt too much. This is why we get the resulting smoothie fluff similar to that of a protein shake (you know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had one of these). I also believe that there is way too much liquid in comparison to ice cream for it to get the desired ice cream shake result. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the flavor of this shake was great; it was just lacking the consistency I feel is representative of a true ice cream shake.

Rest assured ice cream shake lovers! I have made some alterations to the original recipe that makes this the perfect blackberry shake! Not only will you still get the entire blackberry and pomegranate infused flavors, your result will be a thicker and truly creamy ice cream shake. I promise!

Blackberry Shakes
Altered slightly from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on berries sweetness)
• 1 ½ pints vanilla ice cream
• 12 ounces pomegranate juice
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Combine all but a few blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar has melted and the berries are soft and just starting to break down.
2. Let the berries cool to room temperature.
3. Put the cooked berries, the ice cream, pomegranate juice and milk in a blender and puree until thick and creamy. Pour in to tall glasses and garnish each glass with a few berries.

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GOOD MORNING!

I am on what you could call a super caffeine buzz! I have literally been bouncing off the walls for the last 2 hours! What caused this buzz you ask!? Well it could be the 6 tablespoons and 4 teaspoons of espresso but that’s just a guess! Notice all the exclamation points?? That means I have way too much energy for this time of the morning.

Lately I have been growing addicted to the national crack dealer “Starbucks” and noticed that I have been making a pretty significant dent in my budget. So I put the power of Google to the test and made a quest for a caffeine filled recipe that I could make on my own.

Luckily my internet surfing yielded me some great results when I landed on the Epicurious website.
This is where I found the Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate recipe which I found is chalked full of caffeinated goodness.

This recipe is definitely rich and delicious. What I love most about the Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate recipe is that the flavor of the espresso is not overpowering (which one might expect when you use over 6 tablespoons of espresso). The smooth rich creamy chocolate flavor creates a drink that can be used not only to wake you in the morning but when combined with the whipped topping it creates finish to any great meal at the end of your day! I also love the subtle hint of cinnamon as it creates a flavor that is similar to that of traditional Mexican hot chocolates. I would recommend this to any mocha lover who is looking for a recipe that is quite easy and extremely versatile.

Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
by Epicurious

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
4 teaspoons plus 6 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons instant espresso powder
4 cups milk
2 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Ground nutmeg
Additional cinnamon sticks (optional)

Directions:

Whisk cream, 4 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover and refrigerate whipped cream.

Bring milk and 2 cinnamon sticks to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 5 tablespoons espresso powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk to blend. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Discard cinnamon sticks. Ladle hot chocolate into 4 mugs. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Garnish with additional cinnamon sticks, if desired.

I have a confession to make….

I’m a little tipsy…

I must admit … it sort of snuck up on me…

If this sounds like something you too might like to experience then do I have a recipe for you; you really DO need to try this! I have been experimenting with this recipe for the last two weeks (Hence why this posting is 2 days late). While I normally post recipes that I believe can be used with interchangeable brand name ingredients, I highly suggest that you use the products I list here as I have made this a couple of times with other brands and had completely different outcomes (what’s up with that?)! This recipe is extremely easy to make and has a very refreshing taste. I couldn’t think of a better drink for a hot summer afternoon.

I was definitely inspired by the flavor of the Limoncello I picked up the other day. I love the flavor of Limoncello…what is Limoncello you ask?? It’s only the greatest lemon liqueur produced in Southern Italy! I hear that it is pretty simple to make by simply combining lemon zest and grain alcohol. However, I feel that purchased imports are relatively inexpensive to begin with so a trip to your local liquor store should be all you need. One of the best parts of this liqueur is that it does not contain the sourness or bitterness of the lemon juice; definitely a bonus.

Pom-cello Spritzers

Ingredients:

4 cups Simply Lemonade lemonade
2 cups POM pomegranate juice
2 cups Perrier Lemon flavored sparkling water
1 cup limoncello

Directions:

In a pitcher combine lemonade, pomegranate juice, lemon flavored sparkling water, and limoncello. Serve chilled with ice.