Party Fruit Punch Time!

New Year's Eve and the best place to be on a busy night is home by the fire with friends and family. No need to deal with the drunken drivers and rowdy crowds. A nice way to welcome in the New Year and remember the milestones of 2013 is conversation over a tangy drink.

Party Fruit Punch
1 quart apple cider
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
A tiny pinch of allspice

Simmer all the ingredients together until hot and fragrant. Busy day? Put them all in a crock pot four hours ahead of your party. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can add a nip or two of your favorite 'stronger' beverage and turn it into an adult drink.

Hot Spicy Cider
1 gallon apple cider (apple juice is okay, too)
6 cinnamon sticks
Generous pinch of whole allspice
10 whole cloves
Three strips of Lemon zest
Three strips of Orange zest
1/2 cup brown sugar (granulated sugar is fine, too)

Place the whole spices in a tied piece of cheesecloth. This makes it easier to retrieve them before serving. Add the rest of the ingredients to a large pot and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

Summer Blender Workout . . .

Our blender gets a workout in the summer months. We don't keep cola or other sodas in the house but prefer to have a cool drink that is good  for you but still enjoyable and satisfying. Here are some suggestions that are open to your own touches and ideas.



Fruit Cooler
2 peeled bananas
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
1 cup orange juice
(Can substitute 1/2 cup water, 1/2 fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar for the orange juice.

Put it all in the blender and process until smooth. Get out the straws and enjoy!

Mango Mash
2 cups peeled, chopped fresh mango
1/2 cup fruit juice, your choice
4-6 scoops of vanilla ice cream (I use the low-fat variety)
Some grated lemon zest

Throw it all into the blender, spin until smooth, and serve.

Green Smoothie
1/4 cup frozen, chopped spinach
1/4 cup fresh broccoli
1 chopped pear
1 chopped apple
1 cup frozen vanilla yogurt
Orange juice as needed.
Ice

Process all the ingredients except the orange juice until smooth.  Add ice and enough juice to process to form a cold, smooth drink.

All these recipes are for two adults/big kids or four little ones. You might sneak the green one in a cup with a lid so the children taste it before making a decision on a green drink! It is really tasty and lends itself to most any changes/ideas you might come up with. If it isn't sweet enough, you can always throw in a banana.

Idea . . .

My daughter adds 1/4 cup of cooked oatmeal to her smoothies as she says it makes them much smoother and adds some extra fiber, vitamins, etc.