fruit

Name: Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail
Prep time: 15 min
Yield: 2 glasses
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz. aged rum (I used Cruzan); 2 tsp Stevia; 1/2 c. pitted sweet cherries; 1 c. fresh blueberries (reserve a few for garnish); Juice of 1/2 lime; crushed ice; 1 can lemon lime sode

Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways

May 31, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Nothing quite eases the scorching temperatures of summer like homemade popsicles grabbed from the freezer on a hot day. To welcome the warm season, I’ve created Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways: Honey Pineapple Citrus and Fresh Strawberry Kiwi. These recipes are easy for you to make and far healthier than ice cream.

From the moment I bought my Koji ice pop molds at Target ($9.99), nostalgia set in on the drive home. Less fattening than ice cream desserts and fun to make, the popsicle is on trend again. Maybe it’s because you control the flavors! You can add any ingredient to your juice base from vegetables to fruit. Some people even add fresh herbs. Why not? A citrus basil ice pop might sounds delicious.

You can easily make my Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicles using frozen chunks of Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks (leftover from a smoothie experiment last week), fresh lime juice, clover honey, Stevia, and grapefruit juice. You’ll want to use more Stevia than I did to cut the tangy citrus flavor from the grapefruit. Preparing these cool pops is as simple as dumping the ingredients in a blender or Cuisinart and blending it until smooth even to pour.

Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicle Recipe: Yields 3-4 popsicles

1 c. Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks
1 c. grapefruit juice
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp clover honey
2 tsp Stevia

Fill each popsicle well 3/4 of the way full to leave room for expansion as the fruit mixture freezes. Place your popsicle molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the popsicles from the freezer and gently insert the popsicle sticks. Place them back in the freezer and allow these sweet treats to harden. When you’re ready to eat one, simply run warm water on the outside of the popsicle mold until you’re able to wiggle the popsicle free to devour it.

Use the same instructions to make Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles except you will instead blend cranberry/grape juice cocktail, sliced strawberries and kiwi, and Stevia until smooth. I used less added sugar in this recipe because the fruit and juice already were sweeteners.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicle Recipe: Yield 3-4 popsicles

1 c. cranberry/grape cocktail juice
1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 peeled and sliced fresh kiwi
1/4 tsp Stevia

What are your fondest memories of summer? I remember learning how to swim at the community pool, riding my yellow Schwinn bicycle (banana seat included) with abandon, and running back and forth to my neighborhood friends’ house to play.

Take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer while cooling off from the hot temperatures with one of these fruit popsicles, a sure-win with your kids and adult kiddos too!

Need to buy popsicle molds and can’t make it to Target today, I also recommend this comparable set via Amazon.

Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail

May 29, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Determined to create a cocktail that I could use to raise a glass in honor of those who served during Memorial Day, I created Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail, a blender drink topped with carbonated soda. It’s a refreshing drink that is prepared with aged rum, berries, lime juice, and lemon-lime soda.

A liter of Cruzan Aged Rum cost me $14.99, a value!

I love a cocktail that stretches my creativity. This recipe requires you to use a blender to make a smooth juice from fresh blueberries, pitted sweet cherries, lime juice, aged rum (you can use silver rum), the juice of half of a lime, and Stevia for sweetness. After blending the above ingredients on high until the pulp of the fruit is minimal, pour it into a glass filled with crushed ice.

You can find these festive straws and garnish picks for $1 at Target. (not an affiliate)

After pouring the berry mixture into the glass of crushed ice, top the glass with lemon-lime soda water until filled. That’s it! It’s a fruity, cool drink to serve to guests at your next outdoor deck party or just because you want to delight in a new cocktail made from your home bar.

Cheers, my dears!

onedelightfullife.com

2 glasses

Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail

This refreshing cocktail doubles down on berries, aged rum, lime juice, and lemon-lime soda.

15 minPrep Time

15 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. aged rum (I used Cruzan)
2 tsp Stevia
1/2 c. pitted sweet cherries
1 c. fresh blueberries (reserve a few for garnish)
Juice of 1/2 lime
crushed ice
1 can lemon lime sode

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients except the ice in a blender on high until very smooth.
Fill a glass with crushed ice.
Pour berry mixture into glass.
Top with lemon lime soda until full
Garnish with blueberries and a lime wedge.

Notes

You can use frozen fruit for this blended cocktail. Add 1 tsp of honey for added sweetness.

https://onedelightfullife.com/berry-rum-smash-with-lime-cocktail/

onedelightfullife.com

Nutrition

Calories

189 cal

Fat

1 g

Carbs

47 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Refrigerator Overhaul: How to reduce food waste and slim your waist

February 12, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Sometimes we have to admit that things have gotten away from us.

This week I had one of those moments when I opened the refrigerator only to find teetering takeout boxes and a lack of vegetables. I know you’ve experienced this moments at least once too.

So, how do we cut down on our refrigerator waste while trying to slim our waist? If you’re like me, sometimes you buy healthy food but don’t prep it for the week and end up tossing it later. Perhaps you don’t even know what’s in your refrigerator right now.

Reducing food waste and restocking it with healthy food starts with a total refrigerator overhaul. Follow these six steps:

Toss food. You work hard for your money, which everyone can respect. But the food you buy just sits in the refrigerator and doesn’t get eaten. That’s a waste of your money. Example: Look at all those condiments! How many times a year are you going to actually use three kinds of horseradish? If it is expired or not something you’ll ever use, admit it and pitch it.
Clean it. Remove all items from the refrigerator from every bin and door compartment. Use a warm sudsy sponge to remove grime. For those difficult to remove stains or bits, I spray diluted Simple Green and they scrub away with little effort.
Check your thermostat settings for your refrigerator spaces. Make sure they are set to temperature for the items they house.
Return items to the refrigerator by category and face them (labels towards the front.) Have a hankering for pickles? Store them on the door near the ketchup and mustard. Like items should be placed with like items. Place taller items towards the back.
Visit the produce section of your local organic grocery store. Recently, I bolted to our city’s new Sprouts Farmers Market and came home with bags filled to the brim with berries to leafy greens. As you know from earlier an earlier post, I’m quite the hunter when it comes to tracking down low-cost produce and clearance grocery finds.
Clean and store your prepped veggies in transparent containers with secure lids. Lettuce should be washed and completely dried before storing it in new Ziplock bags. The only way you’re going to actually make time for smoothies before work is if you clean and dice all your newly purchased fruit!

Open bags and packaging, rinse with water, and allow them to completely dry before placing vegetables in new see-through containers. Place grab and go items at eye-level.

Admitting that you’ve fell off the “healthy diet” wagon isn’t easy but the shame doesn’t last long if you own it. If you admit that you live a rushed lifestyle and that the only way for you to eat healthy on a regular basis is to have grab and go produce or meal prepped food, then make sure your refrigerator (and pantry) contain those items. Taking a couple hours each weekend to prep your refrigerator for the week, will pay off.

I’ve included two produce driven recipes that are easy to pack for lunch or prep for breakfast. Try this fruit-filled spinach salad or one of five smoothie recipes!

If I can do it, you can too. Walk over to your refrigerator, open the door, and be honest. You got this!

Let me know your tips for overhauling the lazy eater’s syndrome and getting healthy in comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.

*While Sprouts Farmers Market did recently like this Instagram photo, they are not an affiliate.

Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad with Mint

July 13, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

The perfect piece of watermelon isn’t in the shape in a half-moon. It’s a cube! Cut up your ripe watermelon into one inch cubes of juicy goodness so you can pop them straight into your mouth. (I think cubed watermelon is get-in-the-tummy-yummy after it has sat in a Rubbermaid container in the fridge for at least a day.)

Tip: When selecting a watermelon at the grocery store or farmer’s market, turn it over. Look it over and check for a yellow area. This yellow spot means that it sat on the ground long enough to ripen up. Did you know a watermelon is over 90% water? The heavier the melon, the better! (It’s hydrating and you can eat it guilt-free.) Buy fresh mint in the produce section at the grocery story OR you can grow it quite easily in partial sunshine in a container pot. Don’t forget to water it, but don’t flood it. My mint grows tall and sits happily next to basil.

Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad with Mint takes this ordinary summer fruit and makes it extraordinary. Besides, July is National Watermelon Month!

The flavor of the slightly tangy dressing coats the salad. Ribbons of mint leaves elevate its flavor giving it a brightness and the little blueberries pop with sweetness in your mouth. And who doesn’t love cheese? Add feta to this salad and its taste reaches heavenly status. You can serve this as a summer salad or as a dessert, a favorite in our household.

Tip: Buy your berries from Aldi, if you have one in your area. These blueberries were only 99 cents a quart.

Make the salad's dressing separately and then add fruit and combine flavors. — Make the salad’s dressing separately and then add fruit and combine flavors.