Berry Patriotic Sangria
- 1 bottle white wine
- blueberries
- raspberries
- 2 oz. Kirsch brandy
- 16 oz sparkling water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Method:
1. Place some blueberries and raspberries in a large silicone ice cube tray, fill it with water, and freeze. (prepare ahead of time)
2. Mix the white wine, brandy, sparkling water, and sugar.
3 . Put one of the ice cubes in a glass of your choice and fill the rest with the white Sangria mix.
Fruit Spritzers
Ingredients:
Berries or any fruit of your choice
Method:
1. Freeze berries (or fruit of your choice) in ice cube trays.
2. Serve with your favorite sparkling soda or wine.
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cation: Tropical
The Tropical stay-cation destination is perfect for the languid lovers who love to lay around sipping on exotic drinks wearing only a strategically placed lei.
It’s a great excuse to have frozen drinks in the winter and you don’t even have to break out the blender.
Pro Tip: Use ready-to-drink frozen pouches from Parrot Bay. Use the strawberry daiquiri and pina colada to stay within the Valentine’s Day color scheme and you can even layer the two! All you have to do is freeze, squeeze, and pour.
Dress up your drinks with sexy skewers – chocolate candy-dipped fruits on a skewer. To make these, melt the candy dips in a bowl, dip fruits in it, let them dry and put them on a skewer!
Savor the sensual taste of the islands with easy-to-make foods that are perfectly sized to feed each other with…no eating utensils required!
Pineapple Chicken Skewers
- Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1.5 lb. uncooked chicken breasts , cubed
- 12 fresh pineapple chunks, approximately 1 inch
- 12 skewers
- Preparation:
- Heat the grill (or if it is too chilly outside – preheat the broiler)
- Mix the first seven ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended and add shrimp and pineapple to the mix, toss to coat. Marinade for 1 hour.
- Thread and alternate 2 chicken cubes and 1 pineapple chunk onto each of the 12 skewers.
- Grill (or broil 6 inches from the heat) for 5 to 8 minutes per sided until chicken is cooked through.
Shrimp Ceviche (serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 2 ½ tablespoons superfine white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili paste or sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1 pound very fresh medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 avocados, halved
- Plantain chips and root chips
- Preparation
- In a large glass or plastic bowl, dissolve the sugar, salt, and chili paste in the lime juice.
- Season with pepper and cumin.
- Stir in the garlic, onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro.
- Gently mix in the shrimp and then cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- To serve, drain the excess liquid from the mixture and place in in avocado halves.
- Serve with a side of (long) plantain chips and root chips.
Passion Pops
- Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 20-oz. can of pineapple chunks
- 1 16-oz. can cream cheese frosting
- 1 bag of white chocolate candy melts
- toasted coconut
- sticks
- Preparation:
- Drain the and finely chop the pineapple, but keep the liquid.
- Bake the cake according to instructions, but instead of water use the pineapple juice.
- Let the cake cool, then crumble into a large bowl and add ½ cup of the chopped pineapple and just enough frosting to combine.
- Mix well and refrigerate overnight or for a couple of hours.
- Make 1-inch balls, then place them onto a baking sheet and insert a stick into each ball no more than halfway into the center.
- Transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Microwave the candy melts in a bowl and dip the cake pops into the candy coating.
- Add toasted coconut to the cake pop before the coating dries.
For decor, break out the beachwear, a beach towel, and to set the mood, place candles in glass vases with shells for lighting and play some of these tropical sounds from my Amazon playlist to get you “in the mood.”
Winter Stay-cation Party: Tropical Destination – The Caribbean
To have some fun in the sun without a sunburn, you can have a tropical stay-cation destination themed party! This one is inspired by the Caribbean and features easy frozen cocktails, pineapple shrimp skewers, and shrimp ceviche!
Frozen Cocktails
Parrot Bay frozen pouches come in three different flavors (Mango Daiquiri, Strawberry Daquiri, and Pina Colada) and are the easiest way to make frozen cocktails. You can layer the beverages with alternating flavors for an added touch–the Strawberry Daquiri and Pina Colada alternating is a great holiday beverage with the red and white layers. You can even set up a Make Your Own garnish bar with fresh fruits and skewers for your guests to garnish their own drinks! Setting up these drinks only requires these three steps:
- Freeze the drinks overnight.
- Pour into a daquiri glass.
- Garnish with fresh fruit skewers.
Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
These skewers are a little sweetness and a touch of heat–one bite later you’ll be savoring the taste of the tropical islands! The recipe below makes 12 skewers.
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons Italian dressing
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 24 uncooked cleaned medium shrimp
- 12 fresh pineapple chunks, approximately 1 inch
- 12 skewers
Method:
- Heat the grill (or if it is too chilly outside – preheat the broiler)
- Mix the first six ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended and add shrimp and pineapple to the mix, toss to coat.
- Thread 2 shrimp and 1 pineapple chunk onto each of the 12 skewers.
- Grill (or broil 6 inches from the heat) for 4 to 5 minutes of until shrimp turn pink.
Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp ceviche is the perfect tropical dish for seafood lovers! The recipe below serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ tablespoons superfine white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili paste or sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1 pound very fresh medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 avocados, halved
Method:
- In a large glass or plastic bowl, dissolve the sugar, salt, and chili paste in the lime juice.
- Season with pepper and cumin.
- Stir in the garlic, onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro.
- Gently mix in the shrimp and then cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- To serve, drain the excess liquid from the shrimp.
- Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve in avocado halves.
Décor
All décor should be designed in a tropical color pallet; lime green, aqua blue, sea foam green, lavender and red hibiscus. This will add color to your home and make you feel as if you really were on a tropical island.
- MYO Luminaries – Give your tropical stay-cation a warm flickering glow with luminaries.
- Gather small paper bags in various tropical colors and place a votive holder with a tea light in to the bag. The light from the tea light will diffuse through the bag creating a soft light that illuminates the room. You can even decorate the bags with punches or cut outs to allow a bit more light to shine through.
- Fruit Centerpieces – To add splashes of color, fill glass vases with whole fruit, oranges, limes, lemons, bananas. Top the vase with a pineapple to create your own palm-tree!
- MYO Leis
- Purchase flowers from your local flower shop or nursery; plumeria, orchids, hibiscus, and gardenia are best. Thread a needle with string or finishing line and thread flowers onto the string by pulling a needle through the center of the flowers. Repeat until you have the desired amount of flowers on the string and then tie the ends together to create a lei.
MYO Cordials
Make Your Own Cordials are perfect to serve at a holiday party or to give as a hostess gift.
I used small glass bottles from The Container Store with latched closures to preserve the fresh taste of the homemade cordials. The bottles also allow you to instantly identify the contents of the bottle and the quantity remaining.
To make these homemade cordials you would use a 50:50 ratio for the liquors and then add your favorite fruits, spices and candies to flavor the mixture. Once the mixture has been made, let the cordials sit for two weeks so the flavors infuse.
To save yourself two weeks of waiting, mix the cordials in air tight containers and place them into the dishwasher. The heat from the water will infuse the ingredients at rapid speed and will be ready for use the following day.
Here are my favorite make your own cordial recipes that were featured on The Better Show.
Limoncello
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Sliced Lemon Peels
- Sugar
- Triple Sec
- Ketel Citroen Vodka
Spiced Cherry
- Frozen Cherries
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Vanilla Beans
- Triple Sec
- Vanilla Vodka
Orange Cranberry
- Frozen Cranberries
- Fresh Kumquats
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Triple Sec
- Ketel Oranje Vodka
Caramel
- Carambar Caramels
- Vanilla Vodka
Candy Cane
- Peppermint Sticks
- Vodka
Be creative when making your own cordials, use ingredients that compliment each other. Fruits, spices and candies also give the homemade cordials a beautiful look when they are displayed.
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Gold Gilded Fruit Decor
Gold gilded fruit is a great edible centerpiece, its a great interactive activity to do with your children and it is a great alternative to plastic fruit. After the party is over, you can repurpose the fruit to make a delicious Golden Apple Pie which is tres chic!
List of Materials Needed:
- Fresh or Plastic Fruit (apples, pears, pomegranates, walnuts in the shell)
- 24 Karat Edible Gold Leaf Sheets
- Sugar Glue
- Disposable foam paint brush
Recipe for Edible Sugar Glue:
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts Sugar
Heat the mixture in the microwave until smooth, there should be no grains of sugar visible in the heated mixture.
Clean and dry fruit. If you’re using fresh fruit, the firmer the better. (You can get the same look with fake fruit, if you want it to last)
With a disposable paintbrush, apply a thin, even coat of sugar glue solution. Let dry until tacky (about 15 minutes).
Press sheets of 24 caret gold leaf onto the fruit and roll over a clean cloth surface. Overlap sheets slightly, and remove any loose pieces.
Allow fruit to dry completely and arrange in a gold gilded glass bowl for a dramatic edible table decoration.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
Upside-Down Fruit Nacho
This recipe is good for 1 serving and takes about 25 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 flour tortilla (8 inch), cut into short thin strips
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- PAM® Butter No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry
- Reddi-wip® Original Dairy Whipped Topping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tortilla strips in medium bowl. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon; gently toss to coat.
- Place strips in single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet; lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake 8 minutes, or until strips are lightly browned. Cool completely.
- Place strawberries and blueberries in serving dish; top with two servings (1/4 cup) Reddi-wip. Garnish with one fourth of the baked tortilla strips (reserve remaining for another use). Serve immediately.
Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake
This recipe makes 1 serving and only takes 10 minutes to prepare!
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate-flavored graham cracker, crushed
- 1 tablespoon crushed pretzels
- Reddi-wip® Original Dairy Whipped Topping
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Directions
Combine crushed graham cracker and pretzels in serving dish. Top with one serving (2 tablespoons) Reddi-wip, strawberries and another serving Reddi-wip. Serve immediately.
