Refreshing Strawberry Lemondade Ice Cubes for Upcoming BBQ's

*This post was created in partnership with Nothing But the Fruit. All opinions are mine and I super appreciate you supporting businesses that help keep Prim and Propah moving.

I had seen Nothing but the Fruit at Starbucks but had never grabbed them for me and the kiddo to snack on but now that we've been formally introduced, I don't think that we can ever go back! The gals from their team had sent us some samples earlier this Summer and to say that we became instant fans would not be an exagerration. I thought I would take some of our favorite fruit snacks and put a little bit of a late Summer twist on something for this coming Labor Day weekend! 

I did a little tinkering until I found the best combination of ingredients to create tasty ice cubes to toss into water, lemonade or even a ice cold glass of vodka... it gives new meaning to "on the rocks". With just a couple simple ingredients, a cute ice cube tray and a freezer, this is a great addition to any tasty Summer drinks that may be whipping up to celebrate the last days of Summer.

What you'll need:

• One package of Nothing But the Fruit Strawberry Bites
• 3-4 Fresh Strawberries, extra for garnish if desired
• 1 tablespoon of simple syrup
• 1/2 cup of water
• Juice of one lemon

It's so simple, really. Dice up your strawberries and put them into your ice cube tray. They will sit and wait for the liquid component. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring your simple syrup, water, lemon juice and fruit bites to a simmer, constantly stirring so that your mixture doesn't burn. You should start to see your fruit bites dissolving as you stir. There's really no way to screw this up so feel free to take a taste here or there (after cooling a bit) and feel free to add a little more simple syrup or lemon juice depending on which direction you want to go, sweet or tart. Your mixture can be completely dissolved (much like the consistency of a thick syrup) or you can leave bits and pieces of the fruit bites. At the end of the day, you cannot escape the deliciousness that awaits you. 

Once you've reached the perfect ratio, very gently pour your mixture over the strawberries in your ice cube tray making sure not to overflow. I used a silicon version which worked great for this special project. Pop in the freezer and give it a couple of hours to firm up. I added our ice cubes to a pitcher of lemonaide that I whipped up but we also saved a couple (from my second batch) for some mixed drinks we planned to make after the kids went to bed. If you give them a couple minutes to start melting into the drink... well, that's when the flavors start spreading- Mmmmm, mmmmmm! I've quickly realized that these little 100% fruit snacks, made with all natural ingredients, are more versatile that I initially gave them credit for. I used the strawberry bites this time but I'm thinking that I may need to figure out an inventive way to use the Concord Grape flavor next. Have you used something out of the ordinary to create a new treat? I'd love to hear in the comments!

If you want to know more about Nothing But the Fruit, be sure to check them out online, Facebook, and Instagram!

Apple+ Pumpkin Party: No Bake Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bites with Caramel Drizzle

Photo Credit: Domestikated Life

I meant to share some of this yumminess weeeeeeeeks ago but you know how life goes and those weeks just passed me right by! I was invited to a Apple and Pumpkin party and it was just as delicious as it sounds... I hit the road with the #PropahToddlah in tow to party down at Domestikate's house with my pumplin cream cheese bites ready to nosh and chat and have a great Sunday afternoon!

I'd made these No Bake Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bites before and they are certainly delicious but what I learned from this particular venture out is that when something needs to be chilled or even frozen, an hour plus in the car on a warm September day is probably not going to help. You live and you learn folks! I have altered this recipe a couple of times to my taste so I'm going to give you the low-down on what I make! I hear through the grapevine that they are gluten-free so, that's a plus if gluten makes you all itchy and irritable!

Bites Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
½  cup pumpkin purée
6 tbsp  to 8 tbsp sweetener of choice (to taste and for coating-I used fancy white granulated sugar)
1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup crushed pecans (for light coating)

Caramel Drizzle:

1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of heavy cream (or half and half)
5 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
a dash of salt

Let's start with the bites themselves! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 4-6 tbsp of sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract until blended well. Pop the mixture in the freezer until firm enough to mold, about 30-45 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine crushed pecans and 4 tbsp of sugar for coating. Using a spoon, cookie scoop, or your hands, form bite sized balls using thepumpkin and cream cheese mixture. Roll each ball in the pecan mixture until lightly covered. Place on your baking sheet. Refreeze to keep for longer or pop in the fridge to firm them back up. Make sure they are in a covered container.

When ready to drizzle in caramel, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan on your stovetop. Over medium heat, whisk for about 5 minutes until all ingredients are combined. Let cool completely before lightly drizzling over completed (and cooled) bites. Caramel mixture can be stored in the fridge to form a thicker consistency to apply as well.

Serve for all your friends! Yum!

My Pumpkin bites aside there was ALL sorts of deliciousness. My personal favorite was Kate's Apple Gruyere Flatbread... I'm pretty sure that I ate half of what she made on my own (I blame the baby!). Plus Elizabeth made some amazing apple bunt cakes that were like too good to be true.

I loved spending time with Kate, Elizabeth, Jessica, Julie, Emily, Becky and my little buddy, eating and chatting the afternoon away. I can't wait to see what kind of themed party that Kate thinks up next! I love a good theme and I love a good party, and, well, you know that I love eating so it's pretty much always going to be my ideal afternoon.

Do you have any apple or pumpkin recipes that you always have to make each Fall?

Delicious Mixed Berry and Sour Cream Scones

I've been experimenting with scones lately, so much so that I ran out of flour in record time. That almost never happens to me. I've been baking so much that I'm sort of teaching myself some expertise in certain areas. By no mean am I a classically trained pastry chef but I can whip up a mean batch of banana bread or berry scones from scratch! I recently did a baking demo in Boston and wanted to share the recipe that was an incredible success by all the taste testers! It was my first time using a glaze as well so I was over the mood excited with the positive reinforcement of my baked goodness!

2 cups of all purpose flour (and a little extra for surfaces)

2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup cold butter

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup of mixed berries, can be fresh or frozen

Directions, super easy: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar). 
• Cut butter into small pieces then "cut" into flour mixture with forks or pastry cutter. Tip: Use a cheese grater and very cold/frozen butter to "cut" butter in.
• Mix berries into the flour mixture. 
• In a separate bowl, combine milk and sour cream. 
• Pour the wet combo into dry and blend until a sticky mixture forms. Tip: Use your floured hands if necessary. 
• Put on floured surface and roll out. *I simply pat with my hands and kept workin' the dough.
• You can use a round cutter or make triangles before moving to the lined baking sheet. *I used a cookie cutter 
• Optional: Brush butter on top to add a crisp golden crust when baking
• Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Some would say that scones are only worth of breakfast but I beg to differ. I could eat these delicious scones pretty much any time of the day. These are best served hot out of the oven but if you want to save them, wait until they are cool and store them, room temp and covered (like in tupperware). These don't last long in our house but would keep for a few days, remaining just as tasty!

Have you ever tried your hand at scones?

Recipe: Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

Did you see my Coffee Drop Cookies that I whipped up a few weeks ago? I am visiting that same vintage cookbook to bring another recipe back because, to me, it's classic flavors that are still "hip" today. I have sort of built up my pantry to include all the items that I might need to whip up something that I might fancy on any given day, so when I saw that I had ample sour cream left over from a Taco Night, I thought what better thing to do than make Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

3 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Soft Butter or Margarine
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Dairy Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla or 2 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Peel

Topping: 1/2 Cup Sugar and 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a separate large bowl, mix with a handheld, at medium speed, the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in sour cream until light and fluffy (it's all about the L&F over here, folks!). Gradually beat in flour mixture until well combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour at least.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease your cookie sheets. Drop batter by slightly rounded table-spoonfulls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. For the topping, sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture onto the cookies before baking.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack before enjoying the yumminess! Truly, I wondered how these cookies would be but this recipe is absolutely, 100% delicious and super simple to make. Do you have a sour cream cookie recipe to share? I'd love to try another one to contract and compare cookies... Mmmmmm.

Holiday Cocktail Recipes Get in My Belly

Oooooh the Holidays, they're enough to drive you to drink, which is why I am sharing a tasty holiday drink recipe with you today! I was lucky enough to enjoy a delicious and delightful tasting dinner at The Cottage in Chestnut Hill last week and not only did we eat like Queens, we learned how to make some yummy holiday drinks! When I first heard we were making an Italian Egg Nog Martini, I was not impressed. I am not a huge fan of egg nog in it's usual holiday uses but this scrumptious drink totally changed my mind. Super simple to make and will sure to be a hit at our Christmas Eve dinner!

Another backlogged Holiday Recipe I wanted to share with you all before we have to spend time with our families and therefore need liquid courage/backup/relief/friendship. This was a drink that I learned how to make when I was flower arranging with the folks of Alice's Table at The Met Bar in Boston. The drink is pretty easy to make though finding Walnut Bitters was the bane of my existence and thus the reason this post has taken so long. I did locate them on Amazon and made my own simple syrup by heating up on the stovetop 2 parts sugar, 1 part water with cinnamon sticks. It's as simple as combining all ingredients one by one, topping off the drink with Hard Cider, garnishing with cinnamon sticks!

And if you need a little something to warm you up, the folks at The Cottage have once again got you covered with a simply delicious Irish Hot Chocolate. Sure to be a hit with dessert, this is warm and toasty and yummy and all the things you want when you're curled up by the fire. I am so happy that there are master bartenders at fine establishments that welcome you in for a drink but want you to be able to the same at home. Those are the places that I like to eat!

What are you drinkin' this holiday?