Party Punch

Behold, the most incredible punch recipe for any party!  I've had this easy punch recipe for years.  I recently pulled it back out and made this punch at my sister's baby shower.  This is a very versatile recipe that can be used for any occasion.  In the past, I've also made this punch for bridal showers.  You could add alcohol for an adult party or bachelorette type party.  Everyone always loves the fresh, sweet but tart, taste of this happy punch.  It's always gone by the time the party ends.

Punch Ingredients: 12 oz can frozen pink lemonade concentrate 12 oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate 64 oz 100% cranberry juice 2 liter cranberry ginger ale crushed ice Directions: The night before the party: Place the frozen concentrate in the refrigerator to thaw Fill a gallon ziploc bag with crushed ice from your freezer’s ice maker (this way the ice maker should make more ice over night for the next day) Right before the party, mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/04/party-punch.html

This punch is also very delicious with Malibu Coconut Rum.

Spring Beer Fling Review

Spring has come to Florida!  We are enjoying beautiful weather and nice, not too hot, temperatures.  Mike and I spent a gorgeous Sunday at the Spring Beer Fling held at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa.  It was supposed to happen on Saturday but wisely was rescheduled to Sunday because of rain and thunderstorms.

The event started at noon but we arrived at 3:30 pm.  There was no line and we entered right away after showing our IDs verifying we were indeed over 21.  We headed to the VIP tent to check out what beverages were available.  Our VIP wristbands entitled us to unlimited drinks, including beer, wine, cocktails and bottled water.

The VIP tent had two IPAs and four types of Deep Eddy vodka.  I didn't even know Deep Eddy came in anything other than tea flavor.  I tried Deep Eddy Ruby Red with club soda and Deep Eddy Cranberry with club soda and lime.  Both were good but sweet and I could only drink about half of each glass.  We were also informed that our VIP wristbands could be used at the other beverage tents outside of the VIP area.  I went in search of cider!  I found two of my favorites!

I enjoyed ice cold, crisp, hard cider in my Spring Beer Fling souvenir glass.  Angry Orchard was sweeter and higher in calories than Strongbow but both were excellent hard ciders.  I was thrilled that they included hard cider at the beer fling since I don't like beer.  The lines for beer were short and moved quickly.  Mike sampled Samuel Adams' Rebel IPA, Sierra Nevada's Torpedo and Ruthless Rye, New Belgium's Snapshot and Sunshine Wheat.

Mike and I met up with our friends Denise and Allan. It was so much fun hanging out with friends, sipping beer and chatting.  There were even some muscle flexing and calf pictures taken but those didn't make the blog.

No one tried the surfboard this time.  I rode bull at Bourbon Fest but didn't want to wear the helmet required for the surfboard.  Other patrons seemed to have an exciting time on the surfboard with cheers from the crowd.

The Spring Beer Fling had four different food options.  We ate at the PaniniRiffic food truck. I had a delicious mojo chicken Panini and seasoned french fries.  Then on the way out, we shared lime chicken nachos that were so tasty!

The Spring Beer Fling went on until 10:00 pm that night but we left at about 7:00 pm to get home.  When we left, the party was still going and beach balls still flying.  I really enjoyed the Curtis Hixon venue for this event.  Curtis Hixon was clean and had really bathrooms in addition to the porta potties brought in for the crowds.  We had a great time!

Disclaimer: As a Tampa Bay Blogger, I was given two VIP tickets in exchange for promotion and review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Baby Shower Party Favor Treats

I co-hosted my youngest sister's baby shower and needed cute party favors for our guests.  My middle sister and I aren't super crafty and definitely not skilled at cookie or cake pop decorating.  We came up with an adorable and easy idea for baby shower party favors.

 

We bought individually wrapped rice crispy treats, but you could certainly make homemade rice crispy treats, and then dipped them in blue colored white chocolate.  Tada!  Look at these cute and easy baby shower treats.

To make these party favors you'll need:

• 16 individually wrapped rice crispy treats
• 1 bag of chocolate melting wafers in desired color
• Small plastic treat bags with ties
• Cute saying printed and cut out, with a hole punched in the corner

Directions:

1. Heat chocolate wafers over low heat. I used my mini crockpot.
2. Unwrap the rice crispy treats.
3. Dip the treats halfway into warm chocolate, tapping to remove excess chocolate. Place the chocolate dipped treat on parchment paper to harden.
4. Once the chocolate is dry/hard, place each treat in a bag and tie off with your cute saying. 

These could be made using any color chocolate and for any event, including birthday parties!

Lemon Pepper Chicken

I'm always looking for new healthly-ish recipes for dinner for my family.  This Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is a home run!  Both of my picky boys, they get that from me, love this dish as do me and my husband.  My 9 year old even requests that I make Lemon Pepper Chicken now.  I love when I find recipes that everyone enjoys.

 

Lemon Pepper Chicken Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves ¼ cup flour ¼ tsp salt 2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning (I used McCormick) 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp coconut oil 4 tbsp lemon juice Directions: Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound lightly until about 1/4 inch thick. Remove chicken from plastic wrap. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and lemon pepper seasoning. Coat each chicken breast with flour mixture. In a large skillet, heat butter and coconut oil until very hot. Cook the chicken breasts over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Drizzle 1 tbsp lemon juice over each chicken breasts. Cook about 2 minutes more or until pan juices are slightly reduced. Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/02/lemon-pepper-chicken.html

I modified this recipe from BHG.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I love Sweet Potato Casserole at Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday meal.  The crunchy top layer of pecans and warm brown sugar pair perfectly with the sweet creamy potatoes below.  Sweet Potato Casserole is a family favorite at holiday gatherings and goes well with turkey or ham.  I even love this dish as a leftover!

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients: 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup milk 3 Tbsp butter, melted 1 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup flour 3 Tbsp butter, diced 1 cup chopped pecans Directions: Put cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and mash.  Allow to cool slightly before continuing Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, eggs, white sugar, salt, milk, 3 Tbsp melted butter, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined (I used an electric hand mixer).   Place mixture in an 8x8 baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans.  Add remaining 3 Tbsp butter and rub into mixture until only small pieces remain.  Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top. Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/01/sweet-potato-casserole.html

Original recipe found here.

Spinach Tomato Egg White Cups

Here's a healthy breakfast packed with protein! These Spinach Tomato Egg White Cups are a great start to any morning and a filling, after-workout meal.

The mixture of ingredients

In the muffin tins and ready for the oven

Out of the oven

Breakfast is served

Spinach Tomato Egg White Cups Ingredients: 1 ½ cup egg whites ¼ cup milk (fat free) ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (reduced fat sharp) ¼ cup onions, diced 1 tomato, chopped 2 handfuls fresh spinach (wilted and chopped...makes it easier to work with) salt/pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 Combine all ingredients in a bowl Grease a regular size muffin tin Fill 12 regular size muffin tins with mixture. I use a measuring cup to scoop out the mixture and pour it into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes Let egg cups cool slightly before removing them. Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Lifehttp://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/01/spinach-tomato-egg-white-cups.html

I like to add a little salsa on top of my egg cups.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

We've had some cold days down here in Florida.  I know not as cold as the rest of northern US, but cold for FL.  Remember, it's all relative.  When I can't wear flip-flops to the grocery store, it's cold.

I felt like soup one day and whipped up this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe using what I had on hand and my crockpot (slow cooker).  It came out really tasty!  Even my very picky boys ate this soup.  Win, Win!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients: 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 32 oz box chicken broth 10 carrots cubed 10 celery stalks cubed 2 sweet potatoes cubed 1 can cream of celery soup 1 Tbsp each basil, parsley 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, rosemary salt/pepper to taste 1 cup dry elbow noodles Directions: Combine cream of celery soup, a can of water, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, all spices/seasonings in a slow cooker on high. Add chicken broth and chicken to a pot on the stove and boil chicken until cooked, about 15-20 minutes. When chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and chop into small pieces.  Add chicken to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker using a mesh strainer to remove any fat from the broth. Leave the slow cooker on high for 4 hours Cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain, and add to the slow cooker when ready to eat the soup. Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/01/homemade-chicken-noodle-soup.html

What is your favorite soup?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

My boys love chocolate chip cookie cakes, much more than regular cakes. I usually buy a cookie cake for their birthdays but this time I decided to make my own.

This chocolate chip cookie cake is so easy to make and delicious to eat!  It comes out very moist and soft.



In the pan with parchment paper.



Just lift the cookie cake out of the pan using the parchment paper.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Ingredients: 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes Mix in egg and vanilla extract With the mixer on low speed, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper into the bottom of a 10x13 cake pan to help the cookie easily come out of the pan when cooked. Spread the dough out into the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.   Recipe by Chrissy @ Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2014/01/chocolate-chip-cookie-cake.html

Recipe originally found here.

What is your favorite type of cake?

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

I love turtles...of the chocolate, caramel and pecan kind.  This simple recipe recreates the flavor of the sweet, gooey candy turtles.

 

Rolo Pretzel Turtles Ingredients: 1 bag of Rolo candies 1 bag of pretzels (I used the square type) 1 bag of whole pecans parchment paper Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet Lay pretzels on cookie sheet and place one Rolo on each pretzel Heat in oven for 3 minutes, then remove Gently press one pecan into each Rolo Let cool on the parchment paper Recipe by Chrissy @  Loving Life http://lovinglife27.blogspot.com/2013/11/rolo-pretzel-turtles.html

What's your favorite candy?