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Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a refreshing smoothie made with pineapple, mango, banana, strawberries, dragon fruit and a pinch of honey. 

Since making that Dragon Fruit Sorbet a couple weeks ago, my mind has been set on creating some more amazing recipes with this tropical fruit. With summer vacation just beginning, smoothies are high on the to-do list for breakfast and snacks with the kids. This smoothie is a huge hot with the whole family. It’s colorful, sweet, refreshing and healthy! 

Nutrient Dense Smoothie

Each serving of this Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie contains about 4 servings of fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals! 

Dragon Fruit

A mild tasting fruit (much like a kiwi) rich in iron and calcium and loads of antioxidants. The outer layer is bright in color and the insides can either be white or bright pink/red. I used the bright pink/red so a white dragon fruit will result in a different color smoothie but taste just as fantastic! Dragon fruits are easy to prepare. Simply cut the fruit in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside to dice. 

Pineapple

Pineapple is a delicious fruit high in fiber and magnesium. 

Mango

Mango is a sweet fruit high in vitamin C with a fruity aroma. Picking a good mango from the store is much like picking a good avocado. Color isn’t a great indication of ripeness. Instead, you want to feel the fruit and give a gentle squeeze. Mango should have slight give to it but not be too soft or too firm. 

Banana

Bananas are a great source of potassium, manganese, vitamin B12 and more. Bananas are a food I feed my active family before workouts to aid in water balance. 

Strawberries

Strawberries contain high amounts of vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants. They add a natural sweetness to the smoothie and boost of color. 

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a combination of some of the healthiest and most flavorful tropical fruits readily available. My favorite thing about this particular smoothie is that you can taste each individual fruit. The mango comes through, the pineapple is subtle, banana thickens the smoothie and adds just enough flavor and the dragon fruit with strawberries make this smoothie beautiful. Add a pinch of honey for extra sweetness according to your personal taste. 

Tips & Tricks

Prepping Smoothies is easy and convenient. Just label each bag, add the contents you want frozen and toss in freezer. You can make 4 smoothie packs with two servings in each with this shopping list. 

  • 1 pineapple
  • 2 mangos
  • pint strawberries
  • 2 dragon fruit
  • 4 bananas (not frozen)
  • honey (not frozen)

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Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a refreshing smoothie made with pineapple, mango, banana, strawberries, dragon fruit and a pinch of honey. 

Course Breakfast, lunch
Keyword Banana, dragon fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Smoothies, strawberry
Servings 2 Servings
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup pineapple diced and frozen
  • 1 cup mango diced and frozen
  • 1 cup dragon fruit diced and frozen
  • 1 cup strawberries hulled and frozen
  • 1 banana
  • honey

Instructions

  • Wash and dice the pineapple, mango, strawberries and dragon fruit. Place into freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.
  • Place the frozen fruit into blender with 1 peeled banana and a a drizzle of honey. Blend until smooth.
  • Serve in 2 glasses.

Strawberry Lemonade

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Strawberry Lemonade is made with fresh strawberries, lemons, honey and a little sugar for a refreshing beverage this summer. 

The weather is heating up and summer is coming! I love summer. I love the sunshine, the heat, flip flops and swimming with the kids. Most of all though, I love lounging outside and enjoying time with friends and family. This beverage is the perfect lounging outside on a hot day kind of drink. 

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade is both sweet and tart with a strong flavor of strawberry that is just so delicious. This is a great non-alcoholic beverage for the family or you can add a shot of vodka to make it an adult beverage after a long, hot summer day. 

Tips & Tricks

Strain

You can use a sieve to strain the blended strawberries to remove the seeds and pulp. This is an optional step but I find when you are having a gathering, it is best to strain because not everyone likes pulp. Plus, the step is simple and only takes a minute. 

Sugar

You can make this lemonade as sweet as you like. You will need some sugar to cut back on the tartness of the lemons. Strawberries already have a lot of natural sugar and honey is also added so 1/4 cup to 1/2 extra sugar should be plenty. 



 

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Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade is made with fresh strawberries, lemons, honey and a little sugar for a refreshing beverage this summer. 
Servings 8 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries hulled
  • 1 1/2 cups lemon juice aprox 7 lemons
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 cups water
  • ice
  • lemon slices garnish
  • mint garnish

Instructions

  • Wash and hull the strawberries and  juice the lemons. 
  • Place strawberries, honey and lemon juice into blender. Blend well. 
  • Send mixture through a sieve to strain or add directly to a pitcher of ice. Add 6 cups water. 
  • Add sugar to taste. I like it with 1/2 cup but you can add less or more depending on your personal taste. 
  • Add lemon slices and mint to garnish. Stir well and serve. 

What is your favorite part about summer? Let me know in the comments below. 

Fresh Strawberry Mocktail

Fresh Strawberry Mocktail is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with a fresh strawberry syrup, sliced strawberries and sparkling water that is simple, pink and beautiful. 

Fresh Strawberry Mocktail

Fresh Strawberry Mocktail is so refreshing and easy to make. Sparkling water is one of my favorite drinks to mix fruits with or alcohol. Yes, you can add a shot of vodka to this also to make a delicious lower calorie cocktail! You may also like this Strawberry Lime Vodka Tonic for another refreshing summer cocktail. 

Strawberries

The use of fresh strawberries adds antioxidants and more nutritional value over a store bought strawberry syrup. Plus, the flavor the fresh strawberries is unbeatable. Below are some nutrition benefits of strawberries. 

  • High in Vitamin C
  • Powerful antioxidants to decrease inflammation and fight free radicals. 
  • Low calorie
  • High fiber to keep you regular. 
  • Potassium to regulate blood pressure. 
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Fresh Strawberry Mocktail

Fresh Strawberry Mocktail is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with a fresh strawberry syrup, sliced strawberries and sparkling water that is simple, pink and beautiful. 
Course drink
Keyword Mocktail
Servings 4 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound strawberries hulled and sliced
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • sparkling water
  • more strawberries garnish
  • ice

Instructions

  • Wash, hull and slice strawberries. 
  • Add strawberries to a saucepan on a medium heat with 1/4 cup sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves and heat down to a low simmer for 8 minutes. Whisk every so often forming a syrup. 
  • Place the syrup through a mesh strainer and let the liquid cool. 
  • Separate the syrup into 4 equal portions into glasses. Fill with ice and some sliced strawberries. 
  • Fill each glass with sparkling water and serve. 

Salty Dog

A Salty Dog is a cocktail made with grapefruit juice and gin or vodka with a salt rim. Garnish with a slice of fresh grapefruit and sprig of rosemary to make a beautiful and delicious drink. 

I feel like grapefruit is one of those foods that is more of an acquired taste. I don’t mind half a grapefruit every once in awhile in the morning with a sprinkle of sugar for breakfast. This cocktail is the same for me- it isn’t what I always crave but it is nice every once in awhile to switch things up! Plus, you can make it really pretty by adding some fresh slices of grapefruit and a sprig of rosemary for a pop of color. 

Salty Dog

A Salty Dog is just a greyhound (grapefruit juice and gin) with a salt rim added. Traditionally, this cocktail is made with gin but vodka can be substituted which is the way I like to make mine. You can choose to add the extra garnish of rosemary and fresh grapefruit to pretty up the cocktail and add just a touch more flavor or keep it simple without. 

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Salty Dog

A Salty Dog is a cocktail made with grapefruit juice and gin or vodka with a salt rim. Garnish with a slice of fresh grapefruit and sprig of rosemary to make a beautiful and delicious drink. 
Course drink
Keyword cocktail, gin, grapefruit, vodka
Servings 1 cocktail
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounce Gin or vodka
  • 4 ounces grapefruit juice
  • coarse salt
  • ice
  • fresh grapefruit slice
  • rosemary

Instructions

  • Dip the tip of your glass in water and then coarse salt to salt the rim. Traditionally a highball glass would be used. 
  • Fill glass with ice. 
  • Add a shot of gin or vodka. 
  • Place a slice of fresh grapefruit inside glass (optional). 
  • Fill with grapefruit juice. 
  • Garnish with a sprig of rosemary (optional). 

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie is made with fresh avocado, cucumber, kiwis and plain yogurt for a healthy breakfast or lunch that isn’t too sweet. 

Typically, I am all about those super fruity and sweet smoothies like the Triple Berry Smoothie, but sometimes I just want something nutrient dense and makes me feel good and full for a long time. I love this smoothie because it does those things. Here is a breakdown on what the ingredients are doing for our body!

Avocado

Low in sugar, high in fiber with 20 vitamins and minerals. Avocado may be high in calories and fat but it is monounsaturated fatty acids that are healthy and your body needs! 

Kiwi

Kiwis are always tasty and healthy with loads of Vitamin C. Your immune system will thank you. 

Cucumber

Cucumber has a mild taste and is super refreshing known to help with hydration. 

Yogurt

The benefits of yogurt can differ from brand to brand. Look for a high calcium yogurt that is fortified with Vitamin D for bone health. Yogurt also has probiotics to help with your gut health. 

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie is smooth and creamy with a strong avocado flavor and just a hint of tangy kiwi. The cucumber and yogurt is added for health benefits and to also thicken the smoothie into a really nice consistency. A great smoothie to start your day with! 

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Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie is made with fresh avocado, cucumber, kiwis and plain yogurt for a healthy breakfast or lunch that isn't too sweet. 
Course Smoothie
Keyword breakfast, drink, Smoothies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado Pit removed and peeled
  • 4 kiwis peeled
  • 1 cucumber peeled
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 Tablespoon honey optional

Instructions

  • Wash and peel all the fruit. Rough chop them and add to blender. 
  • Add plain yogurt and ice. You can add honey if you want a sweetener. 
  • Blend until smooth and creamy. 

 

Strawberry Vodka Slush

Strawberry Vodka Slush is a frozen cocktail made with strawberries, freshly squeezed lemon juice, vodka, sugar and seltzer water.

Strawberry Vodka Slush

Strawberry Vodka Slush is sweet, refreshing and hits the spot on a warm day. If you are a daiquiri fan, this is the type of cocktail for you and a real treat! There may be snow on the ground here in Cincinnati at the moment but I can’t help to think about sipping this baby by the pool this summer while soaking up some sunshine.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t blend for too long! You want a powerful blender and use crushed ice. If you don’t have crushed ice, just blend the ice for 30 seconds before adding any other ingredients. This way, the cocktail will be nice and slushie without random chunks of ice.

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Strawberry Vodka Slush

Strawberry Vodka Slush is a frozen cocktail made with strawberries, freshly squeezed lemon juice, vodka, sugar and seltzer water.
Course drink
Keyword cocktail, vodka
Servings 2 drinks
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries hulled and frozen
  • 1 cup lemon juice 4 lemons
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1 cup seltzer water
  • 1 cup ice

Garnish

  • 2 ounces extra vodka optional
  • 2 lime slices
  • 2 fresh strawberries
  • whipped cream optional

Instructions

  • Wash, hull and freeze strawberries. I always freeze the fruits my kids don't eat throughout the week and use for these type of recipes.
  • Squeeze 1 cup worth of lemon juice from about 4 lemons.
  • Place frozen berries into blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
  • Serve in 2 glasses and garnish with a slice of lime and a strawberry.
  • Optional to add an extra ounce of vodka to float on top of each drink before serving. Try it with a dollop of whipped cream!

Irish Mule

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An Irish Mule is made with Jameson whiskey, freshly squeezed lime and ginger beer topped with a lime slice and a sprig of mint for garnish.

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! Is there a better way to celebrate than with some Jameson Irish Whiskey? We put a little spin on a Moscow Mule which is typically made with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, a lime wedge and mint.  Swap the liquor with some Jameson and the result is ahhh-mazingly delicious and appropriate anytime of year- not just Saint Patrick’s Day!

Irish Mule

An Irish Mule is really refreshing and has great spicy kick thanks to the ginger beer. The splash of lime juice helps balance out the cocktail. The mint is optional and serves as an aromatic but looks nice and of course, smells nice too.

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Irish Mule

An Irish Mule is made with Jameson whiskey, freshly squeezed lime and ginger beer topped with a lime slice and a sprig of mint for garnish. 
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Jameson Whiskey
  • 6 ounces ginger beer
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • ice
  • 1 lime slice garnish
  • mint sprig garnish

Instructions

  • Fill a mule mug with ice. Add Jameson and lime juice. 
  • Top with ginger beer and garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of lime. 



White Hot Chocolate with Strawberry Whipped Cream

White Hot Chocolate with Strawberry Whipped Cream is a cocoa made with white chocolate chips, whole milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract on the stove-top or in the slow cooker topped with an easy whipped cream made of heavy cream, strawberry Jello and confectioners sugar.

School was cancelled today because of the freezing cold temperatures outside. Like many places at the moment- Cincinnati is experiencing some serious low temperatures so what do we do? Drink hot chocolate, duh! We didn’t want any hot chocolate though so we made it special today with a strawberry whipped cream topping and Valentine’s Day sprinkles and it is just what we needed on a day like this.

White Hot Chocolate with Strawberry Whipped Cream

White Hot Chocolate can easily be made in the handy crock-pot or quickly on the stove top.

White Hot Chocolate Instructions

  • Stove Top: Add the chocolate chips, heavy cream , milk and vanilla extract to a saucepan or pot. Cook on a medium heat and whisk frequently until you reach a low simmer. Serve.
  • Crock Pot: Add your ingredients to a crock-pot and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve.

Strawberry Whipped Cream

Time for that special touch of strawberry whipped cream. This tastes like a normal fluffy, slightly sweet whipped cream but with the added bonus of strawberry flavor! Plus, it is really easy to make. Before beginning, place a metal bowl and the beaters into the freezer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes is up, add the heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and a little bit of Jello gelatin powder in strawberry flavor to the cold bowl. Beat for 4-5 minutes you get a stiff peak – meaning it will hold firm but still look soft and fluffy.

Think of all the delicious desserts you can use this strawberry whipped cream on! YUM. 

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White Hot Chocolate with Strawberry Whipped Cream

White Hot Chocolate with Strawberry Whipped Cream is a cocoa made with white chocolate chips, whole milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract on the stove-top or in the slow cooker topped with an easy whipped cream made of heavy cream, strawberry Jello and confectioners sugar. 
Recipe inspired by The First Year Blog
Course desssert, drink
Keyword strawberry
Servings 4 people
Author Amber

Ingredients

White Hot Chocolate

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces white chocolate chips

Strawberry Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons Jello gelatin powder strawberry

Instructions

  • Place a metal bowl and beaters into freezer for 15 minutes. 
  • Add 2 cups heavy cream , 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 4 Tablespoons Jello gelatin powder into the metal bowl and beat for 4-5 minutes or until a stiff peak forms. Store in fridge. 
  • In a pot or saucepan, add the chocolate chips, 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Cook on a medium heat stirring often as you bring it to a low simmer. 
  • Serve the hot chocolate in a mug with some strawberry whipped cream on top and add some sprinkles for fun!

After making this strawberry whipped cream for our white hot chocolate, I am thinking of all kinds of fun flavors and ways to eat whipped cream! Do you have any amazing flavor ideas? Let me know in the comments below.

Triple Berry Smoothie

A Triple Berry Smoothie is made with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Greek yogurt, honey and ice for a really quick and refreshing breakfast or snack anytime.

I love smoothies! Breakfast, lunch, snack… heck… sometimes, dinner- I just love them. I almost always use fresh berries for smoothies and can afford to do so because I don’t waste any food. So all those fruits and vegetables that are not eaten at the end of the week, get frozen for convenient smoothies. Either I toss everything in a little ziploc bag or if there are enough berries, I will actually portion out individual bags for smoothies.  If you find yourself with any amount of waste from fruits and veggies every week, I recommend trying this out because why throw your money away when you can make a delicious, healthy smoothie out of it?

Don’t have waste? First, let me know your secrets that have your family eating all the healthy stuff and second, you can still totally makes!

Triple Berry Smoothie

Let’s get blending!

Start this Triple Berry Smoothie by washing your fruits, removing the stems slicing the strawberries in half and freezing the berries for a few hours (minimal). Add the fruit to a blender with some Greek yogurt, a pinch of sweetener and ice. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and drink up. You can use any sort of sweetener you like, personally I like local honey.

TIP

Make it a full meal by adding a scoop of your favorite vanilla or berry flavored protein powder!

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Triple Berry Smoothie

A Triple Berry Smoothie is made with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Greek yogurt, honey and ice for a really quick and refreshing breakfast or snack anytime. 
Servings 1 serving
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raspberries frozen
  • 1/3 cup blueberries frozen
  • 2/3 cup strawberries frozen
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup ice
  • 2 teaspoons sweetener recommend honey

Instructions

  • Wash fruits. Remove the stems and cut strawberries in half. Measure out the fruit and place into a ziploc bag. You can make multiple ready-to-blend smoothie bags at once. 
  • Once the berries are frozen, place into the blender with yogurt, honey and ice. 
  • Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and all the ice has broken up. 

Love smoothies as much as I do? Also try this popular Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie from here at Simply Made Recipes.

12 Champagne Cocktails

12 Champagne Cocktails

Champagne can be drunk anytime of year but New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day are the two days of the year it is completely necessary! Whether you are toasting to another amazing year or celebrating a relationship (Hey, maybe you are just toasting to a Friday night), I have 12 Champagne Cocktail recipes that are simple, gorgeous and festive for the occasion!

Ombré Cranberry Sparklerfrom The Diary of a Debutante is beautiful sparkling cocktail made with Prosecco, gin and a cranberry simple syrup. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary to complete this drink.

 

Cranberry Sorbet Champagne Floats from Baking a Moment are made with a homemade cranberry sorbet for a a fun cocktail this season!

 

Champagne Margaritas from The Kitchen is my Playground has a unique cocktail that -let’s be honest- could be for a New Year party or just to celebrate a Taco Tuesday! Either way- I am down!

 

Champagne Kombucha Cocktail is a simple cocktail from The Wild Gut mixed with Prosecco and Kombucha for something bubbly to drink as the ball drops this New Years Eve.

 

Bring the tropics into your home with this Tropical Hibiscus Spritzer from Delicious Table. A Luau with Santa? I might be on to something here….

 

Juniper Champagne Cocktail from This Mama Cooks has juniper berries, pine sprigs and Prosecco. Let the festivities begin!

 

Champagne and Roses Cocktail from Baking a Moment screams Valentine’s Day but I see myself even sipping this as the ball drops.

 

More Champagne Cocktails

Rock Candy Champagne from here at Simply Made Recipes.

The French 75 Cocktail from This Worthey Life.

Three Ingredient Strawberry Lime Champagne Cocktail from Savory Nothings.

Sparkling Pomegranate Berry Punch from Serena Bakes.

Strawberry Mimosa from Baking Beauty.