Beat the Heat Snow Cone Syrups and Peach and Tutti Fruitti Smoothies

This summer heat is really taking it's tole on many of us. With school back in, these syrups are a really treat to use on snow cones for the kids to cool down after school!

Snow Cone and Slushie Syrups

Lemon: 1 Cup Lemon Juice (fresh) + 1 Cup Sugar

Peach~Mango: 1 Cup Peaches (fresh or frozen) and 1/2 cup Mango mashed + 1 Cup Sugar + 1/3 Cup Water

Cherry: 1 Cup Cherries, pitted + 1 Cup Sugar + 1 Cup Water

Watermelon: 4 Cups Watermelon Juice + 1 Cup Sugar

Add selected ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat on medium high and mash the fruit with a spoon or potato masher while mixture comes to a boil.

Boil syrup over medium high heat, watching carefully so it doesn't boil over. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until syrup starts to thicken.

Remove syrup from heat and pour through a strainer and into a bowl.

Place bowl in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled. Then transfer the finished syrup into a squeeze bottle. Store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Peach Smoothie

1 8oz can peaches and syrup
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 tsp almond extract

Combine in a blender and blend until smooth.

Tutti-Frutti Smoothie

1 8oz can fruit cocktail
1/2 cup grenadine syrup
2 cups strawberry ice cream
2 cups milk

Combine in a blender and blend until smooth.

March Food In Jars Mastery Challenge ~ Jellies and Shrubs

A group of us are participating in the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge hosted by Marisa at Food in Jars. The March challenge was Jelly or Shrubs.

While just about everyone gets the concept of jams and jellies, Shrubs were a mystery to me even though I did bartend for a while. They were not popular back then, or the places I worked were not "upscale" enough to know about them. They are a very old concept from the days before refrigeration, but shrubs are making a comeback! 

So, what does the word, shrub, mean, exactly? Michael Dietsch explains in rich detail the history of shrub-making, which dates way beyond Colonial times, in the pages of his recent book, Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times. A shrub is basically fruit, or even vegetables, combined with two other components: sugar and vinegar. After the correct ratio of those ingredients integrate over a little time, the result is a perfect balance of tartness, sugar, acidity, and texture. Shrubs are mouth-watering and concentrated, and they taste amazing when combined with soda, water or integrated into a cocktail.

I stuck with jelly since none of my gang would even begin to try the shrubs. It would be a waste and a shame to make a product to take a picture of and throw it away. I'll wait until our Adult Easter Egg Hunt ~ Spring Fling Party to make some Shrubs and get the big kids to try them! I'll keep you posted!

Check out our results!
Click the links below the pictures for the recipes:

Satsuma Mandarin Orange Pepper Jelly  - Mary Marshall -
Cooking with Mary and Friends
Recipe

Balsamic Vinegar Jelly with Onions Seeds - Sue Harris -
Jams 'n' Pans
Recipe

Cantaloupe, Orange and Coriander Shrub - Pamela Gram -
The Pitt Stop BBQ, LLC
Recipe

Pepper Jelly - Anne Marshall-Candeloro
Recipe

Pomegranate Molasses Shrub - Nikki Carriere
Recipe

Porter Beer Jelly - Sue Burns -
It's Ok to Eat the Cupcake
Recipe 

Mango, Szechuan Peppercorn, Kaffir Lime Leaf Shrub -
Tami Young -
Recipe

Cherry Jelly - Lynn Vining -
Southern with a Twist
Recipe

Mama's Margaritas

Since it is National Margarita Day, I decided to take Mama's Daiquiri recipe and change it up a little. Mama's Margarita... in a Martini Glass! :-)

Judy’s Lemonade Margaritas

1 12oz can frozen Lemonade Concentrate
1 6oz can frozen Limeade Concentrate
1 liter Sprite
1 fifth Tequila

Mama's Method...

Mix ingredients in gallon pitcher. Freeze until slushy (at least 24 hours).To serve: Stir with large metal spoon (mixture will freeze on top, but the center will be soft). Spoon into plastic glass. Serve with 'spoonstraws'.


Optional Method (pictured)

Mix the lemonade, limeade and tequila in a gallon pitcher until well combined. Pour in Sprite slowly. Gently stir. Pour over ice into salt rimmed glasses. Garnish with a lime twist.

 Artland Polka-Dot 4-Pc. Martini Glass Set (Google Affiliate Ad)

Lemon-Lime Daiquiri... Judy's Poolside Lemonade

Here's another one of Mama's recipes from my cookbook. It is also the subject of one of the stories in my short stories collection in the book 'Crazy People'...

Judy’s Poolside Lemonade

  

Mama used to make a big plastic gallon pitcher full of her poolside lemonade in the summertime. She would put it in the freezer and it would turn to slush. It was like a lemon-lime daiquiri, but slushy not icy. She’d get her raft and a big glass of ‘Lemonade’ and float for hours.

  

One hot summer afternoon, Deepy and Charlie were swimming. Mama was floating on her raft soaking up the sun. Her lemonade was over by the side of the pool. Everybody was enjoying the water and the lemonade. About that time Charlie said, “Hey, Uncle!” Mama looked up and Uncle was walking over to her glass. (Uncle never drank that we know of...and didn't approve of such things.) She paddled as hard as she could but he already took a gulp. He set it down and said, “Now, that’s the best lemonade I’ve ever tasted! Got any more?” Mama said, “Well, thank you! But Sorry! That was the last glass!”

The yellow pitcher in the freezer is Mama's Daiquiri Pitcher.

 Judy’s Poolside Lemonade

1 12oz can frozen Lemonade Concentrate

1 6oz can frozen Limeade Concentrate

36 oz 7-Up

1 fifth Bacardi Rum

Mix ingredients in gallon pitcher. Freeze until slushy (at least 24 hours).

To serve:   Stir with large metal spoon (mixture will freeze on top, but the center will be soft). Spoon into plastic glass. Serve with 'spoonstraws'.

Mama's Note: Uncle (Dargan) got to my glass (before I could) by the pool one afternoon…said it was the best lemonade he had ever had…I told him “last glass…sorry!”

Artland Festival 4-Pc. Margarita Glass Set (Google Affiliate Ad)