Watermelon Infused Vodka

Trust me when I say that this watermelon vodka was so worth the effort! It was absolutely delicious and tasted sweet without adding any sweetener. Also, the color was a deep magenta and would look really pretty garnished with a little mint or basil.

Watermelon Infused Vodka

  • 1 small- to medium-sized seedless watermelon
  • 1/2 bottle of watermelon-flavored vodka

Cut up the watermelon into 1-inch cubes and discard the rind. Place in a large glass bowl and add vodka over top. Mix well to coat all of the watermelon cubes with vodka. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours and then wait patiently. In batches, blend all of the vodka-soaked watermelon chunks until smooth. Over a large bowl, strain blended watermelon through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth and discard the excess pulp. Transfer the remaining liquid to a serving bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sangria

Sangria is the perfect drink for the summer. It’s cold, refreshing and fruity. You can use whatever fruits you want, but I prefer to stick with citrus. Also, If you prefer yours to be sweeter you can add more OJ. I’ve also heard of adding 7-Up or granulated sugar to sweeten the drink, but I like mine to be dry and the let the fruit do all the sweetening, naturally. White wine can easily be swapped for red if you’re not a big red wine fan.

As you can see, I had fun trying out some new photo filters with this post. Let me know what you think!

Sangria

  • Ice
  • 1 bottle club soda
  • 1 bottle dry red wine (like Cabernet, Shiraz or Merlot)
  • 1/2 cup triple-sec liqueur
  • Splash of orange juice
  • Fruit, sliced (orange, lime and lemon)

In a large pitcher mix all ingredients with ice and stir until well-combined. Serve in glass with additional ice and fruit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Burrito

The name says it all. It’s like a traditional burrito, but with peanut butter and jelly, fruit and chocolate chips. How much more simple can it get? This is great for little ones (or husbands, in my case) as it can be fun to turn the normal burrito ingredients into sweet and healthy ingredients. For example, the peanut butter equals the refried beans on a normal burrito, the strawberries equal the meat, the strawberry jam is the salsa and the chocolate chips is the cheese, etc. You could take it even a step further and add “sour cream,” a.k.a whipped cream. The possibilities are endless!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Burrito

  • 1 100% whole wheat 10-inch tortilla
  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry jam, jelly or preserves
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
  • sprinkle of chocolate chips

Warm tortilla in a large skillet on each side. Spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter down the middle of the tortilla. Add chopped strawberries. Top with strawberry jam and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Fold up the ends of the tortilla and roll up. Optional ingredients could be apples, bananas, whipped cream, etc.

Low-fat Banana-Raspberry Ricotta Dessert

My husband and I both HATE ripe bananas. So, inevitably, we end up with a pile of brown bananas in our freezer, and I have to be crafty in using them. Luckily, we also keep our kitchen bare of snack or dessert foods, and there you have it, this dessert creation was born in a moment of desperation. Note: All of the kooky ingredients can easily be replaced with normal ones (use any kind of milk, sweetener, and ricotta that you have), this is just the ultra-light route. Also, I don’t recommend freezing this for more than a few hours—because there is no fat like in ice cream, this doesn’t stay creamy once frozen. So it’s best served immediately after hitting the right texture.

Low-fat Banana-Raspberry Ricotta Dessert

  • 1 cup fat free ricotta
  • 2 frozen bananas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 packet of Stevia
  • 3 raspberries
  • some sliced almonds

Simply blend the thawed banana, ricotta, stevia, and milk together on high until well combined. Stick in the freezer to firm up for about 2 hours, then top with almonds and raspberries right before serving. Makes 2 smallish servings or 1 really big one!

Apple Crisp

I usually only make apple crisp in the fall, after we go apple-picking at Becker Farms, but I decided to bring this yummy dessert to Easter and it was a hit. It had to bake for an hour and man did it make the whole house smell like the fall. Mmmmmm sweet, delicious fall. We served it warm with vanilla ice cream and it really made this dessert taste out of this world. Also, I used a melted vegan spread instead of butter and it didn’t compromise the flavor at all. It was still as delicious as ever AND vegan-friendly. Yum!

Apple Crisp

  • 8 apples (I used 3 organic Granny Smith and 5 organic Gala, but you can use whatever kind you like)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 1/2 cup butter, margarine or vegan spread (melted)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup quick oatmeal
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Peel and slice the apples, then place them in a large bowl. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the apple pie spice to the apples and mix thoroughly. Then place the apple mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, oatmeal and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well and spread over the top of the apples. Bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour. Check the apples periodically to make sure they are done. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15”

Sounds like we’re talking about a game show or something, right? Nope! We’re actually talking about fruits and veggies and how to know when or when not to buy organic. Organic produce typically carries a higher price tag and isn’t available in all areas, so the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides is a great starting point for you to limit your exposure to pesticides while staying within reason. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (the “Dirty Dozen”) and eating the least contaminated produce (the “Clean 15″).

The “Dirty Dozen” (means ‘buy organic‘)

  1. Apples
  2. Celery
  3. Strawberries
  4. Peaches
  5. Spinach
  6. Nectarines (imported)
  7. Grapes (imported)
  8. Sweet Bell Peppers
  9. Potatoes
  10. Blueberries (domestic)
  11. Lettuce
  12. Kale/Collard Greens

The “Clean 15 (means ‘okay to eat’)

  1. Onions
  2. Sweet Corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Avocado
  5. Asparagus
  6. Sweet Peas
  7. Mangoes
  8. Eggplant
  9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
  10. Kiwi
  11. Cabbage
  12. Watermelon
  13. Sweet Potatoes
  14. Grapefruit
  15. Mushrooms

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