A Latte Lipstick

Summer Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail with Evolution Fresh

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**This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

Today we are going to make one of my favorite drinks, Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail. This drink is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy and will immediately transport you to your happy place.

My favorite cocktails to serve when I’m hosting are the simplest to make, and that’s not by accident. When I’m playing bartender while friends are over, I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all night preparing drinks. I love fun summery beverages that don’t require a lot of prep but appear more impressive when served. It’s all about the presentation.

The secret to the quick beverage is having a good base to start with that you don’t have to make yourself. Evolution Fresh has some great juices that I use as the main ingredient in many of the cocktails that I make and I don’t feel bad about using them. These juices aren’t overly sweet and don’t have a lot of ick in them. The juice used in this Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail only has organic lemons, strawberries, and cane sugar! Simple.

Evolution Fresh

All this cocktail needs is Organic Strawberry Lemonade by Evolution Fresh, your choice of vodka, lemons, strawberries, and mint. The measurements aren’t perfected to a science, so play with it and see what works best for you. I put in a splash or two of vodka, fill up the remaining cup about 3/4 of the way. After, I squeeze in a few lemons and garnish the glass with a strawberry and lemon. Last, I mix in a few mint leaves or leave a couple on top. Voila!

This delicious juice by Evolution Fresh comes in 11 oz, 15.2 oz, and 59 oz so use your judgment based on the size of your party, or how thirsty you are if it’s a party for one 😉

What’s your favorite simple cocktail to make? Or, are you super impressive and make them from scratch? Do tell!

 

Holiday Wine Wassail Recipe

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wassail recipe

Holiday Wassail is one of the best beverages invented. Wassail means “to your health” so you basically are doing your body a huuuge favor each sip you take.

I may be jumping the gun a little, but I was ready to enjoy this delicious wassail – not Thanksgiving, not tomorrow, but TODAY! It’s cinnamon-y, lemon-y, wine-y, holiday-y, cozy-y and everything you would want it to be-y. Too much? Wassail is perfect for the upcoming crisp season that needs to get here sooner rather than later!

holiday wine wassail recipe

My aunt is basically famous with this recipe and brings the wassail to our annual Fall Picnic each year without fail. It’s so delicious so I figured it was time to attempt it myself so I didn’t have to wait. Patience at its finest. I followed the recipe that my aunt has used through the years with all of her notes scribbled beside it to provide her personal recommended amount. She had altered the original recipe quite a bit and has made it “just right.”

I’m still a huge lover of the old fashioned cookbooks and sure hope that the magic isn’t lost in future generations. There is a time and place for Pinterest, but passed down recipes is not one of them. There’s nothing like writing in a literal book and opening up to a page that has been used so often that there are stains, accidental ripped pages, and beautiful memories. You can’t touch your phone with floured fingers.

wassail recipe

Holiday Wine Wassail Recipe Ingredients:

4 Bottles Wine
5 Tbsp Brandy
1 C Cranberry Juice
8 Lemons
1/2 C Sugar
1 Tbsp All Spice
1 Tbsp Ground Cloves
4 Cinnamon Sticks

Holiday Wassail Directions:

Put sugar, 3 lemon slices, 2 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to broil and stir for 5 minutes. Then strain.

In another pot, stir the wine, cranberry juice, brandy, lemons, and spices together.

Combine both mixtures and heat. Don’t broil.

Serve with cinnamon sticks and lemons to garnish the glass. I like to serve in copper mugs.

wassail

wassail

wassail recipe

Let’s pretend that the green leaves are orange, red and yellow. CAN’T WAIT!

What’s your favorite holiday drink?

Light Pasta Salad, Perfect For Any Tailgate

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light pasta salad

Football watch parties will be here before we know it! Meaning,it’s time to start thinking about healthy treats you can bring to a tailgate that others will actually enjoy. You don’t need people giving you crap and rolling their eyes at you for bringing something healthy! Light pasta salad is one of the yummiest side dishes and a great alternative to other foods that are ahem, let’s just say… greasier! By the end of the celebrations, your friends will be thanking you for adding a little bit of health to an otherwise beer and greasy filled day! This pasta salad is perfect to bring to any tailgate, at least in my opinion. 😉

The beautiful pops of colors in this light pasta salad can brighten any boring, probably otherwise brown and white, plate. It also is super fresh and light. The trick is to use more veggies than pasta so you don’t carb load and hurt your entire efforts of bringing a healthier dish for your guests! Use a whole grain pasta – any type of noodle will work. I was feeling spirals this afternoon.

You can really make the pasta dish your own and don’t have to follow my recipe strictly, I encourage recipe testing. Choose your favorite veggies, cheese, dressing and pasta. Chop, stir, eat! How much simpler could you get?

light pasta salad

Light Pasta Salad Ingredients:

Pasta
Grape Tomatoes
Red Onions
Broccoli
Green Peppers
Mozzarella
Light Balsamic Dressing
Salt and Pepper
Garlic

So how do you make it? Do you really need to ask? All you have to do is first cook the pasta, and then chop all the veggies. Stir all the cooked pasta, chopped veggies, and s/p, balsamic dressing, and garlic together and the product is ready!

What’s one of your favorite side dishes to bring to a tailgate?

Nutritious Overnight Oats Every Morning

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nutritious overnight oats

I came late to the overnight oats game, but I still wanted to play and decided it was time for me to make them. These nutritious overnight oats are the best to have prepared in your refrigerator for those busy mornings when you don’t have a spare second. So, grab your cute mini mason jar and head out the door knowing you have something very tasty and healthy for breakfast! Also, they will sufficiently keep you full until lunch time!

You can enjoy the oats cold or hot, dependent on your food mood. I prefer microwaving them when I get to the office rather then having them cold, but either option works. Once microwaved, the mouthwatering banana bread smell wafts through the air making any morning slightly more delicious and brighter!

Nutritious Overnight Oats + Latte= <3

nutritious overnight oats

nutritious overnight oats

I find it almost too fun to create different flavors and find the perfect mixture of ingredients for this morning deliciousness. Below are my favorite mixes, but always feel free to adjust according to your personal likes and dislikes!

Base: Fits perfectly into 8 oz mason jar

1/2 C Rolled Oats – I like the gluten free Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats
1/2 C Almond Milk

Optional Sweeteners: Honey, real maple syrup, coconut, agave

Recipes:

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 banana
Sprinkle of crushed walnuts
1/2 tsp of maple syrup

Strawberry Shortcake 

Sliced strawberries
1/2 tsp of honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Peanut Butter Jelly

1/2 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp jelly
1/2 tsp of honey

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip

1/2 tsp peanut butter

Sprinkle of chocolate chips or cacoa nibs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cocoaPour in the oats and stir in the add-ons. Add almond milk stir, and leave overnight, or at least for around 3 hours.

What’s your favorite nutritious overnight oats mix? Share!

Lemon Chicken Pesto Pasta

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Pesto has to be one of my favorite flavors to add to chicken or pasta. It can drastically improve and enhance any bland dish. Add a hint of pesto, and Bam! the dish goes from boring to brilliant in less than a minute.

This pasta dish was easy to make and packed with delicious flavor! I added some chopped walnuts in with the chicken to include a hint of nuttiness. I was lazy buying the pesto, rather than actually making it, but it still tasted delicious.

Lovera’s pesto is one of my absolute favorites if I am not making it myself.

Sprinkled a generous amount of Parmesan over the warm pasta.

And no pasta dish is complete without freshly baked bread and oil. Wish I could give up this habit but I loveeee bread too much! Sometimes you just have to live it up like that 🙂

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Pesto
1 Lemon
1/4 C Chopped Walnuts
Pasta
Chicken
Parmesan
S & P

Directions:

Begin boiling water for the pasta.
Sautee garlic then add chicken.
Once chicken is almost cooked, add in the walnuts and pesto.

Mix cooked pasta, chicken, and stir in a hint more of the pesto.
Squeeze in lemon for a perfect amount of zest.

Happy eating!

What is your favorite healthy-ish pasta dish?