THE Best Summer Cocktail

Are you looking for a light, refreshing cocktail mixture for your next outdoor gathering?  

Perhaps for your Father's Day Picnic or July 4th celebration cookout?

Well, if you've not heard or seen it, I have THE perfect one for you.

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

{aka "Skippy's"}

Southern Living Magazine

In my last post, I mentioned my niece's bridal shower was this past weekend, and I was in charge of the cocktails.  

Imagine that?!  The "CosmoGirl" in charge of cocktails!

Since it was an afternoon gathering, and a bridal shower, I didn't think my signature drink, Cosmopolitans, would be a good idea.

So, I started searching for refreshing summertime cocktails, and I found what I believe to be the best thing evaahhh!!!  Not only me, but all those ladies, and a few gents, at the shower agreed.  They sucked down this cocktail like it was the last bit of sustaining liquid on the planet.  

I actually quadrupled the recipe and we still ran out!

I decided to serve this amazing concoction in super-cute quilted crystal canning jars, that I will be able to use later in the season when I start canning goodies from the garden.  

They looked so adorable all line up on the lime-green tray just waiting to be grabbed up by the party goers.  I wished I'd taken more photos of the drink table, but you know how hectic it is setting up for a party . . .  especially a surprise party.  

I also made up a batch of Blue Margaritas in honor of my niece's "something blue" she's wearing on her wedding day ~ a fabulous pair of blue Manolo Blahnik shoes.  

The Blue Margaritas played second fiddle to the Raspberry Beer Cocktail, renamed "Rachel's Blushing Bride Cocktail" for the shower.  

I can't wait to whip a batch of these this weekend.  Maybe we'll have some for Father's Day.  Oh, and maybe a batch while relaxing on the deck Friday evening.  I bet a batch after a hard day's work in the yard on Saturday would be nice too. 

;o) 

You have to try this recipe.  

Even if you're not a beer drinker, I guarantee you and your guests will love it!

The Recipe

3/4 cup frozen raspberries

3-1/2 (12 oz) light beers*, chilled

1 (12 oz) frozen lemonade raspberry concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup vodka**

lemons and limes for garnish

*The reviewers of the recipe suggested using different light beers that all worked well ~ Corona Light, Bud Light Lime, even Miller Lite.  I choose to use Bud Light Lime hoping to get a bit more lime flavor going, and it worked great.

**I choose to use a citron (citrus flavored) vodka, and, again, it was great.  

I also could not find raspberry lemonade concentrate in my supermarket, so I used lemonade frozen concentrate and raspberry juice from the juice case.  I sliced lots of lemons and limes to place inside the drink dispenser with the frozen raspberries.  And in each mason jar glass, I added a couple fresh raspberries and thin slice of lime.

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DIY Ice Cream Cake

Yesterday was a special day here in our family.

It was Son No. 3's birthday!  He turned 14.  

How on earth did that happen???  

Time is flying by waayyy too fast.

For his special day, I decided to try a new - new to me - cake recipe.  He loves ice cream cake.  And frankly, they can be expensive and I'm personally not always fan.  For me, they tend to be too much ice cream and not enough cake.

Well, while perusing through some back issues of my Kraft Foods and Family magazines, a recipe caught my attention.  An ice cream cake made from ice cream sandwiches.  

It looked and sounded super easy.

I decided to give it a try.

Ice cream sandwiches, Oreo cookies, instant pudding, ice cream chocolate fudge topping and Cool Whip. Easy to find ingredients, and ingredients that have so many variations of themselves, one can create an ice cream cake to their liking. 

I stuck with the basics, for the exception of choosing chocolate and vanilla mixed ice cream sandwiches, and low fat and/or low sugar in as many of the components as I could find.  And, as you can see from the photos, I bought all store brand ingredients and they all worked out just fine.

I'm please to say this cake was a huge success!  Very easy to assemble, although, as you can imagine, you have to work pretty quickly so the sandwiches don't start melting too much.  

And it was extremely tasty!  Better then any ice cream cake I've ever purchased.  REALLY!!!

Below I've listed the ingredients and instructions, but if you'd like to view the info with video online, 

go here to Kraft's website.

Ingredients

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed and divided (I bought two and used part of the second tub when frosting the finished cake.)

1 pkg (3.9 oz) Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

8 Oreo Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Instructions

Pour fudge topping into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in chopped cookies.

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long sheet of foil; top with half the COOL WHIP mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining COOL WHIP. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

Freeze 4 hours or until firm.

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How Lucky Am I???

To answer my own question, 

pretty darn lucky for sure!

I was the lucky winner of Stampington's new publication

  "Mingle"

Photo from "Mingle"

Photo from "Mingle"

This absolutely fabulous magazine was courtesy of Becky Shander.  

She had a giveaway for this new mag on her blog last week, and I won!  

WooHoo!!!

Photo from "Mingle"

Photo from "Mingle"

It's a wonderful publication that devotes it's pages to special, fanciful events.  As in the expected Stampington and Company manner, the articles' layouts and photos are beautiful.  It's loaded with great ideas and lots of yummy eye candy.

And as if winning this gorgeous publication wasn't enough, Becky enclosed a piece of her amazing art {above}. Becky is a fantastic mixed media artist who is published . . . well . . . all the time!  As you can see from some examples of her art below, there's no guessing why.  She's a member of the Director's Circle Artist for Stampington, and a member of the design team at Crescendoh.  She also has a website where you can purchase her artfully created jewelry.  

The coolest thing was that Becky created an "envelope" from recycled dryer sheets.  How neat is that?!  The second I opened the package, I could smell the soft, clean fragrance of the dryer sheet.  Becky told me it's one of her all-time favorite materials to work with.  

If you've never visited Becky's blog, you really are missing out.  I love her blog.  The format she's chosen for her blog . . . the way she writes . . . the photos she shares . . . it's all so inspiring and relaxing. You know how some blogs are loaded with flashing ads and lots of side bar photos, etc., that can at times be a little distracting? Not Becky's blog.  Her blog has a calm and restful sense to it. You really have to hop over and check her out!

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Photo from Becky Shander's Blog

Becky, again, thanks so much for this wonderful gift.  

I just love the magazine, and I'll treasure the art piece you sent.  

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SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS VIGNETTES

Well, our Bunco "reunion" was great fun . . . as always.  Our group of girlfriends ALWAYS has a fun time together.  A bunch of wild and crazy ladies, we are :o)!!!  I managed a few snaps, but my camera {or more likely me!} doesn't do well in low light 

. . . annddd . . . 

the batteries died!  I must admit, though, that I was having way too much fun to fumble with the camera ;o)

I grabbed a few shots of the "bar" and one of those yummy Candy Cane Martinis.  Just like their debut a few years ago, they were a huge hit again!

Mainly, today, I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite vignettes and views from around my home.  Ya know when you get the house pretty much all decked out for Christmas, but there's those few areas or single decorations that are just your favorites?  Those vignettes or groupings that you find yourself admiring a little longer as you pass by throughout the day?  That's how I feel about these next photos I'm sharing.  These are probably my fave scenes right now from around my home.

We've been drinking lots of hot chocolate lately, so I put together this basket with just about everything needed to prepare a warm, yummy mug of cocoa.   

These peppermint sticks are the best!
 "Bob's Sweet Stripes" soft  peppermint sticks.
I find them at my local Walmart for $0.88 for a box of about 15 or so.  

A necessity for hot cocoa - marshallows!
But how about snowman shaped,
french vanilla flavored  mallows???

I love these old vintage Christmas post cards I picked up at a flea market years ago.  I really wish I'd bought more.  Why don't people send beautiful post cards anymore?

Cute plates, right?

I grabbed up the last five my local Kohl's had.  

I'm sure you can see why I just had to have them ;o)

Some more of my most favorite things.  Vintage Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, etc., mostly Ebay finds.  I remember ones like these hanging from the tree when I was a little girl.

I have them scattered among my salt glazed pottery and random ornaments on the shelf above our kitchen door.

A simple hand-crafted paper Noel banner adorning a mirror in the family room.  I love the glittery letters and the colors of the patterned paper.

Department 56 Holly Lane figurines.  I love these!  I don't think they're manufactured anymore.  I haven't seen them in stores in years, but I do keep my eyes open for them on Ebay.

 The corner of my living where the ole chippy door resides.

My NYC Anthropologie Store window paper trees from last year.

A collection of vintage Shiny Bright ornaments.

My favorite one.

 My Grandmother's punch bowl set.  It's sentimental value cannot be measured.

A simple wooden caddy filled with Hubby's grandmother's silver and some yard sale and thrift store finds.  

More vintage ornaments scored from Ebay.

A nicely tarnished German glass glittered "Believe" sign by Wendy Addison.

More vintage ornaments left in the box exactly they way the seller sent them to me.  They share a wooden tray on the living room ottoman with a dried bunch of roses presented to me on my birthday by a dear friend several years ago.

I have a bit more tweaking here and there, and have to add some Christmas Cheer to the finished basement.  It's really never done, is it? But at least I'm free from all the big decorating jobs.  Now I concentrate on staying busy in my little "workshop" finishing up handmade gifts ;o)

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