Food

Easy Healthy Meal Plans | The Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle

Are you looking for some Easy Healthy Meal Plans to help you start your 2018 Fitness Journey?

When it comes to getting meals on the table, are you tired of:

scrambling to make something decent out of what’s in your fridge
resorting to compromise or convenience foods because you’re short on time
battling weight gain and feeling discouraged that the family isn’t eating better
wasting money on restaurants, food that goes bad, and too many last-minute grocery runs
and feeling like cooking is a burden instead of a joy?

I totally get it, because I’ve struggled with those very same things.

But 2018 can be the year you take control of what your family is eating once and for all.

You’ll have a plan that makes it easier to get homemade food on the table, eat in a way that supports your weight-loss goals, make dinner time less stressful (even on those busy days and weeks) and save money by eating at home more (and wasting less).

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Here’s the solution you’ve been waiting for…

It’s the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle and it’s the busy cook’s answer to eating healthier this year.

What’s in this bundle? EVERYTHING you need to make meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and eating great food easy.

If you want recipes & meal plans created specifically for the way you eat (Paleo, Keto, vegan, gluten-free, budget-friendly, just to name a few), you can pick the mini-bundle that suits you best and pay just $27.

If you’d prefer to have the whole collection of made-for-you meal plans, organized shopping lists, no-brainer tips, PLUS over 3,800 recipes for today’s most popular ways of cooking and eating, pay just $20 more and you’ll get every single thing in this bundle.

I’m telling you, this makes meal planning so much easier!

Some of my favorite food bloggers contributed, so I really can’t speak highly enough about the quality and value of what’s inside, for less than the price of a single meal out!

Trust me, this is one investment that will pay for itself multiple times over.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Want to check it out and get your own Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle?

Visit the website and take a quick look at all the yummy food you’ll be making with this package, then click the “Get my bundle now!” button to go through their simple and secure 3-step checkout process.
You’ll receive an email with a login to their online access portal, where you’ll begin downloading all your eCookbooks and printable meal plans.
Use their Getting Started Guide to choose your first meals or find the ready-made plan that’s perfect for you!

The most important detail, though, is that this bundle is available for just 8 days!

After Friday night, January 5th, the sale ends and you’d have to buy all of these products individually.

It’s even backed by a 30-day full money-back happiness guarantee, so you can make sure it’s right for you.

Their customer service is amazing, and they truly want to make sure you’re taken care of and that you love your bundle.

Simplify mealtimes & eat better in 2018 with the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle.

Learn more or get your bundle here PLUS see a special video from me!

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December 28, 2017 2 comments

Food

Fireball Mexican Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate. The perfect drink for a cold winter’s day. I love any kind of chocolate. I love any kind of hot chocolate – even Swiss Miss in a pinch. But Mexican Hot Chocolate? That’s something special. Made with whole milk, real chocolate (not cocoa powder) and just a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, & cayenne pepper – you have yourself a cup of rich, smooth, decadent delight. Something not to just be drunk, but to be savored. In my Fireball Mexican Hot Chocolate, I decided to make it more of an adult beverage by substituting Fireball Cinnamon Whisky for the cinnamon. To. Die. For.

Fireball Mexican Hot Chocolate

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup half & half

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 oz. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Combine milk, half & half, chocolate chips, nutmeg and cayenne in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer. When it’s hot, turn off the heat and add 1 oz. Fireball.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream (you’ll have some leftover)

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Enjoy!

You might also like: Fireball Balls | A No-Bake Cookie Made with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

Fireball Balls | A No-Bake Cookie Made With Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey

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December 18, 2017 5 comments

Food

Mini Butterfinger Tortes Made with Butterfinger Baking Bits

I love Butterfingers. They are one of my favorite candy bars. Years ago, I found a recipe in the Houston Chronicle Food section for Butterfinger Torte. I have made it as the recipe directs in a 13 x 9″ pan for many occasions. This time, however, I made mini versions of this delicious torte in my stemless wine glasses. I think these Mini Butterfinger Tortes turned out so cute. And they are just as delicious.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I so appreciate every click-through and purchase! Every little bit helps to keep My Side of 50 up and running!

This recipe is so good – made with REAL “uber-fattening” ingredients like real whipping cream and real butter. There are no shortcuts, but it’s not hard or time consuming to make. And once you get it made, it is so addictive.

I took it to my church small group’s potluck recently and after dinner, we put a big 13 x 9 pan of this delicious torte in the middle of the table so that everyone could serve themselves. We sat and picked at that thing all night while we talked… I thought someone (me) was going to pick that pan up and lick it!

Whether you make it in one big pan or serve my “mini” version – it is sure to be a hit! I know you’ll love it!

*By the way, this is not a sponsored post for Butterfingers or Butterfinger Baking Bits. Just a yummy recipe from a Butterfinger fan!

Mini Butterfinger Trifles Made With Butterfinger Baking Bits

Ingredients:

1 store-bought Angel Food cake, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 stick of butter (real butter, not margarine), softened
2 cups whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
4 egg yolks
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans
6 Full-sized Butterfinger Candy Bars, crushed OR 1 pkg. Butterfinger Baking Bits

Prepare your ingredients:

Soften butter.
Tear the angel food cake into bite-sized pieces.
If using Butterfinger candy bars, break into pieces, put in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Separate the eggs. Save the yolks. Discard the whites.

In a mixing bowl, mix together until well blended:

Softened butter
Egg yolks
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla

Fold butter mixture gently into whipped cream until combined.

Layer in individual glasses:

Angel Food Cake Pieces

Butter/Whipped Cream mixture

Pecans

Crushed Butterfingers OR Butterfinger Baking Bits

Repeat

And serve!

Makes 6 individual desserts OR 1-13 x 9 pan

Recipe:

1 store-bought Angel Food cake, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 stick of butter (real butter, not margarine), softened
2 cups whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
4 egg yolks
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans
6 Full-sized Butterfinger Candy Bars, crushed OR 1 pkg. Butterfinger Baking Bits

Mix together butter, egg yolks, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Fold butter mixture gently into Whipped Cream, until combined

Layer in individual cups or 13 x 9 pan in this order:

Angel Food cake pieces
Butter/Whipped Cream mixture
Pecans
Butterfinger pieces

Repeat layers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

You might also like:

Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

Fireball No-Bake Cookies Made with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

I’d be honored if you pinned this post! Pin it!

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October 31, 2017 12 comments

Food

5 Delicious and Easy Fall Cocktails

There’s a nip in the air that says fall is here. Gone are the hot, long summer days that where we want something light, like a cold Chardonnay. Fall seems to require something more earthy. Something with the flavors or pumpkin, apple and maple. So today, I bring these flavors to you with these 5 Delicious and Easy Fall Cocktails.

While I love a specialty cocktail that has a bunch of unique ingredients when I go out, I am NOT going to make that kind of cocktail at home. So when I say these are EASY as well as delicious, I mean that there are just a few, easy to find ingredients and not a bunch of steps because when I want a cocktail, I want it now!

Caramel Apple Sangria

If it’s still warm where you are never fear! Here’s a cold, refreshing sangria with all the flavors of fall. Aren’t sangrias the best thing to make when you have a crowd? Just mix together some your favorite fruit and a bottle of wine and you’re good to go!

Caramel Apple Spice Moscow Mule

Moscow Mules are all the rage these days and this one is made with Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka. Have you noticed all the different flavored vodkas you can buy? A real treat for all the Moscow Mule lovers out there.

Pumpkin Apple Cider Shandy

Do you love fresh apple cider in the fall? This along with pumpkin beer brings together the two iconic flavors of fall into one drink. Just like vodka, there are lots of different flavors of beer these days. I don’t know how I feel about pumpkin beer on its own, but mixed with the apple cider and a bit of orange juice for this shandy sounds great.

Maple Whisky Cider

This one is the exception to my EASY criteria because it does have this one obscure ingredient called Sortilege, which is a Canadian Whiskey & Maple Syrup Liqueur. But if you can’t find it or just don’t want to mess with adding a bottle of something that you may not use often to your liquor cabinet, there is an alternative. While I am not much of a whiskey drinker, I think the combination of whiskey & maple sounds fabulous!

Orange Cinnamon Whiskey Smash

And for the Bourbon lovers, a simple cocktail with bourbon, orange juice, and cinnamon. Use one of your favorite bourbons in this cocktails because the orange and cinnamon don’t mask the bourbon flavor – they just bring it out in the most wonderful way. I envision drinking this in someone’s paneled study in front of the fire…except I don’t know anyone with a paneled study….

There you have it – a roundup of some wonderful fall cocktails to try. What’s your favorite fall drink?

Like this post? Pin it on Pinterest or Share it on Facebook!

You might also like: 4 Delicious Mocktails to Cocktails

4 Mocktails that can become Cocktails by adding a shot of booze!

4 Delicious Mocktails to Cocktails

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September 26, 2017 7 comments

Looking for a delicious, refreshing cocktail? Try the Cucumber Vodka Refresher. A cocktail made with Vodka, St. Germain, cucumber infused water, & lemon simple syrup | vodka cocktails | summer cocktails

Food

Cucumber Vodka Refresher | My Take on Aqua’s Tito Fresco

I’m a gin & tonic girl. Specifically a Bombay Sapphire & tonic girl. I RARELY deviate from that cocktail when I go out. But on a recent vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I found myself eating lunch on the water at a restaurant called Aqua. The cocktail menu included a cucumber/vodka drink called a Tito Fresco that sounded so refreshing. So since I was on vacation, I decided to be adventurous and give it a try. I was NOT disappointed. In fact, I loved that drink so much, that I recreated it when I got home! I’ve called my version the Cucumber Vodka Refresher!

Cucumber Vodka Refresher

Ingredients for one Cucumber Vodka Refresher

2 oz. vodka*
1 ½ oz. St. Germain
2 TBS. lemon simple syrup
Handful of chopped cucumbers
Cucumber infused water

Recipe:

Make the cucumber infused water the day before by adding ½ sliced cucumber to 1 quart of water and refrigerate.

Make the lemon infused simple syrup by combing ½ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved and cool. Keeps up to a week in the refrigerator. Do you have one of these cool gadgets to squeeze lemons?

To make the cocktail:

Put a handful of chopped cucumber and a handful of ice in a tall glass (I like these).
Add vodka, St. Germain and lemon simple syrup.
Fill the rest of the glass with cucumber-infused water.
Stir and enjoy!

*The original was made with Tito’s. We made a couple of batches with what we had on hand – Grey Goose and Ketel One. All were fantastic, so just use your favorite vodka! I also want to try it with Black-Eyed Vodka, a vodka developed by my college friend, Nancy’s husband. How cool is it that I know someone with their own vodka distillery?

Here’s another of my favorite summer cocktails – Sparkling Lemon Berry Cocktail.

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July 11, 2017 22 comments

Food Travel

Best Austin Restaurants | According To The Locals

The week marks the end of the era where we frequently enjoyed dining at the Best Austin Restaurants. Why? Because our Austin kids, daughter Allison & son-in-law Mike, are MOVING BACK TO HOUSTON (that’s where we live) with my 3 month-old-grandson. We are so excited!

Allison & Mike moved to the Austin area 10 years ago when they left for college. They earned their degrees, started their careers, got married and had a baby. And all of that time we’ve made regular visits to see them that always included going out to great places to eat.

Austin is a town for foodies. It has every kind of restaurant you can imagine. It had food trucks way before food trucks were cool. Delicious Mexican food, spicy Thai food, food for vegans and those who only eat grass-fed, organic, antibiotic free, cage free, mountain roaming, fresh water swimming food, and the best Texas Barbeque. It’s all there.

Now, it’s not like we can never go to Austin again. It’s only a 2 ½ hour drive. But since our kids are “coming home”, we just won’t have the occasion to make as many trips. So as we say goodbye to frequent visits to this beautiful Central Texas city, here are 6 of my favorite Austin eateries. In no particular order….

Best Austin Restaurants – The Peached Tortilla

The Peached Tortilla, like so many Austin restaurants, started as a food truck and is housed in a re-purposed building. It looks like it might have been an old Firestone Tire Store. Their menu is Southern comfort food with an Asian flair. How’s that for a mash-up?

We’ve eaten there for dinner and Sunday brunch. Both are outstanding and moderately priced.

Some of the things we love are:

Starters:

Charred Brussels – OMG – these will make a vegetable eater out of anybody. Brussels Sprouts charred and cooked with bacon jam, parmesan, and lemon oil.

BBQ Pork Buns – We split an order of these delightful buns stuffed with Vietnamese braised pork belly, green onions, cucumber and Chinese BBQ sauce. But I could eat a whole order of these for my entrée.

Entrees:

The JapaJam Burger – A 6 oz. burger topped with tomato jam, pepper jack cheese, fried egg, tempura onion strings & Chinese BBQ Sauce.

The Taco Trio – Pick from these selections – I always get one of each:

Bahn Mi Taco – Vietnamese braised pork belly, Daikon pickled carrot, sriracha mayo
BBQ Brisket Taco – Dry rubbed brisket, apple slaw, smoky roasted peach bbq sauce
Crunchy Fish Taco – Crusted white fish, apple slaw, chili aioli & purple cabbage.

No matter what you get at The Peached Tortilla, you are guaranteed something delicious and original twist.

Best Austin Restaurants – Foreign & Domestic

Foreign & Domestic has a neighborhood vibe with a fine dining menu. Housed in part of an old strip center, this restaurant is ultra casual and only seats 47 people. Reservations are a must. They are famous for their Gruyere & Black Pepper Popovers, which were featured by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. You have to try these as your appetizer!

The menu changes a bit, depending on what is in season. When we go for dinner, someone in the family usually orders one of their seafood dishes. The last time we went, I had a beautifully prepared Branzini. The Roasted Wagyu Beef Culotte with Diane Sauce is melt in your mouth delicious! And my husband frequently enjoys their burger with aged cheddar, green tomato jam, and pickled onion. Top it with a fried egg and you’ll be full for a week!

Best Austin Restaurants – Noble Sandwich Company

This is the place to get the best breakfast and lunch sandwiches in Austin. These are hand-crafted sandwiches made with bread and pickles that are made fresh on the premises. The ingredients are high quality and include locally sourced and sustainable items. All this adds up to some yummy, gourmet sandwiches.

One of my favorites is the Thai Chicken with jalapeno cabbage slaw and cilantro.

Other popular items include the Smoked Duck Pastrami (with the restaurant’s signature, made in-house rye pickles), the Creole Catfish, and the infamous Noble Pig Sandwich (which gathers spicy ham, pulled pork, provolone, and bacon).

Best Austin Restaurants – Chi’Lantro

Chi’Lantro is a Korean Barbeque inspired restaurant with a mix & match menu that allows you to customize your own salads, rice bowls, and noodle bowls. You start with your base, add your Korean BBQ inspired protein, greens, toppings and dressing.

My lunch selection on the day we ate at Chi’Lantro was a noodle bowl made with their famous sweet potato noodles, spicy chicken, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, cilantro, guacamole and topped with Chi’Lantro Magic Sauce! YUM!

Other Korean BBQ Inspired proteins include beef ribeye, spicy pork, and marinated tofu.

Best Austin Restaurants – Gourdough’s

Gourdough’s is housed in an Airstream and parked in a food truck park. At Gourdough’s they make HUGE, hot, fresh, made to order doughnuts. I swear, you have never had anything like this. And these aren’t any doughnuts. They come in the most interesting combinations with names you will not soon forget:

The Mother Clucker – Fried Chicken Strips Honey Butter

Fat Elvis – Grilled Bananas & Bacon With Peanut Butter Icing & Honey

Mama’s Cake – Yellow Cake Batter Filling With Chocolate Fudge Icing (husband & daughter’s favorite)

Son of a Peach – Peach Filling, Cinnamon, Sugar & Cake Mix Topping

Blackout – Brownie Batter, Fudge Icing & Chocolate Covered Brownie Bites (favorite of chocoholics like me!)

You could eat one of these creations yourself, but you’ll most likely want to split one with a friend. This is not some light dessert after a big meal!

There are SO MANY great places to eat in Austin. This post just barely scratches the surface. Are you an Austinite? Have you visited Austin? Where do YOU like to eat?

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May 16, 2017 20 comments

Food

Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

My mom’s Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer is to die for! Even though I must have pinned a thousand recipes on Pinterest, I always go back to these tried and true recipes that I’ve had for years. As you can see from this picture – I’ve had the recipe many years – over 30 at least. I copied Mom’s recipe on a scrap piece of paper and it’s stayed in that form for all this time!

Since we live on the Texas Gulf Coast, we can get fresh shrimp pretty much year round. And since my family loves shrimp – we eat a LOT OF IT.

This recipe, like most that I make often, is easy peasy and great to make ahead of time. Give it a try!

[bctt tweet=”Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer. An easy make ahead dish for your next party.” username=”MySideof50″]

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission. I so appreciate every click-through and purchase! Every little bit helps to keep My Side of 50 up and running!

Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

Take 1 ½ lbs. FRESH Shrimp and boil with Zatarain’s Crawfish, Crab and Shrimp Boil in a large pot according to the package directions. Here’s the pot I use: Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 6-1/2-Quart Sauce Pot with Glass Lid”

I don’t think I’ve ever boiled one shrimp in my life without Zatarain’s. It’s just the best. You can get it in smaller packages, but I get it by the tub! Shrimp can be kind of bland if you just boil it in plain water. Cooking it with Zatarain’s to start adds a great base of flavor to the entire recipe. And they are not paying me to say this! I just love Zatarain’s!

Tip: Here’s how to tell if your shrimp is done and how to not overcook it – put your shrimp in seasoned boiling water. When it floats to the top, it’s done.

Here’s what the shrimp looks like when they are done. Such a pretty pink color. Cool and peel.

Chopped up onions and parsley.

Mix cooled and peeled shrimp with the onions and parsley.

For the marinade, mix these ingredients together:

2-1/3 cups vegetable oil. OMG – who uses VEGETABLE OIL anymore? And that can’t be 2 1/3 cups. Well, this recipe is from the late 70’s early 80’s when we thought vegetable oil was good for us. Maybe we even counted it as a vegetable. And I’ve tried using less oil, but it’s just not the same. I promise you – it won’t taste oily. So get out the vegetable oil and your big measuring cup…
1/3 cup vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 TBS. salt. Yes, that is TABLESPOON. And your blood pressure will go up, but use this amount anyway. It won’t taste too salty. And for the other reasons, see #1 above.
1 TBS. coarse ground pepper

Beat ingredients well to combine. Pour over shrimp mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove from bowl with a slotted spoon to a pretty serving platter and serve with toothpicks.

So the shrimp would show up well in the pictures, I used a round, red plate. But when I serve it, I like to put the shrimp on a pretty rectangular platter like this.

Delicious Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. fresh shrimp, unpeeled
Zatarain’s Crawfish, Crab and Shrimp Boil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup finely diced fresh parsley
2-1/3 cups vegetable oil (do not substitute another kind of oil)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 TBS. salt
1 TBS. coarse ground pepper.

Boil shrimp in Zatarain’s according to package directions. Cool and peel.
Mix peeled shrimp, onion and parsley in a large mixing boil.
Mix remainder of ingredients together to make the marinade and pour over shrimp mixture.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to a serving tray and serve with toothpicks.

Enjoy!

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Cajun Cheesball

Sparkling Berry Lemon Cocktail

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April 26, 2017 12 comments

How To Make Cajun Cheeseball | The Ulitmate Superbowl Snack. Easy, make ahead cheeseball with a kick. Can be made ahead and frozen.

Entertainment Food

How To Make Cajun Cheeseball | The Ultimate Superbowl Snack

Superbowl 2017 will be held in my hometown – Houston, Texas. Even though the Texans lost in the playoffs and WON’T be going to the Superbowl, we always enjoy the game with friends. And what’s a Superbowl Party without a special Superbowl Snack? That’s where my Cajun Cheeseball comes in.

The perfect make-ahead snack for your Superbowl party!” username=”MySideof50″]

The recipe for my Cajun Cheeseball came from a friend many years ago. It’s a little spicy and tastes great with Ritz crackers and a cold Lone Star beer. When I serve it, it is usually DEVOURED in a short amount of time!

The best part is that it can be made ahead and frozen. No standing over the stove or preparing food once your guests arrive! Give it a try!

Cajun Cheeseball | The Ultimate Superbowl Snack

Ingredients for Cajun Cheeseball:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 8 oz. pkg. finely shredded mild cheddar cheese

3 TBS. finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

2 TBS. finely chopped fresh parsley

Blend cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, red pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Mix well. Shape into a ball or log*.

Mix pecans and parsley. Roll cheeseball in pecan mixture until completely covered.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. Serve with crackers.

*To make ahead and freeze, wrap in plastic wrap at this point and put in the freezer. Thaw for several hours before serving. After it is thawed, roll in pecan/parsley mixture and serve.

Like this recipe? Pin it!

If you’re looking for more Superbowl Snacks and Beverages, you might like:

Fireball Balls | A No-Bake Cookie Made With Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey

4 Delicious Mocktails To Cocktails

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January 10, 2017 36 comments

Food

4 Delicious Mocktails To Cocktails

When our family gets together, we like to serve some kind of cocktail. In fact, since our kids have become adults, we’ve started to feature a “signature” cocktail for our special celebrations. But when our youngest daughter, Allison, who was the mastermind and mixologist behind our signature cocktails announced that she was pregnant, we had to come up with another plan. Hence, the search for the perfect “mocktail” – something that she can enjoy but that was easy to turn into a cocktail for the rest of us, just by adding a shot of the “good stuff”.

And if you think about it, having some good mocktail recipes on hand is just a good idea for guests who may not drink alcohol for whatever reason – pregnancy, reactions to medication, they’re the designated driver, or they just don’t drink. And if the kids in your family are like our 8-year-old grandson, Parker, they like to have a little something special in their glass to say “cheers” with!

So, I searched Pinterest and asked some of my blogging friends for their mocktail recipes and found 4 winners. Allison and I taste-tested them all!

[bctt tweet=”Mocktails to Cocktails. Just add a shot of the good stuff. Something for everybody” username=”MySideof50″]

4 Delicious Cocktails To Mocktails

Cranberry Coconut Lime Rickey Mocktail

Cranberry Coconut Lime Rickey Mocktail from juiceman.com

Here’s the link to the original recipe. I tweaked it a bit by using organic cranberry juice. The red color of the drink is not as dark when you use organic cranberry juice, but it is still a really pretty drink. Check out the video of how to make it here. No, really – check out the video. Allison helped me make it and I am super proud of how it turned out!

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut water
juice of ½ lime
½ cup 100% organic cranberry juice
½ cup Club Soda

Mix together and pour over ice cubes. To make a cocktail, add 1 oz. of gin.

Makes 1 serving

Blood Orange Basil Mocktail

Blood Orange Basil Cocktail from Babble.com

If you like a less sweet mocktail, this one is for you. Because it was less sweet that the Rickey, Allison felt like she was really having a cocktail with “a little something” in it!

Ingredients:

3 large basil leaves
¼ cup Ruby Red grapefruit juice
½ cup Blood Orange Italian Soda
¼ cup tonic water

Place basil in the bottom of a shaker or large sturdy glass. Add grapefruit juice and muddle until basil is fragrant. Add Italian soda and tonic and pour over ice. To make a cocktail, add 2 oz. gin.

Sparkling Apple Pie Mocktail

Photo credit: The Kitchen is My Playground

This drink seriously tastes just like apple pie. It is delicious! To make this mocktail, I tweaked the original Sparkling Apple Pie Cocktail from The Kitchen is My Playground. You can find the original cocktail recipe here. It calls for champagne and cinnamon schnapps in it and is to die for!

Ingredients:

½ TBS. Honey
½ TBS. Hot Water
½ tsp. cinnamon
3 oz. apple juice
3 oz. sparkling apple cider
cinnamon and sugar for rim
apple slice for garnish

Wet a glass all the way around with water and dip in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Set aside.

Combine honey & hot water in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Stir until combined and let cool. Add cinnamon and apple juice. Shake for 20 or 30 seconds and strain into prepared glass. Add sparkling apple cider and garnish with apple slice.

Makes 1 serving

Mango Libre for a Crowd

Mocktail version of Mango Libre - mango nectar, limeade concentrate, lemon-lime soda

Photo credit: BreadBoozeBacon.com

This recipe from Julie at Bread Booze Bacon is a great drink to make for a crowd. This would be my “go to” if I just wanted to have a pitcher of something that people could serve themselves instead of mixing individual drinks. Here is her recipe for the “mocktail version” called Mango Lime Punch. You can find the cocktail version with rum here. Both recipes serve 6.

Ingredients:

2 – 9.6 oz. cans mango nectar*
4 cups cold water
6 oz. limeade concentrate
1-2 cups lemon-lime soda
2 large limes cut into slices to make lime wheels
Ice

In large pitcher, stir together limeade concentrate and water until combined. Add mango nectar and lemon lime soda and stir. Add lime slices to pitcher and store in refrigerator until ready to stir. To serve, pour over ice.

*If using mango juice blend, use 2 ½ cups juice.

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If you try one post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag me – MySideof50!

4 Delicious Mocktails to Cocktails

Sparkling Berry Lemon Cocktail

One of the perks of midlife is sharing cocktails with your adult children! We’ve started a tradition of having a “signature cocktail” for all our special family events. The joke in our family is we spend more time planning the cocktails than we do the food! We served this Berry Lemon Cocktail from Melissa Kaylene for our Father’s Day brunch and have continued to enjoy it throughout the summer. It is filled with fresh raspberries and blackberries and is so light and refreshing. Enjoy!

Sparkling Lemon Berry Cocktail

[bctt tweet=”Sparkling Lemon Berry Cocktail – A Refreshing Summer Drink!” username=”MySideof50.com”]

Sparkling Berry Lemon Cocktail

1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint blackberries
3 lemons
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vodka
Rosemary sprigs (for garnish – optional)
Club soda

Fill large pitcher with raspberries, blackberries and one lemon, sliced.
Gently smash berries and lemon with wooden spoon.
Squeeze juice of two remaining lemons into the pitcher.
Add sugar and vodka. Stir.
Pour mixture into glasses filled with ice and top off with Club soda and a sprig of Rosemary.

Enjoy!