Simply Happenstance, Author at Simply Happenstance

Strawberry Tropical Cocktail

April 14, 2015

:: Strawberry Tropical Cocktail ::

It was a big birthday week for my family last week during our spring break. To celebrate I made a few of these Strawberry Tropical Cocktails. The taste of this tropical drink will take you back to your last vacation, or make you think of taking one real soon.

This Strawberry Tropical Cocktail is definitely on the skinny side so you can enjoy one or two. Sip them over appetizers in the late afternoon, or share them with a couple of girl friends and count down the days until schools out for summer!

What makes this drink feel like it should have a tiny umbrella in it is the mixture of coconut vodka with the muddled strawberries and pineapple. I have made this Strawberry Tropical Cocktail by either simply muddling the strawberries and pineapple with Stevia at the bottom of a cocktail glass or I have placed the strawberries and pineapple with Stevia in the blender. Either pureed or with fruit on the bottom, this recipe is easy to make and it will transport you to a quiet moment beach side with a cocktail in hand. Cheers to celebrating birthdays, counting down until schools out, and to enjoying these cocktails on a sunny day.

Print Recipe

Strawberry Tropical Cocktail

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Cocktail

Servings: 2

Author: Strawberry Tropical Cocktail

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sparkling water I used lime flavored
3 ounces of Coconut Vodka
1 ounce Cointreau
1 packet of Stevia
4 strawberries sliced
1/8 cup pineapple fresh or frozen
a splash of orange juice

Instructions

Divide the strawberries and the pineapple and place in two cocktail glasses.
Add half a package of stevia into each of the glasses.
Muddle the fruit and Stevia with a back of a spoon.
In a cocktail shaker add the Coconut Vodka, Cointreau, and sparkling water.
Shake until mixed but be careful to shake too hard as the sparkling water is carbonated.
Pour the mixture into the two glasses.
Top each glass with a splash of orange juice and serve with ice.
Serve and sip cold

Cheers!!

Beet Caprese Salad

April 7, 2015

Beet Caprese Salad //

Oh, don’t you just love that summer is approaching rather quickly? Even though we are only in the midst of this spring season, I am eagerly awaiting pretty summer days… filled with lazy pajama mornings, no frantic schedule, loads of time with the kids, endless amounts of sunshine, and light tasty dishes enjoyed alfresco! How about you?

This light Beet Caprese Salad is the perfect dish to accompany a warm day! I’ve had variations of it recently, while dining out. I decided to start lunching on this homemade salad during our Spring Break, since I had a little more time to focus on healthy meals. The combination of fresh vegetables, flavorful basil, creamy burrata cheese, crunchy pine nuts and slightly tangy balsamic dressing is brilliant! Your tastebuds will surely do a happy dance!

The preparation takes mere minutes if you start with pre-cooked beets (that would be my recommendation to you). I bought them in the refrigerator section at Trader Joe’s. The rest of the ingredients you can slice and layer into a bowl or platter to serve. You can omit the spinach leaves altogether, and serve this deliciousness as an appetizer (by itself), or as a topping on warm grilled bread to make bruschetta.

Regardless of how you decide to serve/eat it… you will be delighted! The freshness of the ingredients and robustness of flavor really shines through!

Print Recipe

Beet Caprese Salad

This deliciously fresh Beet Caprese Salad makes for an excellent first course or light lunch during the warmer months of the year!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine: Salad

Servings: 2

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

SALAD //
1/2 pound beets approx. 2-3 medium // scrubbed, steamed, cooled and sliced
1 ripe avocado // skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 1/2 pound heirloom tomatoes // sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil // chopped or left whole
8 oz. fresh burrata cheese //drained and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/8 - 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
2 cups of fresh spinach // rinsed and dried
BALSAMIC DRESSING //
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

DRESSING //
Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper together in a glass jar with a lid. Replace lid on the jar and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined OR mix in a small bowl using a fork to combine. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
SALAD //
In a medium-sized bowl or platter, layer salad ingredients starting with the fresh spinach leaves.
Add the sliced beets, avocado, tomatoes, basil, burrata cheese, and pine nuts.
Drizzle on the balsamic dressing.
Serve and enjoy immediately!

Notes

* You can omit the spinach leaves and serve as an appetizer using the remaining ingredients. Eat this tasty beet caprese salad on its own, or serve with warm grilled bread (to make bruschetta).
* To make this recipe even easier, I purchased my beets all ready cooked and ready to eat from the refrigerator section of Trader Joe's.

Enjoy, friends! The warm days of summer are drawing near!

Breakfast Power Bowl

March 31, 2015

Gluten-Free // Breakfast Power Bowl

Breakfast… it’s hands-down, my favorite meal of the day. I honestly wake up each morning, excited for my cup of coffee and ready to eat! I typically start my day with a healthy protein shake or smoothie. However, if I have a little more time, or if it’s the weekend, I get a bit more creative. Thank goodness for those days! They’re truly my favorite!

This satisfying dish is one you can whip up the night before. (Sure… that takes a little more planning, but some days just call for a special morning treat!) If you are already having quinoa for dinner… make a little extra! When the kids go off to bed, add some chia seeds and almond milk to it, give it a stir, and place it in the refrigerator until morning. Simple, right?

[Read more…]

Blue and Gold Succulent Pots

March 24, 2015

:: Blue and Gold Succulent Pots ::

Spring has sprung and I am all about being practical. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated The Blue and Gold Dinner for our Boy Scout Troop. Instead of making an impractical centerpiece; our den along with some parental guidance {hmm, hmm} created these lovely Blue and Gold Succulent Pots. Perfect for a spring display both inside or out. These succulent pots take very little water and what is best of all, an added tent, pictures, and a small fire {made out of sticks and tissue} make these Blue and Gold Succulent Pots a fantastic desert survival themed centerpiece!

[Read more…]

Craft Easter Eggs

March 20, 2015

:: Craft Easter Eggs ::

Welcome to the first day of spring! Sara and I are excited to be contributing over at Simple As That today with these fun Craft Easter Eggs. They are perfect for spring decorating around the house and they make for a fun craft for the kids. These Craft Easter Eggs are simple to make and what makes them oh so fabulous is that they don’t go bad! They are made of plastic, they don’t open, and they are dye able!

I have our Craft Easter Eggs displayed in a large clear vase. You can pick up these craft eggs at Michael’s. They work just like dying real eggs but with half the mess. No more broken eggs here, and what’s even better, is that the kids helped and can display their artful eggs for the Easter holiday.

We would love for you to jump on over to Simple As That, in order to get the how-to for these Craft Easter Eggs. You will find Rebecca’s site chalk full of kid’s activities, simple DIY, and beautiful inspirational quotes. We hope you have a wonderful and sunny first day of spring!

Cucumber Mint Green Juice

March 17, 2015

First off, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY, friends! To be completely honest, I was posting this green juice today — without thought of the holiday! How perfectly fitting! (I love when that happens!) Now on to the recipe!

Cucumber Mint Green Juice //

A few months ago, I bought my first juicer (after watching the fabulous documentary… Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead). I did my online research, as I wanted a juicer that got the job done well, without a huge mess to clean up afterwards. I also didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on my first one (in case my new found obsession became short lived). I ended up purchasing the Breville Compact Juice Fountain, after reading some excellent reviews. (For sure do some price comparison shopping because I found a site that offered 10% off your first purchase + free shipping, so I only spent around $85! I think I got a huge bargain!) I am happy to report that I’ve been using my juicer a few times per week ever since it arrived!

I put a lot of consideration into whether or not I should post a ‘juicing’ recipe on here, as I understand owning a juicer is somewhat of a luxury. For those of you that already own one… this is a delicious green juice recipe to add to your mix. For those of you that are considering a juicer… I say GO FOR IT! (It is such an excellent way to add fruits and vegetables into your diet!) For those of you wondering why you may want to juice, check out this lovely post on the site, Simple Green Smoothies, for information on the difference between juicing and blending. What I personally love most about juicing, is the instant boost of energy I feel after drinking a glass! It really helps in the afternoon when I am in the mid-day slump (which for me, is around 3 p.m. when the kids come home from school). [Read more…]

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