Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparkler

Sparkly and sweet just in time for Valentine's Day. Blood Orange and Raspberry SparklerBlood Orange and Raspberry Sparkler //

We are celebrating! Well kind of…it’s been a long week and we have been gone FAR too long from our little space, but really I am celebrating with this Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparkler because I made it through a short juice cleanse.

Honestly we are happy to share our favorite foods and family moments, but at the moment life seems a bit busy. I think most of you can attest to that. How did we go from the holidays to mid February? It can only mean one more thing, it’s another HOLIDAY!

San Pellegrino for Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparklers

For this Valentine’s Day we hope to keep things simple yet fun. We love to celebrate with a special meal at home and this year we will be enjoying a couple of these easy, tasty, bubbly Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparklers.

Bubbly Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparkler

This pretty pink cocktail has a few ingredients but it makes for a fun at home celebration special. But should you be one of those couples that does plan ahead and make dinner reservations, we recommend making this beverage as a pre-dinner toast. If you are looking for some more recipe ideas for this holiday weekend, check out our recipe index. Wishing you all a wonderful and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Blood Orange And Raspberry Sparkler for Valentine's Day
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Blood Orange and Raspberry Sparkler

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Cocktail
Servings: 3
Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

  • 1 cup San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa
  • 1/2 cup sparkling lime water
  • 2 tablespoons raspberry simple syrup recipe below
  • 1 ounce St. Germain
  • 1 1/2 ounce Vodka
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup raspberries frozen or fresh
  • lime
  • mint
  • ice
  • water

Instructions

  • In a small sauce pan add two cups water to one cup sugar.
  • Bring to a boil and then switch to medium love heat.
  • Add the raspberries.
  • Once sugar is fully dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
  • Next add sparkling water, pellegrino, simple syrup, St. Germain, and Vodka to a chilled martini shaker.
  • Shake lightly.
  • Pour into 2-3 glasses and garnish with a squeeze of lime, ice, and a mint sprig.

nicole signature via simply happenstance

Easy to make Cashew Milk

 Easy to make Cashew Milk:: Easy To Make Cashew Milk ::

Sara and I are smoothie addicts.  I have had a smoothie for breakfast for too many years to count. Lately, I have been in love with any type of smoothie that entails cashew milk.  Instead of spending more money at my favorite juice bar, I decided to try this simple recipe on my own.  This Easy To Make Cashew Milk is as simple as it gets when it comes to dairy alternatives.

With the holidays just around the corner, life is going to need a little bit of balance. Yes yes we love sweets and we can’t wait to share them with you, but SERIOUSLY we aren’t in our twenties any more. Sweets seem to hang on a bit longer no matter what we do, so more often than not we try really hard to be healthy (I mean really hard).

I love this simple recipe for homemade Cashew Milk. It requires minimal ingredients, and it is ready in a few hours to enjoy. I am highly addicted to cashew milk as a dairy alternative. I love almond and coconut milk too, but for some reason seems it to be closer to milk and it blends thicker making for a more filling smoothie or acai bowl. This Easy To Make Cashew Milk feels like a treat and it can all be made at home. So the next time you have a craving for something sweet, try making this recipe! I promise you will like it.

Easy to make cashew milk, perfect for smoothies or acai bowls.
Print Recipe
3 from 1 vote

Easy to make Cashew Milk

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 5 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 3 cups
Author: Simply Happenstance adapted by The Blender Girl

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 cups filtered water for blending
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a shallow bowl add one cup raw cashews and two cups water.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let the nuts soak for 4 hours.
  • Rinse and drain the nuts until rinsing water becomes clear.
  • Add the cashews and three cups filtered water to a high speed blender.
  • Add the vanilla extract.
  • Blend until smooth.

Notes

https://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/home_made_raw_cashew_milk

nicole signature via simply happenstance

 

Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup

A fun summer favorite! Easy Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup...a yummy addition to lemonade or better yet a base for summer cocktails.

:: Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup ::

Get ready….get set….Memorial Weekend here we come!!! Can you believe the start of summer is just around the corner?!! Sara and I are counting down the weeks until school is out.  We are dreaming of summer sun, the kids sleeping in {we can wish} and fun summer drinks enjoyed by all.  This Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup is just as it’s stated….simple and perfect topped with lemonade, turned into a festive summer cocktail, or better yet given as a gift.

A fun mixture of lemonade and spirits to mix with Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup [Read more…]

Easy Cold Remedy Drink

Easy Cold Remedy Drink

:: Easy Cold Remedy Drink ::

Raise your hand if you have had this dreaded cold that has been going around? You know the one with that rattling dry cough that lingers for a week or two.  This recipe for an Easy Cold Remedy Drink has gotten Sara and I through cold and flu season.  It’s a god send and it’s easy to make and it really does work! We promise.  [Read more…]

Strawberry Shortbread Pie & Giveaway

Strawberry Shortbread Pie

:: Strawberry Shortbread Pie & Giveaway ::

Okay, so I am going to date Sara and I with this Strawberry Shortbread Pie Recipe.  We don’t talk about our age, but let’s say besides Sara being my favorite red head; Strawberry Shortcake was mine as a kid.  Luckily our girls have been able to experience one of our favorite childhood characters. Strawberry Shortcake and Cabbage Patch Kids were a big deal at the age of 5.  In fact because of Strawberry Shortcake, I had asked for a Strawberry Cake for my 6th birthday party.  From then on I loved everything that was strawberry. This Strawberry Shortbread Pie is an ode to all things strawberry.  These little red berries make me happy and their sweetness makes for a winning combination with Walkers Shortbread Round Cookies.  The mixture of the two makes for an awesome yet simple spring time pie!

Strawberry Shortbread Pie

We are a little blessed to experience these magical berries for most of the year.  Sometimes we forget that strawberries aren’t as readily available to most of the country until the summer.  Strawberries honestly, {besides all the talk of Strawberry Shortcake talk} have been a big part of my life. My Grandma Joan was a Californian Native.  She was a fourth generation Californian.  Making her family here in the state long before it was even a state.  She had a fondness for strawberries.  She liked to bake with them and she grew them in her backyard.  My sister and I loved to see the little white flowers turn into red berries.  Picking them and eating them straight from her garden was our favorite part.

In fact in a way this recipe is dedicated to her. It is my Grandma’s Strawberry Pie Recipe. I hope you enjoy it….

[Read more…]

Sensory Bags

Sensory Bags

:: Sensory Bags ::

School has been back in session for approximately a month now.   We are still working out the kinks and are preparing ourselves for the upcoming homework load that will start next week.  These sensory bags are a project that I sought out for Mason to help him prepare for doing homework and transitioning time in the classroom.   As some of you readers may know, my son is on the Autism Spectrum.  I have written about my experience with Autism {here and here} and have had hopes to help others whom are in the midst of the chaos of their diagnosis.  We keep Mason on a sensory diet, in which we use methods of physical activity before and during school to keep him focused in the classroom. 

In school he has a quiet corner and a box of small items in which he can use to play with that allow him to get back on task.  I thought these sensory bags would be a great fidget toy for his box at school, as well as at home.  These sensory bags are terrific for any child that may need a break in-between tasks or long periods of home work.  These squeezable bags, that are filled with a jelly material, allow a child to regroup and organize their thoughts when they’re distracted by their environment.  Mason’s sensory issues cause him to be overloaded by the activities on the playground, making it hard for him to transition from the play yard to the classroom after lunch.  [Read more…]