Pina Colada ~ Thirsty Thursday

Now that summer is unofficially here, our pool is open.  I love long summer days lounging by the pool!  Of course, a nice cold beverage is a must for pool days.  Today I’m going to share my friend’s Pina Colada recipe.  This cool, creamy drink will help cool you off on the hottest of days.

I have to admit that I have loved pina coladas since I was a kid (the non-alcoholic version, of course)!  I love the combination of the pineapple and coconut flavors.  If I would ever make them at home, I would always use a can of the frozen pina colada mix.  I always thought they were just never as good as what you would order in a restaurant.  Finally, my friend made a pitcher of them for a cookout a few years ago and they tasted like the restaurant version!  She told me the key was to use cream of coconut.  I’ve been making that version ever since!

All you need is a few ingredients and a blender and you can have your own pina coladas whipped up in no time.  It’s as simple as blending some cream of coconut, pineapple juice, rum and ice.  Besides using the cream of coconut, I like to use Malibu which is rum with coconut liqueur.  That really elevates the coconut flavor.  You can use plain rum and it will turn out just fine.

Make these for your next pool day or any day for that matter.  They are sinful!

Pina Colada

This cool and creamy drink is the perfect way to cool off in the heat.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. cream of coconut
  • 4 oz. pineapple juice
  • 3 oz. rum (I like to use Malibu)
  • 2 c. ice

Instructions

  1. Blend cream of coconut, pineapple juice and rum in blender.
  2. Add ice and continue blending until all ice is broken into tiny pieces.
  3. Serve immediately.

 

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The Best Lemonade ~ Thirsty Thursday

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer!  Who is ready?!?!  I know I am! With the start of summer the temperature will be rising and everyone will be looking for a way to cool off.  What better way to cool of than with an icy beverage.  This summer I’m going to be featuring different beverage recipes for my Thirsty Thursday series.

When you think of summertime drinks, Lemonade is at the top of the list!  It’s not a cookout or picnic without a pitcher of nice cold lemonade.  Honestly, my family drinks lemonade year-round.  I know, we’re weird!  Since we drink it so much I have tried different concoctions, and have decided this is the best!  Here’s a little secret……I use lemonade mix!  I know you’re thinking……seriously?  You call that a recipe?!?!  Yes, after much tweaking, I have found the perfect combination of tart and sweet.

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Texas Potatoes

Everyone loves hashbrown casserole and everyone has their own variation on the recipe.  Well, I’m here to tell you this recipe for Texas Potatoes is the BEST hashbrown casserole around!

My mom adapted this recipe from our beloved Best of the West cookbook that my elementary school put out.  It’s been a *few* years since I was in elementary school, but this recipe for Texas Potatoes has stood the test of time.

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Zesty Saltine Crackers

I love salty snacks!  They are one of my biggest weakness.  I have such a hard time turning down a savory cracker or chip.  These Zesty Saltine Crackers are literally irresistible.  You can whip up a batch of these in no time!

This recipe for zesty saltine crackers is so easy.  You probably have all the ingredients for them already in your pantry.  All you need is a box of saltine crackers, oil, a packet of ranch dressing mix and some seasonings.

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Strawberry Freezer Jam

It seems like I have gone Strawberry crazy!  I think I have averaged one post a week with something involving strawberries lately!  Strawberries are one of those things that you have to enjoy while they are in season.

For as long as I can remember we have always had Strawberry Jam in our freezer.  It started years ago with my Grandma.  She would always make a bunch of Strawberry Freezer Jam when strawberries were in season.  She would usually make enough to keep it stocked until strawberry season rolled around the following year.  After my Grandma passed away my Mom starting making it.  This year I asked my mom to walk me through the process so I could make it.

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Chicken Monterey

One of the things I love the most about the spring and summer is being able to grill.  We have grilled chicken quite a bit, so I try to change it up.  This Chicken Monterey recipe is so easy!

I used to order Chicken Monterey at a local restaurant growing up and loved it, so I knew I had to find out how I could make it at home.  Come to find out it only includes 2 ingredients!  Chicken and Catalina dressing.  It’s so simple, I almost hate to call it a recipe.

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Annual Flowers and Mother’s Day

Since Mother’s Day is this Sunday I thought it would be a good time to talk about planting annual flowers.  Our family’s tradition is to give annuals for Mother’s Day.  Now that might mean geraniums (my favorite), gerber daisies, million bells, petunias, hibiscus or various varieties of ferns just to name a few.  Does anyone else give or receive annuals for Mother’s Day?

We are so lucky to have some really nice locally owned places to buy these types of plants in my area.  All of the flowers and plants in this post came from Hathaway’s Feed and Seed located in Harrisburg, Illinois.  They have such a great selection of healthy plants.  Nothing against the big stores such as Home Depot, but I just don’t think they have the quality or take as good of care of their plants like the smaller locally owned nurseries do.

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Strawberry Shortcake

May is Strawberry month, right?  I don’t know that that’s official, but in my mind it is.  One of my favorite things to do while strawberries are in season is make Strawberry Shortcake.

When I refer to Strawberry Shortcake, I’m not talking about those sponge cake shells you find in the bakery of your grocery store.  My Strawberry Shortcake recipe is made with home made pie crust cut in to strips.  The crust really doesn’t take long to make and it is SO MUCH BETTER than the store bought stuff. 

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Lazarus Chicken Salad

Now that the weather is starting to warm up I have been thinking about cool and refreshing foods.  One of my absolute favorite foods to eat during warmer weather is Chicken Salad.  This Lazarus chicken salad is at the top of my chicken salad list.

As a young girl I used to love to go shopping at Lazarus Department Store.  No trip to Lazarus was complete without visiting the Café.  We would always arrange our shopping trips to where we could eat lunch there.  I don’t know what it was about that place, but I just loved it.  I always felt “fancy” when we would eat there.  They had a salad bar with very fresh items such as steamed shrimp, caviar, lettuce and a variety of prepared salads.  They always had this chicken salad on the bar and that’s what I would get every time. 

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Galt House Rebecca Sauce and Strawberries

Saturday is the 144th Kentucky Derby!   It’s billed as the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.” We love to watch it every year.

The excitement builds as you watch each horse promenade in from the stables to the starting gate.  The real excitement is when you hear that starting gate open and the announcer say “……aaaaaand they’re off!”  You hear the gallop of the hooves and you’re on the edge of your seat until the winning horse crosses the finish line!

If you’re going to be watching The Derby, you should at least have something to snack on.  This Galt House Rebecca Sauce and Strawberries is the perfect Derby Day treat!

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