Watermelon Lemonade

Hello summer.

I just love watermelon, so much. To me it tastes like summer, especially if it's cold from the freezer. Unfortunately, I grew up in a melon-hating household, so it wasn't something I got to eat that often. But now I'm an adult (apparently) and do what I want.

I made this lemonade to go with brunch this past weekend, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was the perfect accompaniment. If you're into it, you could probably add some champagne and make brunch more fun. Actually, sweet tea probably wouldn't hurt this at all either.

It tastes like summer in a glass, friends. I highly recommend making it, pouring it over ice, and sitting on your front porch sipping it with a colorful straw. If you have a front porch, that is. Otherwise, drink it at brunch with your favorite people who love bacon.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice (for me this was 4 lemons)

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups warm water

1/5 of a large watermelon, cut into chunks

1. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher. Stir.
2. Add the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Place the melon chunks in a blender and puree until smooth. Add to pitcher and stir.
4. Refrigerate until cold and serve over ice. Enjoy!

Ombre Smoothie Stacks

Look, I have friends! 

I feel like a lot of my recent posts have started with me talking about how excited I am for summer. This one won't be an exception. It's still summer, this recipe is summery, and I'm still excited. So there. Happy summer. Enjoy a colorful smoothie stack.

Fun thing about this: I made it in Infinity Hall at UF, the lack of kitchen can't stop me. All you need is a blender, lovelies. A freezer helps get a pretty stack but it isn't required. We give you ice, which is a pretty key ingredient. You can handle this recipe, even if you live in the land of no kitchens. You know you wanted to buy a blender anyway (or even one of those cool Magic Bullet things).

Speaking of UF....I'm starting my senior year (or maybe it's already started, summer semester is confusing). WHAT? I honestly still have days where I wake up and have to remind myself that this is COLLEGE. It's weird because I don't feel adult or anything and I definitely thought that would've happened by now. But instead I'm just here, living my life. Maybe when it ends, I'll suddenly understand? But guys, I still feel 17 and I still feel just as much awe that I'm actually in COLLEGE. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Ombre Smoothie Stacks

Ingredients

honeydew layer

2 cups honeydew, cut into chunks

8 oz vanilla yogurt (I used low fat)

1 cup ice

pineapple layer

2 cups pineapple chunks

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup ice

watermelon layer

1 cup watermelon chunks

1 cup ice

1. Blend each layer individually, starting with the honeydew.
2. Pour into glasses and freeze as you make each additional layer. When you pour the upper layers, be careful, but when they mix a little you'll get to see the ombre, so don't stress too much. Enjoy!

Rice Krispy Treat Milkshakes

Iiiiit's SUMMER TIME. And guess who's excited?! That's right. Me.

Um, I hope you're ready for milkshake recipes. Because I sort of love them, and they're finally weather-appropriate.

This particular milkshake is a little weird. It has actual cereal in it. I love the taste and the texture it adds. You could make this with the chocolate krispies too, but I don't like them so much. Instead I always ate my rice krispies with chocolate milk. Probably basically the same thing. But I had a preference anyway.

These were fun to decorate. That's going to be my new thing. It's inspired by this restaurant in NYC that I've been following on Instagram. Their handle or whatever is blacktapnyc, and you should definitely go check them out. Also go visit and then ship me some of their food. Thank you so much.

Rice Krispy Treat Shakes
Ingredients
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice krispies + more to top and rim
1/4 cup marshmallow fluff + more to rim
whipped cream

1. Rim the glass by spreading fluff around the rim, then rolling in rice krispies.
2. Blend together the ice cream, milk, fluff, and krispies until mostly smooth. It's okay if there are a couple bits of krispies left.
3. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and rice krispies. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Valentine's Milkshakes

I made you a milkshake to share with your love today. This milkshake celebrates the fine partnership (much like your own, I'm sure) between coffee and doughnuts.

It's sweet. Really sweet. Like young love. Which means this little champagne flute is a great size to share with your sweetheart. Celebrate your overflowing love by sharing a milkshake. It's a good idea. And less work than a steak dinner.

Coffee & Doughnuts Milkshake
Ingredients
1 cup coffee ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3 mini cinnamon doughnuts (I used Entenmann's), plus one per serving, for garnish
cinnamon sugar (stir together equal parts)
milk (to use to rim the glasses)
whipped cream

1. Blend together the milk, ice cream, and 3 doughnuts together until creamy.
2. Dip the glasses in the milk and then the cinnamon sugar.
3. Pour in the shake, then top with a doughnut and whipped cream. Add a straw if you want, then share with someone you love.
   
   
   

Peaches n Cream Milkshakes

I love the aesthetic.

These are a good way to celebrate making it through the first couple weeks of classes. The transition from talking about syllabi to actual, real course work is always sort of disorienting for me. These will make that better.

Love.

These aren't overly peachy, you can definitely taste the "n cream" part. If you get lucky and actually find the rare, coveted, amazing peaches, I'm jealous. The ones I had weren't bad....but they could've been better. I wish you luck. I know it's late in the season.

Karen makes a great hand model.

Peaches n Cream Milkshakes

Ingredients

2 peaches, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup milk

2 cups vanilla ice cream

whipped cream

1. Put everything except the whipped cream into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and add a swoosh of whipped cream. Yay.

Strawberry Lemonade

Decorations in the background by yours truly

Strawberry lemonade is one of those things that I really enjoyed, but never really thought about being able to make on my own. Turns out, it's not only completely doable, it's not hard either.

I sweetened mine with honey, and I'm really a fan of the flavor it added. You can definitely taste the honey, though it's subtle. It's lovely. This entire drink is lovely. It's summery, fruity, fun. And pink. Yay.

Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
1 cup lemon juice (this was 4 lemons for me)
1/3 lb strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 cups water
8 oz. honey

1. Put the strawberries in a blender with 1/2 cup of the water. Blend until smooth.
2. Add the honey to the lemon juice and stir.
3. Warm the other cup of water, then add to the lemon juice and honey. Stir.
4. Add the strawberry puree, then stir again.
5. Pour over ice and enjoy.

Shirley Temple Floats

LOOK WHAT I MADE!!!

Beautiful

These floats are exactly what you need in your life. Drink them to celebrate a high test score. Drink them to soothe the pain of having to run home in pouring rain (this happened). Share them with friends or keep them for yourself. They're delightfully pretty and colorful and sweet and creamy.

I found this grenadine in Target. Target is, of course, one of my favorite places, but it doesn't exactly rush to mind when I consider places to find fun new ingredients. That being said, I was in there a few weeks ago and grabbed this on a whim, sure I could figure out what to do with it. Shirley Temples are sort of the obvious thing, but I decided to play with them a little(!).

These are quite a sugar rush, but I'm a fan of that. Adjust the amount of grenadine according to the strength of your sweet tooth.


Pretty in Pink Floats
Ingredients
1 can lemon-lime soda (I used Sprite Zero because it's what I had, but you can do whatever you want)
1-2 oz. cherry grenadine (I used just under 2 oz. It's a very strong, very sweet flavor. You can use less if you aren't as crazy as I am)
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (I let it soften for about one episode of Friends because I wanted it a little melty)

1. Pour the soda into a measuring cup, then gently add the grenadine.
2. Add lime juice to the soda mixture.
3. Add a couple spoonfuls of ice cream to the bottom of a glass.
4. Gently pour soda into glass.
5. Add a scoop of ice cream to the top. You may have a little extra soda, so make a baby float or just drink it plain.

Cheers!