Strawberry Mint Spritz

September 11, 2021 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Craig is out of town this week at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival, so I am taking up the slack and posting on The Blind Pig Blog while he is having a great time in a beautiful Colorado town.

Since it is 9/11 I am feeling a little patriotic and reflecting on how 20 years can slip by so quickly. We all have our own connections and memories from that horrible day. Tattooed on my brain is the residual eeriness of no airplanes in the sky for several days. I also remember how proud I was to be an American. Individuals from all walks of life were uniting, flying flags, and saying, “God Bless America!” was heartfelt instead of a saying imprinted on the front of a cheap plaque made in China. Twenty years fly by, but sadly I wish Americans could return to some of the sentiments from two decades ago.

Now that summer is closing out, we have a few more light cocktails to share with you and this one is a perfect light sipper. Strawberry Mint Spritz is made with vodka, prosecco, lime sparkling water, a little simple syrup, fresh berries and mint.

First place strawberries in the bottom of your cocktail glass, add a few mint leaves and drizzle in the simple syrup. Muddle these ingredients in the bottom of the glass. Add vodka, prosecco and top off with lime sparkling water. It’s delicious, light and perfect for sipping on a late summer or early fall evening.

If you are viewing this post via email, join us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Strawberry Mint Spritz.

This simple cocktail would taste great with any fresh berries or fruit added. Peaches, blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, cucumbers, cantaloupe, or oranges could be substituted for the strawberries. The possibilities are endless!

Today is Craig’s birthday! If you get a chance wish him a happy one. 🙂

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Drink responsibly.

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Boozy Berry Ice Cream

August 8, 2020August 8, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

We love our little blog. It pushes us to be creative and look for new ideas and recipes. Just like when you read a terrific book or see a riveting movie, you can’t wait to talk to someone else about it, we can’t wait to share our latest and greatest discoveries with you each week. After more than four years of writing our blog, we still occasionally come across an idea or a recipe that exceeds our expectations. This week is one of those posts. Boozy Berry Ice Cream was a little experiment that we thought we would try out — we weren’t sure if it was exactly blog material. This funny little meme expresses how surprised we were after tasting Boozy Berry Ice Cream. Hopefully you like this week’s recipe as much as we did.

We (Rhonda) found the base recipe for our ice cream from an old post from Southern Living that Rhonda saved from 2013. Although this recipe requires you to use an ice cream freezer, it is quite simple to follow and is worth the effort. This is a delicious ice cream recipe for any flavor you would like to enjoy. It is made from cream cheese, half and half, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla and salt. The flavor of our ice cream was inspired by our favorite Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie. For the added flavor we used tequila, fresh strawberries, fresh basil, strawberry preserves, and crushed pretzels.

First make the base of the ice cream and process the ingredients in a blender. Cover and chill the base for at least 2 hours. Next you will pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer. (We had not pulled ours down from the highest shelf in the garage for over three years…) Freeze the ice cream according to the directions that came with your ice cream freezer. While the freezer is freezing the ice cream, prepare the other ingredients. Stir together tequila, chopped fresh strawberries, strawberry preserves and fresh basil. Next crush the pretzels. When the ice cream freezer stops, remove the ice cream and stir in strawberry mixture and pretzels making sure to mix well. Place in a tightly covered plastic container in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a printable recipe of Boozy Berry Ice Cream.

Rhonda knew this was going to be good as soon as she licked the paddle from the ice cream freezer. The creamy, rich flavor of the ice cream is a delicious base for any flavor…look for other flavors coming your way soon!

Do you have an ice cream freezer? Give this recipe a try this weekend. You will be glad that you did.

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The Blind Pig Berry Festival

June 13, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 2 Comments

Fresh vegetables and fruits are one of our favorite parts of summertime blog posts, which is why one our most used tag lines is: Easy, Tasty, Fresh! As we looked back at past blog posts, we realized some definite patterns in our posts. One pattern that overwhelmingly stood out to us was how many recipes that we had with berries.

Berries are the best — nature’s candy! Berries complement many cocktail and dessert recipes, so this week we are going to feature some of our past posts that included berries, such as, Strawberry Prosecco Cake or Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie, both of which we have made recently at The Blind Pig household. Welcome to our Berry Festival by taking a look back with us. Perhaps this is a good time to try out one of these fabulous recipes that you haven’t tried yet.

Strawberry Prosecco Cake

This dessert requires a little extra effort, but is certainly worth the effort. The sponge cake is drenched in prosecco and frosted with a whipped cream frosting. Delish! It’s the ultimate summer dessert.

Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie

Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie is an easy dessert that will impress family and friends. The salty pretzel crust pairs nicely with the sweetness of the strawberry ice cream and tequila.

Prosecco Summer Dessert

Prosecco Summer Dessert is such an easy summer dessert, you will wonder why you haven’t made it sooner. Made with angel food cake, fresh berries, cool whip and vanilla pudding, it is ready for guests in no time.

Raspberry Margarita

The Raspberry Margarita is a great twist on a skinny margarita classic. It is perfect for summertime pool sipping.

Raspberry Mojito

Rum and Prosecco combine in this cocktail to give it a light refreshing taste.

Strawberry Aperol Spritz

A twist on a crowd favorite, the Strawberry Aperol Spritz is a delightful fresh summertime cocktail.

Strawberry Basil Margarita

The bright colors in this cocktail help to create a beautiful patriotic beverage for summer holidays. The strawberry and basil flavors are a wonderful combination added to a wonderful skinny margarita base.

Blackberry Kiwi Mocktail

Red berries aren’t the only popular berries during the summer, blackberries make great cocktails too! This mocktail is a huge hit on a hot summer day.

Savannah Special

We’ve featured this whiskey based drink with blackberry simple syrup in many posts before. It is a summertime hit with a surprisingly light finish.

Grown Up Berry Lemonade

We couldn’t complete this post without suggesting an easy berry lemonade to fix for your picnics and lake trips. A few simple basic ingredients and you are good to go with some spiked berry lemonade!!

All of these recipes are just the right amount of berry with a bit of summer mixed in. Enjoy them wherever your summer may take you.

We have many new followers joining us each week. Welcome to The Blind Pig Blog. We are happy you stopped by. Let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Drink responsibly.

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Dessert Ready in a Prosecco

August 18, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

This week I am pulling back the curtain on this post. It is going to be solely authored by me, Rhonda. No “we” or “us” as I narrate this post. I am just going to own it and go for it on my own. Don’t worry, Craig will be back next week. 😉

With that direct candor out of the way, I am excited to share an oldie that has been twisted up a bit — Prosecco Summer Dessert. This dessert has been around for awhile. I am not going to lie. It is close to the perfect dessert for late summer. During these hot, hot days of summer, who wants to turn on the oven to prepare a dessert? Not me! The good news is that with this tasty gem, you don’t have to add any extra heat to your house. In fact, this recipe is so easy that my 16 and 17-year-old sons could make it!

This dessert is a faithful go-to when headed to a potluck or special occasion. In fact, earlier this summer I took this dessert to a gathering that also had Nothin’ Bundt Cakes. Many of us cannot resist choosing those cute, yummy bundtinis when passing through the food line. However, I must profess that at the end of the dinner my serving bowl was EMPTY and there were still some bundt cakes left. How is that for a crowd pleaser?

To make this dessert you need only a few simple ingredients: fresh strawberries, angel food cake (I purchase mine from the store), a box of instant vanilla pudding, a container of cool whip, milk and a mini-bottle of prosecco. You can also add other fresh fruit, such as, blueberries, blackberries or kiwi.

This dessert can and usually is made sans the prosecco. I got the idea for adding prosecco to this recipe when I made Strawberry Prosecco Cake this spring. The cake soaks up the prosecco and adds to the overall yumminess factor.

First, cut the angel food cake into bite size cubes. Slice your strawberries and other fruit. Set aside. Make the package of vanilla pudding according to directions. Blend the container of cool whip into the vanilla pudding.

For this recipe I purchased a small bottle of prosecco. These little bottles come in very handy. As you know I have quite an affinity for Aperol Spritzes, but I don’t want to open a full bottle of prosecco each time. These small bottles are perfect to keep on hand for recipes, such as this.

Place a layer of angel food cake in a large glass serving bowl or trifle bowl. Pour a small amount of prosecco over the layer of cake. Top the cake layer with strawberries and other fruit. Pour a layer of the vanilla pudding mixture over the cake and berries. Continue layering the ingredients for 2-3 layers. Garnish the top with fresh berries. Place in a refrigerator until ready to serve.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete printable recipe of Prosecco Summer Dessert.

Try out this easy, tasty, fresh recipe. I am sure that it will quickly become one of your hosting secrets!

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Let Freedom Ring with a Strawberry Basil Margarita

July 6, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Hey Blind Pig Friends, how was your Fourth of July? Ours was very low key. We stuck close to home and hung out by the pool. While soaking up the sun we got a hankering for some Strawberry Basil Margaritas. Our garden has been overflowing with herbs this summer thanks to the extra rain that we have been getting this season. It is a shame to let all of those herbs go to waste without capitalizing on the fresh twist that they can add to cooking and mixing cocktails. We know that Strawberry Basil Margaritas are not our own invention and are not anything new on the up and coming bar scene, BUT since this is our blog we thought we would remind you about a crowd pleasing summer cocktail. We included our “Umbrella Worthy” stamp of approval on this recipe, as well.

To make this delicious drink you will need fresh basil, fresh strawberries, Monin Strawberry Flavored Syrup, agave nectar, fresh limes and your favorite tequila. When making margs we always start from our basic Skinny Agave Margarita recipe. However, since we used the Monin Strawberry Syrup, we backed off of the agave nectar slightly.

Place the tequila, strawberry syrup, agave nectar, and lime juice in a shaker over ice and shake for 20-30 seconds. Pour into margarita glass filled with ice — we used sonic ice! Take a basil leaf and clap it between your hands. This releases the flavors and aroma of the basil. Place in cocktail. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries, and enjoy!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a full printable recipe of our Strawberry Basil Margarita.

This cocktail is so yummy, so fresh, so tasty! It is a great cocktail to serve at any neighborhood cookout or if you are just chilling by the pool. What is your favorite by the pool drink?

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking, and never drink and drive.

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Life is Short. Make It Sweet.

May 4, 2019July 5, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 4 Comments

How has your Cinco de Mayo weekend been? We hope you tried out some of our yummy recipes from last week’s post. This week we are very excited to share our newest yummy cake recipe with you– Strawberry Prosecco Cake!

A couple of weekends ago Blind Piglet #1 was home for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, so we tried out a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens that we have been wanting to tweak a bit. We had never tried a recipe like this before, so we weren’t too sure how it was going to turn out. The risk turned out to be a triple layer of yummy strawberry goodness! This cake is light, refreshing and did we say delicious? It is the perfect recipe for a birthday, a bridal lunch, Mother’s Day or any happy occasion. It is easy, tasty, and fresh.

To make this delicious cake you will need eggs, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, butter, almond extract and prosecco. For the strawberry filling you will need, 1 quart of fresh strawberries, prosecco and sugar. To make the whipped cream frosting you will need heavy cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

To begin take your eggs out of the refrigerator and let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour three 8 × 11/2-inch round baking pans. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Begin preheating your oven to 350°F. Beat eggs with a mixer on high 5 minutes or until thickened and light in a large bowl. For an additional five minutes beat the eggs on medium while gradually adding sugar. Your batter will be light and fluffy. Next, beat in flour mixture on medium-low until just combined.

In a small saucepan heat and stir milk and butter until butter melts. Add the butter and milk mixture gradually to batter. Add in almond extract. Divide batter among pans.

Bake 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Place pans on a wire rack and cool completely. Remove cakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks over a shallow pan or tray. Remove cakes from pans and place on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Poke the cake with holes all over. We used a meat fork for this. Pour prosecco over cakes. It amazed us how quickly the sponge cake slurped up the prosecco. There was not a drop dripping from the cakes. Next, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and chill for 2-24 hours. We made the cake portion of ours a day ahead.

The following day we made the strawberry filling. We cut off stems and chopped the strawberries (saving a few back for garnish). We added the prosecco, and sugar and stirred completely. We covered the strawberries and let them stand for about 30 minutes. Hint: The smaller you chopped the strawberries the easier it is to layer the cake on top.

To make the whipped cream frosting, place a large bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and add heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Place back in refrigerator.

Now you are ready to start layering the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half the strawberry filling on top of the first layer. Place second cake layer on top and spread with remaining filling. Place third cake layer over second. Spread whipped cream frosting over the top of the cake and let extra overflow over the sides. Garnish top with sliced strawberries and mint leaves. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

As we mentioned before, we were pleasantly surprised about just how good this cake recipe is. The prosecco keeps the cake moist. It is probably the best strawberry shortcake combination that we have ever had!

Strawberry Prosecco Cake looks fresh and tasty, as if it is saying, “Hello summer!” Your taste buds will be overjoyed when the creamy goodness of the whipped cream frosting, the strawberries and the prosecco soaked cake pass over. Are you going to treat your taste buds next weekend?

For a complete recipe for Strawberry Prosecco Cake, please visit our website, http://www.theblindpig.blog.

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Grown Up Berry Lemonade

August 11, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

grown up berry lemonade How has your week been? Did you try the Caramel Rye Pie from last week’s post? We finally got some relief from the heat with a few rain showers and temps in the high 80’s. Alleluia! This is going to be a quick post this week, because we are moving Blind Piglet #1 back to college this weekend for her senior year. Blind Piglets #2 and #3 return to school next week. We can’t believe that summer is almost over.

Although summer is winding down, you still have a few weekends left to enjoy the fun and the sun. This week we share a quick and easy drink recipe with you: Grown Up Berry Lemonade.

grown up berry lemonade1

To make Grown Up Berry Lemonade you need a 52 ounce bottle of Minute Maid Lemonade. We always use the low calorie Minute Maid Lite to save on calories. Pour the lemonade into a large pitcher or drink dispenser. Next add two cups of Seagram’s Berry Vodka. Add 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries. The frozen berries add to the flavor and help to give the lemonade a berry pink color. Garnish the lemonade in the pitcher or dispenser with slices of fresh lemon, fresh mint sprigs, and sliced strawberries. Let the mixture sit for about an hour to allow time for the flavors to infuse. Add ice to the pitcher or dispenser before serving. Garnish individual servings with a berry and a mint sprig.

grown up berry lemonade2

If you are reading this post via email, visit our website to get the downloadable version of the recipe.

This drink is sweet, summery, and refreshing. It would make a great beverage for a bridal shower or girls summer luncheon. Try it out this weekend and let us know what you think.

grown up berry lemonade3

Are you ready for summer to end? We have enjoyed the break from the heat, but wish summer could last a few more weeks.

Disclaimer: All beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking, and never drink and drive.

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Tickle Me Pink

May 11, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

tickle me pink

Happy Mother’s Day a few days early to all of our favorite moms. We are raising our glass to moms everywhere with this week’s drink — Tickle Me Pink. This rose’ sangria will be a fan favorite when you serve it from your favorite patio to celebrate the moms in your life. It fits The Blind Pig criteria because it is easy, tasty and fresh!

tickle me pink4

To make this rose’ sangria, you will need a pint of fresh strawberries, 4 fresh limes, 1 bottle of Rose’ wine, 1/2 cup of Zaya Rum, and 4 cups of Diet Sprite. Most sangria’s call for a white rum, but we like to use a dark rum like Zaya because it has a richer flavor that compliments the fruit and the wine nicely.

tickle me pink2

Start by thinly slicing the strawberries and limes. Place half of the strawberries and limes in a tall pitcher. Save the other half in a tightly sealed container for garnish.

tickle me pink3

Pour the rose’ wine and the Zaya Rum into the pitcher. Cover the pitcher and place in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours. We made ours the night before for a get-together we were having the following day.

Tickle Me Pink Rose’ Sangria

Prior to serving, add 4 cups of Diet Sprite, ice and stir. We prefer Diet Sprite instead of regular. Many sangrias can be overly sweet which overpowers the flavors in the drink. The Diet Sprite achieves the bubbly essence of the sangria without the extra sugar and sweetness.

As you serve your guests place a few slices of strawberries and limes in each glass. It’s a delicious, easy and fun refreshing summer sipper.

For a printable version of the recipe, visit our website.

Tickle Me Pink Rose' Sangria

Don’t forget The Grapefruit Spritz is another great Mother’s Day cocktail.

A special shout out to the special moms in our lives — Ruth, Bonnie, Anita, Anna, Rosemary, Jennifer, LeeAnn, Dee, Kayla, Paula, Margaret and Heather!

Disclaimer: The beverages shared on this website are for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.