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.

Share1

1 Shares

Cool Off with a Refreshing Mint Highball

June 6, 2020June 6, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

Summer showed up in full force in Dallas this week. We had temps in mid-90s, but it feels like 102. It would be a great week to try out our Just Peachy Popsicles that we shared with you last week.

During the hot summer months we are always looking for a cool refreshing drink that does not require a lot of fuss and extra prep. Who wants to be mixing a drink when you really want your feet dangling in the pool? The Mint Highball is an easy summer drink to fix for one or many. In less than 5 minutes you can be sipping minty freshness while cooling off near the water.

If you like a good Mojito, the Mint Highball will quickly become one of your summer favs. This refreshing beverage is made with Topo-Chico Carbonated Mineral Water and Branca Menta Liqueur. It tastes similar to a Mojito without all all of the sugar and extra calories. The typical Mojito runs around 250 calories, but the Mint Highball hits a low bar with 135.

If you are viewing this post via email, join us at www.theblindpig.blog to get a full printable recipe for the Mint Highball.

With the right amount of fizz and mint, this beverage is sure to make it into you regular summer rotation. We can tell you that it already has made it into ours! Ready to try the Mint Highball?

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

Share3

3 Shares

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!

Share70

Pin2

72 Shares

Umbrella-worthy Drinks for Summer

July 27, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

We’ve had a lot of fun posting and sharing with you this summer. Although summer is not over yet, and here in Texas we still have many hot days to get through before we feel the first cool breeze of fall, we thought we would take time to look back at past posts and share with you our all-time umbrella-worthy cocktails. What is an umbrella-worthy cocktail? It is a cocktail that is especially good to drink beach or poolside that is not too heavy, can cool you down, and doesn’t look bad with an umbrella accessory. Ready to see what drinks we picked? Well, here you go….

The Royal Hurricane

If there ever was a drink that was meant to be adorned with a cute umbrella, it was this one. High on flavor, freshness, and overall summer appeal, The Royal Hurricane is a hit at any pool party or sunset cruise.

Italian Mojito

The Italian Mojito has a great flavor with a zip of mint to help any hot summer day feel a little bit more refreshing. Serve with crushed ice to up the umbrella factor.

La Branca

Let’s party like they do in the Mediterranean and enjoy life like the Italians. Whether you are gazing out at the blue waters of the Mediterranean or the water in your local lake, this yummy alternative to the usual margarita is sure to put some flair into your afternoon.

Paloma

Rhonda’s go-to drink on a hot summer day. It’s so easy to make and so refreshing. You can’t go wrong with a Paloma. It will make you feel like you are on a beach in Mexico watching an amazing sunset over the Pacific.

Day Drinking

The very name of this easy, light cocktail just begs for a cute umbrella. As a close friend to the Paloma, no need to stop at just one.

Spiked Watermelon Lemonade

Just looking at this drink you know it is going to be a crowd-pleaser. It is refreshing, sweet, and has summertime fun written all over it!

Grown Up Berry Lemonade

Who doesn’t crave refreshing lemonade on a hot summer day? Make sure the kids know that this one is for mommy. It is easy to make on short notice and long on summertime satisfaction.

Some Like It Hot

This drink turns up the heat, but satisfies on a hot day. If you are into spicy drinks, this one is calling your name. Don’t forget the umbrella!

Tequila Watermelon Fizz

The Tequila Watermelon Fizz is a very easy drink to make on the go at the lake or the beach. It is light on ingredients and even lighter on calories. No guilt here while you are sipping this in your bikini by the pool.

Strawberry Basil Margarita

The Strawberry Basil Margarita has been our cocktail of the summer. What tastes more like summer than some strawberries combined with the zip of fresh basil? It is truly a treat for all of your senses.

Try one. Try them all. What is your go-to umbrella-worthy drink? We would love to hear about it.

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

Share5

5 Shares

Celebrate Summer with Ice Cream

June 29, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

We got away for a few days to spend some time at the gorgeous white sand beaches of Florida to soak in the sun.

Now it is time to think about the 4th of July and fireworks! If you have hung around our blog long enough you know that ice cream is a favorite summer treat for our family. This week we are taking a look back at 9 great ice cream favs to try this summer.

Treat #1: Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie

This is one our favorite ice cream desserts. The strawberry, tequila, and pretzel crust make an interesting but very tasty combination.

Treat #2: Kerrygold Ice Cream

Hands down, this is the easiest, yummiest homemade ice cream we’ve ever tried. The recipe is so basic and simple that it is easy to adapt for other flavors.

Treat #3: Kerrygold Caramel Shake

This shake is like discovering a gold mine of ice cream and chocolate delight. The easy recipe makes this a fun and quick dessert for any guest.

Treat #4: Mojito Ice Cream

Based on the same recipe as treat #2, this ice cream has a rum and mint twist. Serve with a sprig of fresh lime and let the refreshing, cool taste wash over you!

Treat #5: Cafe’ Borghetti PBIF Pie

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie is Craig’s favorite dessert of all time! The chocolate sauce mixed with the crispy peanut butter crust is a delicious combination.

Treat #6: Cannonball

We shared this treat with you in May. Like other ice cream treats, this can easily be adapted for a range of flavors and tastes. We are thinking about making a red, white and blue combo for the 4th. What do you think?

Treat #7: Espresso Ice Cream

Have you tried this one yet? We (Rhonda) recently finished the last few bites of this yummy treat that were left in our freezer. Don’t forget to check out the fun serving suggestions included in this post.

Treat #8: Choco Menta Shake

The king of our ice cream treats — The Choco Menta Shake! If you are a mint chocolate chip or a Girl Scout Thin Mint fan, this is the shake for you. Stay extra cool on the inside and out with this special treat.

Treat #9: Borghetti Coke Float

So easy, so tasty, and so fresh! Remind yourself what it was like to be a kid — only better, by trying the Borghetti Coke Float.

Which treat is your favorite? Try one or try them all. We’d love to hear about it.

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.

Share112

112 Shares

The Spritz of Summer: Strawberry Aperol Spritz

June 22, 2019June 22, 2019 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

Summer is now in full swing at The Blind Pig household, and what can make summer better than the perfect summer cocktail? It is no secret around here that Rhonda loves anything that has spritz in the name, and lately the Aperol Spritz has been her go-to drink of choice. It’s low hassle and easy to order or make. We paired this popular drink with strawberries, because what says summer better than anything with strawberries?

This cocktail is very easy to make, but you will need to plan ahead. A day or two prior to making the drink you will need to slice some fresh strawberries and infuse them with some Aperol. We only infused about a cup of Aperol with a cup of strawberries, because we knew we were only going to be making a few drinks at a time. If you are planning on making Strawberry Aperol Spritzes for a crew, then you may want to infuse a half of a bottle or more. Place the Aperol and strawberries in the fridge and wait one to two days. 🙂

When you are ready to serve your drinks, you will need fresh strawberries and orange slices for garnish, strawberry infused Aperol, and a bottle of your favorite chilled prosecco. Since Aperol Spritzes are usually served with a large cube of ice, make sure you have some on hand.

Add 2 ounces of strawberry infused Aperol to the glass with large cube of ice. Pour 4-5 ounces of prosecco over the top. Lightly stir. Garnish with an orange slice and fresh strawberries. Delish!

We were surprised by the hint of the sweet strawberries that came through and the Aperol did not overpower the strawberries. The orange slice gave the drink a nice hint of citrus. We are used to serving our Aperol Spritzes with an olive, but now may switch to the orange!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblingpig.blog for a printable recipe of Strawberry Aperol Spritz.

The Strawberry Aperol Spritz allows you to serve a great drink to your friends, and still sit back, relax, and enjoy a delicious toast to summer with drinks, food and friends!

Disclaimer: The 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.

Share66

Pin8

74 Shares

June Bonus Post: Espresso Ice Cream Treats

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

It’s already time for your June Bonus Post, and this month we are bringing back an oldie but goodie. We’ve shared our sooo easy, tasty and fresh ice cream recipe with you in posts like Kerrygold Ice Cream and Mojito Ice Cream. This month we are using one of our favorite liqueurs — Cafe Borghetti to give the ice cream a delicious coffee flavor. However, we are not stopping at just the recipe, we are also sharing with you some great alternatives for easy ice cream treats to serve to your guests that will put your hosting level over the top!

We started with the basic recipe that we have shared with you previously. Each time we make this recipe we are reminded how amazingly easy this is, and the ice cream tastes sooo yummy. In case you missed the first post, here are the steps. The ingredients that you will need are: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, salt, Cafe Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, and heavy cream. Yep! That’s it. Now, before you dig your ice cream churn out of the attic, let us tell you that you are not going to need it. All you need is a hand held electric mixer and a freezer.

Make sure that your mixing bowl and beaters have set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before starting the ice cream. It will make the cream peak faster. Stir together the milk, vanilla, salt and Cafe Borghetti. Set aside.

Place cream in the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes or until peaks form.

Fold 1/3 whipped cream mixture into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth. Be careful not to over whisk and stir. You don’t want to deflate the whipped cream. The air is what makes this ice cream so light and creamy. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and place in a freezer for 8 hours.

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

After freezing we decided to use our ice cream to make some pre-made treats for friends. We found these cute little cups at World Market. They come with three in a package and are coated on the inside with chocolate. We scooped ice cream into each and placed them back in the freezer until we were ready to serve our guests. It was a such an easy summer treat, and our guests felt like we had put forth extra effort. If you want to give the treat an extra Blind Pig twist, pour a little bit of Cafe Borghetti into the bottom of the cup for an added surprise and dipping while eating the ice cream!

We also used some of our Espresso Ice Cream to make ice cream sandwiches. Instead of using the typical cookie we found some Italian waffle cookies also at World Market. We scooped a spoonful of ice cream on to the bottom waffle. Next we added a handful of Heath pieces and then topped with a waffle cookie. We placed the sandwiches back into the freezer until we were ready to serve. The waffle cookies gave just the right amount of crunch to the sandwich without overwhelming the ice cream. It was sort of like eating a flat ice cream cone.

Other ways to spruce up this delicious treat are to drizzle the ice cream with some Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce or just simply dribble a little bit of Cafe Borghetti over the top. YUMMO!

Spending the week at the lake or beach and want an easy, tasty, fresh ice cream treat? This is the recipe for you. With just a few basic ingredients and a hand mixer, you can have your ice cream and eat it too!

Share4

Pin3

7 Shares

Cannonball!

May 31, 2019 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

The cry of, “Cannonball!” echoes across the nation to announce the dawning of summer. After trying this delicious treat, you will be screaming, “Cannonball!” with every ten-year-old on the block! This yummy summer dessert is a fun twist on the typical ice cream sundae. Mix together three different kinds of ice cream, some brownie bits, twist it up and you are ready to enjoy your summer.

The best thing about this dessert is that there is no need to heat up the oven. You will be cool as ice cream while preparing this treat. Although this dessert is easy even for the novice bakers and cooks, you do need to plan ahead. It take about 2 hours of adding one layer at a time and a final 4 hours to freeze completely. You can’t decide to serve this 10 minutes before the guests arrive.

You will need three different kinds of ice cream to make this fun treat. We used Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, Coffee, and Dutch Chocolate. You also need some freshly baked brownies. We used a brownie mix for ours, but store bought would work, as well. If you like, add some peanuts or pecans to the mix. The last ingredient you need is a batch of our delicious Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce.

Take the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and soften for about 5 minutes. Choose a medium size glass bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup of Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce in the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle in about 1/4 cup of nuts. Spoon vanilla ice cream into the bowl covering the chocolate sauce and nuts. With the back of a spoon spread the softened ice cream over the sauce and up the sides of the bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

Next take the coffee ice cream from the freezer and soften for about five minutes. At this point you will want to check on your first layer of vanilla. Ours started to slide down the sides some. The ice cream was still soft enough that we could use the back of the spoon to hollow out the middle some more and bank it up the sides of the bowl. Now add a layer of brownie bits. Be generous on this part. Rhonda was a little stingy with the brownies, and our cannonball could have used more. This is also a step where you could substitute something other than brownies. Like cookie dough? Chocolate chips? Nuts? Sprinkles? We would advise you to avoid anything that would get too hard when frozen. Brownies are perfect, because they serve as a soft texture surprise in the cannonball.

After adding the layer of brownies, spoon a layer of coffee ice cream over the top. Smooth out the coffee ice cream with the back of a spoon trying to leave a slight dip in the middle of the bowl. Place in the freezer for another 45 minutes.

Take out the chocolate ice cream from the freezer to soften for 5 minutes. Pour a layer of Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce over the hardened coffee ice cream. Add the chocolate ice cream to the small dip in the middle of the bowl. Place in the freezer for 4 hours.

When ready to serve, take the bowl from the freezer and place in a bath of lukewarm water in the sink for about 5 minutes.

Invert the bowl on a serving plate. Top with more Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce and nuts if preferred. If you are not ready to serve your cannonball quite yet, you can return it to the freezer until ready. Once you have cut slices, serve immediately. WARNING: this dessert did not last long around our house. Be fully prepared for it to disappear quickly.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a printable recipe of TBPB Cannonball.

You can see the interesting layered marble look of the ice cream, chocolate sauce and brownies. This treat is so delicious and incredibly easy to make. There are so many different variations that can be made from this recipe. Don’t be surprised if you see a rum caramel cannonball or a Branca Menta mint variation in the near future! Try it for your next swim party and let us know what you think! Happy Summer!