Homemade Butter Beer

Will did a project for a book he read for a reading challenge at school where he read Harry Potter and then dressed up as Harry and then got up and told the class about the book.  We decided to make his presentation even more fun and served the class Butter Beer.  It was a hit with the entire class.

Homemade Butter Beer

Ingredients

• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup butterscotch syrup or topping
• 32 oz cream soda
• 1/2 cup ice (more as needed)

Instructions

1. Place ice cream, ice, butterscotch and cream soda in a blender. Mix until combined. Serve in cold glasses and top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy! :)
2. **You can add crushed vanilla wavers in too*

Holiday Drink

Holiday Drink (or as Mike calls it, Crapple ale)

Cranberry Juice
Apple Juice
Ginger ale

Mix all together and enjoy (you can add more of one drink than another depending on which flavor you like best--if you like the cranberry juice most, add more of that or if find cranberry juice to be too strong, then increase the apple juice)

Strawberry Watermelon Lime Smoothie

Strawberry Watermelon Lime Smoothie

In the summer the boys always want me to buy watermelon but we never finish an entire watermelon so I never want to buy one.  This past summer I found this recipe and knew it was the perfect addition to our recipes.  It was watermelon, strawberries, lime, all in smoothie and these boys love smoothies but a smoothie with watermelon, lime, and strawberries was even better.  They request this over and over.

Recipe: Strawberry Watermelon Lime Frosty

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen watermelon (in large diced cubes for easy blending)
• 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 water
• *add slowly as needed to get blender moving – add more if needed
• 1 banana
• 2 limes, squeezed
• lime sherbet (optional--I only do this for a special treat from time to time.  If I don't use the sherbet I just put in a little bit of sugar or honey)
• ice optional

Instructions

1. Blend in high speed blender – add ice for a frostier sip. Serve.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 2

Recipe adapted from Babble.com

Blackberry Limeade

Blackberry Limeade
Serves 8

Ingredients:
6 cups water, divided
3 cups fresh blackberries
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
Lime wedges and fresh blackberries, for serving

Directions:
Blend the blackberries and 1 cup of water together until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add the remaining 5 cups of water, sugar and lime juice to the pitcher. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish each with a lime wedge and a few blackberries, if desired.

Slightly adapted from My Recipes

Orange Julius

Orange Julius

1/2 cup frozen orange juice
12 cubes ice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
Blend together in food processor.

Quick and Easy Caramel Apple Cider Crockpot Recipe

We had this as a fun Christmas treat.  It was a hit with everyone.

Quick and Easy Caramel Apple Cider Crockpot Recipe

from here

The Ingredients.

serves 4, (can easily be multiplied --use a larger cooker though!)

4 cups apple cider

3 tablespoons caramel syrup (the ice cream topping)

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream (optional; I leave it off for my kids)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Now this is sweet---I've modeled it after the stuff they serve at the store. After making it this way a few times, I've successfully cut back on the syrup without my kids (and their friends!) knowing---do what is right for your own family.

Mix it all in together---stir, and cook on low for about 4 hours. I like to put it on after I clean up the breakfast dishes and then leave it alone until our after-school snack. I've also made a large pot for Girl Scout events and  playdates. The kids really like it, and it's a nice change of pace from hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Leftovers refrigerate and reheat well (in the microwave).