Simple Parfaits

This Parfait recipe is so easy, you can even do a monochromatic version and make it look sensational!

They're incredibly easy, and they look so cool.
Just whip up three batches of your favorite jell-o's
and layer them. Here's how it's done:
Select your dessert glasses. They need to be long and narrow.
Goblets work great. Of course parfait glasses are ideal.
Prepare jell-o number 1 according to package directions,
Fill all of your parfait glasses 1 third of the way full
with the jell-o. Chill till set. Repeat this step with the next two layers
chilling each layer until set. When finished, doll up each dessert with cool whip
Here are some classic combinations:
Red, white & Blue,
Cherry, white grape, Bluberry
Painted Desert (peach, pink, & red)
Berry medley. Cherry, strawberry &; raspberry

Hawaiian Health Drink

Mix equal parts carrot juice and pineapple juice. Garnish with a pinapple wedge if desired. Carrot slices look... strange. It's important that you use juice, not syrup from a can of pineapples. Also, you don't want to use juice from a can, or it will have a 'tinny' taste. Use a carrot stick for a swizzle stick. Aloha!

Strawberry Swizzler

Fresh strawberries, cold and sliced
club soda, chilled
strawberry jam
Add one tablespoon strawberry jam to club soda. Stir well, but gently. Mash half a strawberry and gently stir into drink.
Fan the strawberry slices all around the glass. You may sugar the rim if you desire.

Dessert Sunrise

Nope. This isn't a girlie drink like you'd get at a bar. (It's not spiked either. We don't drink --drink drinks, I mean.)
It's just lemonade with cactus juice. Really, it's that easy. Take some lemonade and swirl some cactus juice in. It will resemble a sunrise (until you stir it.) I don't stir mine. I like the range of flavors in each sip.
Don't ask me where I got this recipe okay? I'm a good girl now.

One more thing; if you don't happen to have cactus juice lying around your cupboard, you can do this with orange juice and berry drink, o.j. and fruit punch, or lemonade and berry drink. These make nice color combinations. Just remember to barely stir it, or it will meld together.

One last thing; you can add some real pizzazz by coating the rim of the glass with colored sugar and then adding a fruit slice.

Here's how you coat a glass--First, wet the rim of the glass (on the outside) with the juice of a lemon or an orange. Lime works too, or in a pinch, even water. Just consider the flavor of your beverage when choosing the fruitjuice you use here. After rubbing the juice of the lime, lemon or orange on the glass rim, turn the glass rimside down onto a saucer filled with colored sugar. I cover how to color sugar in a separate post; see the side bar.
Twist the rim of the glass back and forth like you are turning a doorknob. Set the glass upright, and let the sugar rim set (dry). When you fill the glass with ice or liquid, be sure not to let the sugar wash away.

Now, add your fruit wedge, and other extras and you are all set!

Black and Purple Cow

For the Black Cow, simply add vanilla ice cream (float style) to your favorite rootbear.
For Purple Cow, simply add vanilla ice cream to grape-flavored soda.

There are endless combinations you can play with. Here's a few.

Coke float. Like it sounds, float your favorite ice cream in coke.
Chocolate over- load. Chocolate icecream covered with syrup, floating in coca cola
Dr. Moo. Dr.Pepper with vanilla icream and your choice of syrup (cherry and or chocolate are best).

Try your own, and tell me about it.

Sun Tea

When I was a girl, my neighbors used to do this thing called "sun tea". I don't see this too much now adays,
which is surprising to me, because it is easy, delicious and solar powered,

Here's how it's done:
You simply take a sun tea container and fill it with water. (A sun tea container is simply a clear beverage holder with a spigot at the bottom.) Any clear, sealed container will do. To your water, add about 8 iced tea bags, or tea bags of your choice. (Tea for iced tea is best.) I use Louisianne iced tea bags. It's perfect.
All you do is simply set your container in full sun. I leave mine there from noon until dinner time. Remove it when you need it or when it turns a dark golden brown. The longer you leave it, the stronger it gets.
When its done, just move it indoors (or into the shade). Let it cool for about 30 minutes then add plenty of ice. Sweeten to taste.

The Best Lemonade Ever

Take a lemon. A good sized lemon if possible. Roll around on a hard surface, like a countertop. Roll it for about 3 minutes, or until your hand cramps up. Now, squeeze it all around, as hard as you can (this will also alieviate the cramp you feel). Relax your hand (relax....relax..)
This is almost over, I promise. Next, get out a juicer. A hand juicer is just fine, but you can do this entirely by hand with no equipment.
If you have a juicer, just cut the lemon in half, and twist it, back and forth, over the ridged part of the juicer. There should be a strainer in the bottom to collect the seeds and pulp. If you don't have a juicer, just take the lemon half, remove any seeds, and squeeze the juice into a bowl.

Now you should have some lemon juice. Set this aside, and take the lemon. Using a lemon zester, remove as much of the rind as possible, leaving the white part of the rind (it's bitter). Take this lemon peel (if you did it right, it should be flaked very small) and put it into a small saucepan, along with about a quarter cup of sugar. Heat the sugar unil it melts. Stir. Now, add as much of the melted sugar as you need to sweeten the juice. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Add a little marachino cherry juice if you want it pink