There’s a new favorite bottle in my liquor cabinet and it’s already half gone. Recently I was turned on to St. Elder and haven’t looked back since. The liqueur is very sweet with a natural citrus grapefruit flavor to it. It goes great with just about anything.

Using vodka, simple syrup, and orange juice highlights the St. Elder without overpowering or changing the flavor too much. It’s a great first introduction drink or drink to serve to old fans. Leave out the simple syrup for a less-sweet drink.

For some reason when I made these I was out of ice, so instead used frozen berries to cool the drink down. I think they also make the presentation better and pair well with the elderflower which tastes fruity on its own. Shake up the recipe by using a flavored vodka.

Elderflower Cocktail

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 drinks):

• 1 1/2 shots Elderflower liqueur
• 2 shots vodka
• 1 shot simple syrup
• Juice of 1/2 an orange
• Ice or frozen berries

Method:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
2. Shake until the drink is well mixed.
3. Strain and pour into glasses with fresh ice or frozen fruit. Serve immediately.

I can’t remember the last time I actually saw a sunrise. That might be a little embarrassing to admit; I’m definitely a night owl who enjoys sleeping in when I can. This, however, is a sunrise I can get behind.

Tequila sunrises are one of my favorite drinks. They’re simple(only 3 ingredients!), delicious, and you can tell yourself they’re healthy because they have juice in them instead of soda. They’re also just a lot of fun to look at; I never get tired of pouring these for myself and friends.

It’s hard to mess this one up. Just pour with a steady hand and be sure not to stir. If you want to ad a little twist, squeeze a lime wedge in with the tequila for each glass.

Tequila Sunrise

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 3 shots white tequila
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons grenadine
• Ice(optional)

Method:

1. Add 1 1/2 shots of tequila to 2 1-cup glasses. Add in ice as well if the ingredients aren’t chilled.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of orange juice into each glass. Do not stir.
3. Pour 1 Tablespoon of grenadine into each glass right through the center of the top. Do not stir but let it settle at the bottom and gradiate.
4. Serve and drink cold.

Winter is sadly not a great time for fresh fruit and vegetables in New England. When I go to the store I usually pick up all different kinds of frozen produce. Frozen fruit will unfortunately never taste as good as fresh when thawed and eaten but thankfully makes a delicious smoothie.

This is good to have in the morning if you’re in a rush to get out the door or even at night after dinner for something healthy and delicious. If you use a Greek style yogurt you can really pump up the protein in this drink.

If you use a flavored yogurt instead of plain you can skip the added sweetener altogether. Try using white chocolate chips for a different flavor.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Smoothies

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
• 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips

Method:

1. Combine the yogurt, strawberries, milk and agave nectar in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add in the chocolate chips and pulse a few times until they’re broken into smaller pieces.
3. Pour and serve immediately.

Have you entered the Blendtec and Stonyfield Blends giveaway yet? There’s still a few days left!

Having a reliable blender has improved my eating habits in a lot of unexpected ways. I’ve started having more fruit smoothies and vegetable juices throughout the day. A lot of the time I enjoy them so much I forget they’re healthy.

By far my favorite is a chocolate peanut butter smoothie; I don’t think there’s any surprise there. It’s similar to having a Reese’s cup but you can have it everyday and still feel good. How does something like that even exist?

You can use milk, almond milk, or coconut milk in place of the water; however, I think this is deliciously creamy as is on account of the peanut butter. If you ever need to make peanut or almond milk in a jiffy, you can make it by blending ~1 Tablespoon of nut butter with a cup of water.

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

• 1 banana, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon honey(optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup ice
• 1 scoop protein powder(optional)

Method:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour and serve cold.

Simple and delicious.

The drink I always go through the fastest is sweet & sour mix. I’m a sucker for sours and my roommate loves margaritas so it’s a hot ticket in our refrigerator. We used to buy our mix from the liquor store until I realized how easy it is to make. With this recipe, you’ll never have to overpay for sweet & sour mix again.

At the heart of it, sweet & sour mix is just lemon juice, lime juice, water, and sugar. The basic ration is equal parts sugar water and citrus juice. You can always make it sweeter or more tart to fix your preference.

This keeps for a while so it’s a great thing to make ahead of time and leave in your refrigerator for the right occasion. If you’re using this to make margaritas or a tropical drink, consider swapping in orange juice in place of the lemon juice.

Homemade Sweet & Sour Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 cups):

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup lime juice(from about 2 limes)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice(from about 2 lemons)

Method:

1. Combine the sugar and water in a pot and boil the water until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Take the sugar water off the heat. Add in the lemon juice and lime juice.
3. If you’re fresh-squeezing the lemons and limes, remove the pulp and seeds from the mix with a strainer.
4. Store the sweet & sour mix in the refrigerator when not using. It will last for a couple weeks.

Who knew it was that simple?