Archives for December 2010

I have to admit that I don’t partake in the traditional bubbly at the new year, but I am a MOCKTAIL lover!  As a child I grew up with a mom who was always concocting fun drinks for us girls.  You know, a girl cannot live on a Shirley Temple alone.  We called them Spritzers and she was always very creative. 

Jamie and I have come up with a few Spritzers for you as you ring in the New Year tomorrow.

White Grape Spritzer

• 1 part White Grape Juice
• 1 part Ginger Ale

This is a perfect bit of bubbly to toast the New Year and much cheaper that the sparkling cider alternative.

Cranberry Lime Spritzer

• 1 part Cranberry Juice
• 1 part Ginger Ale
• A squeeze of lime

I am a lime lover so this is one of my favorites!

Blueberry Pomegranate Spritzer

• 1 part Blueberry Pomegranate Juice
• 2 parts Ginger Ale
• Garnish with pomegranate seeds

The color with this one is stunning!

Sour Apple Spritzer

• 1 part Sour Apple syrup
• 3 parts Ginger Ale
• Garnish with cherries

Huge fan of this one as well.  Who needs an Appletini  when you can have a Sour Apple Spritzer?

Now, don’t forget the details…

…add some fun embellishments to your stemware.  Ribbon, tulle, Divine Twine… get creative!  I also used my new Silhouette SD to etch my stemware and bottle. (Santa was very good to me this year!!)

However you choose to welcome the New Year—at a glamorous party or snuggled in bed with your sweetheart—know that we here at WhipperBerry wish you a fabulous New Year!!

Kisses…

Heather, Jamie, Emily, Whitney, Erin, Kristin, Katie & Christene

When I was growing up, my amazing mother cooked every meal at home. My darling little sister was the baker of the family, and would force me to choose a cookie recipe from Mrs. Field’s cookbook every day. Needless to say, I didn’t learn the art of cooking or baking at an early age. Truth be told, the first real meal I ever undertook was the first night of marriage at home… chicken-fried steak. Good thing I lived about six houses from my mother-in-law, and she grew her own aloe vera plants! I was nearly burned to death from sizzling oil up both arms!! Since then, I have perfected the art of easy, yet impressive cooking.

This family heirloom is a wonderful, fast and easy, “dry” recipe you can have in your cupboards for a throw-together dessert that is still going to knock the socks off your guests!

Upside-down Pineapple Cherry Cobbler

One box of yellow cake mix (dry)
One stick of butter
One can of crushed pineapple
One can of cherry pie filling

Grease a cake pan and dump the cherry and pineapple cans (juice and all) in the bottom. Mix well. I sincerely hate nuts in my desserts but the nut fanatic may add chopped walnuts at this point as well.

 

Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Roughly chop the butter over the entire surface.

 

And to quote one of my favorite movies (“Steel Magnolias”) Bake @ 350 for about 20-25 minutes until golden bubbly! Just add vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness.

Enjoy this easy family treat anytime with under five minutes of prep! If you are as busy as I am, you can impress in no time 🙂

I found this recipe a while ago, and it has already become a favorite. What a wonderful treat for the chilly season!

White Hot Chocolate (from allrecipes.com)

2 cups whipping cream
6 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12 oz) package white chocolate chips – Note: this recipe tastes the best with a premium white chocolate chip, not vanilla flavored chips.

 
Stir together the whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and white chocolate chips in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chips are melted. Stir again before serving.

Garnish with whipped cream and candy canes, as desired. Makes ten servings.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I associate pumpkin with Fall. But I have been finding some amazing winter pumpkin recipes, and I am dying to give them a try. Here’s a few highlights:

The Farm Girl has this wonderful recipe for Gingerbread Pumpkin Waffles that includes a buttermilk syrup and whipped cream! Yum!!

Little Birdie Secrets made this Fluffy Pumpkin Dip, and she even gives the how-to on the cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips.

Finally, Craftaholics Anonymous shares this recipe for Pumpkin Fudge! It makes my mouth water just looking at it – but the best part? She says it only takes 15 minutes to make!

So maybe it’s time to re-think pumpkin, and let it out of its little Autumn box.