I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am ready for spring! I am ready for the snow to go away and for all the plants to start blooming. Well to make you feel a bit more sunny, I decided to share these fun spring/summer drink recipes! I found them in Better Homes and Gardens & Martha Stewart a while back- I absolutely love all these things; green tea, yogurt, honey, lemon juice, fresh fruit, and sparkling flavored water so I figured these would be tasty treats to sip on. They’re also very colorful! Hope you like them too!

Homemade Green Tea Soda
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
8 bags green tea
4 cups boiling water
3 Tbs. honey or sweetner of your choice
4 cups fruit (nectarines, lemons/limes or any kind of berry)
1 liter of chilled plain or flavored water (raspberry, strawberry or peach)
2 Tbs. snipped fresh mint or 8-10 mint sprigs (optional)

Directions
1. Add tea bags to boiling water and let stand for 2-3 minutes, remove and discard tea bags. Cover and chill brewed tea.
2. Before serving, add honey or sugar to chilled tea. Divide tea mixture between eight to ten 12 oz glasses. Add fruit to each glass. NOTE: You can also puree the fruit instead of using whole pieces. Last, fill the glasses with sparkling water. Top with fresh mint.

Homemade Fruit Smoothie
Serves 2-4 (This one is part Martha, part Caroline… I changed some things. It’s much Better now!)
Ingredients
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 (8 ounces) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 banana, (6 ounces)
1 container (6 ounces) nonfat yogurt, any flavor
1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions
In a blender, combine berries, pineapple in juice, banana, yogurt, and ice. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Fruit Spritzers
Serves 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
Fresh seasonal fruit, such as 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon, 6 cups cubed honeydew melon, 6 cups cubed cantaloupe, 6 cups cubed mango, or 1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt (optional)
Sparkling water, or club soda

Directions
1.Put sugar and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
2.Puree fruit, syrup, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).
3. To serve, fill 8 medium glasses with ice; pour 1/2 cup puree into each glass, and top off with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

1. Brown Sugar Bacon Smokies
Serving size: 12

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
1 pound bacon
1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle, I mean coat, them with brown sugar.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

2. Homemade Peanut Butter Popcorn
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 1/2 bags of popped popcorn, take out seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup “Karo” light corn syrup
1/2 cup Peanut butter (I like JIF)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Pop popcorn
2. Boil sugar and Karo together for 1 minute
3. Add in peanut butter and vanilla
4. In a BIG bowl, pour the mixture over popcorn and stir until most of the popcorn is coated.

3. Mexican Salad
Serves a lot

Ingredients
1 head of lettuce
1 medium onion (optional)
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans of kidney beans, drained
1 or 2 tomatoes

Directions
1. Chill the above ingredients
2. When ready to serve, crush in one pkg. of corn chips (like Fritos) and mix in “Kraft” Catalina Dressing
3. Top with a little sour cream if you desire and Enjoy!

4. Frozen Cranberry Squares
Serves 12

Ingredients
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Mayo
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tub cool whip
1 can cranberry sauce
1 can pineapple chunks (drained)
Whole cranberries (optional)
Pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Mix everything together and put in freezer-safe container.
2. When ready to serve, cut into squares and serve frozen/cold.

5. Stove-Top Apples
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1/2 stick of butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
Walnuts (optional)
Raisins, dried berries or cherries (optional)

Directions
1. Cut & Core 2qt Apples, leaving the skins on.
2. Simmer apples on stove without water.
3. Mix in the above ingredients and cook until soft, then serve.

6. Meatballs from Heaven
Serves plenty

Ingredients
MEATBALLS
2 lbs hamburger, lean
1/2 pkg. crackers or more (Ritz or Saltines)
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oninons, diced
Salt & Pepper, to taste

SAUCE
12 oz Ketchup
10 oz Grape Jelly

Directions
1. Mix Meatballs, roll them into small balls and place on cookie sheet.
2. Bake in oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes (until brown)
3. Heat sauce until jelly is completely melted.
4. Once meatballs have baked, pour sauce over meatballs in crockpot or saucepan.
5. Serve warm- they will be gone quickly!

7. PF Changs Lettuce Wraps
Serves as many as you want

Ingredients
(For this recipe, I add a little of everything- no measuments what-so-ever. I just keep adding stuff until it tastes just right; pretty simple)
Chicken Breasts, shredded or cubed
Extra Vigrin Olive Oil, for cooking
Brown Sugar
Ketchup
Mustard
Onion Salt
Garlic Salt
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Ginger
Cashews (optional)

Directions
I just throw it all in a pan and cook. Then I serve the mixture on leaves of lettuce. I hope it works out for you because these are yummy!

8.Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits
Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk baking mix (like Jiffy)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup oleo, melted
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450. In medium bowl, mix baking mix, milk and cheese together until soft. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds.
2. Drop by heaping Tbsp onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Mix melted oleo and garlic powder.
5. Brush over warm biscuits before removing them from the cookie sheet. Serve warm.

9. Delicious Fruit Salad
Plenty of servings

Ingredients
1 box lemon pudding
1 can fruit cocktail with juice
1 can pinapple chunks with juice
1 can mangerine oranges, drained
2-3 fresh bananas, sliced
2-3 fresh apples, cubed

Directions
1. Mix all ingredeints together, well, in large bowl.
2. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Serve chilled!
(You can also add fresh berries, kiwi or any other fruit of your choice)

10. Warm Crab Dip
Plenty of servings

Ingredients
2 cans white crab meat
1 – 8oz soft cream cheese
4-6 oz. mayo
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic (1 clove)
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. minced onion

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 for 30 min.
2. Serve with crackers or bread.

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