15+ Amazing Wine Cocktails

A glass of wine is nice, but these cocktails take it a step further to create something truly special. Make a few to sip with someone special, or try them all, spread out over the course of the summer. 

I love to mix drinks for the people in my life. It is fun to share  new concoctions and I love to see what I can come up with based on my home bar. Honestly though, I rarely indulged myself.  Then Covid-19 happened. Life got completely out of whack in a flash. By April I had begun making a cocktail for myself every day around 4, just to keep my even keel.

I found 15 amazing wine cocktails to try at home. I love how these are a good way to finish off a bottle, and when we are back to entertaining, I know several of these will be presented, with LOVE to my friends!

From Guava wine margaritas which happen to sound divine,  to a Moscato Sangria that goes down so smooth, there is something on this list for everyone. I know you will find one you love!

Guava Wine Margaritas by Growing  Up Bilingual
 Strawberry Lime Bellini's by Plating Pixels
Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria by Growing Up Bilingual
Wine Lemonade Cocktail by Food Wine and Sunshine
Spiced Pear Bellini by Cupcakes and Cutlery
Pineapple Moscato Sangria by The Taylor House
Spanish Rose Sangria by Bacon is Magic
Honey Peach Sangria Slushies by Snappy Gourmet
Basil Raspberry Sangria by Swirls of Flavor
Easy White Wine Spritzers  by My Kitchen Love
Sparkling Raspberry Wine by 5 Minutes for Mom
Berry Red Wine Spritzer by Girl Gone  Mom
Raspberry Lime Wine Spritzer by Centsless Meals
Cranberry Orange Sangria by The Taylor House
Moscato Sangria by Bolder Locavore

If you are looking for more great cocktail recipes check these out.
Blueberry Vodka Lime Sorbet

Blueberry Gin Fizzers

How to Create the Perfect Area for Entertainment

How to Create the Perfect Area for Entertainment

Ready to throw the party of a lifetime this summer? We all are pretty tired of being cooped up by now and are ready for the drama to be over with. It's time for some fun with friends and family, but how do you plan on entertaining them when the time comes? 

1. Choose an Entertainment Location

Want to grill outside on the patio with a beachside view? Or, do you want to feel cozy with a warm fire burning in the corner of the room? When it comes to entertaining your guests, the setting is just as important as the great conversations you'll have with family or friends. Think about how you'll arrange the area, which themes you'll use, and what measurements you'll need for furniture before you buy any new décor. Your guests will vividly remember all the great times you've had to spend time together in your party room. 

2. Create an Open Floor Plan

Want to set up a cozy area to relax with friends or family? Enclosed spaces and tightly-knit furniture may not be the right way to go. According to RealHomes.com, creating an open floor layout can increase living space in your entertainment room without you having to bump elbows, yet provide enough room for your guests to feel comfortable moving around or having a conversation. Consider adding lighting to dark corners, as well as decorative rugs, structural posts and floors that flow from one room to the next or outdoors to invite guests to move freely. 

3. Buy Sophisticated Furniture 

Once you've set up the trims, textures and other mood effects, you can begin adding furniture sets that match the rest of the room. Choose sofas, chairs, bookshelves or end tables that contrast the floor color to make the space appear more open. Don't opt for two-tone color schemes though. Instead, try to diversify the color schemes to add touches of aesthetic appeal to otherwise drowsy corners of the room.

4. Deck It Out with a Home Theater System

Rattle the floors with heart-pumping action or outrageous comedy flicks for your guests to enjoy with the home theater system of a lifetime. Set up a smart 5.1 beam audio surround set with voice assistant to capture sound at crystal-clear highs and lows for movies, or choose a bass-packed 5.1, 7-set speaker system to blast your music and rock the party. If you don't want to bother setting up the system yourself, buy your set from an authorized dealer. 

5. Don't Forget That Minibar

If you're ready to go full circle at your parties, you can't forget to put in that minibar that everyone will frequent as they laugh at the post-quarantine drama. Nothing is better than letting go of your problems around great company, and your bar can serve you personally when you need to relieve stress at home after work. Add plenty of glassware and refreshments before you throw your end of the world party, just in case everyone in the neighborhood wants to visit your rockstar dwelling. 

It's a Whole Lot of Fun and a Bag of Chips

Making your place the heaven of get-togethers doesn't only mean you'll enjoy your time in the room — it also means enjoy setting it all up with some good friends.

Blueberry Lime Soda

This blueberry lime soda syrup is so easy to make. It is perfect for a refreshing drink that you will want to sip all summer long!

We have a drink machine in the kitchen, and it is pretty great. I love making caffeine free soda to serve the family. It is fun to mix up a batch of syrup drawing inspiration from seasonal produce. This recipe came together with only 3 ingredients to create something sweet, tart and completely delicious!

After you make this, you might never buy a prepacked syrup for your soda stream machine again. This is so easy to make and tastes totally amazing! With only 3 ingredients and a few moments of time, this might be your new favorite.

Ingredients:
One fresh lime
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of water
2 cups of sugar

Tools:
A mason jar or something similar for storing
A mesh sieve/strainer
A medium size saucepan

Directions:
Combine water, sugar and blueberries in a saucepan.
Over medium heat,  cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Allow the mixture to cool for about 20 minutes.
Place the mesh sieve/strainer over the mason jar.
Pour the liquid into the sieve, allowing it to drip into the jar.
As you go, you will crush the fruit to drain the liquid. I use a small mason jar for this.

Allow to cool completely then store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.


To use, add one to two ounces of syrup to your drink mate or soda stream with 12 ounces of water, then carbonate.

If you do not have a drink machine, no worries! Add this to sprite or carbonated water for a really delightful summer treat!

Don't miss my other homemade soda steam syrup recipes. Reader favorites include:

Cherry Orange Soda

Strawberry Peach Pop

Peach  Soda

Memorial Day Coloring Page

Memorial Day is near, so I have a super cute and easy coloring page to share with you for your little ones. Print off a few and color them to decorate your windows or fridge. These are perfect for adding a little Americana flair to your space, in an easy to decorate manner for the smallest hands.

Since the corona virus pandemic has been keeping us away from our friends and neighbors, we have been finding creative ways to connect and say hi to the people around us. We write greetings on the street in front of our friends homes, telling them we miss them. We have video chats and make time to gather online for games and school. We put teddy bears in our windows in March. 

Now that the weather is getting even warmer, more people are out for walks, so adding some colorful flags to the windows seemed like a great way to pass a few minutes of time, while giving the dog walkers and scavenger hunters in the area something to admire.

Print as many as you like. Feel free to pin this image to your coloring page board, and hopefully in the years to come we can share them at school and with our friends. 

Encourage your kids to decorate the flags in red, white and blue for Memorial Day, or in any pattern they like. I would love it if you take a pic of your finished project and share it on my facebook page.

Print the Happy Memorial Day Flag Coloring Page here

You can find all of my free coloring pages here

Reader favorites include:

C is for Cat

J is for Jam

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings are the ultimate comfort food. Cracker Barrel is well known for having some of the best dumplings around but this recipe brings all of that famous flavor to your dinner table. If you are craving comfort food, you will want to make this  Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings recipe asap!

Chicken and dumplings are one of my favorites. When I have had a really rough day, a steamy bowl of chicken and dumplings is like a warm hug! I used to think they were super hard to make, and I would have never tried to do it at home. I left my cravings to Cracker Barrel. But then the Coronavirus pandemic happened and all of my favorite places had to close their doors. What was a girl to do? Learn how to make dumplings!

This recipe is so easy! You are going to want to make it for Sunday dinner with the family, you are going to want to make it for cold winter days and anytime you want comfort. It tastes just like Cracker Barrel!

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Dumplings

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie chicken 
6-7 cups of Chicken broth 
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp. shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

Remove the meat from the bone of your rotisserie chicken and set to the side in a covered dish. 
In a large crock pot set to high add broth your and pepper. (KitchenAid has a good 6-quart one)
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. 
Cut in the shortening. 
Add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened.
Knead the dough 4 to 5 times.
Place the dough on a flour covered cutting board. 
Begin to cut your pieces into 1/2 inch pieces. 
Place the pieces into the crock pot. 
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 4 hours. 
Stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken back and lightly toss to combine
Continue to cook for 1 more hour 
Enjoy

 Find all of my favorite recipes here
Crab Cakes
Carrot Soup