Twist on the Classic Jack & Ginger

For Father's Day I wanted to mix up my hubby's favorite drink but with a twist. Citrus, honey and a kick from some freshly brewed ginger tea. It was soooo yummy, light and best served with crushed ice. I actually made a whole pitcher of it but remade it yesterday afternoon for us to enjoy.

Ingredients

1 inch fresh ginger (peeled)

1 cup of boiling water

1/4 cup of honey (or less)

1/2 cup of freshly squeezed citrus (I used lemon, clementine and limes)

1 cup of seltzer water

3 shots of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey (separated)

2 sprigs of rosemary & couple slices of lemon for the garnish

Makes 2.5 large cocktails or 4 small. Double or triple for a crowd.

Recipe

First make the ginger tea:

Pour 2 cups of boiling water onto about 1inch piece of peeled ginger.

Let it sit covered for 7-10 minutes to brew.

Refrigerate to cool tea or add ice if you are in a rush.

Mix all of the ingredients in a pitcher or if you a have a martini shaker that will work too!

(I've also made it with a few ginger tea bags, just make sure it has a kick! But ginger beer would also be great in this, may try it next time.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of lemon, the aroma of the rosemary pairs soooo nicely.

it's like a honey lemonade with a kick. And the perfect mocktail too!

Hope you are all enjoy this as much as we did.

Happy weekend!

XO

NATALIE

#dishes #cocktail #summerdrink #jackandginger

12 Fun Lunch Ideas for Picky Toddlers

Happy Tuesday my friends.

We are back from two weeks of road trip travel and all I am craving is our routine..

As I was meal planning, I was thinking about different fun foods for Z (because 3-agers are not fans of the same thing two days in a row!). So on the hunt I went, easy-ish healthy and toddler approved.

Toothpick "kabobs" are her favorites, she feels like she is a grown up because in Zoe's words it's an appesiiza. lol. Sometimes I make them with fruit or bread and cheese, add a protein like chicken, turkey or stick the toothpicks in what ever we are eating. Mainly to take her away from the idea of any witching hour meltdowns! But hands down her favorite is anything with a pepperoni and roasted turkey (just like her mama!!). Our friends over at Dietz & Watson make the absolute best deli meats, annddddddd of course you can get it right on Amazon Fresh! bam!

Here are 12 fun toddler approved meals for you to try this spring!

1. Toddler Tasting Trays - we use to do this when Zoe was younger and she loved it.

2. Caprese Skewers (I use the balsamic drizzle as a dipping sauce)

3. Sandwich on a Stick (love these!)

4. Cereal Breakfast bites ( I'd make these with sun butter!)

5. Toddler Trail Mix (I'd pipits, cacao nibs, dried fruit and really make it a heathy !)

6. Homemade Lunchables, these no fuss ones look great, and something I would eat!

7. Green Monster Toddler Muffins (hide veggies into muffins!)

8. Egg Muffins !! Serve with a piece of bread and jelly (per my toddler)

9. Mini Tortilla Pizza ( I actually love these for me too!)

10.Baked chicken nuggets I posted a while ago (Z was so little!) are on my list for this weekend. Make extra and freeze!!

11. Mac n Cheese bites - perfect for party apps too! sub any veggies your kiddo may like!

12. Sweet potato burgers - make them mini and serve with ketchup!

These are super easy to pack up on a picnic, make ahead for playdates or simply serve your little picky babe for lunch or dinner!

Lunchable containers Bento Box Bento Fork/Picks Mini Cookie Cutters Lunch Box Trivia

#bebe #dishes #sponsored #ad

Spaghetti Squash Pomodoro

I should start this off with I have no Italian bone in my body. But what I do have is a hubby who loves himself some pasta, which has made start playing with recipes and creating a (very) foolproof & quick favorite.

Spring has been here for a bit but the weather is still so up and down that one day we are eating popsicles on the porch and others we are craving hot foods and fighting colds. This all makes my menu planning pretty nutty but sub in a veggie noodle with homemade sauce and you have yourself a nice balance of ingredient for this not quite spring weather and being nice to that bikini bod.... (yours not mine, mine will NEVER be a bikini bod again...)

I use Trader Joes turkey meatballs and roasted the squash ahead which made it a much easier weeknight meal but you could easily skip the meatballs or make them homemade!

S

INGREDIENTS

1 Spaghetti Squash

28oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes

3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (1tbsp for brushing squash)

1 Small Yellow Onion - Finely Chopped (About 1/2 Cup)

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt ( + a little more for squash)

1/2 tsp Coarse Ground Pepper ( + a little more for squash)

2 tbsp Dried Basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

1 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tbsp dried Flat-Leaf Parsley

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper for seasoning

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Cut off the ends of the spaghetti squash and slice it in half the long way

3. Scoop out seeds and pulp.

4. Brush the cut side of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper on them.

5. Place the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet.

6. Place in oven for 1 hour.

7. Let cool slightly (10 minutes).

8. Then carefully fork out the squash, this keeps "noodles in tact)

9. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil.

10. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

11. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

12. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt.

13. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

14. Bring the sauce to a boil.

15. educe the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

16. Remove the sauce from the heat, and set aside. 17. Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil.

18. Add the garlic and a pinch of red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

19. Remove the basil from the tomato sauce, then add the sauce to the skillet, simmer for 5 minutes.

20. Add the meatballs.

21. Cover and simmer until warmed through.

22. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and carefully toss to coat,

23. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, basil and parsley.

24. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

25. Transfer everything to a serving dish and garnish with additional cheese and basil, if desired.

26. Serve immediately.

And seriously pour yourself a glass of wine and high five yourself because this my friends is an easy peasy fancy pants meal, now excuse me while I snuggle my littles and my poor sick Z naps.

Oh and watch out for a mama style post and frozen margarita recipe that will have you celebrating Cinco de Mayo all weekend.

xo

Natalie

#dishes