This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
If you’re a regular reader around here then you know I am a big fan of all things tiki. And if you’re new, well, I’m a big fan of all things tiki! So, for our latest round of Boozy Popsicles for summer, I decided to revisit the very first tiki drink that I made years ago for our very first tiki party: The Blue Hawaii cocktail. This is a memorable drink for its bright blue hue thanks to Blue Curacao, and this kind of technicolor drink is what many people might associate tiki drinks with (along with tiny paper umbrellas).
At the time of the party I went out and bought one of those giant drink dispensers. Standing around making tiki drinks to order was not how I wanted to spend my entire evening. I filled it with this drink thinking to myself, this is way too much; no one is going to consume this much of a blue drink. Well, to my surprise they did, and there were a number of people bummed when it was all gone. Why? Because it’s just a great, easy drinking cocktail: rum, blue curaçao, citrus, pineapple, and coconut cream. And this winning combo easily translates into a flavorful popsicle.
To sweeten up these popsicles, we’re using Truvia® Natural Sweetener packets along with fresh citrus instead of the bottled sweet and sour mix that is usually called for in this recipe. That means your popsicles will have fewer calories, and none of that gross synthetic stuff, thanks to zero-calorie Truvia. And they will taste just as sweet! I love using the Truvia packets for these recipes because it means one less thing I have to measure, just count out a few packets and you’re done.
Also, if you’re looking to make these non-alcoholic, just sub the white rum with a bit more pineapple juice and coconut cream. Or add in a few more pineapple chunks! These jewel-toned popsicles are so beautiful everyone’s going to be asking for one!
Now, the look of these popsicles will change depending on what kind of popsicle mold you have. I have a lay-flat kind like this, however, you might have the kind that is vertical. You can layer these any way you’d like. Or even just mix everything together and freeze. It’s really up to you and won’t change the taste.
Ok, let’s make some popsicles! Tiny paper umbrellas optional!
Blue Hawaii Popsicles
makes 5, 3-1/2 ounce popsicles
5 ounces coconut cream
4 Truvia Natural Sweetener packets
10 pineapple chunks
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces white rum
3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
3-1/2 ounces pineapple juice
blue food dye
- Mix together the coconut cream and Truvia Natural Sweetener packets. Set aside.
- If you have the lay-flat molds, insert popsicle sticks. If not, skip this step for now.
- Place pineapple chunks in the mold and then pour in coconut cream evenly between molds.
- Freeze for about an hour.
- While the cream layer is freezing, mix the blue layer by combining lime juice, white rum, lemon juice, pineapple juice and blue dye.
- Remove popsicle molds from freezer, pour in blue mixture, add popsicle sticks if using vertical molds, and place back into freezer. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.
- To serve, remove from freezer and let stand about 5 minutes. Gently remove and serve!
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
It’s no wonder that May also contains National Mimosa Day; in fact, it’s today! If all you know about Mimosas are the cheap, sparkling wine drinks offered “bottomless” at your local brunch spot, let me change that notion with this vibrant, delicious spin on the classic brunch cocktail. We’ve teamed up with 
Orange juice and sparkling wine can be fine, but mostly, just a flat, one note drink. Here I’ve pureed sweet tart strawberries that have been lightly spiced with cardamom and vanilla, and combined that with orange and lime juice, so you have a sour balance to the sweet. The strawberry puree is sweetened with just three Truvia Natural Sweetener packets; no measuring spoons needed!
Notes:
Fresh Strawberry Purée and Mixed Citrus Mimosas
For the cocktails (yields two cocktails):
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
I will take any excuse to wear one of my many oversized hats, and it’s even better when cocktails are involved. The Mint Julep is the traditional drink in Kentucky, and I know that some people have very strong opinions about the drink in its purest form… but I am not one of those people. While a Mint Julep is refreshing on a hot day out in the sun, I wanted to give my race day drink a little tropical twist.
Together with 
If you’re hosting a racing party, these drinks are easily batch-able too! I’ve included a note in the recipe if you’d like to serve up multiple of these cocktails.
Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
My very first post on this site was for a Hot Buttered Rum, and it’s been almost that long since I’ve made one again. Today I thought I’d change that and bring you all something with a hint of spring, but that’s still warm and cozy. If the idea of florals in your cocktails makes you a bit wary, I can assure you, this isn’t going to taste like someone dumped your grandmother’s potpourri in your cup.
We’ve teamed up with Truvia to add some sweetness to your cup today. The Truvia Natural Sweetener packets make recipe time so easy and we’ve got two uses for them in our recipes below. The pre-portioned packets mean one less measuring spoon to wash as we’ll need one packet per cup. We’ll also use the packets to crystalize a few rose petals and make the most gorgeous garnish for your cocktail.
Adding butter to a hot drink feels way more common today than it did when I first started writing on there. Now, everyone is putting butter in their coffee or tea… they’re just learning how rich and delicious it makes sipping their drink. In much the same way adding an egg white to a chilled cocktail gives a silky mouthfeel to the drink, adding butter to a hot cocktail has a similar effect. It also feels slightly indulgent, but since we’re using Truvia to sweeten the drink, it’s made with less sugar than if we used ordinary cane sugar.
And the taste? There are lots of warm baking spices mixed in from the aged rum and the butter mix. The roses give a very subtle aroma to the drink when you lean in to take a sip, and the flavors mingle well together with those spices. Make this an indulgent cup to have for a “High Tea” or make a batch for a weekend afternoon get-together.
Rose and Spice Hot Buttered Rum
Crystalized Rose Petals
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
My husband and I have been together for over a decade and the thought of going to a crowded restaurant on this particular day makes us both uneasy. We haven’t written off going places or doing romantic things together, we just choose to do them on days when we’re not fighting for a parking space to make a 9pm table (because that was the only reservation left last minute). What we do instead is put a little effort into making each other feel special at home.
Which brings us to today’s cocktail, a Raspberry Pisco Sour. I am working with 
Using fresh berries here is key. The trick to getting more flavor out of them is to macerate them with the Truvia and let them sit for a little bit. I do that step first and then let the mixture sit while I prep the other ingredients. Also, let’s talk about egg whites here! If you’re new to working with egg whites in cocktails, first, don’t panic. You can buy pasteurized egg whites from the grocery store and use those instead of fresh egg whites. I know where my eggs come from and trust the source so I use whites from whole eggs. If you prefer to make this vegan, you’re lucky, because I have several ways of substituting egg whites for cocktails on the site. The easiest is subbing in aquafaba, which is just the liquid from a can of chickpeas. You can read all about that 
Other than crushing a few berries and either grabbing some egg whites or some aquafaba, this cocktail comes together fairly easily, but it looks and tastes like you put way more effort into it. And you did put some effort into it, so congratulate yourself for that. I think it’s a great drink to make when you want to show someone you think they’re pretty special. And this drink does just that. Cheers!
Raspberry Pisco Sour Cocktail
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
These are no pressure approaches by the way. Being a business owner I have enough deadlines so the thought of adding to that list makes me cringe, so I look at these as fun assignments I will give myself and allow the space to let them happen. I also think of them as ways to incorporate more self-care into the day to day.
When I looked at 2018, I realized that while I was building new parts of my business, I wasn’t leaving much time to spend with friends and family. So for 2019, my assignment is to have more casual get-togethers at home. Nothing requiring lots of advanced planning, but an excuse to sit, eat and drink, and enjoy the company of friends and family. And I’ve already planned my first one with a longtime friend I feel like I barely got to see last year.
We’re calling it brunch, but really it’s an excuse to eat some pastries, buy some fresh flowers, and have some brunch cocktails. This is my ideal self-care weekend date.
For our cocktail we’ll make use of the delicious, seasonal citrus fruit that is everywhere right now. I’ve always loved how citrus is a winter fruit, bringing a burst of sunshine into all those grey, winter days. Hopefully this cocktail, made with citrus distilled gin, orange blossom water, lemon bitters, club soda, and Truvia sweetener, will bring a little sunshine into your day. It also goes very well with a pastry plate.
Now let’s get brunching!
Winter Citrus Sparkling Brunch Cocktails for Two
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
After reading this my secret will be blown. But, since we’re all friends, I doubt they’ll care all that much. They know I really come for the Swedish meatballs. Are you sitting there reading this thinking to yourself “I like wine, I like spices, but I don’t necessarily want them piping hot…” Well, lucky for you great minds think alike and I’ve got a new twist for your holiday mulled wine traditions!
I’ve teamed up with 
Since we’re making this into a cocktail I decided to pair this mulled wine syrup with bourbon for a wintery drink. Bourbon imparts some vanilla and buttery caramel flavors into the mix as well. Finally, a burst of citrus comes from freshly squeezed lemon juice and Cointreau. How to garnish is up to you. If you want it to be reminiscent of a Glögg, add in a cinnamon stick, orange slices and a star anise when you serve up the drink. You could also leave all of this out and you’d be fine. Personally I like the aroma that fresh spices add to the drink, but if you’re serving this up at a party you could also just throw in the orange slices. And speaking of parties! This syrup makes enough for plenty of drinks so you might want to consider this for a different take when you host your next holiday party.
One last note. I realize I might be edging out some of you that really enjoy a hot mulled wine. Clearly my friends do since they host this party every year. Here’s a quick tip so you can enjoy a glass of Glögg any time: you can make this drink hot too. Yes! You don’t have to wait for someone to throw a party and use up several bottles of wine and occupy your InstaPot for an entire day. Make the syrup, add the ingredients, and add in some hot water! You’ve got a hot mulled wine cocktail now!
Truvia Chilled Mulled Wine Cocktail (with Hot Version too!)
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
This holiday always symbolizes quantity over quality, and while I type that out I feel like that’s a lot of holidays now. So that got me thinking about how I can make some little changes for the remainder of the holidays this year to show quality, and thoughtfulness, in the gifts given to others. And for me, one way I like to show that is with handmade gifts.
I’ve teamed up with 
Bourbon caramels! Quality treats, but for adults only. These little packages of deliciousness come together fairly quickly but require some stirring and a watchful eye. The hardest part is waiting overnight for them to set. The sweetness comes from 
So I think it’s time to get in the kitchen and make some treats!
Bourbon Salted Caramels
We’ve teamed up with Truvia® to find out “What motivates you to be sweet and kind.†Truvia and 
So, today I’m going to use this post as a teachable moment. I’m going to teach you all how to put together a simple cocktail kit to give to a friend, partner or yourself. This could be a thank you gift, a hostess gift, something to give for the holidays, or an extra special treat you can tuck away for yourself when you need a little self-care.
Truvia Natural Sweetener packets now come with uplifting sweet phrases on each pack, the perfect little bit of sweetness to add to someone’s day. They are also a great size and amount to sweeten a cocktail with. Adding these single serve packets keeps everything neat and organized.
Small box, tin, or basket
First, find a container that will fit everything. A small box or tin works great. You can keep this simple by visiting a craft store or kitchen supply store to find small bottles and bar tools. Also, Amazon has lots of options. Label all the bottles so your recipient knows what’s inside and measure out the amount you’ll need for your recipes. You can choose to create 2 or more servings depending on the size bottles you get. Then create a recipe card with how much to measure from each bottle. You can optionally personalize the items too. Rocks glasses with initials are not hard to come by, and they show the person you went out of your way to find something unique. Finally, tuck the Truvia Natural Sweetener packets in the glass so they can see the sweet phrases on them. Package up everything and deliver to that special someone!
I hope I’ve inspired you to show a little sweetness to someone in your life!
We’ve teamed up with 
Now, when I say I love coffee, I mean I love it. My last thoughts before going to sleep usually involve me thinking about how good that first cup of coffee will be in the morning. And I cannot start my day until I’ve at least had one sip of that invigorating elixir. Naturally, then, I also will put coffee in my cocktails whenever possible.
An Old Fashioned cocktail is a satisfyingly simple drink, and if you’ve been on this site before, you’d know it’s also one of my favorite drinks to use as a base for a new creation. At its most basic, an Old Fashioned is just spirit, sugar and bitters, and even those elements can change into whatever you’re in the mood for. And I’m in the mood for pumpkins and coffee.
There’s a myriad of ways you can infuse coffee into cocktails but today we’re going the quick and easy way with coffee liqueur. We’ll spend our time instead on making a rich, spicy pumpkin syrup that will make your house smell AMAZING when you’re warming it on the stove. The syrup doesn’t take more than 15 minutes to make, so don’t worry, you’ll have your cocktail in no time! And what a flavor bomb! Bourbon forward but with deep coffee aroma and sweet pumpkin and spices in the finish. And don’t forget those bitters—they balance out the whole drink and prevent it from becoming too sweet.
