June Plum Juice

Juicy & Icy!

I can’t begin to tell you the amount of June plums we have wasted in this household. We have several trees, but for some reason, no one eats them, they drop off the tree and rot, or when we pick the ripe ones and take them inside, they sit on the counter until they get thrown out. One Sunday My father came into the kitchen and was complaining of the lack of juice options in the refrigerator meanwhile the 12 June plums he picked the day before were staring at us on the countertop. I said enough is enough.

Blueberry Lemonade Mimosa

Brunch knows best

Probably the simplest cocktail ever, and here I am about to over complicate everything in the name of flavor. A mimosa is nothing more than a one to one ratio of orange juice and champagne. To be honest, it can be any citrus juice mixed with the champagne. Another wonderful way to sneak in wine masqued under the guise of vitamin C.

Red wine iced mocha

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

Sometimes you just want a glass of red wine in the morning without the judgmental gasps. If that’s you then what better way than to camouflage that glass with some mocha. In all honesty there is more milk than red wine in this, but the flavors of the wine do stand out.  Its cold, and has the perfect balance of bitter, sweet and tart. They always say its 5-o clock somewhere.

Rum cream coffee cooler

"Icy Cool"

This is probably the most delicious way to enjoy a cold iced coffee, spiked with creamy rum. I have made several versions of this recipe each time having a hit or miss and using the past miss to make the next better. Once night I finally got it right. And since this month is all about cool refreshing icy cold things for summer I decided to share the wealth.

Nutmeg & Mace spiced Salted dark hot cocoa

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

This one was a little bit off the beaten path for me. For starters, I do a form of hot chocolate almost every chocolate month, but this time I wanted it to be different. I was inspired by a salted caramel dark chocolate bark that I saw somewhere online and thought; what’s more different than a salty hot chocolate?

100% Mango Fruit punch (no sugar or water)

Mango is in season!

Hurry and make this before mango season is over. Our farm is on the last leg of mangoes and I barely got three mangoes to use in this recipe. This is a drink made from no added sugar or water, bringing new meaning to the term 100 % fruit juices. This post is basically a list of notes and tips, here is how I made this one.

Pumpkin Carrot Juice

“Pumpkin Everythang”

Thick, rich, creamy and sweet, the most refreshing drink to serve with a filling dinner. This pumpkin carrot juice is a take on a childhood favorite drink that I’m sure most Jamaicans will attest had an impact on their childhood. The addition of pumpkin takes our favorite drink to a new high.

Pink Mint Hot Chocolate

 "Feast of Saint Valentine"

No, this is not a cup of Pepto-Bismol, this is the third of my hot chocolate creations. Today we welcome Pink Mint hot chocolate into the fold along with pumpkin hot chocolate and orange hot chocolate. Lord knows what I will come up with next. Chocolate is so versatile and works well with a variety of flavor combinations. Mint chocolate is a classic pairing. However I wanted a white hot mint chocolate or pink as the case may be. 

Pumpkin hot chocolate

 

 “Pumpkin Everythang”

I am a lover of hot chocolate, warm, creamy and sweet. There is nothing better on a cold night. For whatever reason I almost always prefer hot chocolate at night than mornings but that’s neither here nor there. The last hot chocolate I made for this blog is by absolute favorite, and if you’re not a fan of pumpkin and rather a more citrusy kick, check out my orange hot chocolate. In the event that you are obsessed with fall and all things rich, creamy and orange, continue reading to get the recipe for the perfect cup.

Stolen Mango Moscato

Cool it down

My sister and her boyfriend went to 689 in Kingston and returned raving about two things. A drink they had and oxtail lasagna. She knew I was in the middle of drink month and demanded I recreate the drink they had and loved. She made sure to ask the bartender what the drink consisted of, and the rest was left to me to figure out. So I have never tasted the original and I blindly attempted a copycat recipe of a drink I didn’t know the name of…turned out pretty good.

Apple Kiwi Kooler

Cool it down

I was glancing at the drinks this month on my Instagram account. It got me thinking I’m missing blue and green drinks. Since I had no intention of wasting money on a bottle of blue curacao that I would never finish blue was immediately ruled out.  I figured I could definitely make a drink that was green. The first two fruits that came to mind were apples and kiwis. Now you can tell from the image above that this drink is not green, why? Because I could not find Kiwi juice, I searched all four grocery stores in my area to no avail. And I was far to lazy to make some from fresh kiwis. Thankfully I found a kiwi juice blend. This drink is green in spirit

Strawberry Mint Daiquiri

Cool it down

The moment you drink a strawberry daiquiri it’s officially summer. I don’t think any other drink reminds me of summer and the beach more than a strawberry daiquiri, not even a Pina Colada. My sister and her best friend love this drink so much. I find it to be a lovely drink but ultimately most versions I’ve had are way too sweet and the flavor is a bit one note. So I decided to add some mint to see if I could give this drink a refreshing makeover.

My Milestones frozen peach bellini

Cool it down

About four years ago, which feels like a really long time ago , I went on a trip to visit some friends in Toronto. They took me to dinner at a restaurant called Milestones, really good food, but what got my attention was the most delicious drink in life. A frozen peach bellini, I can’t even describe the deliciousness, I have always wanted to replicate the drink but never had a reason, until now!

Jamaican Lemonade

Cool it down

 I remember as a child I figured out how to make lemonade by accident. I was thirsty and mixed a little sugar in a glass of water, I thought it tasted a little boring and squeezed the juice of a lime in it. I remember exclaiming, wow this taste like lemonade! And my mother replying; how do you think they make lemonade? This is the way lemonade is made in Jamaica, with limes and brown sugar, one of the most refreshing drinks.

Pina Colada Mojito

Cool it down 

Home alone one Saturday I created this concoction. A hybrid of two drinks, pina colada ( my mother’s favorite) and my go to drink the mojito. It was a no-brainer that I had to figure out a way to incorporate the amazing cocomania coconut rum into something this month.  A few days after I purchased the bottle, two small but sweet pineapples were picked from the yard and the light bulb went off immediately.

Cherry Ginger spritz

Cool it down


The best thing about summer (next to the good weather) is the abundance of fruits. Not everyone drinks alcohol, so it’s only fair that a few of the drinks this month are virgins.  I will say that when I opened the refrigerator and saw a box of cherries I was quite happy.  This drink is easier than ever, and very tasty. It’s the perfect complement to a hotdog and potato salad.

Super citrusy long island Iced tea

Cool it down

Happy Independence day!  
Make this drink tonight to celebrate

Am I the only one who thought there was actual tea in a long island ice tea? I’ve always assumed that the drink was an ice tea with the addition of the spirits. Come to find out it’s all a fraud, just some cola added for color. This drink is a close cousin to the Long island iced tea. It has a few similar ingredients and almost the same flavor profile. I’ve always wanted to make a drink using gin, so this iced tea was as great an excuse as any.

Blueberry Mojito

Cool it down

This is the month of the drink, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. I am not a drinker myself; I’ll take an ice cool limeade or water over any alcoholic beverage any day. However there is one drink that I love love love and it’s a mojito. I’m pretty sure it’s because it’s basically spiked limeade with mint.

Veggie fruit pops

M..eat..less

This is my Spring time three for one special, because you are getting three recipes in this one post. I wanted to make something easy and healthy. So what better way to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals by sucking on some yummy pops. Now you guys know, I show you what works and what does not, I don’t hide things. Two of these pops were truly a WIN however one was an epic FAIL. Well not a total fail, but I’ll tell you more as you read further.

Creamy Chocolate vodkatini

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

I have taken you through breakfast, lunch and now dinner in the chocolate drinks department. Trying to figure out a simple chocolate alcoholic beverage recipe was a bit hard. I know nothing about mixology and I don’t even drink. But a few trial and errors led me to this delicious concoction.