Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Decorate Your Own Cookies – a Fun Tradition We Enjoy With Guests!

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We’ve started setting up a “Decorate Your Own Cookies” table when we host college kids or teens for youth events during any holiday season. It’s been a huge hit so I thought it was time I shared it with you!

Now, mind you, I throw (almost) all of my “food coloring is bad” knowledge out the window to make this fun tradition happen. Sometimes occasions just call for sprinkles, you know?

TIP: To add color to frosting without as much compromise, we’ve found this Natural Food Coloring to be wonderful! You can even get naturally dyed sprinkles!

How to Set up a “Decorate Your Own Cookies” Table for a Group:

1. Make cookies ahead of time according to the holiday. Christmas cookie cut-outs, heart-shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day, Easter egg or bunny-shaped eggs at Easter, etc. Here’s our favorite Cream Cheese Cut-Outs recipe!

2. Set out baked cookies along with a variety of fun frosting, sprinkles, and other decorating options for people to “play with.”


3. Be sure to set out knives, plates, napkins – an even toothpicks for the extra creative  in the group!

This simple idea has been so much fun when we have groups of kids or young adults over for meals. Not only that, I’ve found that it saves me time when preparing to host a large group. Instead of decorating a bunch of cookies to serve for dessert as we celebrate a special holiday, I just prepare the decorations and cookies and let everyone else do the decorating. It’s a win-win!

Don’t forget cupcakes!

You can use this same idea with cupcakes, which is even easier than cookies. Bake cupcakes and let everyone frost and decorate their own!

I certainly hope you enjoyed this sugar-filled, sprinkle-topped, food-colored post. Eeeeek. But hey, it’s all about hospitality, loving your guests, and having fun together!

Rest assured, I will still never encourage you to buy margarine. Okeedokee then. :)

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Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread

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Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread is a huge hit!

One of my favorite things to do is to text my college-age son and tell him to invite friends to eat lunch with us on Sunday after church. So here’s how this works:

  1. Justus texts friends to invite them for lunch, then he tells his friends to invite friends too.
  2. His friends invite friends, and they are welcome to invite others too.
  3. We never know who is going to show up for lunch, and it is always a blast!

Often I’ll be in the kitchen putting the final touches on the meal while college kids pour into the living room. I walk out to greet them and get to be surprised every time by who was able to come!

I am often asked, “But how do you know how much food to make?”

Well, I don’t. ;) But God does. There’s always plenty, and I can always pull more from the pantry or freezer to stretch out each meal. In addition, if I’ve made lots and lots of food and not many are able to come for the day, that means we have extra food to share with sick or struggling friends throughout the week.

What does all this have to do with Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread?

I recently served this fun bread on a Sunday afternoon to our college guests along with Taco Soup and a buffet full of sides. This bread was gone within minutes! The chocolate chips are the main attraction, but if you ask me, the cream cheese is the most valuable player in this recipe. You’ve got to try it!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip BreadYum

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread
 
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Serves: 1 large loaf
Ingredients
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • ½ cup sucanat or raw sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 cups whole grain flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl or in a powerful blender (like a Blendtec), whip together butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
  2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Pour batter into a well-buttered 9" loaf pan.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Tip: How about making batches of this bread to give as gifts this holiday season?

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Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake

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I shared this Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake with you many years ago! Christmas is the perfect time to bring it back, don’t you think?

This recipe looks rather involved, but would I be sharing it if it was difficult? Of course not. :) Putting this together is very simple, and worth every bit of your (small amount of) effort!

Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake

Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • TOPPING:
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1½ cups boiling water
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, cocoa, sucanat, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
  2. Make a well in the center and add milk, butter, and vanilla.
  3. Stir well, until batter is smooth.
  4. Stir in peanut butter (heat if needed, to thin).
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Spread the batter evenly into a well greased slow cooker.
  7. Make the topping:
  8. Mix cocoa and sucanat, whisk in boiling water until smooth.
  9. Gently pour over batter in crock pot, but don’t stir.
  10. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and the top layer is set, about 2- 2¼ hours.
  11. Turn off crock pot and let stand, covered for at least 30 minutes.
  12. Serve the cake (which is now on top) with ice cream or whipped cream and drizzle the fudgy pudding from the bottom over both.
Top this awesome cake with freshly whipped cream!

How to Make Fresh Whipped Cream

Want to go a little chocolate and peanut butter CrAzY? Try this on top of your cake:

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Whipped Cream

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A Practical but Fun Way to Bless People in Need

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I originally shared this idea back in 2015, but as God continues to show us more about loving others, I wanted to bring back the idea again this year. Truly this is a very practical but fun way to bless people in need this winter!

Here’s my original post from 2015:

I picked up several pairs of fun Christmas socks before Thanksgiving, so as expected, I bought some toothpaste and pencils to go with them. This is the obvious action to take when gifting Christmas socks. Everything I do is normal.

What actually happened is that I bought the fun Christmas socks with our adopted college students in mind. I figured I would package them up with some other goodies and put them in their campus mail. But then I came across the fun idea on Pinterest to fill the socks with treats and little gifts, and before I knew it (which really translates to several days and hours later) – I had six sets of these:

Christmas Sock Gift

These gifts were terrifically fun to put together! I went with basic wool socks for our three male adopted students, as you’ll see below. Since I’d gotten so many pairs of fun girly Christmas socks on sale, I decided to mix theirs up a bit. While it looks like they’re receiving mis-matched pairs, I actually rolled up the second sock of each pair and stuck it down inside the toes. So the girls are getting two pairs of cute socks. Sorry boys – yours are much more practical!

Christmas Sock Gifts

Speaking of practical – I included a few other practical items inside the guy’s socks. What college student wants to actually spend money on toothpaste and soap? Not to worry, I’m here to help. Their socks included soap, toothpaste, pens, candy cane chapstick, a small flashlight, gum, and candy (because not everything must be practical and at least I included toothpaste to brush away the sugar).

The girl’s socks were a little more on the fru-fru side because my inner girl rarely gets to come out in this household of men and all that I’d been holding back exploded in the dazzling Christmas aisles at Walmart. I got the girls sparkly lip balm and glittery nail polish, Christmas nail files, snowman pencils, face scrub, gum, and candy.

Our family then worked together to come up with a punny gift tag idea to attach to our socks. Our gift tag creativity hadn’t woken up yet that morning, however, so all we came up with was “Hope your Christmas doesn’t sock.” (Get it? Don’t try too hard.) Since that idea didn’t come close to making the cut, I searched online and came up with this:

mistle toes4

Yes. That’s better.

I then created a generic tag for all of you in case you’d like to steal this idea.

Mistle Toe Socks Gift Tag

Download FREE Mistle Toes Gift Cards

A great way to bless people in need!

Beyond using this idea as a fun gift option, consider using this idea to gift those around you who are less fortunate. Filling wool socks with practical items and turning them into fun gifts like this would surely be a blessing to recipients going through a tough time. In my town, we don’t have many homeless, but we do have many low-income individuals and families. I’m working on putting together packages for several people we’ve met and become friends with this year while volunteering at our local mission. I’ll write more about this experience sometime. :)

This time of year is so much fun!

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Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

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This Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie is basically one giant cookie baked in a pie pan. So say my children who would love to eat the entire thing saying, “What? I only ate one cookie…”

What is it about using a normal recipe but baking it in a new way that suddenly makes it taste better? This is the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I’ve been using since I was a 3rd grader (with the exception that I now use real butter and freshly ground whole wheat flour). I have always baked them as regular cookies or in a pan to make bar cookies.

But recently I decided to half the recipe, press the dough into a pie pan, and bake it as a thick cookie pie. The household was excited. My 16-year old drove to the store to buy ice cream to top it. (Hmm, I wonder if he would have run so eagerly to the store to buy mixed greens or broccoli had that been my request? Ha!)

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, fresh out of the oven and topped with vanilla ice cream is a huge hit and a fun variation to boring ol’ cookies. As if there’s anything boring about homemade cookies.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
 
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ½ cup melted or softened butter (1 stick)
  • ½ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1¼ cups whole grain flour (more or less to create desired dough consistency; I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Cream together butter and sugar.
  2. Add baking soda, salt, vanilla, and eggs and mix well.
  3. Stir in flour until well combined.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Spread mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


I would imagine this Cookie Pie idea would work great with just about any cookie recipe. Hmmm, challenge accepted.

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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

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In case you are wondering, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups truly are the best. I didn’t just make that up. It’s a proven fact.

Who am I kidding? I rarely eat sugar so I only see and smell these gems when I make them for my family or for guests. But I remember the deliciousness and therefore, I taste them in my mind. (For the record, when I smell something wonderful I feel as though I’ve tasted it. Am I the only weird one? Who can relate?)

Ultimately, you can take any of your favorite cookie recipes and bake them in a muffin cup for a fun cookie twist. But my family has declared THIS Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to be the best, and who am I to argue?

Scoop your cookie dough (with a large scoop like this one) into a prepared muffin cup. Bake and be happy. Eat and be happier. (Or just smell them and be happy. That works too.)

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
 
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Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1½ cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cups whole grain flour, more or less as needed (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together butter and brown sugar.
  2. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in flour until well combined (tweaking the amount as needed depending on the flour you are using)
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Use a large cookie scoop to add dough to 24 prepared muffin tins.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cookie cups are golden brown.

There’s something about baking these cookies into a muffin cup that makes them extra chewy and good. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups are awesome for packing in a lunch box or taking on the road! Make these ahead and freeze them for easy access to a great dessert when you need one.

While this recipe is made with real butter (yay!) and whole grain (hooray!), it isn’t low in sugar, so don’t go too crazy. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups were meant to be shared!

Want to really have fun (while you’re sharing, that is)? Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of these cookie cups when they first come out of the oven. Of course then the high sugar dessert becomes an even higher sugar dessert. But wow, so good.

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Simple Cream Cheese Corn (4 Ingredients!)

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I just realized I’ve never shared my Simple Cream Cheese Corn recipe here. As such, I’m terribly afraid that you’ll try this recipe and wag your finger at me. “Laura!!” you’ll exclaim. “This corn is incredible! Where has this recipe been my whole life? Why have you not shared it with us before today? You’ve been blogging and sharing recipes for years and years!! And you wait until today to finally disclose this?”

I hang my head in shame. I have no excuses. There are no words I can say to explain this away. I have withheld one of the best recipes in the world, and if I could go back in time and erase this mistake, I most certainly would.

Please forgive me and know that I’ll never do it again. All of my tried and true, very best recipes are yours to be had. I’ll never not share one again. Except for when I do. After all, how am I to know what I am forgetting to remember?

Rest assured, as soon as I remember what I have forgotten, you’ll be the first to know.

This Simple Cream Cheese Corn is my go-to recipe to serve when hosting guests. Why? Because it makes a “fancy” dish without any effort. Steam your corn, add the beautiful cream cheese and butter, serve it to your guests, watch them pass out.

Oh, did I forget to tell you that part? (Seems I’m extra forgetful these days.) Your guests might pass out when they eat this. It can’t be helped. The corn tastes too amazing. The creaminess and the buttery goodness mixed with the sweetness of the corn is just too much for most people to handle. They cry tears of joy while eating it. They think you’re a rock star for cooking it. They go back for seconds and thirds. You’ve changed their lives.

All this, and somehow I forgot to share the recipe until now. I have nothing to say for myself.

Simple Cream Cheese Corn

You’re about to be shocked over how ridiculously easy this is to make.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Cream Cheese Corn (4 Ingredients!)
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces frozen corn
  • 4-ounces cream cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • Sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Steam corn in a small amount of water until tender and hot (about five minutes).
  2. Drain excess water.
  3. Stir in cream cheese and butter until melted.
  4. Salt to taste.
  5. Serve.

I wasn’t kidding when I said it was easy.

Here are 20 great main dish recipes that are simple and fun to serve with this Simple Cream Cheese Corn:

Want more recipes that only include five or fewer ingredients? You’ll love this!

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=32]

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How to Feed Guests Who Can’t Eat Gluten

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Gluten intolerance has become a big issue in America. I could go into all the reasons for this, but for now, let’s just thank Jesus for being our bread of life. :) Regarding this very serious gluten situation, when serving food to friends or family members who can’t eat gluten, it is very important that we know how to extend hospitality so we can prevent our guests and loved ones from becoming sick.

Sick?? Yes. While some simply experiment with eating gluten free to see if it is a diet that helps them feel better or lose weight, there are some who have a solid diagnosis of Celiac Disease or other gluten intolerance that mean that they must avoid all gluten, all the time, no matter what.

What is gluten?

Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten can also be found in regular oats that have been processed in a facility that processes wheat, rye, or barley. (Oats that have been clearly labeled “Gluten Free Oats” are safe.)

How to Feed Guests Who Can’t Eat Gluten

Truth: A person with Celiac Disease can’t eat even one tiny morsel of something that contains gluten without getting sick. We’re talking about sauce that has been thickened with a tiny bit of wheat flour, chicken that has been breaded with crushed wheat crackers, or even a small nibble of communion bread at church. There’s no such thing as “don’t worry – this only has a little bit of wheat in it” when it comes to feeding someone who must eat gluten free. For these people, gluten free eating isn’t an option, it is a must.

Sooooo, be aware of this and be cautious! But don’t be afraid. I’ve learned over the past decade how to easily feed my friends who can’t eat gluten. I don’t even need to buy special food to do this! I simply cook regular food, making sure to read all labels and avoid wheat, oats, barley, and rye.

Easy Meals to Feed Gluten Free Friends

You’d be amazed at how many foods are naturally gluten free! When in doubt stick with meat, fruit, and veggies. For more ideas, check out this huge list of simple meal ideas! They are gluten free without even trying!

Easy Snacks to Feed Gluten Free Guests

What to Avoid When Cooking For People Who Can’t Eat Gluten

Again, the ingredients to stay away from when cooking gluten free are wheat, barley, rye, and regular oats. In addition, you need to avoid:

  • Previously opened ingredients: There might be wheat bread crumbs in your jar of peanut butter or on a used stick of butter. Start fresh to be sure your food isn’t contaminated with gluten!
  • Baking stones and cast iron: These can absorb gluten, so it’s best to use stainless steel or glass pans and bowls.
  • Wooden cutting boards and wooden spoons: Again, these can absorb gluten. Use stainless steel utensils and a plastic cutting board instead.

A Few More Gluten Free Cooking Tips

  • If you want to serve bread with your meal for guests who can eat gluten, place it away from the food that is gluten free.
  • It’s a good idea to cover a baking pan with parchment paper before putting food on it in an effort to protect it from gluten contamination.
  • If you use your blender or mixer, be sure to wash it thoroughly first.
  • If you’re planning to grill meat (a wonderful choice for cooking for GF friends!) be sure to clean the grill grates before cooking meat so you can keep the meat gluten free. (This is important if you ever use your grill to heat up bread or Texas toast.)
  • Don’t be offended if the person you’re feeding asks to see packages, ingredients lists, or if they ask specifics about how something is cooked! Their health depends on it and they must be assured that the food they are eating is safe for them!

Gluten Free Friends: What are your favorite meals? Are there any other tips you’d appreciate the rest of us knowing about?

Remember, cooking gluten free food truly isn’t difficult once you realize how many thousands of food options there are that are naturally gluten free. Again, be cautious and courteous, but don’t be afraid. You’ll find that making gluten free meals really is as easy as cooking meat, steaming veggies, and slicing fruit!

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The Easiest Way to Make Lasagna

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Raise your hand if you never make lasagna because you think it’s too difficult. Come closer, my friends. Allow me to let you in on a few secrets so that you can learn the easiest way to make lasagna for your family and for guests!

lasagna23

Ten years ago when I first launched my website, this was a recipe I included in my first cute little eBook series. I’ve since taken these eBooks out of my shop and shared most of these recipes on my blog. But somehow, I failed to ever share this recipe for The Easiest Lasagna!!

In the Kitchen eBooks

Awww. Remember these? Precious memories.

Until now. In celebration of 10 years of blogging, it is a must that I finally tell you my secrets for making the easiest lasagna on the planet. Forgive me for waiting this long. Your life will be better now that you can make lasagna with so little effort. Your family will be so happy!

lasagna33Trick #1: Do not cook the lasagna noodles ahead of time. Simply lay the dry noodles in the pan and layer them with the sauce and cheese. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of water over the lasagna before baking and cover with foil. The water will cook the noodles while it bakes. Easy!

Trick #2: Stir the cottage cheese into the sauce instead of working in vain to spread it onto the noodles as you create layers in the pan. This makes no difference in the taste, but it sure does alleviate a challenging step in the lasagna-making process!

Trick #3: When making one lasagna, for the love of all things simple, make two or three. It takes no extra effort to do this! Then you can put the extra lasagnas into your freezer to effortlessly bake another day!

lasagna11

The Easiest Way to Make Lasagna

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The Easiest Way to Make Lasagna
 
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Serves: 6-10
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground hamburger meat
  • 4 Tablespoons minced onion or chopped fresh onion
  • 32 ounces spaghetti sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 8-ounces cottage cheese
  • 16-ounce box lasagna noodles
  • 3 cups shredded cheese (our favorite is Colby jack but you can also use mozzarella)
  • ⅓ cup water
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, cook hamburger meat with onion. Drain grease if necessary.
  2. Stir in pasta sauce and salt.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese.
  4. Lay ⅓ of the lasagna noodles (uncooked) to cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  5. Pour ⅓ of the sauce mixture over the noodles and spread to cover the noodles.
  6. Sprinkle ⅓ of the shredded cheese over the top.
  7. Repeat these layers twice more.
  8. Drizzle ⅓ cup water over the lasagna.
  9. Cover tightly with foil.
  10. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

The Easiest Way to make Lasagna

I can think of no better time to make this Easy Lasagna recipe! This is a fabulous meal to have in your freezer during these busy holiday weeks. In addition, Lasagna is a wonderful meal to feed guests! Get your ingredients rounded up, and crank out some Lasagnas!!

If you’d like to watch a video of me making three lasagnas, here you go! See how easy this is!

Now, can anyone tell me why Lasagna is spelled with a “g” in there? I may have figured out ways to make this dish simple, but I have  yet to learn why it is spelled so silly.

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How to Make Fun and Easy Sparkling 100% Juice

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I’m in it for the bubbles. Easy Sparkling 100% Juice is so very perfect.

sparkling juice 2

I shared all kinds of thoughts (that didn’t necessarily make sense) about “how much I love drinks” in this post. I guess with warmer weather coming, I’ve been thinking more about fun drinks (not that warm drinks aren’t fun in the colder months too, of course).

One of my boys’ favorite things to splurge on is Martenelli’s (and by boys’ splurge, I should clarify that they prefer it if we parents do the splurging, because it is much easier to enjoy something if someone else has paid for it).

Have you tried Martinelli’s? It’s a very tasty sparkling cider that is 100% juice, made especially fun because it comes in a cool bottle and pours out nice and bubbly. I find it in the juice aisle at Wal-mart.

Martinelli’s is great for a special occasion, like New Year’s Eve, when I might not mind spending close a few extra dollars for each of us to have a sip of sparkly bubbles. But for a random Tuesday, I’m a little more selective about where I put my grocery money.

Soooo, we’ve found a way to have our sparkling juice and drink it too. We call it “Mom-inelle’s” because I invented it and we are all quite proud. The boys are especially happy because this invention means they can enjoy this fizzy drink more often than every December 31.

This has become the drink we enjoy when friends come over, and it always receives rave reviews. Note that you can add any 100% juice that you choose. We’ve discovered that our favorite is 100% Cranberry. Who knew? 100% Grape is a close second.

You may also find it fun to make this with combo-juices like 100% Cran-Raspberry or 100% Cran-Grape or 100% Apple-Raspberry.

It may just be us, but we have also found that this Sparkling 100% Juice tastes best with Mexican food or Pizza. There’s just something about fizzy drinks with food that has a bit of a spice. Try this!

Easy Sparkling 100% Juice

How to Make Fun and Easy Sparkling 100% Juice
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 11.5 ounces of frozen juice concentrate (thawed, butnot diluted)
  • 33.8 ounces Seltzer water (carbonated water)
Instructions
  1. Pour the juice concentrate into a ½ gallon jar or pitcher.
  2. Slowly pour in the seltzer water (if you pour it too quickly, it could bubble over).
  3. Stir slightly so as to mix the two liquids but not release too much fizz.

How to make Sparkling JuiceDo you love bubbles like I do? Ever tried making Sparkling Juice like this?

P.S. If you’re having a hard time giving up soda (pop/coke/whatever you call it where you live) – I recommend this fizzy juice as a great alternative. :)

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