Labor Day Weekend is almost here & for me, that's the 'official' end of summer. Summer begins & ends with holiday weekends ~ Memorial Day is the beginning of summer & Labor Day is the end of summer.
Some of the things I always enjoy making during the summer are cool drinks that give off a tropical vibe ~ cocktails for the over 21 crowd, as well as ones that the kids can enjoy, too.
Coconut Water Martinis & Coconut Water Mocktails fall right into that category. I also like to make easy to eat-with-your-fingers types of appetizers. (aka ~
hors d'oeuvres ~
if you're feeling a bit fancy & French :) Of course, salsa is always high on my list ~ as well as jalapeño poppers.
My neighbors, Bill & Cheryl, shared some of their
Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with us not long ago & I just had to make some for myself. My spin is baked in the oven, instead of cooked on the BBQ & I used lower fat ingredients, but the flavors are the same. I just love this unusual flavor combo in the ever popular jalapeño popper!
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Happy End of Summer!
Happy Tropical Cocktail Time ~ It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!
Baked Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers ~ Low-Fat
makes 12 tasty, spicy morsels
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Ready to bake... |
- 6 large jalapeños ~ sliced in half length ways, seeds/veins removed
- 4 oz low-fat or fat-free cream cheese
- couple drops of liquid smoke ~ or more, to taste
- 5 cooked turkey sausage breakfast links, crumbled
- smoked paprika, for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
Combine the cream cheese of choice with the liquid smoke until fully combined & creamy, taste & add more liquid smoke if desired. Add the cooked & crumbled turkey sausage to the cream cheese & blend all together.
Spread the cream cheese mixture into the halved jalapeños, then sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Enjoy!
OPTIONAL VEGETARIAN VERSION ~ Just replace the turkey sausage with soy sausage
Coconut Water Martini
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Coconut Water Martini ~ Ahhh, the taste of the tropics! |
- one shot Malibu Coconut Rum
- one shot Vodka
- one shot Badia Coconut Water with Pulp
How do I enjoy this tropical cocktail? ~ Shaken, not stirred, of course!
Coconut Water Mocktail ~ perfect for everyone
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Coconut Water Mocktail ~ Great for kids & grown-ups alike. For the simplest mocktail ever, pour well chilled coconut water over ice, into a pretty glass. |
- Badia Coconut Water with Pulp
- Optional ~ a splash of ~ French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
- ice
If you want a frozen version, pour the coconut water into the blender, add a couple of ice cubes & a splash of French Vanilla Coffee Creamer. Whirl away until frosty. Enjoy!
This canned coconut water is lightly sweet, has a nice coconut flavor & has bits of coconut pulp floating around in it. It's amazingly good! I find this brand (Badia) over in the ethnic Mexican food section of my market. This stuff is hands down my favorite sweetened drink in a can! :)
Salsa
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JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa
~ Just had to share this salsa again. It's so freakin' good & so
simple to prepare. It's perfect for a summer party or just 'cause
you're in the mood for some good, traditional Mexican flavored salsa. I just love
it! Check out the post ~ for the recipe. |