Weekend Cocktail: Make Some Wild Berry Popsicles

What says summer like popsicles? I've said it before.... popsicles are just summer on a stick. These are so easy and so deliciously fresh, you'll want to make them everyday, not just for a party. Made with Seagram's Escapes... which you can find at many groceries and markets along with fresh berries, these popsicles make Friday fun!

WILD BERRY POPSICLES

4 pack of Seagram’s Escapes Wild Berries 

·        12 ounces cranberry juice 

·        1/2 pint raspberries (always look for Driscoll's Berries- they are the freshest)

·        1/2 pint blueberries

·       Plastic cups or popsicle molds and sticks

Mix the Wild Berries Escape and cranberry juice in a large pitcher. Pour into small plastic cups or into a popsicle mold. Add a few raspberries and blueberries to each cup. Put in the freezer and let the pops set up for 30 minutes. Add the popsicle sticks. (If you are using a mold, you can skip this step) Place cups on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer overnight or until completely frozen; at least 24 hours is recommended if you want the pops to be frozen solid. Briefly run warm water over the mold or cup to release the popsicle. You can serve this by putting the pops into ice or serve them in a glass with a spoon. Enjoy responsibly!

For more ideas and recipes. visit the Seagram's Escapes website.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY THEMES, AND FUN!

Easy Summer Dinner Party Dessert: Prosecco and Popsicles!

Looking for a super easy and super fast dessert for your dinner party, supper club, or get-together? This one is a breeze and everyone will love it! Now, you can make your own popsicles like I did or you can get some really delicious flavors at most organic grocers. Even Wal-Mart has some Mexican "paletas" (gourmet ice pops)  which are a bit exotic and really delicious. No matter what variety you choose, this dessert is easy, elegant, and absolutely a crowd-pleaser! You can match your colors to your party's color scheme, or serve a variety of flavors like I have here!

So, all you have to do is to make sure your pops are really frozen so they don't melt too fast. Also, chill the Prosecco. When you are ready to serve, just pop the pop into a wine glass, pour over the chilled Prosecco and serve! You can also serve this with chilled ginger ale if you prefer not to serve alcohol.

Super Simple Desserts: Summer Berry Crush

Need a fast, go-to dessert for summer entertaining? It seems like a party just seems to materialize some weekends... you look up and all of the neighbors are in your yard. You probably have most of the ingredients for my Summer Berry Crush in your kitchen. And you can use any fresh berry: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or a combination of raspberries and strawberries also works really well. Seriously, in 15 minutes, you will have an elegant and delicious dessert that looks beautiful and tastes even better!

SUMMER BERRY CRUSH

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or strawberries. Save some for garnish

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup mascarpone cheese, softened (you can sub an 8 oz package of cream cheese if you can't find marscapone)

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature (ok to sub heavy cream if you don't have sour cream)

3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pound cake, angel food cake, almond cookies or meringues to crumble -I like meringues for this.

Directions

In a small bowl, toss the berries and balsamic vinegar together- crushing them slightly with the back of your spoon. Let stand for 15 minutes. In another bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and agave until smooth and fluffy.

To serve: Crumble the cake or cookies into the bottom of the glass. Layer the raspberries and the marsapone mixture. Garnish with more berries or mint.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, CONTESTS, AND IDEAS!

Martie Knows Parties: My Mom's Pound Cake Recipe

I love a story with a happy ending! My mom was one of those classic Southern "pinch of this" cooks... and she was one of the best cooks ever. She started cooking when she was very young, having to help in the kitchen at the Alabama Children's Home where she lived from the age of four until eighteen. Well, being really dumb and away from home much of my life, I never got her to write down her best recipes and I cannot tell you how much I regret that. (note to everyone- get your precious family recipes down in writing) 

Me with my sweet Mom on Easter Sunday; check out the doughnut on my head!About 15 years back, my friend, Janet asked me for my mom's pound cake recipe. I called home and got it from my mom... scribbling it down on a piece of legal paper at the office. Well, I lost touch with Janet for a long time-- I was traveling all over and she moved to Kansas from Chicago. Through Facebook, Janet and I reconnected a while back and she reminded me that she had my mom's pound cake recipe and still makes it every Easter!!!! I was so thrilled to find that out! Well, this past Sunday, my mom's pound cake graced Janet's table for Easter once again and she shared the photos with me. I am so delighted to share both the recipe and Janet's photo with you!

I don't think this recipe varies much from the cream cheese pound cake recipe we've all shared and passed around... the key difference is the almond extract.

MY MOM'S POUND CAKE

Ingredients

Janet's Easter Pound Cake, my Mom's recipe3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese , softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300. Prep a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan... grease and flour or spray with Baker's Joy.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese and the butter at medium speed until creamy. Then add the sugar, a little at a time. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they are combined. Turn the speed on the mixer down. Combine the salt and the flour; adding a little at a time until it is blended. Add the almond and vanilla.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to allow it to cool completely.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, IDEAS, AND CONTESTS!

Recipes from our Friends: LynnBo's Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Lynn and her husband GaryMy favorite photo of Lynn from back in the day-- pep rally day!I've known Lynn about as long as I've known anyone, I think. We went to elementary school all the way through high school together. Lynn had the most amazing parties back in the day... she was a big time party-thrower, even as a kid! I cannot hear Sly & the Family Stone to this day without thinking about spend the night parties at her house. And while we lost touch for a lot of years, I am soooo happy to have reconnected with her. I've met her teriffic husband Gary and one of her beautiful daughters, Kara. (who are both pretty amazing musicians and singers, I might add) I saw a Facebook post where someone was asking Lynn to make this cake for them and they were raving about it... so I asked her to share it with us. Lynn, you are so inspirational! I'm so happy we are friends!

LynnBo's FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE with STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

1 strawberry cake mix (plus eggs and oil as required by the package)

1 1/2 cups fresh chopped strawberries plus more strawberries for garnish

1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
12 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream or evaporated milk

1 small box strawberry Jello- add this to taste. (I used about half of the box)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 (or to package directions)

Prepare or spray your pans as directed on the package; I used Baker's Joy and sprayed mine.

First, chop up 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries and mash them so they resemble a puree.

Make the cake mix as directed except exchange the mashed strawberries for the water the package directions call for. Pour evenly into the prepared pan (s). Bake as directed or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Lynn recommends using a 9x13 pan but I used two 9" round pans for mine. Allow them to cool before frosting.

For the frosting:

Cream together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and Jello at medium speed of your mixer. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well.

Garnish with lots of strawberries. Lynn recommends adding them just before serving because there is so much moisture in the strawberries, they will slide all over the cake if you add them too soon. She also recommends to pat the strawberries dry before topping.

Hope you enjoy this one.... perfect for Spring and strawberry season!

Want more recipes for strawberry cake? Try this Strawberry Layer Cake recipe from our friends at myRecipes.com which calls for Grand Marnier in the frosting.  Yummy!

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, IDEAS, & CONTESTS!