The holiday season is upon us! Try our delicious holiday cocktails and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
Mix up a Candy Cane-tini to enjoy while appetizers are served. To mix, use 3oz of Cascade Ice Cranberry Pomegranate, 2oz of vodka and the juice of a lime. Stir the contents in your shaker with a handful of ice and garnish with a candy cane and crumbs.
The Poinsettia Punch is a great alternative to traditional party punch. Simply pour 4 parts Cascade Ice Pomegranate Berry over ice. Then, mix mint leaves, the juice of 1 lime and 1 part club soda together and you’re ready to serve
This one’s for the kids! Instead of serving soda for dinner, try our Santa’s Sparkler. Simply mix 4oz of Cascade Ice McIntosh Apple and 2oz of apple juice in a glass with ice. Add a green apple wedge and a cinnamon stick to complete the yummy drink.
Be sure to stock up on Cascade Ice this holiday season to have fresh drinks whenever the time calls! Check out our Where to Buy map to find a retailer near you.
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If there’s one dessert I L-O-V-E, it’s cheesecake.
I always forget that I love it (which is weird, I know), but when my taste buds are reunited with it, I instantly remember how much I love it. There’s something so unbeatable about that tangy sweetness and the lush fluffiness of a cheesecake.
Now, normally I’m not a big fan of fruit in my food. Don’t get me wrong, homegirl — I LOVE me some fruit & eat it constantly. I’m pretty sure my blood type is raspberries. But when it comes to fruit and food, I’m kind of on the fence.
This probably has to do with my grandma’s affinity for “fruit salads” and all the many versions of them I had to try growing up. I use the term “fruit salad” very lightly because it was probably as close to a fruit salad as a T-Bone steak is. Technically, it was a super sugary fruit cocktail mixed with Cool Whip and whatever else, yet the flavor was about as nonexistent as the nutritional value.
And for every family get-together, every dinner, every holiday, there was always some kind of fruit salad. And every time I was offered the salad, I would politely decline. But she would continually push the salad onto us like some kind of fruit cocktail drug dealer. “Want some salad?” she’d ask one minute. “Hayley, want some salad now?” she’d ask a little later. “Are you ready for some salad, Hayley?” “Try a little salad, Hayley.”
Orrrrr the time she put crushed pineapple in her sweet potatoes. OMFG NO. I was so stoked for my marshmallow-y, gooey sweet potatoes and after they hit my tongue my face distorted itself into some expression of disgust, shock and disappointment. Whaaaaat were pineapples doing all up in my yams? What kind of sick joke is this? Needless to say, that was a year I was yamless and offered to take care of the sweet potatoes after that.
Anyways, but lately I have been experimenting with reforming my ways. There are plenty of desserts out there that get their infamy from fruit: cobblers, crisps and shortcakes, to name a few. Also, all of the pies I like best are fruit-based: apple, blueberry, cherry… so I know I’m not past the point of no-return. Hence why I wanted to make a cheesecake topped with tons of luscious, fresh fruit and prove to myself I could eat it and like it.
And not surprisingly, this was pretty easy to do. Who would pass up a crispy sugar cookie cup filled with creamy cheesecake and topped with fruit? Especially that it isn’t fruit cocktail. Or called a fruit salad. And doesn’t have any surprise pineapple lurking anywhere that ruins your Thanksgiving. It’s just straight-up, easy-peasy, in yo face cheesecake cups. And you’ll LOVE them!
{Fresh Fruit} Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel
Recipe type: Cookies, Cheesecake
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Celebrate the spring and summer seasons with these easy, tasty cheesecake cups! Luscious, no-bake cheesecake tops chewy sugar cookie cups that are loaded with fresh fruit.
Ingredients
2 pkgs (24 count per pkg, or 48 total) refrigerated sugar cookies, room temperature
1 (8 oz) pkg reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip Free, thawed
Fresh fruit (I used blackberries, strawberries, mango, peaches, and mandarin oranges, but feel free to use whatever you prefer/whatever is in season)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. VERY LIBERALLY grease 2 12-cavity standard-sized muffin tins with cooking spray and set them aside.
Take two pre-portioned squares of sugar cookie dough and smash them together. Press them in the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cavity to form a cup of dough. Repeat with the remaining dough until all 24 cavities are filled.
Bake for approx. 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the centers are just about set. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. While the cookies cool in the pan, use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently create an indentation in the center of the cookie cup. This “well” will be used to put the cheesecake later.
Very gently run a knife along the edge of each cookie cup and lift each cup out of the cavity. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a handheld mixer until creamy. Fold in the Cool Whip gently to combine.
Spoon the cheesecake mixture into each of the cookie “wells”. Likewise, you could also pipe the cheesecake filling in if you’d like. Top each cheesecake cup with fresh fruit as desired. I garnished mine with lime zest, but feel free to garnish yours with leaves of mint, lemon zest, or orange zest. Serve immediately.
Aren’t these cookie cups gorgeous? Nothing beats the creamy, tangy cheesecake filling with the chewy, crispy-edged cookie cups. And the fresh fruit makes this dish healthy, so feel free to eat all the cookie cups you want without guilt these little bites of heaven won’t last long at your house and they certainly didn’t at mine.
As you prepare for your Thanksgiving festivities tomorrow, treat yourself to these delicious recipes featuring Cascade Ice!
Start off with our Apple Cinnamon Delight! In a cocktail shaker, muddle 2 lemon quarters with a pinch of ground cinnamon. Add ice, 2oz of tequila, 1oz of elderflower liqueur and 1 1/2oz Cascade Ice McIntosh Apple and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Next, spice up your Thanksgiving dinners with a Cascade IceCranberry Bourbon recipe! Mix 8 fresh cranberries, 2 tsp sugar, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1 strip of orange zest and 6oz of Cascade Ice Cranberry Pomegranate in a medium glass until the sugar dissolves. Pour in 1oz of bourbon, a handful of ice cubes and enjoy!
Be sure to stock up on Cascade Ice this holiday season to have fresh drinks whenever the time calls! Check out our Where to Buy map to find a retailer near you.
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Today we’re Kickin’ It with Natalie Terchek, the editor ofFaveHealthyRecipes.com, who shares her healthy lifestyle tips!
Why is “Healthy Living” important to you?
Living a healthy lifestyle is important in both the long term and the short term. Getting the right amount of exercise and eating the right foods will not only expand your lifespan, but will improve your day overall. I notice a drastic difference in my mood when I don’t get enough exercise, so that’s why it’s important to me to maintain healthy habits.
Who are your “Healthy Living” role models and why?
Jillian Michaels is my “healthy living” role model. I admire her strength, passion and attitude. She doesn’t accept any excuses for why you can’t live healthily, and it motivates me to not give up.
What is your go-to healthy meal when you are short on time?
A big salad with romaine lettuce and my favorite veggies (cucumbers, red peppers, carrots and mushrooms). I top it with a light, fruity dressing and I’m good to go. If I want a heartier meal, I’ll add some chicken to it.
Do you have any tips for families who want to make some healthy lifestyle changes?
Get some exercise together! Whether it’s a long neighborhood walk, a game of soccer in a park or a trip to the gym, working out is easier and more fun when you have a group of people motivating you.
Are there any foods that you consider to be off-limits completely?
I don’t like the idea of eliminating anything from your diet. It’s unrealistic, and you’re more likely to splurge on something else to “reward” yourself. I say to eat what you want, but be aware of what you’re eating and don’t over do it.
In addition to eating right, do you have any other tips to share on overall wellness (i.e. sleep, relaxation techniques, fitness routines)?
Getting extra sleep is so important. If you don’t have enough sleep, it really impacts the rest of your day, and you’ll also find that your motivation to eat well and work out will decrease. Try to get at least 8 hours a night.
To learn more about Rachel and her tips, visit her website Fave Healthy Recipes to find recipes, reviews, DIY tips and much more! Check out Fave Healthy Recipes on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+!
these little bites of heaven won’t last long at your house and they certainly didn’t at mine.
