Bubbly Valentine Love Potion

I know Valentine’s Day is over but who says you can’t have a little bubbly all of the time! And who can resist and little bubbly drink tinted pink?! I can’t and neither should you. This can be a great starter dessert cocktail or perfect for a mocktail party!

Bubbly Valentine Love Potion

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) can pink lemonade concentrate
• 4 cups raspberry sherbet
• 1 (12-ounce) can of Sprite

1. In a pitcher, mix the lemonade concentrate with the recommended amount of water.
2. In a blender, combine the sherbet with 4 cups of the lemonade mixture; mix until combined.
3. Pour into individual glasses.
4. Add the soda, stir gently and serve.

Jolly Rancher Lollipops

Love Jolly Ranchers? Love lollipops? How about making your own lollipops with your favorite flavors!

Jolly Rancher Lollipops

Perfect for a rainy day and you can make any combination your heart desires!

Ingredients

• Assortment of Jolly Ranchers
• Lollipop Sticks
• Parchment Paper
• Aluminum Foil
• Cookie Sheet

1. Lay a piece of foil on cookie sheet. cover foil with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Unwrap candies and place side by side on parchment paper in your choice of color & flavor combinations. use three candies together for extra large lollies, and only two candies together for regular lollipops.
3. Heat candies in oven for about 5 minutes at 200 ºF. Keep a close eye on the candies and take them out as soon as they’ve barely melted together. If you leave them in too long they will melt too much and you won’t be able to put a stick into the lollipop. Alter the cook time accordingly.
4. Carefully take cookie sheet out of oven. IMMEDIATELY lay candy sticks into place on melted candies. Slowly twirl in melted candy to coat the stick and so it will hold in the lollipop. REMEMBER: they are HOT! Don’t burn yourself but you will have to work fast before the candies harden.
5. Let the lollipops cool about 30 minutes before eating or wrap up in clear cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give as gifts or party favors!

Candied Clementines

Clementines are sweet and delicious and such a quick healthy snack. What if we jazzed it up a little bit? Candied clementines are simple yet so elegant.

Candied Clementines

Ingredients

• 8 whole clementines, peeled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec, or fresh orange juice
• Fresh mint, for garnish

1. Arrange clementines in a wide shallow bowl or 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, pulling the tops of each clementine’s segments slightly apart without detaching the bottoms – like opening up the petals of a flower.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear. Remove from heat and stir in orange liqueur. Cool 15 minutes or until syrup is lukewarm.
3. Pour syrup over clementines, making sure each are very well coated.
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Bring to room temperature before serving. Place 2 clementines in serving goblet or glass, drizzle some syrup over and top with a mint spring.

Sweet and simple. ENJOY!

Pumpkin Pie Fruit Roll Ups

Homemade fruit snacks! They are delicious, simple and good for you! Yep, GOOD FOR YOU! That’s something that is sure to make you smile! (It made me smile )

Pumpkin Pie Fruit Roll Ups

These fruit roll ups take EIGHT hours to “bake” SO it is best to start this recipe early in the morning! It is well worth the eight hours of baking really low.

Ingredients

• 2 cups apples, peeled and diced 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 3 tablespoons good gluten free honey
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

1. In a medium to large stockpot add diced apples and water. Bring to a boil. Add in lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples start to turn to sauce and can be mashed easily with a fork.
2. Using an immersion blender (or cooling slightly and using a regular blender or food processor) blend until smooth.
3. Add in pumpkin purée, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon mat. Spread the purée 1/8″ to a 1/4″ thick on top of the lined sheet. Shake the pan to even things out.
5. Bake at 150° F for approximately 8 hours until purée no longer feels gummy (it will still have a sticky quality and be pliable). Allow to cool slightly.
6. Roll fruit and parchment backing into a long tube. Cut into portions. If you used a silicon mat, transfer fruit to plastic wrap before rolling. Store in airtight containers or zip-top bags until ready to eat.

I know what you’re thinking. EIGHT HOURS IS A LONG TIME! But it will be well worth the wait. It’s delicious and good for you!

Watermelon Mojito Popsicles

Well it’s the day after Valentine’s Day. Are you off of your sugar high or still calming down from all the sweet deliciousness of chocolates, caramels and toffees? I think it’s time we mix it up a little bit after all that chocolate and enjoy some fruity goodness! What do you say? Are you in? Hopefully you are! Let’s get to it!

Watermelon Mojito Popsicles

I know it’s not spring yet but hey, we can plan ahead!

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups cubed watermelon
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons agave (or you can sweeten them with regular sugar)
• 1/2 lime
• 2 oz. light rum (use your favorite)
• 1/2 cup club soda

1. In a large mixing bowl, muddle the watermelon and mint together until the watermelon is a juice consistency with some small chunks. Once it’s fully muddled, remove the muddled mint.
2. Add the 3 tablespoons agave (or sugar), 2 ounces rum and squeeze the 1/2 lime into the watermelon juice.
3. Pour half of the mixture into a cocktail shaker… unless you have a shaker large enough for all of the watermelon. Shake until combined and put into a separate bowl with a spout. Do the same with the other half of the juice.
4. Add the club soda to the shaken juice and stir.
5. Fill the popsicle tray up and add a skewer (cut to size) in the center.
6. To garnish, place a small mint leaf in each of the popsicles. 
7. Time for the freezer! These will need to freeze overnight because of the rum. They also melt a little faster, so make sure you serve them with a napkin!

*This could also make a very delicious refreshing cocktail!

ooooh I can taste spring already! Come on Spring! We miss you! (Well at least I miss you, A LOT!)

This is a great recipe to keep on tap as soon as spring decides to roll around. But as Mr. Groundhog unfortunately said, 6 more weeks of winter

ENJOY!

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.