Summertime Pairing: Peaches and Whiskey

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #CelebratorySips #BecauseSummer #LoveTheyNeighborhood #CollectiveBias 

With summer in full swing, we have been enjoying the beautiful weather and eating as many dinners as possible outside. This time of year, I love grilling anything I can, and for our Sunday supper last weekend, we finished our meal with delicious grilled and topped peaches and a peach whiskey smash. South Carolina grows the best peaches, and right in the height of peach season right now, I'm finding anything and everything to do with them.

Seriously, how good do all of these ingredients look? Yup, that mint you see there is from my herb garden. If I can grow fresh mint, I know you can, too!

Here's how to make my grilled peaches with ice cream and honey pecan glaze:

Ingredients:

- fresh peaches, sliced in half with the pits removed

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/4 cup chopped pecans

- 1 quart vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Place the peaches on the grill (sliced side down) and cook for 5 minutes with the lid closed.
2. While the peaches are grilling, combine the butter, honey, and pecans in a small bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Stir the glaze and set aside for later.
3. After 5 minutes on the grill, turn the peaches 45 degrees for perfect grill marks.  Close the lid again and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Remove the peaches from the grill and allow to cook slightly before topping each half with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of glaze.

The perfect pairing for any dessert is always a delicious cocktail.  Whiskey and summer go hand-in-hand to me, and Jameson is triple distilled and remarkably smooth.

If you're looking for more of an island flair for your evening drink, Malibu is an original coconut rum from the Caribbean and tastes just like summertime!

Using Jameson, my favorite summer cocktail is a peach whiskey smash:

Ingredients:
- peach slices
- lemon slices
- fresh mint
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
- crushed ice

Directions:
1. In a low ball glass, muddle together 2-3 peach slices, 1 lemon slice, a couple mint leaves, and 2 ounces of Jameson.
2. Top the glass with crushed ice.
3. Garnish with a lemon slice and sprig of mint.

Head to your local grocery store to save when you buy Jameson or Malibu this summer. Through 8/18/18, save $2 in store (Valid in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, West Virginia, Wyoming) or save $3 by mail (Valid in: Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington) on the purchase of any ONE (1) 750ml bottle of JAMESON® IRISH WHISKEY or MALIBU®.

To save these recipes to Pinterest, hover over the image below and click on the Pinterest logo to pin this post to your summertime recipe or cocktail-inspired board!  If you're looking for even more Malibu and Jameson originality, click here to check out more recipes, DIYs, and party planning ideas.

SIP EASY. ENJOY MALIBU RESPONSIBLY. MALIBU® Caribbean Rum With Coconut Liqueur. 21% - 24% Alc./Vol. ©2017 Pernod Ricard USA, New York, NY

JAMESON® Irish Whiskey. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 Proof). Product of Ireland. ©2018 Imported by John Jameson Import Company, New York, NY

Non-Dairy Crispy Ice Cream Sandwiches

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AnIceCreamForThat #CollectiveBias

Summertime to me is all about enjoying delicious treats, especially those that help you cool down. Häagen-Dazs ice cream has always been some of my favorites, and they make a fantastic array of pints, bars, and other treats. Did you know that they now have a full selection of non-dairy products? I love having something for everyone when I host my friends, so recently, I cooked up a batch of non-dairy crispy ice cream sandwiches. They're perfect for a little moment of (well-deserved) indulgence!

Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10oz bag mini marshmallows
- 5 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- non-stick cooking spray
- 1 pint each of Häagen-Dazs® Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle Non-Dairy and Häagen-Dazs® Coconut Caramel Non-Dairy
- 2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips
- sprinkles

Directions:
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of coconut oil on medium in a large pot.
2. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously, until melted.
3. Add in the vanilla extract and remove from heat.
4. Pour in the crispy rice cereal gradually, stirring quickly and frequently.
5. Grease two 9x13 pans and evenly divide the marshmallow mixture between the two pans.
6. Press the mix into each pan (greasing a wooden spoon will help it not stick).
7. Once fully cooled, spread each pint of Häagen-Dazs® Non-Dairy on one half of one of the pans of crispy treats.
8. Place the second crispy treat on top of the ice cream-topped one.
9. Allow to freeze for 2-3 hours.
10. Before removing the treats from the freezer, melt the chocolate in the microwave with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on medium heat in 30-second increments.
11. Slice the crispy treats into squares and dip each treat halfway into chocolate.  Add sprinkles on top and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
12. Place cookie sheet back in the freezer for 1 hour.  Enjoy!

I chose to use two flavors of super-premium Häagen-Dazs® Non-Dairy in my recipe: Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle and Coconut Caramel, but if you want to really go crazy, they also make a delicious Non-Dairy Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge variety that I absolutely need to try!  These flavors all include real ingredients like Belgian chocolate, real peanut butter, and coconut cream - there's no room for compromise with Häagen-Dazs®!

You can shop for Häagen-Dazs® Non-Dairy treats at your local Ahold shop.  I found mine at Food Lion, but New England friends, you can shop at your neighborhood Stop & Shop!

I absolutely love the idea of rewarding yourself, and these sandwiches help you do just that!  Simple and pure ingredients make for a delicious indulgence without the dairy.

What is your favorite summertime treat?

Peach Crumble Bars

Did you know that South Carolina is the real peach state?!  We actually produce more peaches each year than Georgia - sorry, neighbors to the South!  The peaches at the farmer's market and even at the grocery store have been amazing recently (so amazing that I've bought too many!).  I had a few that were on their way out, so I decided to make these delicious bars last weekend for a friend's brunch.  They tasted just as good as they look, and they were so easy to make!

Ingredients:
For the crumble  - 
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- one stick of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling - 
- 3 fresh peaches, sliced
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, and salt for the crumble.
3. Pour the dry mixture into the butter, egg, and vanilla, and stir to combine.  This mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
4. Press half of the crumble into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan.
5. Make the filling by mixing all 4 ingredients together and pouring on top of the crust layer.
6. Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top of the filling.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top crumble is golden brown.
8. Allow to cool fully before cutting into 9 squares.

I could seriously photograph delicious food all day!  I had fun getting out my 50mm prime lens for this one (it's been too long!!).  These bars are photogenic for sure!  They were the perfect combination of soft without falling apart when I cut them.  I think the secret is making sure you press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan before piling on the other layers.

Summertime Hostess Gift Ideas

Hi friends, how was your weekend?  We had a great one with friends; it's officially party season!  Summer get-togethers are the best.  I absolutely love all the food, the friends, pools, and lawn games.  When we go to parties, I always try to think of new ways to thank the host or hostess.  

I always go with one of two mentalities when choosing a hostess gift.  First, before attending, I always ask if I can bring something (a side dish, dessert, beer, wine, etc.).  I text or call the party planner before showing up with a dish to make sure what I bring fits the theme of the party or meal.  If the host(ess) says yes to wanting a contribution of food or drink, I try to bring a gift that guests can use with that item but the host can also keep after the event.  There's nothing worse than making the party-thrower wash dishes in the middle of the party so that you can bring your serving plate home that night.  In addition to bringing a new, cute serving tray that the hostess can keep, other ideas are things like the wine opener and beer caddy below.  On the other hand, if the host(ess) says that there is nothing I can bring, I arrive with something just for him/her: something they can enjoy after all the guests have gone!

The Art of the Bar Cart ||| Unicorn cupcake kit ||| Sugarfina cocktail set ||| Bedside smartphone vase ||| Cinema lightbox

Beer-chilling coasters ||| Electric wine opener ||| Serving platter ||| Grow. Salsa kit

Dinosaur planters ||| Cheese plate ||| Salad set

June In Review

Happy Friday!  Who else is totally thrown off that today is Friday?  Don't get me wrong, having a day off in the middle of the week is phenomenal, but yesterday I thought it was Monday all. day.  Now it's already Friday - sweet!  It's already another new month, and I've enjoyed doing monthly round-ups through the beginning of this year.  While I love to share personal events on the blog, updating on "life" once per month allows for more time for recipes, DIYs, and Charleston favorites.  So, here's what I was up to throughout June:

We started the month in Boston for the wedding of one of Mike's closest friends.  They were the most beautiful couple, and oh my gosh, how cute was their cake?!  We also enjoyed beer, donuts, and lots of pretty spring flowers!

The following weekend was spent outside, at a new golf course and on the water.  That one was so good that it did get its own review, and you can read all about it here.

We went on a date night last month to one of our favorite breweries, Snafu (this is the place to go in Charleston, if you like sours!), and ate Mexican food and played mini golf afterwards.

We finished another regular season of kickball.  Our two competitive teams are in the playoffs, and our non-competitive team of new-to-kickball neighborhood friends (pictured below) finished with a winning record!

Speaking of the neighborhood, the storm-watching last month was awesome!  We sat up on the porch and enjoyed a ton of storms.  I even captured some lightning on photo!

Overall, June was as hot as ever, and in between thunderstorms, we absolutely made the most of it.  So far, July is off to a great start, too, and I can't wait to see what else is in store.  Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday: Cooking Up Red, White, and Blue

Happy Friday!  Who else is starting to celebrate the Fourth of July this weekend?  I saw the funniest meme about Independence Day falling on a Wednesday: how are we supposed to celebrate? That day? The weekend before? The weekend after? All month? All year? I agree.  I haven't decided what we will be bringing to a barbecue this weekend, but I can tell you that it will be red, white, and blue.  Here are five of our favorites for your own celebrations:

1. Strawberry Pretzel Salad: This is my mom's go-to summer recipe. With a pretzel crust and layers of whipped topping and berries, it's so refreshing and delicious!

2. M&M cookie bars: Using refrigerated dough, this recipe is so easy to make, and I love the festive M&Ms!

3. Watermelon pops: You can create this treat with any fruit of your choice and a star-shaped cookie cutter.

4. Fruit and granola kebobs: I made these for my participants at work one year when looking for a festive, healthy snack, and they were a hit; anything on a kebob skewer usually is!

5. Red, White, and Blue Berry Scones: I just shared this recipe earlier this week, but it definitely deserves to be in this list.  Scones might be my favorite pastry to make (here's a recipe for just strawberry and another for chocolate chip).