Secret Restaurant Recipes: Olive Garden Sangria

Secret Restaurant Recipes: Olive Garden Sangria: Ingredients: 1 1/2 liters Red Table Wine 10 ounces or 1 cup Grenadine 16 ounces or 2 cups Cranberry Juice Cock...

Orange-Pineapple Drink

     This is so simple but so refreshing. For 2 servings combine 3/4 cup pineapple juice, 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 cup low sodium seltzer with one or two mint leaves on top for extra flavor and garnish. 

     Don't be afraid to experiment with combinations of fruit and vegetable juices. You could find some you love. photo credit: Stiftelsen Elektronikkbransjen via photopin cc

Creamy EggNot

When I was a kid I can remember eating raw hamburger as my mother was mixing it with other ingredients for meatloaf. No one thought anything about it back then in the stone age but we wouldn't dream of doing it today. So I've been wondering these past few years about the safety of eggnog. I love to have it around the holidays and sometimes do, but I would never dream of making it from scratch at home because of the raw eggs. This recipe comes very close to the real thing and contains no eggs raw or otherwise.

• 2 quarts cold milk
• 1- 3.4oz. pkg. of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

     In bowl, beat milk and pudding mix for a couple minutes. Then beat in sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla. In separate bowl beat cream till thick for 3 minutes. Stir into pudding mixture. Makes 2 1/2 quarts

Photo by Izik's

My Homemade Smoothy

     No doubt all smoothy recipes are basically the same but this is the one I use and love. One of the best things about it is it takes so long to drink and fills you up.

• Handful of ice cubes
• Handful of frozen fruit, any kind you like
• 1 packet of artificial sweetener
• Orange juice to fill the glass or mug

     I blend this till my ice is crushed but not gone, the same with the fruit. The more fruit you put in the thicker the smoothy will be. You can use any fruits you like and you can even replace the orange juice with apple or any other you prefer.

Photo by Poldavo

Best Ice Creamless Shake

If you are on any  kind of diet but love strawberry shakes, try my recipe. It's got twice the flavor but half the calories,carbs and sugar of a regular shake. My kids and I just love them . Here's what you need,

• 1 banana
• Handful of frozen strawberries ( do not thaw )
• Skim milk
• Splenda

     Instead of a full size blender, I use the Magic Bullet because you can make individual servings right in the mugs that come with it. If you don't have one use a regular blender and adjust your ingredients accordingly.

     For one shake put a handful of frozen strawberries, the banana, one packet to taste of Splenda or any sweetener you want, and skim milk  to fill the container. Blend and voila! You've got a cold, thick, fruity shake you'll swear has ice cream. Enjoy!

If you don't mind extra sugar and calories, add a squirt of chocolate syrup while blending. Now you can die and go to heaven!

photo by El Gran Dee