Summer Mocktails with Ocean Spray® and Sunday Funday Family BBQ's
Sundays are my absolute favorite day of the week! It's the day my husband takes the entire day off, and it's our family day! I can remember when Saturday nights were my favorite day of the week...but now with my two babies, nothing makes me happier than time together, us 4, and our furry son Oscar! I live for Sundays :)
Arizona summers are crazy warm, and one of our favorite things to do is BBQ and take our oldest swimming. We are about to gut and redesign our entire backyard, and are really looking forward to bringing it to life. Even thou it is currently an eyesore, we still like to be outside, making use of the pool and relaxing as a family.
Having been pregnant 2 of the last 3 years, I've gotten accustomed to enjoying mocktails for all celebrations...ha! I love making the experience festive, and then I never felt like I was missing out. I always put my mocktails in a champagne or cocktail glass, and add fruit for decoration :)
Loving Ocean Spray® Mocktails, The Taste That Takes You Away, new drink line...soooo delish! My favorite is the Cranberry Peach Bellini, as that was once my cocktail of choice.
We opened all of these during our last BBQ, and my daughter Hartley, had so much fun carrying around her little cup, saying cheers, and transferring and eating all the ice cubes. Funny right? I'll have to try this next with seltzer or soda water, for a fun summer refresher...not sure why I didn't think of that before.
Even thou, I'm no longer pregnant, I have two babies to wake up for fresh and ready Monday mornings! These are the perfect celebratory drinks for this busy momma, and for a hubby who starts his day at 5am. They come in three flavors, Cranberry Peach Bellini, Cranberry Sangria, and Tropical Citrus Paradise. They are made with real fruit juice, and have only 90 calories per serving...perfect! Bonus...no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and so tasty! Plus, you can easily add vodka to the mixture for guests wanting a little more.
My favorite meal to BBQ are chicken and vegetable skewers...which I will also switch out the chicken for sausage or shrimp. This night, I just marinated the chicken in Italian dressing, added mushrooms, red onion, yellow and red peppers, and zucchini. Seasoned everything with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. I'm obsessed with this Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce, that I dip all my skewers into. Some delicious corn on the cob, seasoned by the honey...who is actually such a good cook...and opps...I totally forgot to shoot him as well. By the time we started grilling, the sun was setting, and I forgot to snap some pics...sorry my love. I pair everything with my favorite kale salad, seriously, if you've been to my house, you have probably had this a few times. It's a knock off recipe from my favorite restaurant True Foods, and the recipe is on my Pinterest board under, Recipes I've Tried...pure perfection. By the time we got to the strawberry shortcakes, (which is my fav summer dessert), it was way past Hartley's bedtime, so she totally missed out on this yummy creation...sorry love. However, that's why the food pics are so dark, because it was so late....we played too much, and my hubby took Hartley and our furry son, Oscar, swimming for a long time.
SHEIN RED DRESS / MARC FISHER WEDGES / CABANA LIFE TANKINI (ON SALE AND MATCHES MY BABIES) / TOP SHOP SHORTS / DIFF SUNNIES
HARTLEY: BOW / CABANA LIFE SWIMSUIT...COMES WITH MATCHING COVERUP (SO CUTE)
GRAYSON: BOW / CABANA LIFE RASHGUARD, SOLD OUT
FLOATIES: DONUT, FLAMINGO, PINEAPPLE
SKEWERS SIMILAR / SERVING PLATTER / RATTAN BASKET SIMILAR / DESSERT BOWLS
Of the three Ocean Spray® Mocktails, I loved the Bellini flavor the best...which was so perfect to start the day, because it was so hot, and it's so refreshing! The sangria was so tasty and spot on, just would be better in the evening, because it is a deeper, lovely taste. The tropical paradise, I drank with dinner, and most of the day, because sooo tasty, and super light as well. Hartley was just so obsessed with carrying around her little cup. Today, her fascination with ice cubes went on a whole new level...her day was made, clinging her cup to my glass, doing cheers, and enjoying the ice cubes...or dipping the end of the mocktail umbrella into the juice and licking it...ha! I absolutely love how she is so fascinated by the smallest things. It always grounds me even more, and makes me look even harder into the teeniest tiniest little joys in life. Love my girls, hubby and Oscar more than anything...even if you are only seeing us girls here today.
Loving this idea...so innovative, festive, and tasty! So much fun collaborating with Ocean Spray® Mocktails