Italian Sodas

Simple, refreshing and fun.

My girls recently tasked me with making Italian Sodas. I was rather surprised that they new what an Italian Soda was and even more surprised that they thought I was going to pull this off. Quickly I went to Google and Pinterest and did a little homework. I found many recipes and concepts so I took a few mental notes and headed to the market.

I picked up the following...

• 6 oz. Organic Raspberries
• 6 oz. Organic Blackberries
• Club Soda
• Organic Half and Half (Optional)
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Whipped Cream (optional)

Once I returned I quickly made the fruit syrups. In the blender I added 6 oz. of Raspberries, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of filtered water. On a Blendtec hit the "syrups" button, on all others blend on the highest setting for 60 seconds. All of the seeds should be gone and you should have a very smooth syrup  if you do not pour the mixture through a fine sieve. I did the same for the blackberries and then poured them into small mason jars for storage. These syrups should keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.

Next I broke out some glassware, ice, chilled club soda, half and half and a stirring utensil.

I'm using 8 oz glasses so first pour about 2 oz of your syrup into the bottom of the glass.

Add a scoop of ice. Around 2 -3 oz.

Add 3-4 oz of club soda.

Then top with about 1 oz. of half and half.

Stir, top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Note: Dairy products are optional, these can be omitted and the recipe can be adjusted accordingly. So is homemade syrup. There are plenty of quality premade syrups. Monin's are amongst my favorite.

Strawberry Bourbon Milkshake

Now all you're missing is your favorite cigar.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 4 scoops Ice Cream (Strawberry or Vanilla)
• 8-10 Frozen Strawberries

Layer ingredients in blender jar as listed. Press the "Ice crush/Milkshake" button on your Blendtec or somewhere around medium for about 25 seconds on other blenders. Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

Easy Dulce de Leche

This is too easy....

I am quite a Pinterest junkie here of lately and I am always finding cool things but I am often skeptical if the post yields what it says it does. The latest one that has peaked my interest is Caramel in a Can. Looks and sounds easy so I had to give it a try.

Things you'll need:

1 - 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 - Small pan of boiling water

1 - Lot of time

Normally I would buy Eagle Brand but I opted for the store brand because it was a traditional can and Eagle Brand had an easy open top that I figured would explode. Normal top good! Ingredients should be Milk and Sugar.

Fill your pan full of water and submerge your can of Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Set it on low and let it simmer for around 3 hours checking occasionally, turning the can and adding water as necessary. I forgot about mine and it ended up cooking for almost 4 hours. Apparently over cooking does not have any negative effects.

Remove from the heat and cool. If you are like me and you inner child says "Come on, come on, come on.... Let's open the can and taste it" then I suggest adding ice to the pan and at least getting the temp down below 120F. This way if any shoots out when you open it you won't get burned.

Once cool, open and enjoy!

Banana's Foster Milkshake

Modeled after one of the worlds finest dessert you're sure to love this delectable milkshake! 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp Butter (preferably real)
• 2/3 cup loose brown sugar
• 1 Banana
• 2 Tbsp Dark Rum (optional for flavor)
• 2 cups Ice
• 1 cup Milk
• 4-6 scoops Ice Cream

1. In a skillet over medium heat add the butter and brown sugar, stir until melted and combined.

2. Add banana and rum (if used) sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring often.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool while collecting the other ingredients and adding to them to the blender.

              4. In the blender layer milk, ice cream, contents of the skillet and ice.
            Ice may need to be adjusted depending on the temperature of your banana mixture.

5. Press the "Ice crush/Milkshake" button on your Blendtec or somewhere around medium for about 25 seconds on other blenders. Blend until smooth.

6. Fill your favorite glass and enjoy!

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