• 1 1/2 liters lambrusco or 1 1/2 liters other sweet red wine
• 1 cup brandy
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans Sprite
• 1 large orange, sliced into rounds
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into rounds
• 2 cups mixed berries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries

During the summer, cool refreshing mixed drinks by the pool are a must. Here are a few easy tips to help you out with your drinks:

1. Instead of using ice cubes, try freezing certain ingredients. I'm from Florida, during the summer ice cubes melt fast!!! Nobody likes a watery drink, by freezing parts of the drink you keep it cold and as they melt you get more flavor instead of more water. If you are making sangria, try freezing half of the fruit before you put it in. You can easily freeze your lemon or lime slices and add to any drink to keep it cool. Freeze herbs or vegetables for less sweet beverages. This will also help your ingredients last longer.

2. So many drinks call for a simple syrup. They also usually call for a carbonated water such as seltzer or tonic or club soda. While it is very simple to make a simple syrup, why not cut out another step and extra ingredient. Try using sprite or some kind of lemon lime soda. It adds sweetness, carbonation, and a crisp refreshing citrus flavor.

3. Making iced tea? Don't bother boiling water. Get a sealable pitcher. Add some water, tea bags, sugar if you wish, and set it in the sun for a few hours. Saves on electricity and steeps it slowly so you don't over-do it and get that bitter taste. Then just add some ice and some frozen citrus rounds and you are good to go.

4. Invest in a pretty new pitcher. A lot of them are coming out that have a spout and rest on top of a small box that you can fill with ice. That way it stays cool and you don't water it down.

5. Keep your liquid ingredients cold as well. Hard liquors such as tequila, vodka, and rum can be kept in the freezer. They will stay very cold and won't freeze.

6. Add the alcohol to drinks last, that way you can serve non-alcoholic drinks first over some sprite to give your guests more options. Then add the alcohol for everyone else.

7. When making frozen drinks, use ice chips or crushed ice to speed things up. It's also easier on your blender.

8. When using herbs, if you don't want them floating around and getting stuck in your teeth. Muddle in the liquor and let steep for a little bit, then strain the leaves out. Or if you are making a lot of drinks and are planning in advance. Add the herbs to the bottle of liquor ahead of time. You can still put the liquor in the freezer and let the flavors mix together.

One of my favorite things to do is make different foods from my heritage. Today, I went with my German background and decided to make spaetzle. Spaetzle is similar to a noodle or dumpling. Very simple, but delicious and can be used in so many different preparations.


Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup milk (Or water, milk just makes it creamier and adds more flavor.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of white pepper (Black pepper can be used if you don't have white, the only reason I use it is because it blends in so well and you don't even realize there is pepper in it.)
• pinch of nutmeg (Did you know? A pinch or a dash is approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.)
• water, for boiling
• 2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions


Combine eggs, flour, and milk. Add seasonings to taste. Mixture will be thick. Bring salted water to a boil. Using a spaetzle maker (colander, a spoon with holes, or anything you have in the kitchen that has holes in it) press the mixture through the holes into boiling water. Do this in small portions and boil until they float to the top. Then, remove them using a slotted spoon draining off as much water as possible.


In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Saute spaetzle to get some extra flavor and color. Throw some garlic or onions into the butter as well for some extra flavor.

• 1 lb. bacon, diced (You can use any flavor or brand you wish, I prefer thick cut. DO NOT use turkey bacon!!! Yes, it is healthier, but the purpose of the bacon in this dish is the fat that cooks off. Turkey bacon only contains about 3% fat at the most, so it will all cook off and you will have no left over fat.)
• 1 lb. chicken breast,cooked and chopped (I bake the chicken, covered in spices to add flavor. Chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cajun seasonings.)
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (Green bell peppers can be substituted to save money.)
• 2 medium vidalia onions, diced (Any onions would work, personally with all of this spice and heat, I love adding something sweet to add more flavor components.)
• 6 ears of bi-colored corn (Frozen can be used, but NEVER use canned! If you can get fresh corn on the cob, you will not regret it! In Florida, fresh corn is easy to come by and incredibly cheap. Boil water with a generous sprinkle of salt and any spicy flavors you wish. Add the corn to the boiling water and cook for no more than 5 minutes then turn it off and let it cool. Then slice off the kernels and reserve. NOTE: After the kernels have been removed, using the back of your knife scrape out the remaining membrane and add to the kernels. This will help add a creamier texture and also thicken the soup a little more.)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 small jalapenos, seeded and diced
• 4 red potatoes, washed and diced (Soak the red potatoes in water while you prepare the rest of your vegetables. Then drain off the water, this will remove a lot of the starch.)
• 64 ounces chicken stock (If using store bought, always make sure to buy the low sodium! The regular stock or broth is pure salt and that is pretty much the only flavor in it.)
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream (If you would like to try cutting calories, you can always substitute milk for part of the cream. You should use at least part cream as this has a ton of flavor and also thickens the soup.)
• salt
• pepper
• chili powder
• cayenne pepper
• paprika

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• 2 packages small corn tortilla shells
• 2 limes
• butter, melted (I used spray cooking butter since it is easier)
• salt

• 6-8 roma tomatoes, chopped (you can use any tomato you prefer, or whatever is cheaper...I prefer roma for salsa)
• 12 ounce bag of frozen corn, defrosted
• 1/2 pound fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 medium vidalia onion, diced (again, any onion, I just prefer the sweet onions)
• 1-2 jalapenos, diced (depending on how spicy you like things)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 1-2 limes