Spiked Popsicles...'nuf said

So many of us are suffering through this insane heat.  Whether you are facing high temps, humidity or both, there is no denying that being outside is a little miserable.

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I find the best ways to beat the heat is with an icy treat or a cocktail.  So I decided to combine my two heat seeking weapons and make some spiked Popsicles.

Here is how you can do this at home.

Ingredients
3 cups of your fave juice
2 oz. of alcohol
*If you feel fancy you can toss in fruit or herbs

1. In a pitcher mix the juices together.  Then pour it into a popsicle mold.
*Don't have a Popsicle mold, use small paper cups and fruit.  One you've filled the cup, put a thin slice of lemon, lime or orange on the bottom and put the stick through that. 
**Don't have fruit slices, cover the cups with plastic wrap and poke a hole over each cup, then slide the stick into the cup.

2. If you are adding fruit or herbs, wait about an hour until the juice has partially set.  This will keep the add ins from sinking to the bottom.

3. Wait until the pops have fully set and enjoy!

This is one of the easiest recipes to take one and it's perfect for any party.  It's also a great way to get creative with flavors. Below are some fool proof combinations for you to consider when it comes time to mix it up...

Rum in coconut water with pineapple
Berry Vodka with cherry juice and cherries
Lemon vodka with lime juice and seltzer water (this is SOOOO refreshing)
Orange vodka with pineapple juice and strawberries

Keep it Simple...Syrup style

Starwberrey basil simple syrup

Something about summer begs to have a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella in it.  Many of these drinks have one thing in common.  No, it's not a excessive fruit garnish, it's simple syrup. 
I've spoken with a lot of bartenders and it seems all the good ones are making their own simple syrup, so i assumed it was sarcastically simple, like how how you call a big guy tiny.  Then I had dinner with my sister and one of her friends and i realized, it's actually really simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 parts sugar
• 1 part water

Preparation:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. (Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick.)
4. Allow to cool completely and thicken, then bottle.

Fun extras-
You can flavor the simple syrup by adding fresh herbs to the syrups while it's cooling before you bottle it. I added strawberries and basil to mine to make strawberry basil lemonade.

 To prolong the shelf life of your simple syrup, add a little vodka (you'll probably do that anyway) - usually between a tablespoon and an ounce, depending on how large the batch of syrup is.