Thursday, December 26, 2013

Break out the Bubbly & Ring in the New Year with Skinnygirl® Cocktails


New Year's Eve is just around the corner, so let Skinnygirl® Cocktails help you celebrate in style with cocktail recipes and fun appetizers for a night to remember.
No other drink complements a New Year’s Eve celebration quite like some bubbly.  So this year, effortlessly add a little sparkle to your party with the newest sparkling wine option from Skinnygirl® Cocktails, the seasonal Skinnygirl™ Prosecco! This limited-time, holiday offering from the go-to low-calorie spirits brand is perfect for toasting to new beginnings. 
Bring some bottles of Skinnygirl™ Prosecco to your celebration, and you won’t need to worry about your waistline.  At just 100 calories per serving, you won’t be counting calories— just counting down to midnight
Let Skinnygirl® Cocktails help you ring in the New Year with these memorable cocktail recipes—





Berry New Beginnings
4 parts cran-raspberry juice
2 parts Skinnygirl™ Bare Naked Vodka
1/4 part fresh lime juice
Raspberries (for garnish)
Rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
Edible green with a red stem, such as a beet leaf (for garnish)

Preparation
In a shaker filled with ice, shake together the juice and vodka. Add the lime juice. Serve on the rocks. Garnish with raspberries, fresh rosemary sprigs, and a beet leaf.

Blushing Bubbly
3 parts Skinnygirl™ Prosecco, chilled
1 part grapefruit juice, chilled 
1 part cranberry juice 
1 part ginger ale
Grapefruit slice for garnish
                                                                   
Preparation
Mix all juice ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Top with Skinnygirl™ Prosecco and ginger ale.
Garnish with grapefruit slice and enjoy!

Cranberry Cosmo Countdown
1 ½ parts Skinnygirl™ Bare Naked Vodka
2 parts cranberry juice
½ part fresh lime juice
½ part DeKuyper Triple Sec

Preparation
Pour over ice and garnish with a lime twist. 


Midnight Kiss
1 part Skinnygirl™ White Cherry Vodka
2 parts Skinnygirl™ Prosecco
Frozen cherry

Preparation
Pour champagne into flute, top with vodka and garnish with one frozen cherry.


White Cherry Sparkler
1 part Skinnygirl™ White Cherry Vodka
1 part Skinnygirl™ Prosecco
4 parts cranberry juice
Ice

Preparation
Combine vodka, cranberry juice, and ice in a martini glass.  Top with Prosecco and enjoy! 

Create some fun memories and new traditions as you welcome the New Year with Skinnygirl® Cocktails!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites


MMM! I just made up these delightful little holiday treats and they are soooo good!

Here's what you need to create your own 
Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites 
(they're gluten-free, too!):

3 Bananas, peeled and mashed
2 crushed Candy Canes
1/2 cup Vegan White Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
2-1/2 cups Gluten-Free Oats
1/3 cup Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Shredded Coconut Flakes
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 big pinches (that's a real baking term ;)) sea salt crystals

Smash the bananas, coconut oil, and peanut butter in a small bowl then add to the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
Crush the candy canes into pieces and mix them into your batter.

Roll into small balls and place on a lightly-greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.
Enjoy!



Monday, December 9, 2013

Bake Some Holiday Cheer into Your Cookies with Recipes Inspired by Skinnygirl® Cocktails!


What better way to enjoy the holiday than by adding some spirit to your favorite seasonal treats?!


Skinnygirl® Cocktails would love to share some merry cookie recipes from Skinnygirl Insider Lauren Kelly to pair with our new wine varietals for a guilt-free way to enjoy this season. With a few simple substitutions, these cookies allow you to spend less time worrying about your waistline and more time spreading holiday cheer!
  • Red Velvet Cookie Cups with Skinnygirl™ Prosecco Buttercream Frosting –This cookie cup recipe provides an updated twist on the popular red velvet.  And buttercream frosting made with Skinnygirl™ Prosecco is the perfect ornament to dress up this treat. 
  • Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies – By swapping white sugar for turbinado sugar, this recipe calls for less sugar and less calories!  Hold the milk - the touch of warm chocolate in Skinnygirl™ Cabernet Sauvignon provides the perfect cookie-beverage complement.
  • Pistachio Cookies –Greek yogurt and avocado replace butter and make for a lighter cookie. Pair this cookie with the crisp, rich fruit flavors of Skinnygirl™ Chardonnay
       
Whether baking with family or toasting to your holiday hostess, these delicious cookie recipes and Skinnygirl wine pairings will make your holiday season merry and bright.

Recipes:


Red Velvet Cookie Cups with Skinnygirl™ Prosecco Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies:
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup beet puree
  • 1/3 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Frosting:
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons Skinnygirl™ Prosecco
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 4 dozen mini muffin tins with baking spray or grease with coconut oil.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together sugars, maple syrup and coconut oil until blended.  Add beets, cacao, vinegar, vanilla and salt.  Stir to combine.
  3. Add flour and baking powder.  Stir to combine again, being careful not to over mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until edges are light brown.
  5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
  6. While cookies are cooling, mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Spread onto cooled cookie cups. 
*Makes 4 dozen cookie cups


Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flax or wheat germ
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking or old-fashioned (not instant)
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 dried cranberries (no sugar added)
*2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts optional
Directions
  1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F.
  2. Whisk flour, flax or wheat germ, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and ground ginger in a small bowl. Whisk egg, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla in a large bowl.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine. Add oats and stir again. Add chocolate, cranberries and macadamia nuts if using them; stir just to combine. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1 ½inches apart. (FYI- dough will be thick).
  4. Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden around the edges, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1⁄2 cup ripe avocado, mashed
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ¾ cups chopped pistachios
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, cream the butter, avocado, and sugars together until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla, and egg.  Mix well.
  3. Add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time to the Greek yogurt combination. Mix until combined; do not over-mix.
  1. Fold in the pistachios. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased nonstick baking tray.
  2. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
  3. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
        *Makes 4 dozen cookies
**Recipes courtesy of Skinnygirl® Cocktails

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

REVIEW: Skinnygirl Sparklers



The latest Skinnygirl creations are here... and they are DELIGHTFUL! 

(See??)

Skinnygirl Sparklers are non-alcoholic drinks combining sparkling water and real fruit juice. They come in four delicious flavors: Pineapple Coconut, Tangerine Mango, Strawberry Lemonade, and Pink Grapefruit. 

Each flavored seltzer is more delicious than the other, and it is really hard for me to pick a favorite because they're all so fizzy and flavorful.



Look for Skinnygirl Sparklers wherever AriZona Beverages are sold! Until they're everywhere, though, you can order them online here (use discount code ILUVAZ for 20% off your first order!).