Summer Guilty Pleasures - S'mores and a Spritzer

My summer guilty pleasures - wine and sweets. Really they are my guilty pleasures all year round, but today I am making them summer style.

What is the first summer treat that comes to mind? S’mores by the campfire is what I think of. Well there are times where I what those flavors, but don’t have a fire going. This idea was developed to fill that gap - Inside Out S’mores. I have never claimed to eat healthy and high quality food all the time. My goal is to try to make healthy high quality food choices 85% of the time. These s’mores definitely fit in the other 15%. Everyone needs a guilty pleasure occasionally right?

Some tips for making these Inside Out S’mores.
The first time I made these I used the large marshmallows, but prefer the small ones because they don’t bleed out the side of the graham cracker as much. Also, if you have kids, friends, spouse, anyone really, these are much easier to make with a little assembly line because you have to move fast with the chocolate and marshmallows. Here goes...

Inside Out S’mores

Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Dipping chocolate

Split the graham crackers into the pre-cut sections.

Melt marshmallows a few at a time by microwaving 15 seconds. Smash marshmallow(s) in between two graham crackers pieces. If using the small variety of marshmallows, three works great. If you are using the large ones, you will probably need a knife to cut the extra marshmallow that extends out the side of the graham cracker. 

Try to keep the graham cracker tightly squeezed and dip half in melted chocolate. They will tend to want to fan open, which is fine, but the more you can press them down the more even they will firm up. 

Let them firm up in the refrigerator on some wax paper.

Better Bonus Tip: If you are feeling adventurous, make all different types. Add some of your favorite candy crushed up, chopped nuts, coconut. This time, I did half traditionally with just chocolate and half with sprinkled coconut. The coconut ones disappeared much faster in my house!

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Onto my second guilty pleasure. For those of you that know me, you know my cocktail of choice is wine. I made this drink earlier this summer when we had some friends over and it was delicious. It is a sangria meets mojito. Perfect refreshing drink on a hot summer evening!

Wine Spritzer

Ingredients:
White wine (I prefer pinot grigio)
Club soda
Fresh and frozen fruit - any variety (I prefer some frozen because it acts as ice cubes)
Fresh mint leaves
Lime
Sugar

Add 1 tsp sugar and a few mint leaves to the bottom of your glass. I like using mason jars for a different fun summer time drink. Slice your lime into four wedges. Use one wedge per drink and squirt the juice into the bottom of the glass with your sugar and mint. Use a muddler to mix and incorporate the flavors together.

Better Bonus Tip: If you don’t have a muddler, use a wooden spoon.  

Next, add your fruit. I used frozen raspberries and peaches and fresh quartered strawberries. 

Now for the liquid. Fill your glass ¾ with wine and ¼ with soda. The soda is great, because it is a neutral flavor but gives great bubbly carbonation. Give it a stir and drink up!

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?


~Ashley