Cantaloupe Smoothie

I don’t know why I haven’t ever used cantaloupe for a smoothie before. I tend to go for berries but switching up the fruits are important! Mr. J isn’t that into fruit, but he likes cantaloupe so after he did all the hard work of cutting it up and storing it in the fridge, I helped myself to some in a smoothie.

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The flavor is so delicate, so I wanted to pair it with a fruit that wouldn’t overpower it. Also, I still have TONS of frozen pears in the freezer thanks to a generous host of a fall pear-picking-party who doesn’t even like pears.

Ingredients:
1+ cups of cantaloupe
1 cup of frozen pears
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tbs milk
1-2 tbs flax seed

Directions:
Add the fruit & yogurt into a blender
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
Add in the yogurt, a splash of milk, and flax seed.
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
Blend and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
The flaxseed + light colored fruits makes for more of a murky-colored smoothie, but it was lovely and a great way to use a melon before it gets too squishy. Swapping the milk for some orange juice would wake this up a bit, though I liked the subtle flavors. The flaxseed doesn’t add any flavor or taste. It is just a good source of fiber, possible source to lower cholesterol and helps heart health in general.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

I saw nutella hot chocolate on A Beautiful Mess and I wanted it instantly. I mean, who doesn’t need to jack up the cost of their hot chocolate cup by 300%? It tastes different than regular old hot chocolate. It is definitely special and not for the everyday.

The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

Adapted from A Beautiful Mess (for 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup nutella
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:

Warm milk and cream in a saucepan over low.
Add in the nutella, cinnamon, and salt.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Hot Chocolate
Gently whisk to combine.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Hot Chocolate
Serve and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Hot Chocolate
I know the holidays are decadent enough on their own but this is perfect for the post-holiday no-man’s land between Christmas and New Years or if a weeknight needs a pick-me-up or the no-bake option for dessert.

Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie

I grabbed a few stocks of rhubarb at the farmer’s market and I was thinking of a smoothie since I never use cooked fruit in a smoothie. I think the rhubarb cost me all of $1 buck. It was good for some true summer flavors.

Ingredients:

4 stocks of rhubarb
3 tbs sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup strawberries, chopped and frozen
1 cup strawberry yogurt
splash of water/milk/juice

Directions:

Chop rhubarb into small pieces and cook over medium heat with sugar and water.
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie - The Three Bite Rule
Cook 3-5 minutes until rhubarb is soft and cooked down.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie - The Three Bite Rule
Blend together rhubarb, strawberries, yogurt, and a splash of water.
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie - The Three Bite Rule
Add more water/milk/juice if it is too thick.
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie - The Three Bite Rule

I liked this one. It was more work than my usual smoothie, but it was so good. It reminded me of dessert! I cooked the rhubarb the night before so it really wasn’t a ton of work the morning-of.

Blueberry Lemonade

I bought a pretty hefty container of blueberries and decided to make a syrup with some of it. I may have been a bit over eager with the quantity I thought I could eat. I mean, a lot of little berries fit in the big package!
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs honey
1/4 cup water
lemonade
soda water

Directions:

In a small saucepan, cook blueberries, sugar, honey, and water over medium-low heat.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
Gently mash the blueberries while stirring occasionally. Bring to a low boil.
Let cool to room temperature.
Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Gently press any remaining liquid out of the remaining skin.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour until cool.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
Fill a glass with ice and fill half way with lemonade.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
Add another 1/4 full of soda water, then 2-3 tbs blueberry syrup.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
Add in a few blueberries and a straw. Voila!

It was good. The bubble addition isn’t necessary, but it did add some spunk. I used crystal light lemonade which is sweeter than tart. The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade
suggested serving adaptations:
over pancakes
into smoothies
in sangria/cocktails
over ice cream
into yogurt
with berries on a cheese plate

Instant Sangria

I’m no mixologist, but this on-the-spot sangria was excellent. I love sangria and have really only made it in big batches so I wanted to see about perfect my by-the-glass sangria.

I turned Mr. J onto sangria in Barcelona which also ended up being a gentle introduction to wine…
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My motivation for by the glass sangria was that it needed to be ready on the spot, without needing all day to mellow. I also figured it would be a great use for some open wine that I didn’t like. I started simply so it could be recreated. I didn’t know if I’d need to make tweaks for next time, but I liked this as-is.

Ingredients: (quantities per glass)

4 oz red wine
1/2 shot limoncello
1/2 shot triple sec
splash of orange juice
optional: ice cubes of orange juice & grenadine

Directions:

Optional: make some ice cubes of orange juice & grenadine.
The Three Bite Rule - Instant Sangria
Add wine, ice cubes, lemoncello, triple sec, and a shot of orange juice into a shaker.
The Three Bite Rule - Instant Sangria
Shake, shake, shake,
Serve & enjoy.
The Three Bite Rule - Instant Sangria
I do not like merlot. Merlot made me think I didn’t like red wine actually. Au contraire my friends. This huuuge bottle is making its way into lots of things I cook and then into this stellar sangria.

I loved this. I think the lemon liquor with the orange liquor with the orange juice was spot-on. It definitely had a kick so I let the cubes melt a touch and it was perfect. It sure made for a happy Sunday!

Some of my other favorite sangrias include:
apple cider sangria
Apple Cider Sangria

strawberry basil sangria
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mixed berry sangria
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any sangria tips for me?