Watermelon just screams summer to me. When I think of the warm sunny days of summer I think of BBQs, beach and pool days, tan lines, and watermelon. SKYY® Vodka – a vodka born in San Francisco – celebrates my favorite all-American classic fruit with the release of SKYY Infusions® Sun-Ripened Watermelon. A refreshing, watermelon-infused vodka made with real fruit, SKYY’s latest sweet addition encapsulates the complex yet classic flavor of watermelon. So with the end of summer approaching I am sharing my two favorite SKYY Infusions Watermelon Vodka Cocktail recipes to celebrate the end of our sunny, long days.

And before you go all, "Hello? What's that Elisabeth? My early 20s called and wants its flavored vodka back???" I admit that, usually, when I think of flavored vodka I want to gag too. BUUUUT HANG ON WITH ME!!! This stuff actually doesn't taste like a girly jolly rancher. Since this is real-fruit infused vodka the flavors are elevated and bright (LIKE ME!) Ahem. So take a look at these recipes and thank me later. YOU INGRATES


WATERMELON SLUSHEE

Ingredients: (Makes two cocktails)
- 2 oz SKYY Infusions Watermelon
- ½ oz Coconut Water
- 2 oz Appleton Estate Rum
- ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ Fresh Lime Juice
- Watermelon Slice (for garnish)

Blend ingredients with ice. Top with watermelon garnish. Enjoy immediately.

WATERMELON GIMLET 

Ingredients: (Makes two cocktails)

My hilarious and equally sarcastic friend and fellow blogger-Ngoc, of Ngoc Is / San Jose Food Blog- is the chic to eat with. The girl knows good food. So for our birthdays this summer we treated ourselves to a very fancy little brunch at the delicious Terrain Café. This modern Italian restaurant is adjacent to Palo Alto's Anthropoligie in the Stanford Shopping Center. 

James Beard award-winning chef, Marc Vetri, has thoughtfully curated a farm-to-table style menu that makes every dish a delight. Their house-made sodas and specialty coffees were also a fun treat (I had the orange mocha nutella latte!). If you're looking for a fun girls' day I highly recommend a visit to Terrain Café with some shopping afterwards (not that I don't already give Anthropologie all my money...). 


Terrain Café
Stanford Shopping Center 
180 El Camino Real, Suite 1301 
Palo Alto, CA 94304
HOURS 
Brunch Daily: 10A-3P 
Mid-Day Wednesday-Sunday: 3P-5P 
Dinner Wednesday-Sunday: 5P-9P

Negroni Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

BITTERSWEET
16 E. MARTIN STREET,
RALEIGH, NC 27601
(919) 977-3829

HOURS:
Monday: 7am-4pm
Tuesday & Wednesday: 7am-12am
Thursday-Friday: 7am-2am
Saturday: 2pm-2am
Sunday: 2pm-12am

V

erve

• 2 tbsp Enjoy Life vegan butter 
• 2 ripe hachiya persimmon* 
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey 
• 1 tsp gingerbread or cinnamon seasoning  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts 
• 1 egg 
• 1 cup rice or gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp coconut or almond milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2+ cup whole walnuts (for decorating) 

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill) 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 cup pumpkin purée 
• 1/4 cup avocado oil 
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 cup mashed hachiya persimmon pulp (~3) or 1 cup peeled & cut fuyu persimmons (~3-4) 
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans & 3 tbsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare loaf tin: line parchment paper in tin that hangs over the edges.
2. Caramelize the pecans: in a non-stick pan, heat the pecans and brown sugar together until the brown sugar melts and coats the nuts (this not only makes them sweet but prevents them from sinking to the bottom of your bread).
3. In small bowl, mix together dry ingredients (gf flour and spices). 
4. In large bowl, beat together wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs, and persimmon pulp). Little by little mix dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Fold in caramelized pecans. 
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for ~45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   Tip: Enjoy with hot apple cider!