Hot Buttered Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 16 ounce bottle apple cider
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

1. In crock pot over low heat, cook apple cider with maple syrup for 20 minutes or until steaming hot.

2. In a small bowl, combine butter, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well.

3. Pour cider into mugs and top with a teaspoon of spice butter.

Makes 8 servings

Watermelon Limeade

Ingredients

8 Cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed (or 1 quart watermelon juice)
1 Cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 Cup sugar, or more to taste
lime slices, for garnish
mint springs, for garnish

Preparation

1. Place half of the watermelon cubes in a blender and process until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl; discard the solids. Repeat with the remaining watermelon cubes. (You should have about 1 quart of watermelon juice.)

2. Add the lime juice and sugar to the watermelon juice, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste, and add more sugar if necessary. Transfer the limeade to a nonreactive pitcher and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

3. Serve over ice in tumblers, with lime slices and mint springs for garnish.

Makes 5 cups (4-6 servings)

Old Fashioned Pink Lemonade

Ingredients

1 cup sugar 

4 cups water (divided)

1 cup cranberry juice

1 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons squeezed)

• Make a "simple syrup" by heating sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
• Stir together the remaining water, cranberry juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Make adjustments to taste. Chill for an hour, or add ice to cool.

Makes 6 servings.