Homemade Cherry Orange Soda Pop Syrup

Homemade Cherry Orange Soda is light, refreshing and perfect for sipping. It comes together with only a few ingredients to make a gourmet soda that you won't be able to get enough of.

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We have a  Drink Mate in the kitchen and I vowed to put it to use this summer. I made a delicious Strawberry Peach Soda recipe a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to make more fizzy drinks.  The neighborhood kids were more than happy to be my taste testers, so I started experimenting.

This is such an easy homemade soda pop recipe. If you are not using a soda machine like the drink mate or soda stream, you can make this work with club soda.

Supplies:

1 orange

1/2 pound of pitted fresh cherries

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Mesh Strainer

Directions:

Combine fruit, water and sugar in a saucepan.

Over medium heat bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and allow the fruit syrup to simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour through a mesh strainer.

Allow the syrup to cool.

Discard fruit (This is wonderful over ice cream if you are so inclined.)

Soda directions:

Carbonate filtered water.
Add 2 ounces of cherry orange syrup per 8 ounces of carbonated water (or club soda) to ice.

If you want a stronger, sweeter soda increase the syrup from 2 to 3 ounces.

My family loved this. The kids liked the sweet, juicy, bubbly flavor. I loved that it was a caffeine free option and that I know what is in it, and that I can control the sweetness of this soda.

I served this on a hot day, with lots of ice. My husband mixed a little vodka into his and declared it to taste like summer should.

If your family loves this, next time double or triple the batch for the syrup. You can store it in a mason jar in the fridge for a few weeks.

When pitting your cherries, a cherry pitter is a handy tool to have. If not you can find other ways to get the job done. I sliced mine in half to make smashing the fruit even easier.

If you liked this cherry orange soda recipe you won't want to miss my Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda.

You might also like 12 Homemade Soda recipes.

11 Truffles to Make

The path to my heart is paved with decadent things; soft pillows, sweet smelling flowers,  a warm animal to pet and truffles are a few of the things that can turn me to a puddle of mush!

This holiday season I have intentions to make and share some amazing truffles with my friends and family. You know what they say about intentions, so it is debatable whether my truffles will actually be shared, or if I will over indulge and then act like I didn't make any... HA!

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I found some amazing truffle recipes that sound fantastic! I can't decide if I should make one, two, or all of them!

Fudge Round Truffles by Shaken Together Life
Oreo Buckeye Truffles by Baking Beauty
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Truffles by Kleinworth & Co
Pumpkin Cookie Truffles by Club Chica Circle
Dulche De Leche Truffles by Thrifty Diva
Mudball Truffles by Creations by Kara
Red Velvet Truffles by Create Craft Love
Mint Oreo Truffles by Simplistically Living
Brazilian Coconut Truffles by DIY Candy
Milk Chocolate Truffles by Savory Experiments
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by Who Needs a Cape


Which of these sound the best to you? If you have a favorite truffle recipe please give me the scoop in a comment!

Cement Spoon Garden Markers

This easy cement spoon garden marker project is perfect for beginners and adds a nice touch to your outdoor area.

I love to make things with cement. From coasters to mushrooms and even a cake stand! I ran across a silicone spoon mold and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Garden Markers. 

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While working with cement seems like it might be hard, it is surprisingly easy to work with and there are so many possibilities for what you can do with concrete mix. 

I am not much of a gardener. I have tried in the past, but usually bite off more than I can chew and reduce the rate of success for my garden. This year I decided to give it a go and try to grow a small garden that mixed flowers and vegetables. I got some of these little plaques to label my plants, but they were ugly.

These cement spoon markers were just what I needed to add some character to the scene.

Supplies:

Silicone molds
1/2 cup of cement mix; I prefer portland cement.
1/3 cup of water
Chalkboard Paint

Directions:

Mix the cement and water until it is smooth.
Pour the cement into the silicone mold.
Place in the sun and allow to dry for 6 hours.
Remove the spoons from the mold carefully to avoid breaking them.
Paint with chalkboard paint and allow to dry.

I used a chalk paint pen to label the cement spoon garden markers.

You can find all of my DIY projects here

Cement Projects

Sensory Party in a Bag

Sensory play doesn't have to be complicated or messy to be fun! This sensory party in a bag is the perfect way to engage little hands without a mess, or a lot of complicated supplies.

We love sensory play! When Rolfie was a little boy we discovered the world of sensory bins and have never looked back.

I used to think that sensory play had to be complicated to be fun. After about 7 years of making bins and finding way to engage the senses via play, I realized that sometimes less is more.

This sensory party in a bag is a great example. Sometimes when the kids are overwhelmed by their emotions I like to pull out some basic supplies and create an invitation to unwind.  Summer break can be rough, especially if you are stuck with your sibling all day long. After a day of arguing, I surveyed my craft cabinet and pulled out some simple supplies to create this easy sensory bag. It gave both kids a chance to take a break from each other and get their selves together.

Supplies:
Baby oil gel
A zipper seal bag
Dyed rice
Confetti

Directions:

Pour about 2 tablespoons of baby oil gel into a zipper seal bag.

Add a handful of dyed rice to the bag.

Add some confetti.

Seal.

*If your child has "rough hands" you might wish to reinforce the bag with duct tape along all 4 sides to keep it mess free.*

Invite your child to squish the bag and take a few moments to enjoy the cool sensation of the gel in the bag with the texture of the rice, as well as the visual appeal of the sensory party in a bag.

You can find all of my sensory play ideas here.

Reader favorites include:

Birthday Cake Sensory Bin

Sushi Bin

Jalapeno Popper Biscuit

Jalapeno Popper Biscuits are like the best of both worlds! Fluffy bread and creamy jalapeno poppers combined into one awesome starter that you will serve time and time again!

Jalapenos become a big part of my diet in the summer! I visit the farmers market every week, and how can you resist buying a basket of peppers for $1? I am always looking for unique ways to use them up. I had a can of refrigerated biscuits and the idea of cheesy, spicy bread lured me in!

This recipe is so easy. Seriously! So, easy! It has all of the flavor of bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, with a tasty, flaky crust!

Ingredients

1 can of refrigerated biscuits

5 jalapenos, chopped

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/4 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Flatten the biscuit dough, with a rolling pin into  4 or 5 inch circles.

In a small mixing bowl combine the peppers, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.

Fill the center of the dough circles with the cheese mixture, use a generous spoonful for each biscuit.

Fold the remaining dough round around the filling. 

Sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or golden brown.

Find more Jalapeno recipes here

Reader favorites include:
Loaded Jalapeno BitesJalapeno Popper Dip