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Ginger Rogers Lemon Gin Cocktail


Ginger Rogers Lemon Gin Cocktail is the perfect summer drink. The weather is warming up and for us that means lots of great fresh fruit and veggies at our Farmer’s Market. I secretly find recipes with these tasty foods so I’ll have an excuse to go have a stroll around the market on Saturday morning. One of my favorite summer drinks is the Ginger Rogers. It’s cold and refreshing, perfect for any summer parties or lounging poolside.

Ginger Rogers Lemon Cocktail

Ingredients

  • gin – I recommend a good basic gin for this. No need to get fancy.
  • fresh lemon juice
  • ginger syrup – see instructions below* only takes minutes to make and will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The extra syrup is delicious in ice tea, lemonade or drizzled over fresh fruit!
  • ginger ale
  • fresh mint leaves

Step #1: Place the mint leaves and ginger syrup to your glass and using a muddler (or even the back of a spoon) gently press on the mint leaves to release their fragrance and oils… don’t mash!

Step #2: Pour in the lemon juice and gin and stir to combine and then add the ginger ale and stir once or twice to combine….

*Ginger Syrup

1/4 pound ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

First, bring ginger, sugar, and water to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then gently simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve and reserve ginger for another use (see cooks’ note, below), then cool to room temperature.

I’m beyond ready for our weather to turn warm and to hit the farmers market to get my lemons! If you are a fan of ginger lemonade, you are going to love this light cocktail with ginger ale, ginger syrup, lemon, and mint! Check out some more tips on throwing a great summer BBQ at my friend Misty’s page.

Did you know, this cocktail was named after the 1930s actress Ginger Rogers. How cool would it be to have a drink named after you? What would yours include?

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Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo will be the place to shake a tail feather when two family-friendly concert series return this summer. Zoolapalooza presented by Teddy Grahams and Animals and All That Jazz will offer 11 evenings of live music, specialty menus, extended Zoo hours and even more wild fun from mid-June through early August.

The Zoo’s concert season will kick off with Zoolapalooza, offering performances every Friday night from June 21 through July 26. Now in its ninth year, this popular series will feature a new band each week, including several returning Zoo favorites along with a few newcomers for six unique performances. Guests will enjoy a range of music styles, from rock classics to today’s pop hits plus R&B and even some bluegrass — all with a toe-tapping energy to get attendees out of their seats for a spin around the dance floor.

spring xZooberance at the Indianapolis Zoo

The 2019 Zoolapalooza series will feature:

June 21: The Band, etc. … June 28: Tim Brickley & THE LIST
July 5: Todd Harrold Quartet July 12: My Yellow Rickshaw
July 19: MIXTAPE July 26: Protocol

The smooth sounds of live jazz will keep visitors cool as the summer heats up. Offering a distinctly different music experience, the 32nd year of Animals and All That Jazz will begin July 4 and continue every Thursday through Aug. 1. One of the Zoo’s longest-running events, this series will showcase a diverse lineup of musicians from across the Midwest, covering jazz genres from classic to contemporary and smooth soul to blues, even blending in the more modern sounds of pop and R&B.

The 2019 Animals and All That Jazz series will include:

July 4: Tad Robinson July 11: Everett Greene
July 18: West Central Quartet July 25: Cowbell Jazz featuring Yvonne Allu
Aug. 1: Clint Breeze & the Groove

All performances will take place from 5:30-8:30pm under the Bicentennial Pavilion. Located near the Zoo’s entrance, this stunning space offers an open-air atmosphere as well as weather protection. A perfect place for attendees to relax for an evening of music, rain or shine.

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake
Check my review of the sloths here

Food

Enhancing the concert experience, each night will feature a new food menu, in addition to regular Zoo fare. Adults can also enjoy a cash bar as well as craft beer sampling from a rotating list of Midwest breweries. Beer sampling is provided by Zink Distributing. Tables and seating inside the Bicentennial Pavilion are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition to the music, there will be plenty of animal exhibits nearby and rides available until 7pm so that guests can enjoy the full Zoo experience without missing a beat.

Tickets

Summer concert events are free for Zoo members and included with regular admission, so visitors can stay late for the concerts after enjoying a full day at the Zoo. Guests can purchase discount tickets at Indiana Members Credit Union locations or by visiting IndianapolisZoo.com to plan their night out.

About the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo empowers people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation. Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. Visit IndianapolisZoo.com

More Fun at the Indianapolis Zoo:

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake
What’s New at Indianapolis ZooBoo?

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Road Trip Snacks for Kids

Road Trip Snacks for Kids- With summer underfoot we’re all planning where to go and who to see. One of my all time favorite memories growing up were the road trips that my family would take in the summer. We would take out the middle seat of our Astro Van and load in all the luggage, snacks, games and dog to head out on an adventure. My sister and I would take naps, play games, sing and have an awesome time while Mom and Dad navigated the way to our destination. We would mostly drive to see family in Michigan, Oklahoma or to camping trips. One year we drove to Disney World and that was especially memorable.

Road Trip Snacks for Kids

I’ve now continued on the tradition with my own family. First, with my husband and now with our daughter. One integral part of road tripping is choosing the right snacks. My husband and I always had our go-to snacks that were a requirement for any long ride. Mt. Dew and a Kit Kat for him and Sunkist and Almond Joy for myself (and likely a bag of pizza combos for substance). Now that we have a daughter adventuring with us, we need to think more logically about our nutrition and what will sustain us happily for our travels.

What I’ve learned, as a Mom to a four year old, is that if you ask them ‘what would you like to eat?’ the answer is always ‘McDonald’s with chocolate milk!’ This is why on our road trips we now bring along our snacks and there is not thinking about where to stop. The best thing ever is to prep the snacks at home so it’s a surprise when they open them on the ride. We like to put the snacks in a bento box or tackle box with little dividers so there are lots of options but not a ton of food. Best for clean up as well as multiple choices.

 

Road Trip Snacks for Kids

Road Trip Snacks for Kids

  • Popcorn (the Cousin Willie’s White Cheddar Popcorn is the best you’ll ever have)
  • Nuts (you can do a mixed nut or go fancy with the coco covered almonds)
  • Bananas (fruit is kind of hard to keep fresh but bananas are perfect because they come in their own container)
  • Trail Mix (we mix sunflower seeds, cranberries and chocolate chips)
  • Candy of their choice (we let her pick out one candy to take with on the trip so she’s not begging for treats every time she sees a billboard for ice cream)

On of the best parts about this is that there is no waste on the trip and no plastic waste from the purchase. The only waste is the popcorn bag. The rest of the snacks can all be purchased in bulk. If you’re joining the ‘Plastic Free July‘ challenge you can still travel and have snacks without plastic waste! What other snacks does your family bring with you on road trips? I’d love to know any tips you might have for smooth family travels as well!


This is not a sponsored post but there are affiliate links to my favorite snacks on Amazon. Photo credit goes to Upsplash.

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Summer Homeschool for your Preschooler

Summer Homeschool for your Preschooler- This year we’ve decided to homeschool Sophia for her last year before Kindergarten. This was a surprise to me because we started her in Montessori at 20 months and always thought it important for her to be in a school based program during the school years leading up to public school.

Summer School for your Preschooler Letter Activities

For our family, with having the baby in under a month, we decided the best option for the cost as well as our happiness would be for me to teach Sophia. I never saw myself in an educator’s roll. My husband had wanted me to homeschool her through elementary and I remember laughing at him. I wanted to be her Mom, not her teacher. Also, I was never very patient with learning tough subjects and envisioned myself getting impatient with her frustration. Thankfully I’m confident I can handle the Pre-K level with patience and fun!

Last year we worked on her letters. She was 3 then and knew her letters but was not familiar with the phonics of each or how to write them all. We worked on one letter per day. Our first activity of the day was always discussing the day of the week and what the weather looked like. From there we spent around an hour on a worksheet, coloring a letter banner and making a letter craft. She loved it. She asked to do the letters on the weekends. We worked on pointing out foods, places and objects that started with our letter throughout the day. She would get excited when she would figure one out on her own (I was equally excited).

Summer School for your Preschooler Letter Activities

Summer School for your Preschooler Letter Activities

Summer Homeschool for Your Preschooler

After attending the Children’s Museum for a year of Pre-K she now knows all of her letters and is beginning her interest in (very beginning) reading and numbers. I did not want to overload her with schooling over the summer but wanted to keep her interested in learning. I started by purchasing the Moffatt Girls Summer No Prep Packet to have a base for the in between days. We just work on one worksheet a day on days that I don’t have something planned. Thankfully, Sophia has been requesting subjects to learn and I’ve easily been able to find resources and activities on Pinterest related to those subjects. For example, the first week we worked on the life cycle of a plant because our garden had started to grow and she’s been very interested in helping me water the flowers. She also helps me fill the bird feeder and had said she wanted to learn more about birds so I found these worksheets, we found lots of bird books at the library and made a craft. Fridays are always our craft day and the other days we have school at home.

There isn’t a ton of time left before the baby is born so I’ve only been focusing on a ton of reading and a worksheet unless she asks to learn about a specific subject. Giving her as much of my time before the baby comes is most important right now. We’ve also been doing some tracing and some pretend play with Let’s Play School’s materials. She has a great pretend play bundle you can buy and incorporate in as much education as you’d like.

Let me know what you do over the summers to keep your kids interested in learning. I’d love to know what tips you have for a smooth back to school as well!

I am not affiliated with any of the links above. I genuinely love them and encourage you to check them out. 

Other related posts:

Summer Schedule for Your Preschooler

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Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo- Featuring everything from modern hits to classic favorites, the music of Zoolapalooza will have guests young and old dancing their way into the weekend.

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo

Now in its eighth year, the Indianapolis Zoo has extended this family-friendly concert series to six weeks, offering performances every Friday night from June 15 through July 20. Live music by some of the area’s top bands will play from 5:30 to 8:30pm in the Bicentennial Pavilion. Located near the front of the Zoo, this stunning space offers both an open-air atmosphere as well as protection from the weather — a perfect place for concert goers to relax for an evening of fun and music, rain or shine.

Plus, with plenty of animal exhibits nearby and rides available until 7pm, guests can enjoy the full Zoo experience without missing a beat.

In addition to regular Zoo fare, each concert will feature different specialty food stations. Adults can also enjoy a cash bar as well as samples of craft beers from a rotating list of local breweries. Tables and seating inside the Bicentennial Pavilion are available to guests on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo at Zoolapalooza

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo at Zoolapalooza

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo

This year’s Zoolapalooza series features:

June 15: Jennie DeVoe
A talented artist who’s a favorite among Zoo audiences, DeVoe is an original singer and song-writer whose music is inspired by blues, soul, hippie, funk, roots and acoustic genres.
• Menu: Southern-fried catfish, farm-to-table salad bar and lemon berry cream cake
• Beer sampling: Sun King Brewery and Rhinegeist Brewery

June 22: 3 to 1
This multi-talented group will have guests of all ages up on their feet and grooving to the beat of familiar tunes played in an innovative way.
• Menu: Build-your-own mac and cheese bowl, farm-to-table salad bar and ice cream sundae
• Beer sampling: Upland Brewing Co. and Deer Creek Brewery

June 29: Groove Essential
This six-person group brings high levels of energy into their performances, putting a unique vocal spin on everything from the greatest to the latest hits.
• Menu: Indiana pork tenderloin, farm-to-table salad bar and sugar cream pie
• Beer sampling: Uinta Brewing

July 6: MIXTAPE
This party band brings the best of the 1990s to the stage with a fun, energetic vibe that will have guests smiling and dancing all night long.
• Menu: Create-your-own Pan-Asian take-out box, farm-to-table salad bar and cheesecake
• Beer Sampling: TwoDEEP Brewing Co.

July 13: Living Proof
With a hit list that spans more than five decades, this familiar band will keep concert goers on their feet with a blend of pop, dance and R&B tunes.
• Menu: Customizable tacos, farm-to-table salad bar and tres leches cake
• Beer Sampling: TwoDEEP Brewing Co.

July 20: Protocol
Their combination of six seasoned musicians features strong vocals and great harmonies for a diverse blend of pop, R&B, smooth jazz, top 40 hits and more.
• Menu: Fried chicken, farm-to-table salad bar and ice cream cookie sandwich
• Beer Sampling: Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co.

Zoolapalooza events are free for Zoo members and included with regular admission, so visitors can stay late for the concerts after enjoying a full day at the Zoo. Guests can purchase discount tickets at Indiana Members Credit Union locations. Advance tickets are also available at IndianapolisZoo.com

# # #

About the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo empowers people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation. Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. Visit IndianapolisZoo.com

Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo at Zoolapalooza

Photo Credit: Indianapolis Zoo

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