• 8 ounces ginger beer
• 4 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces Cheribundi
• juice of two limes

Mix all the ingredients together and serve over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and a cherry.

Surfer Sunrise

Summer might be winding down, but we still have one last summer holiday to look forward to this season. So send off summer the right way by whipping together this delicious Labor Day cocktail created by celebrity caterer Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs.

Ingredients:

1 oz Raspberry Vodka

1 oz Tequila

1 oz Orange Juice

1 splash of Grenadine

1 splash of Blood Orange

1 Blood Orange slice for garnish

Directions:

Pour the tequila, vodka, orange juice, and blood orange syrup into a rocks glass with ice. Stir. Slowly pour the grenadine around the inside of the glass; it will sink and slowly rise to mix with the other ingredients naturally. Spear a blood orange slice with a toothpick and lay across the top of the glass.

Labor Day Party Ideas – Food Recipes

Coffee-Basted Cheeseburgers

Serves: 10 / Prep: 40 min / Cook: 10 min

Ingredients

Baste

• 1 1/3 cups Community® French Roast coffee, brewed
• 2 tbsps. firmly-packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsps. ketchup
• 2 tbsps. dark corn syrup

Sauce

• 2 cups Community® French Roast coffee, brewed
• 1 18oz bottle BBQ sauce of choice
• 2 tbsps. firmly-packed dark brown sugar

Burgers

• 4 pounds ground chuck
• 2 tsps. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

For baste: In a medium saucepan, whisk together brewed coffee, brown sugar, ketchup and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until reduced to ¾ cup, about 12 minutes. Pour into a bowl.

For sauce: In same saucepan, whisk together brewed coffee, BBQ sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Pour into a bowl.

For burgers: In a large bowl, gently combine ground chuck, salt and pepper. Divide into 10 portions and shape each into a 4-inch patty.

Spray grill rack with nonflammable cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (350° to 400°). Grill burgers for about 10 minutes, turning and basting with coffee baste occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns with BBQ sauce, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato and grilled onions.

Grilled Peach Salsa Chicken

Aside from juicy hamburgers, another great food option is succulent salsa-topped chicken. This is a great, healthy alternative to serve guests, and adds a bit of variety to your table.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 jar Mrs. Renfro’s Peach Salsa

Directions:

Place 4 boneless chicken breasts in container and pour 1 jar of Mrs. Renfro’s Peach Salsa evenly over it. Let marinate overnight in refrigerator. Grill over medium heat, turning occasionally until done.

Shredded Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Directions:

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Yogurt-Dijon Dressing: Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Stir in chives.

In large bowl, toss together pasta, Brussels sprouts, shallot and dressing. Stir in cranberries and walnuts.

Patriotic Yogurt Parfait Pops

To help guests cool down at your sizzling hot Labor Day party, hand out these patriotic yogurt parfait pops that hit the sweet spot. Just a bite into these delectable desserts will have your guests craving for more. This easy dessert recipe comes courtesy of graze snacks.

Ingredients: 

• 1 quart plain Greek yogurt
• ¼-½ cup milk
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup fresh berries
• graze stars & stripes snack
• graze strawberries & cream granola topper

Directions:

Mix together yogurt, milk and honey. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and add in fresh berries. Top with your favorite graze snacks for a delicious parfait layer. Insert popsicle sticks, freeze and enjoy!

Labor Day Party Ideas – Decorations

Since a Labor Day party wouldn’t be complete without fun-filled party decorations, celebrity event designer Anthony Taccetta of Anthony Taccetta Event Design has shared with us some of his creative, festive and useful ideas for decorating your seating area and tabletops for your end-of-the-summer bash, without breaking the bank:

• Save your tomato sauce cans to use as rustic vases
• Fill jars with dried, uncooked pasta or breadsticks instead of flowers
• Save corks for fillers in vases/ glass containers
• Save glass bottles to use as candle holders or more vases for flowers
• Use fresh herbs around the table for decoration

How do you plan on spending Labor Day weekend?