Back-to-School Party {For Adults!}

Hip, Hip, Hooray, Back-to-School saves the day! Celebrate a new school year with your parent pals by throwing a whimsical party with a "berry" delicious twist! A 'school days' themed setting is one you can share with guests both big and small, but the addition of grown-up touches like a "Strawberry Milk" Cocktail makes it a celebration especially for adults.  

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms as part of an ongoing partnership. As always, all opinions here are my own. 

Excitement is at its peak with kiddos of all ages heading back to school! {Although I'll leave it to you to decided who's more excited -- the parents or the kids!} But did you know that berry season is at its peak, too?

If you want to keep some of that summer sweetness all year long, then it's time to start thinking about preserving the berry bounty. Whether you're canning, freezing or dehydrating, there are tons of ways to keep the berry love going throughout the winter months by taking advantage and stocking up before the season comes to a close.

If you're less of a planner, and more of the type to enjoy things in the "here and now", then you're in luck, because my friends at California Giant have compiled a list of 101 of their favorite berry recipes with options that work for morning, noon and night! {You might find one or two that looks familiar in the lineup!}

Of course, if your kiddos are berry fans like mine is, you might want to capitalize on the fact that berries are brimming with nutrition and load them up with berry-packed meals and snacks both at home and in their lunchboxes.

I can think of an abundance of ways to add some berry brilliance into the mix, even throughout the busy week:

• Add berries to on-the-go morning smoothies for sweetness and vitamins. {Strawberries are loaded with Vitamin C -- stave off the back-to-school sniffles before they begin!}
• Jazz up the breakfast routine with berry smoothie bowls or hot oatmeal or overnight oats topped with berries, berry-studded pancakes & waffles or sprinkled over yogurt with granola.
• Pack some antioxidant-rich berries into lunchboxes by adding them to wraps or sandwiches, serving them up on fun-to-eat skewers or making homemade berry fruit leather for a sweet treat.
• Bake berry-laden goodies for healthy after school snacks or freeze them into homemade popsicles, healthy frozen yogurt or ice cream.
• Make berry ice cubes to add to water bottles and help promote hydration throughout the day.

Parents -- you can enjoy the fun of back-to-school AND berries, too! Celebrate the end of summer with your parenting pals and send the kids off to school with a "grown-ups only" get together that captures the essence of school days.

A whimsical twist on a classic charcuterie board, I put together a playful cocktail hour spread that you'll want to share with friends who are ready to bid adieu to the summer. Take advantage of your freshly-stocked fridge and pantry, and set out lunchbox bites like fresh California Giant berries, cheese sticks, cold cuts, pretzels, crackers, nuts, jam and even fruit leather strips {store bought or homemade if you're feeling daring}!

You can easily make a simple spread stand out by getting creative with your styling! Instead of using a cheese plate or board, I shopped the school supply aisle and picked up some marbled composition notebooks as a base for the display. Arrange your lunchroom favorites by breaking things up visually by color, texture and height to create interest. Adorable, sectioned "cafeteria-style" trays take the place of ordinary appetizer plates for a hint of nostalgia.

No cocktail hour is complete without a beverage to toast with, of course, so a sweet "Strawberry Milk" Cocktail made strictly for grown-ups rounds out the party offerings. Fresh California Giant strawberries blended with almond milk and Irish Cream liqueur for a little kick makes perfect addition, especially when served up in glass milk bottles with classic red and white striped straws.

Load those kids onto the school bus and give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve to treat yourself to a little celebration, too! Make this Back-to-School season the best one yet and throw a party that may become a yearly tradition!

Grown-Up "Strawberry Milk" Cocktail

Dianna Muscari | The Kitchen Prep

 A ‘school days’ themed setting is one you can share with guests both big and small, but the addition of grown-up touches like a “Strawberry Milk” Cocktail makes it a celebration especially for adults.  

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 3-4 California Giant strawberries hulled
• ½ cup almond milk chilled
• ¼ cup Irish Cream liqueur chilled
• 2-3 ice cubes

Instructions

 

• Add strawberries, almond milk and ice cubes to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Add Irish Cream and pulse 1-2 times to combine.
• Pour into a glass milk bottle or glass and serve with a classic striped straw. Garnish with a strawberry if desired.

Notes

*I found that adding the Irish Cream after initially pureeing the strawberries and almond milk resulted in less separation of the mixture. Try not to over-blend once you add the liqueur.