This is for the benefit of those who would like to leave a lasting impression on their guests without breaking the bank.

The Screwdriver is a classic drink. It is simply a mix of orange juice and vodka.

To make this, you will need;
-Boxed orange juice- 300-350 Naira
-Soda Water (optional)- 100 Naira
-Vodka (Orange flavored or plain) - 740 Naira

Serves 6-10 people depending on the size of glasses used.

To make it look more appealing, i rimmed a tall glass with honey and then sugar. A version without vodka is simple to make for those that do not drink alcohol. Simply use Soda Water instead of vodka.

To make this, all you need to do is ;
- Pour your orange juice into the glass making sure not to touch the sugar.
-Layer on soda water if you wish to and follow with vodka.

The measurements are yours to tinker with . Adding the soda water is optional however i like the taste and it is a prettier look.

Today on 'Entertaining on a Budget', I made a mixed fruit juice slushie. The amazing thing is that you can use what ever fruit juice you have on hand to make these.

The one i made had a mango slushie at the bottom, a guava slushie on top and is topped with a lemon-lime soda slushie for a little sour taste. (I eyeballed all my measurements).

A slushie can be made by blending juice and ice (i recommend adding simple syrup because the ice waters down the sweetness of the drink.). This drink is budget friendly because it fills a glass at minimal cost and by using simple syrup in your mix, You don't worry about your slushie tasting bad as it melts.
I did choose to be extra and used 3 juices to make a layered slushie but one juice will work just fine.

Tip : You can freeze your juice and blend the ice to make it into a slushie. While this is more expensive than using plain ice, it has a wonderful taste that will leave your guests happy.

A classic Pina Colada is made with Rum, Pineapple juice, Coconut cream and in some cases, Ice (cubed or shaved). I decided to make a non-alcoholic version that is extra creamy and easy to make.

You will need:
- A bottle/ carton of plain sweetened yogurt: 500-900 Naira depending on the brand.
- Carton of Pineapple and Coconut juice (mixed):300-350 Naira
- A carton of berry flavored juice: 300-350 Naira

Depending on the size of cups used, this can serve 8-12 people. I used this huge wine glass just for effect.
I chose to rim my glass with honey then blue sugar.

The recipe i used for this drink is:
- One part yogurt.
-One part pineapple and coconut juice (Already mixed together) .
- A splash of a berry juice to provide a layer above the pineapple and coconut juice.

Note: You can shake the juices used with ice before making this drink.
Also, if you are not good at layering drinks, you can shake all the ingredients together with ice and serve without the layers.

I simply layered one juice on the other for aesthetics purposes.
I poured in the yogurt first because it's thick consistency makes it easy to layer another lighter liquid on top of it.
Then, i poured my coconut and pineapple juice (You can use a nectar if you wish).
For a little something extra, i lightly layered with a berry juice (5 Alive's Berry Blast works great).

Viola!
When mixed up, you get a cream colored drink that tastes like a creamy Pina Colada without the rum.
If you wish to, you could add 1\2oz -1oz of rum to your mix.

ENTERTAINING ON A BUDGET: THAT SWEET AND SOUR.

I was craving a sweet and sour cocktail without the alcohol and within a budget so i came up with this. I discovered that a bottle of sweet and sour mix had doubled in price and i was not willing to buy a bottle for a single use so i tinkered with different drink mixes and settled for this.

To make this, you will need:
- A sweet juice of your choice, preferably a grape juice or a citrus fruit juice.
-A squeeze of lemon or lime.
-Segments of a grapefruit.

To make this:
-Shake your juice and lemon/lime together with ice cubes and the grapefruit segments.
-After shaking, remove the ice cubes with a spoon and leave the juice and segments to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge. You may leave it in the fridge overnight to allow the juice used take on the flavour of the grapefruit.
-Pour into a glass to serve and garnish with a grapefruit segment.

The amount of lime or lemon added determines how sour your drink will be so do not overdo it. For a boozy version, incorporate a citrus or grape vodka when shaking with ice.

Tip IV :Fruits are great for infusing flavor into plain juices.

Moberry:
ENTERTAINING ON A BUDGET: THAT SWEET AND SOUR.

I was craving a sweet and sour cocktail without the alcohol and within a budget so i came up with this. I discovered that a bottle of sweet and sour mix had doubled in price and i was not willing to buy a bottle for a single use so i tinkered with different drink mixes and settled for this.

To make this, you will need:
- A sweet juice of your choice, preferably a grape juice or a citrus fruit juice.
-A squeeze of lemon or lime.
-Segments of a grapefruit.

To make this:
-Shake your juice and lemon/lime together with ice cubes and the grapefruit segments.
-After shaking, remove the ice cubes with a spoon and leave the juice and segments to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge. You may leave it in the fridge overnight to allow the juice used take on the flavour of the grapefruit.
-Pour into a glass to serve and garnish with a grapefruit segment.

The amount of lime or lemon added determines how sour your drink will be so do not overdo it. For a boozy version, incorporate a citrus or grape vodka when shaking with ice.

Tip IV :Fruits are great for infusing flavor into plain juices.

Very informative,are you a chef?

sirfee:
Very informative,are you a chef?

Thank you very much. I am not a chef

Moberry:

Thank you very much. I am not a chef

It's a pleasure.

ENTERTAINING ON A BUDGET: GUAVA AND MANGO SHOTS.

This shooter style shot is beautiful, easy to make and great for those on a budget. If you are expecting a TGIF crowd and you are looking for a spiked drink on a budget, this is for you. This is super easy to make and will make a ton of shots. More than enough for 2 rounds of shots or even more depending on the crowd.

You will need:
1 bottle of Vodka
1 box of Mango nectar
1 box of guava nectar
1 small shot glass
1 larger sized glass

How to make this:
- Pour your mango nectar into the smaller shot glass
-Top the mango nectar with guava nectar
-Place the larger glass over the smaller nectar filled shot glass
-Hold the smaller glass tightly to fit to the bottom of the larger glass.
-Flip the larger glass so that the top end is facing up. The shot glass should still be filled with your nectar mix.
-Pour vodka into the larger glass to surround the smaller glass. (The quantity of vodka poured is your choice).
-To drink this, just pull up the smaller shot glass and release the nectar.
- I know my explanation was not the best but if you wish to see a demonstration,
google 'Tipsy Bartender's Chaser Optional' and watch that video .

I believe this is the simplest cocktail i have made so far. A Badger cocktail is easy to make however it is an acquired taste. This drink has only 2 ingredients and so it is cheaper that most cocktails .

To make this, you will need:
1 bottle of Guinness stout
1 can of Smirnoff Ice.
Serves 2-4 people (depends on the size of the glass).

Instruction:
-Pour your Smirnoff into a glass
-Pour the stout into the glass using a spoon to ensure both drinks so not mix (Use equal amounts of Smirnoff and Stout).
-This serves 2-4 people. I made mine in a giant glass though.
-If you cannot layer drinks, just mix the chilled ingredients together in a pitcher and pour into glasses,

This is great for people that do not like the taste of stout or those who just want something different.
Tip: Two ingredient cocktails are a great way to entertain on a budget.

Nice..following

DECADENT CHOCOLATE ICED COFFEE

This drink is for the chocolate and coffee lovers. If you do not want a lot of caffeine in your chocolate iced coffee, reduce the quantity of instant coffee used in this recipe.

To make this, you will need:
- 500ml strong cold brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of chocolate ganache
- 250ml milk
- 32 ice cubes
This serves 6-8 people.

Instructions:
- Chill your glass in the freezer for about 30 minutes before using it
- Smear a little chocolate ganache on the inside of the glass and use the ganache to rim your glass.
- Put all the ingredients including the leftover ganache into a blender and blend until the ice cubes have broken down. The chocolate ganache will have mixed up and the sugar dissolved.
- Serve.

As you can probably tell from the ingredient list, this is a very indulgent drink and it will be sure to wow you or your guests. If you wish to add some alcohol, a coffee or chocolate vodka, Kahlua and even Frangelico would work well with this drink. Feel free to experiment with any of these options.

cc: manjat ..

Please see

CRANBERRIES AND COCONUT.

This was super simple to make, You will need Cranberry Juice (If you do not have this choose another juice that you prefer, i recommend pineapple).
Sweetened cream of coconut.
Ice cubes.

To make this:
Pour 20ml of cream of coconut into a glass (Try not to touch the sides of the glass with the cream of coconut)
Add the ice cubes, a quarter of the glass should be filled with ice.
Layer on your cranberry juice (or your preferred juice).

I made it this way for presentation however when making this to serve visitors/family ,you should shake the cream of coconut , ice and juice together in a shaker to get the cream of coconut incorporated really well.

If you wish to make a boozy version, add your liquor (30ml of white or coconut rum) before shaking your mix.

Thanks for the great advice. I love small pairings of gin with fruit liqueurs and juices. It's always very refreshing. I think it's worth making an order for liqueur delivery, and spending the evening more fun.