As a nursing mom, I have to limit my alcohol intake. That means, if I am going to drink something, I have to make damn sure it’s going to taste good and satisfy any craving I’m having. That being said, I’ve had to take a few thing into my own hands in order to make them as mom-tastic as possible.
With the hours of sitting around feeding a newborn, I like to start a few “new” TV shows on Netflix or Hulu, as a way to add interest to the monotony (by “new,” of course, I mean new to me. With H I watched hours and hours of The West Wing, House, and Tabitha’s Salon Takeover. With G, I’ve been into more reality TV than anything else: The Amazing Race, American Gladiators, and literally anything on Food Network or HGTV. Well, when I couldn’t stand one more home renovation or baking competition, I decided it was high time to start a new series. I wanted something light, quick, and funny. Nothing too emotional (I’m looking at you, This is Us), or too dark (stop recommending it, I am NOT going to watch House of Cards; I don’t care how “amazing” it is).
I settled on the TVLand show, Younger. The premise was intriguing to me – a 40 year old woman reinvents herself as a millennial in order to work in publishing. As a millennial, who has always felt like an “old soul” and always dreamed to work in publishing, I was all in. Bonus: three seasons were already posted on Hulu ready to go for my binge-watching pleasure. After speeding through two seasons I got my sister hooked too and we ended up watching most of the third season together.
And it was during season 3, episode 11 that my sister’s impulsiveness birthed a brilliant idea. I should note: my sister is the most easily influenced I’ve ever met. Not to say that she doesn’t have strong morals or ideas of her own – of course she does. However, if a commercial comes on for, say, a new specialty pizza, inevitably her reaction is, “Ooo I want pizza! Let’s get pizza for lunch!” A new mascara: “Let’s go to Target!” A character’s cute outfit: “Where does one get a feminine flannel that’s fitted, but not tight? *starts Googling on phone*” You get the idea.
Well, during a scene at the Hamptons, as the characters rave about the “Frosé” (frozen rosé), without skipping a beat I hear, “Ooo I want frosé! Can we make that?”
Yes, yes we can. And we did, in the most mom-tastic way possible.
Homemade (Mom-Tastic) Frosé
We started with one can of Underwood rosé. Yes. A can. I got this at Trader Joe’s and I like that it’s not too sweet on its own. Really, your favorite rosé of any variety will do.
Divide the can among three breastmilk storage bags. (I used Lanisoh, but any brand should do.)
We also decided to add some strawberry puree. (Ten strawberries, blended until smooth.)
Lay bags flat in the freezer. And wait! (If you’re in a hurry, bury them in ice, or cover with an ice pack.)
We waited until the next day, but a few hours probably would have been enough. When they’re ready, simply use your hands to squish the wine into a fluffy, snowy, consistency.
The best part? Since we used breastmilk bags, instead of, say, a Ziploc, or ice cube trays, you can pop in a straw, stand it up, and drink it like an adult Capri-Sun!
Upon first tasting, we felt like it needed something, so we went with a splash of lemon-lime sparkling water and drizzle of simple syrup (both of which happened to be in our fridge). Alternatives would be: squeeze of fresh lime, lemon-lime soda, sparkling water, or nothing! Make it your own and have fun with it!
Other moms and non-moms who have tried this have told me that it’s perfect for taking booze to the park. You can even pack them while frozen and they’ll be perfectly defrosted by the time you’re ready to drink. There’s also no glass, so they travel well to pools, festivals, or other areas with container restrictions.
Now go get your drink on – the mom way!
