Scallops with Creamy Pesto Sauce

This scallop dish works great with jumbo steamed shrimp. The Seamaiden cheated a bit and had these shrimp steamed at the grocery store.

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sea scallops
Sea salt and pepper
1/3 cup prepared pesto
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the scallops, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, until slightly browned.
Remove scallops and remove skillet from heat.
Combine pesto and heavy cream in skillet.

Serve scallops in creamy pesto sauce or with sauce on the side.

Summer Sunset Cocktail

The Seamaiden polished off four of these at dinner last night!

Ingredients
2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
3/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup lime juice
Grenadine

Directions

Mix orange juice, peach nectar, vodka, lime juice. Pour into tall glass. Pour in a bit of grenadine, which should settle on the bottom.

Seashells alla Vodka

Seashell pasta and vodka--a magic combination!

Ingredients
1 lb. uncooked shell pasta
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup vodka
2 cups marinara sauce
1 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, broken into chunks

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas just before removing from heat and draining water.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onions; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Add vodka and boil until evaporated. Stir in marinara sauce and parsley and simmer for 3 minutes.
Stir in cream cheese until melted.
Drain pasta and peas. Remove to large serving bowl and add sauce. Toss to combine.

Free Mermaid Pattern from Crochet Today!

The Seamaiden has found her next crochet project at long last! But my mermaid will sport red hair, green eyes and a pink tail--and definitely a more shapely figure ;-). Click here for your free Mermaid Houseguest pattern from Crochet Today.

Strawberry Rocket Pops

Use sixteen rocket ice pop molds for this tasty frozen yogurt treat!

Ingredients
2 cups strawberry yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

Directions
Puree yogurt, lemon juice, corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup of the strawberries in a blender until smooth. Add remaining strawberries and puree until smooth.
Pour yogurt mixture into molds, cover with ice pop tops.
Freeze 4-6 hours until hard.

To remove pops, dip molds in warm water and gently pull pops out of molds.

Scallop-Stuffed Tomatoes

Dive into yet another deliciously light meal, featuring scallops (my favorite!) and tomatoes right out of the garden.

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes
1/2 lb. bay scallops
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions
Saute the scallops in 1 tbsp. olive oil until done. Remove from heat.
With a sharp knife, slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon.
Chop the pulp and place in a medium bowl.
Add scallops, celery, capers, 1 tbsp. olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and parsley. Toss to combine.

Spoon the scallop mixture into the tomatoes and serve.

Bailey's Irish Cream Iced Coffee

A little bit of Bailey's Irish Cream with a Hint of Coffee goes a long way in this delicious iced coffee drink. It's liquid dessert indeed!

Ingredients
1 pint coffee ice cream, slightly softened
2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream with a Hint of Coffee
Whipped cream
Chocolate-covered almonds

Directions
Spoon ice cream into a blender. Add milk and Bailey's Irish Cream. Liquefy in blender. Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and 1-2 chocolate covered almonds.

Makes 2 servings.

A Seamaiden's Secret Treasures: Mermaid Cookbook

The Seamaiden could just give herself a swift kick in the tail for not getting this idea to a publisher herself! But seriously, I am having a blast poring through the recipes in Barbara Beery's Mermaid Cookbook. Although it was compiled with the children's mermaid and pirate-themed party in mind, this book has made a big splash with this grown-up seamaiden. I especially can't wait to sample the Weeki Wachee Roll-Ups and Sea Foam Floats recipes. Surf over to Amazon's Kindle Store and have Mermaid Cookbook delivered wirelessly today.

Vanilla-Almond Bliss Iced Coffee

The Seamaster and I are ready to relax after a long weekend of 4th of July festivities. And there's no better way to unwind than to watch the fireworks with a glass of vanilla-almond iced coffee.

Ingredients
3/4 cup cold, strongly brewed coffee
1/4 French vanilla cream
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 cup vanilla bean ice cream

Directions
Combine coffee, cream and almond extract and pulse in a blender with ice cream. Pour in a tall glass with ice.