Since I was about 3 years old, my mom instilled a belief in me: Fridays were for shopping. Every Friday, we’d meet my aunt, cousin and grandma for lunch, then head to the nearest mall, where we’d stay for hours (seriously hours) and shop untill we dropped. It was probably only about three hours, but three hours in kid years? Might as well have been two weeks.

I just know we were there for a loooong time.

Our snacks at the mall usually came down to two options: Pralines ‘N Cream ice cream from Baskin-Robbins (my grandma’s No. 1 choice) or Orange Julius drinks (preferably a pina colada for me) all around. It was totally dependent on the mood, as those are fairly different options, right?

I haven’t had one of those citrusy shakes in ages. But as a major fan of lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit season (really, give me all the citrus, please), I will stop at nothing to use each variety any way I can. My favorite is a simple halved grapefruit with breakfast or for a snack. I don’t need sugar or salt; I don’t need it bruleed. Limes are a given (hello, margaritas). And I have plenty of recipes that I use lemon for, on top of having it in some warm water every day. But oranges? Oranges aren’t something I normally choose to snack on.

Unless it’s blood oranges. I wait all year long for blood oranges. I really do. Yes, I’m clearly sold by the hot-pink color, but I love the somewhat sweeter flavor that blood oranges have over navels and clementines and the like. I love using segments in salads or with oatmeal, puddings or cheesecakes. One wedge is a true stunner, even if it does make your countertops, fingers and knives look like a crime scene.

So this drink is a mash-up of my nostalgic Friday snack and my current citrus obsession. A creamy yet fresh and light orange shake, this drink is a bit sweeter than normal because it features blood oranges. And the best part? It’s delightfully pink!

Boozy Blood Orange Blast Milkshake

Yield: 2 servings

4 blood oranges, peeled and segmented (plus extra, for garnish)

1 cup milk

1 cup ice

1/4 cup Grand Marnier (or orange liqueur)

1/4 cup vanilla vodka

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Pour into two glasses and garnish with a blood orange wedge.

Jessica is the voice behind the blog How Sweet Eats. She can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and she’s on Snapchat at howsweeteats.