It’s FallTime ~ warm drinks & sweet treats ~

Good Morning Lovely’s!  I’ve been freezing here as of late…the temperatures have finally decided that there shall be no Indian summer for me, and so i have taken to making (& drinking!)  a lot of creatively invented hot drinks! 😉

One of my favorite concoctions has  been:

Boiling Hot Coffee mixed with Hot Chocolate Mix!  (Mmmmm, it’s the best “goodmorning drink”!)

Another of my favorites is:

warm Milk with Cinnamon either on top or mixed in*sometimes i add Honey too* – (this is my favorite to drink at night!)

Also, as you all must know, Halloween was last night & since then i’ve had a chance to sneak a few treats from the children’s stock-pile! lol

I’ve got to say that i’ve found a candy bar that rivals my first favorite! (Twix)

This new favorite of mine is called 100 Grand -(can you tell i really don’t eat that much of this candy stuff! lol)

Anyways, i loved making the discovery of this new chocolate bar….it makes me happy! 😉

But i am also very much so still in love with a good Twix now & again. On a random note – 😉

I keep seeing recipes for homemade Twix bars, & so i think i might give it a shot & try making some of my own….worst that could probably happen is just me disgracing the great name of Twix if they come out bad!  (hummm, maybe i should rethink this!)

Have a great day & expect a randomly posted Twix bars related recipe to come in the near future! 😉

Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

I make this Smoothie all the time! It’s a super easy morning treat for those of us that aren’t really big breakfast eaters or else don’t have much time in the mornings to prepare a grand feast! lol ~  The banana and almond milk make this smoothie have a very light & creamy texture that is just as delicious (and evil!) as that smoothie you love from the cafe – Just minus all those extra calories!  (So of course you love me now, right!?) lol 😉

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, cut into pieces
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, and add more almond milk if necessary.
2. Pour into a tall glass, add the cinnamon stick for garnish and attractiveness 😉 & drink up!

Bon Appètit!

Makes one serving

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie

~Afternoon Everybody~  My mother and i decided to change things up a bit this morning & make a smoothie more on the tropical side of things! It is so fresh tasting and decadently delicious! I hope you all enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 Mango, peeled, sliced & cubed

• 1 1/4 cup Ice Cubes

• 2 teaspoons Sugar (or agave nectar)

• 1 1/4 cup Pineapple Juice

• 1/2 cup heavy Cream

• 1 (14 ounce) can Coconut Milk

Directions: Place the mango cubes, ice, sugar, pineapple juice, cream, and coconut milk into a blender. Puree until smooth, pour into glasses and serve.

Minty Raspberry-Lime Mojitos (Non- Alcoholic)

Here’s another one of my favorite drink recipes! Obviously i’m making my mojitos Non-Alcoholic, but here is the description for those of you who don’t know what a basic mojito is/consists of…
The Mojito originated in the Caribbean, probably in Cuba. And it is more or less a rum smash with the addition of club soda, tangy fruit and mint which makes for a long delightful, thirst-quenching drink.   Perfect for celebrating with right around this time of year, so Enjoy!  🙂

Ingredients:

• 3-4 fresh Raspberries, plus more for garnish
• 5-6 Mint leaves
• 2 tbsp. Simple Syrup (see directions below for how to make a simple syrup)
• Ice
• 1/4 cup Cranberry-Raspberry juice (or just raspberry juice if you can find it)
• 2 tbsp. fresh Lime Juice (approx. 1/2 medium-large lime)
• 1/2 cup Club Soda, Seltzer or Sparkling Mineral Water (i most love using a Raspberry-Lime Seltzer)
  

Directions for the Simple Syrup: To make a simple syrup, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup water (or just equal parts, if making more or less) in a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool.

Directions for the Mojitos: In a tall glass, add raspberries, mint leaves and the simple syrup. Muddle (squish with the back of a wooden spoon) well until the mint, simple syrup and raspberries are well-combined.  If possible, try not to break apart the mint leaves, as this (in my opinion) will make for a less pleasant drinking experience.  Fill glass with ice.  Add cranberry-raspberry juice, then lime juice and then fill with soda/seltzer.

Garnish with lime wedge or additional raspberries, if desired.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: a sweet pea chef

Sangria’s (Non-Alcoholic) & a day at the lake

Hey everybody! I know it’s been a while since i last posted 😥 …sorry ’bout that!  But while i’ve been gone, (from the blogging world anyway) i’ve been trying to drink in as much sun as possible (so that maybe i can finally get that tan!?) and so that led to my spending this past Monday up a my friends lake-house. We had a few doubts about the weather on our way up to the lake (as it was badly storming and we had to drive 30mph under the speed limit just to make it safely there!) But while i was up at the lake i had a great time looking through some cook-books, and picking some super great recipes to try! We made some guacamole (i’ll post the recipe soon!) and then the weather was finally nice enough for us to go out in the kayaks for an hour. It was a blast and i’ve got a  lot of recipes coming your way soon!

Ok so about this recipe : I’ve been on the hunt for some fun (Non-Alcoholic) cocktails or um (Mocktails– i guess) recipes for some party’s i’m planing & this sangria recipe is a great fit to what i’ve been looking for! 😉  Hope ya’ll Enjoy it!

Ingredients:
Serves 8

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf tea in an infuser)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 orange, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 cups carbonated water (like seltzer)

Directions: Pour boiling water over tea bags and cinnamon sticks and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and stir in sugar to dissolve.

In a large jar or pitcher, combine tea, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice, orange juice, orange, lemon, lime, and apple. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.

Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve in pretty glasses over ice.

  P.S: Please leave me a comment below if you have any other recipe ideas for me to try – I’d love to hear from my readers! 🙂

Recipe & Photo Credit:

Green Smoothie

Hi Everybody! Sorry for the lack of post lately…been having a bad time of it with my internet access 😦 hopefully things will be back to normal soon, but until then – enjoy this smoothie recipe! 🙂

Refreshing and totally yummy – all while being healthy for you! Just don’t freak out at the strange green color…you’ll get used to it! lol

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Kiwi, Peeled And Sliced
• 1 whole Ripe Mango, Chopped And Frozen
• 1-½ cup Lifeway Coconut Chia Kefir (or Almond Milk Or Greek Yogurt)
• ½ whole Frozen Banana, Sliced
• 1-½ cup Fresh Spinach

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender (i use a Magic Bullet) until smooth and then serve immediately.

Optional extras to add: Chia seeds, Coconut, or Protein Powder.

Bon Appètit!

Orange Julius

A perfect summertime treat that is super cool and refreshing! 🙂  Enjoy!

Serves: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup cold water

1/8 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 ice cubes

Directions:

In a blender add ice, orange juice, milk, water, sugar & vanilla. Blend on the chop ice setting for the first 15 or so seconds and then switch to the mix setting & pulse until well blended. Pour into a tall glass, let the foam rise to the top & enjoy the refreshment!

Recipe Credit : Sweet Savory Life & Associated Content