Category Archives: Drink

Tazo Thai Iced Tea

Tazo Thai Iced Tea

Some of my favorite food in the Summer comes from street festivals. Why go to one restaurant and sit down when you can pick and choose a meal from different carts on a nice Summer day? 

My favorite drink to pick up is a Thai iced tea, which is usually some part tea concentrate, water, ice, and condensed milk. It’s almost always too sweet, but that makes me like it even more. I wish it were as easy to find year round as a Starbucks iced coffee but this homemade version is the next best thing.

If you have the foresight, you can make the tea in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator over night and save yourself some ice. I wouldn’t have minded adding a little sugar to mine, but keeping it less sweet lets the spices and mint flavors come out. Before adding to the drink, try activating the mint by clapping it between your palms.

Tazo Thai Iced Tea

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

  • 1 Tazo sweet cinnamon tea bag
  • 1 Tazo black tea bag(any variety will do)
  • 1 anise clove(plus more for garnish)
  • 10oz boiling water
  • 3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • Fresh mint

Method:

  1. In a large mug, combine the teas, anise, and 10 ounces of boiling water.
  2. Steep the tea for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Put 1 cup of ice into two cups. Pour 5 ounces of tea over each.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of ice to each cup after 30 seconds when the ice melted.
  5. Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each cup and stir well.
  6. Garnish with activated mint and anise clovers.

The New Petite Creme + A Smoothie

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As someone who’s eaten Greek yogurt religiously for 5 years, I was suspicious when Stonyfield announced a new protein-packed non-yogurt.

In July I got to go to Stonyfield’s launch party and try them out. It was swanky, it was fun, and–most importantly–it was delicious. The Petite Creme(technically a cheese and not a yogurt) is just as velvety smooth and sweet as you could hope.

It comes in 7 flavors; my favorite were the vanilla, which tastes like a rich vanilla bean, the strawberry, which tasted like a strawberry cream candy, and the plain. I rarely use plain greek yogurt in savory dishes because of the strong tang it has but this is something I’d put regularly on soup, dips, or even tacos.

It was hard to make a recipe with any of these because I just wanted to eat them straight with a spoon. I thought this smoothie was a perfect compromise because it’s just as creamy and sweet as the yogurt itself.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

You can try this recipe with any of their flavors and any sort of jam. They all taste delicious so you can’t go wrong and make a bad batch. I love using jam as a sweetener in smoothies instead of sugar or honey because it’s a little bit more “natural”(albeit that depends on the brand) and can add an extra subtle flavor.  

Strawberry Banana Cream Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 servings):

  • 1 5.3oz cup strawberry Petite Creme
  • 1 medium banana
  • 1 Tablespoon strawberry jam
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Method:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender.
  2. Blend until thick and smooth. Make sure not to over-blend.
  3. Poor into a glass and enjoy cool.

Stonyfield is also hosting an Instagram competition where you can win some Petite Creme from them! The contest is almost over but you can read how to enter here to win a case of Petite Creme or $1000 gift card. Look through the #cheatongreek hashtag for some inspiration. 

Trix Cereal-Milk Milkshake

Trix Cereal Milk Milkshake

If you’ve ever had a bowl of cereal, you probably know the best part is the last bit of milk at the bottom(unless the only cereal you’ve ever had is Bran Flakes or Fiber One but that’s a different problem). 

General Mills sent me some of their new Trix cereal to try out which was given a makeover for it’s 60th birthday (!!) to be fruitier than the old recipe. (Spoiler alert: No fruit shapes anymore; all of the pieces are circles) I can’t say I’m a Trix aficionado and remember what the old recipe tasted like but these are definitely fruity and delicious–by far the best lazy-night dinner I have in my cupboard when I get home past 8pm.

Living in NYC there’s no shortage of inspiration for out-of-the-box recipes whether it’s a cronut or a frozen hot chocolate. I’ve heard people rave about the cereal-milk from Momofuku’s and thought it was the perfect grown-up way to enjoy a kids’ favorite cereal. 

Trix Cereal Milk Milkshake

This is just a variation on your standard 2:1 ratio milkshake. Add extra milk or ice cream to make it smoother or thicker.

You can really customize a recipe like this with any cereal–it’s a blank canvas! If Trix aren’t your thing, try Lucky Charms or even Reese’s Puffs with a chocolate peanut butter ice cream.   

Trix Cereal-Milk Milkshake

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

  • 1/2 cup Trix cereal plus more for garnish

  • 3/4 cup whole milk

  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened slightly

Trix Cereal Milk Milkshake

Method:

  1. Combine the Trix cereal and milk in a blender or food processor and mix until the Trix has fully dissolved into the milk. The milk should be smooth and darker in color. 

  2. Add in the ice cream and process until creamy.

  3. Pour out evenly into two glasses.

  4. Garnish with a little more Trix and enjoy with a straw or spoon.

Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade

Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade

Though it’s only Wednesday, this week definitely calls for a drink.

It’s funny how much the seasons and weather change our tastebuds. This is by far one of my favorite Summer drinks (though the elderflower fizz puts up a tough fight). It’s just light and sweet enough but also packs a punch. 

I’ve posted before on how to make a drink like this from scratch, but that’s not always the most efficient thing to do. This drink can absolutely taste just as good with ingredients from the store; it’s just important to buy quality ingredients. If they don’t taste good on their own, they won’t taste good mixed together. 

Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade Pitcher

If you really want to kick this drink up a notch, I’d recommend adding crushed fresh herbs. You can add crushed mint for a classic sweet drink flavor or a little crushed basil for something more sophisticated.

Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

  • 1/2 cup quality iced tea
  • 1/2 cup lemonade (the fresher the better)
  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • Lemon wedges to garnish

Method:

  1. Combine the iced tea, lemonade, vodka, and ice cubes in a large cocktail shaker.
  2. Shake vigorously until well mixed and the ice begins to break up. 
  3. Pour equally into two tall glasses.
  4. Garnish with a lemon slice before serving.

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

I somehow have become a morning exerciser. The first day of waking up, rolling out of bed, and putting on gym shorts instead of a pot of coffee was rough. The second was just as rough. But every day since it’s gotten a little easier.

After working out I’ve been more inclined to make a smoothie than bowl of oatmeal or anything else. It’s quick and easy to drink when getting ready for work. I’ve been trying different mixes to keep things interesting every time and this one is a winner.

It has the classic flavor of the inside of a PB & J, just in liquid form. It’s perfectly sweet and even packs some greens in it, too, if you opt in for the spinach(which you won’t be able to see or taste fully blended–I promise). 

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If you’re not a fan of peanut butter or just don’t have any lying around try making this with almond butter or even coconut butter.      

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 meal serving or 2 snack servings):

  • 1 medium banana

  • 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

  • 1/3 cup frozen spinach

  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup water

Method:

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender. 

  2. Pulse briefly and then blend until the ingredients make a creamy smoothie. Add water if necessary to make smooth and creamy.

  3. Pour into a tall glass and drink cold. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Now that it’s no longer cold out it’s hard to get excited about a bowl of oatmeal or stove-cooked breakfast in the morning. It’s a lot easier to down a quick smoothie–especially if it’s chocolate. 

You’ll be surprised how much this smoothie tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry, especially since it’s fat-free. There are no chocolate chips in the recipe but I wouldn’t stop you from adding a few on top. 

Personally I think chocolate and raspberries or chocolate and blueberries go together just as well as chocolate and strawberries. I’d recommend trying this one out with any berry you love most. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

If you‘re a grown-up and don’t have chocolate milk you can use regular milk and add a little cocoa powder and a tablespoon of sugar or honey. Adding protein powder or chia seeds will help make this more fulling for a complete meal.   

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

Method:

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender. 

  2. Pulse briefly and then blend until the ingredients make a creamy smoothie.

  3. Pour into a tall glass and drink cold. 

The Elderflower Fizz

The Elderflower Fizz Cocktail

Every time I find something new I’m not sure how I lived so long without it.

Last Summer I couldn’t get enough of elderflower drinks. A friend made this awesome recipe I’m about to share a few weeks back and I had to recreate it. It also was the perfect excuse to use my SodaStream and silicone ice cube trays. Why did we settle for plastic, rectangular ice cube trays for so long?

This cocktail is the perfect balance between sour citrus and sweet elderflower liqueur. It’s a great introduction if you haven’t tried it before. Using soda makes it even more Summery and refreshing.

The Elderflower Fizz Cocktail

Make sure not to shake the ingredients too vigorously or you’ll lose the carbonation. I used SodaStream’s diet grapefruit soda for this. If you don’t have that, you can opt for Fresca or a different brand. 

The Elderflower Fizz

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 drinks):

  • 1.5oz Vodka

  • 1.5oz Elderflower liqueur

  • 6oz Grapefruit soda

  • 2 Tablespoons orange juice

  • Ice

Method:

  1. Mix the vodka, elderflower liqueur, soda, and juice delicately in a cocktail shaker.

  2. Pour into two glasses over ice. Drink cold. 

SodaStream Review + 2 Cocktail Recipes

SodaStream Review

Sometimes when you try something new it takes a while to warm up to it. Other times it’s love at first sight. This was closer to love at first sip.

I’ve been to parties where people have SodaStreams but I’ve never owned one until SodaStream sent me their Source machine along with plenty of flavorings to review. I only drink soda usually when it’s with a cocktail but I’ll drink seltzer every day. If it wasn’t for seltzer I probably wouldn’t be half as hydrated.

By far my favorite advantage of using a SodaStream to make drinks is adjusting sweetness and flavor. I’ve always found most sodas too sweet, or sometimes you’ll get a pack of flavored seltzer and it tastes totally plain. You never have that problem when you’re making your own drink. They give you suggested portions of mix for each liter but I’ve been using 2/3rds of the suggested amount and it’s just the right sweetness.

For that reason I didn’t really like the caps or samplers that are designed to be just for a 1 Liter bottle but I could understand those being convenient for people who want to use just that amount or plan on using it on the go. 

Berry Vodka Soda Recipe

The MyWaters have been great for adding natural flavor without calories to seltzer. I could see myself going through a LOT of those tiny bottles. I’ve also been using them to make really simple vodka sodas that pack a lot of flavor. One of my favorite tricks is using frozen berries instead of ice cubes in clear drinks for extra flavor and extra color.

Berry Vodka Soda

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 drink):

Method:

  1. Mix the club soda and vodka delicately in a cocktail shaker.

  2. Pour over a handful of frozen berries in a short glass.

Of course there’s also a TON of flavors of soda for the SodaStream. I admit I’ve started drinking more of it since I got the machine. The diet orange mango and diet pink grapefruit are too good to pass up after dinner.

Blue Whale Recipe

If you’re trying to have less sugar or less chemical sweeteners I still think this is a good product. Like I mentioned, I’ll usually use 2/3rds the amount of mix suggested to cut the sweetness and sugar. It’s especially useful when mixing cocktails with sweet liqueurs like this version of a blue whale.

Fizzy Blue Whale

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 drink):

Method:

    1. Gently shake all of the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker.

    2. Pour into old-fashioned glasses. Garnish with a fresh lemon wedge.

Of course another huge advantage of using a SodaStream has been reducing bottles and cans and saving money. I never have 1/2 a flat bottle of Coke or recycling building up. It’s also very easy to clean which I definitely appreciate.

Have you ever played around with a SodaStream before? What kind of fizzy cocktail recipes would you want to try? 

Peanut Butter Banana Refuel Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Marathon Monday is just a week away. Growing up in Massachusetts, it was always a big deal. I was shocked to find out it wasn’t actually a national holiday and most people work on Marathon Monday.

This year Stonyfield Greek is the official yogurt of the 2014 Boston Marathon. They asked their Clean Plate Club members to write how Stonyfield Greek helps us through the marathon of life.

When I was marathon training, there were 4 foods I constantly ate: Peanut butter, bananas, oatmeal, and greek yogurt. After so many weeks you learn the little ways to not make every snack or meal taste like the last.

Even though I haven’t registered for a marathon since 2011, I still make working out and running a routine. Making a smoothie instead of a meal is an easy, tasty way to refuel and move on to the next part of my day.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I never get tired of this recipe. It’s not too sweet or overly peanuty; it’s just the right balance of ingredients to be healthy and perfectly flavorful.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 big or 2 small servings):

  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
  • 1 5.oz Stonyfield vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 6-8 ice cubes

Method:

  1. Combine the banana, peanut butter, yogurt, and milk in a blender and mix until smooth.
  2. Add in the ice cubes and continue blending until they’re completely crushed and mixed in.
  3. Pour and serve cold.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Healthy Mocha Frappe

Healthy Mocha Frappe

As a Clean Plate Club member Stonyfield sent me their 2 newest flavors of Greek yogurt, cafe latte and black cherry, as well as their re-perfected traditional flavors. I was super excited because if there’s one flavor of yogurt I’ve been wanting for the past couple of years it’s coffee(seriously, just check my Twitter archive). You gotta try this #StonyfieldGreek!

The cafe latte won’t be for everyone but it was just what I was hoping for—sweet, slightly bitter from the coffee, and a little tangy. I liked the black cherry, too, but thought the cafe latte was more unique and delicious.

This mocha frappe is just like any fancy Starbucks drink you could get but just a little healthier. Using Greek yogurt instead of whole milk keeps the thick, rich consistency but with added protein and 0% of the fat. Try having it for dessert or as a breakfast drink when the weather starts heating up.

Healthy Mocha Frappe

Getting the right amount of ice to liquid is the hardest part of making a good smoothie. Play around to find what works best for the blender or food processor that you’re using.

Healthy Mocha Frappe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

  • 1 container Stonyfield cafe latte Greek
  • 2 Tablespoons black coffee
  • 1 1/2 Tabespoons maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 8 ice cubes

Method:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processer.
  2. Pulse until the ingredients are well-mixed and the ingredients are fluffy.
  3. Pour into a clean glass. Garnish with whipped cream as desired.