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:
- In a large mug, combine the teas, anise, and 10 ounces of boiling water.
- Steep the tea for 5-7 minutes.
- Put 1 cup of ice into two cups. Pour 5 ounces of tea over each.
- Add 1/2 cup of ice to each cup after 30 seconds when the ice melted.
- Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each cup and stir well.
- Garnish with activated mint and anise clovers.
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.
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):
Method:
- Combine the iced tea, lemonade, vodka, and ice cubes in a large cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously until well mixed and the ice begins to break up.
- Pour equally into two tall glasses.
- Garnish with a lemon slice before serving.
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).
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):
Method:
-
Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender.
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Pulse briefly and then blend until the ingredients make a creamy smoothie. Add water if necessary to make smooth and creamy.
-
Pour into a tall glass and drink cold.
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.
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:
-
Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender.
-
Pulse briefly and then blend until the ingredients make a creamy smoothie.
-
Pour into a tall glass and drink cold.
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.
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):
Method:
-
Mix the vodka, elderflower liqueur, soda, and juice delicately in a cocktail shaker.
-
Pour into two glasses over ice. Drink cold.
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.
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:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processer.
- Pulse until the ingredients are well-mixed and the ingredients are fluffy.
- Pour into a clean glass. Garnish with whipped cream as desired.
Winter is sadly not a great time for fresh fruit and vegetables in New England. When I go to the store I usually pick up all different kinds of frozen produce. Frozen fruit will unfortunately never taste as good as fresh when thawed and eaten but thankfully makes a delicious smoothie.
This is good to have in the morning if you’re in a rush to get out the door or even at night after dinner for something healthy and delicious. If you use a Greek style yogurt you can really pump up the protein in this drink.
If you use a flavored yogurt instead of plain you can skip the added sweetener altogether. Try using white chocolate chips for a different flavor.
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Smoothies
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
Method:
- Combine the yogurt, strawberries, milk and agave nectar in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add in the chocolate chips and pulse a few times until they’re broken into smaller pieces.
- Pour and serve immediately.
The drink I always go through the fastest is sweet & sour mix. I’m a sucker for sours and my roommate loves margaritas so it’s a hot ticket in our refrigerator. We used to buy our mix from the liquor store until I realized how easy it is to make. With this recipe, you’ll never have to overpay for sweet & sour mix again.
At the heart of it, sweet & sour mix is just lemon juice, lime juice, water, and sugar. The basic ration is equal parts sugar water and citrus juice. You can always make it sweeter or more tart to fix your preference.
This keeps for a while so it’s a great thing to make ahead of time and leave in your refrigerator for the right occasion. If you’re using this to make margaritas or a tropical drink, consider swapping in orange juice in place of the lemon juice.
Homemade Sweet & Sour Mix
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients(Makes 2 cups):
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lime juice(from about 2 limes)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice(from about 2 lemons)
Method:
- Combine the sugar and water in a pot and boil the water until the sugar has dissolved.
- Take the sugar water off the heat. Add in the lemon juice and lime juice.
- If you’re fresh-squeezing the lemons and limes, remove the pulp and seeds from the mix with a strainer.
- Store the sweet & sour mix in the refrigerator when not using. It will last for a couple weeks.
Who knew it was that simple?
Is there anything that doesn’t go well mixed with Irish cream? If there is, I haven’t found it yet.
Irish cream is probably my favorite drink of choice this time of year when it’s cold outside and there’s snow on the ground. The rich, caramel flavor tastes like a white hot chocolate with an extra kick to it. Mixing in some ice cream and peppermint liquor adds a seasonal touch that puts this drink over the edge.
I’d recommend using an ice cream with a strong vanilla flavor like French vanilla or vanilla bean. If you really want a stronger peppermint flavor you can use a mint chocolate chip ice cream instead.
Adult Peppermint Milkshakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):
Method:
-
Combine the softened ice cream, Irish cream, and peppermint liqueur in a cocktail shaker and shake until the ice cream has melted.
-
Garnish the rim of two drinking glasses with crushed peppermints by wetting the rim and dipping it into a bowl of the crushed mints.
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Fill the glasses to the top with ice.
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Pour 1/2 cup of the drink into each glass.
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Top with extra ice cream and crushed mints. Drink immediately.
What else could you want?
One of my favorite things about this time of year is the endless holiday parties. But that’s also one of the more stressful things about the holidays, too. When you have a different party to go to every night, it’s hard to think of something unique and delicious to bring that’s going to stand out. Hot chocolate is always a crowd pleaser but gets a little boring after the 4th or 5th time with just marshmallows to dress it up.
Chocolate doesn’t have to go with just marshmallows. There are plenty of ways to flavor hot chocolate that go beyond vanilla. Whether you’re using milk or water, cocoa mix or from scratch, you can always infuse more flavor into the chocolate with one or two ingredients.
How To Dress Up Hot Chocolate
You’ll need:
- Hot chocolate recipe or mix(preferably for 2 cups or more of hot chocolate)
- Orange zest
- Coconut milk
- Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg
- Baileys or Amaretto
Orange Hot Chocolate:
One great flavor combination is orange and chocolate. Add about a 1/4 Tablespoon of orange zest for every 1/2 cup of hot chocolate you’re making to the boiling milk or water. Right before you serve the hot chocolate, strain it to get the orange solids out. The oils will stay and flavor the hot chocolate.
Orange-Coconut Hot Chocolate
For every 2 cup of water or milk you would use to make the hot chocolate, use 1/4 cup less. Use the same technique for orange hot chocolate but add 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk after the hot chocolate is made.
Adult Hot Chocolate:
I feel like we all know how to make these. Just add a few splashes of Irish cream or amaretto into your hot chocolate and enjoy.
Cinnamon Hot Chocolate:
Another great way to make your hot chocolate is spicy. For every 2 cups of hot chocolate, add in 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and mix them in well.
