My Favorite Iced Coffee

I am simply calling this recipe, my favorite iced coffee because I drink it all summer long and its just that: my absolute favorite way to drink coffee when its hot! Every morning I get up and I can't wait to have my cup of coffee, my husband usually brews it for me because he is superior at it, yes I am admitting that publicly. He either uses an old fashion percolator or a french press; he makes up as much as the gadget will hold and then we store it in the fridge. This allows the coffee to cool down and not melt the ice cubes, which will water down your iced coffee...I don't ever use hot coffee for this, not ever! Having the big jug of coffee, pre-brewed in the fridge also saves you time, you just pour and go, easy peasy! No more stopping at Starbucks and spending half your paycheck on coffee, this is just as delicious and you can use products that you trust and love. I happen to love sweet, nutty flavors in my coffee so I always use Silk almond milk, the vanilla sweetened kind and an organic hazelnut creamer. This combination gives you a sweet and creamy iced coffee that, even my "coffee snob" husband absolutely loves. He used to drink only small batch, organic, fair trade coffee that is french pressed and absolutely no flavored creamers, of any kind are allowed to mingle with his coffee perfection, well well well look who has come to the coffee dark side! He now drinks an iced coffee right along with me, its that good!!

This recipe makes 1 iced coffee.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups organic, fair trade, brewed coffee, I like a medium roast, cooled completely.

1/4 Cup Silk vanilla almond milk, the sweetened one.

1/4 Cup organic hazelnut half & half, any flavor can be substituted.

1 tsp organic, fair trade, brown sugar, I use brown because it dissolves better in cold liquids than raw cane.

Ice

Directions

Fill a tall glass with ice.

In a separate glass pour all ingredients and stir well to dissolve sugar and combine, its difficult to do with the ice in it. Pour it over the ice, stick a straw in it and enjoy!

I like to put mine in a reusable Starbucks cup (given to me by my bestie). It has a lid, a straw and it makes me feel like i'm drinking a luxurious 5$ coffee!

Summer Sangria

I love white wine in the summer time, its refreshing and goes so well with all your grilled veggies or antipasto platters. I went to the farmer's market and sampled some local wine this weekend and the lady assured me the wine I was tasting was fabulous for a sangria. I went right home cut up some fruits, squeezed some citrus and...Voila, I had delicious sangria! It was refreshing, delicious and absolutely gorgeous, I was in love! I like to add extra liquor to my sangria, like a flavored vodka or, in this case, a strawberry white rum that went so well with the oranges and cherries. You can also add sparkling water or seltzer to your drink for a bit of bubbly, I didn't have any so mine was just as is. I like to let it "marinate" in the fridge for a few hours to let all the flavors come together, but feel free to drink it right up if you don't want to wait.

When I make wine drinks I steer clear of buttery wines like Chardonnay. I like to use a more crisp and sweeter wine. My favorites for wine spritzers or sangrias are riesling, sauvignon blanc or a muscat. These wines already have citrus under tones and are great bases for white wine drinks. You can also use champagne or cava, which is very popular for brunch drinks. I chose a white wine made locally at the Cascade Mountain Winery, which is sold at my farmer's market. The wine was called Summertide and it was crisp, fruity and very refreshing. Perfect for a fruity sangria on the rocks!

This recipe makes half a pitcher and serves 6, in white wine glasses.

Ingredients

1 Bottle favorite white wine, I used Summertide from Cascade Mountain Winery which is similar to a dry riesling.
1 Cup strawberry white rum, or any clear fruit flavored liquor.
1/3 Cup fresh squeezed orange juice.
Juice fresh squeezed from 2 limes.
3 Tbsp Dandelion syrup, I make homemade syrup; get the recipe for this here. You can substitute any
sweetener you like here such as; honey, maple syrup or just sugar.
1 Orange, sliced thin.
1 Lime, sliced thin.
1 Cup of organic strawberries, sliced thin.
1 Cup of organic cherries, pits removed and chopped in half.
Ice

Directions

Fill a large pitcher with ice. Mix all ingredients into the pitcher and stir. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours so flavors can meld. Pour over ice and enjoy!

I live to serve this in white wine glasses.

Cherry & Grape Tomato Smoothie

This smoothie was created because I needed to get something in me before I went to the grocery store. Shopping on an empty stomach is a huge no, no for me because I end up with a cart full of random stuff that doesn't make any sense.

I don't like making a whole meal for myself, so I decided to just go with a smoothie. It's quick, easy and super healthy! I always like when I can sneak veggies into my smoothies and this one was a serious home run!! I was throwing the frozen fruit into the blender and thinking, hmmm...what else? I looked over on my counter and there was a big, beautiful bowl full of plump, juicy grape tomatoes just begging to go in and join the frozen cherries and banana. I grabbed a handful, threw them in, and away we went. The result was sweet, thick and creamy. Tomatoes are technically a fruit anyway so why should it even be weird to put them in a smoothie, I no longer think so!

I urge you to give this a try it's a wonderful, energy boosting and healthy way to start your day or keep yourself fueled during the day when you are desperately in need of a pick me up!


This recipe makes 2 large smoothies.

Ingredients

1 Cup organic, frozen cherries, or fresh if they are in season.
10 Organic, grape tomatoes
1 Frozen, fair trade banana
1 Container of cherry yogurt, I used wallaby organic, lowfat.
1/2 Cup 2% organic, pasture raised milk.
2 Tbsp local honey, I used Rulison Honey
1 tsp mandarin zest
Juice from 2 mandarins, about 2 Tbsp.



Directions

Starting with liquids first, place all ingredients into the blender and blend till smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately in 2 large glasses and enjoy!

Leave me some love below if you try and like this recipe. Leave me a comment below even if you don't like the recipe and let me know what you would do different! Thanks!

Cherry, Strawberry & Peach Smoothie with Basil

Hydroponic basil was absolutely gorgeous at my co-op yesterday so I bought a whole bunch! This means that everything gets a bit of greenery whether it wants it or not, ha! This morning I added it to our smoothies, resulting in a delicious, herbal accent that went so well with the strawberries and cherries. I often make strawberry shortcakes with balsamic and basil and it's always a big hit in our house. This smoothie was thick and creamy thanks to the addition of a few spoonfuls of Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery mascarpone cheese. This addition made the smoothie feel just like drinking a luxurious fruit milkshake but without the guilt!

I used fresh organic strawberries, frozen organic cherries and locally picked, then frozen peaches. These peaches we picked in the summer and then froze to have them all winter long, they weren't organic because I knew that the orchard used a low-spray last year. Peaches are on the dirty dozen list though, so if you don't know where yours are coming from I would buy them organic. The reason I use both fresh and frozen fruit is simple; I want the intense taste of the fresh fruit but I want the texture and temperature of the frozen fruit. The frozen fruit still tastes good, though it's a bit muted. It is perfect, however, for achieving a frosty and thick texture without having to add ice cubes that, I feel, really waters down the taste of your smoothie. I sweetened our smoothie by adding a tiny bit of honey, the honey is naturally sweet and has a floral quality which pairs really well with the basil giving the smoothie a depth of flavor that I find very interesting and satisfying. I always use local honey for a bunch of reasons: it supports the local economy because you are buying from local bee keepers. It supports your immune system because you are ingesting honey made from plants in your area and this helps the body fight sickness and allergies. It also supports the local environment because the colonies of honey bees thrive and pollinate the plants in the area where you live. Lastly I know that the product I am buying is pure and delicious, real honey, many of the products labeled honey in the grocery store are far from this. My honey comes from bees in Amsterdam NY, the farm is called Rulison Honey Farms. Check out their Facebook page to see their farm and their bees.

This recipe makes 2 large smoothies.

Ingredients

1 Cup fresh, organic strawberries, sliced.
1 Cup organic, frozen peaches, slices.
1/2 Cup frozen, organic cherries
1/2 Cup pasture raised 2% organic milk
2 Tbsp Vermont Creamery mascarpone cheese
1 Tbsp local honey
1/3 Cup Stonyfield banilla low-fat, organic yogurt
4 leaves of fresh, organic basil

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender, I like to start with the liquids first because it's easier on the blender to get things moving.

Blend till smooth and serve immediately, the smoothie is best when very cold.

“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” 
― Albert Einstein

Strawberry Brown Sugar Lemonade

I know it's not summer but this cold weather in NY is bumming me out and I needed a summer pick me up! I absolutely adore fresh lemonade, the farmer's market I go to makes all different kinds and they are so unusual and so good, I was inspired to play around with mine a little. I like to add things like fresh herbs, or different fruits, but this time I played around with the sweetening agent. I love brown sugar so much that I make my own...oh yes I do. It's so very easy and it tastes so good, besides who uses up brown sugar fast enough before it goes hard and tasteless. This lemonade recipe uses this homemade brown sugar, and I make it dark, dark, dark! The bittersweet, smoky molasses is so good with the strawberries, and it's loaded with nutrients that are actually good for you.

You can drink this lemonade straight with just ice or you could jazz up your mixed drinks with this, my husband added a little orange liquor and tequila to his glass making a very fabulous margarita. I suggest trying it in a delicious cosmo or get creative and invent something!

Ingredients


2 1/2 Cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Whole lemon, sliced thin in rounds
2 Cups fresh, organic strawberries
3 Cups water, room temp or tepid from your tap, if it's too cold the sugar will not dissolve.
1 1/2 Cups fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar
3 Tbsp organic black strap molasses

Directions

In a large pitcher combine lemon juice and water.

In a small bowl combine the sugar and molasses and stir until it's combined and looks like very dark brown sugar. It will seem like it's not going to mix together but keep at it, I assure you it will.

Put brown sugar in the water and lemon juice mixture and stir to dissolve completely.

Put all but 3 strawberries in the blender with a tiny bit of water and blend until they become liquid. Pour the strawberry liquid into the lemonade and stir to combine. Cut up remaining strawberries and add to the pitcher along with the lemon slices. Add ice to serving glasses and pour lemonade over ice and serve!

You can garnish with additional strawberries and lemon slices, I just love bling-bling fruit garnishes on my drinks!

Berry Cleansing Smoothie

I really love starting my day off with something refreshing...and this smoothie is certainly that!  It's filled with berries, wild greens and a few secret ingredients, for health!  Don't worry this doesn't mean that it tastes "healthy," my two year old thought it tasted like a milkshake and drank up a whole cup, if that isn't an indicator of taste, I don't know what is!  This smoothie is so easy to whip up and can be personalized to fit tastes or make use of what you have on hand.  I chose blueberries, blackberries and strawberries for their super antioxidant properties; the darker the berry the more antioxidants it has. Let's talk about smoothie "mechanics."  When making a smoothie I want a thick, smooth consistency that is satisfying and filling.  But I don't want to use ice because, one: I hate brain freeze and, two: I don't want to water down the flavor of my smoothie.  So the way that I achieve this, without using ice, is by adding in frozen fruits, always adding in a banana for bulk and adding in some yogurt for that rich creamy feel.  Some other things you can add for creaminess are: avocados, silken tofu or even frozen yogurt.  I know they sound weird but give them a try I guarantee you will not even know they are there, taste wise but you will def notice a silky texture. It will make you feel like you are drinking dessert!  These, creamy add-ins are all things I always have on hand, so that way making a smoothie is always super easy and super convenient. I always eat healthier when it's not a hassle.

I like to add in different kinds of greens to my smoothies as well.  A handful of spinach, kale or even a wild green like dandelion, bumps up the amount of vegetables and nutrient rich foods you are eating in a day and, again, you won't even notice it's there. I chose dandelion greens for this smoothie because it's a cleansing green that cleans your liver and blood, helping them both to function better.  It can be found more readily during the spring months at most farmer's markets and sometimes even your grocery store.  You can also pick them right out of your backyard, yep it's totally the same yellow flower that grows rampant on your lawn!  If it's unavailable, kale or spinach are great substitutes.  For more information on the health benefits of dandelion greens in smoothies please visit: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/10-reasons-you-should-use-dandelion-greens-in-your-green-smoothie.

I also love to add other healthy things to my smoothies that don't necessarily have anything to do with the flavor but add other benefits. These add ins include:

• chia seeds, http://www.bobsredmill.com/chia-seed.html
• Flax seeds ground or flax oil, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81
• Raw oats, http://www.livestrong.com/article/412378-is-eating-uncooked-oatmeal-healthy
• A handful of raw nuts, they contain healthy fat that helps keep you full, http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/smoothie-basics/healthy-fats-for-smoothies-nuts-and-seeds

I included links above to give you more information on each item so you can make informed decisions about what to add to your smoothies.  Each supplement adds different things so feel free to add all, or even feel free to add none, you are still getting a very healthy breakfast smoothie either way!

This recipe makes 3 servings.  Note: all the fruits I used (except the strawberries) were frozen but feel free to use a combo of frozen and fresh depending on what is in season, just note that at least one of your fruits needs to be frozen to make a cold smoothie and get the proper consistency.

Ingredients

2 Whole, frozen bananas, peeled and broken into chunks*

1/2 Cup fresh, organic strawberries, hulled and chopped.

1/2 Cup frozen, organic blueberries

1/2 Cup frozen, organic blackberries

1/2 Cup vanilla almond milk, I use Silk.

2 Tbsp low-fat, organic strawberry yogurt, I used Stonyfield.

2 Tbsp local honey

1 Handful wild dandelion greens or organic store bought ones.

2 tsp flax seed oil


Directions

Starting with the liquids first place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.

Serve in your favorite glass and enjoy a cup of health!

*Are your bananas going bad, here's a tip: peel them and then freeze them whole in a plastic bag or reusable container, they make great additions to smoothies or baked goods and keep forever this way!


"May the force be with you"
-Star Wars

Don't forget to leave me a comment below if you like or love this recipe!