Cold

Watermelon Milkshakes

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Watermelon Milkshakes

I know for most people summer is coming to an end. School is starting and that automatically makes our thoughts turn to fall. But, the thing is, my kids aren”t school age yet, and I still have plenty of veggies in my garden and nice sunny days to enjoy. So I”m going to hold onto summer just a little bit longer. I just can”t let it go! :) My time will come when I won”t have that luxury, so I”m going to enjoy it now, while I can. That”s why this week we enjoyed some Watermelon Milkshakes - twice!

I think this would be a nice treat for the kiddos as a celebration of the end of summer or just because it still is summer. Show them that school won”t ruin all the fun. ;P This brilliant shake comes from the same person who came up with the Last-Minute Iced Tea, Jennifer of Foodess. I have to apologize to her for sharing two of her drink recipes in a matter of a week. But when I tried this healthy version of a milkshake I just knew I had to share it with you.

It”s got the cool, refreshing taste of watermelon with the creaminess of milk and a hint of vanilla, blended together until frothy and thick. This is one refreshing drink. And, so much healthier and guilt-free then a true milkshake.

The first day I made it I substituted almond milk for regular milk and it turned out to have more of a slush consistency. It was still darn tasty, just slightly different then I was expecting. So, just keep this in mind if you make such a substitution.

I know that next year this will become a regular during the summer and I”m sure I won”t be able to resist making it a couple more times before the leaves start to turn.

Enjoy the weekend! I hope the sun is shining where you are!

Watermelon Milkshakes

To freeze watermelon: cube it, place it in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable freezer bag for storage.

  • 3 cups cubed frozen watermelon

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Serves: 2

Adapted from Foodess.

Last-Minute Iced Tea

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last minute iced tea

It’s been a while since I made my usual cold brewed iced tea. We’ve been having some pretty nice days again lately and the other day, when the temperature was climbing, I was craving a cold drink to share with the kids – Iced Tea to be exact, and I wanted it right now. Thankfully I had stumbled upon a brilliant last-minute iced tea just a couple of weeks before, so I quickly whipped some up and me and the kids were sipping away in no time. It was completely refreshing and gave me the boost I needed to get through that hot and sticky afternoon. (Just remember that regular black tea has caffeine! I water my kids’ iced tea down with additional water but if you’re worried about it make sure to use a caffeine-free tea.)

This last-minute iced tea works because it starts with a concentrated tea that’s quickly cooled down by the addition of ice, ice and more ice (so smart!). This will definitely be my go-to for the rest of the summer since the weather is so unpredictable and the hot days are getting a little fewer and farther between. I like to add a squeeze of lemon juice because that’s how my mom always made it and it just wouldn’t be the same without it. But, if you prefer you can leave the lemon out. To care-free sunny days!

Last-Minute Iced Tea

  • 4 cups water
  • 6 black tea bags
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups ice cubes (12 ice cubes) + more for ice bath and serving
  • juice of 1/2 lemon, optional
  • slices of remaining half lemon to garnish, if desired

Bring water to a boil. Add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl or sink with ice and water. Place 2 cups of ice in a large pitcher or bowl (I prefer a bowl because more surface area comes in contact with the ice bath). Stir in tea. Set over ice bath and stir until ice is melted and tea is cold. Stir in lemon juice. Fill glasses with ice and pour tea over, to serve. Garnish with lemon slices.

Adapted from Foodess.

Piña Colada Smoothies

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Piña Colada Smoothies

Our summer snack of choice has definitely got to be smoothies. And, a Piña Colada Smoothie, with the cooling flavour of coconut and the brightness of pineapple – I can”t think of a more refreshing combination. Just what is needed for a cooling boost of energy on a sluggishly hot day.

This is one piña colada that can be shared by all ages. It”s thick, creamy and mildly flavoured. My kids could not get enough. It”s also dairy free, full of fruit and has no sugar added!

These smoothies keep well refrigerated so you can prep them ahead of time. Pack them into mason jars and seal them up for a picnic or pour them into bottles and bring them along to work. Just give them a shake and you”re good to go.

If you”re going to be enjoying them right away, it”s most refreshing if the pineapple and coconut milk are refrigerated beforehand, that way you know the smoothie is going to be nice and cold. It”s definitely not a requirement, but on a hot day it”s nice to have it as cold as you can get it!

Piña Colada Smoothies

  • 3 cups chopped pineapple

  • 1 cup coconut milk

  • 1 banana

  • 2 teaspoons rum extract

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 4 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes: 4 servings

Adapted from Paula Deen.

French Vanilla Iced (or Hot) Coffee

By in Beverages, Cold, Warm 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

french vanilla iced coffee

A lot has transpired since my last post. We moved all the way across the country and back up into Canada – we’re back home! It’s been almost four years since we moved away. Everything feels so familiar and yet so different. It’s going to feel strangely wonderful to only have to drive a couple hours to see my family rather than a day of flying and dealing with jet lag. It feels good to be back. :)

When you’re moving so far away you can’t exactly keep stockpiling your pantry so the last few weeks have been much more about trying to scrounge up what I can make with the last remnants of what we have left – not exactly the most interesting stuff for a food blog. But, I was able to get a couple of posts ready for you while we were getting ready to leave, so I’ll be sharing those with you while we move into and set up our new place.

I’m excited to get back into the swing of things, I’ve missed you guys and this space. I figured I better start out by sharing a recipe that I’ve been keeping from you for far too long – iced coffee concentrate with french vanilla coffee creamer. Both are stored in the fridge so you can enjoy them anytime you want.

I’m not a coffee drinker but this combination has turned me into a coffee addict and the fact that I can have it cold or warm makes it that much more enjoyable and suitable for any day. If you have dairy allergies or want to make this healthier you can substitute soy milk, almond milk or regular milk for the cream.

I apologize ahead of time for contributing to your coffee addiction. Having a steady supply of this coffee concentrate and creamer in the fridge means it’s that much harder to resist. But at least we can feel a little less guilty about the fact that it’s sweetened with real maple syrup and can be healified to our hearts content. ;) Cuddle up on the couch or enjoy it on the back deck; either way it’s a blissful, and much looked forward to, break in the day.

French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Coffee Concentrate

I make mine in a 1 gallon pitcher, I’ve included the measurements for this smaller batch in brackets.

  • 1 pound ground coffee (6 oz.)
  • 8 quarts cold water (12 cups)

Stir ingredients together in a large container or pitcher. Let sit, covered, at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towel. Discard solids. Pour coffee concentrate into serving container and refrigerate.

Large batch makes approximately 1.5 gallons concentrate. Small batch makes just under 3 quarts concentrate.

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

You can make this as low-fat as you like, keeping in mind that it won’t be as creamy. You can also use non-dairy substitutes such as soy milk in place of the half and half. If you don’t have vanilla beans you can use 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; heat as normal but skip the steeping process.

  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Heat through just until steaming. Remove from heat; cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool before storing, covered, in the fridge.

Makes: 2 cups

To Make Iced Coffee

To make it hot, skip the ice and warm it in the microwave or on the stove top.

  •  ice
  • 1/4 cup french vanilla coffee creamer
  • 3/4 cup coffee concentrate

Fill glass half to three-quarters full of ice. Pour in coffee cream and coffee concentrate. Stir before serving.

Makes: 1 cup iced coffee, plus ice

For larger or smaller amounts simply use the ratio of 1 part coffee creamer to 3 parts coffee concentrate.

Coffee Concentrate adapted from The Pioneer Woman via Annie’s Eats. Coffee Creamer adapted from Deliciously Organic.

Sparkling Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemonade

By in Beverages, Cold, Easter 7 Comments Tags: , , ,

rhubarb vanilla lemonade

I started thinking and planning for Easter a couple weeks ago. I love scheming up new and fun ideas for holidays and always start way to early. I do try to hold off on the blog though because even though it’s fun for me to plan, it always irks me a bit when one holiday is just over and you immediately see the next holiday popping up all over the place. Give me a little bit of breathing room first, if you please. But, now that Easter’s only two weeks away I thought it would be fun to start posting some Easter/Spring themed treats in case there are any planners out there like me.

When I saw rhubarb at my local grocery store I cleared out the shelves immediately. Sorry to anyone who may have been looking for some! I’m so done with apples, oranges and pears. I love them. But, I’m ready to move on… until fall when I’ll be craving them again.

If you’re able to find rhubarb in your area, and if some greedy booger hasn’t stolen them all already (again, sorry!), then please make this drink ASAP. It would be such a fun drink to serve guests in celebration of spring or Easter. The refreshing flavour of lemonade with the added oomph and fruity-tart flavour from rhubarb, mellowed out with vanilla bean – it’s spring in a glass. And, it’s such a pretty pink hue, it would fit right in at a little girl’s b-day party or baby shower. Just double, triple or quadruple the recipe for a crowd.

Now, on to what I know some of you are waiting for… the winner of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from my Frontier is Ashley who said, “Strawberries are my favourite!” Congratulations Ashley! I’ll be e-mailing you shortly for your mailing address! :)

Thanks so much for all your entries. I loved reading what all of your favourite spring produce is and the clever ways you serve them up!

Sparkling Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemonade

If you don’t like the look of vanilla beans in this drink you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, stirred in after it’s been removed from the heat.

Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemon Syrup
  • 4 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 strips of lemon peel
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Place all ingredients in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely before straining through a fine mesh sieve. Store, covered, in the fridge until serving.

To Serve
  • 1 part rhubarb-vanilla lemon syrup
  • 2 parts sparkling water, chilled

Stir together syrup and water. Serve over ice.

I ended up with 1 1/3 cups syrup so I added 2 2/3 cup sparkling water which is equal to 4 (1 cup) servings.

Makes: 4 servings

Inspired by: Donna Hay Magazine, Oct/Nov 2011

Blueberry Banana (All Fruit) Smoothie

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blueberry-banana smoothie

I’m a smoothie kind of girl. Not just any smoothie though. It has to have the right ratio of ingredients and lot’s of fruity flavour. The most important thing to me in a smoothie is that the fruit shines through. If there’s too much yogurt, or other added ingredients, I find there’s too much going on and I don’t get that pop in my mouth – that burst of flavour – that I crave.

This Blueberry Banana Smoothie is the simplest of the simple and also happens to be my absolute favourite. It contains no dairy and no ice, which means the flavour is nothing but fruit, fruit, fruit. I can’t handle too much dairy, so I was looking to make some smoothies without, and discovered that a banana does a lot in lending smoothness and creaminess (much like in the Five Minute Chunky Monkey Ice Cream). It also has no added sugar because the apple juice has enough natural sweetness. The only non-fruit going in here is vanilla, which I think is a must – it gives that creamy taste and brings all the flavours together.

Me and Max drank this pretty much every day in the summer. We wanted a light snack that would cool us down and help us get our intake of fruit. You can swap out the frozen blueberries for other berries as well, which is also delicious, but the blueberry is my personal fave. It has so much flavour and is such a gorgeous colour. I make sure to always have the ingredients on hand so I can whiz one up at any time.

If you’re like me and like your smoothies to be all-fruit flavour while still being creamy and smooth then I encourage you to give this a try. And, if you want to add a scoop of yogurt nobody with judge you for it. ;)

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

  • 1 banana, peeled and broken into large chunks
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serves: 2

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