BERRY SUMMER SMOOTHIE

I have been loving having berries around now that the warmer weather seems to be here, Hello Spring and then Summer!

This is one of those make shift recipes where it really just a guideline to what I throw in my blender (so please adjust according to your taste).

Vegetarian
Summery
Fruity
Quick
and could be vegan if you sub the honey for maple syrup.


BERRY SMOOTHIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

+/- 2 cups of berries (I used strawberries and mulberries)
1 medium banana
1 cup organic coconut milk
2 -3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
1 teaspoon honey. 

1/4 cup filtered water (if to thick - OPTIONAL)

METHOD
Blend and adjust sweetness and thickness to taste. 

serve. 

Comment and tell me what your favorite smoothie combo is below.

GREEN MONSTER SMOOTHIE WITH CHOC CHIPS BLIZZARD

On the weekend a magical letter arrived in the post. The kind of letter that makes you go weak at the knees and brings tears to your eyes. It took me by surprise even though I knew it had to arrive

CHOC MINT SMOOTHIE

It's official choc-mint smoothie for the WIN! I think I'm addicted to these. And they're dairy-free, and refined sugar free. So they're healthy and delicious - what not to love?!

The flax helps the smoothie thicken and has fiber which is great for your digestive system. Plus the green veggies are great for vitamins and anti-oxidants. The avocado makes it silky smooth and you won't even taste it- PROMISE! 

Green Juice

This is a basic green juice recipe that we use in our house almost daily.

ALMOND MILK

 

This recipe is so ridiculously simple that I can't believe I haven't made almond milk before!
It would be delicious to make into any flavoured milk...
And even though its not dairy it has a lovely texture and tastes really amazing.
I was even able to make frothed milk with it to create a flat white coffee! Which is great news if you need to be dairyfree. This means you can have a decent cup of coffee with frothy milk !!!  How cool!
Well at least I thought so.

ICED COFFEE MILKSHAKE

 
What do you do when you REALLY want a cup of coffee but you have NO milk in the house? After a few minutes of sulking and wandering if I could put yoghurt in my coffee - Ewww! I eventually reached for the jar of my home made vanilla ice cream in the freezer and mixed some with my coffee. Results = Yumminess and even better than regular coffee!

Found 2 of these Milk stream glasses at a vintage store and I couldn't resist. They remind me of when I was young and my grand father used to have a soda stream machine, he would make us our own cool drinks in little glass soda stream bottles.
Not sure when they launched a milk stream? but they are pretty and vintage and I just like them. perfect for milkshakes.

INGREDIENTS
Vanilla Ice Cream (home made or store bought)
Filter coffee left to get cold
Sugar (optional) 
Cream (optional)

METHOD
Pour your cold coffee into your desired glasses about half way and fill up with ice cream.
Stir until well incorporated or leave your guests to stir their own and the black and white contrast of the vanilla ice cream and black coffee is quite pretty. Garnish with some whipped cream if desired.
Add sugar if you need more sweetness - I didn't need it but make to your own preference.

Enjoy - Happy Coffee filled weekend!

CHOCOLATE CREAM / CHOC MOUSSE OR AWESOME HOT CHOCOLATE - you decide :)

Friday Inspiration

• buy a slab or 2 of chocolate (100g) and a tub of cream (250ml)
• make sure its good quality chocolate :) treat yourself 
• place half the tub of cream (125ml) in a double boiler - or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water and heat if up
• place in the slab/s of chocolate and stir every now and then until melted
• you should have a goopy mess of chocolate and cream - num
• try not to eat it
• now you can decide - to either 1) make chocolate mousse or 2) make an awesome hot chocolate
• for the choc mousse - take the choc cream off the heat and let cool slightly. While its cooling separate 3 eggs (whip the whites on there own until soft peaks form and then add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites and beat till medium to stiff peaks form). Whisk the yellows a little - stir these into the choc cream mixture. Now stir the beaten egg whites into the choc cream mixture. whip the remaining half a tub of cream until soft to medium stiffness and stir into the choc cream mixture - spoon into cups and place in the fridge for atleast 2 hours to set. you could eat right away but will be a bit runny.
• Awesome hot choc - take your choc cream mixture and add 1 and a quarter cups of milk and keep heating on the stove slowly until almost bubbling. Add some vanilla and a tiny sprinkling of salt (just a tiny pinch) pour into mugs and stir in some sugar to taste (if you wish). Whip the remaining half a tub of cream until medium peaks and spoon on top.

And there you have it - an awesome chocolate desert or drink :)


 I would do both :)





ps. I forgot to say you can make this into truffles to :) just take the choc cream mixture place in the fridge and leave till set then roll into bite sized balls and roll in cocoa. Place back in the fridge and eat as required - num

ICED TEA or A.K.A. JUICE TEA

Cherry & Apple rooibos Ice Tea

My daughter loves to drink a fruit ice tea made from rooibos (afrikaans for Red Bush) tea and whatever flavour fruit juice we mix with it to make a delicious cool drink/ ice tea. In the hot summer weather we are having this is a great healthy drink for the kids and family :) and for the adults in the party mood for new years eve this can easily made into an "adult" drink for a party.

INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 teabags (rooibos or tea of choice)
1 litre of fruit juice of your choice
some berries or lemon to garnish
alcohol (if making the adult version)

INSTRUCTIONS
take a 2 litre jug or pot that can handle boiling water. Boil roughly 750ml of water and add to the jug with the tea bags and leave to seep/draw and cool down. When the tea is luke warm add the full litre of fruit juice.
Place in the fridge and once ice cold then add some sliced lemon or berries.
serve in glasses with ice.

if making an alcoholic version add a nice tasting alcohol that blends nicely with fruit juice - southern comfort or peach schnapps, or any fruit flavoured liquer  roughly 100ml or to taste.