Homemade Chai Concentrate (for iced or hot chai lattes)
To all the coffee drinkers out there, stay with me! 😀 When my teenagers took a liking to iced chai lattes from our neighborhood coffee shop a few years ago, I figured it was time to come up with an economical DIY version. While it may require a trip to the market in…
Pink Pineapple Protein Smoothie
Just five ingredients create a filling smoothie that’s frosty, creamy, sweet, and tangy. Anyone else feeling the need for a post-holiday reboot? Party food and cookies notwithstanding, the bigger assault to my system just so happened to come by way of a nasty virus that hit me just days before Christmas. Instead of attending a…
Caramel Eggnog Creamer
Are you ready? I certainly have a calendar, but every year the holidays seem to sneak up on me. As I count the items on my mental to-do list and the stress level creeps upward, I remind myself how important it is to simply slow down and savor the true meaning of the season. One…
Sweet Tea Brined Chicken
Sweet tea provides unexpected magic in this incredibly easy, marinated chicken that takes mere minutes to prep. Rest assured, the finished chicken is tender and juicy but doesn’t actually taste like iced tea! When Mitch Nugent made a point by connecting two things I love—live theater and ice cream–I perked up.…
Creamy Chocolate Power Shake
Thick enough to eat with a spoon and loaded with a wholesome balance of ingredients that will deliciously fuel your day. I LOVE this shake–although you can call it a smoothie if you prefer. Initially, I was not a believer. My friend Anita gets all the credit for showing me the wisdom of adding…
Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake
A high-protein meal replacement that pulls double duty as dessert? Sign me up! This thick, creamy shake has actually served me quite well over the years. Because of my penchant for a nightly bowl of ice cream–truly one of the hardest habits for me to break–I’m always on the hunt for healthier options that truly…
Beer Margaritas
This unconventional recipe makes a large pitcherful and tastes like the best version of the classic drink. Leftovers freeze well and become slushy-like! Cinco de Mayo is the perfect reason to enjoy a favorite Mexican meal, but what exactly is the holiday all about? Cinco de Mayo—the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862…
Simple Vanilla Syrup
A deliciously easy (and economical) way to sweeten homemade iced coffee, lattes, and a variety of other drinks and desserts. For basic simple syrup, simply omit the vanilla. Have you ever added sugar to a glass of iced tea, stirred vigorously to dissolve it, only to find a puddle of semi-dissolved granules at the…
Homemade Lattes (and how to froth milk without a fancy gadget)
Café caliber lattes are easy to make in your own home with no fancy equipment and at a fraction of the usual cost － hot, iced, with foam or without! As I was getting breakfast ready on Monday morning, a news story about lattes caught my attention. Teasing his upcoming “exclusive,” the…
5-Ingredient Tropical Green Smoothie
I was skeptical. I purchase fresh spinach in a 5-ounce box, and the thought of putting all of it into a single smoothie recipe seemed…well…excessive. But in the name of helping a friend, I gamely tried this recipe. Ally Phillips, cookbook author, blogger, and longtime friend in food, was looking for a little assistance as…
Peach Iced Tea
How do you make the quintessential summer drink even more refreshingly delicious? Add a sweet peach infusion of course! Our love of peach tea began when I started canning peaches with a manageable small-batch recipe. There’s always some simple syrup leftover, but this leftover syrup is not just plain old simple syrup. No…
Cold Brew Coffee
This easy process creates a base that can be diluted with water or milk for your favorite cold coffee drinks. Economical and cafe-worthy! As far as I’m concerned, coffee should be piping hot or iced cold. There’s no middle ground for my dad either. Throughout the hot days of summer, he never thinks…
