Easy Diet-Berry-Limeade Soda

I had my first cherry limeade for this summer last week during our vacation.  It was sooooo good!  I have been craving one ever since that visit to Firehouse Subs where I had one.  But, I can't bring myself to consume that many calories or that much sugar on a regular basis.  Nor do I want to pay for it when I can make my own for a cheaper price. 

I looked around online at a few different recipes.  All of them were very different.  Finally I just decided to do my own thing - keeping it simple, all natural and better for me.  I served it last night with our dinner.  The results were great!  My husband loved it and couldn't believe he was drinking a "diet" version of it with ingredients like part cranberry juice and real lime juice.  No sugar was added to it.  No high fructose corn syrup was in it either.  Just the good stuff.  

Also I wanted to use equal parts of berry and lime flavors.  If you prefer more of one or the other, just use 1/3 to every 2/3 of your preferred ingredient!  Taste it and experiment until you gain your desired outcome!

Sure I could have used fresh cherries or limes but frankly, I didn't feel like it.  I wanted it to be a quick, throw-together kind of drink that I could pull off after a long workday.  Just because you buy the canned stuff, that doesn't mean you're not gaining some nutritional value.  I bought all-natural, "real" items, like this:





Now go make your own soda and save yourself the money and extra calories too.  It's a perfect quench-your-thirst indulgence!   Below I'll tell you how you can make enough for two or a whole pitcher's worth!  :-)


Easy Diet-Berry-Limeade Soda

Ingredients:
- Crushed Ice, up to 3 cups worth for a pitcher
- Diet Lemon-Lime Soda, 2 Liter (I used all-natural Diet Sierra Mist)
- Cranberry-Cherry Juice, 64 oz. (Or just use cherry juice if you can find it.  I used the cranberry and cherry combination, 100% natural juice)
- Lime Juice, 8 oz (I used a can of "real" lime juice)




To Make Enough for Two:   Fill a tall glass (about 12 oz) with crushed ice.  Add 1/2 cup of diet lemon-lime soda.  Then add 1/2 cup of the berry juice.  Now pour in 1/4 cup of the lime juice.  Shake and stir.  Pour into two glasses.  Enjoy!





To Make A Pitcher:  Fill the bottom of your pitcher with crushed ice (about 1 and 1/2 cups worth).  Pour 12 oz of diet lemon lime soda over the ice.  Now pour 12 oz of the berry juice.  Add in 1/2 cup of lime juice.  Stir.  Then repeat each layer again using the same measurements- the 1 and 1/2 cups of crushed ice, 12 oz of diet lemon-lime soda followed by the 12 oz of berry juice.  Stir well.   Now you have enough to share with friends or last for two weeks.  Enjoy! 

This is a happy hour drink that you can feel good about!  Enjoy and think of me when you sip this soda!

Sweet Treat Week Recipe # 2 - Light Caramel-Vanilla Frappe

Welcome to Sweet Treat Week~ a week where I have decided to dedicate this blog to all things sweet.  Some of them will be healthy and lighter versions of desserts or drinks.  Others will be indulgences that you should make when you're in need of them.  It's okay, you can have some then share the extra calories with friends!  That's what I like to do (Ha!) 



Today, let's tackle the ever-popular summertime drink that everyone is always talking about - Caramel Frappe.  I must confess that I was highly addicted to these last summer, indulging in one at least twice a week and paying for them too. 


I finally came to my senses and realized that I was wasting money and could be making my own!  So I took the plunge and made them this past weekend.  My friend Heather sent me her recipe and I tweaked it to make it just right for my taste buds.  It's very easy to make.  Best of all it helps you save money and conserve your ingredients (like not wasting or throwing out leftover brewed coffee like we always do). 

I was very pleased with how this turned out.  I'll admit that mine didn't look as pretty as the ones you purchase at the chain stores but it tasted just the same! 




Light Caramel-Vanilla Frappe

(Serves 2 - or makes two 20 oz size glasses)

Ingredients:

10 coffee ice cubes - Use leftover coffee that you brew.  Simply cool then pour into an ice cube tray.  Freeze overnight.  They will look like this (below):




5 regular ice cubes
1 cup of reduced fat or skim milk
1/4 cup of French Vanilla liquid coffee creamer
1/4 cup of Fat-free caramel sundae syrup





How to make your frappe: Blend together the milk, French Vanilla coffee creamer and caramel syrup in your blender.  Then add the coffee ice cubes and regular ice cubes.  Blend until smooth or until your desired thickness or thinness.  I like tiny bits of ice in mine! 

Pour into two 20 oz size glasses and serve immediately.  Top it with additional caramel syrup or whipped cream if you desire.

Sit on your couch and enjoy this with a friend or a good book when you don't have the time or money to go through the drive-thru this summer! 


My blender is really under-used.  How about yours?  How often do you make drinks or frozen concoctions? 

Morning After Smoothie

Whew, my stomach is still aching from all the foods I ate on Sunday for my non-Superbowl party!  We stuffed ourselves with chips and dip, grilled steak and chicken and more.  I'm not even in the mood to look at things to eat this morning.  So I thought I'd share my "Morning After Smoothie" recipe.  This is great when you may have eaten too much the day before or if you drank too much too (and perhaps have a headache). 


And forgive me for mentioning this too but I can't help it..... if you're also having trouble with digestion or going to the bathroom, then this recipe is good for that too.  Every time I drink a smoothie like this one, I'm making a trip to the "potty" and feeling a lot lighter real soon.  :-)   :-)


So enjoy this drink today for whatever reasons you have.  Or simply because it's easy and tasty!





Mandy's Morning After Smoothie

(Serves 2,  or makes about 32-40 oz)

2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 and 1/2 cups of berries of your choice, rinsed (I used blueberries I had in the freezer)
1 cup of crushed ice
3/4 cup of reduced fat milk OR Greek plain yogurt (I used vanilla flavored Greek yogurt this time!)
3 tbsp honey (or sugar or agave nectar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Place all ingredients in a blender.  Mix until smooth.  Add water or milk if needed until you have your desired thickness level.  Pour into two glasses.  Serve. 


I will often make my smoothie the night before and leave it in the fridge.  Therefore, I can just wake up and grab it in the morning. 




When you overeat or have a tummy ache, what do you do?  What are the foods and/or drinks that make you feel better again?

Learn With Me: How To Clean Coffee and Tea Stained Mugs

This year I am challenging myself to learn new techniques and tricks that will help me be a more efficient cook, mom, housewife and person.  As I try these things and become successful at them, I will share them here. 

Therefore, I welcome you to my second installment of Learn With Me! 





Recently I noticed how awful all of my coffee and tea mugs have been looking.  They are full of stains and marks that cover their insides.


Every single one of my mugs looks just like this (pictured below):




Gross, huh?  The above picture doesn't even do it justice as to how filfthy they all look!   But hopefully you gain a glimpse of the ring around the rim and more.  They don't look clean at all even though I wash them and scrub them.


I couldn't take it anymore!!!  It drove me crazy each time I pulled one out from my cabinet to offer it to a friend.  So I searched for a few ways that I could clean them deeper than what my crappy dishwasher does. 

I found this helpful site called Tip Nuts.  Their first suggestion was to simply rub a few pinches of baking soda into the stained mug with a damp cloth.  I never dreamed it would work on the first try but sure enough!  Just a few rubs of baking soda with a wet paper towel and my awful stains were gone! 

A second tip was soaking and rubbing your mugs in vinegar.  However, the baking soda worked just fine for me.  I'm glad too because although I like vinegar in foods, I don't particularly like its lingering smell on items.


Now all of my mugs look like this on the inside:





WOW!  Talk about a makeover, don't you think?  Just a little bit of elbow grease and hand scrubbing combined with the power of baking soda (just 1/2 teaspoon per cup should do it!) and I've got brand-new looking mugs to drink from.  Woo-hoo! 


Okay, just to get the full effect, let's look again at some before and after photos of my tea mugs:


Before:



Rubbed with a bit of baking soda and a damp cloth, then VOILA'!


After:



They Are Now Clean and Bright!


Amazing, right!  I'm so glad I found a way to brighten up my drinking cups for when guests come over.  I never realized how mighty and powerful that powdery substance called baking soda could be!   It's great mixed in with your favorite-smelling extract (such as vanilla or peppermint) to clean your carpets and freshen up the scent of your whole house too!


I just wanted to tell you about this tip.   After all, I'm learning and I want to share the things I learn here with you! 


Do you have any easy cleaning tips such as this one?  I'd love to learn more!  I'm finding that decluttering and reorganizing things in my life makes me feel more productive and happier.

Cheater's Lemon Tea

Making tea with freshly squeezed lemons is a wonderful thing to do.  The taste is incredible if you do it.  But let's face it, we don't always have the time or the energy to make that happen.  So this is my no-frill's, super easy way to make your own fast lemon tea.  I've gotten a half-dozen compliments on it already at events I've hosted at my house where I served this.  Your guests won't know how you "cheated" them!  :-)






Cheater's Lemon Tea
(Makes 1 gallon)


4 tea bags (or enough packets for 4 quarts/1 gallon of tea)
2 cups of water
1-2 packets of lemonade on-the-go mix
ice


Brew your tea the way you normally would.  I use an iced tea maker and follow the instructions that came with it which are to use about two cups of water and four tea bags.  After brewing, while still hot, I place enough ice to fill the tea container to the top line (about 1 gallon). 

The "cheater" ingredient is that I will sometimes add 1-2 packets of lemonade mix to my hot, freshly brewed tea.  By adding in something that looks like this (see photo below):




then I don't have to include any sugar or other sweeteners.  The lemonade mix does all the work for me.  I simply stir and taste until I have my desired sweetness.  If I were you, I'd start with one packet and then add a second if you want a stronger lemon flavor.


Don't stress or fuss about it not being completely homemade!  Just serve and enjoy.

Mommy's Cure For A Headache Hot Chocolate

After a long day of dealing with a three-year old, a mommy like me just needs to enjoy a drink.  In the cooler months of the year, I like having hot chocolate after dinner.  Throw in a little bit (or a lot) of alcohol and you've got yourself a cure for the headaches from the day.

Here is what I threw together the other night.  I'm calling it "Mommy's Cure for a Headache Hot Chocolate."  Note: This is not for the kids and probably not suitable for those under 21 years of age either!





Mommy's Cure For A Headache Hot Chocolate
(Serves 1)

1 envelope of hot chocolate (I prefer the dark chocolate flavor)
1 cup (8 oz) of water or milk
2 tbsp of Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur (Note: This is = to 1 shot glass)
1/8 tsp of Almond extract
Marshmallows for topping

Pour 1 cup of milk or water into drinking mug.  Microwave on high for about one and a half minutes.  Pour your hot chocolate mix inside.  Stir quickly until all of the mixture has dissolved.  (I have to do mine over the sink because I'm messy!)  Add in the 2 tbsp of Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur and 1/8 tsp of almond extract.  Stir drink again several times.  Top with marshmallows.  Enjoy on the sofa or perhaps in a hot bath where no kids can find you!




Mmmm, nothing like a warm drink on a cold day to make you feel cozy, eh?  Let's have a toast!

Oh and do you say hot chocolate or hot cocoa?  I hear it both ways and was curious what you and your family call it.