Tag: mint

bourbon chocolate mint shake

bourbon chocolate mint shake

Once upon a time, long long ago, on New Years Eve in the small town of Calabasas, California, one of us Husbands had a liiittle too much to drink. And by “too much,” we mean polishing off a half a bottle of whiskey in just a few seconds. Adam was fifteen years old, and it was one of his first times drinking alcohol. After ringing in the New Year and watching Dick Clark’s annual celebration in Times Square on TV, his parents went to bed, while he and a friend began to raid their liquor cabinet. They started by pouring an entire bottle of whiskey into two large glasses filled with ice, plugging their noses, and chugging the contents as quickly as possible. While his friend disappeared to the restroom, he continued to consume more alcohol, gulping Kahlua straight from the bottle. As you can imagine, this unfortunate combination of liquids obviously didn’t agree with his skinny teenage body. Things got a little foggy after that, and the next thing he remembers is a man from the fire department asking him, “What did you drink, son?” “Whi-key,” he weakly mumbled, lacking the strength to pronounce the S. Apparently, he had been calling out to his mother, helplessly and hopelessly intoxicated, and she found him lying on the floor in the den—the details of which we will spare you since this is a cooking blog after all. Long story short, the paramedics determined that he would be okay and there was no need to take him to the hospital. Ever since that delightful day, “Whi-key” has not been a part of Adam’s life… until last December when he tried a double chocolate bourbon milkshake which changed everything.

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blackberry vanilla tequila mojito

blackberry vanilla tequila mojito

Summer vacation. You are on a quiet beach under a cloudless sky, laying on a soft towel, the sun drying you off after a quick dip in the warm ocean water. Behind you is a rugged mountain, lush with tropical plants and towering trees bursting with life, bright neon green from the frequent rains. The only sounds are the gentle surf and native birds singing in the distance as you rest your eyes. Your trip has just begun and your only plans for the rest of the day are to relax on the sand and get ready for tonight’s sunset dinner. You take a deep breath, opening your eyes to find yourself sitting in a plastic lounge chair at your neighbor’s backyard barbecue party. No one is staring at you, and it appears as if just seconds have passed. What just happened? What is in this magical icy beverage you are holding in your hand, glowing a deep amethyst and infusing the air with fresh citrus and mint? How did it transport you to paradise and where can you find more of these? There are lots of unknowns in this world, but thankfully we have the answers to your curious questions.

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coconut mojito cake

coconut mojito cake

It is morning. You open your eyes, and for the first few seconds, everything looks unfamiliar. You are not at home. The room tilts slightly to the left and you hear a creaking wooden sound and water beneath you. Ah yes! You are on a private boat in the middle of the caribbean. It is summertime and you are on vacation. You took off work and your only responsibilities are to relax and enjoy the scenery. Everyone is still asleep so you make your way outside for some fresh tropical morning air. You quietly open the sliding glass door and are instantly greeted with a cool, salty ocean breeze while the warmth of the rising sun caresses your face. The sounds of water gently splashing against the sides of the boat and the pleasant rocking puts you in a meditative state and everything feels just perfect in that dreamy summer moment. It is just you, a glowing sun, a deep blue ocean, and a comfortable breeze that cleanses your mind and body from all the nonsense that clutters it from day to day. We look forward to vacations like these for good reason: they allow us to escape our daily reality and experience new sights, sounds and flavors. Of course it would be wonderful if we could just pack up and head to the tropics whenever we want, but this is not always possible for everyone. But there are things we can do to make up for it. And this coconut mojito cake is one of them.

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tabbouleh

tabbouleh

It mIght be obvious to you that we have a slight obsession with sweets. Okay, perhaps it’s a little more than slight—it’s pretty severe. But there is just something so satisfying about them! I mean, who wouldn’t want to start their day by pouring hot chocolatey nutella syrup over crispy banana waffles first thing in the morning? After a breakfast like that, it’s basically guaranteed that the rest of your day will be spectacular. Life is full of bountiful pleasures like these, and it’s important to treat yourself to sumptuous breakfasts from time to time! We are not saying that you should then go have cake for lunch and ice cream for dinner, but keeping a diverse mix of sweet and healthy is important. When we were planning this month’s blog schedule, we realized that four out of the last five recipes we posted were desserts and the fifth one was a cocktail. So today we are balancing things out and sharing one of our favorite Mediterranean side dishes, a delicious and healthy cold salad, perfect for all your spring and summer entertaining needs. Say hello to tabbouleh.

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matcha made in heaven shake

matcha made in heaven shake

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is going to be a short post. We wanted to share something super quick and easy that you could whip up today in no time at all. This rich and creamy shake is dreamy and delicious and takes less than five minutes to prepare. It is cool, minty, and tastes like a decadent dessert, but in fact it is made without any ice cream, and the vibrant green comes from all-natural ingredients—not a drop of food coloring to be found! Made with frozen bananas, honey, vanilla, and almond milk, all the ingredients are mixed in a blender with fresh mint leaves and a splash of mint extract for an extra lift. The beautiful green color comes from matcha and spirulina which also give this smooth drink a slight pick-me-up as well as a boost of nutrients! This refreshing treat was inspired by today’s holiday, but this minty matcha made in heaven shake will be enjoyed throughout the year. Whipped cream is optional, but highly encouraged. Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

☘ ☘ ☘ ☘ ☘ ☘ ☘

Matcha Made in Heaven Shake
serves 2

2 bananas, sliced and frozen (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups almond milk
8 large mint leaves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon matcha powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder (see note)
1/8 teaspoon mint extract
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
whipped cream (optional)

Combine the frozen bananas, milk, mint leaves, vanilla, matcha, spirulina, mint extract and 1 tablespoon of honey in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for sweetness and add more honey as needed. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of matcha powder, if desired. Enjoy!

notes:
— To freeze the bananas, slice them and place the slices in a resealable plastic bag in a single layer, then lay the bag flat in the freezer until frozen.
— Matcha and spirulina powders can be found in natural food stores, and both are available online.
— To make this vegan, replace the honey with agave syrup or other vegan sweetener.

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