Fruit Juice Tea Recipe

It's almost Spring, guys!  It is getting to be the time of year again where juice, tea, and anything cold and with ice should always be on hand.

For our wedding last year, we had bought a lot of instant tea mix to make the day go more quickly.  (I mean, realistically I nor my family had time to boil gallons and gallons of real tea the morning before the wedding, so instant tea was the way to go.)  The problem is that I over prepared with (pretty much everything) and we had a lot of extra tea left over.  The other problem is that Tyler and I would much rather drink real brewed tea than instant tea (meaning we don't really like the instant tea that much) and so it has just been sitting in the cabinet.

I was determined to create something that we could use the tea mix for that would also taste good, so I tried to come up with a fruity tea.  I used Cran-Raspberry juice, because it is one of my favorites and isn't too terribly sweet.

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons Instant Tea Mix

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Hot Water

2 Cups Cold Water

2 Cups Preferred Juice

First, add 5 Tablespoons of Instant Tea Mixture to a pitcher.  I purposefully wanted the tea to be a bit more concentrated than the back of the label called for.

The mix we had is unsweetened.  I don't really do unsweetened tea unless it is green tea, so the sugar must go in!  I added about 1/4 Cup of sugar.

Next, add one cup of hot water to dissolve the sugar and tea well.  I really hate when sugar doesn't dissolve and sits at the bottom, so this is my way to ensure that doesn't happen.

Stir everything together and allow to dissolve before adding the cold water.

Darn.  Sorry about the awful quality photos from here on.  This was my first time taking blog photos with my husband's camera (since mine tragically died...again, but this time for good).  It was getting late and the light through my window was apparently not good enough.

Next, add the two cups of cold water.

Stir again.

Lastly, add two cups of your favorite juice.

Store in the refrigerator in the awesome pitcher you received as a wedding gift!  (Seriously, you know who you are if you read this blog - we love it and use it all the time!)

Do you like fruity flavored tea?  I can remember not liking it as a child, but it is interesting how taste-buds change and become open to new things!

My Favorite Way to Make Hot Chocolate

A few months ago when the weather started getting cold, I started experimenting when I made hot chocolates for my husband and I.  Normally I made Tyler's hot chocolate with straight up milk, but for some reason the thought of warm milk always grossed me out.  I wanted to find a way to get a similar richness of hot chocolate that you get with the milk, but without actually having to heat milk.

To do hot chocolate my way, you'll need hot chocolate (we are lazy and keep packages of it), sugar, heavy whipping cream, and hot water.

First, bring the water to a boil.  Empty the hot chocolate packets into the cup.  When the water has boiled, pour just enough in to cover the amount of chocolate in the bottom of the cup.

Then add just a splash of heavy cream. 

Let the cup sit while you make the whipping cream - it will give the ingredients a chance to dissolve well.

Pour some whipping cream into a bowl.  I never measure because my beaters have left scratch marks in the bowl so I just know where to fill it.  (We really like whipped cream I guess.  That's usually the only thing I use this bowl for.)  For two people, I'd guess I pour approximately 1/2 cup of cream.  Then add 1 - 2 tablespoons of sugar, to taste.

Whip it all together until firm.

Lick the beaters (or let your husband if he realizes what you're making).

Now that you're done with the whipped cream, use the rest of your hot water to fill the cups to about the 3/4 mark, maybe a bit more.  Stir the hot chocolate to get anything that is still settled on the bottom to dissolve. 

 Add spoonfuls of whipped cream, to taste.

Enjoy!  But be careful.  The whipped cream can fool you into thinking the entire drink is cool enough, so don't burn yourself when you get past the first layer!

Oh, and aren't these cups neat?  Tyler got them for his birthday, they are hand crafted by Catherine Orrantia, a well known potter from Arizona!  They are really the perfect hot chocolate mugs!

Easy Caramel Coffee "Latte"

Hey coffee readers!  This post is for those of you who actually drink coffee!  (Just because you read my blog doesn't mean you all like coffee, obviously...but I'm putting a good bet that a lot of you do!)

Today, I'm bringing you a coffee recipe I whipped up on a whim last week when the hubster got home from a 12 hour work day.  It is super easy, and you probably already have the ingredients!  It's actually so easy that I put "latte" in parenthesis because it isn't really a latte, but you get the idea.   And it is in perfect timing with the Fall weather that is FINALLY arriving here in Oklahoma!

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Easy Caramel Coffee "Latte"

2 Cups of Hot Coffee

1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Splenda Packets (splenda equivalency chart)

1/4 Cup of Caramel

Add all ingredients together in a blender.  I usually blend for 2 or so minutes to allow the whipping cream to have a frothed effect.  

This recipe makes a little over two cups...probably about three.  It works perfect for my husband and I since we each get a cup, and can go back for seconds for a half refill.

*Be sure you use hot coffee, because if you don't the whipping cream will turn out chunky and gross looking...at least that's what happened for us when I forgot to heat the left over coffee we were using prior to blending.  

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These are the specific ingredients we used.

Great Value Heavy Whipping Cream, Great Value Sweetener, Eight O'Clock Original Coffee, and Hershey's Caramel Syrup.

First, get two cups of coffee.  

If you're like us, you'll be using left over coffee from the morning, so be sure to heat it up really hot in the microwave before putting it in the blender!

Next, two packets of Splenda.  I've notice it dissolves best in hot liquids, so now would be a good time to stir it in.

 Approximately 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream.

Note:  In the pictures, I actually used almost one cup of heavy cream because the last time I made this I didn't measure anything and was guessing the measurements.  I'd suggest you half a cup instead for more of a coffee flavor.  Or, my best suggestion is to pour it in until the color is the same way you like your regular coffee and cream.

Now, 1/4 a cup of caramel syrup.  You can always add more, of course.  ;) 

 Pour everything into the blender.

 I blend for several minutes on the pulse setting.  I blend on the pulse setting only because I'm too lazy to figure out how to turn off the pulse setting...but it seems to be working fine!

Pour in your favorite cup, sprinkle some cinnamon on top and you're good to go!

Enjoy!

Frozen Blueberries in Lemonade

This summer, I may have just found my new favorite, easiest, coolest drink to stay hydrated.

Since we got married in May, we had a LOT of leftover drinks...basically I bought 4 times the amount that we actually used, but it was the right projected amount for our guestimated amount of people assuming they each drank several glasses at the wedding.   We've been having A LOT of lemonade this summer.

Here's a strange tidbit about me.  Call me weird, call me un-Oklahoman, call me un-American...call me what you will, but I don't really like ice.  It is really just too cold for me in most cases, it hurts my teeth and I can't taste anything because it is too cold.  Then there's the added bonus that most people in the south would rather have more ice than drink - which is weird because to me that's how you get ripped off (especially at Sonic where you don't get refills).  Blueberries don't seem quite as cold, and by the time you are done with lemonade you can eat them.

Did I mention that blueberries are also really good for you?  We have a history of Alzheimer's Disease in my family, and there are strong links between eating blueberries and preventing memory loss.  Its worth a try in my opinion to keep blueberries and other healthy foods steady in our diets!

If you want to make it yourself, here are the ingredients we use:

Frozen blueberries from Walmart and Country Time Lemonade Mix (can be bought at Walmart and SAMs).


We got the pitcher in the picture for our wedding.  It was from Bed Bath and Beyond, and I've got to say - one of the best items we got.  It fits great in the refrigerator and is what we keep our running stock of lemonade in.  Three scoops of mix and water to the top of the pattern is just about right!


And there you have it - Blueberry Lemonade!

The Easiest Pumpkin Spice Latte...Ever.

  Like most of us, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is something that enamors me every Fall.  No, I don't wish they were available year round, because I would not appreciate its goodness so very much.  Starbucks realizes this appreciation, as they charge $4.82 per grande Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino (it isn't cool enough yet here in Oklahoma to buy a latte).  Just like my adoration of this tasty drink, there is another treat special to we pumpkin lovers here in Oklahoma.  It is called...(***drum roll***) Pumpkin Ice Cream from Braums!

  If you are not from Oklahoma, let me fill you in about Braums.  It is a local dairy store, famous for excellent milk and ice cream without gross hormones and such.  It is also a fast food joint, but most of us here much prefer the food at Braums than that of the international chains.  Well, every Fall they bring out a special selection of seasonal flavors, and just yesterday I was able to buy my first box of Pumpkin Ice Cream!

Pumpkin Ice Cream from Braums

  You are probably thinking that I titled this post about lattes, not ice cream.  I promise, I'm getting there.  As an avid coffee lover and huge procrastinator (meaning I shouldn't waste time on making Pumpkin Spice Lattes), I offer you a 5 step Pumpkin Spice Latte!

The Easiest Pumpkin Spice Latte...Ever!

The Easiest Pumpkin Spice Latte...Ever!

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Ice Cream (If you are not from the mid-west, check your local dairy stores for similar products.)
Hot Freshly Brewed Coffee
2 Tbs Sugar
1/4 tsp Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or other Fall Spice of your choice

Directions:
Stir together in a mug. Easy peasy college student way ;)



Thanks for stopping by!

With love and a Pumpkin Spice Latte,
Saxon