Starbucks iced white chocolate peppermint americano… cheater style

09/12/2011 by · Leave a Comment

Strong, cold coffee… creamy sweetened condensed milk… refreshing peppermint… and a splash of rich heavy cream… all poured over lots of ice… makes for a perfect drink for a hot summer’s day!

Tasting just as good as a coffee-shop treat, for only a fraction of the price… makes this drink perfect for every summer day!

Ok, so I know I might be a little late in the game with this iced coffee recipe, but summer just came to the Pacific Northwest. Seriously… just!

It has been cold and dreary all summer… up until this week when the kids all went back to school and now it’s finally nice out!

Like high 80′s, swim in the pool all day, too-hot-to-drink-anything-that’s-not-iced kind of nice!

I have been dreaming up this drink for a while now, but it just hasn’t been nice enough to remember to make it.

It really does taste just like my favorite Starbucks drink in the summer… an iced white chocolate peppermint americano with a splash of heavy cream! So good!

(If you really want to kick it up a notch, add some Kahlúa, or Starbucks Coffee Liqueur!)

Peppermint is what I keep on hand, but you could use any type of flavored beverage syrup. Vanilla would be good… or caramel… or hazelnut… yum…

Creamy Iced White Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Recipe

Ingredients:
lots of ice
1 oz peppermint syrup (any flavor is fine!)
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
cold double-strength coffee*
1/2-1 tablespoon heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons Kahlúa, optional

Directions:
Fill a tall glass with lots of ice. Pour the peppermint syrup and sweetened condensed milk over the ice. Fill almost to the top with coffee (& Kahlúa, if using). Stir well. Top with half a tablespoon or so of heavy cream, to taste, and stir. Enjoy!

*Cold Double-Strength Coffee Instructions:
I pour 4 cups of water into my coffee maker. Then I put in enough coffee to make 8 cups. Brew as usual and then chill in a pitcher in the fridge. I usually do this in the morning so that I can make iced coffee in the afternoon! (And this makes 3 big drinks… 2 for me and 1 for Andrew!) :o)

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - beverages ·

homemade Starbucks apple chai infusion (hot apple cider chai tea)

09/06/2011 by · Leave a Comment

Have you ever tried Starbucks’ Apple Chai Infusion that they sell in the fall & winter?

I fell in love with it last winter and it’s still one of my favorite drinks! (Here’s a tip: It’s not on the menu, but they can make it year-round if you ask for it!)

This is my version of the drink, for a fraction of the price and all the same flavor!

I like this best with Tazo Chai (the same stuff Starbucks uses!), which you can buy at most grocery stores and is nice and spicy, but use whatever Chai concentrate you like! (It must be concentrate for this though… powder would just be weird!)

Also, if you can get your hands on fresh pressed apple cider, or can make your own, that will make it even better! But store bought will work just fine too!

homemade Starbucks apple chai infusion (hot apple cider chai tea)

Ingredients

Directions

Slow Cooker Directions:

Pour both the juice and the chai concentrate into the slow cooker. Turn on LOW and heat until hot (can simmer all day!). Keep the slow cooker on WARM and serve directly out of it!

Stove-Top Directions:

Pour both the juice and the chai concentrate into a large pot. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer gently until it is nice and hot or up to 6 hours! Remove the lid and turn off the heat, keeping the pot on the warm burner, and serve as needed!

Whichever method you use, your house will smell amazing!!

http://sweetannas.com/2011/09/homemade-starbucks-apple-chai-infusion-hot-apple-cider-chai-tea.html

 

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - beverages, recipes - crockpot, recipes - slow cooker ·

not-so Green Smoothie

07/24/2011 by · 52 Comments

We all know we need to eat more greens right?

Dark, leafy greens… as in a big salad. But really, how often can we (and do we?!) eat big green salads, especially without dousing them in not-so-good-for-us salad dressing?!

Well, here’s the solution… Green smoothies!

Yep, I said green smoothies. I know, I know… green is not the most appetizing color of a beverage, and in fact this smoothie is not even ‘green’… but I am talking more about the philosophy of this smoothie than of the actual color.

Green smoothies are about upping your daily intake of dark leafy greens. All it takes is some greens (anything really… the darker the better!) and some fruit! Simple, right?

This smoothie is a mixture of banana, frozen berries, mixed greens/spinach & a bit of ice and water to thin it out. That’s it!

It’s really more of a method than a recipe…

Throw some fruit in a blender, add in as much ‘greens’ as you can fit, blend until smooth, add in a bit more fruit, water or juice if the greens are too strong and enjoy a healthier you. That’s it!

The bonus: My two-year old and 7-month-old both LOVE these smoothies! (As do I! Although I can’t seem to get my husband or 9-year old to try them!)

We try to ‘green smoothie’ as close to every day as we possibly can!

Green Smoothie #1 (berry)

Ingredients

  • 1 banana
  • 2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach
  • 1-1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
  • 1/2-1 cup water

Directions

Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using more or less water to get the consistency you want!

http://sweetannas.com/2011/07/not-so-green-smoothie.html

or try this one:

Green Smoothie #2 (tropical)

Ingredients

  • 1 banana
  • 2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh pineapple chunks
  • 1/2 cup mango or other tropical fruit nectar or puree

Directions

Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using a bit of water to get the consistency you want!

http://sweetannas.com/2011/07/not-so-green-smoothie.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - beverages, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead, recipes - natural ·
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