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Want a little more punch to your potion? Try out some of our favorite cocktail recipes.
I do like a refreshing drink, plus beverage recipes satisfy the inner mad scientist in me. Whipping up special drinks definitely began with my dad. When I was growing up, he (a teetotaler, I might add) would mix up these "everything AND the kitchen sink" drinks made from fruits, juices, Coca-Cola, milks, chocolate syrup, etc. complete with a neat spoon-straw doodad (which I still have to this day and have since learned actually have a real name: sipping spoons.) I thought of these drinks like special potions, so beverage recipes are really just good ol' concoctions to me. Fittingly so, since the root words of concoction relates to digestion and the preparation of medicinal potions. Just what we're after here with beverage recipes that taste delicious and nourish too!
A Quest for Perfect Iced Coffee - It's All in the Brew
Mavenjoy Tip
~ In a pinch, a worthy Starbucks substitute is an Iced Ristretto Caffe Latte. Ristretto is a sweeter shot of espresso that's pulled quicker from the grinds for a shorter contact time that yields a smoother, bolder coffee bang.~
Love coffee flavor, but not a huge fan of it hot. But iced coffee? Yes ma'am! I think my yen for cold coffee actually stems from my first spoonful of coffee ice cream straight from the Häagen Dazs carton when I was about 10 years old. (Coffee was actually one of only three flavors that Häagen Dazs started out making; yep, vanilla, chocolate and coffee.) So, it's probably not just the coffee flavor that hooked me but that smooth, rich flavor and the creaminess too. Following a stubborn stint with Starbucks Frappuccinos (the bottled kind), I set out to find a homemade version with more robust coffee flavor, less sugar and no superfluous (i.e. unnecessary or unnatural) ingredients.
Mavenjoy Extra
~ Coffee continues to gain encouraging health credentials. Now its roast and brew method could further improve its benefits. Coffee has a high content of antioxidants and polyphenols that may protect against heart disease, Parkinson's, dementia, diabetes and some cancers. Recent research shows that dark roast coffee restores vitamin E and glutathione levels and reduces body weight better than lighter roasts. A downside of coffee is its fatty acid content (visible as that oily sheen), which stimulates LDL cholesterol and is also hard on the stomach and digestion. Cold brewing coffee significantly reduces these oils and acids making a much smoother, better cup of coffee beyond just its taste.~
So... very much endowed to this New York Times article that quelled my dogged pursuit to unearth the ultimate iced coffee, I share these simple (and more energy efficient) instructions for authentic, bold but never bitter homemade fraps using cold brewed coffee. This concentrate is so smooth and rich, and equally good heated.
Ingredients
1 8 Cup Coffee Press*
12 scoops (a scant tablespoon) of fair trade whole bean coffee
Mavenjoy Pick ~ Ruta Maya Organic Whole Bean Coffee ~
Water
Organic milk or non-dairy beverage of choice**
Organic, fair trade raw sugar or maple syrup (optional)
Mavenjoy Must Make
~ Mocha Almond Smoothie! ~
Preparation:
Grind coffee beans to medium-course texture. Pour into bottom of coffee press carafe. Fill remaining carafe with water -- not hot, not warm. Cover and let sit overnight or at least 12 hours. This is your super smooth coffee concentrate.
For fraps, combine coffee concentrate with either equal parts milk or a 3:1 ratio coffee to milk. Add as much/little or no sweetener as you like, stir/shake well and pour over ice.
For a nice stock of fraps, add 1-2 teaspoons of sweetener to two or three 14-ounce bottles (those old frap bottles come in handy here). Fill each bottle about 2/3 full with coffee. Close with top and shake vigorously to combine well. Uncover and fill the remainder of each bottle with milk beverage. Store in refrigerator and pour over ice when ready to serve.
Mavenjoy Tip
~ Make an extra batch of coffee concentrate to freeze in ice trays and avoid watering down your cool brew joy! ~
* You can also pull this off with a 32oz. mason jar, a strainer and a coffee filter. Add medium course grounds to mason jar. Fill with water. Lightly cover for 12 hours minimum. Double filter it by pouring it once through a strainer and again through a coffee filter.
** Happily, this method has stood the test of several milk beverage phases including cow skim milk, unsweetened soy, unsweetened almond (original almond too and you can skip the sweetener), and yes, surprisingly even chia milk. All good! But consider skipping the goat and coconut milks here, they just don't cut it in coffee, but they're tops in tea!
A perfect post splurge pick-me-up or when feeling a bit sluggish -- it's clean, fresh, invigorating!
Ingredients
1 small organic cucumber, peeled and seeded or 1 whole cuc, juiced
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 teaspoon organic lime zest
Juice of 1/2 to whole lime
1 can of La Croix Grapefruit sparkling water or other flavor, chilled
Preparation
Place first four ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add La Croix, gently stir and pour over ice.
Mavenjoy Tip
~ What's in your water? Check for yourself with EWG's National Drinking Water Database. And rarely can you top Mother Nature's finest, spring water! Locate a spring near
you with this online spring database. ~
Mavenjoy Pick
~ The Breville Juice Fountain Compact is a super starter juicer and budget-friendly for a great value! ~
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