Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

½ cup raw cacao or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup coconut sugar 
3 T carob powder (or more cacao if you don’t like carob)
2 T maca powder
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
¼ t sea salt

*1/4 t vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk. Store in an airtight jar or container. 
To make hot chocolate, add 8-12oz. of your preferred non-dairy milk to a saucepan over medium heat.  Add in 1-2 heaping spoonfuls of dry mix and 1/4 t vanilla extract, whisking constantly until all is combined and the milk is warm. Can adjust amount of dry ingredients to your taste. 

Options: can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or coconut whipped cream if desired on top.
**You can leave out the maca powder and ground ginger, but it is a nice healthy addition! Maca powder is a superfood and ginger is anti-inflammatory. 

Peach Margaritas

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
2 oz tequila
2 T honey
1 cup fresh peaches
2 cups ice

Directions:
Place ingredients in blender in order listed above. Blend for 20 seconds or until slushy.
If you want it to be stronger, use 1/2 c orange juice and 2 oz of Triple Sec. 
If your peaches are frozen, let them thaw slightly and only use 1 cup of ice.

Green Smoothie and Blendtec!

I don't usually write a lot because I want you to get right into the recipe without having to read things you are not interested in; however, today I have to share with you something I wish I had known years ago. 

Last year I purchased a Blendtec blender. It was the best purchase I think I have ever made. Yes, they are expensive and I had to save up to get it, but it was so worth it! Not only can I make awesome smoothies, but it makes great milkshakes for my husband, my girls use it all the time for smoothies and juices. It also makes turkey sausage, soups, dressings, peanut butter, sauces and so much more! I have been cooking for years and have every kitchen gadget there is, but this blender is by far my favorite. You can go to blendtec.com to look up some of their recipes and see the amazing things it can make. The recipes on the website are healthy recipes too! Oh yea, the mixed drinks are amazing!  

So, if you want to add something to your kitchen arsenal, get a Blendtec! They even sell them at Sam's Club and Costco. So, now that I've shared my infomercial with you, here is the recipe for my favorite smoothie. I have this for breakfast every day and it is amazing! I know it doesn't look great, but trust me it tastes great. The cool thing is you can mix it up and put whatever fruits and veggies you like in it. You can buy frozen or fresh fruit. 

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut water
1 T chia seeds
1 orange or 1/2 lemon or 1/2 lime or 1 apple
2 celery stalks
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup peaches or mangos
1/2 cup berries (I like raspberries or blackberries)
1 cup spinach or kale

Directions: 
To make it quicker and easier in the mornings, I prepare several individual bags ahead of time with the peaches, berries and spinach/kale, and place in the freezer. That also makes my smoothie cold.
Add the above ingredients to your blender in the order listed. Make sure the frozen ingredients go in last. Press "smoothie" and you have a great nutritious breakfast! Add a piece of sausage or turkey for some extra protein.

Hot Chocolate (dairy free, chocolate free options)

10 inches of snow + freezing temps = a good day for hot chocolate! 

Ingredients:
3 cups of milk (cows milk, coconut milk or almond milk) or you can use
1 can of coconut milk, unsweetened and full fat + 1 1/2 cups of water

3-4T cocoa powder or carob powder
3-4T maple syrup or honey
1 t vanilla extract 

*a pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:
In a small saucepan stir together all ingredients, except the vanilla. Heat until smooth, whisking so there are no lumps, to desired temperature. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and stir.

Serve as is or with whipped cream or marshmallows.
*Makes 3 servings

Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds
water
1 t vanilla
6 medjool dates, pits removed

Directions:
Put almonds in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 8-12 hours. 
Drain almonds. Put almonds in a blender with 4 cups water and blend until milky and nuts are all chopped.   (I use a Blendtec and select "Whole Juice")

Strain milk through nut milk bag or cheesecloth to remove almond skins and pulp. Rinse blender jar, place strained almond milk back in jar with remaining ingredients and secure lid. Blend again until dates are liquified. (In Blendtec, press pulse until dates are liquified. 

*You can also use 2T agave nectar instead of dates to sweeten. 

Dreamy Hot Chocolate (or Carob)

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 T half-and-half or plain coconut milk 
1 t arrowroot
1 T sugar or 1 t Truvia
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), chopped or 2 ounces sweetened carob drops
1 T Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, optional

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of half-and-half or coconut milk with arrowroot, whisking until smooth.
Place remaining 1 cup half-and-half or coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer. When half-and-half begins to bubble around the edges, whisk in sugar or Truvia. Whisk in arrowroot mixture until half-and-half thickens slightly, usually less than a minute. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the chocolate and Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, until smooth.
Pour into warmed cups, top each with a orange zest.

*For a hot chocolate sauce to drizzle over berries, cut half-and-half or coconut milk down to 1/2 cup. It will be thicker and richer.

Christmas Sangria

Ingredients:

2 bottles of red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup brandy
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup 100% pure orange juice
1 large orange or 2 small oranges, thinly sliced
1 pomegranate, arils removed
1 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
In a large pitcher, stir together the wine, brandy, pomegranate juice, and orange juice. Add orange slices, pomegranate arils, cranberries and cinnamon stick. Stir and then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I left mine for 4-5 hours.

Spiced Bourbon Apple Cider

Ingredients:

16 ounces apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 black peppercorns
1 star anise
8 ounces bourbon
Ground cinnamon, in a shaker, for sprinkling
4 apple slices

Directions:
Put the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black peppercorns and star anise in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately strain the mixture into 4 mugs, divided evenly. Top with the bourbon.

Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on top of each and garnish with an apple slice.

*Recipe from foodnetwork.com courtesy of Geoffrey Zakarian

Peppermint Mocha

I am not a big coffee drinker. In fact, there is only one brand of coffee that I like, Cafe Marco. But, no matter what coffee you like, you can make this lowfat dairy free peppermint mocha at home. It is delicious!

I found the original recipe at the humbledhomemaker.com, but I changed it a bit.

Peppermint Syrup

3/4 c water
1/2 c honey or coconut sugar or sugar
1/2 t peppermint extract

Bring water and honey or sugar to a boil. Boil for a couple minutes, then add extract and simmer another minute or two. Turn off heat and store in a mason jar.

Mocha
1 cup of your favorite coffee (made stronger than normal). I usually use 1T coffee for a large cup. This time I used 1T for an 8 oz cup.
3/4 c your favorite milk steamed 
   (I used coconut milk)
1 T cocoa powder or carob powder
1 t Truvia or 1 t sugar 
3 T Peppermint Syrup

Add coffee to a large mug. Then add cocoa or carob powder and Truvia or sugar. Stir. Then add milk and syrup. Stir and serve. You can always add crushed peppermints on top or marshmallows, if you desire. 

Creamsicle Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup milk (your choice - I used coconut)
1 cup frozen mango chunks or 1 frozen banana
4 clementies or 1 large orange (peeled)
1 heaping Tablespoon of honey (raw or natural)
1/2 c plain or vanilla yogurt (greek or regular or coconut yogurt)
1 t vanilla extract (if using vanilla milk and vanilla yogurt, only add 1/2 t)
*add 1 c ice if mango or banana are not frozen

Directions:
Add ingredients into blender in order listed and blend until smoothie consistency. 

*saw original recipe at the humbledhomemaker.com 

Peach Green Tea

Ingredients:

4 green tea bags (or mango green tea bags)
4 cups water
1 cup diced peaches
5 packets Truvia (or your choice of sweetener)

Directions:
Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for 3 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour into a pitcher. Add Truvia and stir. 

In a small food processor or blender, puree peaches. Add to tea and stir. Let chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Fruit Punch

Ingredients:

2 cups orange juice

4 cups apple cider or apple juice

2 cups white grape juice

6 cups cranberry pomegranate or cranberry juice

2 cups Sprite or Sierra Mist or Club Soda or Ginger Ale

1 cup Splenda or Sugar

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a 1 gallon pitcher and chill.

I make extra with remaining ingredients and keep in the fridge to refill my serving pitcher when company is here.