how cool is this on-the-go french press coffee maker/holder that my neighbour got me for christmas?! it was a total surprise, i can’t believe she bought me something, let alone something THIS COOL!
and so practical, too! Continue reading
Tag Archives: drinks
{thirsty thursday – eat, DRINK, and be merry}
26 Dec
new belgium brewing company beer is on sale all month at my local liquor store. and NBB just happens to be my all-time favourite, so i bought their folly pack, which included 4 throwback beers, 2 below. i’m excited to {re}explore them all… just not all at once 😉
HAPPY {safe} HOLIDAYS! 😉
{thirsty thursday – harmless harvest coconut water}
12 Deci heart coconut water… and not just after a good workout or to help cure a hangover {yep, it’s good for that!} although, coconut water will replenish you better than 10 gatorades {i don’t drink that stuff, but it’s fun to exaggerate sometimes} or a gallon of water alone. seriously this stuff is amazing! it’s almost identical to human plasma, and is extremely high in potassium and antioxidants.
there are lots of different coconut water brands out there… and many of them are good.
this one is THE BEST.
i mean, really… it’s THE best coconut water on the planet. harmless harvest coconut water has figured out the best formula {and philosophy}… and can you just guess what it is?! KEEP IT SIMPLE 🙂 i dig these guys and their minimalist approach to things.
it’s like sticking a straw straight into a coconut that has been gathered in southeast asia. Continue reading
{thirsty thursday : roasted volcanic garlic and a snow day!}
7 Nov
i feel like i eat garlic with almost every meal. it’s so good for you, so good for the immune system and for your joints, among a slew of other things. in the late spring this year, i purchased this beautiful braid of volcanic garlic. the rep from the farm suggested roasting it with olive oil in the oven, for a very unique experience and flavour.
on it! said food and foto dot com.
i have about 5 bulbs left on the braid i purchased… the guy did say, “buy this now and it will last you through the end of the year” – and here we are {6 months later} in early november and i still have some to play with – yay!
and obviously you can use any kind of garlic. i had actually never made roasted garlic on my own, so i just had to try…
and i did exactly what the farmer told me to do…. Continue reading
{thirsty thursday – happy halloween : please enjoy responsibly!}
31 Octhey ya’ll
are you going to go out and/or dress up for halloween? i have an early morning friday, so i will probably keep it low-key and watch the nightmare before christmas or something… 😉
just wanna throw in my shameless two-cents of a plug here – please don’t drink and drive, have a DD. and if you don’t have to be on the roads, just stay in. and why not give out healthy snacks instead of candy? or better yet – do a TRICK! no one does tricks anymore, we just toss “treats” in a bag and are done with it. can you just imagine the look on the kids faces when you bust out a bunny and a hat instead of twizzlers? priceless – better have a camera… 😉 i digress.
meanwhile, i’m all for enjoying a few libations for the event :
i love to support organic practices of all kinds! 😉 this stout was incredible, and had perfect hints of chocolate throughout, with a nice finish.
i’m a fan of farmhouse ales – the bubbles, the colour, the complex flavour… this one didn’t disappoint.
brown ales just feel like autumn, don’t they? the rich flavour and the heavier body… ideal for transitioning us into the next season.
have a great night, friends! be safe!
{a week of vitamix smoothies – day five : strawberries, blueberries, mangos, vanilla ice cream}
30 Aug
it’s magenta!
this one should be like, the official “food and foto” smoothie… right?! 😉
– fresh strawberries
– frozen blueberries
– frozen mango
– apple juice
– splash of grape juice
– squeeze of honey
– vanilla {coconut} ice cream
i decided to try the ice cream since it was in my freezer anyway, and i had run out of regular coconut milk. i try to limit my dairy intake overall… i admit it’s tough because i LOVE cheese!!!!! so i substitute where i can in other ways. like with this smoothie, i used coconut milk ice cream 🙂
this was SUPER good… and was more rich than other smoothies i’ve made, probably because of the ice cream. it’s good to mix it up sometimes, yanno?! variety is the spice of life, right?!
drink the rainbow!
😉
{a week of vitamix smoothies – day four : blueberries, spinach, dates, orange juice}
29 Aug
this one was definitely green… albeit an odd shade…
tasted great, though!
– frozen blueberries
– frozen raspberries
– fresh spinach
– 2 pitted dates {could substitute honey or agave}
– lots of orange juice
– few splashes almond milk
i usually use more “milk” than juice, but i wanted to switch it up this time….
i bought a TON of blueberries on a one-day sale and froze them. when they are in season, they still taste great, but the freezing process zaps some of the sweetness. the dates really help sweeten without overpowering.
drink the rainbow! 😀
{a week of vitamix smoothies – day three : bananas, blueberries, flax seeds, coconut milk}
28 Aug
yep…
– frozen blueberries
– frozen banana chunks
– flax seeds
– coconut milk
– 1 pitted date or teaspoon honey to sweeten {optional}
…that’s it.
kept this one SUPER SIMPLE.
and what a lovely colour, i must say!
drink the rainbow! 😀
{a week of vitamix smoothies – day two : mangos, blueberries, spinach, flaxseeds, almond milk}
27 Aug
yet another colourful creation… and although this one is definitely “green”… it’s not at all green.
– frozen blueberries
– fresh spinach
– 2 pitted dates
– whole flax seeds
– apple juice
– almond milk
as i’ve mentioned before, i’m not big on measuring – i just ‘eyeball it’ usually… i’d say the basic ratio is roughly 1 cup solids to 1 cup liquids, generally speaking…
adjust consistency to your liking, adding more liquid or fruit as necessary… easy peasy.
DRINK THE RAINBOW!
😀
{a week of vitamix smoothies — day one : blueberries, pineapple, coconut milk}
26 Augthe kids are up early and back in school, the leaves are slowly beginning to change their colours, the air just smells different, and the produce section is starting to feature those fall harvests we look forward to…
—
and i figured since the seasons are about to change, i would honour the idea of cleansing with the seasons. so, this week i will feature 5 different vitamix smoothie recipes – each creation will also feature seasonal blueberries… mmmmm…
so here’s the first one :
this mix created such a pretty colour! it’s always a surprise when one experiments with smoothie concoctions in the vitamix… but it’s also {obviously} half the fun! 😉
– blueberries
– pineapple
– black grapes
– teaspoon local honey
– mango juice
– coconut milk
{thirsty thursday : tunacado toasts w/ a little good karma!}
8 Aug
i’ve written about this combination before…
it seems to be a big hit! i mixed it up a little this time, but as usual, simple ingredients here : Continue reading
{thirsty thursday – the everything vitamix smoothie}
1 Aug
there’s a lot going on in this smoothie i’ve been having in the mornings lately :
– frozen blueberries
– frozen bananas
– frozen pineapple
– frozen grapes
– frozen cherries
– frozen strawberries {they are hiding! :)}
– carrots
– celery
– spinach
– dates Continue reading
{thirsty thursday – delicious beers you ought to try}
18 Juljust some suggestions for a few life-celebrating libations…
good juju is brewed with ginger – a unique one for sure! it compliments spicy snacks rather well…
colette is a wonderfully bright and bubbly farmhouse ale that finishes like champagne, with a high alcohol content…
fire rock is a kona brewing company pale ale. this yummy beer gets its dark colour from roasted hops, which aren’t too overwhelming… and the flavour does not disappoint!
new belgium brewery just knows how it’s done. i’ve never had a beer i didn’t like from them… loft is a seasonal brew full of citrus notes from the kaffir lime and is in the pilsner family.
{i don’t remember exactly what i put in this vitamix smoothie…}
17 Jul…but it was still delicious!
and pretty! …
it appears to be berries, spinach, dates, coconut milk, flax… i feel like i’ve made this one before?! Continue reading
{thirsty thursday – aloe juice}
11 Jul
do you know how amazing aloe vera is?! do a little research and find out for yourself how many benefits there are from drinking this incredible stuff!
i’ve been drinking it to help with hydration and skin ailments. i just mix mine with some apple juice since it’s a little bitter on its own. it was suggested to me to buy the “inner fillet” part of the aloe – for a few reasons including the fact that it is easier to digest.
i drink 2 ounces in juice twice a day and it just makes me feel good knowing i’m drinking something so good for my body. here are a few key benefits from drinking aloe {which by the way, you can also totally throw in your smoothies, dan! – you’re welcome ;)} :
– supports digestion
– anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal
– helps reduce inflammation
– natural weight loss aid
– great for the skin!
{thirsty thursday – peach chia lemonade}
27 Jun
this may look a little bizarre to you if you’ve never heard of chia drinks… but it seems to me like they are all the rage these days…
you remember chia seeds?! “the pottery that grows” — ch-ch-ch-chia! haha – anyway, this is the same stuff.
it’s good on salads, in smoothies, etc.
chia seeds congeal when mixed with liquid, so they create this interesting and fun texture that i just love – but i admit not everyone does 🙂 the best part is chia seeds are loaded with fiber and protein as well as naturally-occuring good-for-you-in-so-many-ways omegas 3 and 6. they’re kind of a wonderfood – the aztecs just loved chia seeds!
and i do too! 🙂 Continue reading
{purple cabbage smoothie}
20 Jun
i read somewhere online that cabbage was a good “blending” type of veggie in that the flavour didn’t take over when combined in a smoothie, much like spinach. i was excited about this because of the colour!
so i mixed mine with some watermelon, frozen strawberries, frozen banana, frozen mango, coconut milk, and flax seeds…
made a lovely shade of… something. it’s not quite plum, not quite magenta, not exactly pink…
what would you call this colour?! other than delicious 🙂 ?!
{natural insomnia aid : audrey michelle’s tart cherry tonic}
10 Jun
a little secret about me : i have battled with insomnia for about half my life.
i’ve gone back and forth in my head — “claiming it” by owning it and being honest {as i’ve done here}, invoking the law of attraction by saying “i sleep great!” – both seem to have the same effect… i’ve tried melatonin, valerian root and other random herbs, about 5 different kinds of mattresses, yoga, prayer, meditation, sleepy tea, alcohol, and a variety of other remedies to help in my battle. i even tried some feng shui to encourage the right energy during bedtime… i tried one or two prescription drugs but absolutely hated the side-effects and the dopey feeling the next day… one of them even gave me wacky lucid dreams, almost nightmares… i once tried to “donate my body to science” by participating in an insomnia-related study, but i didn’t qualify because i hadn’t tried enough prescription drugs… over-the-counter remedies help in the short-term, but that stuff is so bad for your liver and i also worried about dependency… i have to board up my windows and sleep with a mask usually, and that is in part due to my late work hours… i know i’m reasonably young but i’m not getting any younger and i’m at that age where this kind of crap is super important to me now. i don’t need to get 8-10 hours every night, but what i do need is to STAY asleep during the night.
enter the title of this blog… Continue reading
{vitamix juice w/ dates, pears, green lettuce}
31 May
i threw a lot of random stuff in this one…. {choosing organic where possible}
– 1 small clementine, peeled
– 1/2 pear, stems and seeds included
– 2 pitted dates
– a few banana slices
– handful of romain lettuce
– orange juice
– almond milk
– some raw protein powder
you just never know what colour to expect… but the taste is always amazing!
i’m a huge fan of using dates for sweetening. usually all you need is one or two per 12 oz. serving. they are inexpensive and the vitamix can handle it! just make sure to buy pitted dates! the lettuce flavour was a little stronger in this compared to good ol’ spinach, but i had run out so i had to replace *something* green… 😉
have a great weekend!
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 