The post GOLDEN MILK HONEY TEA appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>Did you know that turmeric has excellent astringent qualities, making it a very good cooling spice during summer? This means you don’t have to wait until fall or winter to get your turmeric healing on. This anti-inflammatory Golden Milk Honey Tea is infused with turmeric, cardamom and other spices, and provides many amazing health benefits such as boosting immune function, preventing diabetes and managing IBS symptoms.
That’s right guys, turmeric shouldn’t only be reserved for fall foods or winter blues. You can enjoy turmeric infused beverages and meals all year round. During this time last year, my immune system took a big hit and I got sick on and off for the rest of the year. I literally got sick once a month until late January of this year. It was awful, and it worried me because I wasn’t sure if I was just unlucky at avoiding the flu or there was something much deeper that I needed to address. Well, fast forward to late January, I decided to look for natural remedies to boost my immune system so I wouldn’t get sick again, because being sick just plain sucks.
Of course i found the general immune boosters like Vitamin C supplements and Echinacea tea, but those didn’t work for me in the past as effectively as I would have liked. That was probably because I started taking them when the damage was already done instead of letting them slowly build up my immunity. However, when I came across turmeric curcumin, it seemed like a promising option for me, mostly due to the many other benefits that it has to offer. I tried it, and i’ve loved it ever since!
I started making my golden milk honey tea once a week everyday since January, and all I can say is wow. I never had any more colds, flus, allergies, not even a draft. The trick is to incorporate turmeric into your routine by making it part of your diet, not only when you’re under the weather. That way, your body absorbs the antioxidants from the turmeric while building a resistance to pollutants or other factors that could weaken your immune system. Although my preferred method of using turmeric is in my golden milk honey tea, you can also use it in curries, lentils, stews or even in smoothies!
- 4 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1.5 teaspoons teaspoon ginger powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup raw honey
- In a mini pot, add all ingredients except almond milk and honey. Boil spices over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add in almond milk 5 minutes into the cooking time. When ready, add honey and stir. Serve hot or warm.
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]]>The post MOROCCAN SPICED COFFEE appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>It’s always a good idea to start your Monday morning with a nice cup of coffee. So why not make your mornings even better by spicing it up a notch? This Moroccan Spiced Coffee adds a unique and spicy kick to your daily cup of java!
Baby its cold outside, and I want, I mean I need, to escape to a warm and cozy place. A place where I can sit outside a small rustic café, sipping on my latte. Casually indulging in the beauty of the neighbourhood in a tight blue sundress and a fedora, reading my thriller novel and savouring my cherry Danish. Oh, wouldn’t that be lovely!
My reality: it’s snowing, and I’m sitting beside a window at Starbucks with a green tea latte and slow Wi-Fi, while pulling the sleeves of my sweater to keep my hands warm. The tuna wraps they have are pretty good though, so that’s an upside. Anyways, since I’m not currently enjoying this Moroccan spiced coffee at a lovely café in Morocco, I decided to bring the coffee and the café to my cozy apartment in Toronto!
I’ve always been more familiar with spiced teas, particularly chai or even turmeric spiced teas (also known as golden milk tea). I actually started making turmeric spiced tea every week since the new year started simply to boost my immune system and also for the many health benefits it offers. However, since I’m currently showcasing a “Taste of the” world segment for the month, it made perfect sense to bring this unique and delightful recipe to my kitchen!
Moroccan spiced coffee is fragrant, flavourful, and moderately spicy. I find that the addition of the spices actually tones down the bitterness of the coffee beans, so if you drink your coffee black, you may find this spiced version quite smooth on your taste buds! Or you can add your favorite cream and sweetener. Oh and did I mention that the cream used in this recipe is homemade and dairy free? Cheers to spicy and fun Mondays!
- For Coffee:
- 6 tablespoons ground coffee or ½ cup coffee beans
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- A dash of salt and pepper
- For Cream (optional):
- 1 can light coconut milk
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- Combine all the coffee ingredients in a mason jar. Cover and store overnight. This allows the spices to properly blend with the coffee.
- Brew your coffee as you usually would the next morning. This serving makes about 6-8 cups of coffee.
- For the cream, add coconut milk, almond milk and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add sugar. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
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]]>The post BLACKCURRANT CITRUS BLENDER NEGRONIS appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>As we get ready to start the holiday festivities, serve your hor d’oeuvres and roll out these Blackcurrant Citrus Blender Negronis for your happy guests.
And may the countdown to the holidays begin! I promise I haven’t been on a cocktail binge lately…or maybe I have…who knows? All I can promise is that you will absolutely enjoy my cocktail recipes! A promise I will try to uphold (oh great now I’m nervous). It’s amazing how quickly the year went by. I’m pretty sure I said the same thing at the end on 2016, but at the time I figured that 2017 would go by a little slower, or at least that was the hope, not the expectation.
Now here we are; it’s November, the leaves are still falling, I’m back in my high boots and burgundy coats, and drinking teas and lattes every chance I get. Can’t say I don’t love it, can’t also say I don’t miss the warm weather and wearing my sun hats while lounging on a patio.
Although I usually create healthy recipes, I also believe in balance, hence why I occasionally create alcoholic beverages because why not? Plus, according to my google analytics, the majority of my readers range from ages 25-39 and over. So I think its safe to assume that my lovely readers are of legal drinking age and also enjoy a decent cocktail every now and then. Yay!
A traditional negroni is usually made with parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth poured over ice and topped with an orange slice. It’s basically an easier version of an old fashioned. However, since I’m a fan of sweeter based cocktails, I made this negroni a little sweeter than the traditional version by adding a little twist to it. These blackcurrant citrus blender negronis were also made in my Vitamix Ascent series blender.
- • 4 ounces Ungava premium gin
- • 2 ounces Campari
- • 2 ounces Cinzano Rosso Sweet Vermouth
- • ¾ cup blackcurrant juice, like Ribena
- • 2 cups ice
- • 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Add all ingredients into a Vitamix blender and pulse on medium speed. You can also add more ice if you want it too look like a slushy. Serve and enjoy.
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]]>The post VAMPIRA’S ATTIC COCKTAIL appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>That’s right my children, it’s time for the grown ups to play this Halloween with their spooky friends. Start your Halloween festivities with a few glasses of Vampira’s Attic Cocktail and you may pass out on your couch, or in a coffin, your choice.
“Ahhh, a vampire cocktail to settle my nerves. It will not only settle them; it will petrify them. A vampire cocktail… you like it? It hates you. I’ve had several letters asking if olives or cherries should be used in making my cocktail. Well, neither is necessary because they will only disintegrate when dropped in the cocktail. However, if you’d like to add a garnish you can always drop in an eyeball…if you happen to have an extra one lying around the house.”
Before I spook you guys any further, that perfectly terrifying statement above was made by the legendary horror TV hostess Vampira on one of her many horror specials in the 1950s. Although I am in my 20s, I draw inspiration from all areas of history, even content as far back as the 14th century if I have to. Or at least if there’s any evidence left of anything from that era. The inspiration for Vampira’s Attic Cocktail came from Vampira and all her fabulousness, whose role was played by the late Maila Nurmi.
I mean look at her. Wasn’t she fabulous!? All that elegance and grace while still managing to slightly terrify you. So of course since it’s Halloween season and I spent my bedtime terrifying myself with her show, I decided to dedicate these cocktails to her, and to all you fellow Halloween comrades who are also looking for some fun Halloween funspiration.
Now although this cocktail is quite simple to put together, I have to caution you guys about handling dry ice. This is what causes the foggy effect in the photo (I know, cool right?). If you’re ever working with dry ice, you need to wait for the foggy effect to stop and for the ice to dissolve completely before you consume your cocktail. Consuming your cocktail before the ice dissolves can cause frost bite. Also avoid handling dry ice with your bare hands. I’ll also repeat these in the notes below for those who want to print the recipe! Happy Halloween my dear readers!
- 16oz grape/currant juice
- 2oz black vodka, or regular vodka
- 1oz lemon juice
- A splash of club soda
- Dry ice
- Mix ingredients in a martini shaker. Divide between two glasses and add dry ice. Make sure the dry ice fully dissolves before drinking the cocktail. Serve with blackberries.
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]]>The post STRAWBERRY PEACH MINT BELLINIS appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>Happy fun juice Fridays! Give yourself a boozy treat by ending your week with these fruity Strawberry Peach Mint Bellinis.
Woah what a week its been! I’ve probably started a lot of my posts with that statement but dang it it’s the truth. After leaving my legal job at the firm a few months ago, I thought working from home would be much easier since I would have the luxury of working from my couch, sipping a giant cup of coffee, and occasionally peeking through Netflix during by “break” hours.
I mean I’m not saying I don’t do that occasionally, but with the type of work I do now, I find myself working twice as hard and all around the clock. I’m either taking and delivering catering orders, updating my blog content, pitching emails to brands, working with brands, or doing it all and more! So you know what? I’m sipping on these boozy bad boys cuz I’d like to believe I’ve earned it. Cheers Friday! Boy did I miss you.
Most times when I’m out with my ladies and I order a bellini, I’ve always had them served frozen. Sometimes when I’m lucky I would get my frozen bellinis with a little candy frog on top and I feel like an adult kid…or a kidult…you get it. However, when I went to Cibo Wine Bar a couple of weeks ago, I ordered a traditional peach bellini and I got something totally different. The server placed two glasses of Prosecco infused with peach nectar on our table. Then I thought “wait a minute, this isn’t what I ordered. I wanted a bellini, not a fancy mimosa.”
Well, after being properly schooled by my dinner companion, I learned that a standard bellini is simply Prosecco sparking wine and peach nectar served in a champagne glass. However, frozen bellini can contain vodka, frozen peach puree and syrup. So although the peach flavors are similar in both, these two cocktails aren’t quite the same! Anyways, the bellini I had was delicious, which is why I was inspired to create my own version with a slight minty twist. I find that the mint balances out the slightly concentrated sweetness you get from the peach nectar. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your weekend with these strawberry peach mint bellinis. Have an amazing weekend!
- 1 bottle Prosecco sparkling wine
- 2 cups peach nectar
- 2 drops mint extract (optional)
- A handful of sliced strawberries
- Ice
- In a punch bowl or large jug, add ice, Prosecco, peach nectar, mint extract and strawberries. Stir until all ingredients are combined and serve.
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]]>The post POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE PUNCH appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>These Pomegranate Champagne Punch cocktails are the perfect apéritifs for any occasion! So go ahead and indulge while you patiently wait for the weekend!
Oh my god guys, it’s been a crazy couple of days! I’ve been working non stop prepping for my pop up shop which is coming up on Sunday! I am super excited but also nervous because I have never done this before. However, the exposure would be fantastic, and I have to start somewhere if I want my business to grow amirite??
With all the steps I’m taking to prepare for this pop up shop, the amount of stuff I have to get done is unbelievable! I think it’s even more nerve racking because the day is so close and I still feel like I am so far away from my goal. So to prevent my brain from crashing and burning, I made these pomegranate champagne punch cocktails for my ladies and I. They were delish!
There are two things I love about these punch cocktails. The first thing I appreciate is that they are a Martha Stewart recipe, and I am obsessed with her cocktails and beverages. Seriously guys, she literally can do no wrong! Secondly, these punch cocktails are great for any occasion. You could enjoy these on Valentine’s Day, adult birthday parties or even at brunch with your girlfriends. Or maybe I am looking for a reason to drink these more regularly than I actually should. You can’t blame me though, because they were that good!
I made a few modifications to the original recipe based on the ingredients I had available. I usually keep some basic liquors in my cabinet, but I was lazy to go to the liqueur store to get the Grand Marnier orange liquor. We had a terrible snow storm in Toronto and the temperatures weren’t exactly user friendly. So instead, I took the easier and cheaper way out and used orange juice. Still delicious!
Cheers to all your lovely faces!
Yield: 3 Servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 7 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups pure pomegranate juice
1 cup pure orange juice
¼ cup peach schnapps
1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine (white wine like moscatos or rosé’s work as well)
Pomegranate seeds and fresh rosemary for garnish
Directions:
1. In a large pitcher, combine pomegranate juice, orange juice, and peach schnapps. Slowly add Champagne. Serve over ice and top with pomegranate seeds and rosemary.
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]]>The post FROSTY CHAI HOT CHOCOLATE appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>My love for chai tea and hot chocolate is unreal. So combining them together to create this dairy free chilled beverage was probably the best thing I ever did. This Frosty Chai Hot Chocolate will take your taste buds to so many heavenly places!
Oh my! What a week it has been. From meetings and event preparations to catering my recipes, its been a crazy busy couple of weeks. One of the many ways I relaxed this week was indulging in this frosty delicious beverage. Although the process of making this wasn’t exactly relaxing, the aftermath was totally worth it! Chai tea is my favorite tea mainly because of all the wonderful spices that are used to make the tea. I find the flavor very rich and soothing especially during the cold season.
However, all the running around I did the past couple of weeks definitely worked up a craving for this frosty chai hot chocolate beverage. Luckily, I had some left over hot chocolate I had made a few nights ago stored in the refrigerator, so I figured why not try something fancy and enjoy my life! Alright, you guys get the point, so now moving on.
The best part about this lovely beverage is, wait for it, it’s dairy free! Even the whipped cream is dairy free! plus it’s also low in sugar which makes this beverage perfect for those who want to stick to their New year’s resolutions. I added a little extra TLC when making the chai tea which you will find in the recipe instructions. I do recommend making the chai tea a day in advance to cut down the prep time, although this is totally optional. Happy hump day everyone!
Yield: 4-5 servings
Prep time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
For Chai tea:
8 bags black tea, paper and strings removed
6 cups unsweetened almond milk
6 cups boiled hot water
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ heaping teaspoon ground cardamom
3 star anise pods
1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon grated ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup pure agave
Ice
Canned coconut milk (full fat and chilled overnight)
For hot chocolate: 2-3 cups of my holiday hot chocolate (omit food coloring and candy canes)
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the tea bags and all the chai tea spices with the hot water. Place the saucepan over medium high heat until it starts to simmer. Add almond milk and agave and reduce the heat to medium low. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes before turning the heat off to let it steep.
2. When ready, strain chai tea with a cheese cloth into a bowl and discard the spices. Set up your blender and add ice, chai tea and hot chocolate. Blend until smooth and pour into 4 latte glasses.
3. To make the coconut whip cream, scoop out the cream from the top of the can into a bowl. Whip the coconut cream with a dash of agave and top your latte glasses with 1 tablespoon. Enjoy!
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]]>The post PEACHY POM CANDY CANE COCKTAILS appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>Get creative with your left over candy canes by making these Peachy Pom Candy Cane Cocktails for your guests this holiday season!
It’s been a crazy busy week! With Christmas and boxing day spent with my family in Kitchener, as well as running around these last few days of 2016, I’ve been swamped! Nonetheless, its been a great few days and I’m also looking forward to the New Year! I’m not one to make resolutions because I’m a strong believer in living your best self and full potential everyday.
However, it’s always a positive thing to look forward to a New Year because for some, a New Year could be a new beginning to start things on a clean or new slate. The New Year could also be a year to look forward to new opportunities or goals that you hope to achieve. I for one I’m quite positive that I will be able to accomplish some personal goals of mine in the New Year. One of those personal goals is to continue to bring my lovely readers new and improved healthy recipes to guide you through 2017 and beyond!
Now these peachy pom candy cane cocktails are super easy and very delicious. Believe me when I tell you how may times I made these and how much of a hit they were with my family. You can also omit the alcohol if you want to make them kid friendly. If you are also planning on throwing a party or casual get together on NYE, these cocktails would be perfect to celebrate the New Year! I wish you all an amazing New Year full of happiness and good vibes!
Ingredients: yields 2 cocktails
¼ cup vodka
1/3 cup peach schnapps
1.5 cups pomegranate juice
¼ cup diet tonic water
Ice cubes
2 candy canes
Place all ingredients except candy canes in a martini shaker and mix. Place 1 candy cane in each glass and pour mixture into the glasses. Serve right away!
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]]>The post RED VELVET PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>Inspired by Bobby Flay’s red velvet hot chocolate, my Red Velvet Peppermint Hot Chocolate brings together lots of festive flavors for the holidays!
So lately, I’ve been binge watching the Food Network’s holiday line ups. All the holiday recipes my favourite chefs have been creating has made me both jealous and inspired. Of course I’m a little jealous because I can’t lick the screen, but I have also been inspired to replicate some of the recipes, which is what I did here! After all, nothing screams holiday festivities like red velvet peppermint hot chocolate!
I stumbled across a similar recipe when I was watching Bobby Flay’s holiday special on the Food Network. I think its safe to assume that everyone loves hot chocolate especially during the holidays! Some people enjoy different variations of hot chocolate. For instance, my uncle drinks his hot chocolate with a shot of brandy. My friend enjoys hers with peppermint and nutmeg. My mom and I occasionally enjoy ours with Baileys! So however you choose to enjoy yours, enjoy it with a giant smile on your face.
The two things I now focus on when making hot chocolate is making it from scratch, and making it rich and thick. When I was in Niagara on the Lake with my friend Teen, we went to an Italian gelato shop. We didn’t walk out with gelatos since it was late at night and quite chilly, but we walked out with two cups of authentic Italian hot chocolate! From what we were told from the server, real Italian hot chocolate usually has a much thicker consistency than regular hot chocolate and its also often made unsweetened. The server already had the hot chocolate rotating in a large clear canister ready to serve. Wow I gotta tell ya, that was the best hot chocolate I had ever had in my entire life. The quality was so rich and thick, and the semi sweet flavor was just perfect!
Basically, I guess its fair to say that I was inspired by the hot chocolate I had in Niagara on the Lake as well as Bobby Flay’s red velvet hot chocolate idea. Therefore, I present to your lovely faces my version of red velvet hot chocolate, with a touch of peppermint. To make this recipe calorie friendly, I used unsweetened almond milk, dairy free semi sweet chocolate and la scoop of light whip cream. For some of you who would prefer your hot chocolate thicker like this recipe, the trick is the addition of the chocolate! Melting the chocolate in the saucepan along with the other ingredients gives this red velvet peppermint hot chocolate a thick and creamy texture! Oh how I love the holidays!
Ingredients (yields 2 servings)
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup dairy free semi sweet chocolate chunks (I used Enjoy Life)
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder (I used Camimo)
1 teaspoon powdered red food coloring (or more depending how red you want it)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Crushed candy canes
For whip cream: I used light cool whip. You can also make your own whip cream or use coconut whip cream.
Directions:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and bring the milk to a boil. Add in chocolate and stir with a spatula until melted. Then add in cocoa powder, red food coloring and vanilla extract and stir until a thick and frothy consistency forms. When ready, pour the hot chocolate into two cups. Top with whip cream, cinnamon and crushed candy canes.
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]]>The post BUTTERSCOTCH EGGNOG COCKTAILS appeared first on My Digital Kitchen.
]]>Tis the season! Finally, the festivities can begin. So on that note, may the festivities begin with these Butterscotch Eggnog Cocktails! Or as I’d prefer to call it, Santa’s Potion.
Rather than leave milk and cookies for Santa, just leave him these butterscotch eggnog cocktails and he will definitely leave you more gifts under your christmas tree while enjoying his happy juice. You guys cannot even imagine how excited I was to share these with your lovely faces! I’m already in a festive mood and will be sharing more holiday recipes on my blog!
Some people may suggest that I may have taken a lazy method to making these cocktails since the eggnog was not made from scratch. However, I prefer to defend it as an easy method, because why make eggnog from scratch when you can get yourself an Old Tom ready and waiting for you to enjoy? I mean I am 99% in favour of making things from scratch especially since I make most of my recipes that way. But sometimes, it’s okay to allow some brands take care of you! Plus, I still added some extra touches to it. So with that said, save your eggs for baking. Here are the ingredients and gadgets you need for Santa’s Potion:
8oz Eggnog
4oz Butterscotch Shnapps (Apple Shnapps will work as well)
Ice
Pinch of cinnamon
Martini shaker
2 glasses
Sugar to rim the glasses (I used cane sugar)
All you have to do is pour all of the ingredients except the cinnamon into a martini shaker and shake away like an aspiring bar tender. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and enjoy the experience! These Butterscotch Eggnog Cocktails make for a great adult dessert, or can be enjoyed by the warm fireplace while your family shares Stories about Krumpus. Way to kill the festive mood huh? Okay I take that back. Stick to happy stories and make fun memories with your loved ones this season. And of course, enjoy responsively
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