Non-Alcoholic

This is the perfect hot chocolate.  It is rich, creamy, and delicious, and will put you in a cozy, wintry state of mind. 

First day back at work after the holiday?  Yeah, I feel that pain.  May I suggest clinging to the holiday season with some decadent hot chocolate?

Even though a good portion of the country has been unseasonably warm lately, it’s finally in the 30s in Western Pennsylvania (where our families live).  In addition to avoiding the return to reality, this little bit of chilly weather is as good an excuse as any for enjoying this easy, perfect hot chocolate.

You’ll need (makes 2 large mugs):

• 3 cups milk of choice (I’ve used 2% and almond milk, both worked very well)
• 2-3 oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 2 tbs granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• whipped cream, more mini marshmallows, and a cinnamon stick (optional, but highly recommended)

In a medium sauce pan, heat the milk over medium heat until bubbles just begin to appear around the edges.

Add the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.  Whisk occasionally until everything is melted and combined.

Add the cup of mini marshmallows and whisk until they melt into the hot cocoa.  You won’t believe how ridiculously thick and creamy this makes the hot chocolate.

Ladle it into mugs and top with whipped cream, more marshmallows, and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Snuggle up under some blankets (preferably with a cuddly dog or two) and sip away on this hot chocolate!

I don’t think that I’ve mentioned this before, but I am full on addicted to Coke Zero.  Now, I mean, I know that I am addicted to caffeine (as are many people in the world).  But there’s something about Coke Zero in particular.  I find myself actually craving it.

Yes, I know that diet pop/soda is just terrible for you.  I know this.  But I can’t help myself.  As a public health professional, this is a little embarrassing.

Anyway, I’ve been toying with the idea of trying to wean myself off of it for some time.  Caffeine is a necessity in my life, so that had to be taken into consideration.  I love black tea, so I decided to brew up a big batch of iced tea (sweetened with a bit of real sugar) and keep it on hand in the fridge.

It’s going to take a while, but I think that this could be a very acceptable, long-term substitute for diet pop.

I found this recipe on the blog Hillbilly Housewife.

You’ll need:

• 8 cups water, divided
• 6-8 tea bags (whatever kind you like)
• desired amount of sweetener, optional

In a 2-quart sized sauce pan, bring 4 cups of the water to a boil.  Pour the remaining 4 cups of (preferably cold) water in a large pitcher that can withstand heat.

Once the water in the pan boils, add all of the tea bags.  Remove from the heat, and steep for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes has passed, discard the tea bags.

Pour the hot tea over the cold water in the pitcher.  You can add some manner of sweetener at this stage if you want: honey, sugar, simple syrup, etc.

Put the pitcher in the fridge to finish chilling, or pour into an ice-filled glass immediately.

Happy Thirsty Thursday, everyone!  I had a pomegranate hanging around my kitchen, and wanted to use it up somehow.  Initially I had intended to use it as garnish for last week’s pomegranate margarita, but of course forgot about it.  What better way to use it than in a smoothie?

Makes 1 large smoothie.

You’ll need:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils (or 1/4 cup pomegranate juice)
• handful tropical fruit, frozen (I had a mixture of mango, pineapple, and strawberries)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup plain almond milk

Put everything in a blender and let it rip.  The blender will likely not be able to break down all of the little seeds that are inside of the arils, so you’ll end up with the seeds in the smoothie.  It’s kind of like the seeds from a raspberry.  If you want a completely smooth smoothie, consider substituting pomegranate juice for the arils.

Here’s the first installment of posts showcasing homemade gifts that are just perfect for giving away during the winter holiday season!


I know I’ve shown you homemade hot chocolate before, but this recipe makes much larger quantities.  And really, I think that this one is actually better!  After much searching, I found this recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker.

You’ll need:

3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (or white chocolate, chopped)
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Working in 2 batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the white chocolate is ground up pretty finely.  

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To make the hot chocolate: Add your desired amount of mix to a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk (almond milk works well here, too!).  Enjoy! 

Since I’m giving these as gifts, I also plan to add a little fabric and ribbon to dress them up a bit.

Happy Thirsty Thursday, everyone!  I have another non-alcoholic beverage for you.

You’ll need:

2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tbs sugar
salt, small pinch
1 tbs hot water
1 cup milk*
marshmallows or whipped cream, optional

Add the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and water to a pan.  Stir to combine.  

Slowly add the milk and bring to a near-boil.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Whisk it all around to make everything frothy. Add marshmallows/whipped cream, if you desire, and drink up!

*Works with almond milk, too!

Happy Thirsty Thursday, everyone!  Now, I realize that this is not an alcoholic beverage.  But I haven’t been doing much drinking lately, so today you’re getting a healthy, seasonal, smoothie.
 This recipe was found on the blog Total Noms.  Makes 1 large smoothie.

You’ll need:

1 cup plain almond milk
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 banana, frozen
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 ice cubes

If you have some extra time, soak your oats in the almond milk for 15-20 minutes.  It’s not necessary, but it will help to make your smoothie more… smooth.

Other than that, all you need to do is place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Drink up!

I’ve never liked coffee.  Strange, but true.  It smells amazing, but no matter how I doctor it up, it just isn’t palatable to me.  Instead, I’m a tea drinker.  Black tea, mostly.  But that’s not to say that a glass of iced green tea isn’t nice every now and then.

A while back, my aunt had sent me the perfect mix of spices for concocting a steaming mug of Masala Chai (thanks again, Juj!).  I’ve really been meaning to blog about this for some time, but never got around to it.  Since I’m working from home today, and feeling a little under the weather, I figured that this would be the perfect time to steep another mug and share it with you.

Anyone who has been to an Indian restaurant will likely be familiar with this tea.

Clockwise from the top: cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, black loose leaf tea, star anise.

Adapted from recipes found on Honey, What’s Cooking? and Arctic Garden Studio.  Makes 2 8ish oz. cups of tea, or if you’re like me, 1 gigantic cup.

You’ll need:

2 cups water
3 cardamom pods, cracked
~3 inch cinnamon stick, broken
1 star anise, whole
3-4 tsp black tea leaves, loose*
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)**
sugar, to taste

Boil the water on medium heat in a pot.  Once little bubbles form in the pot, add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and star anise.  After a few minutes, add the tea leaves.

Stir the pot.  The water should be boiling at this point.  Add the milk and stir.  Watch for it to begin boiling again.  Stay close, because there’s the possibility that the mixture might foam up and spill over.

Boil for a few minutes, and once the tea starts to foam up, or rise, take it off the heat.  Strain the tea into a cup.  Add sugar to taste, and enjoy!

For me, it doesn’t get much better than this.  This tea is spicy, fragrant, and delicious.  Though it’s a little more time consuming than brewing up a plain old cup of tea, it’s definitely worth it.  Perfect for sipping leisurely while snuggling on the couch with your pup and watching Paranormal State for hours on end.  Or maybe that’s just me? =) 

*I used the loose leaf English Breakfast from Teavana.  But really, I imagine you could open up some bags of black tea as well.

**You don’t want to use anything with a lower fat content than 1% milk.  The consistency just won’t be the same.