Welcome back, my friends! Spring cleaning is in full effect over here and it just feels so good to purge stuff you don’t use anymore. I feel like a tornado going through these rooms. Clearing out clothes, decorations, home decor, and the kitchen. Do you spring clean your entire house too or just your clothes?

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Have you guys heard of Pimm’s Cup? It’s a refreshing cocktail filled with fresh summer fruits that originated in England and somehow landed in New Orleans. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it because the first time I came across this cocktail was a few months ago when I went to New Orleans (Side bar: check out my NOLA Eats). It was clear instantly that this is a local favorite! Of course, I had to try to recreate at home because who can say no to a classic like this? My rendition of this classic Pimm’s cup recipe is equally as refreshing with a splash of orange blossom water from Nielsen-Massey and filled with fresh strawberries and sliced cucumber.

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I have a short and sweet recipe for you today. This mango coconut smoothie bowl is full of great healthy things for you as you continue on your New Year clean eating endeavors. I usually don’t like sharing smoothie recipes because it is just so simple and easy. I mean there is no wrong way to make a smoothie and I am sure no one needs a recipe. But sometimes some combinations that happen in my blender are worth sharing . If not the exact proportions but the combination of flavors that come together to make a filling and delicious drink.

This mango coconut smoothie bowl was intended to be a tropical bowl with a little bit of green to help my baby eat more veggies. He is not a fan of leafy greens (lettuce, kale or spinach) and is a fan of anything you can sip through a straw. So I threw spinach into the blender along with frozen mangos, coconut milk and some healthy add-ins (flax seeds, chia seeds, oats etc) for him. He loved it and unlike his dad did not mind that it was green.

So if you are looking for a quick, delicious hearty smoothie, try this green tropical mango coconut smoothie bowl! It will brightened up your day.

Here are a few more smoothie recipes you might like:

Berry Beets Smoothie Bowl

Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Mixed Berry Pineapple Smoothie

I feel like I am cheating today sharing with you a healthy snack while I am off in New Orleans  right now and this weekend eating ALL the things. Po boys, beignets, donuts, you name it. But I guess I will be in need of a green smoothie when I return to try to erase all the damage.

Have a great weekend!

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Yield: 2 servings

Mango Coconut Smoothie Bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 medium frozen ripe banana
• 1/2 cup spinach or kale
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds or flax seeds
• Garnishes: Mango cubes, shredded coconut, chia seeds, almonds etc

Instructions

In a blender, combine all the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Pour the smoothie into a shallow bowl and top with garnishes. (Alternatively, pour into a glass and drink)

Enjoy immediately.

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It is the season of iced coffee! And like everybody else, I spend WAY too much money buying iced coffee from those $5 a cup barristers in my favorite local coffee shop.. Even though I still love those, it was time to attempt making them at home, at least in the morning so I can save some time and money.

Have you ever had Mexican iced coffee? The reason I love it is that it combines chocolate with a hint of spice for a simple sweet treat. The key is not to overload the drink with too much chocolate or spice, or you’ll overpower the coffee flavor. Adding just a drizzle of chocolate and a dash of chili powder for an indulgent kick keeps this drink perfectly balanced.

To be honest I was never a big coffee person. I am usually the occasional latte here and there (peppermint mocha, PSL) kind of girl. But then I had a baby. As you can imagine, sleep is limited and more coffee is needed to make it through the day. With that came my Nespresso® by Kitchenaid® machine!! The best coffee maker I’ve had. Do you guys have it? I seriously love it. It has made making good coffee a breeze at home.

I know traditional cold brews involve a lot more than brewing and pouring over ice, but for a quick iced coffee at home, the Nespresso is perfect. Just brew up a few cups of espresso. This ensures a richer coffee flavor that is then diluted with milk or cream and the ice as it melts. After your brew, add a dash of cinnamon and chili powder. And that’s it, you have yourself a refreshing sweet treat!

I hope you will try this Mexican iced coffee at home the next time you brew coffee. 

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Mexican Iced Coffee

Ingredients

• Chocolate Syrup, to taste
• 2 Nespresso pods
• ½ cup milk or half and half
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• a dash of ground cinnamon

Instructions

Fill two short glasses with ice. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the ice to taste. Prepare 2 capsules of your favorite Nespresso pods in the espresso mode using your Nespresso® by Kitchenaid® machine.

Pour the brewed coffee and milk over the ice. Add the chili powder and cinnamon and stir. Drizzle with more chocolate syrup and serve immediately.

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This post is sponsored by Kitchenaid. As usual, all opinions are 100% mine.

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It seems as if we are having a beverage kind of week around here. Sunday, I shared this homemade pumpkin eggnog with you which you LOVED and today, I have another equally simple and delicious beverage – this peppermint white hot chocolate is my hot beverage of choice this time of the year.

I’ve been making it for years and never thought of it as a recipe because it is so simple. Just warm milk, good quality white chocolate bar and some peppermint extract. See? No need for me to give you a recipe. But I needed something to play around with as I was setting up my new camera equipment last weekend and I just happened to have this on the stove. So it ended up in giant mugs and getting shot.

Oh talking about new camera, I got myself an early Christmas present!! A new camera and lens which are both a HUGE upgrade from my previous beginner DSLR camera (T3i). Allie twisted my arm into getting a new lens; the 100mm Macro but I caved and got a Canon 6D as well. I promise, it was her fault 🙂 One of my favorite things about having this blog is that it has forced me to try new things and develop skills beyond baking like learning how to upkeep a website, taking beautiful pictures of food. With this new investment, my photography world just opened up and I am excited to explore new things. But first, I must read the manual and learn how to use the camera!

OK, back to this recipe. If you are in need of some warm comfort as the days get colder, make yourself this peppermint white hot chocolate. And of course if you want it to be chocolate (your purist out there), you can always make this Peppermint Hot Cocoa from last year.

Print

Yield: 3 servings

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
• 4 ounces white chocolate baking bar, chopped finely (I love using Ghirardelli)
• a pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Toppings:
• Homemade whipped cream
• Mini Marshmallows
• crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the milk, chopped chocolate and salt. Heat up milk until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the peppermint and vanilla extracts.

Pour into serving cups and top with toppings of your choice. Enjoy warm.

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I knew after having the baby, I’ll need to figure out some quick and easy (on-the-go) breakfast and snack recipes. I could not imagine how busy my days would be but everyone warned me that I will have ZERO time to do anything. I believed them…as it’s always easier to ere on the side of caution. So I’ve been stocking up on breakfast ideas and this peach cobbler smoothie is going to be one of my go-to recipes. It’s a hearty, healthy smoothie recipe that tastes like a peach cobbler…put simply. Really!

Packed with hearty oats, a good serving of Greek yogurt for protein and chia seeds, flax seeds, almond milk, it also has all the spices of a cobbler. So you are not missing any of the goodies as you sip on this. It’s seriously amazing folks and you need to try it the next time you are making a smoothie.

I am sure the kids will LOVE this too as an after-school snack. They won’t even know it’s good for them while they gobble it down.

For the recipe, head over to The Kitchenthusiast where I am sharing this recipe with their readers.

Print

Yield: 3

Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 4-5 medium peaches, sliced into 1inch pieces
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 6-8 ice cubes
• Optional: 2-3 tablespoons natural sweetener (honey, agave, etc)

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients (in the order listed) into your blender.
2. Using the frozen drink setting, blend the ingredients until well combined.
3. Serve smoothie and top with fresh peaches and oatmeal.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Hamilton Beach 54221 Wave Crusher Blender

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This post is sponsored by KitchenAid. All opinions are 100% mine as usual. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored posts that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content!

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