-
Coconut Vanilla Bean Shaken Hibiscus Iced Tea Latte {Paleo, Keto, Vegan}
This Coconut Vanilla Bean Shaken Hibiscus Iced Tea Latte was initially spawned from from the idea (visual) of the Starbucks Pink Drink. But I call mine the PANK DRANK! But unlike the chain’s version, this one has no sugar, no terrifying fake sugars, it’s made with organic herbal hibiscus tea and it has flecks of real vanilla bean. This millennial pink tinted bevvie has quickly become my afternoon treat, replacing caffeinated beverages and bringing joy all the while.
With nearly 4 weeks without any caffeine at all, I’ve been getting super creative. I have changed my morning rituals, a bit, rather than getting out of bed, grabbing some water and counting down the minutes to coffee, I’ve been leaving my phone off for the first hour I’m awake and instead choosing to meditate. Sometimes I’ll pour a little decaf coffee or some tea before my morning training session, but most mornings, as of recently, I have totally have forgotten about my old morning habit and instead have relished in my new routines.
Read more about my 14 Day Caffeine-Free Challenge and you can request to join the Tasty Yummies Tribe, our private Facebook community, to stay connected with anyone else doing the challenge.
While afternoon coffee wasn’t an everyday thing for me, I often found myself mid-day looking for a little caffeine kick. From coffee or matcha, so I decided in celebration of breaking these habits, that I would create a new afternoon drinkie! This Coconut Vanilla Bean Shaken Hibiscus Iced Tea Latte is bright, refreshing, sweetened to your liking (or not), with a little coconut milk and flecks of vanilla bean – it’s just magical.
I know it’s a little less than ordinary, but you gotta go with me on this one. It’s just the perfect treat.
-
Homemade Chai Concentrate {+ Video}
Making your own Chai Concentrate at home means you can make this warming spiced tea to suit your exact personal tastes and it’s far easier than you might think. Make sweetened or unsweetened and adjust the spices to your personal taste. Use any milk or non-dairy substitute you like and serve it hot or over ice.
Homemade Chai Concentrate. This recipe is nearly 7 years old, at this point, and it’s still a major favorite of mine. It’s so so easy to make and you can customize your own recipe to exactly what you are looking for in your chai. I like mine spicy, with a strong tea flavor and with a subtle sweetness, if any at all. I personally find the packaged chai concentrates from the grocery store and at most coffee shops to really lack that nice spiced flavor I love and many times they are just far too sweet for me. Most are loaded with preservatives and other less than desirable ingredients. Why though?
Chai is one of my favorite, comforting drinks to cozy up with, especially in the colder months. Plus, with the holidays upon us, it’s important to note that this is the perfect thoughtful handmade gift to bottle up and give to your chai-loving friends. Package with a cute label (FREE download included below for my printable labels you can easily customize) or label and enjoy the smiles and praise.
-
Pumpkin Spice Latte {Dairy-free}
It will forever irritate me how many “pumpkin spice” flavored foods do not contain even the smallest amount of pumpkin. I don’t get it. If it’s just cinnamon and other spices, why not call it “spiced BLANK” instead. Most irritating is the fact that Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Lattes are always fixing to suck me in. From time to time, I find myself in a weakened state, tempted and really thinking about ordering one! Ultimately, I simply remind myself how much sugar (a Grande contains over 50 grams of sugar) it contains. Then I think about the fake coloring (Class IV Caramel Coloring), the creepy “natural” and artificial flavors and the hidden dairy in the syrup by way of sweetened condensed milk (so vegans, you are getting hit with dairy, even if you order it with non-dairy soy milk). The list of reasons not to order one just goes on and on. I myself haven’t had one of these drinks in well over 5 years, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t think about it from time to time.
So, what’s a fall-loving, pumpkin-craving girl to do about all this scary Starbuck stuff? Well, she has to make one for herself. (OK, I will stop talking about myself in the third person now! Sorry.) I opted to first make a tasty homemade Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk, using my tried and true method of making delicious nut milks at home. Though this delicious, seasonally-inspired treat is super amazing on it’s own, in smoothies or as a creamer, it’s even better served warm and added to a steamy latte, like this.
-
Iced Dirty Chai Almond Milk Latte {Gluten-free and Vegan}
Many of you already know that I generally try to avoid most ALL dairy in my diet, but what you may not know is that I made the switch a long time ago to nut-based milks, even before I stopped consuming dairy in other places. The difference in how I feel consuming a plant-based milk versus regular dairy milk – is incredible. I find myself less bloated, I feel lighter and I can tell that it requires much less on my digestive system to process than cow’s milk dairy.
Most of you know, I generally prefer to make my own almond milk whenever I can, but there are times when our schedule is just so crazy – when we are traveling, we have house guests or I am just bogged down with work. When life gets busy like that, it usually means stopping to make my own almond milk, just isn’t in the schedule.
