Weekend Beverage Sampling

I have a few days to spend by myself indulging in selfish interests and I'm starting the time

with 3 new beverages to try out.

I love being married, but sometimes it's nice to just have your own space and relax without trying to please anyone but yourself......

The Ginger Ale is like no Ginger Drink
I've ever tried, strong but refreshing

Old English Dandelion & Burdock

 I'll miss him by tomorrow............ but for now its my time.


Natural Ingredient Maine Root Beer

So I bought 3 drinks today to try out:  A Dandelion Burdock that I read about last year when I was on my Burdock Root craze, a natural Ginger Ale that I'll have with dinner, and a natural Root Beer made in Maine.

Just a light dinner enjoying some veggies and crackers with the Whole Grain Spicy Honey Mustard that I made last week and also trying out some Kumquat Jam and the good people at iHerb included in my last order to sample.

I was happy to try out the Kumquat Jam to compare it to my own version I canned last month.
Kumquat Pomegranate Marmalade.

The Kumquat Jam from iHerb is less chunky than mine, more sweet but goes really well with the bland whole grain crackers I spread it on.  I'm so used to eating 'Sugar Free', when I do have a sweet product it is sometimes overwhelming in it's sweetness but this jam was just right.  (I like mine
best but this one is really good as well)

Thanks iHerb!

I'm teaming the jam and Ginger Ale up with some Whole Grain Spicy Brown Honey Mustard

that I canned last week as well.  This mustard gets better every time I use it now.  It is quite strong and really kicks your sinus like Horseradish.  But it's a good burn.  The honey calms it some on your tongue so it's not overwhelming to whatever you're dipping in it.   Great stuff and soooo easy to make!  Love it.............   As for this new Ginger Ale, it's teamed up well with the crackers, jam and spicy mustard.  I like the mild fizz and then the bang of the strong Ginger.  Only thing I would do differently is get it a bit colder next time but that may just be a reaction to mixing it with the Spicy Mustard......Lots of spice in my simple dinner tonight.

Guess I'm trying to compensate for the 'spice of my life' being away tonight...............

Back to the kitchen soon now to work on a Mother's Day special Cheesecake Cup Cake. 

They are firming up now in the freezer before they get lot's of Dairy Free Dark Chocolate icing spread on each one.

That's for tomorrow's news though.  Going to take it easy tonight.

Hope you do as well!

It's a Lemonade Kinda Day...

It got hot here in the East way too quickly this year.  I had such a craving today for a lemon drink that I grew up with.   I had to pick up a few choice lemons and stir up a batch of the best lemon drink you'll ever taste.                                              

This drink is a twist on Ice Tea and Lemonade.  You'll need a jar of Coffee substitute like Cafix Brand.  These coffee substitutes are made from grains, usually barley roasted and sweetened with some molasses. Cafix is delicious hot or cold.  I usually mix some in with my heated Soy milk in the morning.  http://cannedtime.blogspot.com/2012/02/morning-routine.html


Just mix up a pitcher of your favorionade.  Then pour in enough Cafix syrup to turn the lemon aide a deep brown.  Some in my family like to add just a little, I like a lot.........   To make the coffee / Cafix syrup:  heat about 2 cups of water to a boil and then stir in 1/4 cup or so of Cafix.  Stir until the powder dissolves.   You can keep the syrup in the fridge to use for future batches.  Each time you make up some lemonade, just pour in a little syrup to the pitcher and stir. 

Cafix syrup in the corked bottle

My husband had never had this drink when we met 18 years ago and now its his favorite too.   Its sweet but has a great secondary taste of hearty roasted grains as well as the sour lemon that is so refreshing on a hot day. 




If you can't find a coffee substitute where you live it is


available at iHerb for about $5 a jar.  Great deal!

I've also purchased it from Whole Foods and

other health food stores.  It's not the only brand,

it's just the one I'm used to getting.  I'm sure

others are similar in taste and ingredients. 

Pero is another popular coffee substitute also

available at iHerb.

Today I tried the new NuNaturals Lemon Flavor Liquid Stevia in my Cafix Lemonade and it worked great. 

A few droppers full in the pitcher was a perfect sweetness and that great lemon taste. 

Sugar Free and delicious!

Try a "fancied up" lemonade next time by adding a touch of coffee substitute syrup to the pitcher. 

You'll never be satisfied with plain lemonade again!

Enjoy!

Congratulations to the 4 NuNaturals Stevia winners:  Allison, Lisa, Nicole and Joanne

  This post is linked to 'Allergy Free Wednesdays'