My go-to Iced Mocha for Summer

  I've been trying new recipes in the kitchen during quarantine. It's been nice to be forced to get creative and use things I already own (like pantry items that have been collecting dust), but I've also stumbled upon some now favorites!
Over the last 6 weeks, as the weather has warmed up, I've paused on my homemade (hot) latte situation (though I need to test out an ice latte soon), and been sucking down iced mochas that I adapted from the Hungry Girl. 
She created this "isolation mocha" and shared it on a live video on Facebook (watch it here).  I ordered the ingredients I didn't have right away, and have been making this iced coffee drink since!  It's pretty quick to make after you make it a couple times.

Here are the ingredients you need
1 tbs. Instant Coffee
1 tbs. (or to-taste) Monkfruit Sweetener  (or other sugar/replacement preference)
1 tbs. Cocoa Powder
1 tbs. Powdered Coffee Creamer - Creamy Chocolate (you get more calorie bang for you buck with powder)
Serving size of Collagen Powder (I use this kind)
Dash of Cinnamon 
1/2 cup of hot water
Ice
1/3-1/2 cup of Milk/Alternative of your choice (I use Silk's Creamy Cashew milk)
Tumbler (I like Yeti or insulated Mason Jar Mug)
How to
1. Put 1/2 cup of water in the microwave for a minute to get it HOT
2. While water is getting hot, mix all your dry ingredients in your tumbler (get an insulated one to keep your drink cold longer later)
3. Poor the hot water into your tumbler over the dry ingredients and STIR (for about 30 seconds)
4. Fill up your tumbler up with ICE about 2/3rd to 3/4th of the way
5. Poor 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your milk choice on top & STIR

ENJOY!

 Ingredients & products I love for this drink:

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Two Months with Home Lattes!

  After a lot of research and a lot of talking, I finally got a Nespresso and Breville milk frother (both on sale!) and built a little coffee nook in my kitchen to make my own lattes at home.  I've had other coffee makers in the past that have just never cut it, and my Starbucks habit was getting out of hand.  
What I really wanted, and how I take my coffee is a shot (or sometimes two) of espresso with steamed milk (and milk alternatives). But I also didn't want a big, messy espresso machine that was too much work to maintain or too long to prepare each morning (as I'm running out the door 5 minutes late).
Many review sites later, talking to friends and trying their different machines I landed on the Nespresso De'Longhi with original pods (they are cheaper than the vertuo pods) that is slim enough to not take up a ton of space, but has a reserve of water on the backside so I don't have to fill it every time.  I love how fast the machine heats up (25 seconds!) to make my quick espresso (there is also a coffee "lungo" option).
Another important component to making a latte - a milk frother (and warmer!).  I did a ton of research on this, too, and Breville brand was the best hands down.  The Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother is as easy as a push of a button to getting the perfect milk froth. And you can make a single to a few cups worth at one time. 
Both of these machines have lived up to the research hype and my expectations. In fact, after two solid months of drinking a homemade latte 6 times a week, I grabbed a Starbucks while out running errands last week and was appalled.  The taste was bitter and almost-burnt tasting. I wasn't used to that, and must say, my homemade lattes have been super smooth.

I've tried oat milk, dairy milk and almond milk - all work well with different frothing amounts pending the milk. I even played with using chocolate almond milk for a chocolate latte. I added cinnamon and a bit of vanilla to the milk, too.

The Breville frother comes with a cappuccino and latte (or hot cocoa) blender so you can control the froth (more with the cappuccino blender). 

For the most efficient latte making (again, as I'm running out the door), I have my little station with my machines on a tray with my cups (both mugs and to-go) right above and the Nespresso original pods right below. I also keep the Nespresso bag in that drawer to send my used pods back in which they recycle. 

With your Nespresso machine, they send you a sample pack of pods. And my first order, I ordered a variety to find my favs. So far, I'm loving the Vanilo, and when I want a stronger kick - the Ristretto is their dark, intense blend.  I strongly recommend the flavored variety and best sellers sample packs for a better variety (or to learn what your favs are).

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Kitchen Must-Haves for a Healthy Start

 
  Eating healthy starts with cooking healthy - at home, and that requires the right gadgets, inspiration and tools to make it all more palatable. Cooking (and baking) for me does not come easy. I am not a natural. When a recipe says prep time of 10 minutes, I triple it.  And I don't even look at the ones that have a prep time of 30 minutes or over - hah!
I also like kitchen tools and gadgets that can double as decor - since I'm just starting to get the knack for proper organization (another must!), and I'm usually hustling, so really ideal to have my main tools in arms reach and easy to put away later. Even better if putting it away means setting it on my counter. ;)
For a new year, with your new goals (if you're like me... eating healthy and more so at home) - I've rounded up my top 7 kitchen must-haves below!

Stoneware is a must, but you have to figure out what you'll most want it for to determine the size. I have a few, and up until recently, was mostly using when entertaining - but have challenged myself to use more often and just for fun! 
Not only do they cook better and keep food warm - but the bright colors or crisp white make it more fun than a plain metal pan. Bonus, if it sits out on your counter - it doesn't look so bad.

Cutting boards are a utility you need, but also double as serving trays for cheese and charcuterie. Furthermore, some even look wonderful out on display, leaning against the back splash or wall. Get them in different sizes and designs - like this long, skinny one with marble or a set of olive wood cutting boards.

Trade in your mismatched, nicked and wilted cooking utensils for a set that matches. You won't even have to shove them in a drawer, you could display them right out on the counter - throwing them in a canister for easy use.

One of my favorite small appliances is my Blendtec blender. This has lasted me 5 years and going strong. I use it weekly - and there is never any re-blending or stirring throughout needed. Make this homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte (healthier and cheaper)!

For all those stews and chili that are so great to make in the winter time, I got a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas! After a ton of research (if you know my husband.... you know we don't buy/ask for anything that isn't reviewed, tested and approved by the likes of Wire Cutter and others), we landed on this 6 qt one in crispy white by Lodge.
And my favorite thing to make in it... this veggie packed stew!

My favorite reusable item - the Stasher bag! It's basically a reusable Ziplock, but you can also freeze it, dishwasher it and boil it (a la sous vide). They also come in all kinds of colors, 3 different sizes and easy to close/open.

And the icing on the cake... or the avocado on the salad (?) for healthy cooking and keeping your kitchen space conveniently looking good (even when cluttered), cookbooks! I recently went through mine and cleaned out my way too massive stash, but the few I kept not only give me the best recipes, but look good. My favorite? Clean Slate by the editors of the great Martha Stewart Living.
My favorite kitchen gadgets, tools and appliances:

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Kitchen Organization, Part 1: The Best Storage Containers

 
I started tackling problem areas of my house (which makes up a good portion of my house) months before the new year, and I'm glad I did. I still have plenty of room for new year resolutions, but I feel good about having gotten a head start.  To keep myself honest and motivated, I wanted to share my little head start, and tips for gaining control over inside your cabinets (the place I chose to start).
Hopefully in this new year, we'll start renovations to our kitchen, brightening it up, updated counters and backsplash, and streamlined structure. I realized through other friends going through kitchen renovations that I really need to clean out the extra stuff, declutter and start organizing the remaining stuff BEFORE our own renovations start. This will help the current living and kitchen usage, but also the cleaning out/moving back in process later.

Before we just had loads of food stuffed (literally) into our cabinets. Nothing organized, nothing finable - so much so, we would just constantly buy new items we needed immediately, instead of the stuff we already had. As I was cleaning everything out - I found items that had expired in 2009! 
The first thing you need to do is enlist/bribe/coerce a friend into helping you. It's way more fun with a friend (and some music), plus they help keep you honest. Thanks, Tiff!  And take before pics, because you'll forget how bad it actually looked and it'll be super motivating to continue/do more.

Second: Take everything out of your cabinets. EVERYTHING.  Then you can start grouping items and throwing out things that are expired (like from 2009...), not used in over a year or multiples of items. Once the cabinets are clear, you can begin measuring your space to know what size of storage containers to get.

Once you've cleaned out a bunch of stuff and grouped your remaining items, you'll assess what kinds of storage items you need.  
I immediately ordered these Sistema Bake IT Storage Containers in both the "Flour" (larger) size, and the "Sugar" (smaller) size for all my powders, seeds, oats, chocolate morsels and granules.   I love these because they seal well and easily, plus come with a measuring scoop.  They also keep everything lined up and visible to what is running low and needed.

I also got these clear storage bins for my spices.  My friend had the genius idea to group my less-used or extra spices by alphabetical order and toss them in bins vs. lined up and lost to the back. I then use a lazy susan to alphabetically organize the spices I used the most for easy access.

As a final and added touch, get a label maker to make it extra clear where everything goes. Just beware, once you get to labeling things, it'll be hard to stop! 

{for the record.. this was their ideas!}
My cabinet organization products:

Tell me your favorite life-changing organization updates or what's on your list to get organized!

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Four Non-Alcoholic, Easy Cocktails Everyone Should Try!

You don't need a reason, like being knocked-up, to not drink (yes, I just said this), but for you preggos out there or those that don't like to drink during the work week, yet still crave a fun cocktail - this is for you. I spent some of last weekend, mostly during Liam's nap time, playing with fruit and mixers to come up with some delicious, yet easy drinks.  I started with the new Ozarka® Brand Sparkling Natural Spring Water in both plain and lemon (I also really want to try their other flavors) to craft four super easy, non-alcoholic cocktails that will help you get through the last part of your week, and take you straight into the upcoming long weekend (yay!).  Happy Hump Day!

Do you love peaches?  I do and I love a good Bellini.  Super easy to swap out champagne with sparkling water, mix with 3/4 peach nector juice (or to your taste preference), garnish with actual peach slices and sip on this cool delight.

Perhaps the easiest of them all. My version of a Mimosa that can drink during pregnancy. A great way to start your morning off, plus mixing in sparkling water (about 1/3 or to-taste) helps cut down the thickness of the OJ, while adding a refreshing effervescence to your morning juice intake.

For something a little more cocktail-like... I got a bit more creative on this one.  I mixed about equal parts (then went back at the end to add a bit more of what I was craving by tasting) of fruit punch (or in my case, Gatorade, fruit punch flavor, since I was looking to stay a little less sugary), ginger ale and the lemon flavored sparkling water.  I added a bit of fresh lemon juice and garnished with a wedge (I wanted to also add in strawberries, too, but we didn't have any (so if you try that, let me know - maybe even give them a little muddling to release their juices).  Liam woke from his nap to help about this point, taking his first bite out of a lemon wedge...

Another easy one, and perfectly satisfying for a hot summer night (the few we may have left): Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer.  Another use for that fresh lemon and the lemon-flavored sparkling water (about 1/3 to the 2/3 of already made lemonade).  Throw in some raspberries to make it extra special (didn't have those on hand either...), muddle to release their natural juices. This one is super refreshing and easy to make!
Thankfully for me... I had a few taste-testers on hand, who put my concoctions to the test:

Another good thing about non-alcoholic beverages... even the my little helper could try it out!  He loved to muddle the fruit wedges and tried every drink!  I think his favorite was the Virgin Mimosa.  Greg's favorite was the Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer and my favorite was probably the Peach Bellini.   
Now you go try them yourself, and let me know what your favorite is!
Thanks to Arrowhead®, Deer Park®, Ice Mountain®, Ozarka®, Poland Spring®, Zephyrhills® Brands Sparkling Natural Spring Waters for sponsoring today's post and recipe making. It was fun to learn about new ways to make fun drinks that I can enjoy while being pregnant!

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Mini Kitchen Makeover

While we wait (aka save save save) for a complete kitchen renovation (like removing a wall, replacing the floor, painting the ceiling, you know, starting from scratch), I decided I needed to give the space a mini face lift if anyone ever wants to eat my cooking gain (ok, so that ultimatum isn't going to work). But really - I just can't take the tan stained wood all over our kitchen which lacks any personality.  Above is my inspiration and below are my current plans.

{diamond rug & chevron rug (but got the runner size); retro classic chairs; storage baskets for the chalkboard wall; dish towels with arrow print; Art by Ampersand Studio; DIY elephant key hooks; chalk holder;  twig wall hooks, white pendant light}

Inspiration photos at top via: Chalk Board Walls 1 & 2; Wood, Accent Rugs & White Chairs 1 & 2

What are some mini-ways you makeover a space?