Soothe Your Throat

This is great for a sore throat or when you lose your voice.

Slice a lemon in quarters and place two of the slices in a mug.  Add a 1-2 teaspoons to a tablespoon of your favorite honey. One to two teaspoons is sufficient for this, but some prefer it to be sweeter. I always use local, raw honey.  Pour boiling water over top and stir to dissolve honey.  Let steep and discard solids if you want.

Some studies also state that honey is also a great cough suppressant when taken right before bed time.

Smoothie Popsicles

These were slightly impromptu.  I have been wanting to make popsicles for awhile now, but I did not research the market to see what kind of popsicle molds were available and should I purchase one online. I bought this one at Walmart because I happened to be there already. It is smaller than I wanted. I think I will buy another online.

I did a few different ones and none of them had any real measurements.

About four diced strawberries into a blender. I squirt of light Agave Nectar and some orange juice. Blend and poured into two of the popsicle molds. Same recipe, but added scoops of soy vanilla yogurt. Blend and pour into two more.

A small handful of blueberries and a squirt of light Agave Nectar. Half soy vanilla yogurt and half mixed berry soy yogurt and a splash of orange juice. Blend and pour. Same recipe, but added diced strawberries.

A few strawberries chopped with cranberry pomegranate juice, orange juice and light Agave Nectar. Blended until smooth.

I just used what I had on hand. A great way to use up fruit and/or yogurt or smoothie mix you cannot finish.

Lactose Free Chocolate Milkshakes

My husband makes the best milkshakes (well, in my completely unbiased opinion).  My favorite ice cream is Turkey Hill Dutch Chocolate. Every sunday after dinner, my husband would make us milkshakes and we would watch HBO. When I started having problems with dairy I was really upset I would not get to eat this ever again. Mainly upset at the fact that this little tradition of ours would be missing a yummy milkshake.  After doing some research I realized Lactaid made chocolate ice cream, but the closest store that sells it is an hour away. It is worth the trip especially when we head north to visit family. We can always swing by and stock up. Alas, our milkshake and HBO tradition can return.

This little mason jar is the perfect size for a guilty pleasure.  I like mine with some lumps.

Steve likes to put cookies in his.

Thai Iced Coffee

This was easy and fun to do. I got this recipe from my friend, Megan. I am not a coffee drinker, but I thought my husband would like this. I did try a lactose-free version which is much different and I still do not like it because of the coffee. However, if you enjoy coffee then by all means please give this one a whirl.

3/4 of a cup of a medium/dark roast coffee (whole bean)
5 green cardamom pods
4 1/2 cups water
14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Put the coffee and cardamom pods in a coffee grinder and pulse until a fine ground. Empty into coffee maker. Add 4 1/2 cups of water and brew. Pour into a pitcher and add the condensed milk. Let it come to room temperature, place in refrigerator and cool for about 2 hours or overnight.

I did two batches. One following the recipe above and the other substituting the condensed milk for vanilla soy milk and some soy french vanilla creamer. It is not as sweet and will taste different, but if you like coffee you may enjoy it.

I used a medium organic Ethiopian roast. My husband is not a huge fan of dark roast coffees and someone will have to finish the rest of the unused coffee beans. You can definitely double this recipe if having people over since this will only make a small batch. Most natural food markets will have the cardamom pods. I called ahead just to be sure.