DANIELLE AT HOME

Drinks

Superfood Smoothie

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Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (marked with an *). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share products that I love! Thank you for your support.

Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2019 and I’m so excited to continue bringing you all new recipes in 2019! 2018 was a huge year for me personally and professionally. A huge part of that was taking a leap of faith and starting this blog. I’m so proud of myself for committing to this blog and I cant wait to bring you more content this year.

So with that said lets get into the first post of 2019! Today I’m sharing my go to smoothie recipe. After the holidays I always want to clean up my diet a bit and get back to my normal routine of eating. I love smoothies! They are such a great breakfast option since you can pack so much heathy goodness into glass. Since I work full time smoothies are always in our breakfast rotation.

As much as I love smoothies I do take issue with a lot of smoothie recipes. Many of them are super high in sugar. In my opinion a smoothie should be sweet and delicious but not spike your blood sugar. It should have protein, fibre and a healthy fat to keep you full until lunch. And it absolutely should have greens. I try to get some greens in at every meal, but it doesn’t always happen. So knowing I will get at least one serving in before 10 am makes me super happy.

Todays smoothie is packed full or nutrients and superfoods. A breakfast full of iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, fibre and antioxidants. From some very delicious ingredients.

It’s a great way to start your day and you year. So cheers to a happy, and healthy year ahead!

Superfood Smoothie

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Frozen Mixed Berry Blend (my favourite includes blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherries)
  • 1/2 Banana, frozen
  • 1 cup Spinach, packed
  • 1 tablespoon Natural Almond Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Flax Seed, ground
  • 2 scoops Protein Powder, vanilla or natural (whey or plant based, whatever is your favourite)
  • 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Optional: 1 Medjool Date, pitted (if you like your smoothies extra sweet)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the blender. Blend until completely smooth. Add water to thin if needed. Serve in tall glasses or to go cups.

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (marked with an *). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share products that I love! Thank you for your support.

Grapefruit and Ginger Champagne Cocktail

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Hi everyone! I’m back to blogging after a little Christmas break. It was so nice to get out of the kitchen and visit with all our family for a few days. It was hectic and I’ll admit I’m still exhausted from travelling but it was well worth it. We had a really great Christmas. I hope you all did too.

Now we’re all in this awkward stage between Christmas and New Years where like isn’t totally normal yet and chocolate and sweets are a main food group. I went back to work the day after boxing day and I will admit that really messes with my post Christmas coma I typically enter into. But it’s almost the weekend and then before we know it it will be New Year’s Eve.

New Years Eve is my jam, but I’m very particular in how I spend it. I’ve been on trips to Mexico, snowboarding, parties, game night and fancy dinners. But the only way we spend our New Years now is at home. We decorate the house, dress down in brand new comfy sweats eat fabulous food and drinking the best cocktails and wines. We play games, watch movies. And our strangest but favourite tradition is eating homemade cinnamon buns and drinking champagne while watching the ball drop at midnight. Then we stay up until 2 am chatting about our hopes, dreams and goals for the next year. It is one of the best nights of the year!

In the past I’ve cooked an elaborate dinner for New Years, but this year I am working, so we are doing appetizers only. I’m planning a charcuteries platter, baked brie, various homemade dips with the best bread in town and all of the homemade puff pastry appetizers in my freezer (yum!). I will be making fresh homemade cinnamon buns for midnight so I thought that keeping it simple with our savoury options was the right choice.

I’m also saving myself time so that I can make some delicious champagne cocktails. The recipe I’m sharing today has been a staple at our New Years Eve celebration for a few years now and I just cant get enough. I think it’s great to leave cranberry and pomegranate behind after Christmas and celebrate the brighter flavours of the season like citrus. Such as grapefruit. I love the colour a ruby red grapefruit gives this cocktail and the addition of ginger ale helps to sweeten things up and give another dimension of flavour. This is perfect for a small party where you have time to make your guests drinks. It is super fun and festive for New Years. I hope you enjoy it.

Grapefruit and Ginger Champagne Cocktail

Yields: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Vodka
  • 1 ounce Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice (blood orange is great too!)
  • 2 ounces Ginger Ale
  • Champagnes
  • Mint Leaves

Directions:

In a champagne flute combine vodka and grapefruit juice. Add ginger ale, then top with champagne. Garnish with mint leaves.

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

Mulled Wine

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Today I have a super quick post today for the perfect warming cocktail. This is the perfect beverage for cold weather. You can serve it at a party, it’s a great post skiing warm up. Or even take it with you on a snowy walk (always remember to be responsible!). I read somewhere that of you want to party like it 1877 make some mulled wine. Clearly someone in North America wrote that since mulled wine is still very popular in parts of Europe. They sell mulled wine at most of the Christmas markets and festivals near me and I love it. It makes things so festive!

This mulled wine has brandy, orange rind, a few fresh cranberries, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. It’s so warming and have so many traditional Christmas flavours. I will be whipping up another batch this weekend to have while we watch Christmas movies and wrap presents.

So since I said I would keep this quick I should probably get into the recipe!

Mulled Wine

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle of Red Wine
  • 1/4 cup Brandy
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar
  • 3 Whole Cloves
  • 1 Whole Star Anise
  • 1 Whole Cinnamon Stick
  • Peel of Half an Orange
  • 1/4 cup Cranberries, fresh

In a medium sized pot over medium heat add 1/2 cup of wine and sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar fully dissolves. Add the remaining wine, brandy, spices, orange peel and cranberries to the pot. Reduce heat to low. Continue to heat the wine for 20 minutes. Garnish with additional spices or orange slices. Serve in mugs, or heat proof glasses

Adapted from The Kitchn

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Hot Apple Cider
Poison Apple Cocktail

Poisoned Apple Cocktail

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I feel like people either love or hate Halloween. My husband, Calvin falls into the later camp. Always has and always will (even as a kid!). There are some aspects of the holiday he does enjoy… carving pumpkins, watching scary movies and of course the candy.

I grew up loving Halloween. I loved dressing up and trick or treating with my friends. As an adult I am not as big of a fan. Maybe because I’m not into crazy parties? I am more into pumpkins, candy and corn mazes. Also is 25 too old to go trick or treating? Asking for a friend.

One thing we both love regardless of the holiday is a festive cocktail!

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So today I’m sharing the perfect cocktail for your Halloween celebrations. This cocktail is right up my ally because it sweet, but not too sweet and has a nice warming spice for fall. It is also a deep red colour which looks spooky for Halloween. If you really want to up the spook factor add a drop or two of black food colouring to really deepen the colour of your drink!

This recipe is really simple, but I like it because it’s not fussy like some cocktails. You can make a big pitcher in advance of your guests arrival. As always I have the measurements for one drink and a full pitcher listed below.

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Poison Apple Cocktail

Yields: 1 Serving or Pitcher

Ingredients:

Single Serving:

  • 2 Ounces Spiced Apple Cider
  • 1 Ounce Pomegranate Juice
  • 2 Ounces Vodka or Apple Vodka

Pitcher (12 Servings):

  • 3 Cups Spiced Apple Cider
  • 1 1/2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
  • 3 Cups Vodka or Apple Vodka

Directions:

For a single serving fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour apple cider, pomegranate juice and vodka into shaker. Shake cocktail until cold. Pour into stemware of choice.

For pitcher add apple cider, pomegranate juice and vodka into a large pitcher. Chill in your fridge until ready to serve. Pour into stemware of your choice.

Adapted from Julep.

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Hot Apple Cider

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Fall has a arrived early here on the coast of BC. Normally September is just as warm as August, and October is crisp with a few rainy days. The constant grey rain clouds don’t normally set in until November. So far September is full of rain and misty days, with a bit of sunshine in between. Normally I wouldn’t give into fall flavours quite this soon, but with this weather I just can’t get enough.

There’s just something about venturing out in the crisp fall air that brings me such joy. On Sunday’s rain or shine we go out for a long trail walk. When we get home we bundle up and make ourselves a hot drink to warm us up. Hot apple cider is my fall go to. I love it because it’s warm and spicy, but not too sweet.  It really has all the flavours of fall in one glass (well except pumpkin).

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I like to make apple cider on the stove, but if I was having a party I would make this recipe in a slow cooker. You will find both methods below. This recipe is made with unfiltered apple juice instead of actual apples. I just don’t feel that the extra work to make it from apples is really worth it. There are some great unfiltered apple juices on the market, so I’d rather save myself the trouble. You will notice that this recipe has brown sugar as an optional ingredient. Some people like a sweeter cider and some prefer a spicy cider. I don’t like sweet beverages, so I like to leave it out. My husband prefers it a little more sweet. It’s really up to you and your preferences.

This recipe is non-alcoholic, so if I’m serving this at a party I would create a spike-it-yourself station. The best alcohol for adding to cider is bourbon, brandy, or dark rum. This would be perfect for thanksgiving, or a halloween party.

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Hot Apple Cider

Yields: 16 8oz servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 Litres (gallon) Unfiltered Apple Juice (not apple cider)
  • 1 Orange, sliced
  • 1 Apple, quartered
  • 5 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 Whole Nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp Whole Cloves
  • 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (optional)

Stove Method:

Add all ingredients to a large pot over medium heat and bring liquid to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 20-30 minutes. Keep warm on the stove until ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Method:

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Heat on low for 4 hours. Place cider on the keep warm setting until ready to serve.

 

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Pineapple Margarita

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I love a good cocktail, and margaritas are at the top of my list! I like my margaritas fresh, unsweetened, shaken over ice in a short glass with a half salt rim. Can you tell I’m a bartenders dream… kidding.

The thing I love of this particular margarita is the twist of adding pineapple juice. It’s delicious and totally customizable to your taste. I love to sip on this with my favourite Mexican food. Chips, salsa, guacamole, tacos, enchiladas and fajitas.

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Now I’m so thirsty, is it 5 o’clock? So whats your favourite margarita?

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 Ounce Tequila (silver or reposado are best)
  • 1/2 Ounce Cointreau
  • 1 Ounce 100% Pineapple Juice (no added sugar)
  • 1 Lime, juiced
  • Optional: Salt or sugar for rim, and agave syrup

Directions:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and tequila, cointreau, pineapple juice, lime juice and agave if using. Shake until the cocktail shaker becomes very cold.

Rub the inside of the lime along the rim of your glass. Dip the glass into salt or sugar. Fill the glass with ice, and pour drink over the ice.

 

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