happy monday, friends! as a follow up to my post on how to make your own almond milk, i just had to share with you this ultimate guide to making non-dairy milks from yumuniverse. heather crosby shows us step by step how to make just about every nut milk there is (22 in all)- using everything from amaranth to poppy seeds, and brown rice to coconuts! in addition to easy instructions, she includes optional add ins and nutritional benefits for each of them, as well as ideas on how to use their left over pulp. i think you’ll really enjoy it!

wrap up: {diy} {hazelnut} {make} {milk} {non-dairy} {nut} {vegan}

it’s a little early yet for lemonade, but all this extra sunshine has me craving the comforts of summer already! i just love these ways to spruce up this summer staple from i love eco (discovered via brittany campbell – i’m obsessed with her boards!).

what’s your favorite way to make lemonade?

 
here are a few lemonade related posts i’ve done in the past:

wrap up: {download} {drink} {lemonade} {spruce} {summer}

One of my favorite breakfast treats is french toast. I had been planning on cooking it for breakfast this past weekend after months of not having it when it occurred to me: french toast latte! There is nothing about the combination of espresso, milk/soy milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla that doesn’t go together. It tastes as good as it sounds!

The recipe isn’t difficult either – it still follows my basic simple syrup recipe for creating flavored lattes – this time we’ll just swap white sugar for brown sugar.

Serves 2

Ingredients

- 6 ounces brewed espresso

- 6-8 ounces steamed milk or soy milk, rice milk, etc.

- 1/2 cup water

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon OR two cinnamon sticks

- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup

Directions

Combine brown sugar and water in a small saucepan. When it reaches a boil, add vanilla extract. Allow to boil for one minute, then remove from heat. Quickly and cinnamon and maple syrup, and stir well. If you used cinnamon sticks, remove them when the syrup has cooled. Pour your finished syrup into two mugs – 1/8 to 1/4 cup, depending on how sweet you like your drinks.

When espresso or dark coffee is brewed, add to the mug. Stir coffee and syrup well, and add steamed milk, spooning any foam on top. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and enjoy!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {breakfast} {coffee} {drink} {french toast} {latte}

wrap up: {coffee} {latte} {mocha} {raspberry} {recipe} {valentine's day}

I have tried so many homemade hot chocolate recipes in the past, and yet it is the healthiest recipe that might actually be my favorite! This recipe contains no added white sugar – the sweetness comes from the banana and the semi-sweet chocolate chips. While it is true that sugar is sugar, with this recipe, you aren’t getting empty calories: bananas contain potassium, vitamin B6, and some dietary fiber; semi-sweet chocolate has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Surprisingly, this recipe is also incredibly rich and sweet. I wrote the recipe fully expecting to need a drizzle of honey on top to sweeten it up, but it was so not necessary! In fact, it may border on too-sweet, so if you may find yourself adjust the number of chocolate chip tablespoons from four to three, or even just two tablespoons.

Serves 2.

Ingredients

1 cup of low fat milk, soy milk, or rice milk

4 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cocoa powder

pinch of chili powder*

dash of salt

1 small to medium banana, sliced

*The chili powder doesn’t add any actual spiciness, it just gives the hot chocolate a little bit of an edge. My husband and I weren’t able to detect any spiciness in our drinks, but if you really don’t like chili powder, it isn’t completely necessary.

Directions

Combine the milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, vanilla, chili powder and salt in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium heat until just before it begins to simmer. Stir often.

Meanwhile, slice a banana and place in a blender.

Once chocolate mixture is hot enough (you’ll start to see steam), remove from heat and pour into blender with bananas. Blend for about a minute, making sure all banana chunks have been smoothed out.

The end result will be very creamy. Pour into two mugs, and you’ll see some foam on top. The end result is a warm, deliciously sweet treat. Yum!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {banana} {drink} {healthy} {hot chocolate} {sugar free} {winter}

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {coffee} {drink} {ginger} {latte} {vanilla} {winter}

To start of the new year, I thought we’d start with a healthier drink recipe, as in, no milk or sugar! The Americano was actually my first taste of unsweetened espresso, and embarrassingly, I cried when I tried to drink it. It was strong and it was unexpected. I did not come from a coffee-drinking family, and the Americano is not for the faint of heart. I eased into my love for coffees and espresso with a bit of milk and mocha, but today I can gladly say I usually drink a bold roast or espresso, plain black. For me, lattes are just a treat, not on my daily menu.

Today’s recipe is actually an iced Americano, and contains nothing more than brewed espresso, water, and ice. It is refreshing in its simplicity, and a great way to cut unnecessary sugar out of your life without giving up the taste of espresso that you love.

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 ounces brewed espresso

6 ounces water

ice

Directions

Brew espresso. Fill a 12 – 16 ounce glass 3/4 the way up with ice.

Pour water into the glass, followed by brewed espresso, and stir.

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {americano} {ashley} {coffee} {iced} {latted} {pahl}

image via bbc

 
The above photo of lemon curd, sweetly packaged in jars, inspired me to share with you my favorite lemon curd recipe. Homemade lemon curd is such a versatile gift – it can be used for baking – as filling in pastries and tarts, or topped onto cookies; it can be spread on toast or wafers, and eaten plain. Using just a few ingredients, you can have homemade lemon curd in about half an hour!

ingredients

4 lemons
1.5 cups sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
4 eggs
pinch of salt

directions

Begin by zesting your lemons with a vegetable peeler rather than a grater. In a food processor, combine the zest and sugar, and process for three minutes. The mixture is ready when it’s as smooth as baby food.

Cut your lemons in half and squeeze them for a half cup of lemon juice. This was three lemon halves for me.

Transfer the lemon zest / sugar mix into a bowl, and cream in the butter. Use an electric mixer to combine well. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and salt. Mix well

In a saucepan, cook your lemon mixture on medium-low heat, stirring often. Heat the curd to 175 degrees F, which is the temperature needed for thickening. Once the mixture is sufficiently thick and the temperature has reached 175 degrees F, remove from heat and let cool.

Store the lemon curd in an air-tight container. Because it contains eggs and butter, make a note of when it was made if you are using it for gift giving. For long-term storage, you will want to use traditional canning methods. Your lemon curd is now ready for baking, gift-giving, or eating as-is!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {gift} {homemade} {lemon curd} {lemons} {recipe}