Drinks

I don’t come from a family of coffee drinkers or even tea drinkers for that matter. Just water and milk when I was growing up. But that would change when my Dad spent some time in France studying French, it was there that he got accustomed to drinking coffee. Not too long after that Dad took my brother and I on our first European trip. It was in Paris where Dad encouraged me to have my first cappuccino. As a teenager obsessed with Vogue magazine, it seemed like this cup of creamy, foamy coffee was the perfect entry point into the world of Catherine Deneuve, Chanel, the Concorde.

Since then, I will have the occasional latte when going out for coffee. My husband has learned that drinking coffee has all sorts of benefits such as reducing the risk of diabetes, staving off Alzheimer’s disease, it may also be helpful to those suffering from depression. So now we make coffee at home a few times a week.

My Dad is Mr. Health, and his knowledge and lifestyle has influenced how I eat and take care of myself. So when I found a whole stack of McCafe coffee cups on his kitchen counter I knew I was on the right track. One night after family dinner we ended up at Dairy Queen, and my Dad was the first one to order and I was wondering what he could be getting, because he doesn’t eat ice cream, or anything sugary. Then we saw him picking up 3 cups of coffee, and I thought, “Strange, why three?” None of us drink coffee after dinner. So when I asked about it, he said, he paid for one and got 2 refills, to drink in the next day or two. Is my Dad smart or what?

I have inherited my frugalness from my Dad. Every year I will allow myself one Frappacino for the whole summer. But very rarely do I ever take myself up on that offer. First of all, it’s an expensive drink that is mostly crushed ice. And, if I want it to taste good, there’s going to be tons of sugary syrup. So I have come up with my own version, thus naming it after myself. My version is dairy free, gluten free, sugar free and has superfoods. One thing about coffee is that it can inhibit absorption of vitamins and minerals, so for those who have a morning coffee, take your supplements an hour away from it. Because of this my Laaracino actually does not have coffee in it. I do not miss the coffee taste because the maca, malt and the cocoa satisfies my coffee loving taste buds. But by all means add coffee to my Laaracino, if that is what pleases you.

The superfoods in my Laaracino:
Cocoa – High in vitamin B’s and magnesium, both of which supports the nervous system. It also has phenylethylamine, which stirs up happy feelings, and releases stress. Cacao has an even higher amount of antioxidants than blueberries.
Maca – This root from Peru has lots of nutrients, but it is mainly known for increasing cognitive function, libido, energy levels. It is also an adaptogen which means it helps the bring the body into balance. For instance, when the body in under stress, maca helps support the adrenal glands to deal with the stress.
Coconut oil –Has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic properties and contains lauric acid which is found in mother’s milk. Breast-fed babies are better able to fend off infections than babies not given mother’s milk.
Vanilla powder – This is simply the seeds that are inside the vanilla pods. They contain a phytochemical called vanilloid that reduces inflammation and improves brain function.
Cinnamon – Can be beneficial for reducing risk from diabetes and heart disease.

Laaracino serves 2

2 cups almond milk (or any type of milk)
2 t. maca powder
2 T. malt powder, gluten free if made from rice (optional)
4 T. cocoa powder
2 T. coconut oil
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla powder
5 drops stevia (or other type of sweetener)
pinch of sea salt
4 cups of ice

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a good blender, whiz until the ice has been blended and serve in two frosty glasses.
Feel free to experiment with this recipe and make it your own, ie. add a banana, frozen yogurt, liquer, coffee if you must, you get the idea.

*You may wonder if it is possible to substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla powder, I haven’t simply because extract wouldn’t be as nutritious as the powder. If any of you do make this with the extract let me know how it goes.

Eat healthy, live great! – {Kake}

Beware the rose…water!

I was in a Mediterranean café the other day and saw on the shelf a bottle labeled rose water. I was feeling a little thirsty and decided to try it. After purchasing it, I unscrewed the cap and took a swig…BIG MISTAKE! It was waaaaay too strong, way, way too strong. I tried diluting it with water and still, it was not drinkable. Once home still burping roses, I did some research, and it was confirmed, rose “water” is not for drinking straight out of the bottle. It is to be used sparingly in drinks and desserts. So {Kale} and I made the most delightful and refreshing cocktail with it, which I’ve called the Mimrosa.

My Mom used to have a perfume that smelled of roses and it always made me feel uplifted when I inhaled the scent. Every living thing has a vibrational energy, and rose essential oil has an extremely high frequency. A healthy person has a MHz of between 62-6, someone with a cold or flu around 58 MHz, and rose oil has 320 MHz. So it would be reasonable to say that when I was inhaling Mom’s rose perfume I was elevating my life force. So here’s to uplifting our spirits with a rose cocktail!!

I have paired my Mimrosa with a white chocolate waffle for a light brunch or an elegant dessert.

Benefits of some of the ingredients include:

Rose – Uplifts your mood.
Strawberries – Vitamins C, good for skin, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory if eaten 3 times a week.
Organic Butter -Ideally, butter from grass fed cows has high amounts of vitamins A and E as well as vitamin K2 which is imperative if you are taking calcium supplements, as without K2, the calcium will go into the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. K2 is not easy to come by, the vitamin K in leafy greens are K1, which helps with blood clotting. It also has CLA which has been studied to help with reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass, it may also benefit heart health. Grass fed butter also contains butyrate, which is an anti-inflammatory fatty acid. Organic butter will have lower chemical toxins, since toxins are fat soluble they get stored in fat, but grass fed will have higher nutrients. Check out Time magazine`s latest cover story – Eat Butter – in their June 23, 2014 issue.
Spelt flour – Compared to wheat, it has more nutrients such as protein and minerals. Though spelt does have gluten, some people who cannot tolerate gluten can still eat spelt without negative reactions. Unless you have celiac disease then you cannot have spelt. Spelt is an ancient grain that has not been engineered for high yield as wheat has, so that may also have something to do with the increase intolerance of wheat in the western world.
Honey – Contains flavonoids and antioxidants, is anti-bacterial (I put it on cuts instead of polysporin), can help soothe ulcers, coughs.

Mimrosa serves 4

6 ounces gin
16 ounces tonic water
16 Tonic water ice cubes
1 t. Rose water

Directions:
Combine the above ingredients in a pitcher and serve in tall glasses. The the Tonic water ice cubes should be made at least 4 hours ahead, and you can add a raspberry in them like I did, or a mint leaf.

White Chocolate Waffles makes 16 – 4 inch waffles

5 T. unsalted organic butter
1 1/2 cups spelt flour (all purpose flour)
1 T. baking powder
2 T. sugar
zest of one large lemon
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups sliced strawberries
honey

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron. Preheat oven to 200F to keep cooked waffles warm.
Melt the butter, set aside. Whisk the dry ingredients and lemon zest together.
In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together, then pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips and the melted butter.
If needed, spray the grids of waffle iron with non-stick spray.
Prepare the waffles according to your waffle iron’s manufacturer. Mine is a big square divided into four grids, so I spoon a blob of batter onto each quadrant. Once the steam coming from the sides of the iron diminishes I check on the waffles. When golden, remove to a warm oven until until ready to be eaten.
Serve with the strawberries, and layer as I did like a waffle sandwich, drizzled with honey over top. You can definitely serve it with vanilla yogurt for brunch, or ice cream if it is a dessert.

Eat healthy, live great! {Kake}