Need a way to beat the heat this summer?  This is the easiest thing ever.

Bake at 350 wrote a post about DIY Coke Icees that has been making the rounds of the internet.  I decided to try it, but I used pink lemonade instead of Coke.  I also made one with orange soda.  I’m thinking any kind of drink would be deliciously frosty…

Sweet tea, green tea, white grape peach juice, root beer… Endless possibilities.

To make one, just use a counter top ice cream maker.  Pour your beverage in.  Turn it on and let it go for about 20 minutes or until it looks sufficiently icy.  The End.

Happy Summer!

If you don’t already have a tea basket, pull out a pretty bowl or basket and fill it with your favorite teas, cocoa and coffee mixes.  It’s a simple way to do something nice for yourself.  And when a friend stops by, you can offer the basket to them to choose and then visit over mugs filled with your favorite steaming beverage.

I hope you have time to sit and relax with a cup of tea this weekend.

Spilled milk.

Sometimes when I go to a coffee shop (not often) in the evening, instead of getting coffee I like to get steamed vanilla milk.  They use the steamer on the espresso machine to froth warm milk and add a shot of vanilla syrup.

It’s easy to replicate at home.  Vanilla syrup can be bought in the coffee section of the grocery store.  Add a bit to a cup of milk and microwave it to warm.  Then give it a good stir.  I use a little battery powered whisk I bought at Ikea for under $2.  You can see I got a little carried away with the whisking and made a mess.

Grab your favorite beverage and check out what I’ve found across the blogosphere this week.

• Nikki at Coupon Cookin’ shares Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
• Crystal from Crystal and Company made completely cute Ghost Halloween Treat with marshmallows and white chocolate.
• Brandi from Savin’ Some talks about clearing out magazine clutter and getting to enjoy the articles too.
• Jennifer from Coupon Mommie does a weekly CVS ad and coupon match up.  When I pay attention and clip some coupons, I’ve been able to save a lot of $ at CVS.
• Ever try to cancel one of those automatic payment club plans (like for coffee, books, CDs etc)? Kay at Bucksome Boomer tells about her experience.
• Andrea from Green Backs Gal talks about grocery budgets and supermarket strategies.

I want to wish my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law happy anniversary!  50 years ago today they said “I do”.  They have loved each other and served God together ever since.  They are a wonderful example and blessing.

I found the recipe on The Sporadic Cook.  Julie got it from Hungry Girl.  She used low-fat and calorie free ingredients.   My ingredients weren’t as virtuous, but the result was delicious.  I altered the recipe in a few other ways too.

This will be a great way to cool off this summer and get our chocolate fix at the same time.  Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

• 1 packet hot cocoa mix
• 3 oz hot water
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla syrup or flavor of your choice
• a little squirt of chocolate syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice

Mix the cocoa with the hot water. Stir in the milk and syrups.  Put the cup in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to cool.  Then pour the mixture into the blender with the ice.  Blend on the highest speed for a minute.  Pour into a cup, mug or wine glass to drink.

I decided to make up a batch of homemade hot cocoa mix the other day.  My mom always made this when my sister and I were little, but it had been a long time since I’d made any.  I still have some Swiss Miss packets in the pantry, but the kids have been choosing this over the store-bought kind.

It’s really easy to make and you get a lot of mix with one batch.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 21.8 oz box Nestle’s Quik
• 16oz instant coffee creamer
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Mix all of this together in a big bowl.  Pour back into the empty containers to store.  To make a mug of cocoa, fill it with water or milk and heat in the microwave.  Add 3-5 big spoons of mix to the cup and stir well.

Have you ever ordered a Caramel Apple Spice drink from Starbucks?  You can make a pretty decent version at home for much cheaper and about half the calories.  The fact that I’ve cut the calories in something just thrills me, because I’m not known doing that.

Pour apple juice into a mug.  Add a cinnamon stick.  Microwave for  1 1/2 minutes or to the temp that you like.  Remove the cinnamon stick.  Add a squirt of caramel syrup and stir it all up.

Starbucks version rings in at 310 calories.  It has whipped cream on top, which I don’t add.  My version has about 160 calories and no fat.

Often, I skip the cinnamon stick because they are expensive.  I’ve also been known to pull the stick out and save it for the next cup.  I’m not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I haven’t keeled over yet from it.  Be cheap at your own risk   A bit of cinnamon syrup would be the way to go here, but I don’t happen to have any.

Enjoy Autumn!

For Father’s Day I bought my husband several pounds of green beans.  No, not Del Monte canned green beans – green coffee beans.  He really loves his coffee and a few years ago he started roasting the beans himself. 

I wish I could let you smell both the green beans and the freshly roasted beans.  When green, they have a raw smell.  Right after roasting they smell deep and a bit smoky.  They settle down after several hours and take on a rich aroma.

We buy green coffee beans from Sweet Maria’s.  I’m sure there are other companies that supply green beans for home roasting, but that is who we started with and they really know their coffee.  They offer many, many varieties from all around the world.

My husband roasts the beans in an old popcorn popper.  It needs to be a certain type of hot air popper (those instructions can be found on the Sweet Maria’s site).  I found the popper at a Goodwill store several years ago. 

The process is best done outside.  We’ve set off the smoke detectors too many times doing it inside.  The beans go in the popper just like popcorn, but they don’t get tossed out of the popper because of their weight.  Instead, the chaff from the beans blows out.  The beans themselves just spin around in the champer.

It only takes about 4 minutes to roast the beans and they need to be watched closely so they don’t burn.  Burnt beans do not make a good cup of coffee.  Some varieties can roast to a deeper roast than others.  Some just taste better at a lighter roast.

What kinds of unusual foods have you prepared at home?  Do you roast your own coffee? Make cheese or yogurt? Stuff sausage? Hunt down wild mushrooms?  Tell us about it!

My oldest daughter has been on a smoothie kick lately.  If “lately” can be considered the last few years.  She loves smoothies and often makes them for herself.  (Now, if I could just convince her to wash the blender.)  Mixed berry is her most recent favorite.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

1 1/2 – 2 cups of frozen mixed berries, thawed a bit in the microwave

1/2 cup or so of vanilla yogurt

1/4 – 1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 – 1/2 cup milk (which didn’t make it in the picture, sorry!)

1 ripe banana, optional

Throw all the ingredients in the blender.  Measuring is optional.  Blend till smooth.  Top with whipped cream if you feel fancy.  Remember to wash your own blender.