Sweet Coconut Lemonade

This sweet coconut lemonade is your new best friend.

Ok so, it isn't summer yet, but we've had a few warm days and I just couldn't wait to have this drink again.

Remember about our trip to Mexico? During our stay in Acapulco, we took a day trip to La Roqueta beach. It took about an hour to get there from the Mayan Palace (car + boat ride), and it was so worth it. It's on a tiny little secluded island and you have an amazing view of Acapulco. A lot of locals go there to chill and hang out.

We were sitting with my in-laws at the beach restaurant when my husband asked: "Would you like a coconut with lemon and sugar?". I gave him a silly look thinking it was a joke. Lemon? Coconut? Say what? Turns out he was serious so I figured why not. Oh-my-god guys, it's seriously delicious. To top it off, it's super easy, thirst quenching and nutritious!

Lemon juice and coconut water are jam packed with vitamins and minerals; vitamin C, calcium, fiber, folates, the list goes on. It's perfect for a daily immune system boost, or even for a little more energy during a workout. You could also just do like me and sip it at your desk during work, or while relaxing by the pool.

Make sure to pin it for the summer, you'll be glad you did on those hot and humid days!

 What kind of unusual drinks do you like to drink in the summer?

Make a natural and healthy Gatorade alternative with these 3 simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Coconut water
1/2 Lemon
1-2 Tbsp Sugar

Steps

1. Start by squeezing the juice of half a lemon into your glass and stir in the sugar.
2. Fill the rest of the glass with coconut water.

The recipe is actually pretty subjective; you can add more lemon juice or sugar, it's all up to you. On a really hot day you can even add a few ice cubes to make it even more refreshing. Seriously though, doesn't it just look delicious? I'm salivating just looking at the pictures. I know it's still spring but um, bring on the summer!

Basic Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

 Dear winter, thank you for forcing me to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

With the increasingly cold weather keeping me inside, I've been taking every opportunity to cozy up with my kids in front of the fire place with some hot chocolate. I've never really been a big fan of winter, I prefer heat (beaches!!!), but I have to admit that since having kids, winter is a lot more fun; snow angels, snowmen, sliding, skiing... and most importantly, cuddling up on the couch! I also love the slower beat of things.

This year, for our Christmas tree decorating party, I wanted to give out Christmas themed party favors. That obviously meant gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate. I prefer things being personal and we all know I love making my own recipes. So I spent a bit of time trying to figure out the exact ingredients to my basic homemade hot chocolate mix. This is another one of those things where I usually just randomly dump ingredients together and just like magic, out comes deliciousness (that's a word right?). 

It turned out quite delicious and smooth. If you want it sweeter, you can always add a bit more sugar, but I find it just right this way. I have every intention of making tons of variations of this basic recipe so stay tuned!

Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cocoa powder (pure, unsweetened)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

To make the mix is very simple. Just pour all the above ingredients into a container and shake. If you want to make sure it's homogeneous, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl first.

When you're ready to have some hot chocolate, all you have to do is add 2 tablespoons of the mix to 1 cup of cold milk and bring to a boil on med-high, stirring constantly (it shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes). You could also microwave it, but I prefer the stove.

And if you want to give this as a gift, don't forget to make a pretty label with the instructions!

Single Serving Homemade Hot Chocolate

If you don't want to make a big batch and prefer just making a cup as you go, you can use the recipe below.

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 tbsp cocoa powder (pure, unsweetened)
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp corn starch

Mango Banana Milkshake

I absolutely love milkshakes. I wouldn't go as far as using them as meal replacements but I will definitely say yes to a nutrient boost. They're great as a refreshment, or as a healthy dessert alternative. I usually just grab whatever juicy fruits are in my fridge and blend them with random kinds of milk. My inspiration for this one was a mix of my craving for summer (oh-summer-how-I-long-for-you), and some of this delicious maple syrup our maple trees have been giving us this season.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Mango (frozen)
1 Banana
1 cup of Milk (I use soy)

OPTIONAL

1 tbsp of Maple Syrup (or sweetener of choice)

STEPS

Um, just blend everything together and enjoy. It's pretty straight forward.

What kind of drinks do you enjoy?

I'm really excited that spring has finally sprung! Snow is melting, the sun is coming out, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing some pretty new flowers popping out soon. I miss the gorgeous colors of summer; green grass, blue skies, multicolored flowers... I'm ready for you!!!