Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

In the past, I have made iced coffee by simply brewing coffee, chilling it, and then adding milk/sweetener, etc.  WHAT AN IDIOT I HAVE BEEN!  In search of a more "fun" beverage to serve at an afternoon birthday party, I came across this recipe for cold brewed coffee.  Game changer.  I will never ever, ever go back.

The recipe was published back in the NY Times in June of 2007 and obviously is a winner!  It's pretty darn simple, the only disadvantage is that it requires time to "brew" so you have to plan ahead.  The actual hands on time is pretty minimal.

Ingredients:

• 1 c ground coffee, the darker roast the better (I used Trader Joe's Wintry Blend)
• 4 1/2 c water
• Milk/Cream
• Sweetner/Flavor of your choice

Directions:

1. Pour ground coffee and water into container and stir.  Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours.

2. Pour brewed coffee through paper coffee filter or strainer lined with cheese cloth. French press might also work here?!

3. The cold-brewed coffee concentrate is now ready.  Mix coffee concentrate with equal parts water or milk. Sweeten as desired.  Serve over ice.  Serves 6. *You can refrigerate concentrate for up to two weeks.

I have a batch brewing on my counter as I am typing this blog.  I am completely craving it.  I loved the spices in the Wintry Blend coffee from Trader Joe's, but I am sure any coffee would be delicious. Just to point out the obvious, the more fat in the milk the more creamy your iced coffee will be. At the party, I pre-mixed with milk and 1/2 c sugar (served in a pitcher) and let people add their own additional milk, sugar, chocolate syrup, etc. 

Protein Smoothies

Often we have to fuel fast after a tough training session, or just need breakfast in a jiffy. So, we like to make smoothies that can be quickly created, consumed or carried. There are FAR too many variations to list, especially considering seasonal fruit supplies - but you'll get the gist of making smoothies here.

You can make smoothies in a blender or the Magic Bullet.

Nat's Favorite
1 cup almond milk
1 cup ice
1 tablespoon almond butter
1-2 large bananas
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed

OR

1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup non-fat milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 large banana
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Greg's favorite
1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate milk
5 large strawberries
1 large banana
Blend well!

Triple Berry
1 cup frozen blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries (from Costco)
1 cup almond milk
1 cup ice
1-2 teaspoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed

Papaya Coconut Almond
1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen papaya
1/4 cup frozen lemonade
1/2 cup coconut water
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon agave syrup
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Blend well!

The possibilities are obviously endless! If you want to make your smoothie "to-go" for a fast and healthy breakfast: just blend it up the night before, pour it in a water bottle, freeze it overnight and take the bottle out of your freezer when you wake in the morning to thaw. Voila!

Lime Rita

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. limeade concentrate (doesn't need to be thawed)
• 12 oz. squirt
• 12 oz. tequila
• 12 oz. light beer

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and serve over ice with a lime.
2. To fancy it up...lol... you can salt the rims or use margarita stemware.

There are lots of names that people have for this kind of drink, but I made this name up to make it sound suitable to offer guests at a fiesta-themed party.  If you like margaritas, you're sure to like this drink - and I promise you, you won't taste the beer.  I decided on this recipe after trying it this summer at one of our pool parties.  My problem for this Mexican fiesta was that I wanted the margarita 'flavor' without having to stand at a blender all night - or have the noise of the blender interrupt the event.  Worked great - it was a big hit and could not be easier!