Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Beat the Heat with a Frozen Raspberry Green Tea!



Summertime is nearly upon us and that means it's time for icy cold drinks, preferably created with a blender. I'm on a serious blender kick lately. Like, 3 different blended beverages a day at least. Is there some kind of Blenderholics Anonymous I could sign up for? 

That beautiful, frosty glass of pink up there is what triggered my blendermania. I couldn't get Tim Horton's Frozen Raspberry Green /Tea out of my head, but the closest Timmies is a half hour walk and it was just too hot to get there on foot with two kids in a stroller and one strapped to my back. So, I made my own, and it was way tastier. And cheaper! And then I ran out of raspberries and got sad because grocery day isn't until Friday so I couldn't make any more.

Here's the recipe:

4 Green Tea bags
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup honey (although sugar would work just fine)
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries 

(Please note: my raspberry measurement is an approximation. I was dealing with all the little bits in the bottom of the bag  and I was hot and just wanted my damn drink so I just dumped it in the blender. It looked to me like a cup and a half. You could use more or less depending on taste, same with the honey)

1. Pour boiling water over tea bags. Steep until desired strength, remove tea bags, and allow tea to cool. I threw mine in the freezer after 5 minutes or so of cooling on the counter, just to speed things up)

2. Pour cold tea into blender. Add frozen raspberries and honey. Blend, and serve!

*This recipe made the tall glass pictured above, plus a plastic cup full for my little guy, who LOVED it. He's definitely his mama's son :)*




Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Homemade Donuts

This is so easy! I saw this floating around on Pinterest and had to try it! All you need is Pillsbury biscuit dough, mold the dough together and cut out donut shapes. Then in a deep pan fill about 1/4 the way with vegetable oil and heat on medium-low. Put your donuts in carefully and keep an eye on them so they don't burn! Once they are cooked putting them on a cookie sheet and coat with sugar or whatever topping you like!


POST BY MOMMY OLIVIA


Monday, June 16, 2014

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

The spring weather has inspired a fresh soup! I don't know about you but in my house the flu keeps going around, once someone recovers they get it again and nothing soothes a sore throat like chicken soup and lemons! So why not combine them?


What you will need:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 lemon
1tsp basil
1 cup of long grain rice
2 tbsp. olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add in your carrots onion and garlic, sauté for about 5 minutes or until translucent.

Add in the chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add in the rice cover and simmer for about 15 more minutes or until rice is cooked.

Then add in the juice of 1 lemon (make sure there are no seeds!) And the basil. Stir all together. Enjoy!

POST BY MOMMY OLIVIA


Sunday, June 15, 2014

Pinterest Challenge: Pot Roast Noodles

Since it's Father's Day weekend I let Phil go through all my favourite recipes on Pinterest and pick whatever one he wanted for dinner. So he chose these Pot Roast Noodles. A lot of work, but very delicious! For the original recipe click HERE.


What you will need:

1 can of sliced mushrooms (drained)
2 1/2 pound chuck roast
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 each, chopped: carrot, onion, rib celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
6 ounces tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
8 ounces pappardelle egg noodles

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Season meat generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown meat, about 2 minutes per side. Lift out; set aside. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme. Heat to a boil. Return meat to the pot. Liquid should come about two thirds the way up the sides of the roast. Cover.

3. Place in oven; cook, turning roast once and basting occasionally, until very tender when prodded with a fork, 2-2 1/2 hours.

4. Set pot on stovetop. Remove meat from pot. Shred. Discard any fat. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Stir shredded meat into sauce; keep warm over low heat.

5. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until tender but firm. Drain. Add noodles to meat and sauce. Toss gently.

Enjoy!

POST BY MOMMY OLIVIA