One Caffeine Free Week

Hi, my name is Melissa and I'm a caffeine addict.  I really only have maybe one cup of coffee per day and I only drink soda when we're eating out.  My real vice: tea.

I LOVE iced tea.  I make it unsweetened and use Splenda.  I drink it morning, noon and night.  Now most of you are laughing at me because tea is actually pretty healthy in comparison to soda, right?  I'm inclined to agree.  But I'm not a doctor and my husband seems to think he knows better than me...he claims that black tea is not really that good for you because it contains caffeine and if I'm going to drink tea it should be green tea.  Two things:  screw him and pass me the Splenda.  No really, I dug my heels in on this one.  I have given up carbs...no potatoes, no rice, no bread, no sugar...hell, I don't even eat most fruits!  I was NOT giving up that beautiful amber elixir of the gods.  No.  Just no.  But after a "discussion" about the evils of caffeine, he somehow talked me into going one week without all beverages besides water.  

So one other thing you should know about me:  I HATE water.  I hate water more than I love tea.  For me, water is good for three things:  cooking, cleaning, and making tea.  That's it.  You don't drink it because it's gross...it doesn't taste like anything!  Yuck!

So my first day sans caffeine was pretty rough, I won't lie.  I barely drank anything because I loathe the "flavor" of water so much...which living in Florida in August, that's just not a good idea.  I was miserable.  I felt like garbage.  But, I'm stubborn and wanted to prove to my husband that I could do it.  So on to day two...

Can we just agree that caffeine is a life-saver?  I'm fairly certain there were at least three instances where I seriously considered homicide to be a perfectly reasonable response to something my husband was doing.  I seem to remember one being because my husband helped himself to another helping of ice cream but had to dirty another bowl to do so. 

I think my lowest point was when I went to Publix the other day.  In order to get home, I have to drive by a Dunkin Donuts and all I kept thinking was, "they have awesome iced tea.  I think it's any size for 99 cents and I could probably suck it down before I get home...he'd never know!"  I am proud to tell you that I resisted temptation.  However, it didn't strike me until later, recounting my story to my husband, that I really might have a problem.  I considered "cheating" for a glass of tea.  I could have gotten a doughnut!  If I was going to cheat, wouldn't that be the thing I want most?  The doughnut I haven't had in MONTHS vs. the tea I got to have three days ago!?!?  

Fast forward, the week is over and it's not so bad.  I actually discovered a little recipe, if you will, that makes water more palatable.  I've been sucking down this water like it's going out of style and I feel GREAT.  I woke up this morning and didn't miss the coffee or the tea.  I don't get headaches from the withdrawal, and I just feel better about myself for making another healthy choice.  So anyway, here's my 'recipe.'

I keep mine in 2 qt bottles.

1 gallon water (I used the filtered stuff from the fridge)

2 limes

1 lemon

1/2 cucumber

1. Wash and slice your produce.

2.  Add to water.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

3. Drink in copious amounts.  :-)

I read on Pinterest, where I originally found this little recipe, that lemons aid in the absorption of sugars and calcium and help to curb your sweet tooth, limes promote a healthy digestive tract, and cucumber acts as a diuretic and flush fat cells.  The original recipe calls for mint, as well, but I didn't have any one hand.  I plan to pick some up the next time I'm out.  Just another little tip...when you add mint to a drink like this, give it a little spank...it releases some of the oils in the leaves without completely tearing it up.

Oh, and just FYI...we're on week four of our low-carb lifestyle and I'm down 11 pounds!  Yay!

Spiked Strawberry Lemonade

As I mentioned before, my sister-in-law graduated!  That makes two high school graduates in our family this year and we're so proud of both girls!  Needless to say, this is a time for celebration!  Yesterday, we celebrated my sister-in-law's graduation at my in-laws' house.  It was a bbq/pool party and we had a great time.  My mother-in-law asked me to bring strawberry lemonade with alcohol for the crowd and I was more than happy to provide!  Here's the recipe:

Spiked Strawberry Lemonade
(makes approximately 2 gallons)
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
32 oz. lemon juice
4 lbs strawberries, hulled and sliced
5 cups vodka
1 gallon of water





1.  In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved.  Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.






2.  Puree strawberries.  I had to do it in batches since I had so many strawberries.  If you have a hard time getting them to blend smoothly, add a little water just to get it going.








3.  Pour strawberry puree through a sieve.  It will catch most of the seeds and the pulp.  A little getting through is ok.









4.  Combine sugar water (simple syrup), puree, lemon juice, and vodka.  Mix well.  Add the gallon of water a little at a time to acquire your preferred dilution.

5.  Serve chilled.  Enjoy responsibly!

Pool Party Finger Food

It's officially summer here in Florida and the heat is ON.  Last weekend, we had some friends over to celebrate Memorial Day and let me tell ya...it was a good time!  Since it was so hot and we'd be hanging poolside all day, I chose to keep the daytime fare pretty simple.

Check out this tasty stuff!

Sunset Sangria
I found this recipe on Pinterest somewhere and altered it so I wouldn't have to make an extra trip to the liquor store to make it more to my liking.  Very simple...put it together the night before and you've got yourself one yummy cocktail for a crowd!

When setting up a self-serve bar, don't forget your garnishes!

1 package strawberries, hulled and sliced
3-4 oranges, sliced
1/2-3/4 cup rum...just depends on how strong you want your drink. (I prefer Cruzan)
2 oz triple sec
1 large bottle of moscato (or other white wine of your choice)

Once you've sliced your fruit, put it in a big pitcher (or in my case, drink dispenser).  Pour all the liquor and wine over top and give it a good stir.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  If you want to get all fancy, serve it with an orange garnish.

Salsa Fresca
Ok so this recipe happened one night when my husband was still just my boyfriend and he wanted salsa.  I didn't have any and I really didn't want to run out to the store...but I also wanted to earn serious brownie points...which obviously worked because *BAM* we're married.  LOL!  I digress....I had the stuff in the house and it turned out pretty damn good.  I've been making this for him ever since!

8-10 plum tomatoes
1 onion
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you'd like it)
Salt to taste

Dice the tomatoes and onion.  Put them in a big bowl.  Drain and rinse the beans and corn well.  Add to bowl.  Chop the cilantro.  You guessed it...throw it in the bowl.  Add your juice, cayenne, and salt.  Mix well.  Serve and enjoy!

Like the sangria, this salsa is great when made the night before.  Now some of you may be scoffing at my use of cayenne pepper instead of a legit pepper all chopped up...there is a method to my madness.  Have you ever eaten something with scattered peppers that are super spicy?  And you're eating and enjoying and then *POW* you take a bit with a chunk of jalapeno and your mouth is on FIRE.  Yeah...I hate that.  So the powdered cayenne is evenly spread throughout...so you know what level of spice to expect in each and every bite.  You're welcome.

Fluffy Fruit Dip
Ok guys, last one...stay with me here...  This is the EASIEST recipe EVER.  Literally two ingredients and I get rave reviews every. single. time.  Two ingredients...try to keep up...

1 cup cool whip
1 cup vanilla yogurt

Add to bowl.  Mix.  Serve with fruit for dipping (strawberries, grapes, pineapple, etc).

That's it.  Told ya it was easy :-)


Well, I hope you're all enjoying some fun in the sun...I know we are!  I'll be posting a new summer cocktail recipe soon...here's a little teaser:

Mmmm....strawberries!