I don't have a lot of vices but of the few I have, coffee is far and away the most prominent. My coworkers can attest to what a difference in personality I have if I roll into the office in the a.m. sans coffee. Let's just say...it's NOT pleasant. So imagine my delight, when by happenstance I stumbled across a coffee product line that was delicious, convenient, and good for me? Lemme tell you about my two new fave beverages:
XX Espresso Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk and Triple Shot Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk by Califia Farms.
Both are delicious and low cal, much better than whatever Mocha-Choca-Bullshit you order at Starbucks. I've bought the individual sizes at the Rite Aid by my work and have bought both individual sizes and the larger sizes in the grocery section of Target. Raley's and the Co-Op also sell some of their stuff too but I think it might be pricier. There's other flavors too - Dirty Chai, Salted Caramel, Mocha, Mocha Mexica, and Cocoa Noir. Mmmm...
A few interesting facts:
Califia's bottles are recyclable (Plastic #5).
Califia's almond milk is Kosher. Their products are Pareve and Orthodox Union is their Rabbinical Certifier
Their products are non-organic currently; however, they are all non-GMO.
Califia's iced coffees with almond milk have no saturated fat, ares soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and carrageenan-free.
* This is not a sponsored post. The stuff just tastes good and deserved a shout out.
3193 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95818. (916) 475-1223.
http://cafevics.com
Mr. S. and I have a ritual that's been going for awhile now. Every other week after his haircut, we meet up at Vic's and get two coffees to-go, we then either walk around the Land Park neighborhood commenting on yards (we're always trying to get landscaping ideas for his yard) or head over to the WPA Rock Garden to chat and catch each other up on our days. It's a simple date but a nice one, a little downtime during the hectic week.
Up until recently we would always meet at the Temple Coffee on S Street, but our visits there have been tapering off. Sure, we still go there if we're getting some morning joe to-go but we rarely stay there and hang out anymore. The patio is always too full, the coffee shop is bursting with people camping out with their laptops for HOURS on end and the newer staff members just aren't as friendly. The coffee is still quite delicious though. Vic's, on the other hand, is peaceful, has plenty of seating and the staff always seems glad to see a customer. Best of all, they serve the Temple coffee that I love. By the way, I can attest that their barista, George, makes a mean iced Americano (my current fav summertime drink). In addition to standard coffee drinks, they also serve Italian sodas, loose teas and scrumptious blended drinks with
homemade whipped cream.
If you're looking for some nibbles, this community coffee shop also offers a limited menu of breakfast burritos, salads, sandwiches and Old Soul Co. pastries. And of course- you can always pop into their wonderful, old-fashioned ice cream parlor next door afterwards to satiate your sweet tooth. Vic's is a terrific addition to the neighborhood. There's something for everyone. My only wish is that they would invest in some tables for outside. There's plastic patio chairs lined up in a row out there currently, but it's not a comfortable atmosphere for hanging out in and I love to chat while drinking my coffee. Inside though, they do have chairs, tables, booths, comfy couches...and the ever-essential Wi-Fi.
If you've ever spent any time wandering around the produce section of an Asian supermarket, you've probably run across these:
The
ziziphus jujube goes by many names- but most commonly it's called a red date, Chinese date or jujube. It's part of the Buckthorn botanical family and has been cultivated by the Chinese for over 4,000 years. In ancient times, it was classified as one of the five celebrated fruits of China along with peach, plum,
chestnut, and apricot.
Jujubes are a smooth, oval-shaped edible drupe with a small stone in the center. The outer layer is a bit of a pale yellow-green color and the Styrofoam-like white flesh tastes like a bland apple. Most cultures put jujubes out in the sun to dry out and as they mature they turn a golden brown and take on a sweeter taste. Eventually they take on a red color and wrinkle up like old man testicles. The fruit is used to make a multitude of items- jams, tea, wine, lozenges, a variety of desserts and even jujube butter. (Also jujubes make a great substitute for dates in recipes.) The fruit and seeds are also used in Korean and Chinese medicine to alleviate stress, help with insomnia, lower blood pressure and to help treat colds, flus and sore throats. Jujubes contain twenty times more Vitamin C than any other citrus fruit.
Jujube Tea
Ingredients
8 cups water
15-20
dried jujubes, cut in half and seed removed
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, sliced
4 tablespoons honey (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash your dried jujubes in cold water. Discard the water.
2. Place 8 cups of water into your pot. Add in jujubes and ginger. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add honey and mint. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Allow to steep for a few more minutes.
5. Strain. Keep the liquid and discard the solids.
6. Serve hot or chilled.
* You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker for a longer steep.
* If you want to change up the flavor, you can substitute some cinnamon sticks for the fresh mint.
During the summertime one of my favorite drinks to whip up for BBQs is sangria. Now mind you, the sangria that I make is no frou-frou lightweight cocktail garnished with some citrus...no ma'am, it's a knock-you-on-your-butt weapons grade sangria. Sure there's some fruit in it but a good portion of it is made up of red wine which I then I fortify with rum. Anyhow, as of late I've been getting some rager migraines when I drink anything more than a glass of red wine so when I offered to make a batch of sangria to take to a friend's on Thursday night, I decided to dig up an alternate recipe. Something milder, lighter and without red wine. I looked at a few white wine recipes but then came across this gem from Martha Stewart (yep, Old Jailbird Marty). The recipe actually came out really good...sweet but refreshing...I'll probably make it again this summer.
Prosecco Sangria (Martha Stewart)
Yields About 2 Quarts
Ingredients
1 peach
1 nectarine
3 apricots
5 ounces peach brandy
1 bottle (750 mL) chilled Prosecco, (Italian sparkling wine)
1 cup peach nectar
Superfine sugar (optional)
Instructions
- In a pitcher, combine peach, nectarine, and apricots, all pitted and cut into wedges.
- Stir in peach brandy; let sit at least 1 hour.
- Stir in Prosecco and peach nectar.
- Add superfine sugar, if desired.
- Serve chilled or over ice.
Tired of tart lemonades, sugary colas and plain old iced tea? Looking for a new refreshing summertime beverage? Recently, while raiding the frozen food section at Trader Joe's, I was given a sample of their TJ's Pomegranate Green Tea. Now, I think I'm addicted to this stuff and am stockpiling my fridge with it like it's going out of style. It's low in calories, tastes great and both ingredients have been associated with reducing heart disease. How can you go wrong with that?
If that alone doesn't convince you, click below to read about other green tea and pomegranate benefits:
