Butterbeer Jelly Shots

I have found that pinterest is a great place for recipe and food sharing and have 2 food related boards: Foods I've Tried and Recipes I want to Try. Someone posted a picture of some butterbeer jello shots and because I am both a Harry Potter fan and love butterscotch I had to give this recipe a try.


If you've never made jelly shots, well, what are you waiting for? I fancied them up with some Christmas sprinkles just before serving.  They were perfect for our informal Christmas eve gathering- or for your new year's gartherings. 

Dairy Free Egg Nog

CH-CH-CH-CHIA

I had no idea what synergy was until I started my current job a couple of years ago.  I tired it once and thought it was absolutely disgusting. It basically tastes like vinegar with a hint of whatever flavor it's supposed to be- guava, gingerberry. etc. I would much rather do a shot of apple cider vinegar in the morning and again at night, and still experience generally the same positive side effects.  What would those be you ask? Well it's supposed to be good for detoxifying the body, and thus it translates to a great beverage if you're hungover, so I'm told.

Recently I discovered the Cherry Chia Kombucha and a customer had me try some because I told him how gross I thought the stuff is. The cherry chia seems to be the exception to the gross factory- it tastes like jello.  See I like bits in my drinks; weird, I know, but it's true.  Aloe in my coconut water, tapioca gel balls in my smoothies, and now chia. It's a good source of fiber and also supposedly curbs food cravings.

So now I'm curious...are you a kombucha drinker?  Do you drink it because you actually like the flavor or because it dos good things for the body?

A new energy drink

For the low, low price of $0.99 at the $0.99 cent store you can get a relatively tasty energy drink. I was surprised at how good this actually was.

Brewing at Home

Just as an FYI for all of you who like to drink beer, who are gluten free, but don't know much about brewing this new, exclusive gluten free beer kit does not include the basic brewing equipment you'll need to actually make the beer. Bard's beer teamed up with Midwest brewing supply to offer the gluten free population a chance to brew Bard's beer at home. I am not an expert in brewing, but when I see something called a beer brewing kit, I think I'm buying a box that has all the supplies I need to make beer- NO, that is not the case.  Now maybe it's simply my lack of knowledge in this area of expertise, but don't you think they should say you will need basic brewing equipment on the webpage for this product? If I bought just the kit when I got it in the mail I sure would be disappointed. Thus, it's cool the product is now available, but sad it's not an all-in-one kit. 

Refreshing?

Refreshing?... Not really. A few months ago I tried some of the other flavors and wrote a short review; now I've been able to try the flavor I thought would be tasty- peach kiwi- and it was disappointing.   Good thing I only bought it because it was on sale.

Brain Power

Brain TonIQ: The Clean and Intelligent think drink. Really?  Well, I drank one because I was just plain curious, and because I got a free sample. All it is is carbonated water, organic agave nectar, natural citrus extracts, and citric acid.  Tastes like a mildly carbonated mix between orange soda and 7 up. It's interesting. It has a proprietary blend of herbs in it to, but does it really make you think, give you clarity? Kind of.  Or it could just be the placebo effect.

Straight from their website they describe this product as a "truly functional drink that helps you focus. Brain Toniq is the world's first organic, kosher, botanical-based, non-caffeinated think drink specifically designed for those who need more mental focus and clarity. Formulated out of plant extracts and natural compounds, the ingredients in Brain Toniq have a long, proven history for their effects on increasing brain power and cognition. We add no chemical preservatives, no caffeine, no white sugar, no fake anything. Just fuel for the cranium."

With all of that said would I ever buy this? Doubtful.

Two Rivers Cider

I am a big fan of Woodchuck Cider, but the stars finally aligned and a friend and I found Two Rivers: Pomegranate at Taylor's Market. Two Rivers Cider is made locally- the apples come from Apple Hill, and yet it seems sort of hard to find locally. The last couple of times we had been to a store that normally sold it, they were all out, but finally we lucked out. Pizza, cider, and chocolate made for a great, unplanned evening of fun. The pomegranate hard cider falls right in the middle of the spectrum of dry on one end and wet on the other. It's a perfect blend.

Coco Exposed

I like coconut water and I really dig taste nirvana cocoaloe, with is coconut water and aloe together, and this product, CoCo Exposed from Alo is the first product I've found that is somewhat similar.  It comes in some various flavors like mango, peach, and acai berry. Since this product is mixed with fruit juice, in this case mango, you don't get that pureness of coconut water- that smooth, clear, refreshing taste. The aloe chucks are small, flat, almost smooth bites. Overall it's refreshing, a nice change of pace, but it's more like a juice than a flavored coconut water.

Woodchuck Cider: 802

A couple years ago I discovered Woodchuck Hard Cider, and fell in love with the Granny Smith variety. On my last trip to the store I saw the 802 variety and thought for a second about trying something new, and ended up coming home with it.

Every Wednesday is Woodchuck Wednesday so I had one in honor of this weekly occasion.....

CocoHydro

I am a lover of coconut water, Taste Nirvana brand specifically, but at $2 a bottle, it's kind of like my own "starbucks" habit, only better for me. So when I found a product that would allow me to make my own coconut water I was intrigued. Cocohydro is basically dried/evaporated coconut water; a powder you mix in to plain water and thus creates coconut water. The brand offers three flavor options: plain, pineapple, and pomegranate raspberry.  I happened to come across a sample of the pineapple water.

I was excited about this product because that meant I might be able to have a pitcher of coconut water in the fridge. Um no. I was very disappointed.  At first I followed the instructions of adding one tablespoon per 1 cup of water, and it just tasted weak, so I added more powder, trying to find the right balance.  In the end, at least with this pineapple option, it tasted like really weak Tang. Not what I was hoping for.

Ginger Brew

I've enjoyed reed's ginger chews for some time now but only in the last couple of months did I decide to try out Reed's Ginger Brew- Brew not to be confused with beer, as it is not beer. I hear it comes in a few varieties but I've only tried the Extra Ginger Ginger Brew, and it's tasty. It's sort of like drinking a carbonated beverage with a thing of raw ginger root sitting in the bottom of the bottle; like a real, pure ginger ale. I find it rather refreshing, but if you don't like ginger it might have too much of a bunch for you.

Ayala Water

Flavored water. Most is carbonated, and Ayala water has a new carbonated line, but I like some of their basic waters, specifically the cinnamon orange and the ginger lemon peel. The other flavors are questionable, at least for me. The lavender mint has a nice mellow flavor; not to minty. The lemongrass mint vanilla however, tasted like I was drinking lemongrass soap, and the lemon verbena geranium tasted like drinking a mix between a flower and a bottle of perfume. Sorry to say it, but they need some help with their flavors. That or maybe I'm just not a flavored/carbonated water people. I don't like crystal geyser's flavored, carbonated waters, either, so maybe it's just me.

Hard Apple Cider

Have you been looking for another hard apple cider option that's save for those of us who are gluten free? Have you seen this one? Mike says "Forget the adult grape juice! We're going to see what celebrating the holidays is like with this gluten-free spirit from Crispin."

Ginger

Ginger is an all around awesome herb. It's great for colds, arthritis pains, indigestion, upset stomachs, and more. I used to chew crystallized ginger pieces twice a day as a natural remedy for my arthritis, and now I seem to just naturally have ginger in my diet more often. In fact at the moment I seem to be on a ginger kick. Maybe my body is craving it, because it needs it-who knows.

I have had many a Dagoba bar, but until recently I had not tried the lemon ginger chocolate bar, but now I am glad I bought it. A nice, smooth chocolate, with a hint of lemon, and tiny bits of ginger-delicious. I also was intrigued by the Lemon Ginger Tulsi Tea. I bought it to make it into an iced tea, and I've had it both hot and cold, and enjoyed it both ways, but as a sipping beverage, not as a giant glass to quench my thirst- for that the ginger is a little to strong for that for me. With a little added honey, this is a nice soothing tea, with the spice of ginger on the back end. I did however notice that the longer the tea sat, the stronger the ginger flavor became. I think this is going to be a nice non-typical iced tea for the summer.

Guayaki Beverages

I had previously tried a Guayaki energy shot and it was strong, to say the least, but then I saw the yerba mate canned drinks, and thought I'd give them a second try. They come in three flavors- lemon, berry, and enlighten mint. I absolutely hate mint everything- toothpaste, mouthwash, mint ice cream....mint everything, but my boss cracked open the mint one and offered me a cup, so I tried it. I was in shock! I really liked it. I've tried the berry one, but it wasn't berry enough, it was super mild, and that might be why I liked the mint one. The taste wasn't overbearing, it was mint and sweet tea. In fact, I'm drinking one right now.

Yerba Mate Energy Shots

Lately I've been exploring the world of energy drinks, because let's face it, we all need a pick me up for those days where we wake up feeling zonked, fatigued, and unmotivated. I generally don't have too many morning like this, but I'm not a morning person, and so sometimes I stay up way too late and have to wake up early the next day. But I digress....
I decided to try out this all natural organic energy shot from Guayaki. They make bottled teas, loose leaf teas, and these small energy shots. The shots come in three flavors: Lemon, Chocolate Raspberry, and Lime Tangerine, with the latter being the one I tried. This product is certainly an acquired taste; in fact it made me pucker from what I would describe as a tart, bitter taste. However, if you can get past the taste, I only drank half of this shot, and was energized for about 6 hours. And I'm not super sensitive to caffeine, meaning if I have some at breakfast time I'd still be wired at bed time and have a difficult time falling asleep. Therefore, it's great for a burst of energy, but isn't something I would enjoy drinking.

Edwards & Sons Coconut Water

So if you follow my blog regularly you'll notice of the last several months I've been on a coconut water kick and have been trying out all the possible brands I come across. My latest experience was with Edward & Sons Organic Coconut Water. This is the first coconut water I've had that is in a can and not a glass bottle or aseptic container.

This product is thin like water, with a small bit of a creaminess to it, but not too much. It costs $2, which is right in line with all the other brands. Now I personally like it to be as close to water as possible. However, like Zico, there's something in the flavor that seems off or missing something. It could just be my taste buds, and yes coconut water can be considered an acquired taste, but so far the only one I've had that I actually like is Taste Nirvana coconut water and coconut aloe. However out of all the various brands, this would be my second favorite.

Get your Guru On

I was looking for a substitute for soda that wasn't juice and found Guru. I've tried the Guru and the Gurulite, but they offer a few other options that I have yet to try, including a lemonade, an iced tea, and juice varieties. The basic guru has 100 calories in a 8.3OZ can and packs 125 mg punch of naturally occurring caffeine.

This drink is tasty, has less sugar (by a small amount) than soda, and has become somewhat of a staple in my fridge. The Gurulite, well, it only has 10 calories, so as you can imagine the flavor changes dramatically, in a not-so-pleasant-way, at least in my opinion. It was a labored effort for me to finish the one Gurulite I had. Sure it would be better for me, but I think most people know I'm in love with sweets and sugar.

Guaranteed gluten free, and cheaper than Starbucks = good for me :-)

Jagermiester

Around the holidays we had some friends over for a gluten free drinking guide, and decided to invite them back for a fun night of drinking that we decided to make into an episode of GFree TV. Our 2nd Gluten-Free drinking guide features a liqueur that boasts 56 different herbs, fruits, roots, and spices. It's our guests' favorite drink: Jägermeister. And contrary to urban legend, Jägermeister does not contain elk blood. We were livestreaming at the time of taping, so if you want to be part of the live chat room next time, follow us on twitter so you can be notified and join in on the fun!

Jager Soda
1/2 Dr. Pepper or Root Beer
1/2 Jagermeister

Jager Boom
1 can Red Bull energy drink
1 shot Jagermeister

Red Headed Lady
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz Jagermeister
1 oz cranberry juice

Sexy Alligator
1 oz Jagermeister
1 oz Midori
1 splash Pineapple Juice
1 oz Grenadine