Product Review - Almond Dream: Pumpkin Spice Almond Drink...

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the weather; love the feel of the cool breeze on my face, love the smell of decaying leaves as they flutter from the trees. I love the howling nights, and the wet afternoons. I especially love fall food. Stews, one-pot meals, casseroles, scones, pies, lots and lots of coffee and tea. These things are comforting, warming, soul-soothing. I especially love pumpkin favored goodies, cinnamon spiked treats, and nutmeg spiked drinks. I love the culture of fall, I love dressing in layers, I love spending time in nature to witness the changing beauty, I love giant pumpkins, and I love Halloween. As October crosses into November many people get sick of the typical fall foods like Apple Pies and Pumpkin everything, they’re ready to move onto stuffing and cranberries, and spinach salads that have walnuts and pears. Not me, I’m quite happy that pumpkin is a fall-winter cross-over food.

You may recall my post about Califia Farms  new Pumpkin Spice Latte from a few weeks ago. Well, I discovered yet ANOTHER pumpkin flavored beverage This one is Almond Dreams, Pumpkin Spice with Cinnamon nondairy beverage. I was super excited to discover this because almond milk probably tops my list of favorite non-dairy milks, yet aside from the awesome Califia Farms line of almond based drinks, most almond milks lack inspiration. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate and vanilla almond milk, but where’s the flurry of holiday almond based beverages? Where’s the Chocolate Peppermint Almond Milk? Where’s the Gingerbread Almond Milk? Know what I’m saying?

Anyway, I very excitedly scooped up a carton of this the minute I saw it on the shelf and I couldn’t even wait to get home to try it. I cracked this baby open in the car and took a long hearty swig, much to my husband’s amusement. Unfortunately, Almond Dream’s Pumpkin Spice didn’t blow my socks off. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a rather tasty drink, it’s just not what I was hoping for. It didn’t tickle my tastebuds the way other pumpkin flavored drinks do. It didn’t wow me. As much as I like nutmeg, I find it to be an acquired taste and for me the line between just enough and too much is a very fine one. In the end I just thought the spiciness of this drink was not to my liking, and this particular pumpkin spice was somewhat thinner then I would have liked. Thicker then rice milk mind you, but a little thinner then your average almond milk. I did like that it wasn’t overly sweet, and that it’s lower in calories then many other holiday beverages. Although I found that the spices kind of muted the pumpkin flavor in this drink, and that it ended up tasting more like an eggnog then a pumpkin spice beverage.

So in the end, my conclusion is that if you really love pumpkin this drink may be worth giving a try. Certainly if you have allergies to soy, or coconut, or simply don’t like coffee this is a good option for you to meet your pumpkin needs. If however you’re somewhat picky like me when it comes to fall spices this may not be the right drink for you. Though, you never know until you try and I urge you to test it yourself and make your own decision.

As far as the practicalities are concerned Almond Dream’s Pumpkin Spice is soy, gluten, and dairy free, and contains 50 calories per serving. It has 2% sodium, 1g Protein, 7g sugar, 10% Vitamin A and Calcium, 25% Vitamin D, 30% Vitamin E, and 50% Vitamin B12.

You can learn more here Almond Dream

Epic Coffee...

First I’d like to apologize for my rather long absence. My husband and I went on holiday to Ecuador and Peru and were gone for most of September. I had meant to leave a post saying as much before we left, but you know how it goes... packing and organizing long trips can be overwhelming and hectic, and in the end I just never found the time. Since I’ve been back I haven’t felt like doing too much of anything, our trip was long and busy and I’ve just been enjoying relaxing and cataloging my photos. I’m slowly getting back into the world of blogging, by catching up on all my favorite blogs, but as for posting recipes of my own - well, I’m not doing a whole lot of cooking at the moment and since Next week is Thanksgiving I probably won’t be doing any extensive cooking until then.

In the meantime however I did make one epic cup of coffee this morning, and it was so damn good I wanted to share it with you. EDIT - October 10th - Since I first posted this recipe on October 5th, I've been making this coffee everyday, and everyday it's just more and more amazing. Seriously, this is my new favorite coffee, it beats anything you can get at the evil chain coffee house that shall not be named. Do yourself a favor and take the five minutes required to make it, you won't be sorry! 

Epic Coffee

2 Tbsp Fresh Ground Coffee
The Inner Seeds of 2 Green Cardamom Pods
1/2 Inch Cinnamon Stick
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract or Scrapings from 1 Whole Vanilla Bean.
Sugar and Almond Milk to serve


- Place everything in saucepan on the stove EXCEPT Extract.

- Pour 1 1/3 Cups of water over top and stir to combine.

- Bring to a boil, and let boil for a full 2 minutes, stir occasionally.

- Remove from heat. Stir in Vanilla Extract at this time.

- Let sit for one minute so grounds and sediment sink to the bottom of the pot.

- SLOWLY pour into your coffee cup, making sure to keep grounds in the pot.

- Now DRINK! If you like it black, have at it straight away. If you like sugar I recommend 1-2 tsp raw sugar, and then I topped mine off with a little Almond Milk, but you can use whatever non-dairy milk you fancy!

Product Review: Rice Dream - Rice Nog...

As much as it pains me to say this, not all Nogs are created equal. It sounds like blasphemy I know, but as much as I love Rice Dream their nog just doesn’t stand up in my opinion. It’s not that it isn’t delicious - because it is - but to me it tastes almost exactly like their Horchata. Now I love me some Horchata, not going to lie about that, but Horchata is not Nog. Am I right?

I think this was actually one of the first non-dairy nogs around, and it shows. This is more of a primer for the greatness that would come, rather then a grand finale. You can taste hints of Cinnamon and Nutmeg and other winter spices but the consistency is pretty thin - like a regular rice milk - and the richness just isn’t there. This nog also has a strange and somewhat off-putting pink hue, I’m not sure why but annatto is listed under the ingredients so I’m assuming that’s the cause. Why there is annatto in Nog, I have no idea - but I’ll be honest - the slight pink tinge disturbed me.

So some practical information for those curious minds. A half cup is roughly about 80 calories so it’s rather calorie dense considering it isn’t all that rich - go figure - and it has about 11g of sugar per serving so not quite as much as a few other brands. It also isn’t organic which may be a concern for you considering canola is an ingredient, and it also contains carrageenan which I know concerns some people.

All and all I’d say that as a drink this tastes just fine, but as a Nog it has some explaining to do. If you really want a great Nog to make your Christmas celebrations extra festive I would highly recommend either the So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog or the Silk Nog - (review to come.) Or Califa Farms Holiday Nog if you can find it!

But whichever brand or flavor you choose drink Nog and be Merry!

Product Review - WestSoy: Chocolate Peppermint Stick Soy Beverage...

I can’t believe I haven’t posted in a week - uh - well, lets chalk it up to holiday madness and laziness. I don’t know about you but it’s damn cold here in Chicago (1'F, or -17'C) and that’s put me in something of a hibernation mode.  The holidays, writing, work, and school projects have got me kind of down and tired lately. Bad weather typically makes me feel this way, and the first week after a big holiday I’m always a bit spent. Since our epic Thanksgiving brunch I’ve hardly done any cooking - at least none that’s very interesting. We’ve been eating simply - bowls of rice and steamed vegetables, or pasta, or salad. All of which are delicious but none to creative.

But, even though I haven’t any recipes to share with you today there is one thing I’ve been wanting to tell you about for some time now, and that’s WestSoy’s Chocolate Peppermint Stick Soy Beverage. I”ve seen this in the stores for a couple of years now, and I never buy it. I don’t know why, I love chocolate and I love peppermint and I’m crazy for the two together. Maybe it’s because I never buy WestSoy products - brand loyalty is a weird thing yo. - but whatever the reason I always passed up this interesting holiday beverage at the store. Then a couple of weeks ago I saw it on sale, and thought “Why not give it a try?” I figured even if I didn’t like it, at the very least I could tell all of you about it.

Well, as it turns out this stuff is amazing. Seriously, it’s like crack folks. One sip and you’re hooked. It tastes just like a cold peppermint mocha from the evil coffee corporation that shall not be named. I really can’t get over the perfectly delicious blend of rich chocolate and cool peppermint. A winning combination no matter what. A couple of years ago I reviewed the So Delicious Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk which I loved, but I think if push comes to shove I’ll have to say that I like WestSoy just a little bit better. For me the difference is the mint vs the peppermint. This may be such a subtle difference to most people but to me it’s another world entirely. Mint and Peppermint just aren’t the same, and Peppermint is by far my favorite, it’s got that subtle sweetness that plain mint just doesn’t have, and it works holiday magic when combined with chocolate.

It is a little calorie dense at 180 calories per cup and contains 25g of sugar per serving but it’s so damn delicious! Seriously, if I could mainline it I would! Now, in all seriousness I obviously wouldn’t recommend buying and drinking this all of the time, but for a holiday treat to add a little pizzaz to your life, why not? There are worse things you could be drinking - include a little this holiday season. WestSoy is also made with organic soy milk and is Non-GMO Verified which is pretty awesome.

This is definitely my new favorite holiday beverage - and apparently you can drink it warm too, though I haven’t tried that yet, but I can’t wait to! If you try it I hope you enjoy it, and if you like the chocolate peppermint combination as much as I do I’m sure you’ll love it!

Product Review - REED'S: Culture Club Kombucha...

Okay, I’ve been wanting to share this with you guys for a couple of weeks now. Y’all know how much I like Kombucha right? I mean I drink a GT’s or Kevita everyday, well now there’s a new brand on the scene, and it’s quickly won my heart.

REED’S Culture Club Kombucha! Now, you may know REED’S inc as a Ginger Ale manufacturer. After all it’s what they’re most famous for. They specialize in making good quality, great tasting, natural ginger ale in a variety of unique flavors, that can be commonly found for sale in health food stores and whole foods around the country. Now I am not a pop drinker, I never cared for it all that much anyway, so I gave it up years ago because it’s so unhealthy. Seriously anything that can peel the paint off your car or rust a nail shouldn’t be going inside your body. I mean imagine what it’s doing to your gut! Still, even after giving up pop, I would on occasion allow myself a Ginger Ale, as a sort of treat. - and when I say occasional I really do mean occasional, I can’t even recall when the last time I had a ginger ale was. Six months? Seven? - Provided of course that the ale in question was natural, didn’t contain a heinous amount of sugar, and was brewed with real ginger. As a kid growing up I loved Canada Dry - who didn’t? - but after having ale brewed with copious amounts of real ginger I wouldn’t even dream of going back to my childhood ways. Their Jamaican style is really my favorite, it’s loaded with ginger, and spices that make your tongue tingle. So when I was in my local health food store a few weeks ago and saw that REED’S was now making Kombucha, well, you know I had to give it a try right?

According to REED’S website they use the finest Oolong and Yerba Mate teas along with a kombucha culture to create their delicious kombucha packed with beneficial enzymes, probiotics, and organic acids.  So far their Kombucha comes in four flavors and all of them have ginger in them. Would you expect anything less?

The four flavors are Goji Ginger, Hibiscus Ginger Grapefruit, Lemon Ginger Raspberry, and Cranberry Ginger. I love the unique flavors, and combinations, of these drinks. I’ve tried all four and I have to say they are all fantastic! Each flavor is so delicious you can hardly stop drinking. Another bonus is that each serving only has 2g of sugar which is comparable to most of GT’s Kombucha flavors. Also for the kombucha haters out there these drinks are significancy less vinegary then GT’s or other Kombucha’s that I’ve tried. The ginger flavor is strong though, so if you’re not a fan of ginger these might not be the Kombucha’s for you. They’re also Organic and Raw of course, as other Kombucha’s are.

Out of the four flavors my absolute favorite is the Hibiscus Ginger Grapefruit, it is hands down on of the best Kombucha’s I’ve ever drunk anywhere. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take a picture of it to show you guys because I drank it in the car before I even got home, it is that good!

So if you like Kombucha and you’re interested in trying something new check your local health food stores for REED’S, or you could go to their website for more information. Seriously though, if you see these at the store, pick one up! You won’t be sorry!

REED'S Inc
REED'S Culture Club Kombucha

Product Review - KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink...

Have you heard of KeVita? Well, if you haven’t you just might want to check it out. I’d seen KeVita around for a while and was always sort of interested in it, but I didn’t realize it was vegan until a couple of months ago, up until then I assumed it was some kind of dairy Kefir, but it’s not. KeVita is a sparkling probiotic drink made with a blend of probiotics and a certified KeVita probiotic culture. It is then fermented with coconut water. Though it can also be fermented with tea or purified reverse osmosis water. It is similar to Kombucha, but lighter in flavor, without the tartness and vinegary flavor that is characteristic of Kombucha.

Personally I think it’s pretty damn delicious, and refreshing and so I’ve been drinking it a lot lately. Up until I gave KeVita a try I was drinking a kombucha almost everyday, then I tossed kombucha to the wayside and started drinking KeVita everyday. Now I split my time between these two loves, drinking a couple of KeVita’s a week and a couple of Kombucha’s a week.

I love their Mango coconut, Lemon Ginger, and Pomegranate flavors the best, but they also have a Pomegranate Coconut, Pomegranate Black Tea, Living Greens, Coconut, and a Strawberry Acai Coconut that are quite good also. What I really like about them other then their flavor is that they are low-calorie. They are much lower in calories then Kombucha is. Depending on the drink they range between 5-45 calories per serving, and each bottle contains two servings. So if you pick the lowest calorie flavor that’s only 10 calories for the whole bottle which is a pretty good deal. I also like that they’re low in sugar, and that they’re certified organic. They’re also gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, vegan, and non-GMO so they can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

Because I find KeVita refreshing, energizing, vitalizing, and reinvigorating I typically drink a bottle in the mid to late afternoon when I’m starting to feel that mid-day hump. I find them particularly refreshing and helpful after getting back from an afternoon walk, when I’m just preparing to start on my homework. Though I also utilize KeVita’s awesome power on days I need to be up extra early, or on extremely busy days, or when I work nights and need something in those last three hours to keep me sane, awake and moving!

If you like Kombucha I think you’ll like KeVita so you should go out and give it a try. However even if you don’t like Kombucha you should give KeVita a try because like I said, it’s a lot milder. If you don’t like Kombucha because of it’s vinegary flavor, you’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised by the mild, and fruitful flavor of KeVita. Next time you’re at your local health food store or grocery look for it, and if you don’t see it make an inquiry!

KeVita Homepage

Product Review - GT’s Raw Organic Kombucha...

Kombucha, people either love it or hate it. I think it’s absolutely incredible! For those of you who’ve never had it, Kombucha is a health promoting living drink of fermented tea, and GT’s Kombucha is some of the best on the market. They have their classic line, their synergy line, and now they have synergy kombucha with chia seeds, which is very cool indeed. GT’s Kombucha is vegan, gluten-free, raw, organic, kosher, low-calorie, low-carbohydrates,, preservative and caffeine free, free of artificial flavors/colors, and low in sugar.

Kombucha has been drunk for years by many different cultures, and though it’s origins are a mystery to us - it’s story lost in the sands of time it would seem - it’s believed that it was originally developed in China sometime in the 200's BC. From there it’s said to have spread to other parts of Asia such as Japan and Korea, and to Russia from where it spread to other European countries like Poland, Germany, Denmark and so on. Called everything from ‘dangerous’ to ‘the cure for cancer’ people’s opinions and claims about kombucha are rather strong. However very little research has actually been done on this ‘elixir’ and so truthfully no one really knows what it’s long term health benefits may be - well not in any scientifically proven way at least. Kombucha has been said to be able to detoxify the body, and energize the mind. It’s been said to help prevent cancer, cure it and aid in the recovery from it. It’s been said to increase energy, reflexes, and sharpness. It’s said to improve eye sight and heal joint damage as well as improve skin elasticity, and aid in digestion. All this and more has been said about kombucha and while I couldn't say exactly what is fact and what is fiction I can at least tell you about my own experience with kombucha and how it makes me feel.

It definitely gives me energy, and I tend to drink it most when I’m staring to get tired at work or when I know I have a long and busy day ahead of me. After I drink a bottle I feel invincible, like I could run a marathon. I feel great, energetic, lighter, relaxed, enlightened. Regardless of what I’ve eaten that day or what I’m about to eat my digestion runs smoothly - which it doesn’t always - and my mind feels very clear. I also feel happier when I drink kombucha, and more at peace as though I’ve just meditated for a very long time. That’s how I personally feel after every bottle, and I love that feeling so I’m inclined to believe that scientific proof or not kombucha must certainly has some benefit, though like everything it may be dependant on the person. Since everything doesn’t always work for everyone.

Having said all of that, it must also be said that kombucha has a ‘taste.’ Some people find it horrible, unpleasant, undrinkable, tart, vinegary, pungent, potent and just down right awful, and I’ll admit that I used to be amongst the haters and naysayer’s. It was my friend T who first introduced me to the stuff nearly two years ago now. He drinks it like water. GT’s Synergy is his favorite, and after talking it up for weeks and weeks my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a bottle. I took one sip and hated it. I couldn’t finish the bottle I’d bought and ended up dumping it down the sink. T told me not to worry, that I’d be back, and when I asked him what he thought would ever posess me to buy another bottle when I thought it was so awful he just smiled and shrugged. "Trust me, you’ll be back. There will come a time when curiosity will get the better of you again and you’ll ask yourself, was that really as bad as I first thought? When that happens you’ll buy another bottle, you’ll take a sip and be hooked." He sounded like a wise old sage and if you knew T you would know there is nothing sage-like about him, and yet he was absolutely right. One night I found myself tired and thirsty staring into a massive display case of Kombucha. I stood there scrutinizing the bottles, reading each flavor carefully and wondering to myself "Is it really as bad as I remember?" In the end, after many minutes of curious contemplation I broke down and bought another bottle. I cracked it open, took a sip, squished my eyes shut at the pungent taste and took another sip. By the third sip I was hooked, and hooked for life I might add.

I guess the truth is that kombucha is a very powerful taste that most people are not accustomed too, but once you become accustomed to it, it’s delicious, and amazing. Plus you can’t beat the way it makes you feel afterwards, honestly I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it. So if you’ve never had kombucha I urge you to give it a try, although you might not like it at first drink the whole bottle you might just be surprised. For kombucha skeptics go on, drink a bottle, if you had it before and didn’t like it that second bottle might just be the one for you, as it was for me.

As for what kombucha to buy and where to buy it - it’s become something of a revolution. Once not so long ago it was the kind of thing you had to make yourself or buy in little out of the way health food stores, but now several companies make it and it’s begun showing up in national large chain groceries. Some brands of course are better then others and personally GT’s is my favorite so far - although a new brand just appeared in my local grocery that I’m very excited about and will talk about next week - For me GT’s has the best flavor, and the smoothest taste. I love their classic flavors like Multi-Green, and Gingerade. Their Classic Synergy Flavors like Trilogy, and Gingerberry. Their Enlightened flavors like Botanic Number 3, Botanic Number 7 and Botanic Number 9. Their Enlightened Synergy flavors like Cosmic Cranberry, Mystic Mango, Guava Goodness and Passionberry Bliss. I also really love their Chia flavors. My hands down favorites in this category are the Grape Chia, the Green Chia and the Black Chia, i'm less fond of the Raspberry Chia, and i'm simply not a fan of the Cherry Chia but then as much as i like Cherries i'm not a big fan of cherry flavored stuff..

So next time you’re out and about keep your eyes open, and if you see GT’s Kombucha pick up a bottle. It’s amazing stuff and really does make me feel invigorated, rejuvenated, enlightened, and refreshed! Love it or hate it just make sure you try it, or try it again!

Iced Green Tea with a Ginger Lime Twist...

I am without a doubt an extreme tea enthusiast. In my collection I must have at least 50 different kinds of tea, from all sorts of places. I usually prefer herbal infusions as I try and stay away from consuming too much caffeine, but I do love myself a good cup of white tea, and the occasional green or black tea too.

Growing up I loved Iced Tea, it was in fact the only way I ever drank tea. Something interesting a lot of people don’t know, (Something I certainly didn’t know before I first visited the United States, and something people I know here are still confused by and don’t understand) is that iced tea in Canada, is vastly different from iced tea in the United States (and probably most countries) In Canada Iced Tea is always sweetened, and flavored with lemon, unsweetened iced tea is virtually unheard of (except for maybe in a handful of restaurants) It doesn’t matter if you buy the iced at a fast food restaurant, you buy it bottled or canned in the store, or you get it somewhere else it will almost always be sweetened and lemon flavored unless you’re specifically buying say a peached iced tea or something like that. The most common way iced tea is made in Canada, is by mixing a powder into a glass of water. The powder contains a lot of sugar, lemon flavor, and I’m assuming either powdered tea or tea extract. This is how iced tea is made and bought and sold in Canada, people for the most part don’t brew tea as you would traditionally and then pour it over ice with a bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon mixed in. They buy the iced tea powder that is marketed by various companies. Lipton, Nestea etc... I would say in everyone of these powdered mixes, the amount of sugar, lemon flavor, and other flavorings greatly exceed the actual amount of tea in the drink, but that’s how it’s done. So imagine my surprise when I ordered my first iced tea in America and got asked "Sweetened or unsweetened?" Huh?

We’ll I’ve certainly come a long way since then. I love all kinds of teas, lightly sweetened and unsweetened, and these days I definitely do prefer fresh brewed iced tea to the Canadian kind I grew up with, even if I may have the occasional taste for it, I generally find it much too sweet for me now. So what has this got to do with anything you ask? Well it’s a fun fact, but also it gives a little background on my latest recipe.

A couple of weeks ago I was in my favorite local tea shop, Argo Tea. I ordered a drink there that I’d never had before, some kind of iced green tea with ginger and lemon. I loved it, absolutely went bonkers for it. However since there is no Argo Tea that is close enough to frequent regularly I had to use my own creativity and brainpower to re-create this drink at home. I think it turned out rather well, a bit less sweet then the tea house version, with slightly less bite but it went down smooth and delicious, and it was very, very refreshing to drink a huge thermos of it after a long hike in this hot humid weather.

Iced Green Tea with a Ginger Lime Twist,

4 bags Green Tea
4 C water

Juice of 3 limes
2-3 Tbsp sliced ginger (or to taste)
2-3 tbsp agave nectar (optional)
1/2C filtered water
3 packets stevia (optional)

- Boil enough water for 4 cups, and brew your green tea as directed on the package. Place in a teapot preferably one that contains a tea infuser basket.

- Place a thin metal sieve over a bowl, slice limes in half and squeeze juice out into the bowl. The sieve protects from any unwanted seeds or flesh getting into your juice. If you have an easier way to juice limes by all means use it.

- Slice 2-3 Tbsp’s worth of ginger, it doesn’t have to be super fine as you’re going to blend it anyway.

- Place lime juice, sliced ginger, and agave nectar into a high speed blender and blend for 30 seconds until everything is combined. Then pour into the teapot, making sure infuser basket is in place to catch any ginger filaments. You want your drink to be smooth and clear not milky and chunky.

- Add in your half cup of filtered water to dilute if necessary.

- Taste for sweetness and add Stevia or more agave nectar to taste.

Enjoy iced, with a nice lunch or dinner, or enjoy just by itself while outside in the yard reading a book. It’s also a very nice beverage to have after a long workout, run, bike ride or hike. Trust me on that.

*** Note - This recipe is best when left to sit for at least a few hours, but for best results let it sit overnight, that way the flavors really mingle and mellow ***

Hand Squeezed Cranberry Lemonade

Now I’ll tell you straight off this recipe is going to be a little work. It’s not hard, it’s just a tad bit time consuming, but it’s worth it; because there is nothing better then fresh homemade hand squeezed lemonade. That bottled store bought stuff just can’t compare. This is also a great way to use those fresh lemons and get all those delicious phytonutrients and antioxidants I talked about in my last Spotlight Food - Lemons and Limes. So without further adieu....

Hand Squeezed Cranberry Lemonade

Juice and Zest of 3-4 Lemons
1C Frozen Cranberries
6-7C Filtered Water
6 packets Stevia

- Using a cheese grater or lemon zester, grate zest off each lemon, and set aside on a plate.

- Place thin metal sieve over a bowl. Slice each lemon in half, hold over the sieve and squeeze the juice out. (I find that with my limited kitchen equipment this is the easiest way to ensure that the seeds do not fall into the juice, if you have a better method by all means use it) If you like you can reserve some of the lemon pulp before discarding the seeds. I did.

- Place your one cup of cranberries into a highspeed blender with one cup of filtered water, and blend on high until totally smooth.

*** Note - This makes far more puree cranberry then you need for 1 pot of lemonade, but it’s so good you’ll want to have more puree cranberry on hand so you can easily make more lemonade.***

- Pour fresh squeezed lemon juice into a tea pot with tea infuser. Add roughly 1/3-1/2C puree cranberry. Then add in five to six cups filtered water (I think I did about five and a half cups) and Stevia or other sweetener to taste. I used 1 packet of Stevia per cup of water, you could use regular sugar, Agave or another sweetener of your choice. Stir to combine.

- Place infuser basket into the teapot and add a few pinches of the reserves lemon zest, and lemon pulp if desired. You don’t have to do this step, but I find it gives the lemonade an even more lemony flavor. I did not use all the zest from all four lemons however, the rest I put into an airtight container in the freezer to use either in another batch of lemonade or for baking.

*** Note - If you are not using the lemon zest and pulp, or don’t have a tea pot with infuser basket simply omit that, and use a juice jug or other drink container instead. Also my tea pot is a bit small, only holding about 7-8 cups of liquid, if you have a larger tea pot or jug by all means double the recipe. ***

Enjoy while sitting outside in the sun, after a good workout. I find lemons particularly refreshing after biking.