drink Archives - Ari's Menu

Tart Cherry Margaritas

April 30, 2015 · by Ari ·

Tons of fresh flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness, tart cherry margaritas will disappear in minutes at any gathering.

Maaaar-gaaaaa-riiiiiitas! Only, like, the very best margaritas I have ever had in my entire life. And I do not use the words “very best” lightly I have had, and made, some bomb margaritas (does anyone still say bomb anymore?), but these babies take the cake.

I made an entire pitcher–like HUGE pitcher–for friends and family and literally the entire thing was gone in approximately 90 minutes. Even my friends who rarely drink kept going back for more, and I had to cut Steve off so there would be enough left for our guests. Not that I blame him though…I was equally obsessed.

I like a margarita where I can taste my tequila. I love a hint of sweetness, but I hate those margs that taste like pure sweet and sour mix. Ummm…gross. These are sweetened by with a little simple syrup. I use sugar, but you could always use agave to keep it naturally sweetened. The tart cherry juice and sour lime give it a little bite that you’d expect from a great margarita.

With just 5 ingredients and a big, bold taste, these will quickly become your favorite margarita, just like it has for me!

Tart Cherry Margaritas

Recipe Type: Drinks

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 12

Tons of fresh flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness, tart cherry margaritas will disappear in minutes at any gathering.

Ingredients

For the simple syrup:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
For the margaritas:
3 cups 100% tart cherry juice
2 cups fresh lime juice (I used about 15 limes)
2 1/2 cups tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
simple syrup

Instructions

To make the simple syrup, heat water and sugar in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
To make the margaritas, gently stir all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Vanilla Bean Hot White Chocolate

February 3, 2015 · by Ari ·

Rich and creamy vanilla bean hot white chocolate. Made with smooth white chocolate, creamy Silk® Cashewmilk and fresh vanilla bean, this 3 ingredient, 5 minute dessert will be your new favorite! Every year it cracks me up how January 1st happens and everyone is like “OMGGGG I’m gonna be so healthy! I’m gonna search Google for every recipe that ever included kale, and I’m totally gonna #eatclean.” Then by February 1st (or, really, even earlier), we’re back to chocolate and rich, sugary Valentine’s Day desserts. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love any excuse to eat chocolate, and I do actually love Valentine’s Day, even though we don’t celebrate it super traditionally. I feel like regardless of it being a total greeting card holiday, it’s nice to have a fun holiday to celebrate everyone you love. Friends, family, significant others, etc. I love love. And I love celebrating. Usually Steve and I keep things low key. Neither of us are crowd people, so instead of trying to get into a trendy restaurant, we usually make a fancy-for-us dinner at home, and call it a night. Super exciting over at my house, let me tell ya. But I do love snuggling up together on the couch with a big ole mug of hot chocolate. Or, in this case, hot white chocolate. The white chocolate and bold vanilla is paired with Silk®’s new irresistibly creamy cashewmilk! Cashews are a softer, smoother nut than almonds, and that translates perfectly into the milk, which is only 25 calories per cup in the Silk® Unsweetened Cashewmilk (60 calories in the original)! Whaaaaattt? Give me 7 cups. Seriously. I’ve been drinking it plain, eating it with my cereal, and throwing it in my smoothies. It’s so versatile, and I seriously love it so much more than cow’s milk. And I love the heck out of real cheese, so it really is just a taste preference. The whole recipe comes together in about 5 minutes, and it’s so rich and creamy, you’d never guess it comes in at around 200 calories! That is if you can limit yourself to one cup, which is no easy feat, but let’s pretend you’re better at moderation than I am. 😉 I topped things off with a touch of whipped coconut cream, and it was perfection–perfect for enjoying with whomever you’re celebrating with this Valentine’s Day!

Vanilla Bean Hot White Chocolate

Recipe Type: Drinks

Author: Ari Ziskin

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 2

Rich and creamy vanilla bean hot white chocolate. Made with smooth white chocolate, creamy Silk® Cashewmilk and fresh vanilla bean, this 3 ingredient, 5 minute dessert will be your new favorite!

Ingredients

2 cups [url href=”http://goo.gl/7xrwYU” target=”_blank”]Silk® Unsweetened Cashewmilk[/url]
2 ounces white chocolate (use vegan white chocolate if applicable)
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
whipped coconut cream for topping, optional

Instructions

Heat cashewmilk, white chocolate and vanilla bean in a medium sauce pan on medium high heat until white chocolate is melted and milk gets hot, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped coconut cream if desired.

To find out about more amazing products and promotions follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!

Irresistibly smooth, Silk® Unsweetened Cashewmilk is creamier than skim milk but with 1/3 of the calories. You + Cashewmilk = True Love. To celebrate, Silk® will be giving away hundreds of The Perfect Match Gift Sets for you and a friend at PerfectMatch.Silk.com

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Silk®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Creamy Frozen Coconut Margaritas

August 27, 2014 · by Ari ·

Thick and creamy frozen coconut margaritas beat anything you could order at a restaurant. Naturally sweetened with no sour mix, and blended with ultra creamy coconut milk.

Is it bad that I just had a 3 day weekend and all I can think about is the next 3 day weekend? To be fair, my long “weekend” was mostly spent in the back of a van. Oh, and ya know, running to Seaside.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember that I ran Hood to Coast last year. Or…at least I ran some of it. After being out for 6 months with an injury, I had just started running again basically from scratch a couple of months before, and the race was just too much too soon. My injury started acting up during my second leg, and I knew if I wanted to avoid an other 6 months on the sidelines, I had to step back.

It was hard. I took a break from running, rode my first century, and now that I’m almost a year back into running consistently, it was absolutely freaking amazing to go back and finish this year! It was a total whirlwind, and I swear after being awake for a solid 24 hours, I started to lose my shit, but I would do it again in a heartbeat! I mean, like, can we do it again this weekend? Because I’m already missing it.

Anyway, after being home for less than 2 weeks, going back to Oregon, running this race, and then landing Monday morning to go straight into work, I am really ready for this 3 day weekend. And I plan to spend it lounging by my pool drinking frozen coconut margaritas. Oh, maybe you’d actually like to know a little bit about them, and not just about how I’m obsessed with relays?

What makes these babies so special is the coconut milk / tequila / orange liquor ICE CUBES! It takes an extra step, but making the coconut milk ice cubes is essential to getting the right creamy texture for your margaritas. We’ll use regular ice too, but too much, and you’ll have a watery mess on your hands. They are also made with a to-die-for coconut simple syrup and they include coconut extract for triple coconut-y flavor! And ya know what? Even my husband who usually hates coconut enjoyed them!

Creamy Frozen Coconut Margaritas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours

Yield: 6 margaritas

Serving Size: 1 margarita

Creamy Frozen Coconut Margaritas

Thick and creamy frozen coconut margaritas beat anything you could order at a restaurant. Naturally sweetened with no sour mix, and blended with ultra creamy coconut milk.

Ingredients

For the coconut milk ice cubes:

1 x 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup orange liqueur (like triple sec, grand marnier, etc.)

For the coconut simple syrup:

1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3/4 cup sweetened toasted coconut

To make the margaritas:

8 coconut milk ice cubes
2 shots coconut simple syrup
1-2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 handfuls regular ice

Instructions

To make the coconut milk ice cubes, whisk together coconut milk, tequila, and orange liqueur. Transfer to ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
To make the coconut simple syrup, bring water and agave nectar to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add toasted coconut, remove from heat and let sit for 30-60 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Return to heat and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool.
To make the margaritas, blend all margarita ingredients together until smooth. Repeat with remaining ingredients when desired.

https://arismenu.com/creamy-frozen-coconut-margaritas/

them!

Vanilla Bean Float

August 14, 2014 · by Ari ·

This Vanilla Bean Float is an insanely easy dessert option. 2 ingredients, and ready in minutes–it’s like the root beer float’s healthier vanilla cousin!

When was the last time you had a root beer float? For me it was probably over 10 years ago! They seem like one of those childhood treats that we forget about when we get older. Or we just realize that most soda is probably the worst thing we can put into our body, and that when you combine it with ice cream, it is probably less than a “healthy” choice. I mean, I will still enjoy a diet root beer (or diet coke) and pretend that they are, in fact, the healthier option, but I’m not really fooling myself. 😉

Still, there’s something about fizzy soda with creamy ice cream that just works in a way no other dessert can replicate! I love the creamy foam that comes to the top, and trying to sip the ice cream out through your straw, or drinking with a spoon.

When I went to the Blend Retreat, we had lots of great stuff in our swag bags, but I was probably most excited about the Dry Vanilla Bean Soda. It’s less sweet than normal soda–ewww, regular soda is so syrupy sweet, I can’t even handle it–and is made from only 4 ingredients. I tasted it and immediately fell in love.

So much love that when I was at the grocery store back home and the same soda caught my eye, I immediately grabbed two cans. Then the next time, I bought a 4 pack of the bottles.

I started with a couple of scoops of nonfat vanilla bean frozen yogurt and paired it with the vanilla bean soda. Ummm, it was gone in seconds. In fact, it’s so easy to make, and so easy to drink that it could end up being pretty dangerous. But whatever, fro-yo is healthy(ish) and the soda is only 60 calories, so you get a pretty huge dessert for under 200 calories and zero fat! Win, win.

Of course, you can also use coconut milk ice cream or an other nondairy option if that’s your thing. And you could try chocolate ice cream for a nice combo of vanilla and chocolate, because, to be honest, this really isn’t a recipe. It’s more of a suggestion. I suggest you add this vanilla bean soda to your favorite frozen dessert and then enjoy your dessert. 😉

Vanilla Bean Float

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Vanilla Bean Float

This Vanilla Bean Float is an insanely easy dessert option. 2 ingredients, and ready in minutes--it's like the root beer float's healthier vanilla cousin!

Ingredients

2 scoops nonfat vanilla bean frozen yogurt (or coconut milk ice cream, or any alternative you desire)
12 ounces Dry Vanilla Bean Soda

Instructions

Place frozen yogurt in a glass, top with soda, and drink up!

https://arismenu.com/vanilla-bean-float/

Tart Cherry Lime Elixir

August 1, 2014 · by Ari ·

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of the Cherry Marketing Institute.

This sweet & sour cocktail has all the flavor of a refreshing cherry limeade, spiked with cherry vodka and filled with recovery-boosting 100% tart cherry juice.

I’m pretty sure I have created my ideal drink for all time. A recovery drink that’s spiked with booze? Yes, please. Here’s the thing, I loooove working hard. I’m kind of a freak like that, but I genuinely love to beat myself up a little so that I can have fun later. In fact, Long Run Day would not be complete for me if it didn’t end with a cocktail. Usually involving bourbon, but I made an exception. 😉

There have been a lot of studies lately connecting tart cherries and tart cherry juice to aiding recovery, reducing soreness and oxidative stress. Okay, so as much as I love working hard, I am not super in love with the feeling of being sore ALL THE TIME. Ever since I started crossfit, I keep waiting for the day when I’m not sore, and it just never happens, so I was super stoked to put tart cherries to the test!

I set out to make myself a little recovery drink. A cherry limeade type of thing (ummm also, I’d never had that before…it’s like I’ve been living under a rock), and it was AWESOME! Tart, lightly sweet, refreshing and delicious. After drinking my weight in glasses, I wanted to spice things up a little, so I turned it into a simple, cute little cocktail.

The ingredients are so simple: just pure tart cherry juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, and a splash of vodka. Now, normally I’m a girl who likes to taste my alcohol, but this drink is definitely on the milder side. You can always make it stronger, but it’s not meant to be a “hard” drink. It’s more like a sitting by the pool, relaxing, relishing in your accomplishments drink.

The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. because, let me tell ya, if you have friends over, they’re also going to want a glass…or seven.

Tart Cherry Lime Elixir

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Tart Cherry Lime Elixir

This sweet & sour cocktail has all the flavor of a refreshing cherry limeade, spiked with cherry vodka and filled with recovery-boosting 100% tart cherry juice.

Ingredients

For the simple syrup:

1 cup water
¾ cup sugar

For the cocktail:

1 batch simple syrup
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup water
1 cup 100% tart cherry juice
4 shots cherry vodka (or plain vodka)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

To make the simple syrup, combine water and sugar in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove and cool completely.
To make the cocktail, whisk together simple syrup, lime juice, water, tart cherry juice, vodka and salt. Serve immediately over ice or store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

This is also delicious as a nonalcoholic drink! If you are making it for kids or don't feel like drinking, just leave out the vodka and it will be equally refreshing and delicious!

https://arismenu.com/tart-cherry-lime-elixir/

To learn more about tart cherries and their benefits, check out ChooseCherries.com, or follow their Facebook / Twitter /Pinterest / YouTube!

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

October 15, 2013 · by Ari ·

Easy & smooth cold-brewed iced coffee spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cloves.

Lately I’ve been wondering if it’s time to start acting like a grown up. I can’t even tell you what that means, because I just act like, well, me. The other day someone thought I was wayyy younger than I am (this isn’t even including the almost daily basis in which I’m mistaken for a student), and although this should be a compliment (YAY!! You didn’t notice those lines decorating my forehead!), I immediately got into my head thinking “OMG do I need to start acting like I’m in my *gulp* late 20’s?”

Again, not that I could even tell you what that means. But sometimes I feel like maybe I need to stop talking like a teenager, getting upset when children beat me at games, and locking my husband out of our room so I can win at the who gets into bed first game. That’s a whole other story that I should probably be embarrassed of, but I’m not because I have the maturity of a 6 year old.

I find this whole “growing up” and “maturing” business incredibly confusing. I guess I just assumed it would happen naturally, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s something people make a conscious effort to do? You know, like washing dishes (something I find equally appalling).

But then on the other hand, I go to bed at 9 pm, I make my own coffee and I even pretend I’m fancy and call it toddy. That really is the name for cold brew, but I feel like it’s this secret coffee snob name that no one really knows about. I am totally a coffee snob, but in an all inclusive name. Feel free to join me in my snobbery and use words no one else knows. 😉

There are few DIY projects I love more than making a huge batch of toddy. It is ridiculously simple, and not a single drop ever goes to waste. It’s one less thing I have to worry about in the morning. My coffee routine is simply fill my glass with ice, pour in toddy, add some almond milk and grab a straw. Nothing to prep the night before, and I never have to worry about running out of time to feed my caffeine addiction.

Of course, sometimes I like to spice things up. One of my favorite local coffee shops offers spiced toddy this time of year (although I’ve never actually tried it there), and it always sounded so delicious. I am a huge fan of pumpkin spiced lattes, and pretty much any fall coffee drink you can imagine, so I wanted to incorporate my favorite flavors right into my cold brew.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to taste the spices over the bold flavor of the coffee, but they shine through without being over powering. You can always add more if you want a bolder spice flavor, but I like the nice hint that adds depth–it makes you wonder what’s different about this coffee, and why it tastes special.

Adding the spices doesn’t really take any extra time–just add them right into your batch while it sits. I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You could also add ground ginger, cardamom (for a chai flavor), or any other spices you want. If you want to see detailed instructions with step-by-step photos on how to make your iced coffee, check out this post!

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Simple & easy cold brewed iced coffee seasoned with warm, comforting fall spices.

Ingredients

1 lb good quality bold coffee, coarsely ground
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
2 gallons water

Instructions

Pour ground coffee into a 2.5 gallon airtight container. Add spices. Top with 2 gallons filtered water. Pat down the top to ensure all coffee is incorporated. Cover and store for 24-48 hours (the longer it brews, the stronger it will be).
Scoop out as much of the grounds as possible with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse strainer, then cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. Place covered strainer over a 1 gallon jug Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over your covered strainer to filter any remaining grounds. Repeat until jug is mostly full, then repeat with a second 1 gallon jug. If your coffee begins to have trouble filtering through, change your cheesecloth out for a fresh one.
To serve, fill glass with ice and add 1-2 inches of water. Add coffee, and any desired cream or sweetener.

https://arismenu.com/autumn-spiced-toddy-cold-brewed-iced-coffee/

Drink & Dish: Restaurant-style Watermelon Margaritas

August 19, 2013 · by Ari ·

I always try to spell watermelon with two Ls. Doesn’t the word mellon have two Ls? Shouldn’t watermel(l)on?? Maybe I just want to find an excuse for my terrible spelling. It’s true. You don’t even need to know how to spell these days. A red squiggly line will do it all for you, and my brain has gotten lazy. I can literally feel myself becoming less intelligent.

I’ve actually learned a lot about how many words I used to spell incorrectly since I started this blog. I always thought avocado was spelled avacado. That’s how it sounds in my head. I also get really confused because every time I type the word fudgy I still get a red squiggly line. So then I try fudgey which is also wrong and looks worse, so I’ll take it my computer has never eaten a delicious brownie, because if it had, it would totally know fudgy is a word.

Good lord, I need a margarita. Specifically the best, thickest, most flavorful margarita I have ever tasted. And trust me, I would never joke, or exaggerate about my margaritas. They are serious business, and these are the best of the best. The secret? Soaking the watermelon in the alcohol and freezing overnight. I had to get out that little push down stick for my vitamix to get everything to blend together.

It’s easy for a frozen margarita to taste watered down and flavorless. In fact, I usually don’t order them frozen for this very reason. This margarita contains NO ICE. Simply watermelon, tequila, orange liquor, lime and agave. No overly sweet sour mix, no extra water–just real, bold ingredients. The watermelon flavor is out-of-this-world-good. It tastes fresh, natural, and like biting in to a cold, juicy watermelon. I simply cannot get these babies out of my head!

For our Labor Day episode of Drink & Dish, Nicole and I pulled a Freaky Friday and switched places–I made the drink, and she made the dish: a loaded potato chip dip that is to die for! Crunchy potato chips in a cheesy, creamy dip with all sorts of flavors and textures working together–it is a must try! Check out this latest episode for all the details!

Drink & Dish: Restaurant-style Watermelon Margarita

Prep Time: 12 hours, 5 minutes

Total Time: 12 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 2 extra-large or 3 medium margaritas

Drink & Dish: Restaurant-style Watermelon Margarita

Ingredients

For freezing:

1/2 medium watermelon, chopped into 1" cubes
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup orange liqueur (triple sec, grand marnier, etc.)

For blending:

2 shots tequila
1 shot orange liqueur
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp agave

For serving:

coarse salt
extra lime wedges

Instructions

Place chopped watermelon in a large, freezer-safe container. Poor tequila and orange liqueur evenly over chopped watermelon. Cover and freeze for 12 hours or overnight.
Transfer frozen watermelon and any liquid remains from your alcohol to a high-quality blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. If mixture is still too thick, slowly add a little more alcohol until you've reached your desired consistency.
Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass. Place salt on a small, flat plat and press the top of each glass into the salt. Fill each glass with frozen margaritas and serve immediately.

Notes

You may freeze your watermelon up to 3 days if you wish to prepare ahead of time.

If all of the frozen watermelon does not fit into your blender, start with 1 shot of tequila and 1/2 short of orange liqueur and slowly add from there. All blenders and watermelons are different, so start slowly with the alcohol and add as you go.

https://arismenu.com/drink-dish-restaurant-style-watermelon-margaritas-2/

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

July 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Is there anything more refreshing in the summer than an ice cold lemonade? Okay, maybe those frozen ones at Disneyland (ahhh Disneyland–WANT TO BE THERE NOW!), but even those can be so syrupy sweet that I end up thirstier than when I started.

I’m not usually into the artificial sweeteners. I used to use a lot of Splenda, then as I began to care about actually health, and not just caloric values, I began to steer myself away from fake sweeteners. Minus my coffee and sometimes a diet coke. Let’s just say it’s a work in progress. 😉

Anyway, they say that stevia won’t kill you, so I decided to give it a shot. I know, I’m totally late to the party. If you’ve decided that “they” are liars and have it all wrong, you could totally sub in some agave nectar for a nice natural sweetness.

When I first started thinking about creating a rosemary lemonade, I thought it was this new, unique idea that most people would find crazy, until they tried it and discovered my visionary genius qualities. Then they started popping up all over the internet. Womp womp. Still, it’s delicious, fresh, summery, and totally not as weird as it sounds. I make mine on the tart end because I want that more natural taste, but feel free to add a little extra sweetness if you prefer. Either way, you will love this lemonade!

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

Yield: 7 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

Ingredients

6 cups filtered water
3-4 sprigs rosemary
Juice from 6 large lemons (or about 1 cup fresh lemon juice)
20 drops stevia (or 2/3 cup agave nectar)

Instructions

Bring one cup water to a boil Add rosemary, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Add 5 cups cold water, lemon juice and stevia. You may discard rosemary sprigs or allow to stay in for some extra rosemary flavor.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Serve over ice with extra rosemary and lemon slices if desired.

https://arismenu.com/sugar-free-rosemary-lemonade/

Gingerbread Hot White Chocolate

November 28, 2012 · by Ari ·

So you know that moment when you have your first hot chocolate of the year? Like the real first one that doesn’t come from a powder? The kind that’s thick, creamy, rich, and decadent ~~and makes you feel like a big jerk for not following the “don’t drink your calories rule”~~?

Oh yes, it happened.

LOOK AT THE STEAM!!!

I’m still real proud of my steam shots 😉 Anyway, one of my favorite things to do this time of year is get in the car with a scalding hot cup of hot chocolate (I can’t stand when it gets cold!) and go look at Christmas lights. Steve and I go at least once a year. It’s tradition. Something about the combination of the lights, the mood in the air, and the delicious treat just makes me all kinds of happy.

Buuuuuut, I have a confession. I’ve never made hot chocolate that doesn’t come from a powder. I don’t know why. That crappy diet hot chocolate has 25 calories so I can shovel pounds of whipped cream on it, or something? I don’t know. It’s silly, because this hot chocolate is sososoSO good! It’s so thick and creamy that you would think it’s made with whole milk or cream!

It was the perfect night time treat, and it’s like one of those secretly healthier recipes. You know, the kind you can make for all the people in your life that talk crap about all your Greek yogurt and vegetables. You can give this to them, then get that secret satisfaction as they slurp it all up. Then, if you’re me, you’ll yell out all kinds of unnecessary comments like “HAH!! That was healthy! I fooled you! Take that suckerrrr!” I swear, I’m very mature.

Moral of the story? Make the hot chocolate. Act super immature when you fool all your friends and family into chugging down your lightened up dessert. 😉

Gingerbread Hot White Chocolate

yield 2 servings

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 oz white chocolate
dash pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash cloves
dash nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small-medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture is desired temperature and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

**Note: You could also make this in the crockpot on low for 2 hours whisking occasionally.