friyay happy hour: tropical independence day punch

is there a greater feeling than the friday freedom of a long summer weekend? no way.

even though i ditched the traditional nine to five lifestyle and i have to teach this holiday, i still feel that excitement knowing a long summer weekend is ahead. summer weekends combine all the things i love. swimming, sun, barbecues, fireworks and friends and family.

and this holiday, i'm stepping up my patriotic game. i ordered these dried butterfly pea flowers for another project, but when i saw the tray of star ice the other day, a lightbulb went off. and after little effort and a couple hours in the freezer, i'm going cocktails on ice all weekend long. starting with this tropical boozy punch that started my weekend off right.

blue butterfly ice
ingredients: 2 cups boiling water. 10 butterfly pea flowers that you can purchase HERE. regular ice trays or silicon star molds that you can purchase HERE. add the dried flowers to the boiling water and allow them to sit until the water turns blue. 5-10 minutes. now, you have a choice before you pour your water into your ice tray. if you want ice that will not melt and release flowers into whatever you are drinking, remove the flowers (my husbands camp). if you aren't that worried about it and don't mind dried flowers in your beverage, leave them in when you pour your ice (my camp). pop your ice in the freezer and let them freeze for 5 hours or overnight. use as desired.

start by pureeing your strawberry. then, fill the bottom of your glass with the strawberry puree.

add your ice to the glass. in a glass, combine the coconut water, triple sec and lime juice.

pour the prosecco over the ice and strawberry puree, slowly so not to bubble over.

trying to pour over the ice and not directly into the prosecco, pour in the coconut water mix and enjoy.

xo, a

tropical independence day punch
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 3 minutes
total time: 8 minutes ingredients: 5 oz prosecco (or other sparkling wine) 3 oz coconut water. .5 oz triple sec. .5 oz lime juice. 1 strawberry, top removed. 1 cup ice (blue star ice directions above). blender or food processor. start by pureeing your strawberry. then, fill the bottom of your glass with the strawberry puree. add your ice to the glass. in a glass, combine the coconut water, triple sec and lime juice. pour the prosecco over the ice and strawberry puree, slowly so not to bubble over. trying to pour over the ice and not directly into the prosecco, pour in the coconut water mix and enjoy.

styling, triple sec, champagne, lime, lime juice, cocktail, coconut, summer food, prosecco, strawberry, beverages, alcohol, bartender, sipAngela SamuelsJune 30, 2017strawberry, lime, coconut water, bartender, cocktails, prosecco, punch, lime juice, alcohol, beverages, cocktail, coconut, drinks, triple sec, ice, newfooddrinks, newfoodcocktailsComment

vegan carrot cake loaves

let me just start by saying i believe that what you put in your body, or the bodies of your children is a personal choice. it is up there on my list of things not to engage people too deeply on. right along with personal religion and child rearing choices. it is your body, your life, your future. i don't care if you eat fast food all day or have never let an animal product pass your lips. i just hope you are happy with whatever choices you are making.

with that being said, i don't prescribe to the idea that we should be eating animal proteins every day. nor am i in the camp that believes you should not consume animal products for health or moral reasons. i believe in everything in moderation. animals, sweets, exercise, indulgence, depravation. EVERYTHING in moderation.

the reality is that i have friends and family that fall into all types of eating genres. gluten free, vegans, full on meat eaters, those that only eat fish. the full spectrum. so i'm often pushing myself to cook in new ways so that when i do have someone that is dining with me with a restriction, i know how to meat it in the best and most delicious way possible.

enter these vegan carrot cake loaves. i combined a few recipes i researched to come up with what i believe is the most flavorful and moist combination. what i love about vegan baking is that the ingredients i subbed for standard baking ingredients like eggs and milk had their own unique flavor that they bring to the party. almond milk & applesauce are delicious in their own right. and the hint of coconut doesn't hurt either.

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients. in another bowl, whisk together your oil, almond milk, apple sauce, vanilla and both sugars.

slowly add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, stirring as you combine.

mix in your carrots.

spray your loaf pans (or whatever pans you are going with) with your cooking spray. pour your batter in evenly.

bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 20-25 minutes. allow the loaves to cool slightly.

remove them from the baking pan and set them on a wire rack to cool.

if you are eating them warm with butter, you can enjoy now. you can also top them with cream cheese frosting and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. bring them back to room temperature or even warm them a bit in the oven or toaster oven before enjoying. they are fabulous with coffee or great on their own.

xo, a

vegan carrot cake loaves
serves: 12 loaves
*cooks note: you could easily make this into a 9 x 13 sheet cake version or two 8 or 9 inch rounds prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
bake time: 20-25 minutes
otal time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2.25 cups all purpose flour. 3 teaspoons baking powder. 1 tsp baking soda. 3 tsp cinnamon. .25 tsp nutmeg. .25 tsp allspice. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 cup applesauce. 1 cup almond milk. 2 tsp vanilla. .5 cup sugar. .5 cup brown sugar. .5 cup melted coconut oil. 2 cups grated carrots (if you do not like yours too chunky you could also give the carrots a couple turns in your food processor for a smoother texture). vegetable oil cooking spray. mini loaf pan. optional for serving: butter, cream cheese frosting or one of them many great vegan frostings the interwebs have to offer).
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients. in another bowl, whisk together your oil, almond milk, apple sauce, vanilla and both sugars. slowly add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, stirring as you combine. mix in your carrots. spray your loaf pans (or whatever pans you are going with) with your cooking spray. pour your batter in evenly. bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 20-25 minutes. allow the loaves to cool slightly. remove them from the baking pan and set them on a wire rack to cool. if you are eating them warm with butter, you can enjoy now. you can also top them with cream cheese frosting and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. bring them back to room temperature or even warm them a bit in the oven or toaster oven before enjoying. they are fabulous with coffee or great on their own.

baked, baking, brown sugar, brunch, breakfast, cake, carrots, cinnamon, coconut, dessert, kosher salt, nutmeg, sugar, sweet treats, vegan, almond milk, coconut oil, all spice, with coffee, cakes & frostings, treatsAngela SamuelsJune 13, 2017carrot, almond milk, apple sauce, baking powder, baking soda, baking, flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vegan, bread, sweet treats, sweets, brunch, breakfast, with coffeeComment

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