Drinks - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with drinks, so we don't have to deal with the same-old-same-old. Check out the two lattes (Caramel Latte and Vanilla Latte), the Strawberry Orange Smoothie, and the rest of today's yummy drinks. Enjoy!

VANILLA LATTE

This is from Folgers. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Makes 1 serving; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.folgerscoffee.com/recipes/drinks/vanilla-latte.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

3 to 4 tbsp. vanilla flavored syrup

1/4 cup strong brewed Folgers® French Roast Coffee

1/4 cup strong brewed Folgers® Black Silk Coffee

Whipped cream

Ground cinnamon

Directions

Microwave milk in 1-quart microwave-save bowl on HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until hot but not boiling. Whisk until foamy.

Microwave vanilla flavored syrup in microwave-safe coffee cup on HIGH 20 seconds. Stir in coffee.

Add milk. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve immediately.

CARAMEL LATTE

This is from Folgers. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Makes 1 serving; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.folgerscoffee.com/recipes/drinks/caramel-latte.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

3 to 4 tbsp. caramel flavored syrup

1/4 cup strong brewed Folgers® French Roast Coffee

1/4 cup strong brewed Folgers® Black Silk Coffee

Whipped cream

Smucker's® Sundae Syrup™ Caramel Flavored Syrup

Baking toffee bits

Directions

Microwave milk in 1-quart microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until hot but not boiling. Whisk until foamy.

Microwave caramel syrup in microwave-safe coffee cup on HIGH 20 seconds. Stir in coffee.

Add milk. Top with whipped cream. Drizzle with caramel sundae syrup. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Serve immediately.

CREAMY VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE

This came from Genevieve Ko at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Genevieve wrote, "For a vegan hot chocolate that rivals even the creamiest dairy-laden variety, add a few tablespoons of nut butter like almond, sunflower or peanut to the nondairy milk, chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Whisking is also essential here; nondairy products tend to contain stabilizers that keep them emulsified, so they can separate when boiled. If you keep whisking the mix as it heats and remove it from the stove when it’s nice and steaming, but before it boils, you’ll end up with perfectly smooth hot chocolate. Don’t worry if it breaks: You can simply blend it with a whisk or immersion blender over low heat to bring it back together."

Yield: 2 cups; Time: 5 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019960-creamy-vegan-hot-chocolate.

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 ounces)

3 tablespoons vegan unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons creamy nut or seed butter, such as almond, sunflower or peanut

Pinch of kosher salt

1-1/2 to 2 cups unsweetened nut or grain milk, such as macadamia, walnut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, oat or rice milk

1 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional)

Preparation

Combine chocolate chips, cocoa powder, nut butter, salt and 1/2 cup nut or grain milk in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth, about 1-1/2 minutes.

Whisk in 1 cup nut or grain milk in a slow, steady stream, and continue whisking until cocoa is steaming, about 1-1/2 minutes. Don’t let it come to a boil or the cocoa will separate.

Taste a spoonful. (Be careful: It’s hot.) If you prefer a thinner hot cocoa, add up to 1/2 cup additional milk. If you prefer it sweeter, add a teaspoon of sugar at a time, tasting after each addition. Divide among cups and serve hot.

STRAWBERRY ORANGE SMOOTHIE

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, "This fruit-filled, four-ingredient smoothie makes for a quick and easy satisfying snack, dessert, or breakfast. Frozen berries give it a frothy texture."

Makes 2 servings; Serving Size: 1 cup

To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/strawberry-orange-smoothie.

Ingredients

10 frozen, unsweetened strawberries

1 cup fat-free, plain yogurt

1/2 cup 100% orange juice

1/2 teaspoon stevia sweetener

OR

1 stevia sweetener packet

Directions

In a food processor or blender, process all the ingredients until smooth.

BERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIE

This comes from Joy Bauer at TODAY. She wrote, "This sweet smoothies features a secret green veggie that kids won't be able to taste or notice. Each satisfying sip contains good-for-you ingredients that provide a nice dose of fiber, calcium and nutrition. My recommendation: keep this recipe in your back pocket at all times — it's a huge hit at my house."

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/joy-bauer-s-berry-banana-smoothie-recipe-t163943.

Ingredients

1 banana, fresh or frozen

2 cups sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup fresh kale, stems removed

1/2 cup milk of choice (if using frozen fruit, may need to add a dash more milk)

3 to 5 ice cubes (optional; omit if using frozen fruit)

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth.

FUZZY-NAVEL SMOOTHIES

This comes from Susie Lilly Ott at MyRecipes. Yield: 2 servings; serving size: 1 cup

This can be viewed online at https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fuzzy-navel-smoothies.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen sliced peaches

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/3 cup sliced ripe banana

1 teaspoon sugar

Dash of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender; let stand for 15 minutes, and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 223 calories; fat 1g; saturated fat 0g; mono fat 0g; poly fat 0g; protein 5g; carbohydrates 50g; fiber 3g; cholesterol 3mg; iron 1mg; sodium 33mg; calcium 90mg.