Detox Tea Giveaway

 Wahooo!!! Another freebie kids! 

Don't you just want to jump for joy?? I know I do.

I love hot beverages. Tea. Hot chocolate. Matcha. Coffee of course.

Now I know what you're thinking. Hey Adriana, summer is coming, why would I want a hot beverage right about now? Well because it is a DETOX tea for anyone who is interested in a delicious, mild, decaffeinated herbal tea with 9 botanicals that support the liver and kidneys for overall health.  Are you interested? Of course you are! Oh and guess what? You can serve this delicious tea (made up of peppermint, dandelion, milk thistle, and uva ursi extracts) over ice on hot summer days with some agave nectar or honey! Yumalicious.

 

To enter to win, follow Lean to Light here and on Twitter @adrianalomysh

and leave a comment! 

Thanks and good luck!

Ultimate Orange Creamsicle

I don't know about you but I have always been in love with the combination of these two flavors:

Orange... and vanilla. 

Stewart's Orange Cream Soda is a guilty pleasure of mine so I set out to find a waaaay healthier version with tons of Vitamin C and Protein! 

Voila!

Ingredients:
Orange Juice
Mango Juice
Vanilla Protein Powder-These are my two favorites:
Arbonne Vanilla Protein Mix
and
Trader Joes Organic Hemp Protein Power
I couldn't find a link to the actual product so the link is to an amazing breakfast bowl instead. You're welcome. ;)
Vanilla Greek Yogurt-I used Chobani
I also added a little bit of non-dairy Vanilla creamer. I absolutely LOVE this one in vanilla.
Easy easy easy!!Yum Yum Yum!!!

Gluten Free Beer

So of course the Superbowl was last weekend and what a game it was. Beyonce even blew the power out, it was weirdly awesome.  Seemed like a Baltimore romp at first, but then San Fran came back when the Ravens were distracted in the darkness. The Ravens held their ground though with the help of a couple of amazing plays like the second-half kickoff when Jacoby Jones received the ball in the back of the end zone and raced down the field untouched for a 109-yard touchdown return! Man I love those plays. Are you confused? Why I am talking sports? Don't forget in this musical theater geek there is this JV Cheerleader/water girl.

Anyways what I wanted to talk about was how depressed I got thinking about watching the Superbowl without beer! I forget how many things have gluten and when I remember sometimes it hurts. So we went to the local liquor store on the hunt for a solution and were recommended this Spanish beer

which is not completely gluten free, but the levels are extremely low and a great alternative for those of us who want to keep up with healthy digestion. It was delicious. SCORE! Pun intended. 

Purchase Daura online 

HERE

A Sailor's Spinach Smoothie

Oh you know that Sailor. 

Do you have a hard time with even the thought of eating spinach? Are you afraid of that slightly bitter tough little leaf? Does a spinach smoothie sound hideous to you?  Well you have come to the right place. I was also apprehensive until my sweet sweet hubbie made me this sweet sweet smoothie. NO CALORIE sweetness. I know. This green monster is very tasty, filling, and packed with nutrients. 

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
1 cup blueberries
2 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons truvia or zero calorie sweetener

  Fill bottom half of your blender with ice and water. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend!

Well many people have taken the high road to green goodness before me, so I would like to direct you to my friend Krista's blog and her 

post about juicing.

Oh and hey moms out there-if your kids don't like the idea of a green drink, put the smoothie in a non-see through cup and call it the Popeye special. Ooh ooh OR you could freeze the mixture using this blend and call them Popeye Popsicles!

Marinating A Christmas Tradition

Tradition!!

Of course all I ever think of when I hear that word is that hit tune from Fiddler on the Roof.  Once a musical theater nerd, always a musical theater nerd. Funny enough it's a perfect tie in, as this post touches upon Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish Christmas traditions. This year I wanted to to a full 12 course traditional Ukrainian meal, but with my travels it was impossible to do as I got home on Christmas Eve...eve. But I am already looking forward to next year when I can continue my Baba's legacy in the kitchen. 

Get easy access to basic recipes and read a little more about Sviaty Vechir here.  I love the part about how the meal commences when the children find the first star to light the sky on Christmas Eve. What a great tradition! I also love the idea of leaving a chair empty for those who have passed on.

Since I didn't have the time to prepare a feast, I will focus on the other very important aspect of any Slavic holiday...drinks!  

More specifically, Honey and Cherry Vodka.

My cousin has my Baba's secret recipe for her honey vodka, and I have yet to wrestle him for it, so I found this one online. ;) 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1/4 vanilla bean, split
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick, cracked in half
• 10 black peppercorns
• 20 allspice berries
• 1 1/3 cups honey
• Zest from 1 orange
• 2 cups vodka

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, combine cold water and sugar and heat until it dissolves. Add boiling water, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and allspice. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Strain the simple syrup you've just created through cheesecloth or a coffee filter and return to the saucepan. Add the honey and zest, and heat, stirring, until the honey has completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
3. Gradually stir in vodka. Serve hot. If serving, cold, let honeyed vodka come to room temperature, transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Honeyed vodka or Medivka, served hot or cold, is a favorite among Ukrainians and Poles. And, since it's steeped in aromatic spices, less than top-shelf vodka will do just fine. No matter what temperature it's served at, warms the body from the inside out. Perfect for the holidays! 

Two cousins made two different marinated sour cherry vodkas,

and we had a taste test to see which was the best. They were both quite different, but the basic recipe goes like this:

SOUR CHERRY VODKA
 
 Recipe By     : Homemade in the Kitchen
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Beverages
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1 1/4  pounds        sour cherries, pitted (about 2 3/4 cups)
    1      cup           sugar
    2      cups          vodka
 
 Put the cherries into a 1-quart Mason jar, and cover with the sugar. Seal
 the jar and shake it several times, until the cherries are well coated with
 sugar. Add the vodka, reseal and shake the jar a few more times to mix. Set
 aside in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks. Strain the mixture through a fine
 sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. If desired, transfer the liqueur to
 a decanter. The Sour Cherry Vodka should be ready to drink immediately and
 has a shelf life of 2 to 3 months.
 
 YIELD: 2 cups

I am sure one could substitute agave nectar or even honey to create a combined honey/cherry vodka as well!

 I love Christmas. I encourage everyone to look into their family history to build upon deep seated, interesting, and entertaining traditions. I had a great time with my mom, family, friends, and even had a very impromptu reunion with awesome cousins I hardly ever get a chance to see. The very best thing about the holidays, no matter what your religion or background, is spending time with those you love. 

Nesting part...?

So this week was all about catching up with friends and finally truly nesting. Like, two coats of paint nesting. Like, spending that Groupon to get that canvas picture print nesting. Like taking out the picture frames STILL in that box and putting them out nesting. You now what I am talking about and don't tell me that doesn't sound like it's a good time. ;)

New things I love:

My Starbucks rewards points card. free drinks, free syrup, free refills oh my!! Check it out.

Newsroom. Best new show by Aaron Sorkin on HBO. It makes me feel the way I did when I would watch TV growing up and things were intelligent and well thought out. What a concept! When there was a script (go figure) and editors (huh?) and ACTORS (no honey boo boo's) would rehearse SCENES (what are they?) before the actually went to cut print broadcast.
Anyways, please check this show out-it's one of the best things I've seen on TV...ever.

My new headboard

 and new jewelry box. 

oh no, actually it's not a box it's a case. Maybe not even a case it's more like a...wall unit. Ok I might be a jewelry hoarder. But isn't it SO pretty?

(forgive the webcam pics. trust me. it's pretty.)