Archive for the ‘Drinks’ Category

Cacao Coffee & Whipped Cream

This piece is really about improvising on the fly to meet the flavor you want at a particular time. Here’s an example. This morning I woke up wanting some chocolate in my coffee. I love those two flavors together – and wanted to brew them together as easily as possible.

I pulled these three ingredients together – easy: cacao powder (you can substitute that with cocoa powder – the two are quite different), sugar (I’m using coconut sugar, but any sugar will work) and salt.

To make 4 “cups” of cacao coffee (4 cups = 12 ounces of coffee in my coffee machine), I added 1 piled teaspoon of cacao powder, 1 teaspoon sugar and a dash of salt directly into the coffee carafe.

I put the carafe in the coffee maker and brewed. For added help to make freshly brewed coffee, click this link for easy to follow “Great Coffee Made Easy” picture book directions.

When the coffee was just about done brewing, I mixed equal parts half and half and coconut water and warmed them for 50 seconds in the microwave oven. (I added coconut water for just a bit of added flavor and added potassium to prep for a good crunch on the bike.)

As soon as the coffee finished brewing, I stirred the cacao mix, poured the hot cacao coffee to together with the freshly warmed half and half and coconut water, and…

…added a good shot of freshly made whipped cream, which you can learn how to make very easily by clicking this link.

Next post: what I ate with the cacao coffee to ride 40 miles at a good pace without feeling hungry at all along the way.

Warm Antidote to Bitter Cold: Ginger Mint Tea with Picture Book Directions

Man, it’s been and is brutally cold across much of the US. So, how ’bout we turn this…

…into this…

…all in a cup. Ginger mint tea is something I make and drink everyday – warm, fully flavorful and all anti-inflammatory.

Just click this link or any picture above for Ginger Mint Tea picture book directions. Then, enjoy – and stay warm!

Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Figuratively and Literally

First, the figurative lemon. I recently became part-owner of VOmax, makers of custom design performance sportswear. When my new business partner, Raj Singh, took ownership at the beginning of the year, the company was dysfunctional. Business was down. Morale was low.

Our objective as new owners: transform the company from dysfunction to excellence. Easy to say, hard to do. But even in dark times, there’s usually a bright side – and, in our case, quite a few of them.

We started right away promoting excellence in our products and service – always a dynamic process. On the personnel front, we recently hired a new graphic artist, Fred Crisp – excellent talent, positive attitude, and terrific eye for detailed art/design. Then, just last month, we hired an outstanding merchandiser and production manager with lifelong experience in the apparel business and fresh PhD, Charm Rammandala – you bet, he’s a charm!

VOmax team transferring graphics from paper to cycling jersey fabric

We’ve also retained and added to our skilled, highly talented core of technicians on our factory floor, who expertly put all our products together with loving care. Love makes a family. The new VOmax is our family, and all of us are now fully alive exuding, “You’ve never seen us like this before!” pride.

Now, for the literal lemon and how to turn it into fresh lemonade. Just click this link or picture below for a complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book recipe that shows how to do that both with the traditional amount of sugar and also with reduced sugar – that’s the way I have it now. Great stuff!

Bottom line: no matter how sour the lemon, there’s always a way to turn that bad boy around to something positively sweet.

Gorgeous November Bike Rip Followed by Breakfast for Lunch

Out for a gorgeous late morning, late fall rip on the bike that featured a good look at one of my favorite cycling sights: Silverwood Organic Farm on Western Rd. in Sherbourne, MA. Sky was cloudy, wind snappy, temp. about 45 – perfect for November – and it all felt great under the Breitz! “Breeze Blaster” windbreaker over layered shirts.

Then home by noon to the full-on flavorful sweet and savory lunch shown below – fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, fresh almond butter, dried fruit, kefir and honey Read more »

Glow (Mulled) Wine Picture Book Recipe

glow-wine

Here’s an easy-to-make, fully flavorful hot wine drink to warm you down to your soul on a cold winter evening. The original term for this drink, “Gluehwein”, is pronounced “glue-vine” in German. We in America refer to it as mulled wine, but replacing the word “mulled” with “glow” makes this drink sound much more magically appealing.

Read more »

Tour Toast to Vincenzo Nibali – Sparkling Wine and Rum Punch Blast



Tour Toast to Vincenzo NibaliBy holding the overall leader’s yellow jersey virtually end-to-end, Italian cycling champ Vincenzo Nibali has more than proven his hard-earned magical dominant status this Tour de France 2014. En français: Incroyable (incredible)! In italiano: Congratulazioni, Vincenzo!

As a toast to Vincenzo’s victory, which he’ll nail down during the Tour’s final stage ride into Paris today, here’s a really cool drink that combines the crisp, bubbly flavor of dry Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) with the tropical flavors of rum and citrus juice: Sparkling Wine and Rum Punch Blast.

Sparkling Wine and Rum Punch Blast Read more »

Tour de France Yorkshire Pudding Ideas – In Pictures

Yorkshire Pudding Ideas MontageRight now, here in this post, we’re pausing – just briefly – with a refreshingly crisp Tom Collins toast to a terrific 3-day Tour de France start in England with a crunching win – again – by Marcel Kittel in London yesterday. And now, on to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Lille Metropole in France and Belgium

Marcel's Win & My Tom Collins

On the food side of life, it’s been a real thrill finding ways to use both the traditional savory version of Yorkshire pudding and an improvised breakfast version – that I’ve enjoyed everyday since this past Friday. Read more »

Blue Sky Pre-Ride Breakfast of Champions – All in Pictures

Bowl Pancake, Fresh Coffee & Freshly Made Whipped Cream Pre-Ride BreakfastFirst, Happy Father’s Day!

Second, this breakfast works great any day, but especially on a day like we’re having today in the Northeast with clear blue skies, cool temps, dry air and a pretty good breeze. Just great to get out and rip it up on the bike, which I’m gonna’ do right now with a good friend who hasn’t been out on a bike for quite some time. Gonna’ be fun! Read more »

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