Sipping Happy with TAZO Tea Concentrates

I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own. You can join Smiley360 here!  #NewWayToTea

During the hot summer months, our drink of choice is definitely iced tea. Cold and refreshing, it is my favorite alternative to sweet drinks (we don't add sugar to our iced teas) and I am always looking for new flavors and drink combinations to enjoy.

TAZO just made it easier for me to have a large pitcher of gourmet blended iced tea ready to accompany dinner with their TAZO Iced Tea Concentrates line. Have you noticed these in your local grocery store?

I found my box of tea concentrate in the tea aisle. TAZO has 3 tea concentrates to choose from; Iced Passion, Iced Sangria Black, and Iced Peachy Green.

I decided to try the Iced Passion, a caffeine-free blend of hibiscus flowers, herbs and tropical fruit essences, first.

Instructions call for adding the concentrate, water and ice. Give the herbal tea a stir and it is ready to go. It doesn't get much easier than that.

The flavors took my husband back to his childhood exchange to Mexico. He remember how refreshing the  Hibiscus iced tea his host family served was.

I hadn't tried anything quite like it, but loved it! It was a great way to get away from plain old water for our last BBQ.

Of course, there are some easy ways to dress up the TAZO Iced Passion Tea Concentrate and play up the flavors already found in the tea. TAZO sent me a booklet containing a few fun recipes and I made the  Spiced Passion Tea Punch.

Spiced Passion Tea Punch

You will need:

• 3 oz. TAZO Iced Passion Tea Concentrate
• 3 oz. cold water
• 1 tsp. simple syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 orange wedge
• 1 whole clove
• 1 oz. ginger beer

The result was a lovely punch packed with the flavors of orange, hibiscus, cinnamon and ginger. Yum!  I couldn't find a proper ginger beer locally, so I subbed in ginger ale and it was still delicious.

Whether you decide to try this recipe, or just want to try out the TAZO Tea Concentrates on their own, be sure to snag TAZO's  $1 OFF Coupon, while supplies last. And check out more fun ways to enjoy TAZO on the TAZO Pinterest board.

Have you tried these new TAZO Tea Concentrates? How would you enjoy this #NewWayToTea?

Get Rewarded for Rocking Low Calorie Drinks with Platinum Points!

This low calorie drinks shop for #PlatinumPoints has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

Okay, I am not the only person to say it, but it often goes unsaid. Water, day in and day out, glass after glass can get a little.... boring.

Yeah. 8 glasses of water a day is my goal. Seems like I am always running here or there and forget to drink. So I grab a soda... I grab a coffee that would be more accurately described as sugar and milk with an afterthought of caffeine. But what I really should be drinking is water. I know that and also know all those other tempting drinks give me unwanted calories that I am currently trying to avoid.

Ah, but my sweet tooth calls...

So I am working hard to rock the low calorie drinks and have found a way to even be rewarded for my sweet changes. With a little help from Crystal Light and some sweet motivation from #PlatinumPoints and Miranda Lambert, sipping my way to my daily water goal has never tasted so good!

When hitting the beverage aisle at my local Walmart I noticed something different about Crystal Light. Not only was it not in the large powder packs of my past, but the flavors were more my style. I grabbed liquid drops in both Strawberry Lemonade and Strawberry Green Tea. The selection of flavors available is great.

Green tea and strawberry? I think I have found my new daily favorite.

And keep reading to see my favorite Crystal Light mix-ins to kick up the low calorie fun another notch!

These little liquid squeeze packs are perfect for me to take and use throughout my busy day. In fact, since they are so small and don’t need refrigeration, I can slip one into my purse and add a little low calorie flavor to my day as needed.

Whether it is a squeeze in my water bottle, or an addition to my water while eating out, I love being able to control what my water tastes like.

The Crystal Light liquid has transformed my morning water glasses into something delicious.

And as for those sweet rewards? Well, Crystal Light has teamed up with Miranda Lambert to create #PlatinumPoints where you can rock the low calorie water enhancers and your love of Miranda Lambert for some sweet rewards.

Look in the electronics department of your local Walmart for a special in-store display with details, or head over to the Platinum Points Loyalty Program to get started. Get yourself registered and check out the complete list of ways to earn points. 

Welcome to Platinum Points! Earn rewards by purchasing Crystal Light products! At the end of the program, we'll randomly select one winner. All purchases must be made by December 31, 2014, receipts submissions must be submitted by November 15, 2014, and points redemptions must be submitted by January 15, 2015. See Official Rules for details.

Since nothing makes me feel better than to relax with a sweet beverage and listen to some good music, I picked up Miranda Lambert's Platinum CD and mixed up a simple Crystal Light Strawberry Lemonade. 

I rock the Strawberry Lemonade by replacing my usual ice cubes with frozen fruit. They keep my drink cold and are a low calorie treat to eat after my drink is gone.

And if I am not listening to music, my rare moments of downtime (during those rare toddler naps, or while the older kids are at school) I try to browse craft and sewing books to be inspired for my next big project. Right now I am getting ideas for birthday parties and holiday celebrations. I just adore adding a personal touch to my parties.

And I like personalizing my Crystal Light, too! Here are ideas for putting your own spin on your favorite Crystal Light flavors without adding a ton of calories:

• Frozen Berries
• Frozen Melon Balls
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Substitute Coconut Water for the Water
• Cucumber Slices
• Lemon Slices

So after stocking my purse and pantry with my favorite Crystal Light flavors and getting some new tunes, I already have several hundred points to put towards some fun Melissa Lambert swag. Neat, right?

And I am happy to report that getting my daily water hasn't been a chore. In fact, it has never been sweeter! 

What is your favorite Crystal Light flavor? How would you personalize your glass?

Creating 4th of July Firecracker Push-Pops with Kool-Aid Beverages

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are my own. #KoolOff #CollectiveBias

Summer is now officially here and the temperature is rising. If you are like me, you probably find yourself reaching for a cold beverage to help cool yourself off. And nothing goes better with with a tall glass of Kool-Aid than a good conversation with neighbors. Everyone is coming out. With all that talking and catching up, one of my newest simple pleasures is the 96oz. Ready-To-Drink Kool-Aid. No stirring required, just ice and a glass. That leaves plenty of time to hear great stories from the neighbors living around us.

Yes, the warm weather gets everyone outside. From the morning walkers to the bike riders and folks out for an afternoon convertible ride, our little area of the country has attracted a wide variety of folks. It is a quiet rural with many older couples and open farm fields. Just living down the street there are two WW2 Veterans with a whole lifetime of experiences to share and unique perspective on current events.

The farm shop is just across the street from our house and seems to be a great meeting place for storytelling and possibly a fair amount of tall tale re-telling as well. Being a 5-generation farm, I am sure  My husband shares all the funniest stories with me at the end of day.

With the 4th of July coming up in just over a week, I am feeling patriotic, neighborly and fortunate to be living in an area where being neighborly is normal. Yes, I am feeling very proud to live where I do and also proud to be an American.

Of course, the 4th of July fun requires provisions. I headed to my local Walmart to stock up on a few things. Kool-Aid was at the top of my list.

I found the ready-to-drink bottles in the juice aisle. My favorites are both the Watermelon and Grape.

I also grabbed an assortment of Kool-Aid liquid and Kool-Aid powdered drink mixes. Yes, I might have gotten more than I needed for the holiday, but I have a whole Summer to quench.

I think every good backyard bash needs a fun and simple treat. I decided to use Kool-Aid to create Firecracker Push-Pops. I planned to use the Kool-Aid liquid to color and flavor a simple white cake.

I made my cakes thinner than usual, spreading them out over 3 pans instead of the usual 2. This left me enough room to have both a white and red layer of cake with blue frosting in between. To get the perfectly sized cakes cut, use one of the push-pop molds to cut them out.

To make my push-ups look more like firecrackers, I cut out simple red circles. I traced a wide-mouth canning jar cover. Resourceful, huh?

Cut a slit halfway through the circle, wrap it around itself to form a cone, then tape and secure to the plastic caps.

The last component for my cake was the frosting. The mixed berry makes a bright shade of blue. I mixed it with a few tablespoons of heavy cream and beat that into my traditional buttercream frosting.

Then let the layering begin! Start with cake, then pipe in a little buttercream, top with more cake, more buttercream and then decorate with patriotic sprinkles.

Firecracker Push-Pops How-To:

Using your favorite white cake recipe or mix, divide the better into 3 bowls. You will bake them in 3 9" cake pans. Stir Kool-Aid Liquid drops into 1/3 of your batter until your achieve the desired color. Bake as usual, but begin checking your cake 5 minutes before the minimum time listed.

Cool cake, cut out rounds and set aside.

Mix Kool-Aid powdered drink mix with 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Make your favorite buttercream recipe and thin with the Kool-Aid mixture. Pipe between and on top of the cake in your push-pop mold.

Top with sprinkles, add on your paper cone and enjoy!

_________________________

The best part about these Firecracker Push-Pops? I have more than enough to share with any neighbors that might pop by. I love the chance to share my love of the holiday with others.

Excited about the 96oz bottles yet? Want to learn more? Well, Jim Dillard, pro fisherman, could be coming to your local Walmart to help promote the new Kool-Aid bottles! There will be product giveaways, t-shirts, games, and more fun activities!

Friday August 8th 5-7pm:

360 Harbison Blvd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter

Saturday August 9th  3-5pm:

1326 Bush River Rd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter

Saturday August 9th 6-8pm:

2401 Augusta Rd West Columbia, SC WM Supercenter

Looking for more Kool-Aid inspiration? Be sure to follow #KoolOff on twitter and check out my previous Kool-Aid fun with, DIY Lip Gloss, Meringue Cookies, and Dyed and Felted Star Wars Coasters.

How will you be spending your 4th of July? Will you #KoolOff with Kool-Aid?

Easy Strawberry Agua Fresca

It's Monday, and that means no heavy mental lifting or complicated recipes here.

No, simple is the best way to start off the week so I am going to share our simple little strawberry favorite. Whenever we go out to the U-pick patch we work up quite a thirst. My kids are always asking for juice, and I try to entice them with a big glass of water.

So here is my compromise.

Refreshing agua fresca is fast to make and delicious to enjoy. It seems to keep popping up in all my favorite magazines recently. My kids are hooked and I think it is a good compromise. Note, I don't add any additional sugar to our strawberry agua fresca since I use vine ripened, sweet berries. Just natural sugars in our version. If your fruit has been picked to ship, it might not have the same sugar content and you might want to add a little honey or other sweetener to suit your tastes.

So grab your blender, fresh hulled berries, a little mint, a little water and some ice... then let the blender work it's magic. Throw in a splash or two of fresh squeezed lime juice for kicks.

I put ours through a fine mesh sieve to remove any chunks and most of the seeds. My husband is not a fan of strawberry seeds. Add more water and sweetener if you so desire. Serve cold and over ice for a refreshing treat.

Strawberry Agua Fresca
You will need:

• 3 c. hulled strawberries
• 1 sprig of fresh mint, stems removed
• 2 c. water, and more if desired
• 2 c. ice
• fresh lime juice, to taste

Put your berries, mint, water and ice into the blender and blend. Pass the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove pulp and seeds. Add a few squeezes of fresh lime juice to taste and sweetener if you desire. Add additional water till you achieve the desired consistency. Serve cold and over ice.

Enjoy!

Star Wars Coaster Creations - Easy Wool Dyeing and Felting with Kool-Aid Beverages

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #KoolOff  #CollectiveBias

There are two things that  left a big impression on my childhood... Kool-Aid drinks and Star Wars. What can I say? I was a child of the 80's. 

Of course I have grown up now, but I haven't outgrown my two favorites. Instead of sipping Kool-Aid out of tupperware cups and playing with my C-3PO action figure now, I plan to #KoolOff this Summer with the latest news and gossip about Star Wars episode 7 (Yay!)  with a cold drink perched on top of my own felted Star Wars coasters. 

Now I went and let my geeky side show, didn't I?

Kool-Aid dyeing has been on my craft bucket list for a while now, and felted coasters seemed like the easiest place to start. I love quick projects that can be done over a weekend. It gave me the chance to dye both wool felt and wool roving. The sugar-free powder doesn't require any added setting agents because of the citric acid. That is what gives the no sugar drink mix a sour taste.

I headed into my local Walmart to grab the supplies I would need. I had my sights set on the drink aisle and getting a dozen little packs for some color play. Just inside the door I was greeted by these signs for the new ready to drink 96 oz. bottles. Handy, don't you think?

 The perfect blend of nostalgia and fun all ready to go.

There are two things you need when dyeing with Kool-Aid:

• Natural Fibers (wool works really well, look for felt with a high wool content)
• Drink Mixes with no sugar added

I  grabbed an assortment of sugar-free mix packets. I grabbed several colors and flavors so I could experiment with mixing them for the perfect shades. I knew I would need green, orange, maroon and blue.

Dyeing is easy. Dye your wool felt or wool roving at least a day ahead of  when you plan to use it. This will allow ample time for your fiber to dry completely.

1. Assembly your materials. You will need drink packets, natural fibers, water, microwave safe containers and a microwave
2. Gently rinse your wool with warm water, be careful not to agitate it but make sure it is thoroughly wet. Any agitation will cause it to start felting. Fill your containers with just enough warm water to cover the fiber.
3. Whisk the drink mix and water, then submerge the warm wool in it. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes intervals for 6-8 minutes, or until the water becomes clear and all the dye has been soaked into your fiber.
4. Once cool enough to handle, rinse completely and spread the fiber out over mesh or a drying rack to dry completely.

For the base of the coasters I dyed 100% wool felt with a mixture of Mixed Berry and Tropical Punch mix. I sprinkled the top with just a pinch or two of Black Cherry and love how the color was deep but uneven.

Then I used a white fabric marking pen to create the outline for my design. Here you can see Boba Fett taking shape.

Then with a felting needle, or set of needles I added the wool roving a little at a time. It is a little like sculpting with wool. The hooks have small barbs at the end and every time I stab the wool it is pulled through the felt. A foam cushion is placed underneath to give the sharp felting needles a place to go.

Just a little gets pulled through the felt and that is what keeps the wool roving in place.

After a while the design starts to take shape. I think felting is a lot of fun and would suggest trying your hand at it. I love that it doesn't cost much to try.

Eventually I ended up with a set of 4 Star Wars inspired coasters. I added another layer of white felt to the bottom and attached them together with silver embroidery floss and the blanket stitch.  What do you think?

Check out more Kool-Aid fun with my recent posts for Kool-Aid Meringue Cookies and Kool-Aid Lip Gloss.

Come check out the fun. Jim Dillard, pro fisherman, could be coming to select Walmart locations to help promote the new 96oz bottles! There will be product giveaways, t-shirts, games, and more.

• Friday May 30th 5-7pm: 13675 Highway 43 Russellville, AL WM Supercenter
• Saturday May 31st 3-5pm: 3100 Hough Rd Florence, AL WM Supercenter
• Saturday May 31st 6-8pm: 517 Avalon Ave Muscle Shoals, AL WM Supercenter
• Friday June 20th 5-7pm: 1210 Mineral Wells Ave Paris, TN WM Supercenter
• Saturday June 21st 3-5pm: 1225 Paris Rd Murray, KY WM Supercenter
• Saturday June 21st 6-8pm: 809 N 12th St Murray, KY WM Supercenter
• Friday August 8th 5-7pm: 360 Harbison Blvd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter
• Saturday August 9th  3-5pm: 1326 Bush River Rd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter
• Saturday August 9th 6-8pm: 2401 Augusta Rd West Columbia, SC WM Supercenter

Have you ever crafted with Kool-Aid? What is your favorite flavor?

“Cheers to 20 Years” with Oregon Chai - Facebook Giveaway

I was sent a sample pack of Oregon Chai products in exchange for this promotion, but Oregon Chai is still what I drink by choice. All opinions and experiences are, as always, my own.

In college, here in Oregon, I fell in love with Oregon Chai. It was the perfect thing to get me through all those cold and rainy mornings on campus.

Smooth and flavorful, it warmed me from the inside out. It was pretty much love at first mug.

Recently I found out Oregon Chai also came in these fabulous K-Cups. Yeah, that rocked my world.

To celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of Oregon Chai and to thank  longtime supporters and chai devotees, Oregon Chai is offering Facebook fans the chance to win a three-night adventure for two to their hometown of Portland,Oregon. They are giving away 20 daily prize packages for 20 days, including custom anniversary mugs and chai.

You can enter this "Cheers to 20 Years" with Oregon Chai Facebook contest now through February 17th. And when you enter on the Oregon Chai Facebook Page daily, you will also receive a $1 OFF coupon for Oregon Chai and a $2.50 OFF coupon for Oregon Café Espresso Concentrate each time you enter.

Good luck and happy sipping!

Peppermint Crunch Hot Cocoa Mix - November Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

The weather has officially jumped from warm to miserable here and I am finding myself curling up in a chair with either a good book or my latest knitting project and a warm mug of something sweet.

Some days it has been chai tea, other days a homemade pumpkin latte, but this month a went for a peppermint and chocolate treat with my own hot cocoa mix.

I remember my Mom would make up a monstrous batch of cocoa and it was scooped out of a tall tupperware container with a red lid. It was simple, yet delicious. All I had to add was a mug of hot water and I was instantly warmed from the inside out.

Well, November's The Secret Recipe Club assignment pointed me to The Tasty Cheapskate's blog.

Jean has a great blog with many frugal and tasty recipes. Okay, I love to save money on meals... usually so I can splurge on new pans or kitchen gadgets, but I do value being smart about the food budget. While going through her recipes the Hot Cocoa Mix post caught my attention. It brought up memories of my Mom's mix. I knew instantly it had to be my November recipe.

I did take a few liberties with Jean's mix. Mine is probably no where near as frugal. I added a mix of cocoas, Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips and mini marshmallows - my family has to have marshmallows in their cocoa.

Package this up in mason jars with a festive muffin paper on top and holiday ribbon and you have a quick and easy present or hostess gift. The quart jars hold about 10 servings of cocoa and this recipe made enough to fill two. Or gift one and savor the rest of the batch for yourself. I won't tell.

All you need is a whisk or a blender. I prefer the blender to really get everything uniformly mixed, but work with what you've got.

Peppermint Crunch Hot Cocoa Mix

adapted from The Tasty Cheapskate

You Will Need:

• 3 c. sugar
• 3 c. instant dry milk powder
• 1/2 c. Ghirardeli Cocoa
• 1/2 c. Hershey's Cocoa, 100% Cocoa 'Special Dark'
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
• miniature marshmallows

To make the mix, place all the ingredients, except the peppermint baking chips and marshmallows, in a blender. Pulse until well pulverized and mixed. 

*You can also just whisk together the ingredients, but you won't have a uniform texture in the mix. The milk powder can contain bigger lumps. My mom's had lumps though and it tasted just as good.

To make the cocoa: Add 1/4 cup mix to 3/4 cup hot water. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the top with the miniature marshmallows and Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

For gifting: Layer the cocoa, peppermint chips and miniature marshmallows. I divided the mix between two jars and filled the rest up with the toppings. Decorate the jar and add a tag or label with the mix instructions.

Enjoy!

Now go check out the other blogs participating this week in The Secret Recipe Club: