Shannon's Supershake with Banana and Oats

When I was visiting my friends Shannon and Melissa in St. Louis, Shannon made the most tasty breakfast shake.  I asked for the recipe and here it is:

It's simple and everybody seems to like it.  You can freeze it too for an icy treat.

Blend all ingredients at once in a blender until smooth:

1 ripe banana
1/4 cu oats
1/2 cu yogurt (plain, vanilla, mango or whatever you like)
1/2 cu milk
1 tbs honey (or more if desired)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (as desired)

It makes a nice quick breakfast or a tasty after dinner treat.

Tasty Twig Tea

About 15 years ago, my dear friend Michelle introduced me to Twig Tea.  Michelle followed a vegan macrobiotic diet long before it became fashionable.  We would study together and sip on twig tea.  I love its earthy flavor and its mellowing effect.  It's very low in caffeine and its made from the twigs and stems of tea plants.  So, there is no waste of these parts of tea plants.  I like Choice Organic Teas because they are organic, environmentally friendly, fair trade and delicious!  So curl up with a nice warm cup of tea and relax.

Yes to Yerba Mate!

It's a chilly and rainy Saturday here and it's perfect for snuggling up with a cup of tea and a good book.  Today's tea selection is Yerba Mate.  Yerba Mate is a little known in North America, but it's drunk often as water in South America. 

In South America, yerba mate has been revered for centuries as the “drink of the gods” and is drunk daily.  Yerba mate grows wild in Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Brazil.  The leaves of the rainforest mate tree naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants.  It does contain caffeine, so you should only consume it in the morning.

The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea.  Yerba Mate should be steeped in hot (not boiling) water.  You can find yerba mate in most tea sections, tea shops and hispanic grocery stores.  Give it a try!!

Bold Basil Lemonade

So, in my quest to use basil creatively, I decided to branch out into beverages. This lemonade has the lovely basil flavor and its uniqueness makes it well worth making.

Boil 4 cups of water with 2 cups fresh basil leaves. Seal into glass mason jar and let infuse for an hour or more.

In a glass, combine to taste:

fresh lemon juice
strained basil water infusion
agave nectar

Enjoy over ice. Also delicious as a cocktail with vodka or rum.

Limey Lime Cooler

Tangy summer drink, good to sip on while reading a book.

Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon honey

Combine lime juice and honey in a jar. Shake until honey is dissolved.
Pour over crushed ice and top with club soda. Enjoy!