Apple Cider Vanilla Hot Cocktail

Fall in a cup! This hot cocktail came out of my love for fall hot drinks so I mixed vanilla tea and apple cider and spiked it. It was delightful!

The Three Bite Rule - Cider Tea Cocktail

Apple Cider & Vanilla Tea Hot Cocktail
Ingredients: (for 2)

1 cup cider
1 cup vanilla tea (or a tiny bit of vanilla extract into black tea)
1-2 shots vanilla vodka
~4 tablespoons whipped cream
sprinkle of cinnamon sugar

Directions:
Brew the tea and warm the cider.

The Three Bite Rule - Cider Tea Cocktail

Mix one part tea (1/2 cup) with one part cider (1/2 cup) and half the vodka and stir. Sweeten to taste – I left my tea unsweetened but normally sweeten when drinking it by itself!
Top with whipped cream and a cinnamon sugar sprinkle.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Cider Tea Cocktail

I loved this! It wasn’t so so sweet since I hadn’t sweetened the tea but could see it being good either way. Rim the glasses with cinnamon sugar and skip the whipped cream if you wish!

This one seems great with brunch since it is light, and would be great at Thanksgiving! These would work well as a big batch, like in a pitcher and guests could spike it (or not). Serve them for day-drinks or tailgating!

Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie

Hot weather brings on the smoothies! I rarely make them in the winter and this one is so so summery plus I have lots of adaptations for you!

The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie

It is a bit sweeter than my usual which I credit to a lemonade. Kids would love this and blueberry based smoothies are ideal for hiding greens. I don’t pretend they’re not there, but you also don’t see them in the finished one.

Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie
Ingredients
: (for 2 small servings as snack, or 1.5 large servings as meal)
1 1/2 cups greens (mine is baby spinach, then frozen)
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup lemonade
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
lemon zest

The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie

Directions:
Blend together the greens, yogurt, and lemonade. Then add in the blueberries, protein powder, flaxseed, and lemon juice. Blend well and add a splash of water if needed for consistency and pour into cups.
Top with some lemon zest.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie

I loved this one and like them to be a breakfast meal – sometimes with a handful of cheerios or 1/2 a granola bar or a hard boiled egg. I often workout in the morning and hate to feel like I’m only on liquids when I’m starving.

Adaptations:
– swap lemonade for: lemon juice + water + honey/agave (doesn’t even have to be mixed- just dump it in!)
– skip the protein powder and/or skip the flaxseed
– increase the yogurt or swap for Greek yogurt
– skip the yogurt all together or substitute banana for creaminess in a dairy free smoothie.
– if using fresh fruit & greens, it won’t be as think/cold but adding in some ice helps.
– if sharing with the kids, I usually water theirs down with whole milk and serve it as a drink, alongside their breakfast (~2 oz smoothie + 2 oz milk).

Since mine are usually a meal, I go for yogurt as a dairy serving and the protein powder to keep it filling (I like this kind best).

The best way to blend the greens is to incorporate with the liquids blending well then adding in other fruits. A high speed blender will blend them all at once. I blend all at once with a Vitamix and used to blend in 2 stages with a Ninja for the best consistency.

I buy baby spinach fresh in a bag and pop the whole thing into the freezer. Pulling out a bunch for the smoothie has such a satisfying splintering effect. Also in real life, I dump into the blender without measuring!

This is a nice twist considering I pretty much only make the Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie anymore. Leftovers are great into popsicle molds!

Happy smoothie-ing!

Chocolate Almond Smoothie

If the start of 2021 has you feeling crummy and seeking positive choices, this smoothie is perfect! It is DELICIOUS but also full of good stuff. I tend not to make many in the winter, so, enjoy this one!

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Almond Smoothie

This one is a meal – I’m going for protein & fiber and wanted to hit fruit and dairy here. This can be downgraded to a snack by skipping the yogurt, adding a bit more water, and serving as 4 smaller portions.

Chocolate Almond Smoothie
Ingredients: (serves 2-3)

1 frozen banana (or 1 cup frozen cauliflower)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder)
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 – 1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup water
a few ice cubes

Directions:
Add frozen banana/cauliflower, yogurt, chocolate protein powder/cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, almond extract, milk, water, and ice to a blender.

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Almond Smoothie

Blend & enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Almond Smoothie

I loved this! I was a bit heavy handed with the almond extract the first time – so use with caution and measure. It totally brings a unique flavor – especially if you don’t loooove protein powder. Mint extract would be a good alternative too! My fav protein powder is Amazing Grass brand, especially peanut butter or vanilla. Any chocolate-ish smoothie could definitely include/hide frozen greens. I almost did but I also wanted to keep it simple. Go for it – you won’t taste or see some frozen baby spinach in there!

My all-time fav smoothie is this PB&J Smoothie so if you got a new blender, this one is a winner and often the only one I make!

The Three Bite Rule - PB & J Smoothie Healthified

Pink Grapefruit Refresher

Cheers! If now isn’t the time for a fun drink, I don’t know when is! I whipped up this as an afternoon frozen treat but it definitely lends itself to being a frozen cocktail too! I never make drinks anymore but need to get back to it. This one has pink grapefruit juice with lemonade to mellow out the tartness. The grenadine adds some sweetness plus it brightens up the color!

My blender can totally pulverize ice but this drink could be on ice too- especially if it would be too icy and chunky, I’d shake it and serve over ice.
The Three Bite Rule - Pink Grapefruit Refresher

Pink Grapefruit Refresher

Ingredients:

2 cups ice
3/4 cup lemonade
2/3 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon grenadine

Directions:

Add everything into the blender.
The Three Bite Rule - Pink Grapefruit Refresher
Blend well.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Pink Grapefruit Refresher
I loved this. The pink grapefruit is distinct and I knew it needed more sweetness. I used 100% ruby red grapefruit juice and a single serve lemonade. My tests were just frozen slushies which was truly a highlight of the afternoon. Each of the kids were stealing sips while they played outside.

For an evening version, I’d add some citrus vodka.

Guest Post: Peanut Butter & Banana Old Fashioned Cocktail

Today is a great day for a guest post, right!? We all need a cocktail right now and I’m thrilled to introduce you to Mike! We met in college and I fondly remember wearing a shirt to a conference that said “Have you met Mike?”. He has always been one to bring people together so cocktails in these strange times seems ohh-so fitting. Mike has been posting FAN-TASTIC cocktails and I asked if he’d share one here. Woohoo! Bottoms up! Meet Mike:

My name is Mike Lawlor, and I am the AGM for two different restaurants in Dorchester, Ashmont Grill & Tavolo Ristorante.  I come up with seasonal cocktails for each establishment with the help of my bartenders.  When the governor and mayor decided to move restaurants to take out only I decided I would post cocktail recipes that were delicious and approachable for the every day person with ingredients they may have in their pantry and liquor cabinet.  I am fortunate enough to manage two bars where I have endless resources.  Some cocktail recipes I will offer an easy suggestion for a replacement.

The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned

When we closed the doors at Ashmont Grill we let our staff do some grocery shopping on items that wouldn’t last through all this craziness.  We are a tight knit family so we wanted to make sure everyone had some food to last through these hard times.  I grabbed some bananas and decided to freeze them.  My roommate came home night with a bottle of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey…ding ding!  Who doesn’t love a peanut butter and banana sandwich?  I sure do!  Growing up my favorite sandwich was a PB and banana on cinnamon raisin bread.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned

The Cocktail:

Peanut Butter & Banana Old Fashioned

2 oz. of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
1 oz of Banana Puree
2 Dashes of Chocolate Bitters

Preparation:

Banana Puree:
1 Cup of water and sugar
2 bananas Chopped
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
Bring water and sugar to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Add the bananas and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or so.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
Take off heat, let cool. Blend and then strain.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
LETS MAKE THE COCKTAIL!
Grab your cocktail shaker.  Add the ingredients and stir with a bar spoon.  Add some ice, stir again.  Grab a glass of your choice and drop in some ice (I recommend a large whiskey cube so it doesn’t dilute the drink) strain the cocktail and cheers!
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
I hope you’re inspired and mix up a cocktail. I’ve had multiple virtual happy hours and will have to mix up a cocktail instead of wine for my next one!!

Caramel Coconut Coffee

These strange times call for jazzed up home coffees! Social distancing isn’t really a coffee change for me. I tend to not spend $4 on a fancy coffee, but LOVE to whip up fun drinks at home. There’s still joy in sipping this while playing legos or putting shapes into the correct shaped hole. I’m aiming to post when I can, depending on what we an access. We’ll see!

Plus, you can order all these ingredients for groceries delivered.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Coffee

Caramel Coconut Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee
1/4 cup coconut almond milk
1 teaspoon caramel syrup

Directions:

Brew coffee.
Warm the milk just to take the chill off. Then froth the milk (either with a milk frother or shaken vigorously in a glass jar).
Drizzle caramel sauce onto the sides of the cup then add in the coffee. Spoon the foam onto the top.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Coffee
The coconut is subtle and not as creamy as real milk but it foamed well! I have this one and it is the best treat $12 can get you!

P.S. I have some other ideas for your leftover caramel syrup: Caramel Apple Smoothie; or Salted Caramel Cider French Toast; or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Caramel; or Turtle Hot Chocolate.

Gingerbread Syrup for Hot Drinks

Gingerbread lattes! Gingerbread americanos! Gingerbread hot chocolates! The possibilities are endless! I 100% wait until after Thanksgiving for Christmas things but these flavors felt fall enough to fit this week of Thanksgiving.

The Three Bite Rule - Gingerbread Syrup

Gingerbread Syrup

Ingredients:

(makes ~2 cups, or 12 servings. Half unless gifting!)
1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs honey
2 tbs molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated or minced ginger
1 strip orange peal

Directions:

Heat everything together and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour through a mesh strainer, or through a cheese cloth, or through a coffee filter.
The Three Bite Rule - Gingerbread Syrup
Stir into coffee and top with frothed milk. (Microwave milk in a glass jar for 15 seconds. Screw on the top and shake vigorously.)
The Three Bite Rule - Gingerbread Syrup
Top with whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of nutmeg!
The Three Bite Rule - Gingerbread Syrup
I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and use a veggie pealer to shave the skin off and then chop or grate. It lasts forever and is a great addition to peanut sauce or smoothies too.

I loved this! It was such a fun treat to have on hand! It is delightful in coffee or in hot chocolate. The flavor is strong so a tablespoon felt like plenty in a cup. This makes more than enough so I’ll half it next time.
The Three Bite Rule - Gingerbread Syrup

Dragon Fruit Smoothie

This might be the easiest smoothie I’ve ever made yet it feels the most exotic! It only has 3 ingredients! Unlike many of my other smoothies, this one isn’t a meal, but is a great cool fruit serving as a snack or with something else for breakfast.
The Three Bite Rule - Dragon Fruit Smoothie
I buy these frozen dragon fruit puree packs at the grocery store and I went full on tropical for the flavors here: dragon fruit, mango, and coconut!

Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 dragon fruit puree pack
~1 cup frozen mango
1 cup coconut almond milk
1/2 cup water, as needed

Directions:

Add the dragon fruit. mango, and coconut almond milk into the blender.
The Three Bite Rule - Dragon Fruit SmoothieBlend and add water as needed for your desired consistency. (I used ~1/2 cup)
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Dragon Fruit Smoothie
How pretty is THAT??? Dragon fruit = pitaya. I often see both words on the package. Those frozen packs are beautifully pink and a bit of a splurge but this nicely highlights the sweet flavor. The color is even more radiant without any dairy in there- not that I should call almond milk dairy. I really only use it for the flavor. There’s nowhere near the calcium or protein of regular milk but I don’t loooove milk so I can appreciate almond this with a more watery and coconut flavor.

I should have poured some into my popsicle containers! This would be a good one!

Mocha Smoothie

I took a different route on this smoothie and made it into a snack-like smoothie versus a breakfast kind of smoothie. It was really good and hit the spot on a coffee-sat-too-long kind of day. It isn’t super sweet so the coffee flavor is for real. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fun coffee drink, but the serving of fruit can’t hurt. Right?
The Three Bite Rule - Mocha Smoothie

Mocha Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee, chilled
1 1/2 cups frozen pear or banana
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed meal

Directions:

Blend everything together. If it is too thick add in a bit more milk or some water.
The Three Bite Rule - Mocha Smoothie
Enjoy!

This was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. A squirt of whipped cream made me fall more in love. I can see this one repeating when it is too hot to think!
The Three Bite Rule - Mocha Smoothie

Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie, Healthified

Wayyy back, circa 2013 I made a peanut butter and jelly inspired smoothie. Since then, I’ve been drinking a new version with a green base. I made this one several times a week while pregnant with Baby C and my preschooler had some whenever I made it. The greens in the base are totally camouflaged so it is a great green-smoothie starter.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & J Smoothie Healthified
I often use a smoothie to be my breakfast- with something small later, like 1/2 cup Cheerios or a hard boiled egg. It also makes a great snack during this busy, on-the-go season!

PB & J Smoothie, Healthified

Ingredients (for 1-2 servings: 1 meal or 2 snacks)

1 1/2 cups greens (spinach or baby spinach & baby kale mix)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1-2 tablespoon peanut butter (or 1 scoop peanut butter protein powder)
water

The Three Bite Rule - PB & J Smoothie Healthified

Directions:

Add greens, milk, and yogurt to the blender and blend well. Keep blending once it seems like enough. The more the better!
The Three Bite Rule - PB & J Smoothie Healthified
Then add in the blueberries, ground flaxseed, and peanut butter.
Add small increments of water until desired consistency. (I end up using about 1/2 cup usually)
Blend well and enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - PB & J Smoothie Healthified
I like it best with regular vanilla yogurt but Greek has more protein (and more tang). I buy this bag of “juicing greens” which is baby spinach and baby kale. Once it has hung around about a week and there is any left, I freeze it an break some off for smoothies.

I add the water to get it to a drinkable consistency. Milk would work too. I keep adding, very slowly, until it splashes on the sides of my blender. Then I know it’ll go through the straw well.