Product Review: MOCAFE Precious Divinity Spiced Chai

I've had my fair share of steamy, creamy chai over the years. Loose blends, tea bags, liquids, homemade concoctions--you name it, I've tried it. While I've not yet had the pleasure strolling down a busy street in Mumbai to purchase an authentic cup of chai from a chai wallah, I am a self-professed chai aficionado so I know a good cup of chai when I drink one. :>)

I found MOCAFE Precious Divinity Spiced Chai Tea Mix while browsing the gourmet section of one of my favorite discount stores and it has quickly become my favorite instant hot drink mix!

The label boasts "a potent concoction of fragrant spices and rare estate grown tea"...I'll say! It's pre-sweetened, creamy (contains non-fat milk) and has the perfect amount of spice. Just add hot water to three tablespoons of the mix and you'll soon find yourself enveloped in a warm, comforting hug. Also available in decaf. My only gripe is that I would have liked a little less sweetness but hey it's chai--it's supposed to be sweet, right? Anyway, my son and I have been blown away by the convenience and creamy deliciousness of this drink. I am happy to give my latest find 5 hearts! ♥♥♥♥♥

MOCAFE makes a variety of delicious-looking drink mixes. Next, I'm trying the Mexican Spiced Ground Chocolate...YUM! You can find the chai and their other drink mixes here: MOCAFE™ Online Store

Rave: Island Coconut Coffee by Green Mountain Coffee

Are you old enough to remember those little rectangular-shaped coconut cookies they used to sell back in the day? They were flat w/horizontal fork lines in them and were sold two for a penny? A lot of corner stores and penny candy stores sold them. They'd put the cookies in a brown paper bag--it seemed like a million of them for a quarter--and by the time you got home, the oil from the cookies had seeped through the bag. They were without a doubt the best coconut cookies I've ever had!

I am rather advanced in age so maybe the memory of those cookies has been romanticized by the mind of the wide-eye little girl I was at the time but I've never forgotten those crisp little beauties and every time I smell coconut I think of them.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a cup of Island Coconut coffee by Green Mountain Coffee and it tasted exactly like the coconut cookies from my childhood! I stood there stunned...silently thanking God for creating man (or woman) who created this amazing coffee blend. I don't believe I've ever met anyone who loves coffee as much as I do and as much as I love it, I'll be honest and say I don't know enough about coffee to properly review it. I'll just say that it was one of the best flavored coffees I've ever had--and that is saying a lot! In fact, I love this coffee so much I felt it warranted a full blog post to hail it's greatness.

Here's how they describe Island Coconut coffee it on the Green Mountain Coffee website:

"Indulge your senses with this delightfully fragrant, tropical taste treat. We've captured the lush aroma of freshly grated coconut – fruity, fresh, exotic – and blended it with the subtle sweetness of a lightly-roasted, Central American coffee. The result is as refreshing as it is unexpected. "

Island Coconut Coffee

...Blah, blah, blah...if you say so. All I know is I never want to be without this coffee...lol. From what I understand it is a seasonal product offered only in spring and customers are pleading with the company to sell it year round. Consequently, it is not currently available on their website. I found a few people selling it on Ebay--but only in K cups/pods. I prefer to make my coffee in a full pot so I haven't purchased one of those single-cup coffee brewers. If you like flavored coffees and happen to see this coffee at a supermarket or specialty store, try it. I'm on the hunt to find more of this stuff--hopefully I can find bags instead of the pods...wish me luck!

Got Juice?

Product Review: GE Juice Extractor

I bought the GE Juice Extractor today.  I've never used a juicer before and wasn't sure what to expect.  I've researched several juicers online and decided I would purchase the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer but once I started reading the customer reviews (most reviews were not that great), I changed my mind.

I saw the GE Juice Extractor at Walmart and decided to give it a try.  I used the juicer to make my Verde Cooler (white grapes, cucumbers & celery) because I wanted to see how the juicer processed the juice compared to the way I usually make it (processed in food processor and strained through cheesecloth).

The unit was very easy to assemble and the instructions were detailed and very clear.  The unit has two speeds and boasts an 800 watt motor which is higher than some of the other models I've seen.  It has a large, detachable pulp container and a fairly large feeding chute. I cleaned the fruit/veggies and gave the cucumbers and celery a rough chop before feeding them in the chute.  I was amazed at how fast the unit processed the juice!  It was very easy and quick.  I got a little more juice than I did when I used the food processor and the juice processed by the juicer was a little more concentrated.  Delicious!!!  The only negatives that I can see: the motor is very loud and the spout could have been an inch or two longer but they are very small negatives.

The cleanup was very easy also except the stainless steel filter was a little challenging to clean.  I finally had to use a small brush which worked very well to loosen the tiny food particles trapped in the filter.  Since I'm a virgin juicer I don't have any other experiences/machines to compare it with but for the money, $39.00, I'd say it was definitely a great buy.  I cannot attest to the durability as I just purchased it today but it comes with a two year warranty and that helped to put my mind at ease.  I really love this juicer so far and can't wait to create more juice recipes.  Taking into consideration the price and ease of operation and cleaning, it's easy to give the GE Juice Extractor 5 stars! *****

Detox-Tini: Shaken--Not Stirred

You work hard to keep your body looking good on the outside but what are you doing to keep your insides working at optimal levels of efficiency? Regular body detoxing has many proven benefits including assisting the body with the elimination of environmental and other toxins, increased energy, weight loss and much more.  Although natural dietary supplements can be good for our bodies, most of them don't taste so great.  Since I try to do a body detox at least once a month I needed to find something that was gentle and  effective.  My solution? A liquid herbal formula called Detox Drops.  I've created a "detox cocktail" to help make my detoxing experience a little more palatable. Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup V8 V-Fusion Peach Mango (or Acai Mixed Berry) Juice

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

15 drops of Detox Drops blend

4-5 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (or covered jar) and gently shake to blend. Pour in martini glass, garnish with fruit slice or olive and sip gleefully.

You can drink this or a similar cocktail three times a day and the best news, other than the fact that this drink is delicious, is that if you prepare it with any of the V8 V-Fusion juice blends, you're getting 1/2 cup of vegetables, 1/2 fruits and natural antioxidants with each 8oz. serving.  Detoxing has never tasted so good and your taste buds and your internal organs will thank you. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Note:  You can substitute the V8 V-Fusion peach mango juice for another low-sugar juice blend, add a few of the Detox Drops to hot or cold tea or take the drops orally.

Valentine Martini

This stylish drink will make Love blossom on Valentine's day!

Valentine Martini

2 ounces raspberry vodka
1 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
6 raspberries
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
dash of sugar syrup
ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice cubes. Shake then double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Decorate with fresh raspberries on a cocktail stick and a lime or orange twist. Cheers!

Note: This recipe makes 1 drink. Increase ingredients as needed to make a larger batch.