Ultra Creamy, Uber Delectable and Customizable Coffee Creamer

Guten Tag, my friends! If you follow me on instagram, you'll know that since I don't have adorable kiddos to post pictures of everyday, I share pictures of my adorable coffee. Yes, yes I know, some of you may think it's a little lame and sad, but I think it's a little awesome...I love my coffee and I love religiously going to my coffee bar armoire to whip up a delectable drink I enjoy relaxing with it by my (ahem...faux) fire. It is my "me" time.

I wanted to share my favorite, ultra delish, ultra creamy, coffee creamer recipe that you can make from home and is totally customizable. Anytime I serve it to guests, they ask me what it is and 90% of the time they never need to add extra sugar because it is delicious on it's own even through it contains no sugar or sweeteners! Get ready for the most embarrassingly simple recipe ever. On a sidenote, besides my IG photo above, all these shots were taken by my super talented lady friends, Ari and Faye of Ari and Faye Photography! So grateful to have these shots and to share some more with you throughout the next few posts!! 

 To make a batch of this customizable and natural creamer, you simply combine:

~ 2-1/2 Cups unsweetened almond milk (I enjoy the vanilla almond milk)

~ 2 Cups heavy whipping cream

~ 1-2 vanilla bean(s) scraped out into the cream, vanilla extract or any other extract (start with a Tbs. and add more to your liking). If you choose to use the vanilla bean instead of the extract, you can leave it in your cream and it will become deliciously more flavorful over the next couple days. Other extracts that I enjoy are pumpkin pie spice extract, butter and rum. Sometimes I will mix all of the above with pumpkin pie spice (found in your spice section) and it tastes remarkably like egg nog without all the sugar. 

 Mix it up, play around with the recipe and tell me what different variations you come up with! I would love feedback on how you liked this! Now I am off to tear apart all the Fall decor I just set up, because I realize I never shared a post with you on my totally updated loft with my new furniture additions. After I shoot all that, I will be setting all the fall goodies up again. I am tired just thinking about it! Good thing I have coffee to help keep me perked up and peppy!

Glühwein/ Vin Chaud/ Glögg Recipe and Bar

One of the many fabulous things about Christmas in Europe, is all the spectacular Christmas Markets. They are unlike anything you could ever experience in The States, like out of an overly staged Christmas movie, but real.

Trier Christmas Market 2012

 They have delectable food, warm spiced wine, and handmade goods. They smell of roasted chestnuts, candy, Nutella crepes and deliciously grilled meats. The flavor that is most incredible and is my personal favorite, is Glühwein, in France, Vin Chaud and in the Nordic countries, Glögg. This hot, mulled wine is most welcomed on a snowy winter's day. Mulled wine dates back to before Christ, when people added spices and herbs to help with the flavor of wine and to add health benefits. I love the sound of wine being healthy for you, ha! Each country has its own version of it and I like to blend all of them to make a version of my own.

I know these strange words can get a little confusing so I made a picture chart to visually explain the difference

Since I make a blend of Glühwein/ Vin Chaud/ Glögg frequently, I thought I would convert my coffee bar into a place for guests to add extra spices, sweetness and fruit to jazz their wine up according to their tastes. This is not a traditional recipe but are some suggestions and recommendations of things to put in yours at home. Play around with it and make it your own! 

You will want to heat up a bottle of inexpensive (expensive is not needed since you will be adding so many flavors) red or white wine. I like to use a half dry or semi sweet wine. Like sangria, both red and white taste different yet wonderful. It is also fantastic made with champagne or prosecco! You will want to heat it in a crock pot, simmer it on low, or place it in a metal bowl within a pot of heated water, so you don't burn off the alcohol. If you aren't a drinker... heat away!  I like to make it lightly sweetened and spiced then let guests add more sweetness and spices according to their taste preferences. When I make it for myself, I throw in a ton of the goodies listed below.

Basic Additions:

- A cinnamon stick or two

- A few cloves (4-6 is a good amount)

- Slices of oranges (peeled)

-A cup or two of pineapple orange juice (not needed but extra yummy)

- A Bay Leaf

-A few tablespoons of sugar (sweeten to taste)

- About 6 Cardamom pods

More Additions

- 1-2 Star of Anise  (this is common in French Vin Chaud)

- Raisins and or figs (common in Nordic Glögg) Oh umlauts... I love you.

-Almonds (also common in Glögg)

-The zest of a lemon or orange

-Vanilla pods

-A shot of liqueur 

You will strain it out through a cheesecloth or drink as is if you are in a hurry to chug-a-lug this epic holiday elixir!

It is absolutely DELISH when topped off with Amaretto! 

While the name Glühwein or Glögg is a bit frumpy, the flavor is nothing short of angelic.

I serve my mulled wine with a cinnamon stir stick and garnish it with a slice of orange. 

Try your own blend and let me know how it goes!!! I would love to hear what combination you use! 

To get more holiday ideas, click on the seasonal box in the right hand column of my blog or click here!

Alrighty, I am off to get my gluhwein on!

DIY {Flavors of Fall} Infused Vodkas

That's right!  I have returned from our fabulous vacation with the family and I am going to show you how to infuse the "Flavors of Fall" into liquid heaven. It is a super simple and age-old process that can be done with any flavor for any season. I let the gorgeous herbs, spices, and freshly harvested fruits below be my inspiration for my four Fall-infused vodkas that I have created. When you serve this at your next party, you will trick all your guests into thinking you are fancy pantsy.

These make lovely gifts as well!  

Collect all your supplies

-A decent amount of mid-grade vodka. Since it will be infused with robust flavors, a top-shelf brand is unnecessary

-Four airtight jars (or the number of jars for amount of flavors you will be making)

-Four bottles (or... blah, blah, blah, see above bullet)

-Fruits, herbs and spices of your choice

The flavors that I have created are:

Apple, Pear, Cinnamon, Vanilla (my favorite!)

Rosemary Vodka 

Vanilla Vodka

and

Blackberry-Sage Vodka

but... you can create anything your boozy little heart desires. 

Let's begin, shall we?

You will want to clean your fruits and herbs and prepare them accordingly.

For Herbs

Rinse with water and dry. You will use the herb as it is, leaving the stems attached.

For Fruits

Clean and towel-dry fruits. Leave berries whole. For larger fruits such as apples or pears, leave the skin on and chop in chunks. If you are using mangos, papayas or pineapple you will need to remove the skin and cut into chunks as well. The more chunks you have the more the flavor will be infused into your vodka. For citrus fruits and strawberries, cut into thin slices or use the citrus peels or zest.

Vanilla

For vanilla infused vodka, slice the bean vertically and use whole bean. 

For Peppers and Garlic (fabulous for Bloody Marys)

Cut peppers into large chunks.

Remove skin on garlic and use the entire clove.

Place your fruit, spices, and herbs in your jars and fill up with vodka. Once the jar is sealed, you will shake the vodka (and your booty!) for a few seconds and continue doing this several times a day.

Store your jars in a cool dark place until your vodka is ready! 

Here are the estimated infusion times for the different flavors you may want to use. The times below are just a suggestion, the best way to find out if your vodka is ready is to taste test it. Remember, these are to be used with mixers and are unsweetened. 

Peppers will only need to infuse for a few hours (around 2-3).

Intense flavors such as cucumbers, basil, coffee beans or vanilla beans take about 3-4 days to infuse. 

Moderate flavors like berries, lavender, cardamom or rosemary will take a week or so to infuse.

Mild flavors like lemongrass or ginger will take around 2 weeks to infuse. 

The estimated ratios for my flavors were:

Vanilla

About 2 cups vodka

1-2 vanilla beans

Rosemary

About 2 cups vodka

3-5 sprigs of rosemary

Blackberry-Sage

About 1.5-2 cups vodka

A Handful of blackberries

6 sprigs of sage

Apple, Pear, Cinnamon, Vanilla

About 1.5 cups vodka

1/2 pear

1/2 apple

2 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean

Modify it however you would like! The best part about this is you don't need to be exact, you can play around to get different flavors and intensities. 

After the vodkas have been infusing for the right amount of time, many will turn a beautiful, rich color. Once it is ready, you will want to filter all the gunk out by using cheesecloth or a coffee filter. 

Voila! It is that simple!

The fresher ones that I created are de-lish in lemonade and the ones with cinnamon and or vanilla are great in cider. Vanilla is good in all the above, including coffee!

I am working on my Christmas flavors now! The mashed potatoes and gravy flavor didn't turn out too well (insert wink).

What flavors will you be creating??

Enjoy and remember to drink responsibly.

Linking up to:

Rosemary, Blackberry, Camembert Grilled Cheese, Drizzled With Balsamic Glaze

I am ridiculously and madly in LOVE with grilled cheese...who isn't...really?? There is something about buttery toast melted, cheese and flavorful toppings that make for a delectable combo. There are tons of yummy and unique grilled cheese recipes out there and I thought I would make a recipe of my own! This is so easy and works great as a main course or as an appetizer. 

and be prepared for yumminess!!

For the homemade balsamic glaze (heaven in your mouth) recipe...click the picture below! 

I enjoy it lightly sprinkled with salt! Much like in design, when it comes to food, I like a good blend of colors and textures that hit all five senses. This recipe is salty, sweet, tangy, creamy and crunchy!

 Buon Appetito!

Linking Up To:

Nom, Nom, Nom Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Somebody hold me back...Seriously, this stuff is Yum Town, USA... I could drink it. Balsamic glaze is awesome on EVERYTHING, pizza, flank steak, bruschetta, creamy polenta, salad, crispy chicken, as a marinade for meats and fish, drizzled over grilled veggies, to sauté mushrooms with, on pasta and the list goes on and on... In fact, I will be sharing a few recipes with you over the next few days that you can use your homemade balsamic glaze with! 

Such as this beautiful cucumber and strawberry salad that I saw on the Oh Sweet Basil Blog. The balsamic glaze is perfect on it!

It is also the perfect topping on the Molly McCulloch version of grilled cheese.

Now, I am no expert on cooking (or anything for that matter), but I know this is easy and yummy. This is not only finger licking good, but is seriously the perfect recipe for those of you who are lazy and like your recipes to be simple...or if just too busy with life to to make fancy things. This homemade sweet balsamic glaze makes a great gift too! Be prepared to impress your friends and family.

Use your... 

For the absolute best results! Click the picture above to get the recipe...it's stupid easy.

Alright, I will stop gabbing about it, here goes it...

I even made you guys some labels to put on your vinegar bottle, so it looks extra fancy! Feel free to print them up and use them! Or, if you want to make your own label, head on over to The Graphics Fairy Blog (where I found these awesome vintage frames) and make your own! 

Ours doesn't have a label yet because our printer isn't working (insert sad face).

I hope you like this sweet and tangy, savory treat! 

Stay tuned for recipes to use the glaze with! 

Have a fab day folks!

Insanely Delish Homemade Brown Sugar

Well, howdy there! I hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend as much as I am! I have been up to loads of fun projects! What about you?

Something I really enjoy is Balsamic glaze... It is so yummy on EVERYTHING! Seriously you guys...I think I may be addicted. Anyway, yesterday I went to make some yummy, thick, and sweet balsamic glaze and to my surprise, we were out of one of the two ingredients I needed to make it...brown sugar. Since everything is closed on Sundays here in Germany, and we live pretty far from base, I decided to make my own. It is waaaaaaaaay better than the store bought junk. I am pretty sure I will never buy brown sugar again (unless I am feeling lazy that is). The homemade version is just too darn delicious!

Yup folks...It's really that easy. Go make some right now, you'll need it for the balsamic glaze recipe coming up! Also, How incredible will this sugar taste in Oatmeal, Baked goods, homemade BBQ sauce   and in a zillion other types of foods?!?! Yum.

Before I leave to work on some more fantastical projects, what do you think of my tea cup scoops?? I LOVE them. They are just vintage tea cups that measure 

8 oz. exactly... I think they are darling!

 Happy Memorial Day! And DON'T forget all those who gave their lives for our precious freedoms! xo

DIY Chocolate Syrups

That's right folks... all those decadent and delicious flavors for your coffee, milk and ice cream in minutes! Yeaaaaaa! Not only do we not get decent iced coffee in my area of Germany, but the cafes (which I LOVE) don't offer seasonal drinks. This is my simple solution to that! 

Here is a base recipe for simple, delicious and inexpensive milk chocolate syrup.

Milk Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey's or Ghiradelli)

1 1/2 cups sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup water

In a small saucepan, gently whisk together the sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil and be sure to stir it occasionally. Reduce heat and let your syrup cook for one minute. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Store in the refrigerator and drizzle it on EVERYTHING.

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For other flavored syrups, use the same recipe and instead of using vanilla use these flavors! I found that the perfect amount of flavor for this amount of chocolate syrup was (almost) a teaspoon of the extracts... You can add more or less to suit your taste. Drizzle the syrups in milk or coffee, over ice cream or blend to make a milk shake or frappe. 

Coconut Mocha (my personal fav)

(almost) 1 tsp coconut extract. Mixed with iced coffee, it tastes like a toasted coconut mocha! Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Butter Rum

(almost) 1 tsp rum extract

Garnish with whipped cream.

Thin Mint

(almost) 1 tsp mint extract

Garnish with whipped cream crushed thin mints.

Almond Joy

1/2 tsp almond extract and 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Chocolate Hazelnut

(almost) 1 tsp hazelnut extract

Garnish with whipped cream and toasted, crushed Hazelnuts.

Biscotti

(almost) 1 tsp almond extract

Garnish with whipped cream and crushed biscotti.

Shazaam! You now have yourself some delicious, homemade syrups! They make beautiful gifts too!

I like mine over ice-cold Illy coffee topped with whipped cream... It is HEAVEN!

What is your favorite flavor???

Polka Dots and Spring-Time Randomness

Hey, hey, hey! I recently ordered a fabulous burlap and gold polka dot pillow that I received the day after I shot the pictures of our updated living room...Sorry if you are seeing this twice, as I updated my last post with pictures of it, but I had to give it it's own (or semi own) post.  I LOVE THIS PILLOW!!! It (along with the Lindsay Letters canvas and silver tree stump side table) is what I love most in design, complete opposites. I get all goofy and excited (I may or may not jump up and down and take diet coke shots) when I blend opposites, like burlap and gold, sparkly wood, a chandelier over a pallet table,  and a deer and chalkboard piece in a gold gilded frame. I can't get enough of blending opposites. It, my friends, is a way to ensure your space looks neither too masculine nor too feminine. When I do this mixing process,  I get a weird rush of excitement, almost like I am breaking a rule (that doesn't exist anymore)...Mwaahahahahahahahaha. Yup, that is about as crazy and edgy as I get.

The polka dots on the pillow, catch the light nicely and compliment  my funky, gold, gilded, feather pillow. It was an absolute pleasure ordering from the owner of this Etsy Shop, The Comforts of Home Decor.

I also ordered these tres-fab, homemade, vintage style straws from The Party Fairy.

You guessed it... you turn into a fairy and party when you drink out of them! They are majestic. I can't wait to put them in a summer time sipper! When I see these colorful little delights, I imagine myself drinking a delicious fruity drink while riding on the back of a unicorn (can you tell I haven't slept in a while?). She is another pleasure to order from and has been featured in MANY big time magazines! Check out her beautiful shop!

Speaking of a burst of springtime in your mouth, check out these Cadbury, Peep S'mores from the awesome blog, Amy's Cooking Adventures!

I will be eating one or five of these this Easter. 

 These are my army of gnomes... doing what they do best.

Below is a shot of a gorgeous merry-go-round I stumbled on in Provence last month... I love the couple kissing in the bottom left corner. The colors of the merry-go-round match my gnomes!

Since I can't find my spring decor in our boxes ( We still are not completely unpacked), I wanted to share a cloche display I did last year.

Below are some that my fabulous friend Iris (from the "She's Nothing but a Copycat Blog" did this Spring!

 I love that she even stamped the egg!

I am off to pass the heck out. Cheers!