drink

Cold-Brewed Shiso & Hibiscus Tea Iced Latte /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

so i'm beginning to think that this nesting thing is real.  for most of this pregnancy i've kept baby stuff at a distance.  call me superstitious or whatever, but having baby things around, or calling our babe by his name has sufficiently freaked me out.  but all of a sudden it became real the other day.  not when frank put together his crib, or when he built his changing table, but a deep visceral, radiating energy flowed over me in a blanket of tears the other morning (yes, more tears. always tears!). 

among other things, we organized the crap out of our tiny home,  bought a super neat organization unit for our 1 closet (this thing has made the happiest ever!), purchased some baskets for the bookcase that will be our little guy's dresser, and went through more kitchen cabinets paring down the many bowls i've collected that took up the better part of our kitchen.  and! i'm beginning to think that this nesting thing hasn't only effected me.  frank took it upon himself to clean out the fridge AND pare down some of his collection of odds and ends: tools, random USB wires - all that fun stuff ;) he even gave up a cabinet to make more room, big things are happening at love residence, guys ;)

but tears and organization aside the past couple of days the weather has been nothing short of perfect!  we turned off the AC, open windows and the door to our backyard.  there are cool, dry breezes, and nothing could feel better right now.  it's the perfect weather to chill outside and #DRINKTHESUMMER!  

the beautiful sherrie from with food + love got a lot of us blog folk together to celebrate late summer by drinking it all up! the recipe i'm sharing today is twist on a regular hibiscus tea iced latte that frequents my kitchen, but with some shiso (or perilla) that's been growing in my garden all summer long.  i wanted to steep it in there for an herbal note, cutting some of the tang.  the tea is cold-brewed which means it takes a bit longer (8-12 hours overnight, to be exact), but is so worth it to me.  the flavors are a bit more smooth and full-flavored than when brewed with hot water and then refrigerated.  i love its creamy quality when the milk is added, it's almost like a tea version of a traditional creamsicle.  and speaking of creamsicles, i've also made these into ice cream floats!  just plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top and you're good to go! ;)

happy late summer, i hope you're all staying cool! xo

check out all the other #DRINKTHESUMMER recipes:

boozy:

non-boozy:

cold-brewed shiso & hibiscus tea iced latte

if shiso is not available to you, you can leave it out all together.  it's not the easiest herb to substitute, but if you're wanting to add an herbal note i would suggest using 1/2 cup thai basil and 1/2 cup mint in its place.  i steeped the tea with a cinnamon just because i love the taste of it with the hibiscus, but you can leave that out for a less spiced flavor.

| makes roughly 4 servings |

  • 3 hibiscus tea bags
  • 1 cup shiso leaves
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons agave, honey, or cane sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • ice
  • 2-4 ounces unsweetened almond milk 

method

  1. place the tea bags, shiso, and cinnamon stick (if using) in a large lidded jar.  pour in the water and place the lid on securely.  let the tea brew overnight for at least 8 hours, or up to 12 hours.
  2. strain the tea of the bags, shiso, and cinnamon stick. add 3 tablespoons of the sweetener of choice, taste and add more sweetener if desired.  
  3. serve in an 8-ounce glass over ice with milk. 

enjoy!

similar recipes:

fizzy lemon-limeade w/ crushed raspberries

fizzy lemon-limeade w/ crushed raspberries

passion fruit & lemon-ginger fresca

passion fruit & lemon-ginger fresca

grapefruit & lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

grapefruit & lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

Summer Fridays! Fizzy Lemon-Limeade w/ Crushed Raspberries /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

hey guys! welcome to the 2nd installation of summer fridays!  a new weekly blog series i'll be sharing this summer all about easy-peasy, low-key snacks, bites, and beverages  :)  last week was all about this vibrant açaí bowl, but today we're talking strictly hydration in the form of this stellar little sipper!

i seriously cannot believe it's july, guys! and that we're almost in the thick of summer already! frank and i are still in the middle of trying to get all things baby organized before my mid-september due date.  after last summer of shooting my book and completing the manuscript, and having a pretty turbulent/life-changing fall and winter i'm ready to seriously chill out a bit. i feel like i haven't been in a peaceful place, like i haven't slowed down once since taking on this blog, and working freelance full-time.  so, in an effort to take care we're planning to lay low this summer, celebrate some weddings with friends, and maybe take a long weekend vacation at some point.  i fully plan to take advantage of any free time though and drive out to eastern long island where there are a ton of salty sea air farms that grow the tastiest of produce (and my favorite peaches!), and hopefully taking in some beautiful beaches as well. what are your plans? (i love to live vicariously through other people's summer vacations!)  ;)

as i mentioned in my last post, my all-time favorite summer beverage go-to is rosé, and since i won't be partaking in any for quite a while, i came up with an equally fun and bright drink to slurp this summer!  it's been getting me through the hottest and steamiest of days, because this whole carrying around another human inside you is no joke, especially in 80-90° temps! i've been using summer berries in this drink for the last few weeks, but raspberries are finally becoming available at the market around here so i was super excited to put them to use.  although, i can't wait until stone fruit season is in full swing - i think they would be way awesome all crushed up here, too!  

in any event, i know i'm going to making a slew of these this weekend with all the 4th of july festivities going on, and i so hope this little recipe provides you with some fizzy inspiration, whether you booze it up or not ;) 

xo's and happy friday!

fizzy lemon-limeade w/ crushed raspberries | v

feel free to make this a spritzer kind of deal with your favorite wine (my personal go-to would be a nice crisp rosé.), or if vodka or gin is your thing booze it up!

| makes 2 drinks |

  • a couple handfuls fresh raspberries
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup, raw honey, or raw agave
  • 24 ounces sparkling water
  • ice

method

  1. divide the raspberries between 2 large glasses and crush them with a fork.  in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lime juice, and 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sweetener of choice), depending on how sweet you want the drink or how sweet your berries are. divide the lemon-lime juice mix and sparkling water between the 2 glasses and add a couple pieces of ice. garnish with extra lemon or lime slices. 

enjoy!

similar recipes:

grapefruit & lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

grapefruit & lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

raspberry-currant crumble cake

raspberry-currant crumble cake

passion fruit & lemon-ginger fresca

passion fruit & lemon-ginger fresca

vodka gingerade w/ spring herbs /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

spring is nearly here and i couldn't be more grateful!  the beginning of this year brought on quite a bit of personal stress, so i'm extremely excited to let the winter pass by, and hold on to the more fond memories it gave us.  the air has been a little more dense with moisture as opposed to the light, crisp air we've had for most of the winter (except those days when it was nearly 60 degrees - wink-wink).  the sun is showering us with more of its golden light, and there are more and more morning chirps from the birds in our crab apple tree.  

for me, spring is the most optical season - where one can witness life and growth so vividly, and experience just how darn amazing this planet is.  it's also the time of year where we collectively emerge from hibernation mode and perhaps seek long walks, fresh air, getting our hands in some dirt, and having friends over for weekend get togethers.  

early spring is still somewhat bare here in nyc.  aside from croqueses and forsythia, the first few signs are when mint, oregano, and thyme leaves casually pop through the earth, or when i notice that there are tiny chive shoots breaking through as well.  and even though they're tiny gestures, it's still a sign of all the abundance that's yet to come!  

i partnered up with Hangar 1 Vodka a few months ago to celebrate vodka picking season, and the fresh ingredients they infuse their vodka with.  and while i wasn't partaking in any alcoholic beverages for most of the winter, an afternoon cocktail party to honor the impending spring months, and its seasonal goods was too compelling to pass up.  i wanted to create something bright and lively, so a zippy vodka gingerade seemed the like the perfect thing to enliven the senses for this new season!  the punchy gingerade is made from fresh steeped ginger that's blended up, and sieved; it's then mixed with fresh lemon-lime juice and agave for a sweet, spicy, and citrusy blender. there's also an assortment of muddled spring herbs, fizzy water, and Hangar 1 Straight Vodka for good measure ;)   

all the warm, sunny spring vibes to you! xo

*this post was created in partnership with Hangar 1 Vodka.  all of the opinions expressed, as always, are my own.  thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

vodka gingerade w/ spring herbs

if  you or a guest do not or cannot drink alcohol, the gingerade mixed with sparkling water is a great substitute and tastes delicious.  

gingerade

| makes roughly 3 1/2 cups |

  • 1 six-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 1/2 cup raw agave 

vodka gingerade

  • 2 parts Hangar 1 Straight Vodka
  • 2 sprigs spring herbs (i used a mix of mint, lemon thyme, and marjoram)
  • 2 parts gingerade
  • 1 part sparkling water
  • ice
  • lime wedges, to serve

method

  1. to make the gingerade, combine the ginger and water in small a saucepan.  bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat off.  steep the ginger and water for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the mixture to a blender (preferably a high speed blender, but a regular one will work just as well) and blend on high for 30-45 seconds, until ginger is broken down.   pour the ginger-water through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, and discard the pulp. whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice, and agave.  let the mixture come to room temperature, then store in a lidded jar. (*note: the mixture will be quite concentrated, so do not be put off by its strong taste, it will be diluted with added with the vodka and sparkling water later on.)
  2. in a lowball glass, crush the herb sprigs, then add the ice, Hangar 1 Straight Vodka, gingerade, and sparkling water; give it a gently stir and serve with lime or lemon wedges.

enjoy!

more beverages:

grapefruit + lime-grape coolers w/ crushed mint

grapefruit + lime-grape coolers w/ crushed mint

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie