beverage

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

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

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca (and a giveaway, too!) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

around this time each year i dream up of some sort of tropical vacation that never seems to pan out.  i fantasize about adventures through balmy rainforests, white sand beaches, tan lines - maybe an overly sweetened tropical drink with one of those paper umbrellas. it seems like forever ago when we honeymooned in costa rica. we visited during the wet season, and on top of that we stayed in a tree house in a rain forest canopy- which was super dope - but our host explained that the humidity was at about 110%.  so wet it truly was!  at least once a day we would try to get down to the beach to relieve ourselves of the oppressive humidity and moisture.  down we laid our incessantly wet towels on the sand and ran down the shore to the cool, refreshing waves.  once we were back on our towels a man with a humble juice cart fitted with a machete would ask if we wanted a fresh drink.  frank would get fresh coconut water, while i would usually get mango batido (made from fresh fruit, water, and ice). it was the most heavenly and enlivening thing to touch my parched mouth that i can still taste it if i think about it hard enough :)

so, whenever the doldrums of winter hit, you can usually find me summoning tropical vibes in some sort of fancy beverage.  this year with so many friends and family going dry for january, wanting to keep their diets clean, or giving their digestive system a bit of a break, i thought there was no better thing than to fuse 2 of my favorite things to drink: tropical batidos + kombucha!  KeVita's kombucha is one of those super power beverages i love to slurp on its own, the thought of all those beneficial probiotics aiding my digestion and my wonky immune system leaves me feeling invigorated and comforted. while this is a loose interpretation of a batido, the fresh fruit juice mixed with KeVita's Sparkling Probiotic lemon-ginger drink (my flavor of choice) is a new favorite! the lemon and ginger whole plant extracts that KeVita uses, mixed with fresh passion fruit juice and a bit of passion fruit seeds make this my non-alcoholic go-to that is awesome for a late afternoon sipper or a more luxurious evening beverage. 

and the best part is that KeVita was generous enough to give 1 lucky reader a 6 month supply of KeVita! to enter:

  1. follow KeVita on instagram
  2. visit Kevita'a facebook page and give them a like
  3. visit the KeVita site and sign up for their newsletter

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this post was created in partnership with KeVita, all opinions are my own, thank you for supporting dolly and oatmeal's sponsors! see the store locator  here to see where you can purchase KeVita in your neck of the woods ;)

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca  

i use passion fruit here because i love its flavor and the texture its seeds lend to the drink.  however, passion fruit can be hard to locate in some places around the globe, so another tropical fruit juice like that from mango, dragonfruit, papaya, or pineapple would work beautifully here as well!

| serves 1 |

  • ice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh passion fruit juice*
  • 4 ounces KeVita lemon ginger Sparkling Probiotic Drink
  • 1-2 tablespoons mineral water or sparkling water
  • fresh thyme springs, for serving
  • passion fruit pulp, for serving

*passion fruit juice

  • 1 ripe passion fruit
  • 2 tablespoons water

method

  1. in a lowball glass or a glass equivalent in size, add a couple pieces of ice, the passion fruit juice, lemon ginger sparkling probiotic, and 1-2 tablespoons sparkling water (depending on the size of your glass).  garnish with a sprig or two of fresh thyme and a good spoonful of passion fruit pulp and seeds. 

enjoy!

*to make the passion fruit juice, cut the passion fruit in half. use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds; add to a blender along with the 2 tablespoons of water.  blend on high for 1 minute.  strain the juice over a bowl with a fine mesh sieve.  transfer juice to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use. 

similar recipes: 

grapefruit + lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

grapefruit + lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

green mojitos

green mojitos

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie