Hot Chocolate

This incredible drink serves 2-4 in small cups - or more if served in demi tasse coffee cups. It is very rich so small serves are plenty!

100g plain dark chocolate
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cream whipped
Cinnamon quill for stirring - optional

In a small saucepan heat the milk gently and add the chocolate broken into pieces. Stir till chocolate is completely melted. Do not boil! Place a dollop of whipped cream in the bottom of each cup and gently pour in the hot chocolate so the cream rises and diffuses into the mixture. Add marshmallows if you must or use a cinnamon quill, or mint sticks to stir

Breakfast Smoothies

Tropical Dream Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped banana
toasted shredded coconut, for sprinkling

Mixed Berry Combo Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Spiced Vanilla And Banana Smoothie

200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup banana
extra cinnamon, for sprinkling

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve with a straw.

Drinks for kicking off your morning

Drink warm water with fresh lemon or lime juice & cayenne pepper every morning to kickstart your metabolism.

15min later, drink morning juice:
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
2 apples
1 beetroot
1 bunch spinach
1 inch fresh ginger

Low carb slimming raw juice
1 orange
2 sticks celery
1/2 cucumber
1/2 cup green spring beans
2 sprigs parsley

Baileys Irish Cream

Baileys Irish Cream

3 tins Nestle condensed milk
3 tins Carnation evaporated milk
3 x 300ml Bulla thickened cream
1 1/2 x 250g blocks Cadbury chocolate
6 teaspoon vanilla essence
700ml Scotch Whisky
Optional - 1 1/2 teaspoon Coffee

Melt chocolate in a double saucepan. Heat condensed milk and gradually stir into melted chocolate. Mixture may become lumpy, don't worry, just blend until smooth in an electric blender. Allow to cool. In a very large bowl mix chocolate with remaining ingredients. Pour into empty, cleaned, scotch bottles and refrigerate at all times.

Makes 5-6 x 750ml bottles

Choc Banana Protein Shake

I'm on a bit of a health kick at the moment and have been keeping my calorie intake down to around 1400 per day as well as exercising and avoiding my beloved white wine.

I've been doing pretty well, sticking to my eating plan, getting exercise a few times a week and the kilos have started to come off. To ensure that I don't hit a plateau I need to ensure that I don't under-eat and go into starvation mode because my body will start burning muscle instead of fat.

So when I'd had my standard breakfast of Forme yoghurt (Peach & Mango today), a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, some La Zuppa Cauluflower & Pea soup mid afternoon, celery with cheddar cheese spread after my run, and pesto chicken with loads of vegies for dinner and found myself sitting around 1000 calories I decided to make mysef a smoothie.

I've been trying to incorporate more protein and flax seeds into my diet so I came up with this delicious thick & creamy smoothie. I had it all to myself but it really should serve 2 because I'm still struggling to finish it while typing this...

200ml Zymil Lacose-free/Low-fat milk
1 medium banana, sliced
1 tub (175g) Yoplait Forme Yoghurt - French Vanilla
35g sachet Xantrax Diet Shake - Chocolate Fudge
10g flax seeds, ground in a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder

Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until combined.

Serves 2

Per serve: 229 cal / 956 kj
Total: 458cal / 1913 kj

Cinnamon Infused Vodka

I've been overindulging on the Sauv Blanc over the festive season and now it is giving me a headache every time I have more than a couple of glasses :-(

So for NYE I was planning on drinking Apple Crumbles but I've just realised that I don't have much cinnamon infused vodka left, damn! I might have to switch to Vodka Sunrises instead...

Cinnamon Infused Vodka
Absolute or Smirnoff Vodka (any good quality Vodka will do)
cinnamon quills/sticks (allow 1 for each 250ml)

Drop the cinnamon stick(s) in the bottle of vodka and seal well.
If you have a dishwasher, run the vodka through your normal wash cycle 5-6 times (when you do your normal load of dishes of course).
Otherwise place bottle in a jug of hot (not boiling) water, replace water regularly over a couple of weeks.
When the vodka has a deep colour and cinnamon smell (approx 2 weeks) take out the cinnamon stick and enjoy!

To serve:
Apple Crumble Cocktail
very good quality, fresh apple juice - I'm currently loving Tassie Crushed Tasmanian Apple Juice (lovely & cloudy). Black label juice is good as well. Just don't use juice off the shelf (you know, the bright yellow stuff that looks like wee….yuk)
lime quarters - 2 per glass
lots of ice cubes
large tall glasses
straws

3/4 fill the glass with ice cubes.
Squeeze each lime quarter into glass and then add lime to the glass.
Pour required amount of vodka and fill with apple juice.
Serve with a straw to mix and enjoy!

Variations:
Instead of using Cinnamon, use a Vanilla Bean (whole, split) and serve with Pineapple Juice and Ice
Fruit, like Strawberries, can also be used. Serve with Aperol, Apple Juice and Ice