Homemade Mango Lassi

You know those fabulous drinks you get at India restaurants?  Did you know you can easily make them at home?  Not only does that mean you can enjoy one anytime, but it will be way cheaper than what you’d pay at a restaurant.  Bonus! 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 1 cup plain kefir
• 1 cup diced mango (thawed if using frozen)
• 2 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey
• If you have trouble finding kefir, you can use plain yogurt instead (not the Greek stuff) and just add 1 Tablespoon of water. 

You won’t believe how easy this is.  Throw your diced mango into the blender. 

Pour in the kefir.

Add the agave.  Honey is actually more traditional, but I prefer the flavor with agave.  Use whichever you like.

So, everything’s in the blender?  Just turn it on and let it run until everything is nice and smooth. 

Pour over plenty of ice. 

Even more delicious than the restaurant version, made with high quality, organic ingredients, and a fraction of the cost.  What’s not to love? 

What’s your favorite drink to get when you go out?

Mace will make you scream... for ice cream!

It may come as news to you that mace is more than just pepper spray.  Or you might also know it as a weapon like this. 

The mace I’m talking about today has no relation to either of those, whatsoever.  This mace is actually a spice that comes from the nutmeg tree.  In this picture, the brown nut on the left is an example of nutmeg.  At the bottom, in the middle you can see an example of mace.  It is that red coating surrounding the nutmeg within.  When it is peeled off and dried, it turns more of an orange color.  It is then ground into a fine powder.    

I know, it doesn’t look like anything special, but trust me, it can turn store bought vanilla ice cream into a gourmet dessert. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Mace

Yep, just two ingredients.  The hardest part of this will be getting your hands on some mace.  If you don’t have a Penzeys near you, you can order it from their website.  Yes, it is a little on the expensive side, but even for just this one application, it’s worth every penny.  All you have to do is scoop some of your favorite vanilla ice cream into a bowl. 

And now for the really complicated part… sprinkle on some mace. 

You have now turned ordinary vanilla ice cream into spice cream!  I know it doesn’t look like much, but it truly is fabulous.  You could even serve it to guests, and they are guaranteed to rave. 

What’s your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream?