Boozy Iced Mocha

We live dangerously close to Cafe Rustica in Somerville, and I always order an iced mocha when we go there. I just love the combination of coffee and chocolate together.

Yesterday, after a successful meeting in Boston, I rode the T home craving an afternoon iced coffee - specifically, an iced mocha. But since it was Thursday and it was past noon, I decided to put some booze in it. 

Boozy Iced Mocha

Yields: 1 cocktail

-1 cup iced coffee

-1 ounce double espresso vodka

-Splash of creme de cacao

-3 ice cubes

-Unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk you prefer)

Directions:

1.) Pour iced coffee, vodka, and creme de cacao into a cocktail shaker; shake well.

2.) Place ice cubes in a rocks glass; pour coffee mixture over ice. Add almond milk and stir. 

[Print this recipe]

Um, yeah...the hint of rich chocolate from the creme de cacao mixed with the roasted coffee and creamy almond milk was a divine combination. I could all too easily drink this in the morning vs. waiting for cocktail time. But hey, it's almost the weekend, and boozy drinks before noon are totally acceptable - so feel free to have one (or two) of these with brunch tomorrow morning.

Cheers!

My Current Obsessions

Here's another edition of My Current Obsessions! (Other editions can be found here, here, here, here, and here). Here are all of the trivial, random, and/or delicious things I am loving lately.

1.) Whole bean coffee

Z and I got a coffee/spice grinder for our wedding, but we didn't try using the whole bean coffee until a few weeks ago. Z went on a trip with his dad to Utah, and came home with a fresh bag of beans. I immediately grinded a few handfuls and brewed them...and, let's just say, coffee never tasted so good. The beans provided a much more intense yet smooth coffee flavor, and the taste was so much more fresh than the grounds I am used to. I'm officially converted! (Note: Z got the coffee at Beans and Brews).

2.) Pretzels dipped in Nutella

Seriously...how have I never thought of this before?? Salty, crunchy pretzels dipped in sweet, creamy Nutella. It's a divine (and addictive) combination. 

3.) LevelUp

Source: www.forbes.com

Have you guys ever used this app before? Basically, you download it for free, securely enter your credit card information, and you can use it to pay at participating retailers. The best part is: Most of the time, when you first use LevelUp at that retailer, you get a discount (anywhere from $1-$5+ off). From there, after you spend a certain amount of money at that particular store, you get another discount. And, as far as I can tell, LevelUp only works with locally owned businesses - so it encourages you to support local businesses while giving yourself some money off! Win-win. Z and I use LevelUp all the time at Pemberton Farms, and I recently scored $2 off at When Pigs Fly Bakery, too.

4.) Dr. Mario

Source: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Dr._Mario

I realize I am basically a 12-year-old boy, but this game is SO fun. I never played it as a kid, but Z recently introduced it to me on our Wii, and...well, I am a teeny bit obsessed with it. It's basically like Tetris (which I also love), but with Mario characters and pills, which are used to kill off the viruses in the Tertis-like board. I just described the game horribly, but trust me - it's fun.

5.) Dirty martinis

...especially with blue cheese-stuffed olives. I never thought I'd be a fan of a cocktail like this, but it's got a great kick to it (especially my Jalapeno Dirty Martini), it's strong, and it's the perfect beverage to end a long week and kick off a great weekend. We make these a lot at home, but I also love the dirty martinis at Toscano in Harvard Square, Beat Hotel (also in Harvard), and West Side Lounge, right outside of Porter Square. 

What are you currently obsessed with?

Spiked Chocolate Fudge Brownies

When I was younger, my friend Danyelle made me chocolate whoopie pies for my birthday. They were one of the best desserts I had ever had, and it was all because of her secret ingredient: coffee.

Coffee only enhances chocolate's flavor...especially in baked goods (and iced mochas, in my opinion). So, earlier this week when I was making some homemade chocolate brownies, I decided to add a splash of coffee to the mix. But I didn't just add any coffee: I added a [generous] splash of double espresso vodka.

Spiked Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Yields: 9 large brownies

Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet

-10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

-1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-Splash of espresso vodka (I used Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka)

-2 cold large eggs

-1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

-2/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

-Sea salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper (or tin foil) so the parchment hangs over the sides (this way you can lift the brownies right out). Spray the parchment paper too.

2.) Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heat-proof bowl and place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. Stir, watching the butter; if it’s not melting quickly enough, turn up the heat. Keep stirring until the butter’s all melted and you have a paste. Remove the bowl from the pot and allow it to cool slightly.

3.) Stir in the vanilla and vodka with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. Add the flour and stir until it disappears, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in the nuts and spread evenly in your lined pan. Sprinkle the batter with a little bit of sea salt or fleur de sel.

4.) Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out mostly clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack before cutting into nine squares.

[Print this recipe]

The alcohol in the vodka bakes off, but the rich coffee flavor sticks around - and definitely helps to enhance the chocolate's flavor like it's supposed to. I loved how fudgy and rich these brownies are, but the sea salt and walnuts definitely helped to cut some of the richness (in a good way).

These would make a fun treat for any Easter gathering, or simply enjoy one (or two) of these with a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, or for an after-dinner treat. Or, if you're really daring, pair it with some double espresso vodka on the rocks. ;)

What's your favorite chocolate dessert?

My Current Obsessions

I'm at the point where many of my fellow New Englanders are: I'm done with winter.

Don't get me wrong - I love snowboarding, drinking hot cocktails, and enjoying how beautiful the snow makes everything look - but I am just done with the bitter cold. And the wind. And the ice.

But, instead of making this post all about what I dislike, I decided to focus on the things I am currently loving. That should warm things up a bit! (Maybe? Hopefully?!).

1.) Lemon water.

Z sent me this article about the benefits of lemon water a month or two ago, and I've been obsessed with the drink ever since. To be honest, I rarely think about its benefits - I really just drink it because it tastes so damn good. And it's refreshing! Who knew adding a few slices of lemon to tap water would make such a difference?

2.) Pretzel Crisps.

This box of Pretzel Crisps' new flavors - and "mini" Crisps - landed on my doorstep last week. It was a pleasant surprise, especially considering I'm a big fan of the snack food. I haven't tried all of the new products yet, but the Honey Mustard & Onion is a must-try. Especially when dipped in hummus.

3.) True Detective.

[Source]

Um, yeah...is anyone else watching True Detective? This new HBO series just started a few weeks ago, and I am officially obsessed. We typically watch it right after Shameless - my other favorite show - which makes Sunday nights pretty darn awesome. But seriously, I didn't think I'd like this show (which stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson), but I do. It's incredible!

4.) Our new food processor.

[Source]

My tiny, pink food processor finally hit a wall a few weeks ago (conveniently, while I was making hummus for a catering gig). Annoyed, I threw the food processor in the trash and immediately ordered a new, larger one. And I must say, this new gadget of ours makes a world of difference. I haven't even used all of the accoutrements yet, but the standard steel blade works wonders.

5.) Bourbon Coffee.

This Rwandan coffee shop is within walking distance from my house, and I go there often for the great coffee and free wi-fi (they also have a parking lot in the back, thanks to being within the Lesley University building). I actually never even heard of this place until my cousin - who joined the Peace Corps and was heading to Rwanda - told me about it. And I am so glad he did. This place makes some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. It also helps that they have plenty of outlets, considering I need to plug in my laptop. It's also located right off the Red Line for those who commute. Great coffee, atmosphere, and accessibility? Yeah...you can see why I love this spot!

What are you currently obsessed with?

Barnie's CoffeeKitchen Pronto! Brewsticks

I'm one of those weirdos who drinks iced coffee year-round. On rare occasions, I crave a nice, hot cup of coffee, but...that definitely doesn't happen often. I also started drinking coffee (Coffee Coolattas, to be exact) at the age of 12, so I know how I like my iced coffee, 17 years later.

So when the folks at Barnie's CoffeeKitchen - a 30-year-old company based in Florida - asked if I'd like to try their Pronto! single serve coffees, I was skeptical, yet intrigued. I don't like my coffee too strong or too weak, so I was interested to see how their's measured up.

Pronto! is a single serve, cold brewed liquid coffee concentrate made from 100 percent Arabica beans. It also comes in seven fun, unsweetened flavors, including:

• Barnie's Blend
• Cool Cafe Blues
• Creme Brulee
• French Roast
• Hawaiian Hazelnut
• Southern Pecan
• Santa's White Christmas

So, how the heck does Pronto! work? You simply pour one brewstick into 10 ounces of hot or cold water (depending on whether you want hot or iced coffee) and stir. 

I found that the coffee tasted smoother and stronger with a little less water (about 7 to 8 ounces), but that is also based on your preference.

When it comes to the flavors, I was lucky enough to try all of them, but my favorite was the French Roast. This blend of South and Central American beans has subtle flavors of caramel and deep chocolate, without being too sweet.

As of now, us Boston folk can only get Pronto! online, and the company offers free shipping for orders over $20. Pronto! is sold in a container of six sticks, which costs anywhere from $5.99 to $6.99. I think this product is definitely a great idea for camping trips, and would be really convenient to keep in your desk for caffeine emergencies.

If you're a coffee drinker, how do you prefer your's: hot or iced? 

These products were complimentary, but the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Noteworthy Nibbles

I hope you all had a great weekend! We spent our's in Western Massachusetts Saturday for Z's family's Seder celebrations, and then we headed to Haverhill Sunday morning to have Easter brunch with my family (per tradition). It was a wonderful weekend chocked full of great people, delicious food, and lots of laughter.

Since I'm riding on a positive high this Monday morning (totally opposite from last Monday's mood), I wanted to share with you all some great eats (and drinks) I've had lately. One of my "full-time" writing gigs with Scout magazines has me out and about stuffing my face at a lot of restaurants, so I have been fortunate enough to be eating very well lately.

#1: Fortissimo Coffeehouse in Union Square, Somerville.

Fortissimo is an awesome place to work. The cafe boasts free wi-fi, plenty of outlets, and incredible coffee drinks, and they even accept LevelUp (I first went there because I had a $2 credit to use - LevelUp rocks, by the way). The drink above is a Caramel Macchiato, and it costs around $3-$4. 

#2: A recent writing assignment for Scout Cambridge took me to Harvest in Harvard Square, where a friend and I shared the Smoked Gouda and Lobster Mac n' Cheese ($16) at the bar.

Served with lightly dressed organic greens, this decadent dish of creamy, cheesy goodness was one of the best dishes I've had in quite some time. Chunks of fresh lobster were apparent throughout the dish, and the slight smokiness from the gouda complemented the crustacean wonderfully.

#3: I recently joined a book club, and we met last week at jm Curley to discuss "The Virgin Suicides." There, I ordered the Beer and Cheese Soup ($6).

I was initially afraid this would just taste like a bowl of cheese, but, thankfully, this soup was full of flavor. Made with Ellie’s Brown Ale, Vermont cheddar, and hot sauce, the flavors were very well-balanced, and I loved the kick of spice in each spoonful. 

#4: I finally had the opportunity to check out M3 in Davis Square. A friend and I shared a bunch of bar snacks at...well, the bar. Among them were the Fried Cheese Curds ($5) and housemade Garlic and Dill Pickles ($4). 

M3's bar snacks change frequently, but I am pretty positive you won't be disappointed with anything their kitchen creates. The fried cheese curds were coated in a light and crispy batter, and were served with marinara sauce - resulting in them resembling the Southern version of mozzarella sticks. The pickles were addictive, especially when dipped in M3's signature Carolina-style barbecue sauce.

#5: Finally, I highly recommend you all order a Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Cranberry pizza ($21) from OTTO Pizza right now.

The price tag is a little hefty, but it is worth every dollar. The perfectly crispy, salty crust is smothered in creamy ricotta and whipped butternut squash. A generous amount of dried cranberries adds a great texture and flavor to each slice. We ordered from the Harvard Square location, but OTTO has several other locations in the area as well.

Have you had any particularly good eats recently?

Aroma Joe's: It's Wicked Good

Whenever I visit my older sister, I make a point to stop at Aroma Joe's.

Their motto: "It's Wicked Good." And they ain't lying. 

I normally order a 20 oz. hazelnut iced coffee with milk and one sugar. The coffee is incredibly smooth, the ice plentiful, and the hazelnut flavor is apparent without being overly sweet. I don't know if Aroma Joe's uses flavored syrups or not in their coffee, but it tastes like the flavor lives right inside their original blend of coffee beans. 

In addition to hazelnut, Aroma Joe's offers 30 flavors of coffee, including Peanut Butter, Shortbread, White Chocolate and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. If coffee's not your thing, they also offer a variety of smoothies, Red Bull mixed drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) and iced tea, to name a few. 

Aroma Joe's does also offer some pastries and cookies, but I have never eaten their food. The coffee alone is a treat!

Aroma Joe's has several locations in New Hampshire and Maine, mainly in the Seacoast area. For a full list of locations, click here. If you'll be in that area sometime this summer, I highly recommend finding an Aroma Joe's!

Do you have any vacations planned for this summer? Z and I are leaving for a mini vacation in the White Mountains on Thursday!

Save Money at Starbucks; Blog Update

Courtesy of www.shelbystidham.com

Before I jump into the "work stuff," I wanted to share a quick money-saving tip with you guys - for the next time you're at Starbucks. I actually discovered this trick a while ago, and realized this past weekend that I haven't shared it on the blog yet. So, here goes!

Personally, I love the different flavors of coffee Starbucks has. For instance, one of their featured flavors right now is Toffee Mocha - sounds delicious, right? Well, whenever I order their specialty flavored coffees, the end result is syrupy sweet, high in fat and calories, and costs anywhere from $3 to $4 and up (I usually get iced drinks). So, one day I discovered their iced coffee - which is just straight up coffee - that can have flavors, like Toffee Mocha, added to it - without the extra syrups, calories, sugar, etc. And, for a venti iced creation, the price is under $3. 

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Now, the work stuff. I started a new job two weeks ago, and absolutely love it. However, this new job is more demanding of my time. In addition to this blog, I do a variety of other "side jobs," like recruiting for my alma mater and other freelance writing gigs. As a result, I've done nothing but work over the last few weeks, and I'm burnt out. I've realized that I want to devote the free time that I have to this blog only, in addition to my full-time job - as well as a few freelance writing gigs that aren't incredibly demanding of my "free time." So, expect to see many more posts in the future - and it won't just be restaurant reviews and recipes anymore. Everything will be food/budget related, just taken up a notch. I hope you enjoy the improvements!

How do you manage to make time for you during the busy work week?

Financial Friday: Iced Coffee Can Make You Bankrupt

Good morning! Sorry for the lack of blogging this week - I was away in Florida, exhibiting at a conference for my day job. However, now I am back and ready to share the second Financial Friday post with you. This week,  it's for the iced coffee drinkers.

Think about it: The average iced coffee at a cafe or Dunkin' Donuts costs about $2-3 (at least). If you go every weekday, that's about $10-15/week or $40-60/month or $480-720/year. You're spending almost $750 a year on iced coffee. That is ludicrous.

The solution: Make iced coffee at home that's just as delicious, if not more so, and much, much cheaper.

The average container or bag of coffee from the grocery store costs about $4-6. I buy for myself, so I probably go through one container a month - about $48-72/year. That's about $648 savings per year, just by making my iced coffee at home.

Here's how I do it: For me, I like semi strong coffee with a hint of flavor, so I usually buy hazelnut or vanilla flavored coffee, and add two cups extra water for the amount of coffee I add to my coffee machine. For instance, since I usually make enough for two generous cups of iced coffee, I add 4 scoops of coffee and 6 cups of cold water. I brew it before I go to bed, pour it into a pitcher, and place it into the fridge. In the morning, I have chilled iced coffee waiting for me.

Tip: Make a little extra iced coffee and pour it into ice cube trays. Using iced-coffee-ice-cubes in your iced coffee helps to prevent it from getting watered down in this humidity. When the iced-coffee-ice-cubes melt, all you have is more iced coffee - not water.

Are you spending too much money on coffee? Or tea? Or some other vice?


Quick side note: I wrote a guest blog for PerkStreet Financial about drinking and buying wine on a budget. You can read it here.