Copper Mug Cocktails feat. the Dockside Mule Recipe

Disclosure: I was sent 2 mugs complimentary of Moscow Muled in exchange for a review without any other compensation. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Summertime for me is sunshine, hanging out on someones rooftop deck or patio, my toes in the sand, ice cream on a hot day, sweaty runs, and a cold drink in my hand. Between Moscow Mules and Palomas, I am set for summer. Moscow Mules are the perfect summer drink with refreshing ginger beer and lime juice, and my boyfriend makes them all the time.  I even drink them with a little club soda instead of vodka for a delicious mocktail version. You can even make a hydrating Moscow mule version with Nuun Hydration! The one thing missing from my summer cocktails was a fancy copper mug set. 

That's why I was really excited when Jessica from Moscow Muled reached out about trying out their copper mugs. Besides being a fan a of cocktails, I am a fan of small businesses and especially ones involving ladies! Jessica and her partner couldn't find any high-quality nickel-lined copper mugs that they liked so they made their own as part of a side passion project. 

These beautiful 16 ounce copper mugs  (which retail for $12.50 each) are made of 100% pure high-grade and food-safe copper and are lined with nickel. This provides important health and functional benefits because copper is a heavy metal that can react with acidic fluids (such as citrus juices such as lime juice in a Moscow Mule) and can cause copper to leach into the the drink. This is sometime I never would have thought about when buying my own mugs! The nickel lining not only prevents unintentional copper ingestion, but also increases the strength and durability of the mug because copper is a soft metal than can be damaged with repeated use.

Copper mugs are traditional for mules and similar cocktails in bars which not only look nice but also actually keep drinks cold because the copper transfers for the temperature of the drink to the mug itself. I don't really have time for cleaning, but these mugs are easy to clean by just gently hand-washing and drying right away. Like any copper, these mugs will develop a patina over time, but Moscow Muled also includes directions for keeping their mugs shiny and removing any patina, if that is what you prefer. 

As I mentioned previously, I love a cold Moscow Mule on a summer afternoon or evening. Here is a classic Moscow Mule recipe that came with the copper mugs that I tested out.  It's easy and delicious to make! 

Of course I was excited to come up with my own copper mug cocktail. I wanted to keep it refreshing so I decided to make a version of a mule with one of my favorite juices from Gundalow Juice. Their Dockside Sunrise juice is a blend of juices including pineapple, ginger, and even a touch of jalapeno which gives this drink some tartness and a little kick! I also happen to be a fan of Tito's vodka but you can substitute whatever your vodka of choice is. If you do not have any Dockside Sunrise on hand using regular pineapple juice with the ginger beer instead of club soda would be a close match.  

I think I know what my new drink of choice will be as the summer winds down! 

Moscow Muled can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter @moscowmuled. More information on their copper mugs and ordering information is available on their website. 

What is your favorite summertime cocktail or mocktail? 

Eat More Greens: What I Ate in a Day {with BrightFarms}

Disclosure: I received promotional consideration from BrightFarms. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Sometimes I get in ruts where I've been so busy that I notice I haven't really been eating any greens. Oops. 

I find myself grabbing some protein bars, oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and whatever for dinner (including pizza sometimes because it's my favorite and SO easy). So I drink some green juice, eat some salads, and re-balance my diet. A couple weeks ago was one of those times that I decided that I really needed to start adding more greens and vegetables into my diet again. I wanted to start this diet shift off by including vegetables in every meal of the day. It encouraged me to get creative in the kitchen and actually make a meal plan. Planning actually makes things a lot easier when you take the time to do the planning, in case you forgot (like I had). 

This all happened at the perfect time because BrightFarms was lucky enough to send me some of their produce to try out, which made my one-day challenge more fun. I was going to use 1 shell of the BrightFarms local spring mix, 1 of their local baby greens, and 1 of their kale in a different meal of the day. 

BrightFarms is a produce company that uses sustainable greenhouse farming to supply grocery stores with fresh greens, tomatoes, and herbs year-round. In the DMV area they solely deliver their produce to Giant grocery stores, farm to shelf within 24 hours. I was excited because unfresh produce and buying lettuce from the grocery store and finding a couple smelly, slimy pieces that have gone bad within a day is super annoying. If you need to grab some greens and can't make it out to a farmer's market or local farm, BrightFarms from your grocery store is the next best thing! 

Meal 1- Breakfast: Queen Green Smoothie

I decided to keep it nice and simple for breakfast with a green smoothie. This was also portable to take in the car with me on the way to class which is a bonus. I created this smoothie on the fly, using whatever I had available in my refrigerator and pantry. I like trying out new smoothie recipes, but usually end up making ones with my favorite ingredients like frozen pineapple anyways. This is the Queen Green because it's one of my go-to smoothie variations and is queen to me!

Into my Ninja blender for my Queen Green Smoothie I added: 

• a  handful of BrightFarms kale
• a handful of frozen pineapple and peaches mix
• 1 1/2 cups of vanilla unsweetened almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 tablespoon of honey
• Optional: 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder or supplement-I used a scoop of Vital Proteins collagen in this smoothie. 

Matcha Green Tea Protein Smoothie {with Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Boosters}

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill as part of a campaign through my partnership with SweatPink and Fit Approach. As always all thoughts & opinions are my own!

I have talked about how the new Bob’s Red Mill Protein and Nutritional Boosters packed with 20g of protein have helped me stay #summerstrong. Well I've always been a huge coffee and tea drinker, but this summer's newest drink obsession is iced matcha green tea almondmilk or soymilk lattes. I've been getting them from a local coffee shop (shout-out to 3 Bean Coffee!) in the mornings, and it's always so creamy and delicious. 

They are super refreshing after a hot run or workout plus I'm getting all that antioxidant goodness from the matcha, which is powdered green tea leaves. Unfortunately, right now I can't afford getting a $5 latte whenever I want one, aka everyday. 

Post #NP_BAL workout iced matcha latte

I decided to come up with a protein smoothie version which is just as satisfying after a run and saves me some money plus gives me an extra nutritional boost! I had this package of Kiss Me Organics brand Green Tea Matcha powder that I used. I'm loving this vanilla gluten-free Bob's Red Mill protein powder so I used that-just a heads up that it has chia seeds mixed in so it's not little ants or anything, haha.  The end result of the smoothie came out a little more brown than green thanks to the banana and protein powder, but it's delicious nonetheless! 

print recipe

Matcha Green Tea Protein Smoothie

by Lauren Seserko July-31-2016

Ingredients

• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 cup almondmilk
• 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
• 1/8 cup Bob's Red Mill vanilla protein nutritional booster (or any vanilla protein powder!)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 handful ice cubes

Instructions

Combine all ingredients together in blender. Blend until fully mixed and serve immediately.

Details

Total time: 5 mins Yield: 1 smoothie

Just a reminder that if your local store carries Bob’s Red Mill products, you can get a discount on Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters with this coupon!

This post was linked up with Weekend Snapshots. 

Do you like matcha or green tea flavors? What is your favorite summer drink right now?

#FuelYourAwesomeness this Summer with Bob's Red Mill Protein {Giveaway}

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill as part of a campaign through my partnership with SweatPink and Fit Approach. As always all thoughts & opinions are my own!

While the fact that summer is flying by makes me sad, I have been trying to pack my summer with as much awesomeness as I can. I haven’t even been able to keep up blogging but if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know I’ve been having some fun this month in Boston and at November Project Summit 4.0 in Canada last weekend (posts to come!).  Lots of travelling and eating out or on-the-go for sure! 

Let’s be honest though, travelling and having fun are exhausting so that’s why I was glad to get some new Bob’s Red Mill Protein and Nutritional Boosters in the mail packed with 20g of protein to stay #summerstrong. I received 4 varieties including Vanilla, Chocolate, Chai, and Protein & Fiber Booster. 

Even if my eating has been full of more treats and less greens, having a post-workout smoothie with some protein and fruit or veggies is an easy way to refuel this summer. 

If your local store carries Bob’s Red Mill products, you can get a discount on Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters with this coupon!

GIVEAWAY! ::woop woop::

One lucky reader will win a 16 oz. package ($30 value!) of Bob’s Red Mill Protein Powder NutritionalBooster to fuel their own awesomeness! Enter via Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends July 30th, 2016, 12 AM EST. The winner will be notified via email right away. If I don’t hear back from the winner within 24 hours I’ll have to pick a new winner. Delivery of the prize is by Bob’s Red Mill.

How are do you #fuelyourawesomeness this summer?

This post was linked up with my fave Friday Linkup ladies Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia  as well as Nicole, Jill, and Amanda .

Apple Cinnamon Smoothie Recipe (With Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener)

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Zing™ and Her Campus Media. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As someone with huge sweet tooth, I love using alternative sugar replacements to cut

down on the sugar in my diet. Since discovering stevia years ago, it has become my go-to daily sugar-replacement.

I was really excited to try Born Sweet™ Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener because it is made from 100% stevia and has zero calories and zero artificial ingredients. Zing™ makes a Baking Blend with stevia leaf extract and pure cane sugar (5 calories per serving), but I was sent the Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener which is perfect for sprinkling on food or mixing into food and drinks. I was sent a box of single-serve packets, but it also comes in an easy-to-spoon jar as well.

The biggest test for me with stevia and recipes that use stevia is the taste. Some varieties of stevia leave really strange, bitter aftertastes to the food and drinks they are added to that totally take away from enjoying my meal or snack! I have to say, that the taste is really great with this brand. I’ve been sprinkling a little into my coffee and tea or mixing into smoothies and yogurt bowls.

Since the weather is starting to cool down and fall is in the air, I’m ready for some of those great fall flavors in my food. 

Don’t worry, I don’t have another pumpkin smoothie or latte recipe for you today. 

Instead I have an awesome smoothie I have been loving as a snack in the afternoon or after a workout that includes another one of my favorite autumn flavors-apple cinnamon and goes perfectly with some Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener.

The spiciness of the cinnamon and nutmeg is balanced by the hint of vanilla and

sweetness of the apple. I used my NutriNinja blender, but just a word of caution that you may need to experiment using applesauce in the recipe if your blender at home cannot handle blending apple chunks!

Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

Serving Size: 1 Smoothie      Total Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 small apple, cored, chopped in chunks

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 packet of Zing™ Stevia or tsp of sweetener of your choice

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 cup cashew milk (use whatever milk you prefer or have on hand)

1 handful of ice cubes (~ 1 cup)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until blended completely. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

You can use the store locator to find a location near you that carries Zing™ and even Give Zing™ a follow on Facebook and Twitter for more news and recipes. 

Use this link to snag a free sample to give it a try!

Have you tried stevia or an alternative sugar replacement before? What's your favorite fall flavor?

Get Started with Juicing {LaurenLivesHealthy E-book Review}

Disclosure:  I received  a complimentary copy of the Juicing E-Book in exchange for sharing my thoughts on my blog to help spread the word for Lauren. As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own. 

I see a new smoothie or juice recipe somewhere everyday whether that be on a blog, on Facebook, in a magazine, or on TV.  People are all about fitting those vegetables and fruits in anyway they can! I am a big fan of smoothies and juices, especially now as the weather is warmer. 

In my own kitchen I usually whip up big smoothies in my NutriNinja. It's easy to throw in some protein powder, almond milk,frozen fruit, top it all off with greens and veggies and blend away (for example my Aloha Smoothie.) 

I messed around with a juicer once or twice, and the headache of trying to work then thing and then clean it afterwards was too much for me. These days I'm usually just grabbing a bottle of Gundalow Juice on-the-go or after a work-out because it's delicious and easy. Or just a great way to get in some greens if I've been subsisting on carbs and nut butter (which happens way too often.) 

I've been following this awesome west coast lady and blogger, Lauren of LaurenLivesHealthy, not only because of her name (which clearly means she is awesome) but because she is always working really hard and kicking ass. She has a beautiful and info-packed blog (and great Instagram) where she shares her adventures in triathlons, getting healthy, and being a Tone it Up girl.  

I was really excited to check out her Get Started wth Juicing E-Book when I read about it . If it was anything like her blog posts, I'm sure it would be organized and informative with a clean design. I was right! 

I offered to review the Get Started with Juicing E-book for Lauren because I really liked the sneak peaks she shared on her blog-I can say it's definitely a nice,concise read about juicing.  

It's a great place to start if you are a beginner juicer like myself or if you are an experienced juicer looking for new ideas.  The e-book is a printable,downloadable 45-page pdf filled with 45 recipes, lovely photos, and useful things like a grocery list, juicing guide, kitchen prep, and the benefits of juicing. 

She has a list of ingredients with suggested measurements for each recipe, which is nice so you can tweak the recipes yourself based on how much you are making. 

While I'm still not convinced that cleaning a juicer is worth my time, I was excited to see there were other recipes for things like juice shots, blended juices, and waters. 

I especially loved this recipe for Cucumber Mint Water. I spruce up my water all the time with lemons and sometimes get crazy by adding some fruit. I've added cucumber before but haven't actually tried any herb-y combinations. 

You are in luck because Lauren is allowing me to exclusively share this simple recipe below with you all. 

It's super refreshing and hydrating. I also think it looks really pretty in a cute glass. I think of it as a fancy spa water, when I need a moment to pretend I'm actually at a spa.  

I encourage you to support Lauren by grabbing a copy of her Get Started with Juicing E-Book here. I even snagged my readers an exclusive coupon code "breathedeeply10" to save 10% off the $15 price tag. 

What are your favorite juice ingredients? Do you add anything to spice up your water?

5 Friday Favorites: Five Favorite Spring Foods 3/27/15

Don't forget to enter my MealEnders giveaway !

Since spring is my favorite season, and I love food, the DC Trifecta Friday Five linkup of five favorite spring foods seemed to be a great match. Read what my five favorite springtime foods are. 

5 Friday Favorites: Good Things

1. Jersey Peaches

I grew up in South Jersey and was always around fresh produce and farms when I was younger. It may be surprising to you, but New Jersey is called the Garden State for a reason! I love all types of fruit year round, but there is something great about a fresh Jersey peach in season. Juicy, sweet, the size of a softball and absolutely delicious! 

2. Ice Cream 

I love ice cream in any weather-I heard they actually sell more in the winter! However as the weather gets nicer I definitely find myself enjoying it more. I love taking walks to grab some local ice cream in the city or visit a local shop in my travels. A childhood favorite is always a big soft-serve cone from Kohrs Bros. at the Jersey shore right before the summer is in full swing. I posted the photo on Instagram and apparently others thought it looked delicious as well! 

3. Huge Fresh Salads

Baltimore needs a SweetGreen for sure!

Sail Windward with Baltimore's own Gundalow Juice

Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary 1-day juice package from Gundalow Juice for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of juices, especially as a way to get in some greens and nutrients on days where they are sparse from my diet. I was really excited when I tried Gundalow Juices at a tasting at REV Cycle Studio last year because it was not only a local Baltimore juice business, but the juices were delicious!

Shortly after, I got the chance to sit down with the founder Dana who has a degree in Nutritional Sciences and also owns her own personal chef business.  We immediately connected on the idea of balanced, healthy living and the way that juices can be an easy, portable way to get some fruits,veggies, and good nutrients into a busy lifestyle. 

I love grabbing one after a workout at Charm City Yoga or REV Cycle Studio.  You can purchase individual juices or pick up a pre-ordered package at a growing list of Baltimore-area fitness studios.  

Besides supporting a local business, I love that the juices are fairly priced. They offer a 16 oz. bottle for $7.50 or a 8 oz. bottle for just $5.  They also offer several packages. For example a 1-day package of 6 juices like I did is only $45 dollars and a 3-day package of 18 juices is $129.  Their juices are more affordable compared to some other brands of cold-pressed juices I've seen. 

Now I'm not a big proponent of the typical cleanses and detoxes. I've tried the strict 3-day juice cleanse before and while I think it is a nice reset, it's hard for someone who workouts out and really likes food.  

However, I was eager to try a one-day package when offered to by Gundalow because their philosophy is different. It also seemed like the perfect thing to do the Friday before Valentine's Day which was also the day I was running in my underwear at the Cupid's Undie Run before I indulged in large amounts of chocolate and wine. 

I  LOVE that Gundalow sells juice packages NOT cleanses.  I totally am on board with resetting my body but without restriction.  The information that came with my juice package recommended enjoying some raw nuts, fruits, or veggies with the juices for extra energy and possibly a light lunch and/or dinner with lean protein and raw fruits and vegetables, especially if working out.  

As their website describes "We don't believe in holding you back or making you take a "light day" when you are drinking our juice."