My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

drinks

Spiced Apple Cider

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I’m willing myself to get in full-on holiday mode. I haven’t pulled out the decorations yet but Thanksgiving has come and gone. It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit and this Spiced Apple Cider will do the trick.

Spiced Apple Cider is perfect for your holiday party or to get in the Christmas spirit.

One area that I typically neglect during the holidays, is the drink category. I usually think about food but not beverages. This year I started drinking cider in October. I’m not sure why but during the evenings I craved warm sips of the holidays and apple cider is a great, non-caffeinated option.

Since I started drinking apple cider so early in the season I had to mix it up a bit. This Apple Cider Recipe is perfect for special occasions and holiday parties. It takes an average cider up a level and makes your guests feel the holiday spirit. Go ahead and turn on Elf or Miracle on 34th Street.Spiced Apple Cider is perfect for your holiday party or to get in the Christmas spirit.

It may just be me but this might taste even better if you are wearing your favorite flannel jammies.

If you’re serving this at a party, I recommend getting clear glasses, mugs or jars so your guests can see the deep honey color of the cider. If it’s just you and your family just go for your favorite big mug.

Spiced Apple Cider is perfect for your holiday party or to get in the Christmas spirit.

Spiced Apple Cider

Prepare to experience your favorite Christmas memories rushing back as you sip this delicious Spiced Apple Cider. This simple cider recipe will make your home smell like the holidays. If you make it, tag me on Instagram so I can see your photos!

Spiced Apple Cider
 
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Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 Cups of Apple Cider
  • Half of a small orange
  • Half a cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Tbsp of brown sugar
  • ½ tsp of whole allspice berries
  • ½ tsp of whole cloves
  • ¼ tsp of black peppercorn
  • A tiny pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Heat 4 cups of apple cider in a small pot with brown sugar on medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add in the orange, cinnamon stick (half), whole allspice berries, whole cloves, whole black peppercorn, the pinch of nutmeg and give it a stir.
  3. Decrease the heat and cover with a lid, simmer for about 15 minutes.
  4. Strain into jars or mugs. I recommend using a cheesecloth or coffee filters to strain the other ingredients from the liquid

 

Strawberry Lemonade

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I love short cuts in the kitchen. If there is an easier way of doing things I want to know.

My kids have been asking for “Lemon Juice” which is their way of asking for lemonade. We never buy the store-bought stuff. Last week a kid in our neighborhood was selling lemons door to door and I bought three; I appreciate a boy trying to earn a little cash. A lot of our neighbors have citrus trees but we don’t.

We have a Blendtec. Why not just peel the lemons and blend away? This probably wouldn’t work with an inexpensive blender Blendtec or a Vitamix you’re in business.

I’ll give a quick note, this recipe has a lot of room for variation. Start slowly adding a little at a time because lemons are different sizes, have differing amounts of juice and varying levels of tartness.

Strawberry Lemonade

Lazy Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients

  • 1-3 lemons (I used one giant lemon) peeled with seeds removed
  • 1 cup of strawberries with stems/leaves removed
  • water
  • sugar or other sweetener

Do

  1. Put lemons, strawberries, 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of sugar in your Blendtec.
  2. Blend until everything is liquefied.
  3. Add another 2 cups or water and 1/4 cup of sugar (if desired) and blend. Repeat this step until your lemonade has the perfect sweet/sour mix.

I used 6 total cups of water and 3/4 cup of sugar for the whole pitcher. My starting lemon was the size of a grapefruit.

This is so easy I call it Lazy Strawberry Lemonade but you could leave out the strawberries and just have Lazy Lemonade.

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