**Just wanted to add my email here, I know Julie is looking for me!! email is rosas07@msn.com Feel free to email me! I also owe a few people an email today too.**
Let me first say how much I love Facebook! I wish my blog had some type of feature where I could send a reply to your comments, but so far, Facebook is my best friend. A few nights ago I had posted on fb about making coffee milkshakes for dessert. I'm not a huge fan of ice cream, but once or twice a year, I have a craving for coffee and ice cream! I've been making these milkshakes since high-school and they are still a favorite of mine. :)
So Danielle, this recipe is for you!!
Coffee Milkshake makes 1 lrg. milkshake or 2 smaller milkshakes
ingredients 5 scoops of French Vanilla Ice Cream 1/3 cup strong cold coffee 1/2 TBLS. of Coffee Drink Mix (I really like this coffee mix by General Food International - Cafe Francais) Directions
1. Pour all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. 2. Serve immediately with a cinnamon stick or chocolate covered coffee beans as garnish.
Last week, I mentioned one of my new favs being Honey Dew smoothies! While Jessica was visiting us in May, we went up to this cute little coffee shop, that had just opened in Cave Creek. I saw a Honeydew Smoothie on their menu and just knew I had to have one! It was the greatest drink ever..... well, next to a Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks of course. :)
I made Jessica try some, and although I was much too shy to ask the employees how they made it, Jessica had no issues going right up and asking for me. (Jessica, you're my hero!) and we were appalled to learn that our amazing smoothie was made from a powered mix. Gasp!
So, I received a bunch of emails asking for a recipe last week, and while I hadn't put much thought into creating one, Alaina and I tied on our aprons and went to work developing our own recipe. Here's what we came up with!!
Honeydew Smoothie makes about 2 large glasses
3 cups or 1/2 a Honeydew Melon, cut into cubes and frozen 1 Tbls. Organic Agave Nectar, or honey 3/4 cup Greek vanilla yogurt 1 Tbls. frozen concentrate apple juice
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. 2. Serve with mint sprigs or a Honeydew wedge as garnish.
I wanted to point out just a couple of things. :) I froze the honeydew, this way I didn't need to add ice. I think I like my smoothies ice-free, because I'm not a fan of little ice pieces in my drink. Also, unless you live in the Southwest, Agave Nectar maybe more difficult to find, but it has the same consistency of honey and tastes very similar too! I also think that mixing in some chopped mint would be good too, I'll try it the next time we make these. I'll definitely be making more of these throughout the summer!
Julie, one of my favorite blog readers, is traveling to Yosemite this month and while reading her question about possible recommendations, it made me smile and then run to find my old photos of Yosemite!
(**Disclaimer Time**) I took these photographs when I was 14 years old in July, that was 14 years ago... try to not laugh*** ok, carry on)
Just the thought of Yosemite brings back memories of childhood summers spent playing in the Merced River with my 2 sisters, hiking with my best girlfriend, feeding the Mule Deer that frequent the campgrounds each morning (conveniently at breakfast time), and a picture perfect Valley with meadows of green grass, soaring mountain ranges and cascading waterfalls. Yosemite National Park is a true American treasure and if ever you get the chance to visit, the natural beauty of the park is sure to astound and inspire you.
(Vernal Falls and trail)
Here's my list of places and things I would do in Yosemite:
1. visit the Ahwahnee Hotel (if I wasn't already a guest staying there ;)) 2. hike Vernal Falls and then continue to hike up to Nevada Falls 3. take a drive to Crane Flats to see the Giant Sequoias or to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias 4. spend some time floating down the Merced River 5. take the trail to Lower Yosemite Falls 6. visit Mono Lake 7. participate in a 'Night Hike/Flash Light Tour' 8. take a workshop on Ansel Adams photography 9. hike Bridalveil Falls 10. take as many photos as my memory cards will allow :)
(Nevada Falls)
(Standing on the bridge at the top of Nevada Falls looking down)
(forest run off creek)
Ansel Adams, one of my very favorite photographers once said "Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a litter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space."
You can visit Ansel Adams website here to see his beautiful photos of Yosemite and of other National Parks throughout America. and here's a short video about the park:
Of course, me being a native Californian for so long, I would be likely to say that Northern California could warrant it's own vacation. Places like Auburn, Nevada City and Grass Valley are incredible old mining towns, Napa and Yountville are artsy and upscale, Santa Rosa is just beautiful, San Francisco... has everything and then there's the little town of Vacaville where I'm from! :)) Nor Cal is definitely the place to be!
