Nectresse Review + Fresh Lemonade

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NECTRESSE™Sweetener for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Let me start this post by saying that the only sweetener I use is sugar, but I have tried many different kinds of sweeteners. The reason I decided to review this product is because my mom is a diabetic and always uses sweeteners, other than sugar. We have family gatherings often, and it would be nice to show up with something that she can eat or drink without feeling bad.  The reason I decided to go with Nectresse (NECTRESSE™Sweetener), is because it's a 100% natural sweetener made from monk fruit extract, which is a fruit that has been growing in Asia for ages.
The recipe I decided to try this in is lemonade. I know there are a ton of fancy recipes, such as tiramisu (listed on their site), but I wanted to see if this product had an after taste, so I wanted to try something simple. In my opinion, sweeteners are the most obvious in drink form. I have to say, I really didn't detect the sweetener in the lemonade. My favorite thing about this product is that you can use it in almost any recipe to replace sugar, so it's an easy transition for anyone. You can also check out this video testimonial from Lisa Lang:

So, if you have a need for a sugar alternative, I suggest you give Nectresse a try. And if you go to their website, you can even receive a free sample (FREE sample of NECTRESSE™Sweetener).

Fresh Lemonade
Serving Size = 1

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 packets of Nectresse (sweetener), or as much as you want
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water
• Mix together and serve.

Product Review + Giveaway: Cascal

The other day, I was asked to review a new, healthier, natural soft drink. After giving it a try, I was excited to write a review and even have a giveaway. :)

The Product:
Cascal is a fermented natural soda that provides the fizz we love from soda, but created without high fructose corn syrup, or any other nasty little additions. It's gluten free, low calorie (60-80), caffeine free, alcohol free, and made with natural fermented juices. And from what I saw, it appears to be sweetened with stevia.

The Flavor:
It is definitely a beverage geared towards adults. My husband and I both tried it, and his opinion was, if you're a fan of beer, you'll probably be a fan of this as well. The fermented juice gives that similar flavor profile. They pack a nice amount of fizz, similar to soda, so it really does give the feeling that you're having a super-unhealthy can of pop, which I love.

Here are the flavors Cascal comes in:

• Crisp White (Pear, Apricot, and Magnolia)
• Ripe Rouge (Cherry, Rose, and Chocolate)
• Fresh Tropical (Mango, Jasmin, and Kaffir Lime)
• Bright Citrus (Lemongrass, Tangerine, and Pineapple)
• Berry Cassis (Black Currant, Tangerine, Lemon)

Both my husband and I have the same favorites: Bright Citrus and Crisp White. There's something about that punch of citrus and fruit combined with fermentation that works well. Ripe Rouge was good, but if I had to pick, I would say it's my least favorite. However, when I checked out Cascal's website, I noticed that they mentioned cooking with these drinks. So, if you get a flavor you're not crazy about, maybe considering cooking with it and see how it goes.

Where to Buy:
Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Earthfare
Retail Price: Depending on the area, anywhere from $1 - $2.00 per 12-oz can
For more information, visit their website: http://cheerscascal.com/index.php

The Giveaway:

(USA Residents Only)

Cascal offered to give an ENTIRE case (12 cans) of their drink to one lucky winner, in the flavor of their choice (free shipping as well). Since I know many people shy away from giveaways because of privacy issues, I will keep this simple and directly involved with the company.
All you have to do is leave a comment with your first name and email address. Tell me which flavor you'd like to try. If you're hesitant about posting your email address on a blog, you can send me a private message (elsascookingdiary@gmail.com), but you still need to leave a comment with your first name. I will randomly draw a name, if you win, I will send your email to their advertisers, and an email to notify you as well. That's it! You will work directly with them, so I won't require your mailing address. Easy as that!

Although I would love for you follow my blog, or facebook page, it is not a requirement

Thanks everyone!!

The winner will be announced May 23rd!

This is not a paid advertisement. I was given samples and the option of a giveaway.

Peach and Honey Smoothie

I have a serious lack of drinks on this blog and I plan to fix it. I have a Vitamix blender so smoothies are a big part of my life. Not only do I drink them throughout the day, but I also sneak veggies into them and give them to my toddler as well. Shhh, don't tell her. ;) 

I debated whether or not to post this recipe. It's so simple, but the key ingredients shine; the peaches and the honey. I've made this several different ways, with all kinds of fruit, and of course they were all delicious because that's what I love about smoothies, they almost always turn out well. But I just keep coming back to this simple combination. Peaches are my all-time favorite fruit, so I guess it makes sense. As for honey, well, I've been known to lick the remaining honey out of the empty container. Yes, Winnie the Pooh style. The final ingredient in this smoothie is a banana. As my good friend over at Needlefinger's writes, "As we all know, every smoothie recipe ends with '. . . and a banana.'  I don’t care what combination you’re making, there’s going to be a banana involved." How very true. A smoothie isn't a smoothie without a banana. Somehow it just balances the ingredients.

But if this is a little too plain for you, feel free to add some whipped cream to the top. Or, if you want more fruit, strawberries were really good in this as well.

Peach and Honey Smoothie
Serving Size = About 3 - 4 8-oz cups

• 2 cups frozen peaches
• Roughly 2 cups water (if peaches are not frozen, then you'll need to add ice)
• 1 banana
• Roughly 1/8 cup of honey, or to taste

1. Blend everything together and serve. Whipped cream over the top would be amazing.

Linking to Whole Food Wednesdays

Homemade Chocolate Syrup and Iced Mocha (Frappuccino)

Today I am sharing two easy recipes with you. The first is homemade chocolate syrup. It's so easy to make, there really is no reason to buy it from the store ever again. The taste is definitely equal to store bought, but I would say even better. I add it to milk for my toddlers chocolate milk, over ice cream, or to iced coffee --- the other recipe I'm sharing with you. I LOVE coffee and chocolate, so combining them is an amazing experience for me. Also, notice the foam at the top. I have a Vitamix blender and if I blend it a few seconds longer than normal, it creates a beautiful foamy top. If your blender doesn't do that, then just add some whipped cream.

As for the strength of the coffee, I just use leftover coffee from the morning. We drink our coffee on the strong side and it works perfectly. I'm sure whatever coffee you have leftover will work perfectly. 

Our coffee recipe is roughly:

• 6 cups of water to 1/2 cup of ground coffee.

Adding chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk
Also good as an ice cream topper

Chocolate Syrup

Serving Size = About 2 cups

Original Recipe: Glorious Treats

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup water
• Dash of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a medium or large saucepan (it bubbles up a lot), mix everything but the vanilla. Bring to boil, cook one minute, (stir often) remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2. Cool and store in fridge.

The foam

Drizzle with chocolate

Iced Mocha (Frappuccino)
Serving Size = 2, 8oz cups

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup coffee
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups ice
• 4 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• Extra ice to add after blending

1. Add everything to a blender and blend. Adjust to taste. Pour into glasses and add some extra ice.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, Gallery of Favorites

Cinnamon-Honey Warm Milk

Well, I can honestly say this has been one of the longest weeks of my life. I have been super-sick, not ER sick, but 10 seconds from ER sick. I believe it was some kind of flu. It started with my toddler. Thankfully, she had a very mild case. Unlucky me caught it next and boy oh boy will I remember that experience for the rest of my existence. To makes things worse, we've all had a cold for over a week as well. So, before I became 10 seconds from ER sick, and life was simply about dealing with a cold, my husband suggested a drink that people in North Africa (and other places too, I'm sure) make to help soothe cold symptoms. I am not sure it soothed any of our symptoms, but it sure is yummy. 

By the way, the picture above is proof that my toddler did all of the cooking while I was ill. She left her broccoli and knife right on my cutting board! ;)

Not the greatest picture, but sheesh, I was sick! :)

Cinnamon-Honey Warm Milk
Original Recipe
Serving Size = 1

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey (or more, or less - to taste)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

1. Heat 1 cup of milk to almost boiling, making sure to watch carefully and stir often. Add the cinnamon stick and then turn off the heat. Leave the milk for about 10 minutes so the cinnamon stick can flavor it.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of honey to a cup. When the milk is done, pour into the glass and stir. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon.

Seasoned Roasted Potato Wedges, Cauliflower Mash and Nutella Hot Chocolate

Can you tell we like steak? I was going to make a vegetarian dish, but my husband saw steak on sale and we just couldn't pass it up. I know, I know, steak AGAIN. Medium-well yummy goodness --- I couldn't say no. By the way, the other day I made kefta with lamb. It was the best kefta I've ever made, hands-down. Lamb is the way to go with kefta. Follow the same recipe that I posted, but replace the beef with lamb. I also added one egg and some breadcrumbs (maybe 1/4 cup for 1 lb). Make sure you open the pan and turn the kefta once halfway through.

Anyway, I'm going completely off topic. Cookbook Sunday is here so lets get started!

The Cookbook

I went with the Farm Journals Best-Ever Vegetable Recipes. I like old cookbooks, even if they are not the prettiest cookbooks to photograph. I tried to compensate for the ugliness by placing a pumpkin next to it. Did it help? Anyway, what I love the most about this cookbook is that it contains a large amount of recipes and each recipe is broken down into different versions (roasted potatoes are broken down into roasted potato wedges and so on). Sometimes they require new ingredients and other times it's just about slicing them differently (see above picture). 

The Food

From the cookbook, I went with the seasoned roasted potato wedges. The color turned out beautifully but the flavor was a little too mild. Maybe more sauce next time? The wedges are followed by cauliflower mash, an Elsa creation. Make sure you don't add too much cream, because the cauliflower doesn't soak it up well.

Seasoned Roasted Potato Wedges

Original Recipe By: Farm Journals Best-Ever Vegetable Recipes, 1984, p. 168.

Serving Size = 4 - 6

• 6 medium potatoes
• 6 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons of ketchup or chili sauce (I used ketchup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (my own addition)
• Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Cut the potatoes into 4 wedges each. Lay skin side down on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and salt. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Combine the rest of the butter with the rest of the ingredients. Once potatoes are done, brush with the mixture and return to the oven for 20 minutes, brushing at least two more times (I had to cook mine about 10 minutes longer). Remove from oven, add more salt and serve.

*Note: The original recipe suggests cutting the potatoes crosswise, almost to the skin, 1/4-inch apart to create a fan look. I skipped this step. Also, I recommend doubling the butter/ketchup sauce.

Cauliflower Parmesan Mash

Serving Size = 3

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut up and steamed
• 1/4 cup or less of heavy cream
• Parmesan to taste (maybe 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• Salt/Pepper to taste

1. After steaming the cauliflower, add the cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper and lightly mash to combine. Serve warm.

Dessert
This recipe comes from Claudia's blog, What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine. Nutella hot chocolate --- need I say more? It is very rich and super-sweet, which I love. If you don't have a huge sweet tooth (really?!), just add some more milk. I also made whipped cream to top it off, and drizzled on some chocolate syrup.

My changes? I had to make enough for 2 people and I was almost out of nutella. I ended up using 2-3 tablespoons of nutella, and doubled everything else.

Nutella Ferrera Rocher Hot Chocolate

Original Recipe From: Claudia at What's Cookin' Italian Style

Serving Size = 1

• 1 cup of whole milk
• 3 tablespoons of nutella (I had to cut in 1/2)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I used unsweetened)
• Sprinkle on Ferrera Rocher Candy (optional, I skipped because I didn't have any on hand)

1. In a medium pan, whisk together the milk, cocoa and nutella. 
2. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
3. Top with whipped cream, drizzle with chocolate and serve.

Whipped Cream

Serving Size = 2

• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1. With a hand mixer, beat everything together until peaks form. Do not over beat. Once you see peaks form, stop.

Linking to: Cookbook Sunday

Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup and Pumpkin Tea

A very bad idea....

Making cookies the other day might not have been the wisest decision. For one, I cannot stop eating them. Therefore, I haven't really had much of an appetite for lunch or dinner. And the second reason is because I dumbly placed the plate of cookies in the middle of the dining room table. When I wasn't looking, my toddler climbed onto the table and started shoveling as many cookies into her mouth as quickly as possible. I would like to add that this happened right before nap time, so nap time didn't occur until many hours later after she finished running and screaming all over the house. Now that she's napping, I decided to relax, blog and have some Twining's Chai Pumpkin Spice Tea. Have you tried it yet? It's the best tea I've ever had..... in my life. And I drink a lot of tea. My mom brought it back from vacation and I've been drinking it ever since. 

The Cookbook....

Even though I didn't have much of an appetite today, I went ahead and made some soup. The cookbook I used today??

M-I-C-K-E-Y
M-O-U-S-E

Yep, I'm using a Disney Mickey Mouse cookbook. :) It's a collection of recipes from Disney's resorts and theme parks. I went with the Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup served at Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It was very yummy and mild. If you don't care for strong flavors, this is the way to go. The recipe below is the full amount, but I cut this in half. Next time, I will increase the amount of ginger to a little under 1/4, or, if you are making the full amount a little under 1/2. Even though this seems like a goofy Mickey Mouse book, it actually contains a lot of very impressive recipes.

Here are a few examples of the main dishes: 

Coq au Vin du Beaujolais, Pollo a las Rajas, Honey Sesame Chicken, Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons, Bourbon Steak Marinade, Berbere Braised Lamb Shank and Lemon Grass Risotto....

Here are some of the desserts: 

Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cookie Mousse and Chocolate Souffle....

That's right, this mouse can cook.

Chop up the veggies.

Saute and add chicken stock (or veggie stock).

Puree and serve!

Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup Recipe:

Brandon, P. (2004). Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs, p. 43.
Serving Size = 10 Servings (2 quarts)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Pinch of dried basil, crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley (Skipped because I'm out)
• 1/4 cup of diced celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 10 carrots, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup sliced ginger (I grated it and next time I might increase to a little under 1/2 cup)
• 2 quarts heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat until smoking (I didn't wait until smoking). Add the basil, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are tender (mine took a little longer).
2. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Add the ginger and bring back to a boil. Add the heavy cream and turn down to low, to create a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time. The soup should thicken (do not boil).
3. Add salt and pepper, taste and then remove the bay leaf and pour the mixture into a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (I skipped) and serve.

Linking to: Cookbook Sundays, Potluck Sundays, Homemaker Monday.