Island Inspired Coffee

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope y'all are enjoying this switch over to the fall-ish weather as much as I am on this first day of autumn.  It's so nice not to hit 100 degrees but let's be honest, it is Texas so you know, it still gets pretty warm during the day; which is why today's recipe is perfect & hits the spot during the afternoon hours.

My husband and I recently went on a vacation to Hawaii & I have been feeling very island-y since.  Hawaii is known for various things but one of the things it is renowned for is Kona Coffee.  During our stay on the island of Oahu, my husband and I found this lovely coffee shop called Island Vintage Coffee, where I had THE best coconut & coffee blended drink. EVER.  Needless to say, because I didn't want my vacation to end, I decided to bring back as much of the islands as I could & purchased a Kona Coffee mix from there in an effort to recreate this heavenly drink.  Below is my rendition of this island treasure.  I hope you do try it at home and enjoy it as much as my husband (who is not a fan of coffee btw but requests this drink daily) and I do.  It is a MUST try at home & trust me, you will be glad you did!

Ingredients:
5 TBSP Kona Mocha Mix* (found here)
5 oz coconut milk
12 oz crushed ice
1-2 pumps coconut syrup (optional)
whipped cream (optional)
toasted coconut flakes (optional for garnish)

Directions:
1.  In a blender, place crushed ice, coconut milk, & Kona mix
2.  Blend on medium to high speed until everything has been thoroughly mixed and blended.
3.  Enjoy!

*Directions on the Kona coffee mix state to use 8 TBSP of powder, which you can, but you will quickly discover that the mix will disappear a lot sooner if you do.  I played around with the recipe and found that adding 5 TBSP of the mix in place of the 8 is equally as good.  You can also use a combination of an instant coffee/sugar mixture if you don't want to purchase the Mocha Mix.

Peanut Butter Energy Bites!

Things have been so hectic lately, and when that happens these little energy bites are the perfect snack to take with you! They are full of yummy goodness: peanut butter, cranberries, oats and walnuts! The protein keeps you full and gives you a boost of energy, the oats and walnuts give it a really nice texture also! Feel free to add or take out your favorite nuts or dried fruit and even add a handful of dark chocolate chips. If you have time you can shape them into balls or even just set them in a non stick tray and cut out small bars, whatever works for you!

Ingredients
1.25 cups oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup finely chopped or ground walnuts 
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup craisins
2/3 cup shredded coconut - unsweetened 

Directions
- Mix together well. 5 minutes with the paddle attachment in the kitchenaid makes it easy
- Refrigerate 15 minutes
- The using a small cookie scooper scoop out, squeeze/condense in your hand and the roll into balls. This is the most time consuming step. Next time I may press the mix into a container it pan - chill and then cut little pieces or shape into 1" balls.
- Refrigerate

Serving size 3-4 bites (makes approximately 30 bites)

Thick & Chunky Marinara Sauce

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope every is having a fantastic week.  Today's recipe is one that I recently made on a whim to go along with some home made cheese sticks and let me just say, it ended up being a hit - yeay! This recipe is great with cheese bread, pizza, pasta, cheese sticks, and the list goes on and on.  Do try it at home and I hope it is enjoyed at your home as much as it is at mine.

Ingredients:
3-4 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 stalk celery
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP dried basil (or 2 TBSP fresh basil)
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can whole roma tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt (or more depending on taste)
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1.  In a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, heat EVOO over medium to low heat.
2.  Add celery, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes.  Tip: when working with dried herbs, be sure to rub them in the palm of your hands before adding them to anything as it releases the flavors.
3.  Add in tomato paste and stir for about 3 minutes.
4.  Add in the roma tomatoes with the juice; and using an emerson blender, push down on tomatoes so that they are broken in chunks but not completely smooth.  If you don't have an emerson blender, you can use a fork to break up the tomatoes into big chunks.
5.  Add balsamic vinegar and simmer the sauce uncovered over low heat for 1-2 hours.
6.  Season with salt, pepper, and add sugar.
7.  Enjoy!

This sauce is best made a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to really meld.