Freakishly Good Frozen Hot Chocolate

Here is a great Frozen Hot Chocolate recipe from Hungry Girl. I'm not sure about yall, but here in Dallas, it will still be pretty warm going into November, so hot Hot Chocolate can be a little too much at times. This recipes is fun and puts a great spin on Hot Chocolate anyway and is great to know how to make.

Freakishly Good Frozen Hot Chocolate
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 58 calories, 0.5g fat, 184mg sodium, 10g carbs, 1g fiber, 5g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 1*

Ingredients:
One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestlé Fat Free)
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia)
1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
1 tbsp. sugar-free calorie-free vanilla-flavored syrup (like the kind by Torani)
1 tsp. sugar-free chocolate syrup (like the kind by Hershey's)
1 cup crushed ice or 5 to 8 ice cubes
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place hot cocoa mix and sweetener in a tall mug or glass. Add 1/4 cup hot water and stir to dissolve.

Add soymilk, vanilla-flavored syrup, and chocolate syrup. Mix well. Place in the fridge or freezer for several minutes, until completely chilled. Pour mixture into a blender and add ice. Blend at high speed until uniform. Pour into the tall mug or glass. Finish off with whipped topping. Drink up!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Funky Festive Martini

Here is another fun drink recipe from Cosmopolitan. Check out another cocktail recipe for the Funky Festive Martini.

Funky Festive Martini

This weekend, make him a modern martini — specifically, a Funky Festive Martini — with this recipe from Denver's Funky Buddha Lounge.

How to make it: Pour 1 oz. Stoli Razberi, 1 oz. Stoli Cranberi, a splash of Chambord, and a splash of cranberry juice over ice in a shaker. Shake, strain into a glass, and enjoy!

Hungry Girl's Creamy Coffee To Go

ne of the things I love about Hungry Girl is their creativity in putting together different foods to make delicious snacks and desserts. Check out another part of Hungry Girl's Hot Couples list with their Creamy Coffee To Go

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew + Coffee-mate French Vanilla Powder Stick Pack = Creamy Coffee to Go!

PER SERVING (1 coffee packet + 1 creamer packet): 60 calories, 2.5g fat, 15mg sodium, 9g carbs, 0g fiber, 7g sugars, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

SO perfect. Just keep these cute packets of instant coffee and powdered creamer on hand at all times (perfect for your purse/briefcase/knapsack), and you'll never be more than 30 seconds and a hot cup of water away from a crazy-delicious, 60-calorie coffee drink. And if you get bored before you get to use them, you can take out the packets and make them dance with each other... or recreate scenes from your favorite movie! But if you find yourself doing this, it's probably a pretty good indicator that you need a cup of coffee, STAT.

Luscious Pumpkin Latte

Check out this recipe for a Pumpkin Latte just as good as one from Starbucks for a fraction of the cost, from Glamour's Vitamin G blog.

Luscious Pumpkin Latte

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 heaping tablespoons cooked or canned pumpkin
2 cups low-fat milk
4 tablespoons vanilla syrup (or, swap out 2 tablespoons of sugar if you don't have syrup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 1 cup coffee, brewed strong or a shot of freshly brewed espresso
Spice for dusting, optional

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the pumpkin until it combines, then add vanilla syrup and cinnamon (or pumpkin spice.) Heat until steaming, stirring frequently. Carefully pour into a blender and blend on high for 20 seconds, until it foams. Pour into a tall heat-proof glass, then add the espresso or coffee. Dust with cinnamon or pumpkin spice and serve immediately.

Nutrition Highlights: Calories: 270 (or less if you use nonfat milk); Fat: 5g; Protein: 10g; Vitamin A: 70%; Calcium: 40%.

Read More http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2008/11/afternoon-snack-a-healthy-and.html#ixzz1AbNjrcri

Orange Splash

Here is another fun drink recipe from Cosmopolitan. Check out this easy cocktail recipe, a signature from Bar Twenty 3 in Nashville.

Orange Splash

If you're tired of the same old clubs, turn your own pad into an ultra-lounge! Put colored bulbs in your lamps, like pink for socializing in the kitchen, red for dancing in the living room, and mellow blue for hallway flirtation. Serve a signature cocktail, like this Orange Splash from Bar Twenty 3 in Nashville.

How to make it: Pour 2 oz. Absolut Citron vodka, 1 oz. Cointreau or triple sec, a splash of fresh lime juice, and a splash of orange juice over ice in a shaker.

Serve on the rocks in a large glass rimmed with sugar and garnished with an orange slice.

Champagne Dream

Here is another fun drink recipe from Cosmopolitan. Check out this spin on Champagne.

Champagne Dream

Why wait for a celebration to break out the champagne? Kick off the weekend right by breaking out the bubbly and making this fun fearless fizzy drink called the Champagne Dream.

How to make it: Mix 1 ounce pomegranate liqueur, 1 ounce Cointreau, and 1 ounce fresh orange juice with ice. Then stir in 3 ounces of champagne or sparkling wine. Strain into a champagne flute and garnish with an orange slice for a decorative touch.

Strawberry Mint Sangria

I love the drink recipes that Cosmopolitan shares..they look so fun and yummy...Here is a recipe for Strawbery Mint Sangria.

Strawberry Mint Sangria

Throwing a party on Friday night? Combine two yummy flavors with this crowd-pleasing Strawberry Mint Sangria.

How to make it: In a large glass pitcher, combine 2 cups sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, and 1 1/2 ounces brandy. Slowly pour in one bottle of a dry wine, then refrigerate for two hours. When ready to serve, add 12 ounces of club soda and stir gently with a long wooden spoon. Pour into ice-filled glasses, and garnish each glass with a mint sprig.

From Self's November 2008 feature of Eat Healthy All Week, here is a fun recipe for sangria.

White Wine–Berry Sangria

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices orange, halved
• 2 tablespoons fresh raspberries (or blackberries)
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon organce juice concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 4 oz white wine
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION

1. Combine all ingredients in a large airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Stir well and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Serve chilled.

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The skinny

175 calories per serving, 0.2 g fat (0 g saturated), 23 g carbs, 2.1 g fiber, 0.6 g protein

Tropical Sangria

Even though fall is coming, we can still enjoy a summery drink with our friends. Here is a recipe to make Tropical Sangria from Cosmopolitan.

Tropical Sangria

There’s nothing like a pitcher of fruity sangria to get the party started! I suggest using a nice, light merlot or a similar wine that you like. I use lemon-lime seltzer in this recipe, which cuts the calories while amplifying the drink’s fruity flavor. It’s a refreshing alternative to other festive cocktails, which can be extraordinarily caloric—a single frozen margarita, for instance, can run you more than 500 calories. Yikes!

SERVES 4 (SERVING SIZE: 12 OUNCES, 1 1/2 CUPS)

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine

1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier

1 orange (unpeeled), thinly sliced

1 lime (unpeeled), thinly sliced

1 (8- ounce) can pineapple chunks packed in 100% juice, with juice

2 cups naturally flavored lime or lemon-lime seltzer or club soda

Sliced citrus fruit, for garnish

1. Combine the wine, orange liqueur, orange and lime slices, and the entire can of pineapple, including the juice, in a large pitcher. Stir, and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

2. To serve, strain out the soaked fruit if desired. Pour the chilled seltzer into the pitcher, and stir to combine with the wine.

3. Serve over ice, and garnish with fresh sliced fruit.

The Only 20 Things You'll Ever Need To Know How to Cook...Part 5

We continue with Glamour's twenty recipes with a recipe for Your Signature Cocktail and Sweet Potato Puree. If you missed the first three parts, check them all out here

Your signature cocktail

For this I always suggest starting with a basic martini (3 parts vodka to 1 part dry vermouth), then, to customize, add 1 tbsp. of whatever flavor liqueur you'd like: Poire William for pear, Chambord for raspberry, Grand Marnier for orange. Cheers!

Sweet potato puree

This is the ultimate side dish. My favorite way to serve it is with fish on top; I love the color contrast. How to make it: Roast 3 sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes. Let cool, then peel. Use a food processor or potato masher to puree potatoes with 2 tbsp. butter and 1 cup warmed milk. Serves 4.