Lemon Cucumber Water

Sick of drinking plain water?  Haven't quite mastered the art of tea drinking?  No more black coffee for you?  Try this fresh, tasty Lemon Cucumber water that they serve in very high end spas around the world!  Drink this while sitting in your Detox Bath to keep you nice and refreshed.  Here is one fancy drink you can indulge yourself with during your Phase 2!  Sick of lemons?  Leave them out, it is very good without them too.

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Lemon Cucumber Water

1glass  water pitcher

1 gallon cold water  

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

small handful of fresh mint leaves (optional)

Place all the ingredients into a pitcher, let sit in your refrigerator for 1 hour up to overnight.  Serve over ice for a cool and very refreshing drink.  Will keep a few days in the refrigerator.

Options:  Try replacing the lemon with a few slices of oranges, grapefruits, strawberries or apples!  Try other herbs you have around you as well, Sweet Basil, Rosemary or Lavender would be so good..

Grapefruit Mint Cooler

Are summer Phases well under way with everyone?  I know some that have started a round for swim suit season, is that you?  What are you favorite summer drinks?  You can make virgin margaritas with Strawberries, Stevia and ice, a Lemon Slushy or this yummy Grapefruit Cooler.  Toss in some fresh mint for a cool refreshing drink to help you get through any "snacky" moods.  Having a sweet treat drink around is helpful to not feel so left out if others are enjoying something not currently on your food list.

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Grapefruit Cooler
(1 tall glass serving)
1/2 grapefruit, juiced
3/4 cup water
2 TB freshly chopped mint
1/8 teaspoon stevia
mini pinch of celtic sea salt

Combine fresh grapefruit juice, water, stevia, salt and mix well.  Pour over a very tall glass of ice. Insert straw and sip happily!

PS-  Another variation is to peel the fruit and mix with ice and mint in a blender for a blended version!

Black Cherry Soda

Some days Phase 2 can be hard and all you need is a little "treat" to help you feel normal again, that it won't last forever and that you can make it through this!  My encouragement to you today will be exactly that! 

You will be able to eat normal again soon.  This will not last forever.  You can make it through today and make it through the entire process.

To help you through the day, taking some time to enjoy fruity flavors will help.  Below you will find my favorite kitchen toy.  It makes healthy drinks choices in a snap.  Morning coffee, afternoon iced tea, evening hot tea, hot cocoa for the kids, even hot water for soup.  All at the touch of your fingers.  Highly recommended, especially if you have been wanting one from afar.  I love my Breville Keurig machine and I wanted to share and show you one of my favorite kitchen tools you can use in Phase 2 and beyond.   As always I will answer any questions you have about this kitchen gem.

Black Cherry Soda

2 Celestial Seasonings Black Cherry tea bags

4 ounces boiling water

1 C sparkling water

1/8 tsp stevia

1/2 lemon, juiced (optional)

Place 2 tea bags in bottom of a coffee/ tea mug.  Pour 4 ounces very hot water.  Steep 6-8 minutes.  Squeeze liquid from bags and remove.  Sweeten with stevia to taste, adding lemon juice is optional.  Fill a tall glass with ice, add concentrated tea.  Pour the sparkling water over tea and ice, stir with straw and sip happily.
Note:  If you are not a tea drinker or tea liker...give this a try along with my Faux-Fruit Punch, they don't have a "tea" taste at all.  You should be pleasantly surprised and makes a nice entrance into the world of drinking health tonic called tea!

Keurig compatible Coffee and Tea makers











K-Cup Accessories











K-Cup Coffees











K-Cup Teas

Gingerbread Spiced Syrup

Merry Christmas and my present to you!  Pour this in your coffee, tea and even in some hot water if you don't drink the first two.  Take a peak at the P3 and 4 uses! Simply wonderful.

Gingerbread Spiced Syrup
1 cup water

1 tsp stevia, liquid or powdered

1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

8 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries

1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water and stevia. Stir in ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove the spice with a slotted spoon.  Pour about 1 tablespoon into your coffee, tea or favorite beverage.  Savor and enjoy!

Phase 3: You can use this in coffee or lattes, make a steamed milk drink, pour into tea.  Hot mulled ciders and wine.  Drizzle into whipped cream, yogurt, homemade ice cream.

Phase 4:  Brush onto muffins or cakes, use as a pancake syrup and pour into your oatmeal.

Wassail Tea!

Happy Thanksgiving All! 

I wanted to give you a wonderful new tea recipe for the holiday season.  Also , a re-post of my favorite Hot Apple Cider tea.  To anyone who is sticking to Phase 2 tomorrow I wish you the very best self control!  Sip on this and enjoy your day with your loved ones.  If your heading to the store, pick up these wonderful flavors and get creative with your own ideas too.  For more flavored drink combinations look here.

Wassail Tea
(Makes 2 cups)
1 bag of Lemon Herb tea
1 bag of Pineapple Herb Tea
1 bag of Orange Spice Tea
1 bag of Apple Cinnamon Spice Tea
1 TB of Ginger Syrup, or to taste

Heat 3 cups of water in a small sauce pan over high heat until boiling.  Remove from heat, add the 4 tea bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.  Remove bags squeezing out the excess, pour in Ginger Syrup and pour into 2 mugs.  Stir with a cinnamon stick and enjoy.


Hot Apple Cider Tea
1 bag of Orange Yerba Mate
1 bag of Celestial Seasoning Apple Cinnamon Spice

Sweeten with 5-10 drops Vanilla Creme flavored or plain stevia.
Optional- Add in your daily allowance of 1 TB of milk.

Tea Tuesday!

It's Tea Tuesday!  Calming, refreshing...pure, sigh with me here- "ahhhhh..."  I highly suggest sipping this while doing your Detox Bath.  Chamomile calms, cucumber flavors and refreshes.  Don't forget to cut 2 slices for your eyes ladies!

Chamomile Cucumber Iced Tea

6 Chamomile Tea Bags
2 cucumbers-peeled, seeded and sliced into long spears
sweeten with stevia to taste

In large heat proof bowl or pan steep 9 C boiling water with 6 tea bags for 4-5 minutes. Discard bags. Sweeten with stevia while still warm.  Let cool.  In pitcher place cucumber spears. Pour cooled tea into pitcher. Let sit a few hours up to let the cucumber flavor infuse.  Serve over ice.

Tea Tuesday

It is Tuesday and I am drinking yet another cup of tea.  I have become very much 'into' my tea drinking during Phase 2.  There are so many variations and flavors.  I wanted to share this with you during the fall time.  Not so much a recipe but some of my favorite combinations.  I have a couple cups a day and definitely savor the good flavors of each one. 

Hot Apple Cider
1 bag of Orange Yerba Mate
1 bag of Celestial Seasoning Apple Cinnamon Spice

Sweeten with 5-10 drops Vanilla Creme flavored or plain stevia.
Optional- Add in your daily allowance of 1 TB of milk.

Chocolate Raspberry
1 bag Chocolate Yerba Mate
1 bag Raspberry Hibiscus herb

Sweeten with 5-10 drops Chocolate flavored or plain stevia.
Optional- Add in your daily allowance of 1 TB of milk.

Island Tea
1 bag Stash Coconut Peach tea
1 bag Strawberry herb tea

Sweeten with plain stevia and squirt of lemon.

French Cherry
1 bag Bigelow French Vanilla tea
1 bag Celestial Seasonings Very Cherry Berry tea

Sweeten with Vanilla Creme or plain stevia.
Optional- Add in your daily allowance of 1 TB of milk.

Directions for all:  Boil your water in a tea kettle. Pour over the 2 tea bags and steep for 5-8 minutes. 


That is it for today.  Just a few ideas to help you enjoy some of my favorites today!

Faux Fruit Punch

This is a great drink when you are tired of chugging plain water, don't like tea and have already drank enough coffee or just need a change up.  This Faux Fruit Punch tastes so close you feel like you are cheating! 
Swallow the imaginary guilt and go make this.  Feel free to combine any teas you like with these directions.  Experiment to get favorite flavors of your own.  I have made this recipe to be good and beneficial to your body as well.  It includes fruity tea with some Yerba Mate to get you those vitamins, mineral, amino acids and antioxidants in abundance.  If you steep with other teas- follow their steeping directions- as different tea leaves can turn bitter if steeped too long.

Faux Fruit Punch
4 bags Celestial Seasoning Mango Acai Zinger tea- I usually use 3 Mango Acai and
1 Yerba Mate Orange
2 packet Stevia
1/2 lemon- juiced

Fill your tea kettle with at least 2 cups of water and start heating.  Place 4 tea bags in a heat resistance cup/ bowl large enough to hold 2 cups water.  When your water is ready and boiling, pour 2 cups over tea bags.  Steep 10 minutes.  Remove bags and stir in stevia.  Add to a 2 quart pitcher and pour an additional 2 cups cold water.  Mix in lemon juice and chill until cold.  Note:  Repeat again using same tea bags to make a full 2 quart pitcher.  Sip happily!

Strawberry Cream Soda

Hi All and welcome back for Manic Monday or should I say Maniac Monday...depends on which week right?!   Today I have a guest recipe contributor! This Strawberry Cream Soda recipe has been brought to you by My HHCG Diet Blog.  Thank you for offering up your mix on this delish treat.

Strawberry Cream Soda
4 oz strawberries
1 T daily milk allowance (frothed if you can)
Few drops of Vanilla Crème flavored stevia or vanilla extract (but watch for sugars in vanilla extracts)
Stevia- sweeten to taste, leave out if using Vanilla Crème flavored stevia
12 oz sparkling water such as La Croix, Pellegrino, Mendota Sparkling, etc…

Puree strawberries in blender/ food processor, pour in a 16 oz glass. Add your milk/ milk froth, vanilla flavoring and stevia. Pour your mineral water of choice over the strawberry mixture and stir with straw. Sip happily!   Note:  If you have already had your milk in your coffee (like me), add lemon instead of milk and use unflavored or fruit flavored stevia for a refreshing drink.

Have a great week!