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

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!