I found a lovely post that was MADE for food photography!!
And a smoothie that was MADE for my mouth!
The mix for TWO smoothies:
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup raw oats
- 2 scoops Vega Vanilla Chai
- 1 cup ice
- 4 oz Goji berry juice
We were out of milk so I used Genesis Today Goji Berry Juice instead. It worked great and gave the smoothie a tropical taste!
We found out the secret to iced coffee that I like is LESS ICE
I have really senstitive teeth and can’t strain icy liquids between them. Filling the jar 2/3 full meant all of the ice melted by the time I was ready to drink (and it was less cold, and less watered down!)
See, no ice! Score!
The basil is doing better today – it was limp yesterday
Frog Prince #1
Frog Prince #2
The Bear Princes are making a noontime appearance!!
{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
The secret to iced coffee is coffee ice cubes! Next time you have left over..make some.
xo
But I don’t like iced cubes!
Dharma straw, maybs? I’m the same way, can’t deal with the sensitivity/tooth puckering feeling!
You can still melt the cubes but coffee ice cubes stop it from tasting watered down
I’m lovin the coffee in a jar..it’s good to be different
I do overnight french press iced coffee. Super simple, just dump your normal amount of coffee and water in (water should be cold). Then let it sit overnight in the fridge. That way it’s brewed and cold when you wake up, and less bitter. So good!
I agree! I love this method and it’s cold enough that I don’t have to use cubes!
Bwahaha priceless photo of Math!
There’s a bar here in Montreal that serves their beer in jars like that … I never thought of doing it at home
I love all the uses you’re finding for those jars! I love to make dressing in mine– they’re great for shaking
SIABOAP : Smoothie in a Bowl on a PEDESTAL! Where it belongs.
Looks good
How about a straw?
Now that’s a good idea!
basil plants love water! when they start to look limp, that means they are thirsty.
i am hooked on drinking things out of jars! also the mason (canning) jar lids have a pretty good seal on them, so i can throw a smoothie in one and put it in my backpack and there’s no leakage! plus it looks cool.
basil is sort of finicky – when the roots sit too long in water, they also go limp. too much humidity can also make them droopy. lots of drainage and warm air is key (rocks in the bottom of a planter work really well)… here, have some unasked-for advice! lol
the coffee ice cubes are great (especially if you pour them into hot or warm coffee; they melt pretty quickly) but think about all the awesome straws you could start buying…
you & Matt are so lucky to eat breakfast together out on that porch… in fact, you can see the happiness in his face in that picture haha
Yum! Smoothie in a bowl!
Mmmm…I’m so gonna go make some iced coffee now
i lvoe the way you set the smoothies up! they rest so beautifully on their pedestals haha!
I love the ball jars for glasses! We use those too!
Hey Kath! I’m reading a book by Brendan Brazier and I found out about Vega through that. How did the vanilla chai flavor taste? Have you tried other flavors? Thank you for sharing!
Have a great day
It’s amazing!!!
I’m the same way with ice! My teeth are so sensitive with certain cold things. I only like my water room temp unless I’m REALLY hot, but I just can’t take super cold drinks.
I love using mason jars for drinking.
I’m EXACTLY the same in regards to sensitive teeth! In fact, I’ve taken to drinking tepid tap water because it hurts to have cold water
I always have to let ice cream melt, too…
Maybe it’s just as well I don’t have access to your wonderful froyo, then!
I love iced coffee – haven’t tried to make it, though, I usually stick to buying it – tough on the wallet
but still worth it. What a sweeeet morning, and even sweeter morning fuel 
Enjoy your day, Kath!!
I want to try planting basil and some other herbs! hopefully a gateway to someday getting a real garden!
Hopefully the sun will shine on you all the time you are in Chi Town! We’ve had a bit of a rainy spell lately with some clouds (felt bad for the Transformers 3 film production crew filming in dt Chicago) but it’s been a hot, sunny summer here otherwise.
haha love that picture of Matt! how funny!
your weather looks like june gloom what we have in calif
that shot of matt is priceless!!!
I adore ice coffee! I always use a straw for it, makes the drinking more fun
)
)
Matt looks so funny
i think i need an iced coffee tutorial. i think that also means i need a french press? oh the money i could save if i could master this at home!
Between your move to VA and Caitlin’s move to Charlotte and your subsequent organizing and simplifying endeavors, you ladies have insipired me to do the same! I just bout a 12 back of ball jars and am working on revamping my kitchen pantry-I love the way it looks!
What a perfect photo location!
I can’t stand iced coffee. I have tried it in so many forms and it just grosses me out. This is a major bummer during hot summer days!
Goji Berry juice sounds SO good! I hope you have a wonderful day Kath!
I recently found that my iced coffee preference is basically chocolate milk with chilled coffee thrown in. Hah! Maybe one day I’ll learn…
That iced coffee looks very refreshing. Do you make your coffee at night or in the morning?
In the morning
Jealous of that basil! Mine won’t grow this year.
Frog Prince #2 is adorable!!! I can’t wait to see the Bears this afternoon.
I love that you are drinking out of Ball jars — my brother in law has had a set for years that he loves to drink out of.
Have you ever listened to the sporkful podcast? The two guys come up with insane food ideas, and one of their solutions for curing iced coffee dilution-by-ice cubes is… Coffee ice cubes. Awesome.
Wei Wei
Good comparison between your hubby and Frog Prince #2. They both have the same smirk.
Hi Kath
I have been away for a few days, but just want to say, your new place is adorable! You and Matt are so lucky!
Julia
Okay…so I swear I am not a creepy stalker…but I just think you have the cutest husband ever…(who needs to day-dream about actors/athletes when u have him, Kath
).
I have to hand it to Matt, that’s a pretty impeccable Frog Prince impersonation.
That post really is perfect for food photography! Score. I’ve yet to try blending oats in my smoothie, or did you just top the smoothie with 1/2 cup of oats?
They were blended in. That was granola on top!
I don’t have a french press – any tips for making iced coffee without one??
You just make regular coffee and pour it over ice
Haha, is that Matt’s frog face?
I’m not a big fan of iced coffee either. I don’t know why! The more it’s doctored up with sugar and cream the better – but that’s why I can’t have it often…
Love your new picture taking location.
Tomorrow is smoothie day for me – I’m hoping to try some of your combos.
Can’t wait to see the bears again!
Great photography spot! I love when the ice gets all melty in my iced coffee too – too much ice and it’s difficult to drink.
I tried that Goji berry juice and thought that it was a little to strong. Have you tried the same brands resveratrol juice? That one is really good!
Do you make your coffee stronger when you know it is going to be iced? Every time I try making iced coffee, by the time the milk is in and the ice has melted, it barely tastes like coffee anymore.
I have an obsession with your green-handled tea spoon. Must head to the flea markets to see if I can find any fun tea spoons!
That is a drawback. I don’t like iced coffee enough to put all the effort into make it in advance and ice cubes and all.
i’m so bad with my herbs – my basil is so dead
For your iced coffee you could also pour some coffee into your ice cube trays, and use that for your cubes. That way, when it melts, it doesn’t water down the coffee.
That goji juice sounds great! You’re right – the post was begging to be photographed, haha.
Do you melt the nut butter before putting it in your smoothie? Mine gets all cold and…clumpy lol
Clumping is the best part!
It can be hard to keep potted plants watered and happy in the heat (don’t know if it’s hot there again, but we’ve been scorching in St. Louis). We arrived home yesterday to find our poor little broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage seedlings in sad shape. Most of them seemed to recover after a watering, but I’m feeling like a bad plant mama. We just need to nurse them along for a bit longer until we can get them out in the garden.
I love drinking out of jars! I don’t drink coffee, iced or otherwise, but my teeth are sensitive too so I feel your pain.
You should put brewed coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze them–this way you could add as much ice or as little ice as you want, without having to worry about it watering down! This goes for iced tea too
ha. loving frogg prince #1! i like to refrigerate my coffee overnight so i don’t need ice cubes! it works really well!
I just started doing the vita mix smoothies but haven’t tried the oats or toppings yet.
Nice sounding smoothie and good photography spot.
Basil is a VERY thirsty plant. It wilts when there is too much sun (it needs full sun for at least 6 hours a day) or not enough water. Keep the soil moist, and if the soil ever feels dry, give it lots of water, and it will suck it right up!!
both princess are gorgeous!!
You made me smile after a tough day Kath, thanks! 
have you ever tried cold-brewed coffee? it’s great for either iced or hot coffee, as it produces a concentrate, of sorts, that’s kept in the fridge, so you can make hot or iced coffee easily, and only have to ‘brew’ (let the coarse grounds steep for 12 hours and then strain) once every week or so. i started making my coffee this way b/c it reduces the acid content greatly and produces a better-tasting cup, i think. worth looking into if you drink iced coffee on a regular basis! there are a few systems you can buy (‘toddy’ brand is the one i have), but you could likely rig something similar up if you’re handy.