For You Frappuccino Lovers!!!

I like Starbucks Frappuccino's but I don't like the calories and the high sugar content that it has.  I haven't had one in years.  For that matter most of the drinks at Starbucks are high priced, high in sugar, and high in calories. This is not so good for the waste line now is it?  To be honest living in Germany, I can say I have had much tastier coffee then Starbucks!!

Ok so enough rambling what is this post about.  Well, I told you I was going to share recipes and I have been slow to do so.  After many, many years of trying to make my own Frappuccino I have finally found a recipe that not only tastes good its mostly guilt free!! Yes, you heard me Frappuccino, tasty, and guilt free in the same sentence.  This recipe is 70 calories with 7 grams of sugar, compared to the 12 oz mocha Frappuccino at starbucks ( without whip cream) 200 calories and 40 g of sugar. 
You know you always want that whip cream and sadly most of us get it .  That adds 80 calories and 1 g of sugar.

Ok let's get to the recipe, enough ragging on Starbucks!!!   I got this recipe from The Lemon Bowl.  If you click on the name it will take you right to the recipe.  It's for a Mocha Frappuccino and it's delish.  I want to share my version as I have made a few minor changes that help the flavor along. 

First, I do want to point out one thing.  If you click the link it says 70 calories 2g of fat.  That is because they use Stevia.  I do not use artificial sweeteners, sometime soon I will share some articles with you as to why they are not good for you.

So Here is the recipe it's for 2 servings:
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of chilled coffee

¼ cup half and half (or almond milk)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 Tsp of Honey

pinch sea salt

2 cups of coffee made into ice cubes

whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings - optional garnish

 

My Notes :The original recipe called for 2 cups of chilled coffee and you add Ice.  I found that it watered down the coffee.  Any day we had leftover coffee (usually during the week when I had to run out and didn't get my second cup of coffee) I would just let it cool then pour it into the ice cube trays and make coffee cubes. Another important note is DO NOT OMIT THE SALT!!!!!  It's very important because oddly enough salt sweetens the cocoa powder.  If you omit you will have a slightly bitter drink.

 

Instructions:

1. Combine coffee, half and half, cocoa powder, vanilla, honey and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth about 30-60 seconds.
2. Add a scoop or two of the coffee ice cubes and puree for additional 45-60 seconds on high. (If it needs to be thicker add more cubes)
3. Pour into a glass and Enjoy!!!

You can add chocolate shavings and coconut milk whip Cream.  This recipe will be added when I try it myself.  I need to see if it's worth it calorie and sugar wise.

 

Here is my not so fancy pic of my homemade Frappuccino. 

Kevin agrees that it is very delicious!!!  I need to work on the coconut milk whip cream and adding some chocolate chunks and seeing how it tastes and how many calories and grams of sugar it adds.  I have tried making half the recipe and it just doesn't taste the same so I would recommend making the whole batch and freezing the second half until you need it.  Enjoy !!!!!

Fun times in Vienna!!!

Hello All, sorry once again it has been a while.  We were busy last week traveling to Vienna.  Kevin had a holiday, I think it was Ascension Day, last Thursday.  We had a lovely day at the house cleaning, packing , and preparing for our trip.  We left first thing Friday morning for Vienna.

I have to say that Vienna is a very beautiful city and it has so much history and the buildings are very unique.  We stayed at Der Wilhelmshof.  What a great location, reasonable price, nice place, and it even included breakfast.  I have included a few pics of our room; however, I didn't take a picture of the outside. 

 Ivy slept on a child's bed which was a sofa that opened up to a bed.  We turned it around so she wouldn't fall out. 

 

 

Each room is named after a historical Austrian, our room was called Johann Straus. They have a wall in the room with his picture and a saying.

 

Ivy was very excited to have discovered they had soap and a "child's sink" at her height (mom and dad, not so excited since we knew it wasn't a sink). 

 

 

Our hotel was located a short walk to the train station as well as to the Famous Ferris Wheel, Wiener Reisenrad at the Prater.  We didn't go on the Ferris wheel because it was a 20 minute ride that moved incredibly slow and it went around one time.  However, the rest of the park was enormous.  It put a place like Trimpers on the Boardwalk to shame.  Ivy loved the carousel and by the end of the first night she was riding it all by herself.

 

 

  Here are a few other videos of her on other rides she braved the last night we were in town. Please excuse the quality of these videos.  I really wanted to share them but the files were too big.  I had to compact them in my movie maker and it ruined the quality.  You still get the idea, but her face is cute on the auto ride even though you really can't see it well, so I apologize for that!!

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday we walked around the town and did some exploring.  First we went to the center and walked through the market.  Right next to the market was St. Stephen's Cathedral.  Like most  Europeann Cathedrals, it was beautiful.

 

 

  After that we walked down the street and ended up at the Well known Sacher Hotel and indulged in there original Sacher Torte.  Unlike  the other tourists, I did not take a pic.  If you google Sacher original Torte you will see a mouth watering  pic of a tasty treat.  I have to say, I wasn't all that impressed.   

 

After a massive sugar high, Ivy took a nap right as we found the Imperial treasury in the museum corridor.  The museum corridor was originally a palace.  I wasn't allowed to take pics inside but this was worth seeing if you ever visit Vienna.  Near the end of the gallery there was a particular section that caught my attention and was the most valuable item in the world assuming its real.  Not that I don't believe a museum.  On display they had a small 2 inch by 2 inch piece of the table cloth from the last supper, about the same size piece of Jesus's Loin cloth, a tooth from John the Baptist, and a piece of wood from Jesus's manger.  Their were a few other things but those are the ones I remember. Since I couldn't take any pictures here are few of the palace. 

 

The rest of the day we walked around the city and ended up at a play ground or Spielplatz. Ivy was thrilled.  I could post more pics from the city but I want to get to the next day as it was worth seeing.  I am thinking of adding all my pics in pinterest so if you have an account you will be able to see these pics in the future, more on that later!!!

 

So Sunday, we went to Schönbrunn Palace.  You have to plan to be there the entire day!!  We bought the classic pass. That cover the palace, this ticket included the grand tour( via audio tour) of the palace, the gardens, the maze and labyrinth, and the Gloriette Panorama Terrace.  Once inside the palace pictures were not allowed. So all the pictures are taken of part of the gardens, the outside of the palace, the terrace and the maze.  I will mostly post the pics but I may add a few comments where I see fit, enjoy!!!

 

 

 

 Ivy Loved this fountain.  We call this her fountain face!!! If you ask her to do her fountain face she does this with a crazy laugh!!! 

 

You had to get through this maze to take this pic. After a bit of a challenge we made it!! 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post!!  I have a few more items to tell you and I will be posting again in the next few days. Please stop by to check out some changes in the  Sours house, along with a few recipes, and finally some exercise posts!!!