I'm Feelin' A Little Tipsy

Because It's RECIPE TIP NIGHT!

Who's in the mood for a Mojito!!! 

Well I know I am...always!!!  I love the minty zing of a freshly made mojito!  Before BFC I tried all the pre-made mixes and none are as good as the real thing! Besides they are chock full of sugar...take this for example: Bartles & James Mojito  BFC 42/3 !!!  Wow!  That much sugar would put me under...no need for the alcohol! 

The weekend before starting BFC I went to a party at a mexican food restaurant and even sang a song I made up about mojito's all the way there!  I was planning on having my last hoorah, thinking I was going to have to give up my favorite drink!  We get to the restaurant and right off the bat I order up my first mojito!  "Sorry maam but we don't have any mint."  WHAT???  It's a Saturday night in Austin, Texas...you're a bar...and you Don't have any MINT??? C'mon people!  (that's the rant that went off in my head...thank goodness it didn't slip out my mouth!)  I was ready to go to the local grocery and buy my own stinkin' mint so I could have my last hoorah...as planned!  But I didn't and so my hoorah turned into several other assorted drinks...but none could meet up to my pre-conceived expectations of a Fresh Minty Mojito...  

BUT... I have good news!!!  I have found a recipe that fills the bill AND it's Sugar Free! 

Hope you enjoy!  Ole'!

Minty Mojito a la Sugar-Free

Now, before we get into the recipe part I need to tell you a little about how a mojito is made.  Normally, you start with a tall glass 3/4 full of ice, mint leaves, lime juice and sugar and you take a muddling tool (usually a wooden pestle) and start crushing the mint and sugar together on the ice.  The ice helps break down the leaves and the sugar helps release the flavors within the mint much like sugar on strawberries makes a syrup.  BUT, instead you will be using either 1 Tbl erythritol or 2 packets of Truvia instead of sugar.  So you need to work it just a little bit longer than usual to make sure the flavors all get released and mixed well.  

Once you have completed this step you will continue on adding the Rum and the Club Soda to the muddled mint and ice mixture.  Stir and enjoy!  Some like to place all the ingredients in a shaker and shake before serving...it's entirely up to you!   Don't be afraid to ingest the mint...it's healthy and keeps your breath fresh longer too!  (you may want to check your teeth from time to time! lol )

Ingredients:

•  lime wedges from about a third of a lime squeezed to make about 2 Tbl of juice  BFC 0/0
• 8 mint leaves  BFC 0/0
• 1 heaping Tbl erythritol or 2 packets of Truvia  BFC 0/0
• 1 1/2 oz. white rum  BFC 0/0
• Club soda to fill  BFC 0/0

Preparation:

1. Fill tall glass 3/4 full of crushed ice, mint, lime wedges and Sugar Substitute
2. Muddle with muddling tool till mint and sugar substitute is fully mixed and mint is broken down
3. Add rum and club soda 
4. Stir or place in shaker and shake and pour in tall glass
5. ENJOY!

Please note:  You can easily leave out the Rum for a tasty Non-Alcoholic Sugar-Free Mojito!

Total BFC value 0/0                  

(the only thing that had measurable carbs was the lime and it was 1/1 for a whole lime; 

so if you have more than one drink, be sure to count these points)

 Remember to drink responsibly 

and 

DONT DRINK AND DRIVE!!!

 OLE'

W A T E R - Our Body's BFF

WATER...Our Body's BFF

How many of these do you drink a day?  I try to drink 64 oz a day.  Some days I drink less...some days I drink more.  I confess, it hasn't always been my BFF  (best friend forever)!  I used to drink a glass of water and just about gag at the thought of having to drink any more than that one 8oz glass!  Now, give me a Diet Coke or Iced Tea or Cranberry Juice and I wouldn't gag!  So what is it about water that causes some of us to run the other way?  

This is totally IMO (in my opinion) and NOT a scientific fact!  But I believe we train our bodies to expect certain things.  Such as that cup of joe we have every morning!  Try forfeiting that one day and see how your body responds!  Not only is it used to getting it's little caffeine fix but it is used to you putting that certain type of liquid down your throat at that certain time of day.  Our bodies LOVE habits!  I'm convinced they thrive on them!  

You may be saying..."You picked a caffeinated drink and our bodies are hooked on the caffeine...not the type of liquid."   Ok, fair enough, lets try something else then.  What if you drank Decaf coffee... how would you feel if you left for the office and you forgot your To-Go cup of Hot Decaf Coffee on the counter?  Would you throw on the brakes and run back in to get it?  or Stop by the drive-thru coffee shop on the way to work... I have a feeling most of us would say... Yep!   You see we condition ourselves to expect certain things in our daily lives...and Katy bar the door if we don't get them!  

So what does this have to do with WATER?   Well, I believe that those of us who have had a difficult time getting those "much needed" 64 oz. of water down have had this issue because our bodies are not used to actually being hydrated!  It all of the sudden has this new form of liquid shooting into its stomach and it almost acts like it's shocked!  Sometimes even cramping up, making us feel sick to our stomach!  So.. we say to our neighbor..."See!  I just can't drink water! It makes me sick!"  When actually the fact of the matter is...you're probably "sick" because you ain't drinkin' yo water!  

It's true, our bodies really NEED extra water, EVERYDAY!  Not just on a whim...but on purpose for a purpose!  Here is a link to a wonderful article about why we should drink water in the first place... About Water!

I could talk on the subject and give you miles of facts about WHY we should drink more water...but I'm writing tonight more about the HOW you can get more water into your body...without gagging! lol   At least I'll share how I was able to change my ways...and hopefully it will help someone else out there!

The first thing I did after realizing I needed to conquer this "issue", was to buy myself a pretty glass.  Yep, a Pretty Glass that I could call my own!  At the time, I was working, had my own desk and was allowed to have drinks at my desk.  Drinking water out of a plastic or paper cup was totally unappealing to me. (still is!) So, I went to a store that I knew would have cool glassware and seriously walked the aisles upon aisles of glasses and found just the right glass that I knew would be pleasing to me!  

Once I found this glass....I made sure before I started work every morning that my glass was cleaned and filled with fresh, cool water from our water purifier.  I prefer cool or cold water, others may prefer luke or room temperature water, either way is fine...the point is to make it appealing to you and your body!  Having that pretty glass there...available with beautiful sparkling water...I found myself drinking more and more water as time went on.  I would be surprised when I would reach for the glass and find it empty!  Little by little I started re-hydrating my body and it was good!  

Now, I no longer work away from home and I am more active during the day and not just sitting at a desk at work. Therefore I created a new "habit".   I purchased a pretty insulated water bottle in my favorite color and make sure every morning (when I get my coffee fix!) that I also clean and fill my water bottle with ice and fresh Alkaline water.  (Alkaline water...a whole nuther story for another day!)  I find I drink at least 64oz a day and probably more.  My body has learned to LOVE being hydrated and believe me it lets me know now when I'm needing water!  It's amazing!  I never felt that "need" before...but now my body is used to being filled with sparkling water and longs for it if I go without for even an hour or two!  

Todays post is how "I" was able to make WATER my BFF...You may find another way easier for you...perhaps you love drinking out of a straw or wish to add a little lemon or lime to your water... that's OK...DO what will help YOU to DO what You need to DO!  The point is to HYDRATE your Body...so you can FLUSH those yucky things out and cleanse your system!  You get rewarded with beautiful hair, fresh looking skin and a healthy body!  What more can you ask for?  

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH!