Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Happy National Iced Tea Day!

There’s nothing Jo and I love more than creating fun tea-infused recipes (after all, we met working at a tea shop), so it was evident we needed to come up with something special for this very important holiday.

After much deliberation, we decided to celebrate with a Mint Matcha Iced lattes, one of our favourite ways to say good morning back in our tea shop days. With steeped Teapigs Marrakesh Mint Green Tea, Organic Matcha, A splash of vanilla almond milk, and a teaspoon of agave, this simple bevvie is refreshing, healthy, and just the right amount of sweet. Try it in the morning as the perfect pick-me-up, or paired with your favourite sweet treat after dinner.

Cheers to one of our favourite “holidays” of the whole year!

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Ingredients //

4 Teapigs Marrakesh Mint teabags
1/2 tsp Teapigs organic matcha powder
Ice
6oz Vanilla almond milk
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Recipe //

1. Steep 2 teabags per glass (make sure your glasses are heat-safe) in 4oz boiling water, steep for 2-3 mins and remove the teabags. Alternatively you can cold steep the teabags overnight in the fridge.

2. Measure 1/2 tsp of matcha into a small bowl and slowly add the boiling water (for the best taste let the water cool down a bit). Stir using a matcha whisk until its frothy on top and add it to your green tea concentrates.

3. Fill the cups up with ice and top them off with milk and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately for ultimate refreshment!

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This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

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I swear tea has magical powers. When you’re feeling chilled it warms you up, when you’re sad or tired it gives you a boost, and it always seems to bring people together one way or another. The first time Paige and I met in person it was over tea and scones at The Kitten and The Bear, and from that moment on we’ve been dreaming up RAOP x Bicyclette magic, so it was only fitting that we’d eventually make one of our projects something to do with tea.

We’re both big fans of Sloane Tea, a local brand with incredible blends and super pretty packaging, so we rounded up a handful of our favourites and started experimenting together at Studio B. By the end of the afternoon we’d come up with 6 delicious, fancy iced tea recipes to keep you cool this summer. Some have caffeine, others are caffeine-free and kid-safe, and all promise to bring magic, fun, and togetherness to your summer.

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Crimson Berry Punch 

(Makes 2 cups)
5 tsp Crimson Berry Sloane Tea
12 oz Hot Water
Fresh Berries
4 tbsp Peach Juice
1 tbsp Agave

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Steep the tea for 4 minutes. While you wait, fill two cups with berries of your choice (we used a mix of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) and ice. Once the tea is steeped, carefully pour it over the ice and stir in 4 tbsp of peach juice and 1 tbsp of agave (or to taste). Serve with a berry garnish!

Add some extra fun with red wine.

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Pineapple Pear Fizz

(Makes 2 cups)
5 tsp of Perfectly Pear Sloane Tea
12 oz Hot Water
Pineapple Syrup
Sparkling Water

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Steep the tea for 1.5 minutes. While you wait fill two cups with iced tea. Once steeped, pour the tea over the ice and add pineapple syrup to taste. Top it off with sparkling water and garnish with a pineapple slice!

Add some extra fun with vodka.

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Rose Pineapple Chai

(Makes 2 cups)
5 tsp of Persian Palace Sloane Tea
12 oz Hot Water
Pineapple Syrup
Rose Water

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Steep the tea for 2.5 minutes and fill two cups with ice while you wait. Once steeped, pour the tea over the ice and add pineapple syrup and a splash of rose water to taste.

Add some extra fun with rum.

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Sparkling Peach Rose Pink Lemonade

(Makes 2 cups)
5 tsp Jasmine Pink Lemonade Sloane Tea
12 oz Hot Water
2 tbsp Peach Juice
Rosewater
Agave
Rose Syrup (available at BYOB or The Spice Trader)
Sparkling Water

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Steep the tea for 1.5 minutes and fill two cups with ice while you wait. Once steeped pour the tea over the ice and add a tiny drop of rosewater, 2 tbsp peach juice and agave and rose syrup to taste. Top it off with sparkling water or bubbly!

Add some extra fun with gin.

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Coconut Peppermint Patty Iced Latte 

(Makes 2 cups)
10 tsp Mint Chocolate Sloane Tea
8 oz Hot Water
Vanilla Coconut Milk
Agave

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Steep the tea for 4 minutes and fill two cups half full with ice while you wait. Once steeped, pour the tea over the ice and add vanilla coconut milk and agave to taste. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Add some extra fun with mint liqueur.

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Lavender Coconut Cream Iced Latte

(Makes 2 cups)
10 tsp Heavenly Cream Sloane Tea
8 oz Hot Water
Vanilla Coconut Milk
Lavender Water
Agave

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Steep the tea for 2.5 minutes and fill cups half full with ice while you wait. Once steeped, pour the tea over the ice, then add vanilla coconut milk, agave and lavender water to taste. Garnish with lavender buds.

Add some extra fun with Galliano or another vanilla liqueur.

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And as an extra special treat for our readers, enjoy 20% tins of Sloane Tea at The Kitten and the Bear until next Wednesday when you say the code word ‘Random Acts Of Pastel’ or ‘Bicyclette’. The perfect excuse to stock up for summer and up your iced tea game!

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This is a collaboration post with Bicyclette and it can also be found on their blog too!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

A few weeks ago I went for lunch at a local spot called “This End Up” with a couple of friends, a restaurant well-known for their delicious sandwiches and extra fancy sodas. Totally obsessed with all things tropical, I couldn’t help ordering a pineapple soda to go with my coconut bacon BLT, and it totally blew me away. I left in a haze, my mind churning with ideas for how I might attain pineapple syrup and make tropical drinks from home.

But then I thought wait, why not just made some?!

Pineapple syrup isn’t something you see around often, but it’s surprisingly easy to make, and it tastes heavenly in soda, cocktails, poured over ice cream, or even in iced tea (stay tuned for some magical recipes this week from Bicyclette and I!)

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Ingredients:

1 Pineapple (cut, peeled, cored, and cubed)
4 cups cane sugar (plus a little extra)
2 cups water

Method:

Toss the cubed pineapple in cane sugar and leave it in a covered bowl overnight in the fridge. The next morning, pour the cubes and liquid from the fruit into a blender and pulse until smooth.

Strain the pineapple puree using a sifter or cheese cloth, applying pressure to extract as much juice as possible. Set aside the juice, and use the remaining pulp for popsicles or in baked goods!

Pour the sugar and water into a pot on the stove and bring it to a boil (stir frequently to keep from burning). Continue boiling the mixture until all of the sugar is dissolved and the liquid starts to thicken. Once thick and syrupy, remove the pot from the stove.

Once the syrup has cooled slightly, pour in the pineapple juice and stir until well-mixed, and you’re done! Store syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, and use it on everything!