Sips, Sweets & Snacks

When we were visiting LA a few months back, one of our favourite meals was an all vegan Mexican feast at Gracias Madre in West Hollywood. The atmosphere was perfection and the food was incredible, but it was the snow cone/popsicle cocktails that really took the cake. When our friends at teapigs asked us to dream up a tea-infused cocktail creation, we decided popsicles were a non negotiable. After all, sunny Spring afternoons are just around the corner… right?

The key to this Mojito-inspired recipe is the peppermint tea simple syrup we made, and I promise, it really is oh so simple. We opted to use store bought popsicles this time around, but we welcome you to make your own with fresh fruit, juice, tea, or even a hint of your favourite liqueur to add an extra kick to the cocktail!

Scroll down for the full recipe + details on how to enter the BEST giveaway EVER!

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Ingredients:

teapigs Peppermint Herbal Tea
Sugar
White Rum
Lime sparkling water
Popsicle of your choice, homemade or store bought (we used both Lime Fruttare bars and locally made Augies Ice Pops)
Fresh mint

1. Make a tea-infused simple syrup by placing two teapigs Peppermint teabags in a jar. Steep in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 10 mins with lid on, stir in 1/2 of sugar until dissolved. Cool- You can leave the teabags in the syrup overnight for extra minty flavour!

2. Add 1oz cooled simple syrup and 1oz of rum to your glass.

3. Tear up some mint leaves and add a bundle to each glass.

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4. Add sparkling water until the cup is about half full. We used lime Pellegrino to give our cocktails a bit more flavour!

5. Here’s the fun part- add the popsicles! I used each popsicle to “muddle” the mint a bit, and topped up each drink with more sparkling water if the glasses weren’t quite full with the extra volume added.

5. Garnish with lime slices, stir and serve! Simple, colourful, and oh so delicious, these “Poptails” are sure to be a hit at every Spring party!

*Tea tip- you can also add the syrup to your favourite iced tea or iced latte for an extra minty kick!

Want to win some teapigs for yourself? You can score this amazing prize pack this week on Twitter (scroll down for details!)

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The Prize Pack //

4 x marble coasters
2 x confetti glasses
1 x marble wine cooler
1 x gold cocktail shaker
4 x packs of teapigs tea!

The Rules //

1. Follow me on twitter
2. Retweet or tweet one of my pictures from this post with the tag #teapigspartea
3. Follow teapigs on Twitter!

For bonus points you can also like both our pages on Facebook (RAOP + teapigs)

Contest will run till the evening of Friday April 8th!

Good Luck!

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

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Though we’re all aware that sugary cereal is more of a treat than a breakfast food at this point, there’s something so irresistible about the fun shapes, pretty colours, and of course the sweet infused milk it leaves behind.

Comforting and nostalgic, these tea lattes re-imagine one of our favourite colourful breakfast cereals as a frothy caffeinated delight. Infused with Earl Grey tea (which we think tastes remarkably like fruit loops on its own) and topped with rainbow cereal crumbs, it’s sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

We dare you to cheat and try it with breakfast!

Ingredients //

1 cup vanilla soy or almond milk
½ cup fruit loops + extra for topping
1 cup double steeped earl grey tea (split into two mugs)

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Recipe //

Steep the cereal in the milk for a few hours, or overnight if possible. When you’re ready to use it, strain out and dispose of the cereal so you just have pink, fruity milk left. Set aside.

Next, steep your earl grey tea. You’ll need two mugs half-filled with boiling water, and tea (either two tea bags per cup or four teaspoons of loose leaf per cup). You want this infusion to be very strong, like a shot of espresso! Steep the tea for 2.5 minutes, then remove the tea.

Froth the milk using a steamer, your espresso machine, or a simple battery-operated milk frother (available at any kitchen appliance shop). Once marshmallow-fluffy, slowly pour over your earl grey tea in the mugs you’ve chosen.

Finally, crunch up some cereal into a fine powder and sprinkle on top to add a bit of rainbow magic!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Whenever Paige and I get together—whether it’s for a friendly heart-to-heart, a walk through the park or a day of dreaming up new collaborations—there is always tea involved. We love trying out different flavours and blends. Brewing up a hot pot of something new has become a bit of a tradition every time we’re in the studio.

One of our favourite tea finds by far has been Forever Nuts from DAVIDsTEA. It has a sweet, decadent flavour—somewhere between cinnamon buns and apple pie—and contains a bit of beetroot, which makes every cup a gorgeous shade of pink! Adding a splash of coconut milk, homemade vanilla syrup and some ice cubes makes for the perfect iced summer drink. And why stop there? For extra oomph, try spiking the tea!

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Makes two glasses. (If you desire a larger batch, double the recipe. Serve in a teapot!)
  • 1 ½ cups cold water
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 moist vanilla bean
  • 6 teaspoons Forever Nuts tea
  • 8 ounces boiling water
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 4 ice cubes
  • 2 shots Galliano liqueur
  • Begin by making the vanilla syrup. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds from their pod into a small saucepan. Add the pod, cold water and sugar. Simmer mixture over medium heat until the syrup reduces to one cup, then strain. (Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks!)

    Steep tea in boiling water for 6–8 minutes, then strain and pour evenly into two glasses. Divide the coconut milk and ice cubes between both glasses, leaving about an inch of space at the top.

    Top off each glass with a teaspoon of vanilla bean syrup and a shot of Galliano. Stir and serve!

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    Originally published on Glitter Guide! Written and photographed by Alyssa of Random Acts of Pastel and Paige of Bicyclette

    Party Supplies via Meri Meri