beverage

Westsoy Chocolate Peppermint Stick Soy Beverage review

November 12, 2011 By Susie Bautista Leave a Comment

Tis the season! It's getting cool outside, snow is on its way and it's time to stock up on seasonal beverages. Egg nog lattes and peppermint mocha are two favorite seasonal beverages. Since chocolate peppermint stick is a flavor that appeals to the entire family, Westsoy's beverage is a good buy. I steamed it to use in my peppermint mocha and the girls loved it cold as their morning beverage. They quickly got over the fact that I didn't serve them a cup with a candy cane in it, once they tasted it. For a mocha, I use about 1/3 cup of chocolate peppermint stick soy beverage and steam it till nice and frothy. To the steamed soymilk, I add two espresso shots, 1 package of splenda and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Without the extra sweetness, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beverage Tagged With: chocolate peppermint, soy beverage, Westsoy

SoBe lifewater black & blue berry review

November 8, 2011 By Susie Bautista Leave a Comment

Because I grew up in an agricultural area in California, I know what a good peach, strawberry, plum, cantaloupe or tomato taste like. The only way to truly know what a fruit or vegetable tastes like is to try it fresh and ripe. Moving to the Northwest has given me the opportunity to try other fresh fruits and vegetables. Some new favorites are raspberries and blueberries. In fact, I like blueberries so much, I planted some in my backyard. Before moving here, I would have describe blueberries as floral or green; maybe even watery. Blueberries are a touch more complex when picked ripe, they have a nice full sweetness, a touch of a floral character, some seedy notes, nice juiciness and a subtle tartness. The SoBe lifewater black … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beverage Tagged With: blue & black berry, Reb A, SoBe lifewater

McDonald’s Peppermint Mocha review

November 6, 2011 By Susie Bautista 5 Comments

I visit McDonalds about once a week in the colder months. It's a great place to take my daughter to play while I enjoy some coffee and relax. If Starbucks had a play land, I'd be there in a heartbeat, but they don't. The coffee at Starbucks is hands down better than McDonalds; although McDonalds has done a great job recently in providing coffee options. If you buy a McCafe drink at McDonalds, you will not get to choose decaf, sugar-free, an extra espresso shot or light: McDonalds McCafe drinks come in big food service pouches (large bags) that are inserted into a machine to be dispensed. I found this out when I ordered a Peppermint Mocha and realized my order was the first order of the season. The crew had to go get the "new bag" from the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beverage Tagged With: McCafe, McDonalds, Peppermint Mocha, Starbucks

Zico Coconut Water w/Pineapple & Citrus Flavors review

November 1, 2011 By Susie Bautista Leave a Comment

Last night was Halloween. As always, I was rushing around getting the kids ready for the evening and didn't get a chance to eat dinner. The kids were excited and crazy, so I decided to "numb my nerves" and fill a coffee mug with an alcoholic beverage while I follow them around the neighborhood. My evening diet consisted of wine, candy and a few specs of dinner. Needless to say, I didn't feel great this morning. Therefore, I decided it was a good morning to try the Zico Pure Premium Coconut water I had in my frig. I've heard coconut water is extremely healthy and can help with hangovers. My impression of this product is that it must be healthy, because it looks like a medicine bottle and it sure doesn't taste good. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beverage Tagged With: coconut water, flavored coconut water, pineapple coconut water, zico

SoBe LEAN Honey Green Tea

October 25, 2011 By Susie Bautista Leave a Comment

Fifteen years ago I was formulating green tea beverages for beverage manufacturers and trying out the natural high potency sweetener stevia extract(Reb A). I was working for a Japanese flavor company making prototypes for large beverage manufacturers in the United States and evaluating beverages sweetened with stevia that were on the market in Japan. Stevia has been approved for use as a natural sweetening agent in Japan for years. Recently, the United States deemed stevia safe for use in food and beverage. Honestly, I am not a huge high potency sweetener fan. They (aspartame, sucralose, Ace K, stevia, saccharin) all taste different from sugar. However, I am fifteen pounds more than I was before I had children and would like to lose that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beverage Tagged With: Honey Green Tea, Reb A, Sobe, Sobe Lean, Stevia