Tea Time with Brandy: Sparkling Cocktails & Matcha Peppermint Scones

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, Brandy hosts a Wrapping Party. It's a jolly old time with all of her friends; listening to Christmas carols, nibbling a few treats, and sipping a few drinks while progressively getting merrier while their paper cutting skills get worse and worse until inevitably, someone ends up wrapped in clear tape like a mummy. "I find that it's the best possible way to get motivated for the worst chore of the holiday season," she says, "Plus, it's usually an excuse for me to try some more experimental recipes before I give them their big debut."

To keep everyone feeling merry and bright, Brandy made sure she had plenty of cocktail making supplies on hand. One thing she had hit upon as a brilliant base for mixing simple cocktails quickly while ensuring they had great flavor was a new line of sparkling waters from Waterloo. Coming in 7 varieties, the sparkling waters are all calorie free, sugar free, and sodium free, meaning they add brilliant flavor and bubbles to a cocktail without adding anything else. Brandy particularly likes the Lime flavor, which she mixes with vodka and cranberry juice to create a Sparkling Christmas Cosmo. The Black Cherry flavor is also lovely with a splash of cranberry and some honey whiskey, making a lightly crisp version of a Manhattan. All of the flavors (which also include watermelon, coconut, lemon, and grapefruit) are also perfect for sipping on their own as a light and refreshing palate cleanser after consuming tons of sweet and salty snacks.

Speaking of which, this year, Brandy decided to go a little bit out of the gift box, so to speak, for her Wrapping Party provisions. "I like my food to be colorful this time of year," she explained, "But I don't want to overload things with dye and artificial hues." For that reason, she zeroed in on Matcha as a natural colorant as well as a spectacular winter flavor. The thought of tea put her in mind of her home land, and instantly she was craving scones with lashings of cream. "Hmmm... Matcha scones... now that's an idea!" she said to no one in particular. But the idea needed just a little something more to make it feel complete. "Of course! The cream!" she exclaimed. Thinking on flavors that might match well with the delicate Matcha, but also remind her guests of snowy winter days spent snuggled by the fire, she hit on the idea of a peppermint scented buttercream to fill her scones with. And as her cabinets are always stocked with wonderful extracts from Nielsen Massey, it was a sinch to make her scone and cream dreams a reality.

Matcha Scones with Peppermint Cream

2 cups of cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of Matcha powder
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup of milk, plus one tablespoon
2 large eggs (one for egg wash)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of softened butter
Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar for topping

For peppermint cream:

1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 pound of confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons plus more to taste of Nielsen Massey peppermint extract
about a tablespoon of milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and salt. In a second bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer. Add in one egg and the milk while continuing to mix. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Using either an oiled ice cream scoop or your flour dusted hands, form the dough into about a dozen small balls and line the baking sheet with them. Scramble the remaining egg with a tablespoon of milk, then use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the tops of the scones, then sprinkle on vanilla sugar. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly brown. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, confectioner's sugar, and peppermint extract (start with two teaspoons and add more if desired). Add in milk a few drops at a time to loosen up the cream and give it more of a whipped texture rather than a hard icing texture. Cut the scones in half horizontally and spread a generous amount of peppermint cream on the bottom piece before adding the top back on.

The writers of this blog were sent products from the mentioned companies free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: XXL Icons from La Maison Du Chocolat

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Brandy is a self diagnosed chocoholic. Though her mouth is almost entirely filled with sweet teeth, she does have discerning tastes when it comes to chocolate and how to experience it. "You can't just be biting and chewing away like a heathen," she says, "One has to nibble and savor. Let the chocolate coat the tongue. Experience all parts of it, from the texture to the complex flavors. I've never been one of those people who can taste oak and summer fruits and such in a glass of wine, but I most certainly could be a chocolate sommelier."

The XXL POMME D’AMOUR chocolate, meant to evoke a caramel apple

In fact, Brandy's one criticism of most high end chocolates is that there is never enough of them. "You get one little blissful bite of heaven and it's gone. Now, I understand that too much of a good thing can spoil the experience, but sometimes you just want that one bite to be a little less ephemeral. "It's the difference between a song and an opera," as Brandy likes to put it. 

The entire XXL Icons collection

This is exactly why Brandy was so excited to hear about the XXL Icon collection from La Maison du Chocolat. The infamous Parisian based chocolatier will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this October by releasing six classic and modern favorite flavors in extra large sizes. Each chocolate is about four times the size of a typical piece, making the high quality chocolate shell and sumptuous fillings even more indulgent. They are so special, in fact, that each one comes individually packaged in its own metallic box, as if it were a precious piece of jewelry. 

The XXL NÉROLI chocolate, filled with a strawberry and orange scented dark chocolate ganache

The flavors range from milk and dark chocolate ganaches to luxurious fruity fancies to crisp and delicate pralines. Since each chocolate is over a quarter of a pound, just one is decadent enough to satisfy even the most ravenous sweet tooth (though they're so flavorful and so skillfully made that someone like Brandy might be tempted to have more than one per sitting).

The XXL DENTELLE chocolate, scented with hazelnut and dotted with delicately crispy crepe pieces

The XXL Icons collection will be available online at the La Maison du Chocolat store and in their boutiques on October 11th. Rest assured that Brandy will be waking up especially early that day to make sure she can snag as many of these limited edition chocolately treasures as she can get her virtual hands on.

The XXL BOHÈME chocolate, a dream for milk chocolate fans

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post. 

Tea Time with Brandy: Summer Snacks & Sips

It has been quite a harrowing few weeks for Brandy. Though she has adored living in Lakeview these past 10 years, she felt she needed to move on to bigger and better things (specifically, a bigger and better kitchen). So recently, Brandy uprooted herself into a new place a little farther north, where she could enjoy a little more peace and quiet as well as a bit more room to stretch.

Of course moving house is never an enjoyable business. There's always that strange in-between period of living out of boxes and bags and feeling lost in one's own home. For that reason, Brandy has kept a few very specific things by her side to help with the transition.

A recent addiction to cold brew coffee led Brandy to Tall Tale Coffee, a local employee owned company with a store front cafe in Ravenswood. Through their home base, Tall Tale Coffee delivers their signature cold brew to doorsteps around Chicago. Eight cups of smooth, toasty coffee come conveniently packed in a fridge-friendly box with a spigot built right in, enabling the coffee to be poured and enjoyed straight away. Best of all, one can set up a subscription that will deliver a box every week, two weeks, or 4 weeks automatically. Brandy found this ready-to-go coffee invaluable during all those early morning unpacking sessions. She even got a code for her loyal readers to use in order to get their first box free when they sign up for a subscription: BUNNYBRANDY

In order to being her long days of packing and unpacking, Brandy had to load up with not only lots of caffeine for energy, but also protein. For this, she would quickly prepare what she liked to refer to as a Bibimbap Breakast Bowl using authentic Korean products from Sunny's Korean. Using a traditional bibimbap as inspiration, Brandy would quickly saute veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, and napa cabbage, using a touch of vinegar, sesame oil, and the Kimchee Seasoning to add spice, salt, and a touch of sweetness all in one go. She also loves to marinate thinly sliced beef in the Korean Teriyaki sauce and quickly cook it up with a little garlic and ginger. Finally, she'll whip up some simple scrambled eggs as a base (in place of rice in a traditional bibimbap), then add the beef, cooked veggies, some fresh veggies like sliced radish and baby spinach, and top everything off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. The result is a protein packed bowl of deliciousness that can be enjoyed hot, cold, or can be stored for a few days in the fridge to intensify the flavors.

Of course, all that protein and caffeine can't last all day, so a little sugar rush in the middle of the day is usually needed, and that is when Brandy found herself reaching for goodies from Everton Toffee Company. Inspired by a recipe created in 1753, Everton Toffees come in two different forms; Butter Toffee Caramels and toffee and nut covered pretzels. The caramels are soft and chewy and perfect for a quick hit of buttery goodness, while the pretzels are the ultimate in sweet and salty snacking. As tasty as they are on their own, Brandy's favorite way to eat these crunchy little delights is with ice cream. The salt on the pretzels goes incredibly well with a good quality vanilla, while the nutty, buttery flavor of the toffee is excellent with dark chocolate, meaning the ideal pairing in Brandy's professional opinion is a vanilla chocolate chip.

Finally, after a long day on her feat, Brandy likes to relax with a nice cocktail. Recently she's become a big fan of 1893, an all-natural sugar sweetened soda based on Pepsi's original recipe. The cola comes in four varieties; Original, Citrus, Ginger, and Brandy's favorite, Black Current. The fruity, more mature flavor of the soda makes it a perfect cocktail mixer, and Brandy's preferred cocktail to mix up is her play on a Whiskey Seduction, which she likes to call a Polite and Consensual Whiskey Conversation. The drink starts with 2 oz's of vanilla scented whiskey in a tall glass, then a few sprigs of basil are muddled into the liquor, followed by two ounces of a fruity red wine, then four ounces of the Black Current cola, ice, and finally, a squeeze of lime juice. The result is a smooth, sophisticated, and slightly sweet cocktail that fits any occasion, from a summer evening relaxing on the porch to a vibrant dinner party (or in Brandy's case, an early afternoon curled up in an arm chair, knitting and watching a baseball game).

The writers of this blog were provided with products by the companies mentioned free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: XO Marshmallows Kickstarter

Brandy had a very vivid dream last summer that she still can't quite get out of her head. She dreamed she was standing on a bank of pastel pink clouds and all around her was blue sky. She bounced from cloud to cloud until she came across what looked to be a small table, which was set for a tea service, except instead of tea, there was a pot of steaming hot chocolate. Brandy sat herself at the table, and feeling a little like Alice in Wonderland, she poured out a mug of the velvet liquid. Then she noticed a silver jar in the center of the table, which had an ornate lid. When she lifted the lid, she found a multitude of the most luscious looking marshmallows she'd ever laid eyes on. Each one was as big as an ice cube, but lighter than air (indeed, some of them began floating out of the jar and Brandy had to scramble to make sure none of them escaped into the ether). She popped one into her mouth and savored the unexpectedly rich flavor of salted caramel. She tried another one and got a wash of coffee. Another tasted like green tea. And yet another tasted like lavender and honey. Then before her eyes, Brandy saw the marshmallows transform from perfect cubes to little circles with holes in the middle, almost like a donut. The thing was, these heavenly little marshmallow rings were the exact size of Brandy's mug of hot chocolate! She plopped one in and watched the little thing swirl happily in it's warm bath or chocolate.

The morning after this dream, Brandy journeyed down to the Lakeview Festival of the Arts, where she stumbled across two very hip looking young ladies, who just happened to be selling, of all things, handmade marshmallows. Brandy was intrigued, to say the least. She learned that the ladies were named Kat and Lindzi and that they had just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help them grow their marshmallow making obsession in the form of XO Marshmallows. Brandy immediately purchased a few of their wears and found that they tasted just like the marshmallows in her dream had. Then she saw that one of the goals of the Kickstarter was to help them launch a new product; little marshmallow rings called Mars'halos that fit perfectly into a mug of coffee or hot chocolate! It was then that Brandy decided she needed to back these ladies and see her marshmallow dreams become reality.

Flash forward to the present day. XO Marshmallows successfully funded their Kickstarter and Brandy has been watching their progress with great interest ever since. Then last month, she saw that they had launched a second Kickstarter, this time with the goal of opening Chicago's first ever marshmallow themed cafe. "Oh, I simply MUST see this come to fruition!" said Brandy. One of the Kickstarter rewards was a special flavor of marshmallow; strawberry, which was made with actual strawberry puree. Brandy could not get enough of these juicy, fruity, little pillows of paradise. When she stumbled upon some strawberry flavored pound cake, she decided to use it to make a decadent triple berry shortcake. Giving the marshmallows just the slightest bit of caramelization with a torch made the snack the perfect sugary indulgence when combined with fresh tart berries and the creamy, moist cake. "I made something so simple, and yet so delicious with these things, with almost no effort," Brandy commented, "Just imagine what those girls could do with an entire cafe themed around these things!"

XO Marshmallow's Kickstarter has only 10 more days to go, so make sure to pledge before time runs out to get access to exclusive rewards like limited edition flavors, signature merch, or even a private coffee tasting! It is also worth mentioning that Brandy may or may not seek vengeance on all of Chicago if she doesn't get to see her prophetic dream of a marshmallow cafe come true. "If Chicago thought the Curse of the Billy Goat was bad, they don't want to see what I've got up my sleeve!" she threatened.

The writers of this blog were sent product free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Farmer's Pantry

For Brandy, the height of culinary experiences is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. "It's one of the many reasons brunch is my favorite meal," she says, "Where else can one experience the joy of chicken and waffles? Or bacon and pancakes? There is no finer treat for the tongue than a symphony of sugar and salt."

As one can imagine, when it comes to snack time, Brandy often has trouble choosing between sweet and savory options for this very reason. Luckily, she recently came across some ingenious snacks from Farmer's Pantry. Their twin lines of Cornbread Crisps and Meal Snacks really intrigued her, as they proclaimed to have the same flavor as homemade cornbread and fresh grilled vegetables and meat, but in convenient bite sized pieces.

Made from fresh corn and other whole grains grown on American farms, Farmer’s Pantry Cornbread crisps are delicately sliced and toasted to crispy perfection. The crisps come in three delightful flavors; Original, Jalapeno and Honey-Butter. Though the Honey Butter sounded like it was going to Brandy's favorite, she actually favored the original for it's pure corny flavor. The Honey Butter did have it's charm, though, with a the same sweet and authentic cornbread taste, touched off with the slightest hint of buttery goodness, while the Jalapeno flavor had just enough heat to make things interesting. All three flavors had the same neat crisp, the same cornmeal texture, and the same perfect amount of sweetness and saltiness.

Firmly on the savory side of things was the Farmer's Pantry Meal Snacks: a snack that combined meat jerky and freeze dried veggies in an ingeniously designed pouch. Each Farmer's Pantry Meal Snack is like a complete hearty meal, slow-roasted into a crunchy snack. Before all the goodness has a chance to escape, it's immediately seal in the dual-pouch package until one tears it open. Brandy found that the Grilled Chicken and Vegetable variety really packed a punch of powerful savory flavor, with the slightly spicy jerky pairing well with the slightly sweet veggies. The pieces of corn were Brandy's favorite to munch on, as they were a little more substantial, but there was no beating the flavorful of a handful of everything together.

Farmer’s Pantry Cornbread Crisps are approximately $3.99 for 6 oz bags, and under $2.00 for 2 oz bags. Farmer’s Pantry Meal Snacks have a suggested retail price of $5.99, in a 2.5 oz bags. Both can be purchased on the Farmer's Pantry website or at Costco's in the Chicagoland area.

Tea Time with Brandy: Argo Tea Garden Direct Collection

"There's nothing a good cup of tea can't fix," is one of the many mottos upon which Brandy has staked her life, and now more so than ever, she's been drinking quite a lot of tea. In fact, every time she turns on a television or dares to venture into the depths of Twitter, she suddenly has the urge to drink copious amounts of tea. "My cabinets are almost bare!" she exclaimed recently when she went to make herself a strong pot of oolong after a particularly trying online conversation. "Well, this has to be remedied immediately. I don't want to think about what would happen to me if I ran out of tea! How on earth would I be able to read the morning news?"

That was when Brandy remembered that Argo Tea, her favorite purveyors of delicious tea-based cafe beverages, had recently launched a brand new line of loose leaf teas called the Garden District Collection. The collection includes 24 single estate teas that are sourced from the world’s premier tea growing regions and represent a variety of traditional flavors and blends, from comforting chamomile and delicious darjeeling to exotic jasmine and mysterious hibiscus.

Thinking back to a summer she spent in Morocco long ago, Brandy went with the Armenian Mint. Originating from the Ararat Valley, the tea is naturally caffeine free. When steeping, the leaves turn a vibrant green and an incredible aroma of fresh mint fills the air. The tea has a golden brown hue and a vibrant minty flavor that does well with a touch of sugar added. Though Brandy had brewed the tea hot, she suspected that it would also work rather well iced, making for an especially refreshing summertime drink. "This does take me back to that beautiful time long ago when I used to drink mint tea and wander the tourist street bazaars," Brandy sighed with pleasure. "Ah, those were simpler times. Though I do have to say, the tea has only gotten better."

The Garden District Collection teas are priced from $10.95 - $39.95 and are available for purchase online at and at most Argo Tea Cafés in Chicago and New York.

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Cubs World Series Themed Cocktails

As we've spoken about before, Brandy has acquired a real love of baseball since moving to Chicago, and her loyalty has finally been rewarded in the form of a Cubs World Series bid. But the stress of a whole month of tension filled playoff games and now a possible come from behind championship win have left her feeling more than a little jittery. "I don't know if I can make it through one more game!" she exclaimed as Game 6 came to a close. "I'm going to need something to calm my nerves for Game 7. Time to make some cocktails."

She decided to mix up two options for Wednesday night's game: a shooter for a quick burst of "courage" at home during the early innings and a sip-able drink to maintain sanity throughout the evening that could easily transported to various Game 7 viewing functions.

First, Brandy went for mixing up her shooter, and to do so, she decided to be a bit ambitious in attempting a layered drink in the Cubs signature colors. To achieve this, she reached for a bottle of LEAF Vodka, a locally based company producing a unique line of vodkas based on quality mineral waters. LEAF believes vodka’s main ingredient, water, is what truly defines the spirit, which is why they sourced from unique waters around the country. One variety is made from Alaskan Glacial water, which lends a pure, smooth taste with a hint of sweetness. The other, made from Rocky Mountain mineral water, provides richness and complexity, offering a warm and savory impression. Brandy found that the quality and smoothness of LEAF really helped to balance out what would otherwise be an overly sweet drink. "Hmmm... sweet, smooth, full of spirit... Reminds me of my favorite Cubs player, Anthony Rizzo!"

Next, Brandy decided to design a cocktail she could mix on the go, as she might have to jump between friend's homes to help them also calm down during the game. She grabbed a new favorite out of her fridge, Backpack Wine, along with some pre-cut fresh fruit and a box of 100% juice so that she could create a mobile sangria. Chicago based Backpack Wine offers versatile rosé and white wine blends sourced from great vineyards and packaged in recyclable cans that are ready for any occasion. Brandy liked that both the white and rosé varieties had a good acidity and a bold, fruity flavor, which worked incredibly well for her makeshift sangria. "This is the perfect drink for a seventy degree day in November, especially when that day has the potential to make history!"

Both LEAF Vodka and Backpack Wine are available now all across the Midwest.

Razz-O Shooters

1 maraschino cherry
splash of grenadine
half ounce of blue raspberry liquor (pucker or schnapps, for instance)
half ounce of Leaf Vodka
red and blue sugar and lemon juice for garnish

Dip the shot glass into the lemon juice so that just the rim is coated. Immediately, dip half the rim into the red sugar and then the other half of the rim into the blue sugar. Drop the cherry into the bottom of the glass and add a splash of grenadine. Carefully pour in the blue raspberry liquor until the glass is half full. Place a small spoon inside the glass at a downward angle and slowly pour the Leaf Vodka over the back of the spoon so that it stays suspended over the blue. Shoot or sip at will.

Road Trip Sangria

Fresh fruit
1 can of Backpack Wine
1 box of 100% fruit juice

Drop the fruit of your choice into the glass. Pour in about an ounce of fruit juice (apple or white grape work really well). Fill up the glass with the Backpack Wine and enjoy. Alternatively, the fruit, juice, and wine can be poured into a cold thermos and left to sit and chill for a deeper flavor.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Eat Purely and Coupon Code

As brunch is such a constant concern for Brandy, dinner sometimes falls by the wayside.  Being out of the house most every night at her various clubs, societies, and classes means that Brandy is often grabbing dinner on the go, which isn't always the healthiest thing to do.  "It's important for me to be having a well balanced meal for dinner," says Brandy, "That way, I don't feel so bad about indulging during brunch!"

Recently, Brandy discovered that the Chicago based meal delivery service, Eat Purely, had not only greatly increased their delivery area, but also expanded their menu with innovative and delicious dishes conceived of by Chef Sean Spradlin, including lunch service in the Loop and dinner delivery all the way out to Evanston.  Chef Spradlin uses only the freshest, seasonal ingredients, prepared daily, packed into environmentally responsible containers, and delivered straight to one's door.  The ordering was done through the Eat Purely app, which enabled the customer to both order on the fly or meal plan for an entire week.

Impressed with the technology and the sentiment behind Eat Purely, Brandy decided to give it a shot for a whole week to really see how well the service worked.

Monday:  Grilled Steak Salad This particular dish required absolutely no preparation, and was ready to go the moment it hit Brandy's doorstep, or as the charming instructions on the front of the box said: "Place knife and fork in your hands and dig in!"  Brandy found the slices of steak impossibly tender and the bok choy crunchy and full of a particular herby flavor.

Tuesday: Squash & Truffle Rigatoni:  Though sounding like a heartier dish, Brandy actually found this pasta plate quite light.  Only requiring a quick trip to the oven, this fall inspired dinner was loaded with butternut squash, oyster mushrooms, turnips, and huge rigatoni noodles.  Brandy very much enjoyed the generous portion of Parmesan cheese that helped to bring a nutty flavor to everything and make it extra ooey and gooey.

Wednesday: Beat and Goat Cheese Salad Next, Brandy chose a light dinner before she bustled out the door to her Daughters of the Daughters of the Daughters of the War of the Roses meeting.  The sweet and crunchy beets really brought the salad to life, and the smooth, tangy goat cheese was perfectly off set by the sprinkling of candied nuts, which helped to satisfy Brandy's ever demanding sweet tooth.

Thursday: Pineapple Fried Rice One of Brandy's all time favorite take out dinners is Pineapple Fried Rice from her favorite Thai restaurant, so she was incredibly excited to see this one appear on the Eat Purely app.  The addition of short rib in this version made it much more filling than it might have been otherwise, and the side of a simple vegetable spring roll and some sweet chili sauce made the meal feel complete.  There was even a fortune cookie to wrap things up with!

Friday: Crab Fettuccine: This was perhaps one of the more interesting dishes Brandy tried.  The combination of sweet peas, earthy mushrooms, fresh pasta, and roasted asparagus seemed a perfect fit, but the addition of shredded crab meat really took things to another unexpected level.  "I don't know that I've ever had a pasta dish quite like this one," Brandy remarked, "Every bite is like a tiny little adventure!"

Saturday: Grilled Shrimp Skewers: Another adventurous dish, made interesting by the use of almond butter along with the citrusy shirmp and crisp greens, but this one didn't quite win Brandy over.  "I think I see where this was supposed to go with the almond butter, but I just don't think it quite got there," said Brandy.  Even still, she appreciated that this dish incorporated both hot and cold elements to keep things interesting.

Sunday: Arugela and Goat Cheese Salad Brandy finished out her week of healthy meals with a salad that simply screamed "fall."  The pickled raw squash along with peaches, peppery arugula, and a touch of sweetness from the candied pumpkin seeds really made this one a mouthful of bold, exciting flavors, which isn't usually what one associates with a salad.  "Then again, you can add goat cheese to almost anything and I'm gonna like it," as Brandy pointed out.

Over all, Brandy loved that the dishes on offer were a little out of the norm flavor wise, which she thought would help to challenge and educate the public's palates.  She also loved that every container's cover contained not only instructions for preparation, but also a story from the chef himself about how he came up with the dish.  "There is nothing like getting an insight into the mind of a chef," she said, "It takes this sort of thing from being a passive experience to being more akin to dining in a restaurant."  With most meals ranging between $10 and $13, Brandy thought the prices were fairly reasonable in consideration of the quality of the ingredients and the portion sizes.  Brandy also liked that the service offered a variety of beverages as add ons and that every meal came with a hand made chocolate (in flavors like "Candied Pecan" and "Ginger Snap") as a sweet treat to end the meal on.

So convinced was Brandy that Eat Purely is doing good things for the dinner table that she secured a coupon code for her readers.  Simply visit the Eat Purely website or use the code BUNNYANDBRANDY in the Eat Purely app to get $20 off your first order, more than enough for a delicious and healthy dinner!

The writers of this blog were given products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Teatime with Brandy: Cool Toddy Cocktail with Lindy's Italian Ice

Being the big supporter of the arts that she is, Brandy was recently helping out at a rehearsal for an armature opera group when one of the lead sopranos began to croak quite unbecomingly.  "I think I'm coming down with a bit of a cold," the girl said, coughing a little after attempting to belt out a high G.  Quickly, the musical director, costume designer, and several members of the chorus began berating the girl with advice.  "You need honey!" one shouted.  "You need tea with lemon!" said another.  "You need a shot of whiskey!" slurred someone from the back of the room.  "I've tried it all," sighed the girl, "But everything just seems to irritate me throat more and more."

This was one when Brandy piped up.  "How are you drinking these things?" she asked.  The girl looked confused.  "All together," she said,  "No no, my dear.  What temperature?"  The girl furrowed her brow.  "Well, hot of course."  "There's your problem," Brandy responded, shaking her head, "I'll be right back."  Returning to her own home, Brandy pulled several things from her fridge; a bottle of honey infused whiskey, some lemon infused iced tea, and a cup of Lindy's Lemon flavored Italian ice.

Brandy had grown rather fond of Lindy's over the summer, finding their single serving size cups the perfect thing to keep in her freezer for a quick and refreshing snack.  There was also a wide variety of flavors to be considered, with delicious classics like Strawberry, Black Cherry, and Watermelon.  Brandy also discovered a whole other use for these boldly flavored and smooth textured treats: as an alternative to ice for her cocktails! Because each Italian ice is crafted in small batches to ensure a true flavor without an excessive use of sugar, Brandy found that a scoop or two of these beauties into a cocktail can serve the dual purpose of chilling and flavoring, meaning that instead of watering down the flavor of a cocktail, they actually enhance them as they melt.

With this in mind, Brandy created a cold version of her favorite winter time drink, a Hot Toddy, or in this case, a Cool Toddy. Once completed, she rushed back to the rehearsal and handed her creation to the soprano. After a few sips of the icy beverage had reduced the inflammation in the girl's throat, she was delighted to find she could sing once more. "There's not much in this world that whiskey, tea, and desserts can't fix," said Brandy, sagely.

Give Brandy's Cool Toddy recipe a try, or visit Lindy's Pinterest Page for more ideas and recipes.

The writers of this blog were provided with products by the company free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Cool Toddy

Lindy's Lemon Italian Ice
Honey flavored whiskey
Lemon flavored Iced Tea
Lemon slices for garnish

Chill the cocktail glasses for at least a few minutes before starting.  Scoop Italian ice into each glass until they are about 3/4 full.  Pour in one part whiskey, or fill half the glass.  Pour in iced tea until the glass is full.  Stir gently with a swizzle stick, garnish with a lemon slice, and enjoy.