Starbucks Peppermint Mocha: The Verdict

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"Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that."

Another edition of the red-cup Starbucks series, yet this time, it's not specifically a 'festive favourite', yet everyone orders it during this time of year. Though it was my first time ordering it, it'll most likely my last, and here's why:

The coffee not being as creamy as I'd like. Thanks to the Waitress member complimentary coffee, I have found a special place in my heart for cappuccinos - the frothy, milky beverage with a kick from the coffee is my go-to choice. This, being a mocha, I'd expect to have that kick, which it did, yet lacks the frothy milky-ness I am fond of. Unlike the toffee nut latte (my fav) and the gingerbread latte, this is a different kind of drink.

Where does the peppermint come in? Well, there's a hint of the mint after every sip and it makes me flinch. Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that. If you're a fan of the peppermint aftertaste, you may have a different reaction to this, but in my books, this is not one I'm a huge fan of. 

Are you a fan of the peppermint mocha? 

Starbucks Gingerbread Latte - Christmas Blend: The Verdict

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"'Christmas Blend' version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it?"

It's that time of year when the red cups come to town. No, I do not mean the red cups you see used at every party in American TV shows, but the oh-so-famous festive Starbucks Coffee cups. With the new festive season comes 4 new flavours and here's where I tell you about one of them...

"I'll give you my top pick of the 4... and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1"

Not really been one that needs a daily Starbucks fix, but scoring myself a new job in London meant there's a Starbucks every 10 steps (literally). Just outside work, there's a Starbucks, the first thing that caught my eye when I went out for a breath of fresh air during lunch break. How could I not, hey? Spent an extra 20p to get the 'Christmas Blend' A.K.A. medium roast version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it? Oh yeah. The coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you. The gingerbread taste itself? Very ginger-bready. I liked it but would rather go for the toffee nut latte again - which was another one I tried the previous day (didn't I say I don't need a daily Starbucks fix?). Although I didn't get a nice enough photo of that one, I'll write a blog post the next time I get it.

"coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you."

The gingerbread latte, full on with the whipped cream and all, did do itself justice and is not a bad drink at all. However, by the end of the festive season, I'll give you my top pick of the 4 they've released and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1.

Overall, a lovely drink to have in hand if you're a huge fan of gingerbread (duh!) , but of all the festive flavours to choose from, I'd say don't get this one. However contradictory this may sound, just trust me on this!

Have you tried the festive flavours yet? What's your festive drink of choice?

Why Tap Water is HEALTHIER than Bottled

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"My favourite thing about it, though? It's got to be the cap"

You may have heard that Tap Water is not good for us. The likes of Evian, Buxton and Volvic bottles are used much more widely than ever before. But how would you feel if I told you that buying those bottles is just a waste of your time, money and damaging to your health?

"healthy (BPA free) way to have your daily 8 glasses!"

Incase you thought otherwise, 1 in 4 bottles of water are filled up with tap water. Therefore, the idea that bottled is cleaner than tap is not entirely true. 

Before you get the wrong idea, this post is meant to portray to you how bad it is to keep using those PET bottles of water. 

Chemicals from the bottle (ie. BPA, phthalates) can leach into the water, especially if exposed to heat or if the bottle is old. These chemicals are not good for our body - it's better to drink tap water (UK tap water is generally very clean) in a glass or a steel bottle rather than drinking mineral water in a plastic bottle.

"buying (plastic) bottles is just a waste of your time, money and damaging to your health"

Using reusable, especially Stainless Steel, bottles is good as they're BPA free and can be safely refilled many times. 

"1 in 4 bottles of water are filled up with tap water"

I came across this bottle by Glogg. It is white, fits a good 600ml and keeps water cooler for longer. We all know that water tastes better when it's cooler! My favourite thing about it, though? It's got to be the cap. This is the loop cap which online looks like it's a much smaller nozzle, yet in real life it's the perfect size to drink straight out of.

"better to drink tap water in a glass or a steel bottle rather than drinking mineral water in a plastic bottle."

Put it in your bag and it won't leak when closed. Definitely a trendy, healthy (BPA free) way to have your daily 8 glasses! 

Tell me, do you believe in only drinking bottled water?

*Based on London tap water

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte: The Verdict.

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"On a cold, chilly evening out last Tuesday, this was the drink of choice"

We're a little Fall Obsessed with this post as it's all about Autumn. Well, this is said to be THE drink for Autumn. This American Fall Classic was first bought to the UK Starbucks stores in 2012. Ever since, the thought of Pumpkin in my coffee did not sound appetising - but you never know unless you try, right?

"Ever since, the thought of Pumpkin in my coffee did not sound appetising"

On a cold, chilly evening out last Tuesday, this was the drink of choice to warm me up - and I am happy this was the one I went for. The PSL was advertised in big posters as soon as you walk into Starbucks and so I went with it. Topped with whipped cream and cinnamon, the initial taste is amazing - then the coffee kicks in! Overall, though, the Pumpkin Spice Latte did not disappoint, and yes, I'd order it again (hoping they spell my name right on the cup again, which, surprisingly, they did this time!).

That's The Verdict: Pumpkin in Coffee is a good idea!
Have you tried the PSL?

The Verdict: Starbucks Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino

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"She would repurchase whereas I, on the other hand, will stick to my Skinny Caramel Macchiatos."

Obviously autumn is here, but just before summer officially dies down, it was time to try out the things that are there for the season. The iconic Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino from Starbucks is known as one of the bestsellers in the spring/summer time - think THE drink for Wimbledon season. September/October being an awkward time to try this drink, you say? Well, better late than never, I say.

Hot cocoas, pumpkin spice lattes and cappuccinos are what crosses everyones lips at the Starbucks counter, it was worth a try of the S&C frappe before it was too late, and here's the verdict.

The strawberry taste is very fake and the overall taste is not to my liking. The cream, of course, tastes pretty plain, which is fine but the infused strawberry is the definition of artificial. Personally, it was not one for me.

Don't be put off, though, my friend, whom bought it at the same time as me, loved it. She would repurchase whereas I, on the other hand, will stick to my Skinny Caramel Macchiatos.

So, if you love them, here's to next summer and asking for them again while they spell your name wrong on the cups - and if like me, you don't like them, give the Refreshas a shot!

Tell me, are you a fan of the S&C Frappuccinos? What's your go-to fall Starbucks order?

Recipe: My FAVOURITE Chai Tea Latte

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I am OBSESSED with Chai Tea. Not just any chai tea, but MY chai tea latte - with fresh flavours and all authentic-ness!

My family and I have separate teas in the morning - the same type of tea, just made differently. Loads of people find that extremely weird and at first my family did too! There are so many ways of making chai tea lattes - most of which I have not tried such as the Iced Soy Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks or Iced Chai Tea Lattes in general....

My Chai Tea Latte may seem like 'effort' to make but to me its worth it!

Recipe:
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 cups milk of choice (personal favourite: Almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon black tea leaves (or 1 teabag)
- little bit of Ginger
- 3 Cloves
- some Cinnamon
- dash Black Pepper
- smaller dash Nutmeg
- some Cardamon

Method:
- add water, boiled to make it quicker, spices (except cardamon) and tea leaves on stove
- let it boil and boil up a little, when it does, add milk
- add cardamon
- keep on stove until it boils up again
- then it's done!

Well, as you can see not all of the ingredients are very precise... that's because I just kind of throw things together - what I really like about this recipe is that it's very flexible. If I feel like having more cinnamon then I'll add more cinnamon, if I want more ginger, I'll add more ginger! It's very good that way (just make sure you don't add too much nutmeg and black pepper, it can go terribly wrong)!

You may find this not nice at all but I love it. To be honest, I don't use these exact measurements as I'm quite cheeky and make 2 cups out of this... yes, 2 cups JUST FOR ME! I love this and recently have been having it at least once a day (technically twice a day as I make it yield 2 cups - but I have 2 cups at once, so once a day? This is all way too confusing!). The way I make it 2 cups is by adding more water and milk but leaving the spices the same.


Anyway, now that it's autumn and the weather is colder, it feels even better to sip on this!

The way my family makes chai tea latte with 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk (cow's milk), 1 tsp tea leaves, 2 tsp sugar per cup (as well as a pinch of ground chai tea spice)! If you want to try that, its nice too - mine's just a little extra and has a lot of spices!

What's your favourite morning drink? Are you a coffee or tea drinker?
Leave a comment!

BerryHealthy: Vita Coco - Quench your thirst!

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How are you? Looking forward to the colder weather or missing summer already? Well, if you're anything like me, you LOVE the fresh fruits and foods that summer brings! Well, one of those things are COCONUTS.

Actually, coconuts are available year round in a lot of countries, but it just feels more fun to drink the cool coconut water in the summer. However, if you live in England, or colder places, coconuts don't grow on trees on the side of the road - Oh, I wish!

So, instead of that, I bought a big box of Vita Coco from Costco the other day! Vita Coco is packaged pure coconut water. It has an array of benefits which makes me love it even more!

"Vita Coco's all natural, super-hydrating, fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked, mega-electrolyte coconut water!" is what it says on the bottle. Basically, I love anything coconut. Coconut has a huge nutritional benefit hype going on right now - actually I even used Coconut Oil in these cookies and the taste was incredible!

Anyway, did you know: Vita Coco has more potassium than a banana! Potassium is needed to reduce the sodium in your body. It is actually said that most people lack enough potassium in their diet1 and potassium relieves the body from stroke, blood pressure, heart and kidney disorders, anxiety and stress as well as MORE benefits (that you can always google... hehe!). By the way, other coconut water brands include Zico and I think I've even seen a Sainbury's brand coconut water... but I've always like Vita Coco!

As well as a great source of potassium, Vita Coco has electrolytes which I didn't know what they do, but after some research discovered: Electrolytes are electrically-charged substances that are found in your urine, blood and other bodily fluids. You know how people always say that drinking your own urine is really good for you? Well, maybe this is why. Basically, electrolytes are great to replenish your body of any fluids that may have been excreted - that is why sports drinks (which contain electrolytes) are drunk after exercise: to ensure that the body is not deprived of any necessary fluid!

Anyway, as well as all these amazing benefits of coconut water, it tastes amazing! So, give Vita Coco a go! :D

Have you tried it before? And loads of people I know do not like bananas (I LOVE THEM) so this is a great source of potassium!

Free Smoothies?? Yummy!

Hello!

How are you enjoying the sun? Ever have those moments when you think to yourself, "Ahh, a nice COLD drink would be amazing right now!" or you just saw the new McDonalds smoothie advert and think: "Might have to try that one out" - Well, you can satisfy yourself... on the house!

                                           Strawberry & Banana Smoothie (Half-Finished!)

All you have to do is download the McDonalds app from the App Store, which is free, sign up, play a little mini game to receive a free smoothie next time you go to McDonalds! It's great!

                                                                          Photo From HERE

My friend and I went to go and see 'The Internship', which is a great comedy movie, really inspirational and got us laughing - after the movie (skipped the popcorn and drink) we headed down to McDonalds to receive our complementary smoothie with no trouble or questioning at all. We were quite shy at first as we had never before used an online coupon in McDonalds, but it was a great service - and did I mention we got free smoothies?!

I ordered the Strawberry & Banana one and my friend ordered the Mango & Pineapple one, it was quite nice. Out of the two I probably preferred the Mango & Pineapple flavoured smoothie, however if I'm honest, I'd probably not (re)purchase these smoothies again - just because I'm not a HUGE fan of store bought smoothies anyway and I think I'll just stick to the McFlurry's from McDonalds!
Actually, I would like to learn to create nice smoothies at home...

Well, anyway it was a nice day out and sipping the free smoothie in the park on a hot day was bliss!
Hope you enjoy the smoothie if you get one!

xoxo,
BerryBloomXO