I love to come home in the evening and have some kind of special, celebratory beverage that helps me relax and I want it to feel like a treat. I got into mocktails and have been really loving them. They are such a good alternative for a glass of wine when you want to make sure you are hydrated and refreshed in the middle of your work week.  This is one of my favorite combinations so give it a try!!! Ingredients:  Juice of 1 1/2 Limes A few mint leaves, according to your taste, plus some for garnish Coconut LaCroix 1/4 teaspoon Stevia Directions:  I like to get out a drink tumbler and a muddler and muddle together the limes, stevia and mint in the bottom of the tumbler. You can also do this in the bottom of your glass. 2. Add the muddled mixture to your glass, add ice and la Croix and mix in the tumbler and then pour over into your glass. I like to mix it back and forth a bit between the tumbler and your glass, there is no wrong way! Make it pretty for yourself and garnish with lime wedge and a sprig of mint! Enjoy.         © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

The full name for this mocktail is the Calming lemon Tonic #2 because it is the new and improved version of the #1. This recipe is not only a fun drink but lemon is so good for detox and digestion, while lavender helps to calm the senses. This is the perfect drink for any time, but I especially enjoy it in the evening! Ingredients: Juice of 1 ½ lemons Fresh lavender (to your taste) Lemon spindrift or Perrier ¼ teaspoon Stevia. Directions: 1. Muddle the fresh lavender with the lemon juice and stevia   2. Pour over crushed ice and top with Perrier or Spindrift. 3. Garnish well and you have a very pretty drink with next to no calories, sugar or side effects!            © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

This final mocktail is especially fun because the blackberry gives it such a colorful, festive look. I can see this one fitting in perfectly for the holidays.  I never regret having one of these, the best part is you don’t have to wait till the evening to drink them, anytime is a good time for a mocktail! Ingredients: Juice of 1 ½ limes 3 or 4 blackberries A few sprigs of basil Blackberry Cucumber LaCroix ¼ tsp. Stevia   Directions:  Muddle together the lime juice, blackberries, Stevia and Basil. Pour over crushed ice and top with blackberry cucumber La Croix Stir, garnish and enjoy!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

  The inspiration for this recipe came from a local food truck, Goatacado, that is at our Saturday morning farmer’s market.  They specialize in various quinoa bowls with lots of veggies, avocado and topped with a fried egg. While these are delicious, I really love this ice tea.  I don’t generally like sweet tea but this combination is perfection. I am using Stevia in my recipe since I really am careful about excess sugar and I think I have finally come up with a tea that is very similar to theirs.   This is a great way to stay hydrated when you get tired of drinking just water! Happy Summer!          Ingredients:  4 cups boiling water 2 Peppermint tea bags (I use Pukka Three Mint Tea) Juice of 1 medium lime Stevia to taste     Directions: 1. Boil 4 cups of water. 2. Pour water over 2 tea bags in a shatterproof pitcher (I use my 4 cup pyrex glass measuring cup). 3. Steep for 5 minutes. 4. Add lime juice.     5. Add Stevia to taste (I use the powdered form from Trader Joes). 6. Pour over ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of lime.    Enjoy!!!!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

How many of you love a pumpkin spice latte?? For many of us, it’s a reminder that fall is here!! The challenge for me personally is that it is loaded with an artificially flavored sweet syrup that does not support the lifestyle that I am trying to live.   The flavors of pumpkin and spice are just so good! Instead of running out to Starbucks, I turned to my baking pantry and figured out how to make this DELICIOUS Pumpkin Spice Golden Milk Latte at home. It gave me all the flavor I wanted and it’s the perfect thing to sip on after dinner on a cold evening. You have got to try it!! Helpful tip: this Aerolatte milk frother is around $20 on Amazon! It’s perfect for making lattes at home!     Ingredients: 2 ½ C Almond Milk (or milk of choice) 2 T Coconut Cream ¼ C Pumpkin Puree 1 ½ tsp. Turmeric  1 ½ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice 3 T Maple Syrup Pinch of Black Pepper Pinch of nutmeg   Directions: 1. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.  2. Using an Aerolatte milk frother or immersion blender, blend all ingredients.  3. Heat and serve with a cinnamon stick and some freshly grated nutmeg. 4. For a frothy top whip up your latte with an aerolatte milk frother.                   © The Sown Life LLC, 2019