Thanks to all who tuned in to my segment this morning on MORE FOX 5 Vegas! Did you know that you can keep your drinks colder longer this summer, all depending on the shape of your ice? The bummer of summertime drinking is that the ice melts so quickly and your drink gets warm before you even have a chance to enjoy it. BUT - you can change that by using certain ice molds! Not to mention, you can make your drink a lot more sophisticated that way right at home, especially if you're not ready just yet to enjoy a cocktail at a bar or restaurant.
Here’s a recap of the segment with links to all the products I use and love to make impeccably chilled beverages this summer.
THE SPHERE ICE MOLD
While standard ice cubes quickly dilute drinks, large ones like a round ice cube, melt slowly to chill evenly. A sphere mold to create a round ice cube also adds a very aesthetically pleasing touch to your drink. You can even freeze a flower inside for a pretty garnish! Looks great in a gin and tonic.
No one likes a watery cocktail! The #1 problem in the summer is the heat causing ice to rapidly melt which ultimately spoils your drink. I swear by Himalayan salt cubes to avoid this happening. Made from natural salt deposits, these cubes are the easiest way to infuse a summery margarita with amazing flavor without watering it down. Just pop them in the freezer and then throw them in your drink! And if you want to cut the margarita making process in half even more, I love using Taffer’s Mixologist Margarita Mix by Vegas’ own Jon Taffer.
You can keep any beverage perfectly chilled with extra-large ice cubes. I love using a square ice mold for a classic whiskey drink or even an Arnold palmer! These cubes are the perfect size for creative flavor infusions with fruit, herbs or citrus. One of my favorite tips for using these square cubes that I learned from a bartender is you can actually split the square in 2 if you so choose by using a substantial spoon to tap it and crack it in the middle.
FINAL AT-HOME DRINK TIP:
Put your glassware in the freezer for 30 minutes for an added chilling effect!
As much as I Iove to brunch, drink champagne and treat myself to fluffy golden pancakes on the weekends, I also am really passionate about living a healthy lifestyle by balancing the indulgences with great work outs. When I'm in the mood for a bubbly mimosa mid-week, I hold out for the weekend, but have my own go-to mock-mosa that does the trick!
Working out truly keeps me sane, and I love to always shake up my usual work out routine with something different. I switch off between barre, pilates, boxing, TRX, yoga, and all the other good stuff at the gym 3-4 times per week. All of them really help me clear my mind and allow me to take just one hour out of the day to not think about anything but my intense sweat sesh! Although I’m more of a less frequent yogi, I absolutely love how it detoxes my mind of any stress. Sometimes a great yoga class is much needed after a week of going, going, going.
My favorite method to burn the cals? It’s really hard because all of them work the body so differently. I’d say I honestly don’t know how I even lived before I started TRX, barre, and pilates about 2 years ago. I swear by nothing else!
Going out & working out. Which comes first?
Personally, I always feel best working out the morning that I know I am going to go out later that night. Going the day of also helps me just feel a little bit better in general about my guilty food and mixed drink splurges that will occur later on.
As much as I want to wake up early the next morning and head straight to a class, it doesn’t usually happen (even though I always tell myself the day before I would tooootally go the minute I wake up). Plus, when you have brunch plans, by the time you actually get yourself out of bed, you already have to leave! A morning after drinking is a morning in slow motion.
Okay, so I work out a few times a week. What happens when I just want a mimosa on a Wednesday morning?
In a perfect world of not gaining a tummy pooch from drinking, why wouldn’t anyone start every day without a mimosa?! But, since this is the real world, I have found another way to get my mimosa fix; with a mock-mosa!
I always head to Choice Juicery for my Hot Sunrise juice. It’s a gorgeous yellow/orange color (like a mimosa) made of coconut water, orange, strawberry, ginger, lime and cayenne. The cayenne is great for a metabolism boost and the orange-y taste mimics the traditional mimosa, just without bubbles. I even love drinking it post-going out or post-brunching if I have been treating myself to a couple cocktails. It’s a great detox, and could probably be made in a juicer at home! Don’t quote me on that, but it’s worth a try. Otherwise, most juiceries carry juices in the orange-flavored family that can work just as well. When I was living in NYC, the Spicy Citrus juice from Juice Press was my favorite and is very similar to the Hot Sunrise.
Drink it out of a champagne flute to add a little festivity to your weekday morning! It’s the little things.
How do you get your brunch bod?
