There are plenty of ways to hydrate during the hot summer months, but making homemade popsicles may be the most gratifying.

You not only get to cool down with an ice-cold snack but also enjoy fun flavors that go beyond plain water and ice in exciting your palate. These vegan lavender peach popsicles are delicious and surprisingly filling treats to hydrate and cool you down whenever you need the assistance.

The popsicles aren’t simply frozen fruit juice and sugar. Instead, they’re made with a more satiating base of homemade hazelnut milk, which I find slightly more earthy, aromatic, and dense in flavor than almond milk. Meanwhile, they are sweetened with low-glycemic maple syrup, which can easily be nixed or replaced with even lower-glycemic stevia (a few drops of liquid stevia). While this combination alone is satisfying enough with its vegan creamy and silky goodness, fresh lavender and peach slices are added to the mix, giving more texture and taste to the popsicles.

Enjoy a popsicle whenever you get hungry or overheated, and feel free to switch up the recipe once you’ve mastered this current one. Instead of peaches, add in a handful of fresh blueberries, fresh apricot slices, or banana slices. Instead of lavender, use marjoram, chamomile, or edible flowers. The possibilities are endless.

What You’ll Need

For this recipe, you’ll need a blender and nut milk bag on hand to make the homemade hazelnut milk. If making milk from scratch isn’t your thing, you can use a store-bought version of any nut milk of your choice.

To shape and freeze the popsicles, it’s helpful to use BPA-free popsicle molds. They will come in handy all summer long. Alternatively, you could pour the lavender peach mixture into an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, and then blend the cubes in a high-speed blender along with some more nut milk to make a chilly smoothie.

Lavender Peach Popsicles Recipe

Makes six to eight popsicles

Ingredients

For the hazelnut milk

• 2 cup raw hazelnuts
• 4 cups water
• Pinch sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 Medjool dates, pitted

For the popsicles

• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• Juice of one lemon
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lavender flowers, without stem
• 2 cups fresh peach slices

Directions

For the hazelnut milk, in a high-speed blender add all of the ingredients and blend for 30 seconds. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag and transfer the hazelnut milk to a rinsed blender. Keep the hazelnut milk fiber for other potential uses, such as to make cookies.

Into the blender, add the remaining popsicle ingredients, except for the sliced peaches. Arrange the peach slices into the popsicle molds so that they are loosely stacked, but not overcrowded. Pour the hazelnut milk mixture into the molds, filling the remaining space. Place the popsicles into the freezer until halfway frozen — about one to two hours, then insert the popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.

Enjoy!

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This rosemary-ginger margarita recipe is a tonic that (almost) cleanses while it intoxicates.

There’s no need to feel guilty about throwing a few (too many) alcoholic beverages back every now and then, especially when the cocktail in question is made with fresh ingredients and devoid of added white sugar or syrup.

These days, I am becoming increasingly obsessed with homemade cocktails that have a bespoke, authentic flavor profile and appearance. That way, I get to explore unique flavors, savor each and every sip, and get buzzed while I’m at it. This margarita recipe is unlike any you’ve ever had. It’s infused with a punch of ginger and a hint of fragrant and earthy rosemary.

Rosemary is an evergreen herb heralding from the Mediterranean. It is a rich source of antioxidants and boasts anti-inflammatory properties. Rosemary is also chock-full of iron, calcium, and vitamin B6, and is known to boost the immune system, improve circulation, treat indigestion, enhance memory and concentration, protect the brain, and may even help to prevent cancer.

Ginger is equally, if not more, beneficial to health. It contains gingerols, beta-carotene, capsaicin, caffeic acid, curcumin and salicylate, which are powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. Ginger is associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and overall mortality. It treats digestive issues, nausea, muscle pain, and inflammation.

Instead of regular simple syrup, this margarita recipe uses lower-glycemic coconut palm nectar. The nectar is boiled with rosemary and ginger to take on unique herbal and fresh accents. If you don’t have coconut nectar on hand, feel free to use honey or maple syrup in its place. Enjoy!

Rosemary Ginger Margarita Recipe

Serves two

Ingredients

For the rosemary and ginger coconut syrup

• ½ cup coconut palm nectar
• ½ cup water
• 1-inch nob ginger, skinned and sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

For the margarita

• 3 ounces tequila
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup rosemary and ginger coconut syrup (above)
• Ice
• Carbonated water
• Kosher salt for rimming
• Fresh rosemary for garnishing

Directions

To prepare the coconut syrup, bring a small saucepan to medium-high heat. Add the coconut palm nectar, water, ginger, and fresh rosemary. Stir while bringing to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool. Once cool, strain the mixture and reserve the syrup for later use in the margaritas.

Use a wedge of lime to moisten the rim of two glasses. Dip the glass rims into salt. Set aside.

To prepare the margaritas, add tequila, lime juice, ¼ cup of the rosemary and ginger coconut syrup, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake until the margarita mixture is chilled. Strain it into two glasses. Finish each glass off with carbonated water and a garnish of fresh rosemary.

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The post This Rosemary-Ginger Margarita is Your New Favorite Summer Drink appeared first on EcoSalon.

Summer’s here, which means you’ll make any excuse to fire up the grill. The following foods are just 11 more reasons to feed your obsession. Why relegate yourself to meat and the occasional vegetable all season long? Instead, embrace the unordinary and get the most of the your outdoor grill.

Unusual Foods You Can Grill This Summer

1.Pound Cake

Pound cake is light and airy – prefect for summer – but could use a little edge. Place each serving slice of pound cake on the grill and let it cook until it reveals char lines, on both or just one side. Serve with grilled sliced peaches and some vegan whipped cream!

2. Fruits

If it can hold its own on the heat, then grill that fruit! Slice fruit so that it reveals a flat cross section and then grill it sliced side down on the grill. Once charred, flip it and grill lightly on the other side. For smaller fruits, like strawberries, apricots, and others that may fall through the grid, place them on or wrap them in aluminum foil before grilling or skewer them.

3. Watermelon

I know I’ve dedicated a section for fruits, but watermelon deserves its own shout out. When grilled, it takes on almost a savoy flavor that gives it a unique depth. Pair it with Greek yogurt, honey, and a fresh herb of choice.

4. Grilled Cheese

Sure it’s called “grilled” cheese, but most of us make grilled cheese on the stove top or with a Panini maker. To properly grill grilled cheese, place your bread of choice on the grill, add a layer of cheese, and then top it off with another piece of bread. Use your spatula to press down on the sandwich. Flip and press the sandwich again.

And don’t just stop at cheese as the add-in. Replace it with a layer of something else, such as hummus, coleslaw, mashed avocado, or a bar of chocolate.

5. Artichokes

Artichokes are often baked or steamed, but they fare quite well on the grill and result in a smoky, tender finish. Enjoy with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. To grill artichokes, first steam whole for about 20-30 minutes. Then, slice open lengthwise, cover both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill with closed lid on cut side for about 10 minutes. Flip and grill on leaf side another 5-10 minutes.

6. Dark Leafy Greens

Grill your salad? Yep. Grill dark leafy greens that are tougher in texture (think: collard greens, broccoli rabe, and kale). Grilling breaks down the toughness of these green and makes them easier to chew and digest. Meanwhile, they bear a lightly smoky flavor that you can compliment with all sorts of other cooling add-ins, such as fresh citrus, a dollop of yogurt, or fresh herbs.

7. Corn

Grilled corn on the cob isn’t so unusual, but using grilled corn in alternate ways most certainly is. Used grilled corn in cornbread, corn and bean salsa, salad, and seafood packets.

8. Salsa

Before you blend up a salsa using raw ingredients, try grilling them first. Grill the tomatoes, the onions, the peppers, and the garlic for an increased depth of flavor and dare I say, more deliciousness?

9. Avocado

Slice an avocado in half, remove the pit, and grill each half face-side down. Eat the avocado as is with a spoon, stuff it with other vegetables, or chop it into a salad.

10. Eggs

Create a small flat, round tray with aluminum foil that is slightly curved up around the edges. Spray the aluminum foil with vegetable oil, crack open an egg into the aluminum foil tray, and cook for a couple of minutes, or until the egg is cooked to your liking.

11. S’mores

Who needs a campfire to make S’mores? Layer your S’more on the grill and cook until the chocolate is melted and the marshmallow is soft and gooey.

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