It’s Summer and Nespresso has launched two limited edition capsules inspired by Australian Iced Coffee. The collection includes two capsules, Long Black Over Ice and Flat White Over Ice. I usually drink my coffees hot and never occurred to me that I could make an iced beverage with the Nespresso. Silly me.

Both coffee blends have recommended On Ice recipes, to which you can incorporate Nespresso’s limited edition Monin gourmet syrups – including vanilla, caramel and coconut flavours.

Long Black Over Ice

The coffee in the capsules have a combination of South American and East African coffees known for their fresh, fruity and floral aromatics which have been lightly roasted.

They suggest starting with ice and sparkling water in a cup, then adding the coffee on top to create a full-bodied long black over ice.

Long Black Over Ice Recipe

• 4 ice cubes
• Sparkling water (120ml for Original or 90ml for Vertuo)
• 1 x Nespresso Long Black Over Ice coffee capsule
  (25ml Ristretto for Original or 80ml Double Espresso for Vertuo)
• Optional: 10ml Monin coconut syrup

The addition of the coconut syrup really adds a depth of coconut flavour to this and it works.

Flat White Over Ice

These capsules use a blend of darker roasted coffees with bold spice notes. The taste stays strong when blended with milk and the aromas are balanced by the milk’s sweetness. You pour milk over ice and finish with the coffee for a smooth, creamy texture and a full-bodied finish.

Flat White Over Ice Recipe

• 4 ice cubes
• Cow’s milk (120ml for Original or 90ml for Vertuo)
• 1 x Nespresso Flat White Over Ice coffee capsule
  (25ml Ristretto for Original or 80ml Double Espresso for Vertuo)
• Optional: 10ml Monin caramel syrup

Of the two options, flat white over ice was my favourite. Alternatively, Oat Milk is a very good substitution for Cow’s milk if you’re lactose intolerant or just looking for a dairy alternative.

Sweeten Things Up

To add a surprising finish to your iced coffees, Nespresso has partnered with gourmet flavoured syrup brand Monin and is offering a limited edition set of mini (50ml) syrups in Vanilla, Caramel and Coconut flavours.

Adding a dash of coconut syrup with the Long Black Over Ice or savour the taste of caramel with the Flat White Over Ice.

The syrups do really enhance the coffees flavour and cuts out any bitterness and acidity.

Ice Cube Tray

Don’t forget that ice cubes really makes or breaks these drinks. Nespresso has these great silicone ice cube trays that make perfectly square cubes.

To get nice clear cubes, boiling the water to remove air bubbles helps the water molecules stick together better. Cool down the boiled water, fill up and freeze the trays.

Final Thoughts

I loved the flat white over ice and I usually enjoy my coffees with milk. For both capsules, the coffee tasted great but I gravitated more to a flat white as its similar to a latte.

If you have other espresso capsules at home, you can actually run the espresso pods twice to make a double espresso for the recipes mentioned in this blog post.

With the hot summer weather, definitely cool down with these 2 different recipe inspirations to remind you of Australia.

Website:
https://www.nespresso.com

I love hummus especially when there is a kick of spice in it. Sabra has launched a limited edition Salsa Verde Hummus for this summer.

The limited time offering includes Sabra’s Classic Hummus topped with tangy roasted tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro and lime. I’ve tried most of the Sabra flavours and I love the kick of spice in this flavour. It’s not too overwhelming and it compliments it nicely.

You can eat it straight out of the containers with some veggies to dunk it into, but why not get a bit creative? They recommend using this to compliment the grilled veggies of this Summer and use it in a wrap or a bowl.

We made a Grilled Hummus Meal Jar to incorporate the freshest flavours of summer with the Salsa Verde Hummus. It worked really well and kept us full.

There’s many ways to use hummus, just check out their recipes to get more ideas for lunch or dinner.

Website:
https://sabra.com/ca/

KitKat Canada just launched their KitKat Ruby Cocoa bar in stores across Canada. This bar uses ruby cocoa beans to create a new kind of chocolate that tastes fruity and creamy. Using ruby cocoa beans, they create a striking ruby colour and unique flavour in this Kit Kat bar.

They say there are no added colours and contain natural flavours. In each pack are 4 little bars that you can break apart. It’s pretty hard to image how natural ruby cocoa can create such a pink colour.

On the inside, you have the same layers of wafer and chocolate. Just the exterior as the pink chocolate.

When I devoured the whole bar, the ruby cocoa does have a distinct flavour that is definitely fruity as they have described, even perhaps a touch of sourness. Other than that, the texture is still the same and does feel a little bit sweeter too.

I love KitKat bars but I wasn’t craving more of this bar.

Earth’s Own continues to push the boundaries of the usage of oats, as it expands its plant-based beverage lineup to include a delicious new flavour, Chocolate Oat.

Chocolate Oat

This beverage starts with oats grown by Canadian farmers using just sunshine and rainwater. It has 50% less sugar than regular chocolate milk and 4g of protein per serving, making it a delicious option for those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth without the guilt. We really enjoy our chocolate milk, so we were really curious about this alternative.

It is prepared with fair trade camino cocoa, the deliciously sweet, allergen-friendly drink can be enjoyed straight out of the fridge, heated up for a decadent and creamy hot chocolate, or blended for a creamy milkshake.

We just had ours straight up and it was delicious. Not too sweet and had a very rich chocolate aroma and mouthfeel. My husband is very picky when it comes to chocolate milk but this passed the test and reminds us of our favourite chocolate milk but without the milk.

These are available in two sizes: 1.75L and 250mL single-serve tetra packs.

We were pleasantly surprised and would purchase this.

Website:
https://earthsown.com/

Nestlé just launched their artisanal chocolate bars – Les Recettes de L’Atelier in 3 flavours – Cranberry, Raisin, and blueberry. Each ingredient is hand-selected before combining it with chocolate, hazelnut and almonds to create these decadent chocolate bars.

The bars come in 100g formats and I found them at my local grocery store for $2.98 per bar

L’ATELIER Milk Chocolate Cranberry, Almonds & Hazelnuts

Each piece of the chocolate is visually unique and made with milk chocolate, whole cranberries, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

L’ATELIER Dark Chocolate Blueberry, Almonds & Hazelnuts

It is made with dark chocolate with whole blueberries, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

L’ATELIER Milk Chocolate Raisin, Almonds & Hazelnuts

This has milk chocolate with whole raisins, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

Final Thoughts

Imagine a really good fruit and nut chocolate bar. All 3 were equally as good as you have the sweetness from the dried fruit, crunchy and nuttiness from the almonds and hazelnuts. I like what Nestlé has done with this line of chocolate bars and we were very impressed.

You can eat it straight up or it can be paired with a charcuterie board filled with cheeses, meats, fruits, and of course a glass of wines

Website:
https://www.madewithnestle.ca/latelier

Earth’s Own Food Company is based in Burnaby, BC and they are on a relentless pursuit to change the world through a plant-based movement.

Their product line-up includes oat, almond, cashew, soy and organic beverages. As some members of my family are lactose intolerant, milk options for our morning coffee has been a lot of trial and error to find a suitable alternative to regular milk. They just don’t froth the same way if you want a latte.

Oat Barista Edition

We tried the Oat Barista Edition, which is barista approved to be a milk alternative for making lattes, cappuccinos, or any other beverages. I was skeptical at first because I haven’t been able to find a decent tasting substitute that also foams, steams, and has a good mouth-feel.

We put some of the Oat milk into our frother and it frothed up a bit too well so we ended up with a lot of foam. We pour it into our glass and then added a shot of espresso on top and voila, our latte was created.

It also tasted really good and I much prefer it over almond milk alternatives out there.

It comes in a 946ml container and is vegan friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut free and soy free. Great for those who have dietary restrictions of many kinds.

We were really impressed and would consider getting this again!

Website:
https://earthsown.com/product/earthsown-946mlshelfstable-oatbaristaedition-baristaedition/

Looking for a Summer drink that isn’t the usual wine or beer? Strongbow has launched their Strongbow Rose Apple Cider in Canada and it’s available at most public liquor stores like BC Liquor in a 4-pack. It is a crisp, semi-dry cider, and gluten-free.

The colour of the Rosé Apple Cider has a light pink hue to it and represents the rosé nicely. When poured into a glass, it look pretty nice, or you can just drink it straight from the can to save one more item needing to be washed.

Upon first taste, we could taste the sweetness of the red apples balanced with the rosé, which is very refreshing especially on a hot day. With the weather starting to get hotter and hotter, I know I’ll be grabbing a cold beverage to cool off from the hot sun. Ciders are generally more sweet than wine or beer, so not for everyone. At 4.5% alcohol, it’s an easy drink.

Recently, I’ve become interested in the world of energy drinks past the mundane Red Bull, Monster Energy drinks, etc. I don’t drink energy drinks too often but I had a certain fondness to the MTN Dew Kickstart line. Every flavour from that line was delicious and refreshing so when MTN Dew announced Game Fuel, (currently only in the United States) I knew I had to try them all.

MTN Dew Game Fuel comes in a gamer friendly can, touting a tactile grip on the can and a resealable tab. The tab requires a tutorial which is printed helpfully on each can, because to be honest, it was sort of hard to get used to opening the tab without spilling everywhere. It was super messy to open it the first time, but by my 3rd can I was a pro. The plastic tab has a nice matte feel to it that you definitely feel every time you take a sip, and it is sort of cool to have the option to reseal it.

Game Fuel is pretty low on sugar only 20g per huge (16 oz) can, but they use a combination of sugar and sucralose to keep the sweetness up. I think it’s an okay compromise as only sucralose would make the drinks taste way too artificial with high chance of terrible aftertaste. On to the flavours!

Charged Cherry Burst

Charged Cherry Burst was dangerously close to the cold medicine flavour zone, but had 0 of the “energy drink taste” and no aftertaste which is awesome. However, MTN Dew Code Red just tastes so much better!

Charged Tropical Strike

Charged Tropical Strike doesn’t taste that great. It tastes strongly of pineapple which I love usually, but I think the sucralose was a tad strong in this flavour. MTN Dew Kickstart Mango Lime is 100% better.

Charged Original Dew

Charged Original Dew should be called, Charged Diet Dew. It really does taste like Diet MTN Dew which got me wanting to drink a fully charged original MTN Dew or maybe Surge. If you like Diet Dew, this flavour is right up your alley!

Charged Berry Blast

Charged Berry Blast might be the winner of all 4 flavours here. It is reminiscent of my childhood as it tastes like blue raspberry kool-aid with bubbles. There is a hint of artificial sweetener aftertaste, but it ends quickly and does not make it disgusting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was disappointed with Game Fuel. The MTN Dew Kickstart line tastes a lot better in my opinion with the same amount of sugar content. The caffeine offered in both product lines is 90 mg, which is about a cup of coffee for all 16 oz. It is funny to think that a stereotypical gamer drink would be laden with sugar and caffeine yet in reality all gamer marketed energy drinks love touting their low to 0 sugar content. I’ll do more reviews like this in the future!

Website:
https://www.gamefuel.com/

Sugarfina and Alfred Coffee collaborated to create the world’s first caffeinated cold brew bears. They worked together to create this fun line of new gummy bears loaded with caffeine. There are 3 flavours – iced vanilla latte, cold brew and bourbon cold brew. Instead of drinking your favourite brew, you can eat them in gummy format and still get a buzz going on. It took them 2 years to refine the product, so they really worked hard to get the taste right.

If you’re not familiar with Alfred Coffee, they are based in LA and they are a very popular coffee shop known for their tagline – “But First, Coffee.”

We got to try all 3 flavours for our taste test.

Iced Vanilla Latte

These gummies are made with Alfred’s signature Iced Vanilla Latte. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 0.5 shots of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 1.5 shots of espresso.

Of the 3 types, this one was more of my favourite as the sweetness of the gummy bear paired well with the vanilla latte and the taste is more mild. The aroma is very nice and strong.

Cold Brew

The Cold Brew Bears are made with Alfred’s signature Cold Brew. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 1 shot of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 3 shots of espresso. Definitely stronger than the Iced Vanilla Latte.

It does have a slight bitter taste to it and a stronger coffee taste. You definitely need to be a coffee lover to really be into this.

Bourbon Cold Brew

The Bourbon Cold Brew Bears are made with Alfred’s signature Bourbon Cold Brew. It’s definitely boozy and buzzy. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 1 shot of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 3 shots of espresso.

Definitely stronger than the Iced Vanilla Latte and more bitter and tangy than the Cold Brew.

Sizes

The Cold Brew Bear comes in 3 different formats that you can get in-stores – Mini Coffee Cup, Coffee Bag, and a Tumbler + 2 pack combo. Works great as gifts for the coffee lover.

3.5 oz mini coffee cup

12 oz coffee bags

Tumbler + cold brew and iced vanilla latte

Final Thoughts

It’s definitely a fun collaboration between Sugarfina and Alfred Coffee. Very unique flavours and Iced Vanilla Latte was our favourite of the 3 flavours. We love the packaging of the items and its so darn cute. How could you not get it for a coffee lover?

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.com/

M&M’s Canada just launched their newest flavour – Hazelnut spread. It’s a great combination of flavours that we have seen from other confectionery companies out there. This was launched in the US a few months prior but is now hitting Canadian shelves.

These are filled with a creamy hazelnut spread surrounded by chocolate and the same classic candy coating that you’re used to.

Inside the package is a bunch of rainbow coloured M&Ms, I was actually expecting all of them to be brown or shades of brown to mimic the look of hazelnuts. From taking a bite of one M&M, you can see the hazelnut spread centre in a light brown, then the milk chocolate and then the harder shell.

The hazelnut is very subtle and not as strong as I imagined. It doesn’t exactly mimic Nutella at all. If you’re an M&Ms fan, there something new to try and it is a permanent flavour in their line up.

The Hazelnut Spread M&Ms will be available Nationwide in Singles (1.35 oz.), Share Size (2.53 oz.) and Sharing Size Stand Up Pouch (8.3 oz.) and will be widely available as of May 6th, 2019.

I just had a baby a few months ago, but I still have to drink responsibly since I still have to breastfeed my newborn. Even when I was pregnant, I always resorted to getting sparkling water at the pub or at an event during the evenings. It doesn’t have the same feeling as I always felt lame but for good reason too because I’m nourishing a life. Of course, there are still many other reasons people abstain from alcohol besides being pregnant, non-alcoholic beer is always an option. I didn’t even realize that Heineken had a non-alcoholic option of beer.

Heineken 0.0 has a clear golden amber colour and reminiscent of the full-strength version of fresh, crisp, fruity and malty. It is twice brewed from their unique A-yeast from natural ingredients with gentle alcohol removed to achieve the similar taste of a regular Heineken. It’s a good alternative but without the alcoholic affects afterwards.

With all the new family commitments that I have, it’s important I don’t drink too much. Whether it be driving or doing the late night feedings with the baby, it makes me feel guilty when to avoid drinking all together or leave an event early.

If you like the taste of Heineken already and want an Alcohol-Free version, there you have it, it exists!

M&Ms has just launched 3 new flavours – Thai Coconut, Mexican Jalapeño, and English Toffee in grocery stores. They want you to vote on the next flavour to join the M&M’s candies family. All 3 flavours have the peanut centre, so remember that just in case you have peanut allergies.

Between April 22nd and June 29th, you can let them know your favourite flavour by going to flavourvote.mms.com or on Instagram or Twitter using #VoteMexicanJalapeño, #VoteEnglishToffee, or #VoteThaiCoconut. The incentive? There are weekly prizes to be won as well as 3 Grand Prizes of $7,500 towards a trip to Thailand, Mexico, and/or England. Not a bad prize at all.

We were sent a bag of each flavour to give it a taste test.

Thai Coconut

The flavours of a Thai Coconut in an M&M was interesting and it really did have the essence of coconut and basil. Of the 3, this was my favourite as the flavour was distinct and unique.

Mexican Jalapeño

This flavour got me very curious since how can you mix Jalapeño and M&M’s together? But they did! It has the acidity from a Jalapeño and comes with a kick of spice, which is very surprising. My husband loved this flavour.

English Toffee

English Toffee M&M’s are different shades of brown to yellow to really capture the visual of the flavour. When we opened the bag, we could really smell the English toffee. As we bit into each one, we were surprised by the sweetness of the English Toffee taste and then the texture and taste of the peanut centre.

This seems like a safe flavour to us compared to the other 2.

Did you give these 3 flavours a try yet? If you did, don’t forget to vote for your favourite.

http://flavourvote.mms.com

Kokoro Care Packages are hand-crafted monthly and seasonal Care Packages filled with premium-quality Japanese foods delivered straight from Japan to your door. I’ve seen a lot of subscription boxes with candy or ramen, but this one was different as they give you items to snack on or craft a meal out of.

About Kokoro Care Packages

Each item in the box like snacks, spices, soups, teas, and other items are carefully selected for its quality, ease of use and taste. They go out of their way to choose items free from additives and chemicals. The owners work closely with local producers who share their values and are passionate about the foods they create.

All products are made in Japan and they provide all the English translations so you can easily enjoy all the wonderful foods and learn about the stories behind each item. They currently ship to over 35 countries worldwide.

The Care Packages are available in two options: a monthly Nourishing Essentials Care Package and a quarterly Seasonal Delights Care Package. One time gift purchases are also available. Inside each Care Package you’ll discover:

• 5+ premium-quality Japanese foods that have been carefully selected for their purity, flavor and benefits.
  
• Easy to enjoy snacks, spices, sauces, soups, teas and more.
• English translations of the ingredients and nutritional information.
• Reasons why they chose the product and why you’ll love it!

Promo Code

Kokoro Care Packages is also offering Foodology readers a 10% discount on your first order from a subscription purchase. Use the code: FOODOLOGY_10. The code expires at the end of April 2019 and is limited to one use per customer.

March 2016 Care Package

I received the March 2019 care package with the following items:

• Indigo Blue Tea
• Organic Girl’s Day Rice Snack
• Liquid Organic Ume Paste
• Nori Paste
• DIY Hegi Rice Cake

I was excited to give each item a try in this box and helped me get back in the cooking mood after a little hiatus from cooking since giving birth to my daughter.

Indigo Blue Tea

This tea is made with butterfly pea flower, so when you steep it, it turns bright blue. When you introduce the tea with an acid like lemon, it magically turns purple. It’s quite magical. The tea barely has any taste, but it was so fun making layered drinks with it.

You can drink it straight or make layered drinks because the combinations are endless. A tip to get the layered effect is to make sure there is more sugar content on the bottom layers. For example, I put lemonade on the bottom and then topped it with the Indigo Blue Tea.

Organic Girl’s Day Rice Snack

You can eat this right out of the package and enjoy. Some are sugar coated and some pieces aren’t, so it’s like an assorted rice snack.

Liquid Organic Ume Paste

This was our favourite items since it’s so versatile. You can turn it into a salad dressing, or add it onto chicken shiso skewers like I did to give it a nice contrasting tangy ume flavour.

Nori Paste

Nori is seaweed and you can put this paste on mostly anything. It’s usually eaten with rice in Japan, but no rules at all. Love the umami taste of it.

DIY Hegi Rice Cake

This was an interesting idea to make your own rice cakes. At first it doesn’t look like much but once you pop it into the microwave, they really do transform silently.

Final Thoughts

I thought it was a solid subscription box and it took me about a month to slowly try everything. I personally wasn’t a fan of the rice cake items, but I really loved the tea, ume paste, and nori paste as I could do quite a bit with them. Whether you get a Kokoro Care Package for yourself or for others as a gift, it’s definitely unique.

Website:
https://kokorocares.com/