I made this refreshing twist on a classic gin & tonic last week and wanted to share the recipe here! Ever since we planted our own basil, I’ve been loving finding new ways to use it. So today I’m sharing this how I incorporated basil into my favorite cocktail. See the recipe above!

Notes:

• Calories aside, Justin and I actually prefer diet tonic water. And yes, it’s actually a thing!

Continue reading BASIL LIME GIN & TONIC at Five Foot Nine.

I saw Kathleen Barnes from CarrieBradshawLied.com share a greek salad recipe, and I had to try it for myself. Click here for the recipe/original source.

I shared in this post, that I don’t particularly love leafy greens, so I’m always trying to find different ways to get my veggies in. This greek salad is incredibly easy to throw together and store in the fridge for the week ahead*.

Continue reading VEGETABLE GREEK SALAD at Five Foot Nine.

I find that a solid, healthy lunch is often the hardest meal for me to achieve. Breakfast? Nailed it. Dinner? We often have planned. But lunch? Lunch often stumps me and without a plan, I tend to reach for the unhealthier options.

As much as I wish I craved leafy green salads, it’s just not likely for me. And if I do have a green salad, I’m usually choking it down.

Continue reading EASY QUINOA VEGGIE BOWL at Five Foot Nine.

Since quitting my barista job at Starbucks in 2018, I invested in our Breville espresso machine and have never looked back! Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a drive-thru coffee just as much as the next person, but having the option to create my coffee’s at home? Nothing better.

Over the snow-filled Valentine’s weekend, I decided to make a warm cup of goodness and stay indoors! Let’s get into how I make my morning americano —

Tools Needed

Espresso machine | this is our exact model

Milk frother | this is my favorite (Note: our espresso machine does have a milk steamer attached, but I personally find it messy and annoying to use, so I opted for our milk frother instead)

Your favorite mug

Cardboard cutout of heart (optional, but encouraged!)

Ingredients

Whole espresso beans (for the espresso machine) | we always go back to this kind

Hot water

Flavored syrup | I’ve been using this French Vanilla lately, also love this flavor

1/2 & 1/2

Cinnamon powder

Directions

First, pump your syrup into your mug — for a 16oz mug, I opt for 2 pumps

Next, add hot water halfway from the top of your mug (eyeball this step)

From there, pull 2 shots of espresso using your espresso machine*

Add the espresso shots to your mug of syrup and hot water

Now, grab your milk frother and froth your 1/2 & 1/2 — the amount of cream is personal preference, but I typically do 1/3 cup or so (again, eyeball this step)

Once frothed, poor your cream on top of your coffee — you should now have all ingredients listed above in your mug

For a picture-worthy creation, add a cinnamon heart on top!

Continue reading MY AT-HOME MORNING AMERICANO at Five Foot Nine.

Welcome back! I decided to try something new on the blog today and share a cocktail recipe. Food and drink isn’t typically my forte, but I thought it’d be fun to share this yummy drink that’s perfect for summer! I love a simple cocktail, but this past weekend I played around a bit and created some tropical goodness.

Ingredients:

• Lemons
• Coconut Milk (I prefer sweetened coconut milk for the flavor, but you could use unsweetened if you prefer)
• Malibu Coconut Rum
• World Market Blood Orange Soda (you could also use this brand)
• Ice

There’s really no special way to add it all together, but I personally like to start with the ice, then add the rum, blood orange soda, top with coconut milk, then garnish with lemon!

Continue reading THE SUMMER COCKTAIL at Five Foot Nine.