Holiday Cocktails
I adore the holiday season! There’s nothing like spending quality time with your loved ones, celebrating each other, laugh your face off and fill your belly up! And if your family is anything like mine, we also enjoy a good little cocktail, or two! So I though I’d share with you some of our go-to drinks of the season!
“This actually is my mom’s and my favorite holiday happy hour cocktail!”
Quebecois 75
A French Canadian twist to the classic FRENCH 75, a super simple cocktail that requires few ingredients and is perfect for the celebratory toast of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Or for any other occasion, really. This actually is my mom’s and my favorite holiday happy hour cocktail!
INGREDIENTS :
2 oz of gin. My family enjoys Bombay Sapphire or the Quebecois gin, Ungava. There are so many amazing gins these days!
1/2 oz of lemon juice.
1/2 oz of maple syrup.
2 oz of sparkling wine. Cavas are perfect for this! I love Champagne but find it too pricey for mixed drinks.
Pomegranate seeds. Optional but delicious! Pomegranates are in season right now, plus, they bring antioxidants to the party!
* If you would like to make this a “mocktail”, simply use non-alcoholic sparkling wine. As for the gin, you can substitute it with The Spirit of Gin, a non-alcoholic alternative created by The Free Spirits Company!
DIRECTIONS :
Place 2-3 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add the gin, lemon and maple syrup to it.
Shake shake shake it!
Pour it in your favorite cocktail glass. I love the old fashion champagne coupes. They are so chic!
Top with the sparkling wine.
Garnish with a spoonful of pomegranate seeds.
Cheers, Sip and Enjoy!
“This latte is totally in season, delicious, not too sweet, and can obviously be enjoyed whiskey free.”
Whiskey Pumpkin Spice Latte
Yes that’s right, and it is delectable! Perfectly enjoyable on Christmas morning while opening presents or the morning of January 1st to celebrate the new year with a boom! This latte is totally in season, delicious, not too sweet, and can obviously be enjoyed whiskey free.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE LATTE :
1/2 cup of strong espresso.
1 1/2 tbsp of pumpkin spice puree. Can be adjusted to taste.
1/2 cup of frothed milk. I enjoy using oat milk for a creamy, dairy free option.
Maple syrup to taste.
1 oz of Whiskey.
A dash of cinnamon.
*If you are not a coffee drinker, you can switch out the coffee for black tea. I love Pique Tea! Their Fermented Pu’er Black Tea is a great option for this drink. It is also full of probiotics and perfect for your gut health! Enjoy 5% off when using the code “KIMKLEAN”.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE LATTE :
In a large mug, mix the espresso, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and whiskey together.
Froth your warmed milk and incorporate it to the coffee/pumpkin mixture.
Add a dash of cinnamon on top.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE PUREE :
2 cups of pureed squash. I love using Buttercup Squash for this. It’s flesh is sweet and gets very soft. Butternut Squash is also a great option.
A pinch of salt.
1/4 tsp of black pepper.
1/4 tsp of clove.
1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
1/2 tsp of nutmeg.
1/2 tsp of turmeric.
1/2 tsp of ginger.
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.
1 tbsp of maple syrup.
*All of these spices are anti-inflammatory and help support a healthy immune system.
DIRECTIONS FOR HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE PUREE :
Preheat the oven at 400ºF.
Cut the squash in half. Watch out for your fingers! Squashes are tough to cut through. Do NOT try to cut the stem, simply cut around it with a knife and pull the squash open with your hands.
Remove the seeds and stringy flesh with a spoon.
Season the inside of the squash with a pinch of salt.
Put a piece of parchemin paper on a baking sheet and place the both halves, flesh down.
Bake for 45-60 min, until the flesh is soft and easily scoopable.
Put the soft flesh in a blender and mix until it becomes a smooth puree.
Transfer 2 cups of the puree into a bowl and incorporate the rest of the ingredients et voilà!
Enjoy in good company!
PRO TIP!!
Freeze individual portions of your pumpkin spice puree using an ice cube tray. That way, you can make the pleasure last longer and only use what you need that morning for your lattes.
Cheers to you and your family and friends. May this holiday season be filled with love and joy, bliss and laughter.
Love & Light
Kim
Holiday (sales!) Gift Guide.
November, especially Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is packed with the best deals of the year! It’s the perfect time to shop for the holidays that are rapidly approaching . Oh do I have great ideas for you and your loved ones!
“[…] what if your tea could be the gift of radiant skin, clean energy and healthy immune support?!”
The holidays/winter rime with warm and cozy. There is nothing warmer and cozier than a delicious cup of hot tea! And what if your tea could be the gift of radiant skin, clean energy and healthy immune support?! Pique Tea has the most incredible teas, triple screened for toxins making them the purest and the tastiest teas! They are famous for their Organic Sun Goddess Matcha. Pique is having their ONLY sale of the year from 11/25 to 11/29. Enjoy 20% OFF SITE WIDE when using code BFCM20. For a limited amount of time, goodies also come with your purchase!
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving!”
If you are a fanatic of clean beauty - like me! -, The Detox Market has THE perfect gift for you! Every year, they curate a special box holding the top rated clean products and this year’s box does not disappoint! The 2021 Best of Green Beauty box, valued at $309 ($408 CAD), is going for $149 ($199 CAD) only and stars goodies from OSEA, Pai, Herbivore and so many more! Trust me when I say that anyone opening this box feels like a kid in a candy store! The Detox Market also has the best beauty subscription box, The Detox Box. Every month, you get to try new products and discover a new clean brand at a well discounted price. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! * click here to access The Detox Market Canada.
“Sakara is also celebrating with some fun holiday treats […]”
I am a fan of Sakara’s clean boutique products! Starting my day with the Water Drops and the Metabolism Super Powder has had an impact on my skin and my energy. Sakara is a nutrient rich plant-based meal delivery program. From now until 11/29, they are offering 25% OFF the ENTIRE site! Yes! Simply use the code XOKIMKLEAN-BF21 when checking out. This once-a-year event is the perfect opportunity to restock on your favs or to try Sakara for the 1st time. Sakara is also celebrating with some fun holiday treats like The Morning Ritual Collection, a special Coconut Praline Granola and a Manifestation Candle, all available for a limited time only!
“What a wonderful way to start the day, full of love, positivity, motivation and wisdom!”
One of the best gifts I’ve received was from my mom, the Q&A a Day-5 Year Journal. Everyday day, you answer a simple question about your thoughts, feelings, ambitions, things you like etc. Every year, you get the same question on that specific day and get to see how your answers change! It depicts the Law of Impermanence perfectly. 5 years seems like quite the commitment at first, but this book shows you how much you grow and evolve in a year. THIS year, I will treat myself to the Soulwork Planner by The Mantra Co. It is a “balanced mix of a planner and journal […] to guide and support personal transformation and growth.” What a wonderful way to start the day, full of love, positivity, motivation and wisdom!
I hope this list has inspired some great and unique ideas to surprise a loved one or to add to your own list. Wishing a happy, loving and joyful holiday season to you and those you cherish.
With much love,
Kim
Other sales you won’t want to miss during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Enjoy 20%-30% off True Botanicals, skincare loved by Brooke Shields, Olivia Wilde and Laura Dern now through 11/29.
Enjoy 50% off a year subscription to The Sculpt Society, the BEST at home workouts!
Enjoy 25% off Act + Acre and get a FREE scalp gua sha (on orders of $70+) now through 11/29.
The Detox Market offers $15 off orders of $100, $30 off orders of $200 plus a gift from Pai, $80 off orders of $400 plus two gifts from Pai. Enjoy this deal from 11/23 until 11/28. * click here to acess The Detox Market Canada.
Enjoy 30% off my favorite waterproof jewelry brand, Hey Harper, when using code “HEYKIM” now until Nov. 30th.