The Brunette Diaries

For The Coffee Lovers: Our Easy-To-Make Coffee Variation Recipes

Some people call coffee the ‘elixir of life’ rightly so. For most people around the globe, the day does not begin without a cup of coffee. The caffeine found in coffee stops certain chemical signals to your brain, thus waking you up and driving away sleep. Its caffeine properties aside, the taste of coffee is what we love. Its warm tones and aroma awaken the senses. Coffee shops today make a host of different types of coffees for everybody’s taste. For those of you who have ever wanted to make these delicious drinks at home, we have listed for you our tried and tested coffee variation recipes that you can easily prepare in your own kitchen.

Warm Spiced Coffee

For those of you who love a hint of spice in your coffee, you have to try this one.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Instant coffee powder, cinnamon (dalchini) powder, nutmeg (jayfal) powder, sugar, milk, water

How to make it:

Mix the instant coffee, cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Put this into the water and set on the stove on medium heat. Add in the sugar. Let it brew for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer into a cup or mug. Add a dash or more of warm milk according to your preference, and enjoy.

Also read: Coffee Meringue – The 16-Calorie Sin-Free Dessert

White Chocolate Latte

All you white chocolate lovers out there, this is a yummy way to mix white chocolate with coffee.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Instant coffee powder, chopped white chocolate, milk, vanilla extract or essence, whipped cream

How to make it:

Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and set it on the stove on medium flame. Stir till all the chocolate is dissolved and a creamy texture is achieved. Pour into glasses. Add whipped cream on top. You can also garnish it with white chocolate shavings, and let the flavour sweep you off your feet.

Mocha Hot Chocolate

Once you try the richness of this mocha hot chocolate, we doubt you’d want to go back to instant hot chocolate powder.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Instant coffee powder, chopped dark chocolate, milk, brown sugar (you can also use white sugar), water

How to make it:

Mix the milk and chopped chocolate in a saucepan, set it on a medium flame and let the chocolate melt. Meanwhile, warm the water with instant coffee and brown sugar. Once the chocolate and milk have combined add in the warm coffee-water to it. Stir to mix. Pour into a cup. Top it with marshmallows or baby marshmallows or just relish it the way it is.

Caramel Latte

This one is very simple and easy to make and tastes equally good!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Instant coffee powder, caramel ice cream topping, milk, sugar, whipped cream

How to make it:

Mix in the coffee, caramel sauce, sugar and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Serve in a glass or mug and top it with whipped cream and caramel sauce. That’s it! So easy!

Also read: Easy-To-Make DIY Watercolour Coffee Mug!

Irish Coffee

This one is our personal favourite. We love a good cup of warm Irish coffee and we are sure those of you who prefer their coffee with a little extra kick will love this too.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Instant coffee powder, brown sugar (or white sugar), fresh cream (unsweetened), whiskey

How to make it:

Brew the coffee in water and bring to a warm boil. Add the sugar to this water and let it dissolve. Pour this mixture while still hot, preferably into a long-bodied glass, a little more than half full. Add in the whiskey leaving ¼ of the glass empty. Lightly whip the fresh cream and layer it on the remaining 1/4 space in the glass. Now sit back and enjoy this lovely Irish drink!

These tried and tested coffee variation recipes are perfect for any occasion when you feel the need for a warm caffeinated drink. They taste best when you are snuggled up next to the window on a rainy day accompanied by your favourite book. Then again, they taste equally good in the company of friends. Basically, they taste fabulous all the time! 😛

Tickle Your Taste Buds With A Touch Of Love This Valentine’s With Amarula

Aspri Spirits, one of the leading importers and distributors of premium wines & spirits in India, presents exceptional cocktails for Valentine’s Day using globally the most popular liqueur, Amrula.
Amarula Cream originates from Africa and is a perfect drink to celebrate your love with your partner this Valentine’s. Enjoy it plain with ice or concoct a delicious cocktail, this drink will surely bring alive the romance & love. So entice your taste buds with these creamy cocktails.

Below are some recipes of the drink you can savour :

1) AMARULA STORM IN A SHORT
37.5ml Amarula Cream Liquor
Slash of fresh grated ginger and a turn of honey
15ml bourbon
50ml half and half (half cream and half milk)

2) AMARULA SPICED DRAM
35ml Amarula Cream Liquor
20ml spiced infused whiskey (clove, cinnamon, juniper, star anise & cardamom)

3) AMARULA CITRUS CRÈME
50ml Amarula Cream Liquor
20ml triple sec
Zest of an orange

4) ULA COFFEE SURPRISE
60ml Amarula Cream Liquor
Mug of strong filter coffee
50ml whipped cream
8 marshmallows
20ml brown sugar
20ml hot chocolate powder

5) AMARULA RED VELVET
30ml Amarula Cream Liquor
20ml Red Berry Vodka
20ml Beetroot juice
20ml white chocolate syrup
10ml grenadine

About ASPRI :

Aspri Spirits Pvt Ltd was established in 2004. The company today represents some of the finest brands in the world of Wines and Spirits and is one of the leading players in the imported alcoholic beverage segment. The company with its commitment to ensure highest quality standards focuses on the sales, marketing and distribution of its diverse portfolio and is dedicated to building premium international brands in travel retail and domestic markets across South Asia.

Here’s What Breakfast Looks Like Around The Globe

Breakfast Feast – Photographed on Hasselblad H3D2-39mb Camera

What’s the most important meal of the day? BREAKFAST! Keeping us healthy and sharp. But breakfast foods vary wildly from place to place. Americans are kinda obsessed with breakfast, to the point where we sometimes eat it for every meal of the day. Except for breakfast actually, as we overslept. All around the world, people eat comforting, filling meals to start their day. For some countries, breakfast means runny poached eggs with thick Greek yogurt and pita, and for others, chocolate-filled pastries. So, let’s take a look at what country is eating what:

1) America

The country obsessed with breakfast. Here people are either have cereals or eggs and toasts. Nothing more, nothing less! And let’s not forget their coffee.

2) Portuguese

Salted cod, egg, and potato baked casserole

3) China

A typical breakfast in eastern China can include items like dumplings, rice in vegetable soup, fried sponge cake, steamed creamy custard bun, and porridge.

4) Iran

In Iran a typical breakfast consists of sweet black tea, bread, butter, feta cheese, and sometimes fresh fruit and nuts.

5) France

French breakfast includes tea, coffee, juice, or hot chocolate, with bread and butter or pastries.

6) Australia

Australians love Vegemite enough to eat it every day. They also eat a lot of fruit and sometimes indulge in a full English breakfast.

7) Brazil

They love strong coffee and plate of ham, cheese, and bread to begin the day.

8) England

The fortifying English breakfast includes eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, mushrooms, and cooked tomato and tea of course!

9) India

India varies by region, but often you’ll find a tray like this one, crowded with chutneys, dips, and bread like dosa, roti, or idli.

10) Italy

No, they don’t eat pizza and pasta for breakfast! Many Italians begin their day with a cappuccino and brioche slathered with jam or stuffed with chocolate.

Which country’s breakfast would you like to try? 😛

10 Natural Aphrodisiac Foods Proven to Spark Romance

For those confused, aphrodisiac means any fruit, drink, etc that produce sexual desire in a person. Many of us active animals don’t need to turn to such measures to spice up our sexual life, but those in need, these food can prove to be really helpful. Well, you can try them yourself with your partner and then you’ll know for sure. 😛

1) Chilli Peppers

Apart from helping a pregnant women from conceiving early, This invigorating spice has an exotic reputation and a bright red color, which could be why it’s considered a natural aphrodisiac and a symbol of love. Chilli peppers stimulate endorphins (the brain’s feel-good chemicals), speed up heart rate and make you sweat, which all mimic how you feel when you’re aroused.

2) Chocolate

A girl’s best friend, chocolate is sensual, from its taste to its aroma, but dark chocolate has also been shown to cause a spike in dopamine, which induces feelings of pleasure.

3) Honey

Food that’s created through pollination, a symbol of procreation has to be the number 1 aphrodisiac item. In fact, the word ‘honeymoon’ originates from mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey given to the happy new bride and groom. It also contains boron, which helps regulate estrogen and testosterone levels and provides a natural energy boost.

4) Banana

Apart from looking like… well you know, Banana also contains bromelain, an enzyme which triggers testosterone production, and the fruit’s potassium and vitamin B elevate energy levels.

5) Watermelon

As surprised as I am to as why this fruit is in this list, according to scientific research this fruit may have a Viagra-like effect on the body, as it relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation. These are the myths about sex that everyone thinks are true.

6) Coffee

The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant that ups the heart rate and makes the blood flow. Research suggests that coffee could put women in the mood for sex.

7) Strawberry

If you put strawberries on a plate beside a cup of melted chocolate, chances of you getting laid triples, you don’t need any scientific study to tell you that :P. Or maybe just Feed them to each other for a healthy, vitamin C-packed dessert that helps keep blood flowing to all regions of the body.

8) Artichokes

Alright, all you dirty minds calm down, it’s not what you think it is. This veggie’s aphrodisiac reputation comes mostly from legend and the intimacy of eating it with another, pulling off the leaves to reach the center. But it is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, which are critical to proper body function and blood flow.

9) Chai Tea

Skip the coffee after dinner and reach for a cup of chai tea. The typical spices in this brew—ginger, cloves, and cinnamon—will get the blood flowing but the caffeine effect is less, so you’ll still be able to drift off to sleep after your meal.

10) Whipped Cream

Decadent yet light as air, it just isn’t dessert without this rich topping. While there’s no evidence that whipped cream will boost libido, it’s sure to put you in the mood. You can also try and come up with exciting or kinky ways to use this aphrodisiac item to make the mood.

Let us know if this list of item got you excited in any way in the comment section below.

Foods that can poison your dog

You want the best for your dog. Many a times you cross the line and cannot resist their drooling ‘please share with me’ look and share foods with them from your plate. Well, this may not always be a good idea. What’s good for you may be toxic for your pooch. Let us look at a few such human foods:

What’s good for you can be toxic for your dog

Chocolate

Just because you love chocolate and your dog eats it too, doesn’t mean you give it to your furry friend just because it is drooling and giving you repeated handshakes in a bid to get you to “treat” them. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which can cause symptoms like vomiting, excessive thirst, abdominal discomfort, severe agitation, irregular heart rhythm, seizures and even death.

Avocado

What is healthy for you, you may assume is healthy for your dog too. Well, that’s where you can be so wrong! Avocadoes contain persin, which may be toxic to some dogs.

Yeast

A slice of bread is very often given to dogs, thinking, what could possibly go wrong with just a slice of bread. Well, you may be wrong again. Bread contains yeast, which is severely harmful as it causes alcohol intoxication and bloating.

Coffee

Oh, who doesn’t love a cup of coffee? You sure do, but what you may require every morning to energize yourself can be severely harmful to your dog. Caffeine, especially in large quantities, can be fatal for dogs.

Grapes

Research hasn’t proven anything yet, but grapes and raisins have been associated with kidney failure in dogs. Most dogs aren’t really affected by it, but better to be safe than sorry.

Alcohol

All you smart Alecs out there who have fun with your dogs by getting them a bit tipsy, bear in mind that alcohol can be fatal for your dog. They get drunk far sooner and with a lot less booze than we do. And the results are about the same: everything from vomiting and loss of coordination to seizures and even death is on the table.

So the next time you feel the need to be a considerate dog parent and share your delicacy with them, remember what you read today.

These 6 Food Are Directly Linked To Cancer And Everyone Should Be Aware Of It!

You already know that certain foods are bad for your waistline and heart, but recent research confirms that junk food and other culprits may up your risk for cancer, too. There are plenty of reasons to improve the quality of your diet, but researchers have recently confirmed that lowering your risk of developing certain types of cancer may be the best reason of all. Here’s what you need to know.

1) Pickles

Fermented foods have grown popular lately because they’re said to have digestive benefits thanks to their supply of healthy bacteria. But some preliminary research suggests that their high salt content may be linked to stomach cancer.

2) Barbeque

High intake of meat, particularly well-cooked meat, has been associated with increased risk of cancers! The problem seems to be that cooking meat on a grill leads to the production of carcinogenic compounds known as PAHs. Essentially, the mouthwatering char marks on a flame-broiled burger or steak are the sign of chemicals that may not be as good for you as they taste.

3) Alcohol

When it comes to alcohol, it’s more about quantity than quality. There are strong links to increased risk of cancer with moderate to high alcohol intake. That’s why experts recommend no more than one serving of alcohol—the equivalent of a 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce serving of wine, or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor per day for women; men can double those servings on account of their higher body weight.

4) Microwave Popcorn

Often, microwavable popcorn bags are lined with a nonstick coating that contains PFOA, a chemical that has been shown in animal studies to increase the risk of liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancers, among others. Popping your own may take longer but is worth the trouble. Some brands offer alternative liners, too.

5) Canned Tomatoes And Sauce

Manufacturers use bisphenol A (BPA) in certain kinds of plastics and—until recently—the linings of cans used for canned goods. The problem? BPA can interfere with the body’s natural production of sex hormones, upping the risk for breast and prostate cancer. Because of their high acidity, tomatoes tend to leach the chemical from the can lining, making them a much more concentrated source of BPA.

6) Hot Beverages

There’s been a lot of debate over this because coffee and tea have other health advantages. Recently, the World Health Organization removed coffee from its list of potential carcinogens. But there is still evidence suggesting that serving beverages at 149° F or higher could elevate the risk of esophageal cancer, which is deadly.