 |
My mother has a stellar memory bank for numbers & fun stories, so she’d often tell us her hilarious childhood stories as she drove us to school. However, not all the stories she told were her own; many of them were ours. One childhood story my mom frequently told was how I used to sing lullabies to my baby brother, but with silly lyrics that were reflective of my language acquisition at that age such as phrases on mowing the grass. A story my mom still loves to tell is how Toddler Tiffany used to absolutely love squatting down in the snow, grabbing a handful of it, & just eating it like it were a doughnut. I may have been born in the spring, but I swear my ethos/spirit animal is a beluga whale. Sad news for Adult Tiffany: there’s no snow in Southern California for me to eat. Adult Tiffany prefers winter over summer. Adult Tiffany thinks speaking in third person is really lame, but for some reason, is still doing it.
So, what about all of those summer recipes you keep posting then, you ask? Listen, you can’t fault me for capitalizing on the season, its fresh fruits, & great recipe inspirations that come with it. Just because I’m bad with heat, doesn’t mean I don’t love the recipes of the season! Now that I’m back from my holiday, I’m posting two new recipes. Since California is experiencing the worst drought in the history of recorded droughts, it’s not exactly wise for us to be participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS, however you can still do something to help spread the word & donate to the cause. You can dump pool water on yourself while you’re in a pool or ice water while you’re standing over an area of your garden that needs watering. What else can you do? Well, shoot, just make some ice pops or an iced tea, social media that thing, & head on over to ALSA.org to donate! No offense to the guy who came up with the challenge, but I’d rather do something useful with ice than to let it go to waste. Tired of ice pops & iced tea recipes, you say? How about sangria with boba instead?
 |
With my love for boba & Two Buck Chuck, why not combine the two with some fresh fruit & juice for a delicious original concoction for your next Sunday Brunch? So, how do you trick your tastebuds into thinking you’re on a tropical holiday you ask? Well, follow the simple steps below. (Remember to hover over the images for captions.)
Step 1: Make Mango Paradise Ice Pops
Using the very last mango Josh’s parents sent over to me, I had to make the best of it by adding a mango ice pop recipe! While I could’ve updated my delicious mango sorbet recipe with better photos, judging from my instagram photo of homemade ice pops, people seem to really love ice pops! This recipe is bursting with flavor & has been declared the “best ice pops” I’ve ever made according to my brother, who ate about 5 of them, & Josh who savored every bite.
Step 2: Make Tropical Sangria with Boba
My local Trader Joe’s had this amazing fruit displayed that I’ve never seen before called Golden Dewlicious, so naturally I just had to get my hands on this glowing orb. It radiated this bright, vibrant golden yellow color & was shaped & textured similarly to honeydew. Turns out it’s just a gold brother of the lovely green honeydew as it has the same consistency, texture, & overall taste, but sweeter. Since this fruit isn’t a household name, I felt that this sangria recipe is already pretty novel! Try blending or juicing the melon, a mango, & some 1/2 cup of coconut water instead of store bought juice. It’s much more nutritious to make fresh juice & it’s so naturally sweet. I’m quite envious of those who have juicers though because I’m OBSESSED with fresh juice. Heather, a Community Coordinator on behalf of Williams-Sonoma, contacted me about their new juice campaign, with the goal to enlighten people about the health benefits of juicing. I’ve been eyeing electric juicers from Williams-Sonoma for a while now & I’d love nothing more than to get my hands on the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer to make my favorite alcoholic drink in the world: Bloody Marys! But obviously, had I had the juicer or just any juicer, I would’ve made my own mango juice in my home instead of buying one from Trader Joe’s.
It’s rare to see homemade juices in sangria recipes, so it’d be a nice change of pace to make one that’s just all that more naturally sweet. All-in-all, I wanted my sangria recipe to be a little more original since there are probably 500 of the same sangria recipes out there, but how many sangria with boba recipes are there? Pretty much none, so I’m going to go ahead & claim my recipe as the first Original Sangria with Boba recipe the way Neil Armstrong claimed the moon America’s property (satire, obviously we all share the moon).
If you’re already following me on Instagram, you may have seen that I’m moving to Boston soon to attend Northeastern University this Fall for their pre-medical post-baccalaureate program! So when I’m all settled in my new place, I’ll have to add more sangria with boba recipes. This Southern California woman is moving to the East Coast–finally, I’ve only dreamed about this for forever!!!!!!!–& getting one step closer to pursuing her aspirations! I’m also getting one step closer to eating snow again, thus…Toddler Tiffany lives!
Hopefully this post was enlightening on how to pretend you’re on an island vacation. Drinking my sangria while writing this sure is fooling me!
I think I’m gonna make these now. Your photos are convincing me that I need them. Lol. They look fantastic! x
Have you been to Big Bear during the winter? It’s the closest/largest snow haven I know of close to LA, haha. That ice bar in Europe must’ve been your favorite spot!
People are missing the whole point of ALS. It’s great that the organization is raising multi-millions compared to before, don’t get me wrong. Some people are now butchering the ice bucket challenge to the point where they say, “I challenge […] to the ice bucket challenge. You have 24 hours to do it.” without even mentioning about ALS. One of my friends hiked to a river and did the challenge there.. It gave me faith in humanity.
I love how you use fresh fruits to make your drinks. It’s way better and healthier than flavor enhancers/powder/artificial juice. Your sangria looks way too delicious. Your cups are adorable!!!!!
Congratulations on getting into Northeastern University! It sounds like you’re going to have a heck of a journey with being a med student (in a good way, of course). And it’s a plus that you’re closer to snow than LA!
I’ve actually never been to Big Bear, but I have been to Lake Tahoe & other regions of California that are popular for snowboarding/skiing. However, that’s not nearly the same as walking outside your home & making snowmen. I mean, of course it snows atop high mountains, but a lot of the time, they’ll have snow machines out because not enough snow falls.
Wow! Ugh, yeah I absolutely agree. Good on your friend! My friend’s company donated $25,000 to ALS & they used frozen seawater + seawater for the challenge! So amazing.
Thank you! I think you can find the cup I used in this post in Target actually! & yes, finallly closer to snow hehe. 🙂 Can’t wait until the leaves turn so,…tons of autumn pictures in a few months!!
Your photography is stunning and both options sound so refreshing! Much better than dumping ice on our heads. 😉
Hah, thank you, Sarah! 🙂
I’ve probably mentioned this before but sangria is my favourite alcoholic drink. My mum makes a fantastically simple sangria using red wine, brandy, orange juice and fizzy flavoured water. It works a treat!
I saw Mark Hamill’s ice bucket challenge and he was also talking about the drought in California. He did it regardless, as he sat in front of his swimming pool! But yeah, I’ve haven’t been nominated, thank goodness. I think your options are better ways of keeping cool. 🙂
Congratulations on getting into university in Boston. 😀 I’m sure it will be a nice change to live on the other side of the country.
I think people are really missing the point of the challenge though. It’s supposed to bring awareness to ALS by doing something extreme, so those of us in California or just anywhere, should reconsider doing the challenge efficiently without wasting water. Grabbing buckets of ocean water & dumping it on yourself would suffice. The Pacific Ocean is really cold!!
Seriously, I love your photos! And wow moving to Boston, that quite far from your hometown! I am also moving out, but I am still searching for a nice room – well we have to search for a room in the Netherlands.. They don’t have dorms-
I am craving mangoes because of you omg, happily my mom bought one! But what you prefer winter over summer?! I prefer Summer over winter haha, but I also like autumn because I can wear jackets/blazers al though I can wear them in the summer too, because it is not that hot in the Netherlands :’)
Thanks Yak! It is pretty far from California, but I’m so excited to move across the nation! Oh, that’s really interesting that your universities don’t provide dorm rooms for students. I almost can’t imagine that they don’t have housing. My boyfriend studied abroad in the Netherlands & he stayed in place on campus.
Haha mangoes are so delicious! They’re one of my favorite fruits. I do prefer winter over summer, but I’ve never experienced a winter like the one you have in your country. I love the snow! 🙂
Aah, I remember eating snow when I was young too 🙂 I don’t live in NY anymore though, and Texas doesn’t have snow for me to eat either!
Mango is one of my favorite flavors when it comes to desserts. Your ice pops look so good! I especially like how pretty they are with two colors 🙂 I also love all the in-progress photos for the sangria. The fresh fruits look so colorful together.
That’s awesome that Williams-Sonoma contacted you! I feel like they should give you a juicer now 😉
Congrats on getting into Northeastern University! That’s exciting that you’re moving to a place you’ve been wanting to go! I hope the move goes well!
You did?! Haha that’s so funny. Snow eating twins bahaha. From NY to TX, that’s quite a move!
Thanks for the compliments. 🙂 I love mango too! I would’ve used it in my sangria, but I didn’t have anymore.
Bahaha I wish I could get a free juicer! Those things are so expensive & juicing itself is expensive! But I’d rather be able to juice things myself than to buy it.
Thank you! I’m really excited & I can’t wait! 😀
Congrats with getting into Northeastern University! Moving from the west coast to the east coast is going to be a big change! I can’t imagine tackling that since I refuse to leave Korea!
Your ice pop and sangria looks so good! I don’t think I’ll ever make them, but I still find to be very droolworthy looking, and I can so see someone making these and lounging up on a rooftop pretending they are sunbathing at a tropical resort with these treats 😀
I used to eat snow, too, haha! They just look so frosty and delicious XD; I’m glad Korea still gets snow, even if it’s getting rarer now. I was born in the winter, and I very much prefer winter over the hotter climate. I think I need to move up to the North Pole or something . . .
Anyway, I hope the transition to the east goes well! Take cares!
Beautiful photos, I love the step by step photos! Ah these photos of fruits remind me how lovely summer is and it has been a wonderful summer! That is one yummy sangria by the way! Congratulations moving to Boston, my sis in law lives in Brookline and I visit her once a year.
Thank you, Rika! 🙂 Your compliments mean a lot to me.
Do you have any favorite vegan restaurants you’d recommend in Boston? Brookline isn’t too far from where I will live actually.
Stunning pictures, stunning recipes that make me feel so thirsty now.
If you like winter you would enjoy spending a summer in London. I don’t recall last time I wore a t-shirt. You can imagine how much I need to trick my taste-buds with a tropical sangria!
Thanks, Dani! I studied abroad in England during the summer so I’m very familiar with its weather! It was perfect to me & I miss it everyday! 🙁
hahaha a beluga whale! – I have to admit, I had to google it before I was able to laugh 🙂 –
I’m not a big fan of coconut water, but that sangria sounds like heaven to me :))
I have to wait a few weeks though, if I want to legally drink that 😉
Lovely recipes as per usual Tiff! The photography work is def on point!
Before I forget: good luck in Boston! Bye bye LA traffic right? 😉
Haha they’re such an underrated sea mammal. I did a report on them when I was in 6th grade so they’re one o my favorites. They’re so cute. They have like a permanent derp face & I love it!! So cute baaah.
You can try using coconut juice instead because it’s sweeter, like the coconut juice you’d find in an Asian grocery store. I always use coconut water/juice in my dessert recipes because when it’s pure, it’s so healthy for you. If you just don’t like coconut at all, try using tropical juices like passionfruit, mango, kiwi, etc!
Happy early birthday in case I miss it, Jessy! & thanks for the compliment! 🙂
Yes! Bye-bye traffic!!!! Well, there’s still traffic in Boston, but at least this time I’ll have public transportation so I won’t have to worry too much about being stuck in traffic as I won’t have my car there.
Omgosh another yummy juicy recipe ^___^ I really want to try them out :c Love the gif image there c: Xx
Thank you, Mei! I hope you try them out & tell me how it goes!
I seriously shouldn’t be reading your blog right before breakfast. Everything that I’ve seen is absolutely wonderful and looks delicious! Now, I’m gonna go try out some of your recipes. Are these recipes diabetic friendly? I once was diabetic, but I reversed my diabetes a year ago due to eating healthier (thanks to my landlady and my boyfriend). I’m trying to get rid of my sugar cravings by drinking Gatorade and water and of course tea. What would you recommend for someone who has a sweet tooth? I can’t wait to try these, maybe I’ll make the other students jealous haha :P.
RE: I hope this is okay to do this, in regards to your comment on my blog post? If not, I will refrain myself from doing this again. When I took several classes at Mount San Antonio back in the day, I never had to use Black Board. So for me it is considered a new thing. I was kind of shocked to hear from Georgie that she used it when she went to Uni. My boyfriend has to turn in his English papers to turnitin.com/org ? I’m really shocked that we have to submit our papers online nowadays. Shows you how long I’ve been out of the loop. Something new to learn, I guess?
Thanks, Jamie! Boba isn’t diabetic friendly as it requires sweetener, but the ice pops are because they’re just fruits & coconut water. If you’re concerned about the sugar content of the coconut water, use tea instead. It will be less flavorful, but it’s much better than adding unnecessary sugar. You could also just use coconut milk that’s unsweetened in place of coconut water too. It’ll give the ice pops a richer flavor. Sangria uses wine, so I wouldn’t recommend it to diabetics.
Also, stop drinking Gatorade. That drink is absolutely awful for you. It’s pure sugar & dye, which is explicitly stated on the label in the ingredients! The best drinks for you are water, tea, kombucha, & fresh juice. If you’re having sugar cravings, just eat more fruits & veggies. Don’t eat chips, don’t drink soda (even the diet ones are bad), don’t eat microwavable dinners like Lean Cuisine, just eat whole fresh foods. Don’t dip your vegetables in ranch, use a vinaigrette or humus instead. Sometimes you just have to quit cold turkey for a bit when you have intense cravings, but you can indulge a little, given that what you choose to indulge in is good for you. If you want a cake or a cookie, try a recipe for a healthy cookie or cake. The vegan recipes out there are good substitutes & you’ll feel guilt-free! That’s the best right? Feeling guilt-free when you devour 10 cookies because you know it’s healthier than the regular cookie!
Congratulations on getting into Northeastern University! I hope you enjoy the east coast. I find myself homesick a lot, but I’m getting better everyday. I’m gonna have to look you up if I ever visit Boston! Let me try all your recipes! XD
hey, chef tiff, when’s your birthday? I think I’m going to deliver you a package containing a bucket of my tears for every beautiful photograph you’ve ever taken. tell me your address, woman djekhflwk *screeches*
the whole toddler tiff and adult tiff excerpt is really adorable to imagine (///w///) i remember going to harbin, china when i was such a kid and although i love snow, the arctic-like weather managed to tear (i think tear is such a harsh word but i can’t think of others right now) my skin (despite wearing gloves and layers of shirt and jacket etc) that i cried because of it haha. i’m such a loser. still, despite living in a tropical country with no autumn or winter, i see myself as a “winter child” (a stupid “codename” i use to label myself), an arctic wolf even. i will die in extreme warm weather LOL this is why i’m always indoor, air conditioned instead of under the sun by the beach.
WOMAN, I FREAKING LOVE YOUR UTENSILS. LOL I will surely buy these kinds of utensils once I have my own apartment and a steady job. right now, i can’t get them because i’m still a poor school kid who lives with her parents and buying these stuff isn’t something of my authority haha
my mother has been making sangria recently but instead of with coconut water or wine, hers is a fake sangria composed of chopped fruits and….water lol. her friend told her that mixing water and fruits like that can help reduce weight although i doubt about that. because really, it doesn’t matter even if she doesn’t brew that fake sangria, right? i mean, all fruits help with weight loss, especially berries. honestly, i’d rather eat my kiwi fresh instead of putting them into my glass of water — it’s gonna turn my kiwi soft and soggy and eugh…??
which reminds me, i’ve been wanting to buy coconut cream to brew homemade virgin pina colada (because as much as i like rum, there’s no rum in da house – more like, not allowed and nobody drinks alcohol except for, okay, lame canned beers) … it’d be fun to see your version of pina colada someday, if you ever brew a “tiffany specialty” version 😉
um maybe this is too demanding (or annoying) but i’d love to see more beverage recipes in the future! 😀 especially easy and simple ones like this~ smoothies are best though. i really love smoothies 😉
Oh wow, those look so delicious! Really got my tastebuds going for some mango juice now. Lovely photography, too!