Spicy Watermelon Margaritas

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas - That is naturally sweetened with fresh watermelon juice. So easy to make with the perfect amount of sweet and spicy! 

When I think about the summer, I think about watermelon - lots of it! During the summer, I usually have a watermelon on the kitchen counter, watermelon cubes in the freezer (recipe coming soon), or fresh watermelon juice in the fridge. Can’t get enough of this sweet melon!

So what are ways that you can use watermelon cubes or fresh watermelon juice? Make margaritas, of course! I mean, why wouldn’t you! All you have to do is salt a rim, juice a lime, ice in a glass, and add optional jalapeno slices for the spice factor! How easy is that?

There are two ways that you can add jalapenos to your margarita mix. You can either blend one jalapeno (de-seeded and stemmed) to your watermelon cubes and lime juice, pour juice mixture over a fine-mesh strainer, and serve into a glass or you can add sliced jalapenos to your cocktail shaker or pitcher, with the rest of the ingredients. Shake and serve into a glass.  

If you want to make a spicy or classic watermelon margarita during the offseason when watermelons aren’t readily available, my favorite thing is to use watermelon kombucha! Not only are you still enjoying a summer treat during the winter, but your gut is getting some love! This is my favorite watermelon kombucha drink, hands down!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Spicy Watermelon Margaritas - That is naturally sweetened with fresh watermelon juice. So easy to make with the perfect amount of sweet and spicy! 

Ingredients

Watermelon juice

• 1 small seedless watermelon, or half of a larger watermelon

• Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients per margarita

• 2 ounces fresh watermelon juice

• 1 ½ oz 100% agave silver or blanco tequila

• Juice of ½ lime

• ½ tsp honey (optional)

• 1-4 jalapeno slices (based on preference) 

Salt rim

• 1 part pink Himalayan sea salt

• 1 part tajun or chili lime seasoning

• Lime zest

• Lime wedges

Garnish

• tiny watermelon wedges, jalapeno slices, lime slices

Directions

To make fresh watermelon juice:

1. Simply blend watermelon cubes and lime juice in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour juice over a fine mesh strainer. Measure out what you need for the margaritas. 

2. To make fresh watermelon juice with jalapeno, add one jalapeno (de-stemmed and de-seeded) to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Taste test mixture before straining to achieve the desired spice level. 

To prepare your margarita glasses: 

1. On a small, rimmed plate, mix together equal parts salt, seasoning, and lime zest. Run a lime wedge around the top of each glass. Dip the top of the glass into the salt blend and roll it from side to side to catch the salt. Add ice cubes to your glass and set it aside. 

2. To make margaritas from a cocktail shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, optional sweetener and jalapeno slices. 

3. Secure the lid to the shaker and shake for 10-30 seconds. Taste and add additional sweetener/acid/spice if necessary. Strain the liquid into your prepared glass(es) and garnish. Enjoy!

To make a pitcher:

1. For 8 drinks you will need: 2 cups tequila, ½ cup lime juice, 2 cups watermelon juice, 1-2 jalapenos (sliced), and 2-3 Tbsp sweetener (optional). Pour mixture in a large pitcher with ice. Stir well with a wooden spoon until well combined. Taste and add additional sweetener/acid/spice if necessary and enjoy! 

Notes

• Don’t have watermelon on hand or not in season? That’s okay! I love using watermelon kombucha instead! Just omit the sweetener part and it should taste the same, if not better!

Paleo Dalgona Whipped Coffee

Paleo Dalgona Whipped Coffee - A South Korean coffee drink that is taking the internet by storm. With its sweet caramel-flavored whipped coffee topping, it’s definitely worth the hype! 

One of the worst parts about staying at home is not being able to visit my local coffee shop. Every Saturday, I would spend my mornings at the coffee shop as I sip away on a delicious hot beverage consisting of either a lavender London fog tea or an Americano with oat milk. So instead of dreaming about our old routines, how about we break out our barista skills and make ourselves a specialty caffeinated beverage! 

So what is whipped coffee you ask? Well, to be honest, I never heard about whipped coffee until my Facebook feed exploded with this Dalgona coffee, aka “whipped coffee”  that started from a TikTok video. I typically steer away from fads but the word “coffee” got my attention so I had to try it out for myself! 

Basically, whipped coffee is the opposite of a latte. Instead of spooning frothy milk over coffee, the whipped coffee goes on top of the milk. The recipe is super simple, just remember 2 Tbsp for every ingredient: instant coffee, sweetener, and hot water. I highly recommend using a KitchenAid mixer or handheld mixer for this recipe. You can use a normal hand whisk but it will take you quite some time to form stiff peaks in the coffee mixture. The goal when making the coffee mixture is to make the texture light and airy; like you would when making whipped cream. 

You can use your favorite milk as the base. If you prefer iced coffee, add ice to your glass first or if you prefer a hot beverage, warm the milk instead. As far as sweetener goes, I try to use a lower-glycemic sweetener like coconut sugar, stevia, or monk fruit. While I don’t recommend making this every morning, it’s nice to have a treat once in a while! 

A few things I have learned through experimenting with this recipe: 

• Using matcha powder instead of instant coffee does not work, unfortunately! 

• You must use a sweetener agent in order to get that whipped fluffy texture. 

• Protein boost? Sure! Personally, I haven’t tried it out but I have seen it work! Just add one scoop of protein powder to the mix. 

• Espresso powder does work with this recipe but be mindful of the caffeine amount!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Paleo Dalgona Whipped Coffee - A South Korean coffee drink that is taking the internet by storm. With its sweet caramel-flavored whipped coffee topping, it’s definitely worth the hype!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp instant coffee

• 2 Tbsp sweetener (coconut sugar, monk fruit, stevia)

• 2 Tbsp hot water

• Your favorite plant-based milk

• Ice cubes (optional)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl or KitchenAid Mixer, add coffee, sweetener, and hot water in 1:1:1 ratio. 

2. Whisking by hand or handheld mixer: Mix all the ingredients together until melted. Then start whisking! This should take about 2-3 minutes until you form stiff peaks in the mixture. 

3. Whisking using a KitchenAid Mixer: First mix at the lowest speed until ingredients are melted. Then turn the speed to the highest setting and mix for about 1 minute or until you form stiff peaks. 

4. Add ice cubes to a glass and fill with ice-cold milk (about 2/3rds). 

5. Spoon the foam and add it to the top of the glass. Mix it with a spoon or straw and enjoy it as a latte. Optional: sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa powder. Enjoy!

The Perfect Paloma

The Perfect Paloma - This refreshing grapefruit and tequila-based drink is perfect for any occasion! 

I’m completely over winter! Okay, I’m usually over winter the first day it starts, haha but now I can say that it’s time for a change. So instead of waiting for mother nature to catch up, I will just start without her!

So, in rebel fashion, I am traveling to LA for a few days (travel post soon), eating ceviche till my heart’s content, and drinking these refreshing Paloma cocktails! 

What’s in a Paloma?

1. Tequila: I prefer silver tequila-like Espolon Blanco, Casamigos or if you want more of a smoky profile, mezcal is great, too! 

2. Grapefruit soda: Instead of using a fruit cocktail mix, here are some healthy swaps: freshly squeezed grapefruit juice + mineral water, Izze Sparkling Grapefruit, San Pellegrino Grapefruit, or Jarritos Grapefruit works too. 

3. Lime: I use half of the lime per serving

4. Salt: This is usually added as a pinch on top of the drink but I like to use it to rim my glass using: pink Himalayan salt + lime zest + chili lime seasoning 

That’s it, basically! So don’t wait until summer to enjoy this super refreshing cocktail. As long as there’s grapefruit soda or juice in your fridge, this cocktail is yours for the drinking.

All you have to do is fill a glass with ice. Add a shot (or two) of tequila, juice from half of lime, and fill the glass up with grapefruit soda. Give it a stir, then sprinkle a pinch of salt over the top of the drink. Salud! 

Also, I would like to mention that Paloma’s pair nicely with spicy food or with a big plate of shrimp ceviche nachos!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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The Perfect Paloma - This refreshing grapefruit and tequila-based drink is perfect for any occasion! 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Tequila Blanco or Mezcal 

• 4-6 oz grapefruit soda 

• Juice of half a lime

• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt 

Chili Lime Salt Rim

• 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

• 1 tsp lime zest

• ½ tsp chili lime seasoning

• lime wedge

Directions

1. Run the cut side of a lime wedge around the rim of your glass.

2. Place the salt, zest, and chili lime seasoning in a shallow dish and mix until fully combined.

3. Dip the rims of glasses into coat. 

4. Fill glass with ice, then add tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. Give it a stir. Garnish with grapefruit and lime slices! 

Notes 

• Tequila: I prefer silver tequila-like Espolon Blanco, Casamigos or if you want more of a smoky profile, mezcal is great, too! 

• Grapefruit soda: Instead of using a fruit cocktail mix, here are some healthy swaps: freshly squeezed grapefruit juice + mineral water, Izze Sparkling Grapefruit, San Pellegrino Grapefruit, or Jarritos Grapefruit works too.

Roots Juice

Roots Juice - From the Roots signature root juice - sweet and fun, you can’t tell it’s healthy!

I think it’s only fitting to create a signature root veggie juice in honor of our name, don’t ya think!? With that said, this juice couldn’t be more perfect for that title! Roots juice started out as a refreshing drink for my catered events because people wanted something fun yet sweet while staying true to its healthy roots.

All this time, I assumed this recipe was on the blog! Luckily for you, the community reached out and said, no, haha so here we are! Made with my favorite root veggies (carrots, beets, and ginger) and naturally sweetened fruits, this juice has only 8 ingredients!

Roots juice is great for a brunch cocktail/mocktail, hot summer day, or just to drink with your morning breakfast. You can also skip the juicing part if you are not into juicing/want more plant based fiber into your diet.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Roots Juice - From the Roots signature root juice - sweet and fun, you can’t tell it’s healthy!

Ingredients 

• 2 red apples

• 1 small knob of ginger

• 1 grapefruit (or blood orange)

• 1 & ½ cup strawberries

• 1 small beet

• 2 carrots

• ½ lemon

• 1 cup coconut water

Directions 

1. Prep all fruits/vegetables with inedible rinds removed. Be sure to thoroughly wash all fruits/vegetables as best as possible. 

2. If using a juicer: add all ingredients to a juicer and let it do its work! 

3. If using a high-speed blender like Vitamix, add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Strain using a nut milk bag. Squeeze all the juice you can and discard leftover pulp or reuse in something else! 

4. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 48 hour maximum. Fresh and drinking immediately is best!

5. Makes about 4 cups

Citrus Hibiscus Sangria

CHEERS TO A HEALTHY, SEASONAL SANGRIA MOCKTAIL. CAN MAKE INTO COCKTAIL VERSION TOO IF THAT’S YOUR THING!

Having From the Roots just turned 1 yesterday and the website getting a face-lift, I wanted to celebrate with something, fun, fruity, and flavorful. What better way to celebrate than with a drink?

From the Roots has become way more than I have ever imagined. I started out just posting recipes I have created throughout the years and now it has turned into so much more. Within this year, we have been invited to do pop-up events, catered for parties and grand openings for businesses, collaborated with major health product companies, became a brand ambassador for Further Food, Banza, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods, and have connected with so many amazing people - YOU!

I couldn’t have done this without YOU, so thank you so much! Well, I could keep rambling, but let’s get to the recipe! I made this into a mock-tail form originally for a Galentine’s Day event. It was such a big hit! But TBH, it would be an even more hit if you added wine or prosecco to it…  But you can do whatever you like! ;)

When making sangria, it is best to use seasonal produce so that you can the best, full-bodied flavor from the fruits you are using. For this recipe, I cut up blood oranges, apples, and lemons. The tea I used is Stash’s Wild Raspberry Hibiscus so I added fresh raspberries and fresh mint for a refreshing beverage.

You can also make this drink ahead of time by brewing the hibiscus tea with mint the night before to store in the fridge. When you are ready to make the drink, add the hibiscus tea with the juices and mineral water with fresh cut fruits. It’s that easy!

Want more drink recipes? Check out The Holiday Mule, Strawberry Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca, and Watermelon Lime Refresher.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Ingredients:

• 4 wild raspberry hibiscus tea bags

• 4 cups filtered water

• ½ cup organic cane sugar

• ½ cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 liter sparkling mineral water

• 1 qt 100% pure juice (pomegranate, strawberry lemonade, cranberry)

• Orange

• Lemon

Garnish

Apples, raspberries, fresh mint, blood orange, lemon, lime, grapes, blackberries

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, add water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium high heat; stirring until sugar has dissolved.

2. Remove from heat; add hibiscus tea and fresh mint. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

3. Pour tea mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl or large pitcher and add ice.

4. Stir in mineral water, juice, and freshly squeezed juice of orange and lemon.

5. Chill drink in refrigerator until completely cold.

6. 30 minutes before serving, add sliced fruits for presentation and added flavor!

Notes:

1. I like using Santa Cruz and R.W. Knudsen 100% juice brands. My favorite combo is mixing ½ qt. pomegranate and ½ qt. strawberry raspberry juice.

2. For tea - I like using Stash’s wild raspberry hibiscus tea.

3. To make this into a cocktail, replace mineral water with red wine or prosecco.