Sweet Iced Coffee-No Calorie

It’s so hot here I don’t even want to talk about it. To combat the heat and to avoid increasing the waistline, I’ve started experimenting with several iced drinks that are either no calorie or low calorie. I’ve already shared with you my No Calorie Sweet Green Tea and Skinny Orange Julius.

Today, I’d like to share with you a No Calorie Sweetened Iced Coffee.

A few things that I’ve found out about Iced Coffee are:
1) If you brew coffee and then cool it down in the fridge, it will only be good for about 4 hours (often it may take that long to cool it down). After that it goes rancid. Ew.
2) If you rely on Starbucks to make you Iced Coffee, you will spend $3 or more and you have to request it unsweetened. Otherwise, they will slather on the syrup.
3) If you are like me and want just a cup of iced coffee here or there, you stress out over using a filter, waiting for the brew time, waiting for the coffee to cool down, etc.

What’s a girl to do?

Make her own. One sweet cup at a time, on a whim, at her own bidding.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own Sweetened Iced Coffee (it’s so easy, it’s silly):
2 TBS Decaf/Caffeinated NesCafe-more or less depending on how strong you like your coffee
8 drops Liquid Stevia-more or less depending on how sweet you like it
Milk
Water

Fill a tall glass of water (heh) with the 2 TBS of NesCafe. Stir and add ice.

Add the 8 drops of Liquid Stevia.

Add milk depending on your taste.

Stick a cute straw in the glass and enjoy! I told you it was so simple, it is silly.

Linking up here, along with other parties:



(My Repurposed Life)
Between Naps on the Front Porch

Celebrate our Freedom!

Happy Fourth of July! Light the fireworks, grill the dogs, grab the suits and get all patriotic “up in har”.

I love to brush up on the Constitution about this time of year. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from our beloved Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 2 – Right to Bear Arms: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Notice my bare arms? Heh.

Amendment 19 – Women’s Suffrage: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Amendment 26 – Voting Age Set to 18 Years: The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

God bless America.

Too old for that?

I am 34. There, my secret is out.

Photo Source
I no longer fit into the “hipster” category (and if I ever wear scarves with tassly things on the edges, please drag me out back and beat that urge out of me)…

…nor do I fit into the motherly “adult” category where my purse if full of band-aids, kleenex and juice boxes. Although, it is assumed here in Oklahoma that I am of age to have children, therefore, I have them. If at church on Mother’s Day, I am given a carnation by well-meaning but totally uninformed children–I am guessing due to my gray hair poking through my brown locks and the fact that I lack the tassly scarf.

I am in this weird interim of being too old to align myself with college students and too young to acknowledge I have a retirement account.

So, when asked by my nephews to play a game of basketball, I am tempted to pull the “old” card and sit on the side. After all, I just showered and why get all sweaty again?

I gaze at the bench on the sidelines and picture myself drinking my soda while cheering for the winners and the loosers.

But, if I did that, I would miss out on all this fun. And, it’s a good opportunity to show my nephews this old lady still has it. And not to mess with me, cuz’ I’ll elbow you right in the face. (Sorry about that, Tanner).

I don’t ever want to be too old for anything. I may get slower, less graceful and injured more easily-but never too old.

What Biceps Does to Worry Me

I know I shouldn’t worry, but it’s that danged thorn in my flesh. Don’t shoot Bible bullets at me-I realize I have a problem. I know the things to meditate on, I know what to confess.

I know, I know, I know.

Biceps decided to leave a somewhat safe 11 year-long career to pursue firefighting. Don’t get me wrong, there were the occasional lightening storms during outdoor festivals, whiteouts while driving across North Dakota, bloody knuckles from smashing his bass guitar against an amp and the most dreaded thing of all-scantily clad groupies.

But he chose to become a firefighter and I supported him wholeheartedly. I was ecstatic that we would be home more often, knowing that I could go to church on a more regular basis. That I could be present for birthdays, births and bar mitzvahs. That I didn’t have to be surrounded by stinky boys.

However, this is what I am getting used to now.

I now hear tales of structure fires, trailer fires, Hazmat situations, donkey kicking doors in, medical emergencies and the like. I want to be tough and pretend as if I would like to hear all about it.

But imagine your loved one fighting a chemical fire while being weighed down with 50 pounds of gear in 108 degree temperature. This is how Biceps makes me worry.

This is when I grab my aged Bible and look for 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I think this will be my mantra for the rest of my life…or at least for the rest of Bicep’s fire career.