Springtime Flavors Fill Your Mug With An Extra Dose Of Health, Hope, And Happiness
Flowers are in full bloom, the trees begin to bud, beautiful birds begin to sing, and new animal life emerges to beckon warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours. Ah yes, spring is here!
Throughout this time of year, research shows that people are happier and more cheerful. Some even suggest the bright and warm signs of spring make us all a bit more hopeful.
But, it’s not just the sights and sounds experienced in the months preceding summer that evoke such feelings, the flavors associated with spring can trigger strong, positive, cheerful emotions as well.
In spring, it’s a little early for the plump ripe berries typically enjoyed in the hot summer months.
And, island favorites like coconut and pineapple can be premature this time of year too.
Instead, however, springtime invites light, subtle tastes like honey, more delicate in flavor and color this time of year from the nectar of spring blossoms, and pistachios, with their light taste and bright green color reminiscent of the season, or lavender, its faint yet cheerful scent and flavor seemingly celebrating the fact that warmer days are approaching.
Of course, there are many other flavors associated with spring, but what’s so special about the three we just mentioned is their ability to pair so perfectly with coffee!
The descriptive tastes we mentioned above are perfectly highlighted in our Pistachio and Honey Lavender Latte flavored coffee selections, and as the long wait for their return to our seasonal line up is over, today we’d like to explore the best ways to savor these bright, cheerful springtime flavors.
Springtime…And The Sippin’ Is Easy
Isolating our senses, one by one, pondering our experiences through each doorway can enhance the positive, joyous things we often take for granted in our lives.
In these current springtime months, have you been able to spend any time outdoors?
If so, have you taken the opportunity to listen to the wind blow around you? Can you hear the birds chirping?
Slowing down to experience moments like this can improve your mood and your health.
Personally, I like to go for walks through my neighborhood, especially in the spring, and I’ve been enamored this year with the verdant green hues appearing on the young trees, highlighted perfectly against the backdrop of crystal clear blue skies…you know, the kind where the distant sunlight overhead seems to make those colors enhance, and dance, right before your eyes.
And, as you intentionally experience the season through your senses, feeling winter’s chill evaporate amidst the new warmth, what are you sipping?
Enjoying spring flavors in your warm mug (or iced cup) of coffee can serve to complement, even enhance, the views you take in from your porch or on your drive to work, the aromas wafting from plant life that emerges from the soft ground, and the warm sun on your skin out in the sometimes chilly air.
Speaking of the two flavors we mentioned above, these can be enjoyed as is, hot or over ice, with a splash of heavy cream or a milk of your choice, and you can even add extra touches of of these same flavors (honey, lavender, and pistachio) to take your springtime sipping experience to the next level, adding benefits to your health in the process.
Take honey for instance, some folks prefer adding this natural sweetener to their brew on a regular basis, and the addition of this nature-derived decadence has been proven to improve whole body health.
- Just a spoonful of honey consumed daily can promote weight loss as it works to improve metabolism. The sugar present in honey is different from the sugar found in other sweeteners, so honey has a lower glycemic index, and it contains a greater amount of nutrients.
- Honey contains a large amount of antioxidants and consuming it regularly helps to rid your body of harmful toxins.
- Even your skin can benefit from consuming honey due to its antibacterial properties.
- Honey contains no cholesterol, and the nutrients it contains actually work to lower cholesterol levels.
- Aside from the heart benefits of lower cholesterol levels, honey’s antioxidant content also helps your heart when consumed daily by preventing your arteries from narrowing.
- A spoonful of honey in your brew each day aids in the work of neurons in your body which can offer protection against psychological disorders, promote relaxation, relieve fatigue, and soothe nerves.
- Your digestive system benefits from honey when you consume it on an empty stomach as its antiseptic properties are even capable of preventing disease, healing wounds in the gut, and fighting off pathogens.
- Honey’s antioxidant properties also make it a powerful tool to combat cellular damage, which translates to cognitive benefits, namely improved memory and boosted brain functioning.
So then, what happens when you add lavender to this natural sweetness?
Lavender may seem like an unlikely addition to coffee, but when combined with the delicate sweetness of spring honey, these floral notes are not overpowering, instead balancing the flavors in your brew.
Lavender also serves to tame the caffeine buzz some people experience from drinking coffee as this herb possesses calming properties.
Like most herbs, the oils found in the plant’s flowers actually provide many healthy benefits:
- Lavender contains powerful antioxidants that aid your body in disease protection and prevention by reducing and reversing oxidative stress.
- In animal studies lavender was beneficial in protecting against increases in blood glucose, weight gain, metabolic disorder, destruction and antioxidant depletion in both the liver and kidneys.
- The aroma of lavender has been proven effective to reduce headaches (duration and pain).
- The calming properties of lavender allow this herb to provide relaxation without sedation, in other words, your lavender infused brew may help to make you feel calm but not drowsy.
Then, our other spring selection, our pistachio coffee, brings a smooth and creamy mouthfeel that we fell in love with at first sip!
Like all of our flavored selections, the pistachio you experience here comes from natural extracts and oils, just like you use when baking tasty desserts from scratch. And, while it’s delicious by itself, additions of pistachio milk, cream, or syrup can improve your brew in healthy ways.
- Pistachios, unsalted, in the shell, contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as vitamin B6, thiamine, copper, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
- Just one serving of pistachios a day can lower LDL cholesterol and boasts other heart benefits through antioxidant powers. (So, maybe have a handful alongside your latte, right?)
- Lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in large amounts in pistachios, can lower your risk of disease, especially cancer and diseases of the eye.
- Pistachio milk, a delicious addition to pistachio coffee, provides healthy fats while still giving you those needed and beneficial antioxidants.
- The heart benefits of pistachios may also help to prevent and manage diabetes.
The best part? When adding these ingredients to make the perfect latte or iced coffee, you can compound their benefits!
Coffee isn’t just one of the most popular beverages in the world, professionals agree it’s the healthiest as well. And, incorporating these ingredients to your brew, making the perfect springtime latte or iced coffee, allows you to amplify both flavor and health with each sip!
So, below we’ve included some delicious ways to enjoy both of our fabulous springtime flavors: Honey Lavender Latte and Pistachio coffee!
Delicious, Refreshing Honey Lavender And Pistachio Coffee Recipes
1- Honey Lavender Love
For this recipe you’ll be making a honey lavender syrup to use in your hot brew, but you can easily make an iced version of this since syrups incorporate into cold beverages effortlessly.
And, while you’ll find that this syrup uses equal parts sugar and honey, you can always omit the cane sugar, doubling the amount of honey for best health benefits. (see substitution info listed within the syrup recipe).
Ingredients
- 6 ounces strongly brewed Lifeboost Honey Lavender Latte Coffee
- ½ cup milk (your choice)
- 2-3 teaspoons honey-lavender syrup (see recipe below)
Instructions
- Brew coffee, then stir in honey-lavender syrup.
- Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting.
- Pour heated and frothed milk onto the coffee mixture, and enjoy!
Honey Lavender Syrup
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup raw honey
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers
Combine water and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add in sugar and honey. If you’d like to refrain from using cane sugar, you can simply use one cup of honey (total). Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the honey and/or sugar is completely incorporated.
Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then strain the syrup into a jar, discarding the strained lavender flowers. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
*To enjoy this as an iced latte, simply cold brew, or brew and chill the coffee. Add the cold coffee to a tall glass with ice, stir in syrup and set aside. Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the cold setting. Pour frothed milk over the coffee mixture, and enjoy!
2- Iced Lavender Milk Latte
Here you’ll be infusing your milk choice with lavender and making a honey simple syrup you can use in this latte or to add natural sweetness to any brew. Spoiler alert: the honey syrup works wonderfully in our pistachio coffee too!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cold brewed Lifeboost Honey Lavender Latte Coffee
- 1 cup lavender milk (see recipe below)
- 1 tablespoon honey syrup (see recipe below)
- Ice
Instructions
- Add ice to a tall glass, pour in cold brewed coffee.
- Add honey syrup to the coffee and stir to combine.
- Add lavender milk to an electric frother and froth on the cold setting (you can also simply add to a blender and blend on high for a few seconds).
- Top coffee with frothed lavender milk, and enjoy!
Lavender Milk
- 2 cups milk (of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers
Add milk to a saucepan and warm over low heat. Keeping the milk at a low simmer, add lavender buds and allow them to steep in the milk for 30-60 minutes. Strain and discard the lavender. Allow the milk to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Honey Syrup
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¼ cup raw honey
Add hot water (not boiling, but very hot) and honey to a jar or glass measuring cup and stir until the honey completely dissolves. Allow the mixture to cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
3- Pistachio Cream Dream
There are a few ways to approach this, you can go for a subtle, smooth, creamy pistachio and coffee combo here to make a delicious frappe-like drink, or you can go full throttle, use pistachio ice cream, and make a decadent coffee-pistachio dessert treat!
Of course, you can always try this both ways and let us know which you loved most.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cold brewed Lifeboost Pistachio Coffee
- 4 ounces pistachio milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 ½ tablespoons pistachio simple syrup (see recipe below)
- Ice
- Whipped cream, optional for topping
Instructions
- Add coffee, milk, pistachio syrup and ice to a blender.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Top with whipped cream, if desired, and enjoy!
*To make a coffee-pistachio milkshake, simply use 1-2 scoops of pistachio ice cream instead of ice. Add the coffee, milk, ice cream, and pistachio syrup to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pistachio Simple Syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup unsalted pistachios (removed from shells)
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to a soft boil. Cook for roughly ten minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour the heated mixture into a food processor and process until the pistachios fully break down. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and pour into a glass jar. Allow the syrup to cool completely, then store (air tight) in the refrigerator.
4- Honey Pistachio Latte
We’re combining two spring flavors here for a latte that’s super easy, super creamy, and super delicious! You’re gonna love it!
And, if you’d like to enjoy this over ice, simply use cold brewed coffee or brew and allow the coffee to cool, then pour over ice. Next, stir in the honey and milk, and enjoy! Of course, you can also froth the pistachio milk to top your chilly brew for added flair and a hint of pale green color from the creamy nut milk.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Pistachio Coffee
- ⅓ cup pistachio milk
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons raw honey
Instructions
- Brew coffee, then stir in honey and set aside.
- Add pistachio milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting.
- Spoon or pour the frothed milk over the coffee, and enjoy!
Check out Lifeboost Coffee Pistachio Flavored Coffee.
References:
- https://researchfeatures.com/feel-that-spring-in-your-step/#
- https://www.foodarom.com/news/tastes-of-spring/
- https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-03-18-remember-feeling-spring
- https://www.beeculture.com/catch-buzz-eight-things-will-start-happening-body-eat-honey-every-day/#
- https://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/honey-maple-syrup-better-sugar#:
- https://draxe.com/essential-oils/lavender-oil-benefits/
- https://www.yogadirect.com/why-add-lavender-to-your-coffee#
- https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/lavender-for-anxiety#
- https://draxe.com/nutrition/pistachio-nutrition/#
- https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/pistachio-milk#
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-ways-to-make-your-coffee-super-healthy#
- https://yestoyolks.com/2017/09/15/honey-lavender-lattes/
- https://emilylaurae.com/iced-honey-lavender-latte/
- https://snacksandsips.com/pistachio-simple-syrup/
- https://savoryspin.com/easy-pistachio-latte/