Cranberry Blood Orange CBD Infusion

What do you think of this sparkling beverage?

After sleeping so well having tried a sparkling water with CBD oil in it, I was happy to see my partner bring home another can for me to try. Ablis CBD infusions are all natural, contain 25mg of CBD oil and contains sparkling water, organic cane sugar, cranbery and lime juice concentrate, blood orange extract and emulsified hemp CBD. 

The can he bought for me was Cranberry Blood Orange flavor, which was super tangy to the point of being sour. Right away I knew it would be too sweet for me. I do like sweet drinks, but with 20 grams of sugar and 90 calories, this was not the drink for me, especially after having found an orange flavor I like with 0 sugar or calories. The sour flavor made me uncomfortable instead of relaxed, but it still did the trick because I was out like a light after quickly downing the rest to just not waste it.

This flavor is said to be a customer favorite, and the marketing is toward "adventurous" people who like to kayak, not stressed folks with chronic illness like myself. While I might be open to trying a different flavor from this company, I think I want to stick to low to no sugar options that don't mess with my other dietary and fitness goals or health conditions. The company has cute branding but I don't think I'm the customer they're after. Have you tried this brand before? What do you think? What other CBD drinks have you tried and liked?

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Soft Drinks

The Best CBD Seltzer

Which ones do you like best?

Over the weekend, I tried my first CBD seltzer and wow, was it awesome. Not only did it help with the heavy anxiety I was feeling about doing activities with other people once again, but it tasted really great, too. I tried Mighty Kind's Orange Dream. If you like any kinds of carbonated water, like LaCroix, you'll probably really like this sugar-free seltzer, too. It's very light and refreshing.

CBD is such a helpful addition to life... when it's affordable. Unfortunately, the cost is prohibitive for many folks, but many do gain lots of benefits from using it--especially when it comes to anxiety, stress and sleep. Some evidence shows that it may be helpful in lowering blood pressure, relieving migraines and improving cardiovascular health. More research needs to be done, but I do know that when I have some, it helps me sleep and wake up with better blood pressure. Of course, that might just be from actually getting a good night's rest!

Do you have any CBD seltzer that is your favorite? Which have you found that is most affordable, or what other CBD products do you regularly use? Share your favorites in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Soft Drinks
Food & Beverage

New Love You to Pieces Tea at Evil Tea Company

What are you drinking right now?

The Evil Tea Company has a new blend out just in time for Valentine's Day. Love You to Pieces is made up of Ceylon black tea and features rose petals and natural cherry flavor, a simple yet ideal blend for the holiday. Like many other teas, it comes in a 2 ounce packet and is available for $8. Not into cherry or roses? The company has lots of other blends that work great for this holiday, too.

There's Creepy Cake, for example, which is also made with Ceylon tea. It features creme brulee flavor and sugar-coated fennel seeds for a unique cake-like flavor. If you're hesitant to try it out, this tea, like many others from the company, is available in a sample 2-ounce size for $4. Forbidden Fruit is another good tea for Valentine's Day. It's a blend of Ti Kwan Yin oolong and features the flavors of dried green apple bits.

What looseleaf teas are you drinking right now? Any special flavors or brands? Which do you suggest for a Valentine's tea date--even if just with yourself? Share your favorites in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Vegetarian / Vegan
Home Cooking
Desserts/Sweets

The Craft Bar

An Orlando gastropub

"Local elevated casual" is how The Craft Bar in Orlando, FL describes its atmosphere. The gastropub is known for its wide variety of excellent craft beer and local food options, from local seafood to pasture-raised beef. Hand-crafted cocktails and to-go Crowlers are also staples at this local favorite. The Craft Bar is open for both takeout and dine-in.

The Craft Bar is available in multiple locations. Depending on where you go, you can choose from menu items like chevre and avocado dip, chicken gumbo, blackened flank steak and fried green tomatoes. There are sushi options as well as lunch plates and kids' meals, and the drinks feature delicious twists. There's the brown butter old fashioned, for example, and the polar espresso, which features bauchant, demerara syrup and cold brew. 

Have you been to The Craft Bar? Which handmade cocktail was your favorite? If you've never been, share another favorite craft brew or cocktail from your favorite gastropub in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Alcohol

Bang Keto Coffee

Have you tried this high-protein coffee?

It's a pretty rare find, a gas station Keto offering. So when I spied Bang's Keto Coffee I knew I had to give it a whirl. The Mocha Madness flavor has six carbs, 2.5 grams of fat, a whopping 20 grams of protein and 140 calories. That makes it more like a meal replacement drink than anything else for me! It's actually fitting, too, since the texture is more like a keto meal shake than a coffee drink.

While I'm not a fan of the mocha flavor, the birthday cake was very enjoyable. It's sweet and definitely gave me the boost I needed to get my day's tasks met, especially while I was dragging. I don't do energy drinks so I'm not sure what to compare it with, but I know that the 300mg of caffeine is a lot! I paced my coffee out over a few hours so I never had jitters or a crash, but your miles may vary.

Have you had a Bang drink? How about any other keto drinks or coffee energy drinks? Share which ones you think are the best in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage

Drinks for Those Sick Days

Stomach virus edition!

Last week my partner caught a terrible stomach bug--probably rotavirus, but who knows these days?--and was better in a few days after plenty of rest, fluids and care. Today I'm on day four of my virus adventure and I just keep getting worse. Unfortunately, there's no treatment for rotavirus outside of hydration, and as much as I'm sipping away, my stomach can't seem to handle it.

After plenty of research (and past run-ins with Mr. Rotovirus), I know the best thing to do is rest, hydrate with clear liquids and eat bland foods once I can handle them. None of this is working so far. Moms don't have a lot of room for resting, and I've tried everything from plain water to sugar-free Gatorade, Emergenc-E to sparkling water, and nothing stays in for long. Let me be clear--it's been three drinks or fewer a day, just slowly, slowly sipped at a time.

When you have a stomach bug, what works best for you? What helps you stop having to live in the bathroom? Share your tips and tricks in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Health

It's National Hot Tea Month!

Got any tea-drinking goals?

January is National Hot Tea Month, and for good reason. Is there ever a better time to just stay inside and sip a nice, hot cuppa while you avoid the cold weather outside? It's also just nice to drink tea and chat with a loved one, warm up from time outdoors or enjoy a good book. Cookies or pastries don't hurt, either!

Sometimes it's also fun to set a tea goal for the month. Maybe you want to try a new flavor each week--or even each day! There are variety packs of K-cups you can try for exactly that, and many tea shops offer sampler packs you can try. Or perhaps you'd like to actually find a tea you like! If you're not a tall glass of iced sweet tea kind of person, maybe you'll enjoy something hot. If you've only tried black tea, how about a green or an herbal tea? And if you made new health goals for yourself this year, there is a wide variety of wellness teas to help you achieve some of them. 

Remember the key to a good cup is good water and steeping to the correct temperature and time. Teas steeped longer than 3 minutes are often too bitter for most people, but do check what temperature, and how long, your tea should brew for the best results.

Do you have any tea goals for January? How about any tea recipes, cocktails or favorite blends or shops to share? Post them in the chat! 

Klat Categories: 
Culture
Holidays
Food & Beverage

Red Rose Tea Offers Giveaway

What other tea companies have fun deals right now?

Lots of tea companies are flooding my inbox right now with various new teas and offers, and I'm wondering if people are making resolutions to drink more tea this year. I don't blame them if they are! Tea is one of life's greatest delights, it's full of health benefits and it is the way to create a cozy moment inside any day. Either way, it is National Tea Month, so it's a great time to try some new teas!

In honor of the month, Red Rose Tea is hosting a fun giveaway. You can enter to win not only their whole line--which is super exciting, since I love their "dessert teas"--but also a pretty canister for the tea. The company also has $5 flat rate shipping and free shipping for orders over $15 right now. If you're new to them, I highly suggest trying their Caramel Apple Pie and Lemon Cake Sweet Temptations teas. 

What other tea companies are having great deals, promotions or giveaways for the month? What teas are you trying to celebrate National Tea Month? Share all of your details and favorites in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Desserts/Sweets
Food & Beverage
Vegetarian / Vegan

Black Sangria Recipes

What is your favorite sangria?

Sangria is one of my favorite drinks, even though I once embarrassingly asked for a glass of "sangre" in a Spanish restaurant once! Red is usually my go-to but black sangria is so good if you can get your hands on it--or if you can make it yourself. This recipe for black sangria has everything that's fantastic about the drink, including all black fruits and a good dark wine that's also affordable to use.

Soaking the wine with the fruit is definitely key to infuse it with that yummy, fresh flavor. A two hour minimum is best. You can add other fruits if you like but blackberry is the most important one, at least in my opinion! Here's a recipe that makes it look a little more festive for Halloween, if that's when you want to serve it, too.

How do you prepare your black sangria? What other sangrias do you enjoy, and how do you prepare them? Share your recipes in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Alcohol
Liquor
Food & Beverage

Best At-Home Cold Brew

Which is your favorite?

Making coffee, letting it get cold and enjoying it over ice has always been my method for making iced coffee at home, but recently someone treated me to a bottle of cold brew to keep in the fridge and Good Drinkers... there is SUCH a difference. This stuff tasted fresh, smooth and delightful, and now that I'm back to making my own it's pretty harsh.

Maybe I just need to switch to a better brand of coffee, since I tend to just use whatever is cheapest at Aldi, but is there more to it than that? Is there a specific coffee or type of coffee that works better, or for those of you who do make cold brew at home, what works best for you? I'd love to know the cheapest, easiest hack for the process!

If you're a cold brew drinker, how do you make it cheap and easy at home without sacrificing flavor? What kinds of coffee do you use for the smoothest flavor? Share your tips and tricks in the chat! 

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage

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