Dalgona, also referred to as “whipped coffee” is the latest trend to take over the coffee world amid people missing their Starbucks coffee routine. People are whipping up this caffeinated creation during their extra time at home during quarantine.
The light and airy coffee drink from South Korea has gone viral on social media. It’s pretty, it’s simple to make, it’s delicious and it provides us with memories of our days sipping lattes at the coffee shop.
It’s made of layers of whipped coffee cream and iced milk. It comes together in a flash with minimal ingredients and equipment, and almost makes up for the routine we all miss so much.
Ingredients:
2 TBSP Instant Coffee (Yes, it has to be instant)
2 TBSP Boiling Water
2 TBSP Sugar (Any sugar will work fine)
NOTES: It has to be Instant Coffee because using just any other coffee will not whip. Although, next time you make a regular coffee, blend it and it will change the consistency and flavor to a less bitter taste. It just won’t whip like instant coffee.
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and WHISK away. You can use a hand mixer too. Whisk until coffee is golden brown and frothy.
Fill your glass with milk and ice first. Preferably a clear glass to admire the beauty.
Pour the whipped coffee ontop of the milk and violá!
Notes: Any milk will work. Even non-dairy! The whipped coffee will keep it’s shape and not melt into the milk. Scouts honor.
How to enhance your coffee even more – Add vanilla to your whipped coffee and top with cocoa nibs or chocolate chips. We suggest adding extra sugar to the instant coffee to help with the bitterness.
You can also enhance your milk too – Use ice cream or yogurt. We used a non-dairy milk and blended it with coconut and dates. We think the milk part tasted even better than the coffee.
The creamiest and fluffiest lotion ever. SO worth it to make your own. It’s super hydrating and better than store bought – who knows what’s in that stuff. Making your own anything avoids unnecessary ingredients. Although, store bought always seems to appear better, in the long run there are so many chemicals in their products that do more damage in the long run. Skip the harsh chemicals and enjoy a little DIY during quarantine.
Let’s discuss ingredients and how to customize your body butter to your needs.
Start with your base – Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. Now let’s build from here. You can add any additional butters, lotions, oils, and scents desired. I suggest cocoa butter, jojoba oil, almond oil and a mix of essential oils. Some great essential oils that are beneficial to the skin are tea tree oil and frankincense. I also suggest adding an essential oil for a preferable scent which just adds more benefits to this lotion. You are literally creating a topical superfood for your skin. Go to the health section in your grocery store where the lotions are and scope out what’s available.
Some essentials oils that smell great are lavender, lemongrass or grapefruit. These essential oils provide many benefits for your skin as well as your health. If you put your lotion on before bed, go with lavender as it is a calming aid for sleep. Lemongrass is a powerful anti inflammatory and has an amazing scent. Grapefruit is sweet smelling and proven when applied topically to help with thyroid issues. Frankincense oil is not the best smelling but has anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and pain-relieving properties. The same with tea tree oil, it’s not the most pleasant scent but has long been known to be great for the skin and fights acne.
Butters and Oils – Shea butter and coconut oil have so many vitamins and health properties that these are a must and provide the best base for your lotion. For the coconut oil, you can choose a hardened one from the cooking aisle but more preferable is the liquid coconut oil as it only makes the body butter more luxurious in texture. Other great options to add are cocoa butter, avocado oil, apricot oil, almond oil or jojoba oil which only compliment it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 container of Shea Butter
1/4 cup Liquid Coconut Oil
4 TBSP of Any Additional Oil (almond, avocado, jojoba, etc. or can be a mixture of all)
7 drops of Any Essential Oil for Scent (lavender, grapefruit, etc.)
DIRECTIONS:
Now let’s get started:
Step 1.) Use a glass bowl to melt all the shea butter in the container and add about 1/4 cup of coconut oil in a double boiler. Let ingredients completely liquify and combine naturally. It’s not necessary to stir during the melting process.
Step 2.) After completely melted, immediately remove from the heat and let sit on the counter top to harden. I do not recommend refrigerating because it gets too hard to be able to whip. If you are getting impatient then place in the refrigerator but just for a short time. Remove soon as it becomes an opaque white color.
Step 3.) When the mixture becomes opaque use a hand mixer to whip the oils for a minimum of 10 mins. After about 2 minutes it will look and feel so luscious and soft like icing but trust me, you need to whip it for at least 10 minutes. The longer you mix, the better. You cannot over mix this. After about 2-5 minutes of whipping and the excitement ensues, you can add all your additional oils and continue to mix.
Step 4.) You’re not exactly done. Most recipes tell you to whip for 10 minute, jar it and voilá you’re done. The one necessary additional step that I have is to let the lotion sit overnight in the glass bowl on the countertop and mix a second time the next day. You will notice after it sits overnight it’s not as soft and fluffy. This is why you NEED to mix it again for another 10+ minutes.
Step 5.) Now you can jar it. I recommend using a new large glass jar with a lid (can be bought at Michael’s) because the lotion will increase in size and be too much to put back in the shea butter container.
Visiting London? Make sure to visit the cutest, pinkest, girliest tea and pastry shop. Chef and cake designer, Peggy Porschen opened a cake boutique in London. Famously known for its pink exterior and beautifully decorated desserts where you can enjoy lunch or high tea.
The Christmas music has stopped playing. Decorations have been taken down. NYC has become pretty darn gloomy.
We have a great hotspot to not only enjoy NYC in winter but to actually be able to tolerate Times Square. Head over to 42nd street for a rooftop with the best view of Times Square at The Knickerbockers rooftop – St. Cloud.
Sit inside by the faux fireplace or head outside to sit in their sky pods.
Visiting NYC during the Holiday season? Be sure to stop by Rolf’s, a German restaurant and bar decorated to make you feel like you’re inside the Rockefeller Christmas tree. This little restaurant gives new meaning to “Deck the Halls.”
If you want to enjoy a German feast for dinner make sure to have a reservation as this is the busy season for ROLF’s and it can get very crowded. If you’ve been eating your way through NYC and just want to check out the decorations, find a seat at the bar and enjoy an amazing holiday themed cocktail.
In our minds, there are never enough places that serve high tea. The newly opened Tulum inspired restaurant in The James New York – SoHo, will be introducing a special High Tea happy hour at their upstairs Jungle Bar. The Jungle Bar will feature a selection of House of Waris teas, Ladurée macaroons, and special large format signature cocktails for those looking for a fun and classy after-work drinks option. Pop-downstairs for dinner for Mexican and Mayan inspired small plates and TACOS!
We love brunch so much, we’ve started a series of our favorite places. Starting with the most over the top brunch spot….
Sorry, Austin but you’ve got nothing on the NYC Brunch scene. NYC Brunch at Bagatelle is an experience like no other.
What is it? Simply put – Brunch meets club. Emulating the champagne brunch parties famous in the South of France, you’ll be popping bottles served by superman, dancing on tables, go-go dancers on the bar, and barely able to hold a conversation over the DJ blasting music. Oh yea, and delicious food.
Brunch in NYC is a lifestyle. Our brunches made Rosé famous. It’s what created the Frosé. Brunch has come a long way and developed into a party scene meets mini vacation vibes. The NYC mentality is work hard, party hard(er).
After a night out at the club in the meatpacking district, why not just carry on the partying with some food in the same area. And that’s just what Bagatelle did. It’s basically a daytime club. It’s over the top. It’s fancy. It’s fun. It’s where everyone wants to be seen.
It’s not cheap though. Spend $2,500 on a jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot and some magnums of Dom Pérignon, and the lights dim, the D.J. cues up the theme from “Superman,” and a waiter is hoisted onto the shoulders of the servers. His arms outstretched as he carries one of the blazing bottles to your table.
Tips:
Must make a reservation a month in advance.
Only available on Saturday and Sunday.
Formal attire only. You will be turned away if not dressed to their liking. Even if you have a reservation!
Expect to drop a lot of money.
2 hour max at each table and then you’re kicked out from your table and move to the bar to finish. (Isn’t NYC so kind?)
Going with a large group? Order a cocktail in the giant bowl for the table to share and enjoy the fun presentation. (Although, Austinites will not appreciate the box of straws used in the drink.)
Food is made to share. They have large portions so order a bunch of items for the table.
Mmmmmmm Cheeeeeeeese…. Who doesn’t love cheese?! I can’t even associate with you if you say you don’t like cheese. For those “lactose intolerant” – it’s simply a state of mind. Now that we’re all on the same page, I have a cheesy suggestion for you. (No pun intended) Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin hosts cheese classes. Perfect for a date or girls night out.
It’s about an hour and a half class learning about the origin of the cheese you are sampling while sipping on wine. They have pairing suggestions, provide snacks such as almonds and olives, and unlimited bread.
The class is what you make of it – learn as much as you want or you’re just in it for the food. No matter what you’re looking for it’s a fun evening.
TIP: If you want to continue to party after class, head next door to Uncle Nicky’s for gelato and an aperitif.
Top Chef Winner, Kristen Kish opens Austin’s newest restaurant, Arlo Grey located in Downtown Austin in The Line Hotel. Initially opened for dinner now has brunch.
Super trendy vibe and chic decor at Arlo Grey. Great place for brunch with the tribe and to get some great instagram pics.
It’s not brunch unless there’s alcohol and Arlo Grey serves a Bloody Mary we haven’t seen anywhere else. You become the bartender as it’s a DIY Bloody Mary. We scratched our heads over this but gave it a thumbs up since it’s tasty and specifically made for instagram.
They serve simple morning breakfast items like eggs and bacon and classic drinks at the bar such as an Old Fashioned. As well as delicious items you don’t see on many menus like their chickpea fries or a burger salad.
The Pineapple Life 