Favorite Summer Treats

Happy Summer! Although it's felt like summer here in Southwest Louisiana for weeks now, I can officially say that summer has arrived in full force, complete with a tropical storm! What a way to kick off the season. The portions of Tropical Storm Cindy (the "eye") that hit SWLA only left us with minimal flooding, although other areas of the south can't say the same. Sad face....stay safe, guys!

By Thursday afternoon, all remnants of the storm will hopefully have passed through so life can resume as normal, including Dopey training!

With summer's heat and humidity and all things related, I like to enjoy a cold, sweet treat on occasion, especially after a hot run. I'm a sweets fan (bad, I know) and after a long Saturday run in the ridiculous heat and humidity, I usually crave all the cold things!

#1 Fruit

Strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, kiwi, grapes, bananas...you name it, I love it! Watermelon is definitely a summer favorite for sure!

#2 Gatorade

I guess it's not truly a "treat" but it's a necessity for me on long hot summer training runs, especially while training with longer distances!

#3 Snoballs

Hello...who wouldn't enjoy one of these after a hot long run?! They are the perfect way to cool down, although you have to eat fast if you're attempting to enjoy it outside!

#4 Smoothies

I know I mentioned it on Monday, but a local juicery opened here and oh my goodness...so many healthy and delicious options were available. I know I'll be a frequent visitor here this summer for sure! Also, nothing beat a nice homemade cold smoothie with a frozen banana and a little fruit...pure heaven!

#5 Iced Coffee

Aaaah yes...a nice cold coffee on a warm summer morning is the perfect way to begin the day! I enjoy these often during the summer!

With all of these yummy treats, I'm destined to survive marathon training during the hot and humid summer months!

What's your favorite summer treat?

Recipe: Sugar Free Vanilla Iced Coffee

Sometimes you just need something cold to drink. Saturday’s run was hot and humid and left me with little desire to drink a steaming hot cup of coffee when I finished my run. Actually, I really wanted an iced sugar free vanilla coffee from Wendy’s.

I knew I had plenty of ingredients on hand at home, so I threw together a few things and created an iced coffee that was so delicious, I had to share!



Sugar Free Vanilla Iced Coffee

Ingredients:

• 10 oz brewed coffee, cooled to room air or chilled
• 2 tbsp sugar free creamer of choice (Please note: the Natural Bliss Creamer pictured is not sugar free)
• 2 tbsp sugar free vanilla syrup
• ice

Directions:

Brew coffee and allow to cool to room temperature or chilled. (I actually added a few ice cubes to mine because I’m impatient.)

Fill glass/tumbler about half-way with ice. Pour creamer and syrup over ice.

Once coffee has cooled, pour over ice and stir to combine.

Serve and enjoy!

With ingredients shown below, this recipe is 70 calories.




Ingredients I used. No need to add additional sweetener – the syrup adds plenty of sweet!



Instead of tbsp, I used a measuring cup – 1/8 cup of creamer and 1/8 cup of syrup. (1/8 cup = 2 tbsp)



Done!



I love a cold iced coffee on a hot summers day. How about you? How do you prefer your coffee?