I have so many goals this year. Not sure what sparked it – could have been when I turned from a mother of one to a mother of two. Once we regained control after Eva was born, I felt like we could really start to conquer things. Then the goal setting started. One was to make a lifestyle change towards clean eating and our family is making that transition. It is keeping us organized, less wasteful, healthy and happy.

Another goal I set for myself was to focus more. Focus on family, focus on wellness and refocus this blog. I started blogging about two years ago, and after I got my feet wet in a variety of subjects, I recently decided I need to hone in what I am really passionate about to be able to curate good content to give to you guys. Of course I am passionate about being a mother, so I will still be sharing about those experiences, but I want to create more for you guys. So, before I draw this explanation out, I just wanted to let you know that I will be developing some of my own recipes this year (yay)! I love working with food and I love eating food. So I thought it would be a good challenge to write this goal down and make it happen. By the end of the year I am counting on you guys to let me know if I should stick to my day job.

Let me present to you, my very first, very simple Valentine’s Day inspired (it’s pink) recipe. Because we are on the clean eating path, I have been researching new ingredients – like beet root powder. Aside from being crazy good for you, this powder will transform the color of recipes into the most mesmerizing shades of pinks and purples – depending on the required volume. Love that. Beet root powder is also known to be super rich in nitrates, which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure.

It has also been extremely cold around here and we are slightly sleep deprived. The coffee addiction is real. I also love a drink I can curl up with -this Pink Latte gives me all those feels. It’s creamy, a little spicy and has a concoction of chai-like spices. There is no caffeine in this drink, so if that’s not your jam, I’m sorry. But, I am substituting this pink latte for an afternoon coffee that I used to consume because caffeine may or may not be good for you – depending on the current research being done or wellness article you pulled up today.

I am using more of what I would consider not-your-everyday-ingredients when I try new recipes. I am just starting to experiment with beet root powder, but I love incorporating freshly grated nutmeg into recipes. I love using pink peppercorns [vs regular peppercorn] to add a light sweet tone to dishes. When I was testing different levels of spice in this drink, I didn’t want the pepper to overtake the other flavors. So, instead of actually cracking the pink peppercorn into the sauce pan, I added them whole to the mixture to achieve a subtle-ness. If you like it more on the spicy side, add more to the mixture, or try cracking the pepper directly into the pot.

This is the very first recipe that I can call my own on the House of Perez. There will be food based recipes coming soon, but this was pink, it’s February so I thought I better share this. Curl up with your love and enjoy this smooth and oh-so-warming, spicy pink drink.

Recipe | Pink Latte with Peppered Beet Root Powder

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups plant based milk
• 1 tsp beet root powder
• 1 tsp pink peppercorns (add more if you prefer your drink more on the spicy side)
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cardamon
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (add more if you prefer your warm drinks on the sweeter side)
• pinch of salt to taste

To Make

Add the milk, beet root powder, peppercorns, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, honey and pinch of salt into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Let simmer for a couple of minutes. Strain the drink into your favorite mug and enjoy!