Mint Chip Espresso Shake (dairy-free, vegan recipe) | The First Mess (2024)

Mint chip espresso shake is fresh, caffeinated, lightly sweet, wholesome take on takeout blended coffee drinks. Naturally sweetened!

I guess I’m back on it with these weekend beverage + links posts, starting with this mint chip espresso shake! I flip flopped on doing a newsletter with this style of content for so long that I sort of lost the ambition/spark to do it. Everyone tells you that your email subscriber list is your number one marketing tool, but with our community situation here, it just feels more natural to share this stuff directly to the blog where anyone can access it.

Of course if you’re not subscribed to my blog updates, you can do that in the form below. I think going forward, this additional supplementary blog post can be a spot for more casual recipes like (of course) beverages, sauces, a special spice blend, maybe a really simple side dish or something, you get the idea!

I also have to mention that, yes, the flip-flopping on the email vs. blog question definitely lowered any creative ambition in terms of making this style of content again, but the onset of the pandemic had a similar, much more intense effect. That’s why I haven’t been posting here as much the last few weeks.

We’ve been cooking a lot of the same things over the past few months, and I’ve been personally focusing on home projects and other creative pursuits. It’s just the natural ebb and flow of a creative career, but multiplied by a hundred when you factor in stay-at-home orders. I saw this tweet from a popular CBC host and related to it instantly. I know how fortunate we are to be in good health and I am grateful for all that we have. Remembering that everything is temporary and that it’s normal to have an anxious/off day has lifted me out of the tougher moments. We’re all in it together, today and always.

Here’s some things that I read, saw, listened to lately while we continue to stay home and do our part. Check them out while you enjoy a mint chip espresso shake ;)

-I am such a fan of Dr. Michael Greger and was thrilled to hear him on the latest episode of the Rich Roll Podcast. Maybe you’ve heard of his book How Not To Die? He’s also the founder of NutritionFacts.org, which is a not-for-profit nutrition and health resource that is wholly rooted in science and the latest peer-reviewed research. His common sense advice and service-driven approach is always so refreshing.

-There was a major dust up in the food media world a couple weeks ago that I think forced a lot of people to really look at what they’re doing, creating, communicating, and promoting in terms of cuisine and ingredients–myself included. This article illuminated a lot for me. “Less important than ascribing a strict lineage, or, worse, the retrogressive idea of cultural ownership, is the question of whether, say, a person of color could have also made a stew featuring chickpeas and turmeric go viral.”

-My latest Instagram obsession is the feed of landscape artist Lily Kwong. Not only does she share her otherworldly installations, but she also posts great tips about foraging, edible weeds, and a lot of good reminders that building a natural world takes time and patience :)

-Could not be more excited for Taste The Nation. I’ve been a card carrying member of the Padma Lakshmi super-fan club for a while.

-Two very different books that I read recently and really enjoyed: Untamed by Glennon Doyle and Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz.

-An older article that found its way to me at precisely the right time. On building your life around healthy habits and re-wiring your brain.

-Iowa Farm Sanctuary’s newest resident is so sweet :)

Posted in: autumn, beverage, breakfast, creamy, gluten free, grain-free, nut free, quick, refined sugar-free, snack, spring, summer, sweet, vegan, winter