"Almost the Same As Starbuck's Coffee..."

My Mom actually figured this "recipe" out, but I thought I'd share it with everyone else too.  A while ago I posted about how I had taken to making my own flavored coffee creamer using half & half, cream, and DaVinci's coffee flavors.

I generally stick to the single flavor choices (Butterscotch, Coconut, Praline, whatever I happen to have on hand in the way of flavors), but my Mom figured out you can mix Cinnamon and Dulce de Leche at about 50/50 to get close to the same flavoring as Starbucks does with their Cinnamon Dulce flavored latte!

To achieve this one you need...

• 14 ounces of Half & Half or Cream (I like to mix the two, but only had Half & Half tonight)
• 1.5 ounces Cinnamon DaVinci's
• 1.5 ounces Dulce de Leche DaVinci's (You can fusge a little on these depending on your tastes
• Old Creamer Container (this fills a small Coffeemate brand container)

Pour in your half & half and/or cream (the more cream you add the thicker your end "product" will be), I use a little 2 ounce measure because then I only have to dirty the one "tool".  Add your flavorings, pop on the lid and give it a gentle shake!  Gentle, you can never be "sure" you got the lid screwed on properly after all!

Another option to go with the half & half and/or cream would be Coconut Milk (which I just remembered I have open in my fridge).  I really like using it in my coffee, but not sure how it would work here because it does separate and needs some vigorous shaking before each use!  I suppose if you want to keep your creamer in a glass jar and shake it every time, this might be an option for getting a "thick and creamy" version.  I'll have to give it a try sometime!

There you have it, your very own bottle of Cinnamon Dulce coffee creamer ready to go when you are, no guessing the right amount of each flavor for each cup you have!  For a cup that matches Starbucks' "perfectly", I think a bit of Splenda in your cup may be needed.  Also, a sprinkle of Cinnamon over top with some fresh whipped cream would be "ideal"!  

Of course, if you just want the flavor and not the "money saving" of making it yourself...you "could" go to Starbucks' website and just order yourself a bottle of the flavoring!  But, it's $9.95 and you still have to add the "milk" of your choosing to it.  I like my way better...we get the flavors for $3.87 at Cash & Carry ($7.74 for the two needed) and end up with a total of three flavor combos, not to mention twice as much total syrup!

Dentyne Split2Fit - A Review

A while back (about a month or so), I received my BzzKit in the mail...it contained two three-packs of Dentyne's new Split2Fit gum and my BzzGuide.  Each package contained three flavors, Peppermint (the blue one pictured), Spearmint (green package, not my favorite), and Arctic Chill (a black package).  It is also available in Spicy Cinnamon and Mint Frost (but, I did not get either of these to sample).

The idea behind the "new" gum is all in the packaging.  First, you get 16 pieces in each package, rather than 12, so you get 33% more gum in each package.  Next, the packaging is meant to be ripped in half, making it two 8-piece packets.  The smaller packaging then fits more easily into a pocket, purse, bra, where ever you may need or want to stuff your gum supply!  The back of each half has a funny little saying on it too.  The Peppermint in my purse says "for your wild side", while the other half said "for your mild side".  Each half also contains the slogan "Practice safe breath" somewhere on the packaging...always good advice!

The only thing I'm not really in love with in the packaging is how easily the little blister packs slide out of the cardboard shell.  When I first opened the three-pack of gums, I happened to be driving during a long car trip.  When I went to figure out how to get the gum out, the other half slid right out and onto the floor under my feet!  Of course, the moral to this story is "don't open packages while driving", but still...I find that I have to sort of bend in the edges of each half to keep the blister pack from sliding out whenever it wants to.

The gum is otherwise unchanged as far as I can tell...honestly though, I have spent more time chewing Extra's dessert flavored gums than I have any of the "minty" brands.  But, that's because I couldn't have things like "Apple Pie" while on a low-carb diet!  As far as fresh breath goes though, I am certain the Dentyne is doing a better job of keeping me "smelling fresh" than those flavors are!

Since I'm in the middle of packing my hospital bag for the birth of our little guy next week, I'm going to throw in the remaining packs of gum I still have to share with visitors and hospital staff (there's always that one person you wish you could stuff a breath mint down their throat)!  I may keep the Arctic Chill just for me though...it's my favorite!