DIY Starbucks Purple Drink

Hey guys!

So the other day I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when I stumbled upon a range of pretty pastel coloured Starbucks drinks that are apparently the "in" thing right now (Starbucks isn't big in Australia so I would have no idea). From pink to purple to green and yellow, the drinks were just too visually appealing for me to leave them alone. With a little bit of googling, I discovered I just happened to possess all the necessary ingredients to recreate my own version of the purple one and so on a whim I decided why not? Here's what I did to make my own Starbucks purple drink:

What you'll need:

• A fruit iced tea (I used peach iced tea and to my knowledge, Starbucks uses passionfruit iced tea but any type of fruit flavoured iced tea should work just fine)
• Soy milk (or coconut milk)
• Blackberries
• Ice
• Sugar/honey (optional)

What to do:

Step 1: Add the ice

Step 2: Pour your iced tea over the ice

Step 3: Fill up your mason jar with soy milk

Step 4: Add a handful of blackberries and stir

And that's it! If the purple colour isn't showing up as much as you'd like, you can try crushing a few blackberries first before stirring them in. You may also add in some honey or sugar to sweeten it up a bit but my peach iced tea already came packed with a ton of sugar so I didn't. But it's as simple and easy as that! I can't comment on whether or not this tastes similar to the actual Starbucks one since I've never tried it before but I do believe that this would be a delicious, refreshing drink to satisfy all your senses...or at least your eyes and mouth. 

The Grounds of Alexandria - Part 2

I visited the Grounds of Alexandria yet again this weekend, and boy has it changed! 2016 is certainly the year of drinks; from freakshakes to fruit-infused water, everyone is hopping on the hype train to destination hydration. Alexandria is no different. This month saw the long-awaited opening of the new Soda Bar, in the centre of the Grounds, serving up scrumptious smoothies, juices, and (you guessed it) some pretty unique sodas. 

Even if you steer clear of buying drinks, the Grounds Cafe offers free self-service water that is subtly infused with watermelon, cucumber, and fresh mint leaves. While the water looks completely ordinary, it does have an undeniably fruity and refreshing flavour that really sets it apart. 

However, the real queen of drinks at the Grounds of Alexandria this weekend was not the fruity water or sparkly soda, but something else altogether. Believe it or not, the Grounds have added to their impressive repertoire a very surprising take on an old classic: the hot chocolate! We got a mug to share, accompanied with some divine desserts.

From left to right: chocolate brownie, salted caramel slice, and mango mascarpone tart

Is there anything more comforting than a mug of steaming hot chocolate in the winter? The Grounds of Alexandria does it in style, heating their chocolate in huge pots that are suspended over an open fire. As you wait in line to be served, you can warm your hands over the glowing charcoal, and watch the miracle of your hot chocolate being created. The Instagram-ready mugs are topped with whipped cream, a blowtorched marshmallow, and extra shards of fine dark chocolate. Not only are they pleasing to the eye; they also pack quite the punch.

As somewhat of a hot chocolate connoisseur, I can attest that this is without a doubt one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had. The taste is creamy, dark, and complex, with a hint of spice that warms you from within. From what I could make out through my super-discreet detective skills, the secret recipe involves the use of aniseed, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Who knew? I'm certainly inspired to try making it myself at home, if only it is half as good as theirs.

I've never seen hot chocolate quite like this!

Habitica - Part 2

Recently, we have gotten back into HabitRPG, now known as Habitica. After a year long hiatus in which we succumbed to many lazy habits, we decided enough was enough and it was time to get ourselves back into shape. So, without further ado, this is our long-awaited second part about Habitica.

The first thing you need to know when you join Habitica is that there are four classes, Warrior, Rogue, Mage and Healer, each with its own special abilities. When you first start out, you're automatically assigned as a Warrior, meaning that your primary attribute is Strength. After reaching level 10, you will get to choose if you want to join a new class. Rogues are good at earning more gold, and have a higher chance of finding item drops. Mages are able to level up more quickly through gaining experience at a higher rate. Healers take less damage from uncompleted dailies, so they are less likely to die. If you join a party with friends, it's good to have a diverse range of classes among the group, as each class has its own specific set of skills.

Our awesome party members and real life friends!

As you reach certain levels, you will collect quest scrolls. Quests can be done in cooperation with your party members which is a prime motivation factor. They may involve collecting items by ticking off completed tasks, or battling boss monsters by finishing your dailies. But if you leave any uncompleted dailies during a boss battle, everyone in the quest will lose health. Once you complete a quest, everyone will be rewarded in the form of gold, items, experience, and occasionally pieces of exclusive equipment for your avatar. Each class can contribute to the quest in different ways through their unique skills; for example, a Healer can spend mana to help their party members regain health.

There's plenty of legendary equipment for your avatar to wear.

This boss will be pretty tough to beat...

By far the most exciting part of Habitica is being able to hatch pets and grow them into mounts. This is done by collecting potions and eggs through maintaining good habits. When you pour a hatching potion on an egg, it will turn into a little pixel creature that can be displayed alongside your avatar. There are over ninety different pets to collect, including flying pigs, dragons, and pandas. If you collect enough food, each of the pets can also be turned into a rideable mount. 

Just a few of the many pets you can hatch - foxes, pigs, and dragons, oh my!

There is also a community aspect to it with many different guilds to join. The guilds have forums where you can chat with people who share common interests with you. Currently there are many different guilds available, include a Writers' Guild, a Health Nuts Guild, and an Introverts Guild. You can even join and create challenges that involve completing a set of new habits and/or dailies for a reward. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot more to this world and the developers are constantly coming up with new ideas to make the site as engaging and interactive as it can be. We encourage you all to try it out for yourself and let us know what you think!