Golden Milk

Fall is upon us and that brings out all flavors and spices of warmth.  Oddly, I can smell warmth through specific foods and drinks.  I have heard of "golden milk" for some time and have wanted to try it for the Ayurvedic benefits.  Turmeric, ginger & cinnamon all have excellent health benefits and the fact that this is a dairy-free soothing beverage tops the list for me!

After finally getting to sit down and enjoy my tea, which was a whole journey in itself, I will say that I could drink this daily!  I think I'll try to do so in the evening twice a week after putting Little Penner to bed.  So calming and perfect as the cool nights begin to show themselves here in Austin.  Here are the photos and such a simple recipe.

Spice "Paste"

Such a cool swirl while on the stove.

Add in some local honey to sweeten...I use local to help with allergies.

Final product.  The golden yellow and smell of spice is perfect for the Fall season!

Print Recipe:

1.5 tsp Turmeric

.5 tsp Ginger

1/8 tsp Black Pepper (for full effects of turmeric)

Pinch of cinnamon, saffron & nutmeg (optional)

2 tsp Coconut Oil (or Ghee)

1 cup Coconut Milk (or other full fat milk)

1 cup Coconut Water (or water)

1 Tbsp Honey (optional...and to taste)

Make a paste with spices and coconut oil in a small pot on the stovetop.  Add in Coconut milk & Coconut water, then turn heat on to medium-high.  Let the tea boil until it starts to curl away from edges of pot, then turn off and steep for 3-5 minutes.  Add honey to tea and let melt.  

Curl up with your favorite book & blanket with the cool air blowing on you.  Then settle in to a calming evening with a fantastic beverage.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles

Sometimes I help out at my mom's fabulous store...if you don't know it, you NEED to know it!  We Olive is an awesome place to get certified EVOO, boutique wines, hand crafted items and killer gourmet foods.  Don't forget about the wine bar with tapas!!  Go check out their website for more info!

But back to the main reason I'm blogging today...they do these fabulous wine pairings to include wine makers coming out!  I like to help out with the pairing and plating during these dinners...hey, I get a full wine pairing dinner for free out of it!

The most recent one was a 5 course pairing with Don Suhr, the wine maker over at Suhr Luchtel Cellars.  We decided to do a palate cleanser on the 3rd course...little did I know I would be eating these tasty little morsels for the next month!  Even the hubby loved them! 

I don't have pictures of the process, but I do have a picture of the final product.  Don't worry...it's super easy to do.  I love my food processor, but you can easily do this project with a blender.  

Print Recipe:

1/2 Medium Seedless Watermelon

1/2 Lime

About 6 Mint Leaves

1/4 tsp Honey (optional)

Need:

30 1 oz plastic cups (or other item to create popsicles...can make bigger if you'd like)

30 "Popsicle sticks"

How:

Puree all ingredients together.  Taste them...add more of any ingredient to make the flavor to your tastebuds.  Pour into your popsicle containers...put in freezer.

When about 1/2 frozen, add your popsicle sticks to the center of your containers, then leave in freezer to finish.  You can keep your popsicles in a plastic container or baggie after fully frozen and removed from containers.

Lightbulb! I just thought of adding in some jalapeno/habanero to this watermelon popsicle.  Now, that would be interesting!

Alright all...keep on trying new things and let me know how it works out!

Double Chai Bulletproof Tea

I don't drink coffee although I know most folks out there need that morning pick me up. I just am not one of them although I love the smell of fresh roasted beans put through a french press. There honestly is nothing like it. But, I prefer my tea. We all have heard about our bulletproof coffee...it's all the rage and it's all over the place. Yes, I believe there are great health benefits. Yes, I believe that it can help with metabolism. Yes, I believe it keeps me full throughout the day as well. And yes, it is delicious!

Ingredients Needed...get together while boiling your water!

So...here's my little recipe of bulletproof tea. I'm sure there are adjustments that can be made and if you have any insight...let me know!

Steep tea bags in water for about 10 minutes.  I just do it in the blender since I'm not spiffy enough to have an immersion blender yet (on my to do list though!). 

Add in remaining ingredients and blend until frothy.  It ends up looking almost creamy, latte like.

Easy to make and lovely to drink while overlooking the golf course on the patio on your lanai and watching the deer frolic about.  But that may just be my mornings :)



Printer Friendly Recipe:
• 2 bags of chai tea (or make your own!)
• 1tsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp of ghee or butter
• ½ tsp vanilla
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp honey
• 10-12oz water

Bring water to boil, then add tea bags.  Let steep for about 10 minutes (over low heat)  Add in remaining ingredients then blend for 1-2 minutes until mixture is frothy.  Pour into a mug and drink away!