Fresh Golden Ginger Milk

I guess I got on the "golden milk" train this past month. It's been dreary, cold and in need for some liquid sunshine and warmth. February was unseasonably warm this year and now in March we are seeing the other end of being unseasonable cold. So this is what forced my desire for some liquid sunshine. A few weeks ago I was ready to start thinking about some spring cleaning smoothies and flushing tonics, but then with the freezing cold and sickness bugs still moving around fiercely, I felt my body saying to still burrow inward with warmth and grounding roots and herbs. 

Fresh ginger and tumeric have been making me 'happy and warm' all winter. I have been buying them fresh at my local health store and have been adding them in all my soups and stews and curries this winter. I like using dried too, but there is something so deep and strong about the strength and power of the fresh roots. Tumeric and Ginger are antioxidant and anti-inflamatory roots that have been proven to prevent, treat and restore the body after many health ailments. We all need more of these 'super foods' in our lives.  And I swear they have been keeping my family away from the sick germs too. Some how we have managed to escape weeks of illness this winter and I completely credit this to chewing and sipping on fresh ginger. Well, that and sleep.

It is not too crazy complicated to make this little spicy tonic. It's main ingredients are fresh grated ginger and fresh grated tumeric. There are literally hundreds of recipes out there on the internet for this and you can google and read all about the benefits and pre-made powders and secrets. This is just the simple version I have been making in my kitchen and thought I would share if you haven't been exposed to these ingredients before.

Fresh Golden Ginger Milk
1/3-1/2 cup of fresh grated ginger (2 smaller claws)
2 TB of fresh grated tumeric (2 inches long piece)
1 ts. of black peppercorns
a cinnamon stick or a hearty pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of cayenne
pinch of sea salt
2-3 TB of raw local honey
4 cups of non-dairy milk or regular milk (I have used coconut and rice)

In a medium saucepan, put all of the above ingredients in and heat on medium heat till it starts to steam and then be careful to not boil or scald the milk, you are just heating and steeping. Let this low-to medium heat steep the ingredients and after about 10 minutes you can use a very fine sieve or even cheese cloth to drain the milk from the grated ingredents. Then I usually use a cheap milk-frother, or you could even put in a high powered blender to get a frothy milk latte treat. 

Also, my friend Tina is the queen of making herbal tonics and remedies and in "latte" form is my favorite. Here is a few of my favorites.... Chamoline Latte, Cardemom Latte, Ginger Chia, Tumeric+Ginger Latte. Her recipes were my inspiration to even doing this homemade milk latte treat anyways.  I've had the gift of being a recipient to her amazing concontions in person- check out her magic!

I hope you are staying warm. Let this little cup of sunshine help give you the strength and hope you need to make it to the spring and summer. Much love as always, xoxo

Ginger Carrot Muffins with Raisins

It's been awhile since I posted a muffin recipe. So here's my latest- still on the theme of raisins and roots that have been getting me through the cold winter weeks and months. I would not even really be aware of this until I look back on my recipe posts and creations over the past few months and they  come back to ginger....roots...and raisins... and now look here's a muffin recipe that involves them all ;) The more you eat with the seasons the more you notice what your body loves and needs through the differing seasons.  

These muffins are kinda like a little carrot cakes- but without the frosting and the feeling of eating a slice of cake- but still with all of the moist gingery goodness to feel satisfied and a little bit of comfort with the warmth and spice. I seem to talk a lot about being comforted by food- and you might take this as an unhealthy connection- but I like to see it as a relationship of love. Yes you can have a love relationship with food that does not involve over-eating and obsession. This conversation about loving food can take over your life- but, you can also see it as only a varying piece of love in your life and still live fully into that love when you do enjoy food. It is so easy to feel anger, hate, fear, shame and guilt towards food when you are on a restricted diet and had a loss in your food life. And this loss can take away all enjoyment from when you do create and eat food- and this is a loss- a deep loss that takes away the truth the food is a gift for our lives. Yes, a necessity too. But also a true and honest gift that is offering to us something to be enjoyed and loved. Even in its simplest forms of fresh plants...or rice and beans...or looking outside our windows to what the great wide world of food has to give to us. So yes, food is something to be enjoyed- it might take a bit of working through the guilt, shame, fear and whatever emotions do come when it comes to food and eating- but that journey  and hard work is worth it when you come to the other side of seeing it as enjoyment and a gift.

This is my hope for you- that your healing can bring you to a place of enjoyment and love for food rather than fear and hate. And that's what keep me posting these recipes...much love, as always, xoxo

Ginger Carrot Muffins with Raisins Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut and seed free}

1 1/2 cup of certified gluten free oat flour*
*(I grind rolled oats in a high powered blender to make flour)
1/2 cup of rice flour
1/3 cup of tapioca starch
1 TB of potato starch
1 TB of coconut flour
1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
2 ts. of ground ginger
1 ts. of ground cardamom

1/2 cup of date puree--This involves pouring 1/2 cup boiling water over 1/2 cup of pitted dates and letting it sit for 5 minutes and then blending in a high powered blender to whip up a creamy date-pudding like substance

1/4 cup of applesauce
1/4 cup of maple syrup or blackstrap molasses
2/3 cup of non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)
----mixed with 2 TB's of apple cider vinegar
1 organic orange zest (2 TB) and juiced (1/3 cup of juice)

1 1/4 cup of fresh grated carrots
1/3- 1/2 cup of organic raisins

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the date puree and the rest of the wet ingredients. Whisk together well and lastly fold in the shredded carrots and raisins. Pour into 12 muffin tins and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes until browned tops and stiff to touch. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Store in a cool dry place to last longer.

...some steamy carrot moist goodness. The carrots help hold moisture and texture into these sweet muffins. So perfect right from the oven too, but they also are a great muffin to make before a trip or to keep for days because they stay so moist and fresh for days.

Don't let a Monday get you down- start new, start fresh and hopefully that involves some nourishing, grounding food that keeps you strong and going! Much love as always... ENJOY xoxo