Tag: snacks

Lavender Smoothie

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I’ve fallen in love with lavender. I use the oil to help calm me and get rid of headaches. I use the herbs and buds in recipes. It’s such a useful plant and it smells divine and looks beautiful — there really is no downside to using it! For this smoothie, I combined some unique flavors that actually go together very well. I put peanut butter in every smoothie as it is, but I second-guessed putting it in this one. Then I thought, why not? If I’m a recipe developer, how can I develop recipes without experimenting? It’s kind of an oxymoron, but I often second-guess myself when creating new things. Even in the experimental stage, which makes no sense to me, because I know it’s an experiment. Yet, I’ll still question myself. I also don’t like not getting things right on the first try. But before this intro turns into a personal roast of myself and of my amateur-chef shortcomings, I’ll leave it at that and say that this smoothie was an extremely positive result of my recipe experimentation. The end.

Iavender smoothie

 

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 – 1 1/3 cup of your favorite non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1/3 cup of frozen raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon whole lavender buds (I purchased mine at Whole Foods Market)

 

What to Do:

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend together.
  2. If your blender has different speed settings, blend on a medium setting until everything is well blended. Otherwise, blend for approximately 20 seconds until everything is well-blended.
  3. Sprinkle additional lavender buds on top of smoothie to garnish.

 

Date posted on Instagram: 9/17/18

Golden Milk Latte

Categories DIY Recipes1 Comment on Golden Milk Latte

I didn’t discover the benefits of turmeric until after going vegan. I’m sure the spice appeared in foods I ate before then, but it’s a primary component in tofu scramble, and post-vegan, tofu scramble had become one of my favorite foods so I became very familiar with turmeric as a result. It took even longer for me to discover that turmeric had benefits such as being a natural anti-inflammatory. I only thought about it’s ability to make things yellow and it’s vibrant smell and flavor, which reminded me of all the aromatic, bright and beautiful Indian and Asian spices. But I should have known that everything Mother Nature has provided us with likely has some beneficial purpose for our insides and outsides. Then, I finally discovered golden milk lattes. Initially, putting turmeric in hot milk didn’t sound appealing– that was until I tried it– and it was delicious. Not to mention that anytime I’m aware that what I’m eating or drinking can have a positive impact on my health, it makes me like it all that much more. So cheers to you golden milk latte– I heart you and your yellow hue.

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/3 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1/8 teaspoon garam masala seasoning (optional)*
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper**
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1-2 teaspoons vegan brown sugar ( or other vegan sweetener; amount can be adjusted depending on how sweet you want your latte to be)
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon coconut oil**

What to Do:

  1. Place a saucepan over a low simmer heat and add milk.
  2. Stir into the milk the garam masala seasoning and black pepper.
  3. Let milk sit over heat until it starts to develop steam and is hot.
  4. Add turmeric, cinnamon, brown sugar and coconut oil to latte.
  5. Stir latte to mix all ingredients well, about 20 seconds or so.
  6. Once latte is steaming or has come to a light boil, remove from heat immediately.
  7. Transfer to a mug and sprinkle with additional cinnamon on top to garnish, if desired.***

 

* The garam masala, which is a blend of Indian spices, adds even more of a spice-filled and unique flavor to the latte. But it’s optional. Another spice I use is nutmeg which is great if you want to use something instead of garam masala and offers a more subtle flavor but you still get that nice spice kick.

** The black pepper and coconut oil are very important components for the turmeric to properly work as a natural anti-inflammatory, so don’t omit them! Find out why here. If you’re allergic to pepper, you should at least include the coconut oil with the turmeric to help with absorption.

 *** The spice mixture may settle to the bottom of the latte, so be sure to stir frequently.

Date Posted on Instagram: 9/18/18