turmeric latte recipe

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

This recipe was born out of my deep love for chai lattes. While I enjoyed them greatly, I cringed a bit each time I saw one made for me. Out of a box, a pre-made concoction poured; each packed with sugars and preservatives that no one should be consuming. So I decided to try my hand at a natural version. At about the same time, I’d been looking to incorporate more turmeric into my diet. Turmeric has a scrolling list of benefits, but my primary reason was to help with inflammation in the joints. And so, this amazing, amazing drink was born. You can make it warm and drink it right away, or store it in the fridge for an iced version. When I do iced, I like to throw a tablespoon of chia seeds in there while it cools. So many health benefits in one simple drink!

Ingredients

1 Tbs Turmeric Powder

1 Cinnamon Stick

5 Cloves

2 Cups Milk (Your Choice - Almond, Soy, Dairy, Hemp, etc)

1 Tbs Coconut Oil

Directions

1. Simmer turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and milk on the stovetop for 15 minutes. Add more milk if it reduces down too far.

2. During the final minute, add in the coconut oil and stir. 

3. Remove the cinnamon stick, and transfer mixture to a blender. I use my Nutribullet, but any blender will do. Buzz mixture for a quick minute to build foam.

autumn ayurveda cleanse

Fall is a time of year that signals change. According to the ancient studies of Ayurveda the energies around us are shifting from pitta to kapha. Our bodies have stored up so much pitta from the fiery summer, and we need to cleanse it out to prepare our constitutions for a slower, cooler, sweeter winter. 

There are so many cleanses out there, but what I’m going to introduce you to today is an Autumn Ayurveda cleanse. This is not a starvation diet. It will not make you skinnier. Instead, we’ll focus on slowing down the digestion to allow the body to rid itself of toxins. We’ll take a minute to be with ourselves, to slow down, to be selfish; so that the rest of the year we can be active and giving. 

Twice a year, as we move into spring, and as we move into fall, it is healthy to allow yourself this time. Read on for a description of an Autumn Ayurveda  cleanse. This routine can be followed for anywhere from 3-10 days. 

Kitchari

While on the cleanse, you are going to eat a diet of kitchari for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kitchari is made with mung beans, basmati rice, and a special herb blend that includes turmeric, fennel, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, natural mineral salt and asafoetida. 

Each evening, make a batch for the following day. When you go to eat your kitchari, make sure it’s always warm. All throughout this cleanse, you want to consume only warm foods and liquids. You’ll start with a little bit at breakfast to kickstart your digestion, and then you’ll have your biggest meal at lunch. In the evening, consume a smaller portion for dinner. At lunch you may pair the kitchari with steamed vegetables or a soft/hard boiled egg if you wish. Just make sure that you’re not cooking anything in fat ie. olive oil, butter, coconut oil, etc. If you’re hungry, eat more kitchari. You should never feel starved while on this cleanse. 

Here is how to make your kitchari.

Ingredients

1 Cup split yellow mung dahl

1/2 Cup basmati rice

1-2 Tsp kitcharee spice mix

1 Tsp grated or minced ginger

Cilantro and lemon to garnish

Salt to taste

Directions

Wash the rice and beans to remove extra starches

In a large soup pot, add beans, ginger, and chitchat spice mix with 10 cups of water. Let cook for about 15 minutes.

Add rice and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Skim off any foam that produces at the top while you’re cooking your kitchari

Mornings

In the mornings, you’ll use a tongue scraper first thing. Scrape from the back to the front of your tongue seven times to remove the residue that has built up overnight. Then prepare a warm drink of water or herbal tea. After you’ve had your tea, indulge in 15-20 minutes of gentle yoga. Nothing crazy, you want to take it easy while you’re on your cleanse. Just stretch it out and move with your breath for a short time. This will get the prana moving. Once you’ve had your yoga time, fill your belly with some kitchari, and go about your day.

Abhyanga

While your cleansing internally, you can help activate the process from the outside as well. Either in the evening or in the morning, you will practice Abhyanga, a form of self massage. This helps release toxins held in the muscles, so that your internal system can flush them out. To perform abhyanga, first heat some water on the stove top. Then immerse a mason jar of sesame oil in the water, so that the hot water can warm the oil inside. To perform the massage, start at your feet and hands, massaging toward your heart with the warm oil.  On joints, massage in a circular motion, and in between the joints use long linear strokes. Massage your scalp, around your nostrils, your ear lobes, get every crevice, but don’t massage over your entire face. After you’ve done your massage, let the oil sit for 20 minutes before hopping in the shower. This is a great time to journal or meditate. Once you’re in the shower, just rinse the oil off, don’t use soap. 

Warm Liquids

Throughout your cleanse be sure to drink warm liquids. Heat your water, drink herbal tea (not caffeine!), or sip down warm organic unsweetened almond milk. You want everything that goes into your body to be warm.

Triphala

In the evenings, you’ll take a slight laxative and powerful antioxidant called triphala. You’ll want to take this supplement on an empty stomach, so its suggested to do so right before bed. Heat up some water, like you would for tea, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of triphala powder. Let steep for 15 minutes and then drink down, dregs and all.

Ghee

On days 4-6 of your cleanse, you will practice therapeutic intake of fat (ghee). This treatment is designed to mobilize fat soluble toxins stored deep in the tissues. Thirty minutes after waking up, you will drink down warm ghee on an empty stomach. Each day, you will increase your dosage by two tablespoons, starting at with two on the first day. After you’ve taken your ghee, do not eat until you feel absolutely hungry. 

Castor Oil

The second to last evening of your cleanse, you will drink a detox tea before bed. Then when you wake in the morning, mix 2 tbs of organic castor oil with 1/2 cup of hot water and the juice of one orange. Drink it down, and like with the ghee, don’t eat until you're hungry. 

Journaling

Throughout your cleanse, take the time to reflect. You allocate this time for yourself, so be sure to pay attention. What thoughts and emotions come up? What differences do you notice in your body? Be slow, thoughtful, and introspective.

tea time

As autumn sets in, I begin to swap my lemon water for something warmer and more soothing. I wrap my hands around the tea cup to warm myself; and I let the scented steam drift up into my face, filling my nasal passages with herbal perfumes. 

I recently tried a tea unlike anything I'd tasted before. The tea was a saffron tea from Kiwana Tea. I was immediately intrigued to try it when I heard that it was made with saffron. Living amongst many Pennsylvania Dutch decedents, saffron is no stranger, however it is something I came to know and love later in life. It has a very subtle flavor -- like a mouse, it delicately sneaks up on you. Once you're able to tap into it, you find a world of flowery personality. 

So, if like me, you want to get started on building out a killer tea cabinet for the months ahead, give Kiwana Saffron tea a try! It will be a cooky little addition to your collection. And a great one to whip out when you want to impress friends with something different. 

--

Purchase: Kiwana Tea

united by blue

Get up. Go. Adventure.

Leave the plans behind. Ditch the maps.

Step inside. Ask directions. Follow the lines scribbled on a napkin.

See where it leads you.

Then find your way home.

acorn squash and brown rice with pomegranate, pistachio, and kale

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

In fall we welcome comfort. Cooked soothing foods fill our stomachs with happiness and warmth on a crisp day. Acorn squash and spices like cinnamon evoke memories of a time when things were simpler, when all our cares drifted on a breeze with autumn’s falling leaves. This, is a dish to take you there.

Warm acorn squash mixed with fresh local yogurt provides a creamy earthy balance to this dish’s modern additions: pistachio, pomegranate, and kale. Seasoned with cinnamon and ginger, the spice-derived flavor allows it to be a healthy kickstart for your new season. No butter, no cheese, no large amounts of fat needed. Now how is that for comfort food?

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

1 cup long grain brown rice

2.5-3 cups water

1 small white onion, chopped small

2 cups chopped kale

1 bouillon cube

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 inch peeled ginger

1/2 cup yogurt

1 lg. garlic clove, chopped into large pieces

1 pomegranate

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

1 tbs rice vinegar

olive oil for sautéing

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut your squash in half, gut out the seeds, and set to roast. You can either roast it at 350F for approx. one hour, or if you’d rather set it and forget it, bake the squash at 200F for 3-4 hours. Remove and let cool.

2. In a small stock pot, sauté onions in olive oil. Once slightly see-through, add rice, and stir it around for a minute. Add 2 cups water, kale, bouillon cube, cinnamon stick, ginger, and garlic. Stir thoroughly, cover, and let cook.

3. In the meantime, gut out your squash and mix together with yogurt. I used Pequa Valley, a delicious local yogurt sold at Greensgrow. Cut open your pomegranate and remove seeds from the white flesh innards of the fruit. Set seeds aside.

4. As the rice cooks down, continue adding water until the grains become fully cooked. Once it is finished, let sit for 5-10 minutes.

5. Stir in squash, pomegranate seeds, pistachio, and vinegar, along with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool a bit more before serving to deliver fullest flavor.

weekly scenes

It's been an interesting week. I've been feeling very introspective. Trapped up a lot in my own head, sitting with fears and joys like common companions. It's both good and bad, but I can't really help but be any other way right now. Sometimes you just need to step back into yourself to asses situations and develop a vision. But at the same time, for someone who's usually such an extrovert, it does feel a bit isolating. I am very thankful for the people that do make it easy to hop out of that introverted world every once in awhile. The people that you can completely forget yourself around and spill all those milling thoughts out on. Letting it out, saying what you're scared of, confessing your dreams, and sharing what excites you with another person, is really sometimes the best solution.    

holding on to fall

Just this week I put on my winter jacket for the first time, and we saw our first snow. I feel the winter moving in, but fall, I'm not ready to say goodbye. You only just arrived, and you can't be leaving so quickly. I'd rather hold those red leaves and crunchy apples in my mind a bit longer

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autumn days

Warm colors, cool breezes, and apples with a bite. I love autumn days.

That beautiful red head to match the season is my girl Brigette :)

wanted: black boots

My beloved black ankle boots on their last leg, and I know that I'm going to need (want) a new pair to make it through the winter. Although very different, I've narrowed it down to three options. Which pair pair should be the lucky winner? 

                                                               caballero // distressed collins boot // enrica leather ankle bootie