Healing Golden Milk

Golden milk is a traditional Ayurvedic beverage with many health benefits. The ingredients have antibacterial and antiviral properties and the antioxidants help strengthen your immune system. Golden milk is simple to make at home. For a single serving of golden milk or about one cup, simply follow this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 c of an unsweetened milk of your choice (I used almond milk)

• 1 t of turmeric

• 1 small piece of grated fresh ginger or 1/2 t of ginger powder

• 1/2 t of cinnamon powder

• 1 pinch of black pepper

• 1 t of raw honey or maple syrup

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until fragrant and flavorful. Strain the drink through a fine strainer into mugs and top with a pinch of cinnamon and/or drizzle with honey. Enjoy hot or at room temperature! Especially good as a bedtime drink!

Homemade Electrolyte Replacement Drink

What image appears in your mind when you think of the term “electrolyte drink”? Chemical-laden hospital pouches, or red and blue dyed plastic bottles found on the sidelines of most sports fields?

Fluids and mineral are lost while exercising, especially when exerting ourselves outdoors in hot weather, but they are also lost while we spend time indoors in centrally heated buildings in the winter months. While replacing electrolytes lost during exercise and after sweating is essential, most of the products on the market either taste terrible or contain a multitude of harmful chemicals. What’s a caring parent to do?

Ditch the store bought varieties and try this homemade elixir which contains natural sea salt, citrus and homeopathic cell salts to help replace and restore mineral balance in our bodies. Sweetened with just a touch of raw honey, it won’t spike blood sugar like the HFCS in store bought brands and aids in natural hydration. Plus, your kids (and you) will love the natural taste!

Ingredients:

2 c filtered water

1/3 c fresh lemon or lime juice (or combo)

2 T raw, organic honey

1/8 tsp Himalayan sea salt

4 bioplasma cell salt tablets

optional: splash of coconut water

Directions:

Combine in jug and shake to mix. Enjoy right away or store in fridge for up to 3 days. Serve over ice if desired!

Old-fashioned Turkey Bone Broth

Ingredients:

leftover turkey bones or carcass from a roasted turkey

one onion (yellow or white), quartered

4-6 cloves fresh garlic, smashed

1/2 c chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and thyme combination; rosemary works too!)

sea salt to taste

water

Directions:

On the stove:

• Place the turkey bones, onion, garlic, and wine into a large stockpot. Cover with water by two inches, and then bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately turn down the heat to medium-low, and keep at a bare simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

• Toss in the parsley and thyme, and then let it continue to simmer about 30 minutes. Strain the broth, and transfer to a jar.

In an InstantPot:

• Place the turkey bones, onion, and garlic into the insert of your InstantPot. Pour in the wine, and then fill the insert with water to the max line. Seal, and then pressure cook for 2 hours, Allow the pressure to release naturally.

• Unseal the InstantPot, and then toss in the parsley and thyme. Seal, and then pressure cook for 5 minutes. Strain the broth, and then transfer it to a jar.

In a slow cooker:

• Arrange the turkey bones, onion, and garlic into the insert of your slow cooker. Pour in the wine, and then pour in water to the max fill line. Cook over low heat for 6 hours, and then toss in the herbs. Continue cooking a further 30 minutes.

• Strain, and then transfer the broth to a jar.

Bone broth hacks:

If you can boil water, you can make bone broth. It’s painlessly simple and a foundational culinary technique that can help build confidence in the kitchen (while keeping your fridge full of delicious and nourishing foods). But, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to make sure it consistently comes out good every time you make it.

• Use the leftover frame of a roasted turkey. Roasting enhances the development of flavor, especially the savory flavors. If you’re using raw bones in this recipe, roast them at 400 F for about 30 minutes first.

• Let it come to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat when you’re cooking this recipe on the stove. Rapid and prolonged boiling can damage the proteins and emulsify the broth, resulting in a greasy texture, off-flavors, and a bone broth that doesn’t gel.

• Onions and garlic work well, but avoid adding other vegetables. Carrots and other sweet root vegetables can make the broth taste too sweet, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli can make it taste bitter.

• Add just enough water to cover the bird by an inch or two. The amount you add will depend on the size of your stockpot but is typically about 3 quarts. For an InstantPot or slow cooker, pour in enough water to meet the max fill line.

• Add herbs toward the end of cooking. Their flavor will taste brighter, cleaner, without overpowering the broth. For the stovetop and slow cooker methods, that means you should add them in the last 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re using n InstantPot or another electric pressure cooker, allow the turkey bones and other ingredients to cook, let the pressure release naturally, and then toss in the herbs and pressure cook again for a few minutes before straining.

• Salt your broth at the very end. As the broth cooks, its liquid will evaporate and concentrate the flavor of salt. So, if you add salt too early in the process, your turkey bone broth runs the risk of being too salty. Instead, add it to taste at the very end or right before you serve it.

• To store the broth, adjust seasoning with salt as you like it. Serve the strained broth immediately, or store it in a mason jar for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. If freezing, allow at least 2 inches of headspace. Before long term storage, allow broth to fully cool in the fridge, then move jars to the freezer for longer term storage.

Serving suggestion: Serve warm in a mug. Add a pat of butter, sea salt and fresh ginger to taste. Sip and enjoy!

Lemon Ginger Switchel- A Good "Switch Witch" Beverage for Halloween

What the heck is switchel?? Also known as haymaker’s punch, switchel is a refreshing fermented drink that uses raw ginger and apple cider vinegar as its base. Rural farmers would prepare this drink as an electrolyte replacement beverage to hydrate and replace needed minerals after a long day in the fields. Here, we infuse the ferment with lemon and mint for a tasty beverage. It’s easy to make and easy to drink! The best thing about this recipe is that you can change up the flavors to your own preference.

Switchel, also known as Haymaker’s Punch, is a great electrolyte drink and a fun choice for gatherings!

Ingredients:

• 4 c filtered water

• 1/3 c fresh lemon juice

• 3 T raw, unfiltered honey (use local if possible for most health benefit)

• 2 T raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, scrubbed and sliced thinly (keep skin on)

• 1/3 c fresh mint leaves (optional)

Recipe:

• Add all ingredients to a wide-mouthed 1 qt. jar. Seal and shake to combine.

• Let mixture ferment in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or up to 2 weeks. The longer it ferments, the deeper the flavor will be.

• Serve switchel in a 1 to 1 ratio with either regular or mineral water. Add ice if desired. Garnish with additional mint leaves and/or lemon slices if desired. Enjoy!