Sage and Sourdough Wellness & Herbs
I love a rich hot chocolate occasionally. This one doesn’t disappoint! You can always substitute with any milk of choice.
Recipe
8 cups whole milk
8 cups half and half or heavy cream
1 cup raw cacao
1 cup cane sugar
2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon vanilla
Heat the milk, cream, cacao, sugar and chocolate in a large pot. Heat until the chocolate is melted and heated through. Add the vanilla and enjoy.
One of my favorite winter down time activities is to make a cup of warm herbal tea or spiced golden milk and cuddle up in a blanket reading a good herb or gardening book! This recipe is a little sweet and warming with all its wonderful spices. It will definitely increase circulation, warming the body and promote good digestion. You may be surprised to see black pepper in it, but it only helps to increase absorption of other herb and spices adding more benefit. I like to make a big pot to share with loved ones or reheat over a few days and sip on to warm me up. Play around with the spices to your liking. This is what I like to call hearth home medicine, using what we already have in our cupboards. You probably already have all these ingredients to make it!
2 cups milk, (coconut, rice, almond or animal).
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of ground black pepper
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Warm the milk in a saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the maple syrup and spices. Whisk in well until it begins to simmer. Add the vanilla and serve. Keep on low if serving throughout the evening, stirring occasionally or transfer to a container, keep in fridge and reheat over the next few days.
Kale is something new I have been growing in my garden for the past few years. If you are like me I knew it was good to eat, but I just didn’t know what to do with it! Kale is one of the best greens we can add to our diet and when prepared properly it can taste really good! Here are a few reasons to eat kale!
I like to grow a particular variety of kale called Red Russian. It’s flat green leaves are easier to work with for cooking and the flavor is a bit more mild. Kale is very easy to grow. It’s very cold hardy and can usually get through most winters, producing seed during the second season. During the cold winter months I have a hoop house over the box I grow my kale in to keep the leaves from freezing, using it throughout the winter months. In fact it gets sweeter the colder the temps are as long as the plant is protected, as with many cold crops. Simply sow the seeds either in early March or early August.
I bet you can’t just have one! These vegan “cheesy” kale chips are so good! My dear friend Janet gave me the recipe and it has been a huge hit ever since! They are very simple to put together and makes good use out of all that kale in the garden! Not to mention they are very healthy and nourishing!
This is such a delightful recipe! It’s packed full of nutrients leaving a natural energy buzz behind! It’s best to use a juicer, but if you don’t have one, a blender and strainer will do the trick too!
5 large leaves of kale, ribs discarded
1 lemon, zest and pith removed
1 large apple, roughly chopped
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 sprig of fresh mint
Push all ingredients through a juicer. If using a blender, add 1/2 cup purified water and strain through a fine mesh strainer and drink immediately!