I woke up the other day to a text from my dad asking me if I’m okay because he hadn’t see a post from me and he knows how much I care about visiting this space on the regular. I actually have been sidelined by a pretty bad cold. Most of the time when I get run down people like to say, “You do too much. It’s your body telling you to slow down.” Usually I’ll disagree with them. Sometimes you just catch a bug. But this time, maybe for the first time ever, I think they’re right. It is possible to run yourself down. The combination of cross country work travel, plus having a friend in town right afterwards, my gym routine followed by my drinking routine (as sanctioned by this fine study) just wore me down. I could feel it coming.
When you’re coming down with something it’s like balancing your normal spinning plates, but this time on a unicycle. Wearing a clown nose. And my unicycle hit a little pothole. But I’m back and up and running, just more slowly and mindfully this time and with fewer spinning plates. Part of caring for yourself is understanding that we are the agents of our own limits and if we don’t heed them– well–clown nose, unicycle.
So I had all these plans to share my stewed rabbit recipe with you and/or my discovery of roasted radishes, my excitement over a new preserve I discovered and make a pie for the office on pie day, all of which may be dropping by the blog soon enough, but this week I think it makes sense to show you what I’ve been subsisting on (aside from takeout Chinese soup). Winter has taken its final bites, but before the old crone fades I plan to down citrus like it’s my job. So I bring you a seasonal and powerful drink.
I’ve been making two versions of the same drink for myself this week. Both involve turmeric, a bright and earthy spice that is known for having antioxidant properties as well as other health benefits. A little bit of pepper helps with the absorption of turmeric too and adds kick here. As my husband found out when I knocked one of my concoctions over by accident, turmeric actually works well as a dye for clothing too! I tried to wash it out, I really did, but I ended up asking, “Ummm how do you feel about tie dye?” As we don’t have laundry in our building, I added it to the pile to haul down the stairs when we’re ready to balance that spinning plate.
The first version of this eye opener is more a tea if you’re not into tolerating anything heavy. If you’re feeling well enough to get some calories in you, but shouldn’t have dairy– which isn’t great when you’ve got a cold, you can use the frothy almond milk version. Either way, both drinks are good and provide comfort and a homeopathic boost.
These are my adaptations after tons of scouring my trusted sources for a little respite. The key ingredients are always a little lemon, ginger and turmeric…and for me honey, always. The cold shake is adapted from Green Kitchen Stories. The hot one is adapted from Lan, whose recent and- oh so timely- post gave me the overlooked obvious solution of how to get a milky effect without using milk. Can we talk about her Instagram gallery for a second?!!! The tea is adapted from The First Mess, a trusted source for good vibes and all things flavorful and healthy. Wishing you all a good week! Looking forward to some good cooking up ahead, spring produce and precious natural light!
TURMERIC GINGER SHAKE HOT OR COLD (DAIRY FREE)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cups almond milk (I like to make mine at home)
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp honey
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or ground vanilla
- 3-4 tsp ground turmeric (or fresh turmeric root)
- pinch of sea salt
- tiny pinch of cayenne pepper
- tiny pinch of cinnamon
- 2-3 ice cubes
- a turn or two of the pepper shaker (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
For the Cold Shake:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend for 2 minutes. Top with ground turmeric.
For the Hot Shake:
If you’re really not feeling it cold, ditch the banana and the ice, warm the almond milk in a medium saucepan to just below boiling, add the other ingredients and blend with a hand blender. Top with ground turmeric.
TURMERIC GINGER TEA
INGREDIENTS:
- juice of half a lemon juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- small pinch of sea salt
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, grated (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
- small pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
- a turn or two of the pepper shaker (optional)
- 1 cup boiling water
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a large mug. I don’t actually filter out anything, but if you want you can combine the grated ginger, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a filter. Place the filter in the mug that contains the combined lemon juice, orange juice, honey and salt mixture. Pour the hot water over top of the filter and into the mug.
Hoping you are beginning to feel better. Having a nasty cold is no fun. I am always looking for new ways to incorporate turmeric in my diet. Both drinks look delicious and the tea is perfect for me. Looking forward to you getting back into the action.
Thank you, Jovina. You are so kind. I started putting turmeric on my eggs in the mornings and it’s great. I am feeling better. Little by little I’ll be back to my old self, but more protective of my time. I have to see what you’ve been up to. I’ve missed so much reading! Be well, Jovina. xo
I’m sorry to hear about your cold, but it seems you know exactly how to fight it (and I don’t mean only turmeric). All three of the drinks sound and look delicious, and the citrusy tea sounds quite incredible; I would love that! Get well soon, so you can enjoy the arrival of Spring, and share all those wonderful sounding recipes with us.
Thanks, Darya. You’re right. I felt a lot better the week after I got back and then just resumed everything and it came back to get me. I’ve been drinking so much of that tea and as per your suggestion, I’ve been having turmeric eggs. I’m really enjoying its new uses. Spring is coming. So much good produce on the way. I hope you’re doing well. I’m loving watching your adventures on Instagram 🙂
Beautiful photos!! I recently read up about the amazing health benefits of using turmeric. I must give all three of the drinks a try! They look delicious! x
Thanks so much. I’ve been consuming so much turmeric that it’s possible I need a rest from it. My favorite use lately has been over eggs, but the cold shake, with yogurt instead of almond milk is amazing. I drink that pretty often. 🙂
Colds are awful things, glad to hear you are getting over yours. Your photos and lists of ingredients and how you serve them up with such beautiful cups and spoons I think I would very much like be under your care if I ever had a cold because I know I would be feeling better pretty soon.
Aww thank you Maria. Yes, colds have a tendency to linger if you don’t heed their call so I’ve been just indulging in rest and these teas. I drink the cold one often because it tastes so good and I add yogurt instead of almond milk. But I’ve been drinking jars of the tea. I really like it. The cayenne adds a nice kick. I’ll make these drinks for you and you can send me your pastries. It’ll be an exchange 🙂
Any recommendations on substituting the banana? I’m allergic to them. 🙁
Hmmm. What might work as a good thickening agent? I think it might taste just as good without the banana and you could use Greek yogurt instead of or with the almond milk.
Sounds good. Want to include more tumeric in my diet. It’s really good for you. ☺
Hi Amanda, I’m glad you are feeling better. The turmeric shake looks like something I really want to make! My husband had knee surgery in January, and I have heard that turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory agent, in addition to other great things! I have been trying different “healing” smoothies for him, and this one looks like a great one to try!!! Hope you continue to feel better and stronger!
Hi Jenny! I think you’ll like this one. Sorry to hear about your husband’s knee. My husband had knee surgery a few years ago and I tried to go the same. It’s tough. Speedy recovery to him. I’m feeling better and looking fwd to spring. Be well!
I think I needed this post last week – i had flu and slept for three days, right through my birthday! I will be saving the recipes for the next time, which fortunately isn’t often. I’m looking forward to reading your stewed rabbit recipe soon. I hope you are feeling better now 🙂
Aww sounds like we got a version of the same thing but you rested and I refused. Glad you’re feeling better now. All 3 of these are pretty delicious but nothing beats rest. I know you’ll love the rabbit!
I didn’t even have the energy to cook, let alone eat. That’s a very rare event!
Awful. Glad you’re back!
Me too!
Turmeric will dye the shit out of your clothes, I made that mistake too, haha!
Sorry to hear about your cold but I’m glad you’re back up on your feet babe. These little concotions look delicious, brilliant adding the ginger!
Lol re turmeric dye. Totally. Thanks for the well wishes. I like to think the ginger helped. I can’t wait to get back you the gym. Got new sneakers that need breaking in! Xoxo
It gets painful being away from the gym for too long, doesn’t it? If I take a long weekend I start to gently panic
Sorry to read that you’ve not been well, Amanda. There’s a nasty bug going around and I know a number of people who’ve been waylaid by it. I hope you’re feeling better and on the road to a full recovery. I’ve learned to wear black when cooking with turmeric, blueberries, or concord grapes and I’ve a drawerful of stained shirts to prove that it really is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. 🙂
Thanks, John. I’m doing a bit better now. That’s so funny about your dark colors with foods that stain. I should probably invest in an apron, but I just don’t wear one, not that an apron would solve the problem of piles of clothes in the apartment 🙂
Just what we all need now, Amanda! How good to hear you are getting better & Great restorative for the ill here in our house, my husband is slowly recovering from a bad cold, too.
Ahh it’s that time of year I guess. Glad to hear he’s getting better too. Maybe some turmeric tea will help 🙂 I’m glad the weather is getting a little nicer. It makes you want to be outside and running around. Be well, Nicole! xo
Sorry to hear you’ve been poorly. I have been reading a lot recently about the health benefits of turmeric so am looking forward to trying these out. Stunning photos!
Hola, Chica! Yes it’s a great anti-inflammatory and pepper helps the absorption. The cold shake is my favorite, but I’ve been drinking the tea. Hope you’re doing well and thank you for the compliment 🙂
oh amanda, here’s hoping you feel better really soon, having the sniffles right as the weather turns and it’s beautiful out is the pits. (amended: being sick anytime sucks).
as always, thank you for your shout out and link up. you are so supportive and encouraging and i am appreciative for your thoughtfulness and kindness.
Thanks, Lan! I’m slowly getting back to normal. I love to pay it forward when I learn something so I’m happy to shout out when it counts. I’m so looking forward to the weekend for a little more rest and some good old fashioned kitchen work!
So glad to hear you are feeling better, Amanda. I find that nothing beat natural remedies from a bad cold and these drinks looks delicious. Beautiful pictures as always! 🙂
Thank you, Linda. Natural remedies really do help..and rest. I’m glad that I discovered the joys of turmeric from this at least. Thanks for the compliment 🙂 Be well!
Sorry to hear you were sick. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Thanks for sharing this powerful, natural remedy drink for colds. Have a peaceful holy week.
Thank you so much, Anna. I wish you a peaceful holy week as well. Be well and all the best to you.
My pleasure. Likewise, Amanda. Take good care. 🙂
These do sound terrific and I almost forgot how great turmeric is for the body. I will need to try it on eggs too. Do you sprinkle over cooked eggs or mix it into eggs that you fry or scramble?
Hi Stacey, thank you! I mix it right into the beaten eggs. It ads such an earthy flavor. You can also just sprinkle a little over the cooked ones! Be well. Xo
Late-winter colds are the pits, but hey–it’s spring now and I’m glad your feeling better! I love the idea of the tea, and since I can get my hands on both fresh ginger and fresh turmeric, I’m going to have to give it a try even if I’m not feeling under the weather but simply want something special to drink on a gloomy day.
Thank you Elizabeth! It is good tea. Im still drinking it for fun. And yay for spring!!
Oh gosh you remind me of myself last year (and the year before) where I was really hitting myself with too many things. And then I made a wallpaper for my laptop desktop which was a photo of piano keys (something that destresses me) and the words: Just let it be. It was to remind myself to stop trying to do EVERYTHING and slow down. Oh, and as I’ve learnt as we get older, any sporadic drinking regime gets too much the next day… Interesting that turmeric is a great coloring for clothes, thanks for the tip and I’ll be carefull. Guess what today I went to buy turmeric and I forgot how to say it in Spanish (or Catalan for that matter) so I asked the lady if she knew the translation for “turmeric”. The answer was no so I ended up looking it up in my phone. The answer is cucurmina by the way… xx
I love this comment. I like the idea of a reminder on your screen and sadly, I agree with your drinking experience, though it doesn’t stop me at all…i have a second thought and then go for it despite the consequences. I actually knew cúrcuma because the turmeric I have actually came from a woman in Panama and it actually doesn’t say cumin on it. I had to remember what it was when I was looking for it! So funny! Amazing. xoxo
I do hope you are feeling better now, Amanda! We really can wear ourselves down and need to be kind to our bodies. I’ve been drinking a turmeric tea blend in the evenings, but will try yours now since it sounds (and looks) so appealing. Turmeric is also a marvelous dye for your kitchen counters, as I learned a few weeks ago when making Indian food. It was a lovely evening, so I’ll remember it fondly when I see the stain. Happy spring to you!
Thank you for your kind message, Hannah! It’s always great to hear from you. I now drink turmeric tea as often as possible. I am finally feeling better. I had a lingering cold for like a month. It helped to have little home remedies and comforts. I hope you’re doing well and I appreciate the advice about being kind to ourselves and knowing limits. Be well! xox