I don’t know if you are like me, but when autumn arrives I loOoove to be home, cozy with my little candle illuminated in the dark night. I prepare for myself a nice, hot, herbal drink…Mmmmmm!!! I love herbal tea, and for many years now, medicinal plants have been part of my life almost every day. I love to be able to heal myself and the ones I cherish the most with herbs that are given to us and grow freely in nature. I find they are so precious So, let me share with you today two of my favourite “ heart-warming” drinks.
** Chocolate spices chaï
The first drink is not really made with herbs but with spices.
Spices are great for their “carminative” effect, that being the way they help digestion to be really efficient. This particular drink is also going to warm you from inside with the help of the natural essential oils that the spices contain. They will also re-establish a good “fire” to your digestion. It is a great idea to drink this after a meal or a walk outside. I also find that for one with a “sweet tooth” {Are you like me?? Ah!Ah!}, it can help satisfy you without going for a big dessert!
What you will need:
~Milk: Can be regular cow’s milk, soya, rice or almond…choose the one you prefer.
~Dark hot chocolate mix: From Cocoa Camino {such a great quality of chocolate}
~Fresh spices: 2 tbs. cardamom, 2 stick of cinnamon, 2 tbs. fennel, 1 tbs. ginger and a glimpse of cayenne pepper.
The way I do it is that I put ½ water ½ milk in a 2 quart saucepan and I heat it on the stove until it is warm. Please don’t boil it ! Then, I add the spices {all of them except the cayenne pepper} placed in a little tea bag {so it’s easier to take them out afterward} that I previously grounded by hand in a mortar to open all the great flavours the spices keep inside their shells. Keep the liquid warm and let it rest for about 45 minutes. The flavours are going to be delicately infused in the milk….so smell it, enjoy the process !! {I always take a moment to be there with my infusion and be conscious that this is for me, this is a moment where I’m creating a special space for myself…. and be happy!! Life goes by so quickly that we often don’t take the time for special moments like this one…}. Then, I remove the spices, add the chocolate mixture and mix it up very well. You can choose to use 2 tbsp or more of chocolate… it is as you wish!!! At the very last minute, I do add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
There you go…I love to enjoy this drink while I’m wrapped up in a warm blanket after my daughter is asleep …and I knit slowly, relaxed, on the couch….
** Comforting peaceful herb tea
The second drink is an herbal tea…. one of my special blends!! I will give you a brief description of the medicinal plant characteristics. Because, we could talk for a whole day about the properties of just one of them Ah!Ah! …so, this description will only give you a brief idea of their qualities.
Herbs you will need:
~Nettle , Urtica dioica : I’m totally in loOoove with this herb. It is so special, so strong…and brings many minerals to your body. In this way, it is definitely one of the most nutritious plants you can use. It’s good for almost everything !!!
~Oats (green flowering) , Avena sativa : This is another nutritive herb that will particularly nourish your nervous system… and who do you know in our era that doesn’t need a little nervous support, hey?! It carries a lot of minerals also.
~Peppermint , mentha x piperita: I add this for it’s great taste, and also the fact that it helps digestion with its essential oils. It is a great plant to help open the respiratory tract {lungs, sinus…}.
~Green Anise seeds , pimpinella anisum: I add it for taste, as it tastes a bit like black licorice {which is something I love very much}. If you are not a fan, just don’t add it. Your tea is going to be delicious anyway. You will be using the seeds that you are delicately going to grind either in a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder. Please wash the grinder before using it so your seeds won’t taste like coffee in the end. It is filled with essential oils that also help digestion and gas problems.
~Holy basil , tenuiflorum ocimum: This plant is going to warm your heart and open it. It brings Joy !!!! It will help you to see clearly when your head is in a “haze”. This herb is sometimes hard to find, so you will need to go to a herbalist to get this precious herb. You will not add as much of holy basil as the others.
The way I do it is that at night I bring my water to a boil {again in my favorite 2 quarts saucepan!!} and then turn everything off. I add nettle leaves and oats {1-2 handfuls each} to infuse for the whole night. Because they are nutritive plants, letting them infuse for 6-8 hours is going to bring out all the minerals they contain. Then, in the morning, I either take out the leaves or leave them in and heat it up a bit {do not boil the water} then I turn it off. I then add all the other herbs {peppermint 1 handful; holy basil 1 full tbs} and seeds {anise seeds 2 tbs. previously grounded}. Leave them infuse for about ½ an hour with the lid on… and then enjoy !!!
Feel free to give me your feedback about those two drinks…I would love to read them !!
Wishing you and yours a beautiful autumn… and winter season!!
Warm regards,
~Julie
Julie Ouimet is from Québec, Canada. She
lives with her daugther, in a little town in harmony with nature.
Creating is her passion, a way of life !!! She cultivates the earth during the warm season
and creates lovely waldorf inspired toys the whole year long…
You can visit her shop at FeeVertelaine.
