Post by steffanie3 on Dec 20, 2013 14:22:21 GMT -5
Winter Wonderland Sip – it’s here!
One evening I decided to come up with a treat that encompassed most of my Christmas cravings all mixed up into one "hit-the-spot" delight. I had already finished my dinner and was settling in for a cozy night with the "fam" round the fire. I wanted to savor something on the "ole" taste buds. I wanted it to have a wintery peppermint snap as well as a sugar cookie fix… yet it had to have a creamy mouth feel. I didn’t want to load myself down with too many calories since I was already well fed from my hardy meal. So it had to be light yet creamy. The challenge was on!
It also… and this was most important… could not be gone too quickly! The pleasure had to last a lot longer than a minute or two. It had to be something sipped and slowly savored throughout the evening. And for the final touch… it needed to benefit my body instead of being a health burden.
These were the thoughts that swam about my head that peckish evening when the "PIE SIP" series was birthed. The "SIP" that started it all was this very "WINTER WONDERLAND" sip. Even though it came first we left it to the end to crown the "holiday sip" series as it fit the snowy white world of winter.
The funny thing is - on the night I created this sip, our kitchen lights blew a bulb and I guess you can say my eyesight was dampened. I had hyped Pearl and then eventually you about it this drink being as white as the pure driven snow... uh-oh... not quite, Since then when I’ve made this with my kitchen flooded with dazzling sunlight it is not the same shade as I had once imagined. It's not a dazzling magical white but maybe more of a real world, winter snowy white...the kind that gets a little thawing mud in it and makes it more off white. So I like to think of it as the realist’s Winter Wonderland – I’m not into pretending life is perfect anyway. So here it is with all it’s off white yumminess!
Don't let this slight hitch put you off, as it is the favorite "Sip" according to my children and holiday guests. This is party friendly beverage! Yesterday I made 4 batches for a large crowd I had over for lunch. If you are a Baileys over ice sort of person, this sip gives a similar fix savored over ice (minus the alcohol and sugar) with its sharp bite of peppermint softened by the creamy silk texture. To be truthful I wouldn't really know because I have never tasted Bailey’s (Pearl tells me she has) but in my imagination it conjures up this parallel. So I hereby pronounce this a GOOD GIRL - MINT - BAILEYS or MINT SCHNAPPS ON THE ROCKS. I don't know alcohol terms real well so I'm stretching here but it sure does get this holy roller girl excited and pulling a good… ahhh… expression after each sip.
Like all our sippers, it is a Fuel Pull beverage, a waistline preserver with many health benefits to boot but tastes as creamy as if you were drinking fresh jersey milk. Use it to curb your winter cravings and as something to look forward to instead of second helpings you are truly not hungry for. This sip will tantalize your taste buds while halting the abuse of "over the top" holiday grazing. I have kept this SIP to one quart instead of two so you have a little more room for your other favorite healthy treats.
Ingredients:
2 peppermint tea bags * 2 cups water * ½ tsp. of pastured or regular butter or 1 tsp MCT oil * 1 rounded tsp. whey protein powder * generous 1/8-1/4 tsp. Pure Stevia Extract Powder (try 1/8 first but you’ll probably need more at the end when you check flavors – think sweet candy cane) * 1 pinch Celtic Sea Salt * ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract * ½ - 1 tsp peppermint extract or 1-2 drops Therapeutic grade essential oil of peppermint * 2 doonks Gluccie (glucommanan) or xanthan – equaling 1/16 tsp. altogether *
Directions
1. Seep tea bags in ½ cup of boiled water for five minutes
2. Remove tea bags and pour tea into blender
3. Add enough water to reach the 2 cup line
4. Add all other ingredients and blend well – this is your concentrate.
5. Pour concentrate into quart jar and add ice all the way up so concentrate reaches almost to the top.
6. Stir, taste....adjust the flavors to your personal "ahh just right" point and then enjoy your trimming holidays.
Health Benefits
It's only a few days before Christmas and we are all in a rush. I know you don't have time to read much more and I have to go and wrap stocking presents for nine children but I must tell you a quick list of benefits...
Peppermint tea is:
A relaxant and calming sedative while at the same time helps with alertness and mental focus.
It helps aid restful sleep. Properties within the peppermint leaf help you dream more vividly.
It is an anti-spasmodic and a known analgesic. It helps relieve stress
Peppermint can help treat menstrual cramps, headaches, sinus issues, respiratory disorders and tummy aches
Peppermint can help soothe a troubled digestive system, relieve gas and bloating and relieve symptoms for those who suffer with IBS.
It is known as an appetite suppressant so can help control our naughty holiday cravings
It is antibacterial, anti microbial and antiseptic
THE THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OIL OF PEPPERMINT IS A POWERFUL NATURAL MEDICINE AND IS.....
Anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-toxic, anti-depressant, (basically anti-anything ookie pookie and bad for ya). This delicious and refreshing oil also helps with weight reduction. Mice pretreated with peppermint essential oil demonstrated less bone marrow cell loss than mice not pretreated with the oil when exposed to gamma radiation (Samarth et al., 2007). This study suggests a protective or stimulating effect of essential peppermint oil on blood stem cells. Amazing!!!!
Yeah for treats that really treat us!
Merry Christmas - Love Serene
