Warming Autumn Tonic
I am built for warmer climates. Which pretty much means that November 1 through April 1, I’m freezing. Particularly because my office is in my chilly basement, I can’t get enough warming drinks. So this tonic is an upgrade of my standard winter lemon and ginger brew.
Instead of steeping ginger slices, grated ginger brings the real heat. Molasses is a wonderful, mineral-rich syrup that is phenomenal for adding iron to plant-based diets and of course, the gang’s all here: turmeric to fight inflammation, ashwagandha to bring calm and some extra kick from cinnamon and cayenne. If you need some extra calming, try adding a few drops of CBD oil – it is non-intoxicating and can be derived from hemp, making it widely available.
It’s the perfect antidote to a chilly, dark evening. Well, that and some fuzzy socks!
Warming Autumn Tonic
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly micro grated or crushed ginger
- 2 tsp blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ashwagandha
- A pinch of cayenne
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A tiny crack of black pepper
- 2 tbsp freshly sweezed lemon juice
- (optional) a few drops hemp cannabidiol (CBD) oil
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add water, ginger, molasses, turmeric, ashwagandha, cayenne, cinnamon and pepper and place over medium heat. Gently simmer for three minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Remove from heat and strain if you wish - I like chewing through the ginger because it's so good for the gut. Add lemon juice and CBD oil, if using, then adjust with more cayenne if you like it spicy or a bit of honey or maple syrup if you want to tone down the fire.
