by Brianna | Feb 5, 2018 | Healing, Healing Recipes, Tea
I love tea and I drink it daily. Usually multiple times a day. Photos of tea are a large part of #365daysofsimpleselfcare. Delano and I chatted about four of my favorite medicinal teas. What’s even better is that they are simple to make and taste delicious, I mean, super yum psst….Delano was in love with the Elderberry Syrup Tea! Elderberry Tea: Good for staving off cold and flu!!!! Recipe Ginger Tea: Good for when your belly doesn’t feel right! Recipe Tumeric and Honey Tea: Good for decreasing inflammation! Recipe Chai Green Tea: Good for metabolism and digestion....
by Brianna | Feb 5, 2018 | Beautiful Tea, Healing, Healing Recipes, Herbal Tea, Tea
This post should be called Elderberry Tea two ways because I use them both. When I travel I tend to make the teas directly from the dried berry. Whereas when I am tucked into my own space, I like to make the tea from the Elderberry Syrup that is a homemade staple in my fridge. Elderberries daily that is the rule. Elderberry Tea-Tea In this instance you make a simple tea from the berries themselves. Bring 2 cups water to a boil and pour over 1Tbl Dried Elderberries. Allow to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink straight up or stir in some honey while thinking a lovely thought. Elderberry Syrup Tea ***Do not make this style of tea with the store bought variety unless it directs you to. This is my favorite way to take elderberry daily. The syrup is a delicious purple-black liquid and feels decadent. I like simple things that make me feel really taken care of. I add a TBL of syrup (Recipe) to 1 cup of hot but not boiling water. Mix together, stir in some kindness, and voila. Where can you get Dried Elderberries and bulk herbs? I mail order mine from several different places, including: Mountain Rose Herbs Frontier If I am in Baltimore, I get them from my friend Jenny at Zensations. Scientific Literature (retrieved: 2/5/17): Elderberries against the Flu https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9395631 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19548290 Why Honey? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28663690 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28539734 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17877657 Medical Disclaimer: None of this should be misconstrued as medical advice. ...
by Brianna | Feb 4, 2018 | Beautiful Tea, Healing Recipes, Herbal Tea
Traditional Chai made with heavy black tea thick with spices has been a longstanding favorite of mine. Lately though, I have been trying to drink more Green Tea, so I have been rocking this version. Its a nice twist. 16 ounces of water 1 TBL Green Tea 4 Cloves 2 Cinnamon Sticks 5 Black Peppercorns 4 Cardomom Pods, split 2 inches of Ginger Add spices and water to a pot. Bring to a steady boil and allow the liquid to reduce by 4 ounces. Remove from heat and add tea. Allow it to steep for several minutes (no more than 5 because the tea may become bitter). Strain and serve with a touch of honey. Green tea is good for digestion and great for the metabolism. Scientific literature (retrieved 2/4/18): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19147161...
by Brianna | Jan 22, 2018 | Cooking with Intention, food is medicine, Healing, Healing Recipes
Herbal medicine is really the medicine of the people. Meaning it is for everyone. Fire Cider is an old elixir and one of my favorites to have on hand. It does take time to chop everything up and patience (because it takes about a month to come together) but I find all the effort totally worth it. This recipe is very forgiving (meaning lots of different versions exist), I simply chop up all the organic goodness and add it to a mason jar with organic apple cider vinegar. I riddle it daily after that – shake, shake, shake. Today’s Fire Cider version includes: Onion, peeled and roughly chopped Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped Tumeric, peeled and roughly chopped Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped Horseradish, peeled and roughly chopped Lemon Zest Rosemary (dried, from my garden) Cayenne Pepper Black Pepper Corns I don’t measure. I don’t worry about the veggies being chopped just so. I just fill the jar with the ingredients to a few inches shy of the brim and then add the Apple Cider Vinegar, covering everything in the jar. I close the lid and place it in the cupboard with my mugs (think cool and dark for its storage place). I store it with my mugs because that way I will see it every day and remember to give it a little love shake – I usually sing a little love song to it too. I believe in the power of intention and you can bet if I feed you something there is a message of love and light in the recipe too. After a...
by Brianna | Oct 5, 2017 | food is medicine, Healing, Healing Recipes
Kitchari is an Ayruvedic Indian food that is yummy, simple and good for you. Not only does it cook quickly, it is comforting, filling and easily digested – the perfect trifecta for days I practice and/or teach a lot. This porridge is a staple in Indian households and once you eat it you will understand why. To make it you will need Moong Dal (split mung beans). When something is “Dal” it means it is split in half. When the Mung beans are split they loose their outer skin making them even easier on the digestive system. I don’t know why but I have never seen them in a big box grocery store. Mung Beans, yes. Split Mung Beans, no. But your local Indian Grocery will have them or you can order them from a specialty shop online. Each person makes their Kitachari a little differently, here is the recipe I have been using lately: Fall Kitchari 1 Cup Moong Dal (picked through and rinsed – moong dal does not need to soak) 1/2 Cup Basmati Rice (white – because it is easier on the stomach) 5 cups water or vegetable stock (I default to veggie stock because it gives it a richer flavor but water works) 1 TBL ghee (clarified butter – it can cook at a higher temperature because the milk solids are removed) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp grated ginger 1 cup of carrots, green beans, zucchini, etc. (optional) First, in sauce pan melt the ghee on medium heat and add the spices...
by Brianna | May 6, 2017 | food is medicine, Healing Recipes
There is a great Farmer’s Market in my little town. I go every time its open, even through the winter months, because at the very least I like to buy my eggs there. I believe that happy birds produce better tasting eggs. Don’t believe me? Run a personal taste test for yourself with a small-farm fresh egg vs. one produced in a large-commercial-farm, then make up your own mind. Today is a blustery day here which is abnormal for May in the south. Having just come back from a 48-hour whirlwind visit to NYC where I walked 22 miles, visited with friends and squeezed in four yoga classes, it was the perfect Saturday to be completely cozy and do some self-care. I wore extra layers and laid around in the hammock, took a nap and made some yummy Duck-egg drop soup with ingredients I bought this morning from local farmers – all of us in the sunshine. Egg Drop Soup has just been put into permanent rotation. In my younger years I ate it a lot from Chinese Take Away but in my lifestyle – where food is medicine – it had never once occurred to me to make it. Recently I had a craving for it, read a few recipes on the Pinterest and went for it. Not only was it DELICIOUS but it is simple, forgiving (meaning lots of ingredient options) and quick – less than 30 minutes quick. Duck-Egg Drop Soup 4 Duck Eggs whisked (or 6 Chicken Eggs) 4 cups Veggie Stock (homemade is best but store bought is just fine. You can also use...
