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  • Start Here
  • About
    • About Our Family >
      • About Denise Cusack
    • Our Values >
      • Plant Conservation/Botanical Sanctuary
      • WR Environmental Commitment
  • What We Do
    • Permaculture Education
    • Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
  • Online Courses
    • The Regenerative Herbalist
    • Regenerative Plant Medicine Business
    • Aromatic Herbalism
  • Work With Denise
    • Permaculture Design
    • Speaking, Presentations >
      • Upcoming Presentations
      • Past Webinars, Podcasts & Classes
    • Denise Writing
  • Library
    • On the Blog >
      • Blog Archive
    • What is Permaculture?
    • Freebies
    • Wholly Rooted Farm Photos
    • Where We Are Located
    • What I'm Reading
    • Denise Art + Design >
      • Denise Art
      • Photography
    • Health Justice + Restorative Relationships + Mutual Aid >
      • HWB Donation Distribution Network
      • Seed Grants & Donation Distribution Network
      • Grow a Row for HWB
  • Media
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Summer Refreshers

6/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Summer is about warm sunny days spent at the beach, park or in the garden and steamy nights full of fireflies and mosquitoes. Cold, refreshing drinks don’t only cool us down when we are overheated, but also replenish all of the much needed nutrients lost when we have been in the sunshine working all day. These drinks are both refreshing and nourishing. Replenish our depleted reserves, while also tasting amazing. 

I published these recipes many years ago and I thought I would share again as it heats up and I'm in the kitchen concocting things to cool down and refresh.
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Fizzy Kombucha Lavender Lemonade
Juice of 4 lemons
2 cups/475 mL kombucha (citrus is nice)
1/2 cups/118 mL lavender honey
1-2 cups/235-475 mL of water

Mix your fresh lemon juice and lavender honey in a small pitcher. Add the kombucha. Stir gently. If you plan to drink straight chilled with the kombucha, then add the water to taste. If you plan to pour over ice, you can leave a little more concentrated, drinking chilled no ice, you may want the higher water amount. Be sure to taste and add more water or honey as needed - depending on how big and juicy your lemons are and the flavour of your kombucha you may want to tweak just a bit to taste. If you are making a pitcher for a party or picnic, the best bet for optimum carbonation is to pre-make the lemon/honey/water base and keep it chilled, and then add the kombucha to the base blend right before serving! 

Serve cold. A few lavender buds and a slice of lemon make a nice garnish. 
Lavender Honey
To make lavender honey, gently warm your 1/2 cup/ 118 mL of honey (LOW - no boiling!) with 2 Tbsp of dried lavender buds added. Let sit for 20-30 minutes on *very low* heat and then strain. The honey will be infused with the lavender aroma and flavour. 

Tip: Add your honey to the lemon mix when slightly warm so that it will stir in and not sink the bottom. Whisking while slowly pouring it in helps too. 
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Chia seeds are not only for cheesy ceramic sheep planters. It is a very nutrient rich seed, which has the interesting ability to swell and plump up on its mucilaginous outer layer while keeping a nice crunchy seed inside. Chia contains fibre, protein, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and so much more!  Chia frescos are very common in certain parts of the world - a Mexican food cart with a large pitcher of lime chia fresco is a beautiful sight on a hot day. This is delicious, refreshing, and helps revitalize. And don’t worry, it is nutritious, but you won’t believe how good it tastes, even with the seeds in there!

Chia Fresca
2 cups/475 mL coconut water or plain filtered water
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 tsp honey

Mix your ingredients together, stir or shake well (a canning jar with a lid is a good container to use so you can just shake shake shake) and let sit 20 minutes or so for the chia to swell. Serve chilled with a wedge of lime. 
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Herbal Shrub

Sipping vinegars, also known as shrubs or in some variations as a switchel, have been around for a long time. A few hundred years ago vinegar was used to preserve fruit for the off season and the resulting beverage was called a shrub. Switchel was another drink from that era, made from ginger, honey, vinegar, molasses, and water - also called haymaker's punch - and was often taken to the fields by farmworkers.
​

The ratio is basically 4:1. 4 parts honey/vinegar with 1 part herb. I measured by cup for this reason. With medicinals it is preferred to weigh not measure, but this is a beverage with some boost, so using cup measures will work just fine.

{ingredients}
  • 1 Tbsp dried ginger root (chunks preferred over powder so that you don't get a cloudy liquid)
  • 1 Tbsp dried rose hips
  • 1 Tbsp dried citrus peel
  • 2 Tbsp dried shredded astragalus root (again, shredded preferred over powdered)
  • 1 Tbsp dried hibiscus
  • 1/4 cup dried elderberries
  • 1/2 cup dried holy basil
  • 2.5+ cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups raw honey
  • 1-2 Tbsp molasses
Add your dried herbs to a pot with 2.5 cups of vinegar. I used 2.25 cups of raw ACV (apple cider vinegar) plus .25 cups of coconut vinegar (it has a mellow sweet flavor with a lot of minerals), but you can use all ACV if you prefer. Do not use the plain white distilled vinegar you use for your cleaning or pickles. It will be gross. Champagne vinegar is an OK substitute, but ACV is your best bet.

Bring to a boil on the stove top and reduce heat immediately, stirring. Simmer, covered, for 40-45 minutes or so. Let sit for 10 minutes off the heat.

Strain this into a large bowl through a few layers of damp cheesecloth. Don't squeeze it or you will end up with a cloudy liquid.

While the mix smells great, don't stick your nose in the pot because the vinegar will be a bit intense. And don't worry - the resulting drink doesn't taste like vinegar…you only get that strong aroma since you are simmering it on the stove!

You should end up with around 1.5 - 2 cups of liquid (herbs will absorb some, some will reduce in cooking process - so it can vary). Add fresh vinegar to get you to two cups if necessary. Mix it with equal quantity of raw honey. It should be 2 cups herb infused vinegar, 2 cups raw honey. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of molasses. Shake or stir very well - it will be completely separate when you pour the honey in at first (see below) - but if you shake or stir really well for a minute or more, it will combine. You may need to stir before each use.

You can store in your fridge for about 8 - 12 weeks or so.

To drink, add 1/4 cup sipping vinegar to a glass, fill with sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer. Try mixing a bit into your pitcher of iced tea. Mix with sparkling wine or champagne. Or, take as a tonic by sipping a tablespoon or so in a small shot or cordial glass. For kids, the best is 1/4 cup of your shrub in a glass with ice and sparkling or soda water. 
​

Combining the concept of alcohol free tincture or oxymels with the day to day deliciousness of a shrub means you can have a tasty refreshing fizzy soda with the benefits of the herbs!

Other Cold Summer Recipes I Have Posted Previously:

Iced Hibiscus Tea

Juniper Sage Soda

Banana Maca Frozen Smoothie

​

This is the time of year where I want to use the herbs as I pick them as they smell so AMAZING, I want to make things that everyone loves and that don't take too much time, and that are cooling and delicious. If they can be poured into a popsicle mold and frozen as well, that is a bonus. While I do love a nice iced herbal sun tea, different drink mixes using the amazing variety of summer herbs keep it interesting!
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Vegan Nog - dairy free!

11/13/2017

2 Comments

 
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Everywhere you look in winter there is another recipe for an eggnog or boozy drink. This version is not only alcohol free, but dairy and egg free as well. Not that you couldn't add a swig of something, but it is absolutely delicious and warming all on its own.
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Vegan Nog

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{wholly rooted}

Egg & dairy free nog recipe - using medjool dates, it is even low glycemic.

The dates give a rich creamy sweetness and a thicker texture similar to eggnog, without the eggs!

No egg, no dairy, no alcohol, but still the flavour of the holidays!

{ingredients}

  • 3 medjool dates, pitted

  • 4 cups *unsweetened* dairy-free milk of choice (coconut, cashew, hemp, rice, etc.)

  • 5 whole cloves

  • 4 whole cardamom pods

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 tsp dried or a slice of fresh ginger

  • 4 allspice

  • 1/2 a vanilla bean, split

  • optional: orange zest or dried peel

Pour your coconut milk into a pot along with the pitted dates.

You can use a teabag or strainer for the rest of your ingredients to steep in, so they are easy to remove (or just use a strainer later).

First gently crack your spices to get the most flavor from them – you can do this via pestle and mortar, or place in a bag and gently whack a few times with a rolling pin. Place all of your cracked spices into a strainer or teabag, and place in the pot.

Heat. Don’t boil, but heat enough to infuse the spices. Warm on a low-med stove for at least 10-20 minutes.

Remove the spice bag or strain out the spices (keep the dates in there though), and blend the milk and now softened dates in a blender until creamy and smooth.

Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top to serve and drink while warm!
_____

To make a larger batch for a party, use a slow cooker. Calculate how many dates you need based on how much coconut/almond/hemp milk you pour into your slow cooker. Remove a few cups of the milk and bring it to a low simmer in a pot with your dates. Blend that in a blender, and then pour and stir the blend into the master batch of milk in your slow cooker. Next, put the spices in a teabag or muslin bag & toss the whole bag into the crockpot to infuse. Heat on low-medium, and serve on your buffet table!

Published November 13, 2017

We don't do dairy in the house, as my older son has a severe allergy. And quite honestly I don't want any of us in this house to follow down the road of our genetic lottery of diabetes, so I love recipes that are not only dairy free, but also use low glycemic sweeteners. The dates also are what gives the drink that thicker creaminess. If you use rice milk, it will be a little thinner, obviously, but hemp, cashew, coconut and other thicker milks have the perfect thickness!

​
2 Comments

Fizzy Kombucha Lavender Lemonade

7/18/2016

3 Comments

 
Fizzy Kombucha Lavender Lemonade @ WhollyRooted.com
I love lavender. I used to be so sensitive to it that I definitely couldn't handle any artificial lavender anything, and even the flowers would be too intense for me. As I have cleared out all artificial fragrances in all of my home/body/bath products for years now and have gone exclusively natural and organic, I have found that I can now tolerate real lavender and even love it. I grow a lot of lavender every summer and dry it in my dehydrator for use in recipes - both for culinary and bath/body herbal use. A favorite way to use lavender is by infusing honey with it. There is some magic alchemy that lavender gives to the already aromatic honey. It is a great flavor combination. Lavender also works well with citrus. Since I love making all of my own beverages of course I have a favorite lavender lemonade recipe. 
Fizzy Kombucha Lavender Lemonade @ WhollyRooted.com
I love kombucha but my husband doesn't quite like its twang. I usually only drink it myself - my older son has MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) and is very sensitive to high histamine foods - meaning he cannot tolerate just about any cured, fermented, or aged foods of any kind. I like having it fairly regularly, and also like making it so my husband can tolerate the flavor.  Even my younger son likes this drink.  

The combination of lavender, lemons, and infused honey with the kombucha takes away the more twangy sour flavor of the kombucha, but keeps its probiotic boost. It also gives this drink a little carbonation, which gives it a nice seltzer like fizz. Some kombucha brands don't have much carbonation which is fine, but I like the fizzier ones for this recipe. This has great taste, a healthy probiotic boost, and is very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Fizzy Kombucha Lavender Lemonade

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{wholly rooted}

The classic lemonade is refreshing and delicious. This recipe adds kombucha for a fizzy probiotic healthy punch, making it taste like a fizzy soda treat. If you make your own kombucha, you are set. If you are using store bought kombucha, look for a brand that has a nice carbonation and with a flavor that goes well with citrus and lavender! I like ginger or citrus kombucha with mine.

{ingredients}

  • Juice of 4 lemons

  • 2 cups kombucha

  • 1/2 cup lavender honey (see below)

  • 1-2 cups of water

Mix your fresh lemon juice and lavender honey in a small pitcher.

Add the kombucha and stir gently.

If you plan to drink this chilled right out of the fridge, add water to taste and you are set!

If you plan to pour this over ice add your water now, but you may want to keep it a bit more concentrated and add a little less water to compensate for melting ice later.

Be sure to taste and add more water or honey as needed - depending on how big and juicy your lemons are and the flavor of your kombucha you will want to tweak this to your taste.

If you are making a big pitcher for a party or picnic, the best bet for optimum carbonation is to pre-make the lemon/honey/water base and keep it chilled, and then add the kombucha to the base blend in the pitcher right before serving!

Serve cold. A few lavender buds and a slice of lemon make a nice garnish.

Published July 18, 2016
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Tip: Add the honey to the lemon mix when slightly warm so that it will stir in and not sink the bottom. Whisking while slowly pouring it in helps too. 

Lavender Infused Honey:
To make lavender honey, gently warm your 1/2 cup of honey (LOW - no boiling!) with 2 Tbsp of dried lavender buds added. Let sit for 20-30 minutes on *very low* heat and then strain. The honey will be infused with the lavender aroma and flavor. 

More about: 
Kombucha
Lavender
Lemons


3 Comments

Hibiscus Iced Tea (caffeine-free!)

5/6/2016

5 Comments

 
caffeine-free hibiscus iced tea at whollyrooted.com
I have always been happy drinking water all day. My husband, however, likes having iced beverages with many flavors, and isn't much of a water drinker. So these days I make shrubs, switchels, fruit syrups to use with carbonated water, and of course iced teas. I prefer mixing some herbal goodness with my drinks, so this recipe combines the great properties of turmeric, ginger, hibiscus, citrus and rooibos with some fresh local honey to make an extremely delicious tea. This has so much flavor and is so refreshing - and with no caffeine we can drink it in the evening as we sit on the deck admiring the sunset.
​
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Caffeine-Free Hibiscus Iced Tea

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{wholly rooted}

Iced tea is a summer staple and this recipe combines a wonderful rich colour of hibiscus with a healthy boost of turmeric and ginger. This is has a rich twangy flavor, perfect for hot summer days or steamy evenings. Green rooibos is a caffeine-free herb that has a mild green-tea like flavour and contains antioxidants as well as minerals and flavonoids. I like using green rooibos because caffeine-free means we can drink iced tea into the evening!

{ingredients}

  • 1/2 cup dried hibiscus

  • 1" of fresh ginger sliced

  • 1" of fresh turmeric, grated (don't substitute powdered for fresh - if you don't have it, leave it out!)

  • 2 Tbsp dried citrus peel

  • 1-2 Tbsp green rooibos (or you can use green tea for a mildly caffeinated version)

  • 1/2 cup honey (more or less to taste)

  • Juice of 1 lime

Using a half gallon canning jar or heat safe pitcher add your hibiscus, ginger, turmeric, citrus peel, and rooibos.

Pour about 2 quarts of water from a hot kettle (hot not boiling) over your herbs in the jar/pitcher, and let steep about 15-20 minutes.

Strain with a fine strainer.

Add your honey and freshly squeezed lime juice while still warm, and stir.

Chill and serve over ice!

This recipe is made a bit concentrated so that when poured into a cup of ice it doesn’t taste watery. If you are drinking it un-iced right out of the fridge, you may want to dilute a bit, to taste!

Published May 6, 2016
caffeine-free hibiscus iced tea at whollyrooted.com

I love drinks that are not too sweet and that are very refreshing. Today is going to get into the 80's and I have already been outside watering the garden, opening up the greenhouses and watering all of the seedlings. The first thing I wanted when I came inside was a cold glass of iced tea. Yum. This is one of my favorite cold drink recipes and the smell and taste of it just feel like summer to me! 


More about these ingredients:
Green Rooibos Tea Benefits and Use
Health Benefits of Hibiscus
The Amazing and Mighty Ginger
6 Health Benefits of Turmeric
8 Healthy Lime Facts

5 Comments

Spiced Turmeric Milk.

12/22/2015

1 Comment

 
Spiced Turmeric Milk whollyrooted.com
 
Turmeric has been used traditionally not only as a flavorful spice/seasoning, but also for its health benefits. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The addition of ginger gives this drink a warm spicy flavor, and is good for digestion and also an anti-inflammatory.  I consciously add anti-inflammatory foods to my diet as much as I can to help support anti-inflammatory processes in my body, and having a drink with both ginger and turmeric is an added bonus. The taste is rich and creamy with a hint of a musky chai-like undertone. It is delicious.  This rich golden milk is great during seasonal transitions when it can go from warm to cold in one day or when you get inside after a cold day in the snow, and a steaming mug of spicy milk tastes and feels wonderful. 
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Spiced Turmeric Milk

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{wholly rooted}

While using fresh turmeric is best, it can be hard to find at the market during certain times of year, so this recipe uses powdered. This is delicious on a cold winter day.

{ingredients}

  • 1 1/4 cup coconut milk

  • 1 tsp turmeric powder

  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder

  • 1/8 tsp ground spice blend *

  • honey, to taste

Warm the coconut milk in a saucepan on the stove.

Add the spices, and gently heat while whisking, until all of the powder is fully integrated. Do not boil.

When hot, pour into a mug, add honey to taste, and sprinkle a pinch of the spice blend over the top as well.

Drink!


*Spice Blend

This aromatic blend is delicious with this golden milk, as well as sprinkled over hot cocoa, coffee, or chai.

½ cinnamon stick, or 2 tsp
6 cloves
4 allspice
3 cardamom pods
4 white peppercorns

Whiz the spices together in an herbal grinder or with your mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight jar. Use as needed!

Published December 20, 2015
Spiced Turmeric Milk whollyrooted.com

​
​I love using turmeric and ginger as much as I can, and this drink is so delicious and rich and spicy. I do like coffee (we roast our own beans) and I love herbal tea (I grow and dry my own herbs all summer long to make herbal tea blends), but I also like having a hot drink that has a different flavor in my winter mug rotation!


Curcumin!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12676044
http://cms.herbalgram.org/expandedE/Turmericroot.html?ts=1450805564&signature=ac9639920279f278fee0cd0a5d3c813e
​
1 Comment

chai spiced cider

10/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Chai Spiced Apple Cider @ Wholly Rooted

This is the time of year for apple orchards, cool autumn days, and falling leaves. It is also the time for simmering pots of cider on the stove, infused with spices to warm the body and make the whole house smell amazing.

We are lucky to live near many apple orchards  - the closest is just 4.5 miles away. Just about every weekend from late September until November we are picking up gallons of freshly pressed cider and bushels of apples to make and bake with. As it gets dark earlier and earlier, we tuck in more in the evenings and play board games, cards, and even poker together. It is a family ritual to have a cup of steaming cider while we play and I make this almost daily. 
Autumn in Wisconsin whollyrooted.com
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Chai Spiced Cider

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{wholly rooted}

This mulling spice blend is based on aromatic chai. These spices are wonderful with cider, and add even more depth and flavor to your hot cider recipe. Double or triple the recipe and put it in a crockpot on low or pour warm into a punch bowl - perfect for parties!

{ingredients}

  • 4-5 cups fresh apple cider

  • 1/2 tsp powdered ginger

  • 1 tsp cinnamon chips (or 1 broken up cinnamon stick)

  • 8 whole cloves

  • 6 cardamom pods

  • 1/2 star anise

  • 3 allspice

  • 1/2 split vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla glycerite/extract

  • pinch fresh nutmeg

  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup

  • 1 Tbsp dried orange peel

  • 5 threads saffron (optional)

Pour your fresh apple cider into a pot.

You get the most flavor if you crack your whole spices first - you can do this by simply putting the spices on a cutting board and gently cracking with the side of your kitchen knife, or gently cracking using the bottom of a mug. If you are using a whole cinnamon stick, you can break in half with your hands.

Put all of your cracked spices in a big tea bag, large tea diffuser, or muslin bag to steep, and put into your cider.

Simmer gently for 15 minutes, turn off heat, and let cool a bit before serving.

Pour maple syrup into cider, and stir.

Pour into mugs and enjoy warm!

If you are making a big batch for a party, try floating a few apple slices atop the cider in the crockpot or punch bowl, or using tall cinnamon sticks as stirrers!

Published October 8, 2015

Cider in the fall is one of those family rituals that makes the season feel complete to us. The house fills with the amazing aroma of apples, cinnamon, and other spices. It warms us after an evening walk on a chilly night. It simply means fall is here. Enjoy!
0 Comments

DIY Soda :: juniper-sage syrup

7/24/2015

2 Comments

 
DIY Soda: Juniper-Sage Drink Syrup www.whollyrooted.com
In this house, we love making our own beverages. We make infused water, shrubs, syrups, switchels, and teas. My husband even roasts his own coffee beans. I drink a lot of water, but having a variety of beverages is nice - so many flavors! Every summer I find myself making this blend of juniper, ginger, sage, and lime. This combination is tangy, sweet, and earthy. Very different, and *very* good. 

DIY Soda: Juniper-Sage Drink Syrup www.whollyrooted.com
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My husband spent some time as a child in Germany, and so grew up on a little bit of syrup or fruit juice in a glass topped with seltzer water. These days we have a soda stream. We make all of our own syrups, but the little machine is a great fast way to fizz our own filtered water and use it to make drinks. This drink syrup is a base. You make the syrup, store it in the fridge, and when you want a drink, you make it right then. It is very easy. You simply add some ice to a glass, add a few tablespoons of the drink base (to taste), and top with seltzer water. It is cold, fizzy, and flavorful. DIY soda! And all homemade. Delicious! 

{Try making a cocktail version using syrup, gin, and seltzer!}


DIY Soda: Juniper-Sage Syrup

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{wholly rooted}

Make your own syrup base and then use for homemade sodas. Add a little of the syrup base to a glass with ice, pour in seltzer water or club soda to fill, and enjoy!

{ingredients}

  • 2 cups of honey (or turbinado sugar)

  • 2 cups water

  • 4 Tbsp dried juniper berries, crushed

  • 1-2" of fresh ginger, sliced

  • 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped

  • Zest of 1 lime

  • Juice of 2 limes

Make sure you crush the juniper berries a little to release their flavor.

Add the honey/sugar, water, ginger, juniper berries and sage to a pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Strain into a pitcher or quart jar.

Add the zest of 1 lime and the juice of 2 large limes.

Stir.

Keep in the refrigerator, and pour syrup out to use each time you make a drink.

To use: Measure a few tablespoons of the syrup into a glass with ice. Pour over seltzer water or club soda. Serve with a wedge of lime!

Use as much syrup as you prefer per drink. Some people like just a hint of flavor, some like sweeter soda-like drinks. Start out with just a splash and tweak to get the flavor you like!

Makes approximately 4 cups / 15-30 servings depending upon how much you use per drink.

Published July 24, 2015
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Making your own drink syrup is very quick and easy, and homemade sodas taste fantastic!


{{Juniper berries are the seed cone produced by juniper. When dried they have a fresh green piney aroma and flavor. Juniper berries are used a lot in scandinavian and european cuisine to flavor meats and fermented veggies - and juniper berries are the main flavor in gin.  You can find dried juniper berries in the spices or dried herb section of most grocery stores. Online they can be found at places like iherb, Williams-Sonoma, Mountain Rose Herbs, Penzeys Spices, etc. }}
2 Comments

Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie

5/21/2014

2 Comments

 
Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie {wholly rooted}

This is the time of year I most often start in the garden early before it heats up. My boys wake up early and so I start them some breakfast, and then head outside. When I come back in I am often craving something cold. This breakfast smoothie is of course yummy for the whole family, but is a nice adult flavor too. It tastes like a rich chocolate banana milkshake - of course without any dairy. Really good. The cacao and maca also give me a bit of an energy boost for the day, without having a coffee and the chia addition not only adds some nutrients and fiber, but make the smoothie feel even more like a meal. My boys love love love smoothies too, but they usually prefer cherries/peaches/greens/juiced things/coconut yogurt types of sweet fruity flavors, and not seeds or cacao. Crazy boys. 

Banana Mocha Maca Morning Smoothie {wholly rooted}

Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie

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{wholly rooted}

An icy morning smoothie packed with nutrients and antioxidants with a rich wonderful flavor. Forget the coffee - start the day with a cool, filling smoothie.

{ingredients}

  • 2 frozen bananas

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

  • 3 medjool dates, pitted, soaked

  • 1 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

  • 1 tsp. maca powder

  • 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

  • 2 tsp. soaked chia seeds

  • 1-2 Tbsp. coconut milk (or water)

First soak your dates. I will place them in some kettle water first thing when I am making the boys breakfast. Or, soaking overnight even works.

When you remove your soaked pitted dates from the water, save a few tablespoons of it and soak your chia seeds while you assemble and measure everything.

Put your ingredients into a blender.

Whiz on high until smooth.

The last ingredient of coconut milk or water is to get the smoothie to a drinkable consistency, and how much may vary on how much water is in your dates and chia, etc. Just slowly add enough liquid to make it the consistency you like.

This will make 2 smoothies, or one big pint size one just for you.

Published May 21, 2014
Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie {wholly rooted}

Quite honestly, I rarely if ever eat breakfast. Which is bad for me with how my blood sugar works. I make food for the kids and wander off to work in the garden, clean up, or work on projects for a bit while they eat. Making a smoothie though, is easier for me (for some reason). And after being in the garden something cool encourages me a bit more. As does something that takes just a few minutes to whiz up.  This has enough in it that it is a good breakfast, and gets me through to lunch time!
2 Comments

Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub

3/24/2014

1 Comment

 
Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}
Sipping vinegars have been making a comeback within local artisan food communities. Sipping vinegars, also known as shrubs or in some variations as a switchel, have been around for a long time. During Colonial times, vinegar was used to preserve fruit for the off season and the resulting beverage was called a shrub. Switchel was another drink from that era, made from ginger, honey, vinegar, molasses, and water - also called haymaker's punch - and was often taken to the fields by farmworkers. A switchel was used like gatorade or sports drinks today - to refresh, cool, and replenish. I like them because the flavor options are endless, and they are a nice way to combine the medicinal or immune system boosting power of herbs with fizzy delicious better-than-a-can-of-soda-could-ever-be flavors. In this house we have some intolerance to corn syrup and manufactured citric acid so we don't do canned sodas. BUT we sometimes still love fizzy drinks. Water kefir, honey sweetened fruit syrups, and shrubs are our favorite homemade concoctions. 

This blend contains a rich combination of flavors. Elderberry, holy basil, astragalus, rose hips, ginger, citrus peel, and hibiscus. I like this in spring when we need a little immune system boost and support after a long winter and with the start of spring cold & allergy season. 
Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}
Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}

holy basil-elderberry shrub

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from whollyrooted.com

The ratio is basically 4:1. 4 parts honey/vinegar with 1 part herb. I measured by cup for this reason. With medicinals it is preferred to weigh not measure, but this is a beverage with some boost, so using cup measures will work just fine.

{ingredients}

  • 1 Tbsp dried ginger root (chunks preferred over powder so that you don't get a cloudy liquid)

  • 1 Tbsp dried rose hips

  • 1 Tbsp dried citrus peel

  • 2 Tbsp dried shredded astragalus root (again, shredded preferred over powdered)

  • 1 Tbsp dried hibiscus

  • 1/4 cup dried elderberries

  • 1/2 cup dried holy basil

  • 2.5+ cups apple cider vinegar

  • 2 cups raw honey

  • 1-2 Tbsp molasses

Add your dried herbs to a pot with 2.5 cups of vinegar. I used 2.25 cups of raw ACV (apple cider vinegar) plus .25 cups of coconut vinegar (it has a mellow sweet flavor with a lot of minerals), but you can use all ACV if you prefer. Do not use the plain white distilled vinegar you use for your cleaning or pickles. It will be gross. Champagne vinegar is an OK substitute, but ACV is your best bet.

Bring to a boil on the stove top and reduce heat immediately, stirring. Simmer, covered, for 40-45 minutes or so. Let sit for 10 minutes off the heat.

Strain this into a large bowl through a few layers of damp cheesecloth. Don't squeeze it or you will end up with a cloudy liquid.

While the mix smells great, don't stick your nose in the pot because the vinegar will be a bit intense. And don't worry - the resulting drink doesn't taste like vinegar…you only get that strong aroma since you are simmering it on the stove!

You should end up with around 1.5 - 2 cups of liquid (herbs will absorb some, some will reduce in cooking process - so it can vary). Add fresh vinegar to get you to two cups if necessary. Mix it with equal quantity of raw honey. It should be 2 cups herb infused vinegar, 2 cups raw honey. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of molasses. Shake or stir very well - it will be completely separate when you pour the honey in at first (see below) - but if you shake or stir really well for a minute or more, it will combine. You may need to stir before each use.

You can store in your fridge for about 8 - 12 weeks or so.

Published March 20, 2014
Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}
Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}
To drink, add 1/4 cup sipping vinegar to a glass, fill with sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer. Try mixing a bit into your pitcher of iced tea. Mix with sparkling wine or champagne. Or, take as a tonic by sipping a tablespoon or so in a small shot or cordial glass. For kids, the best is 1/4 cup of your shrub in a glass with ice and sparkling or soda water. 

Holy Basil-Elderberry Shrub Recipe {wholly rooted}

Combining the concept of alcohol free tincture or oxymels with the day to day deliciousness of a shrub means you can have a tasty refreshing fizzy soda with the benefits of the herbs!

Holy Basil (ocimum sanctum) is a great adaptogenic herb that I think is underused. It has a peppery floral aroma when dried, and I think has a great flavor, especially when combined with citrus or berries. I often use it in tea blends, syrups, and vinegars. It is a nice all around herb for support.
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Maple Maca Mocha

2/28/2014

5 Comments

 
Maple Maca Mocha {Wholly Rooted}
Warm creamy beverages are popular in this house. I have a husband who works from a home office and is on his feet in video conferences quite literally all day long. He has Raynaud's Phenomenon, meaning his fingers (and toes) turn white and then blue from even a mild chill. BUT, if he drank hot coffee all day long he would bounce off of the walls. So I like to rotate by making my own tea blends, coffee drinks, warm ciders, and this. Maple Maca Mocha. It is so delicious (and in summer is fantastic iced). 

The main ingredient, Maca, is considered a superfood. It gets that moniker from its adaptogenic properties and the fact that it is super high in minerals, sterols, essential fatty acids, fiber, protein, and amino acids. Maca is a root vegetable which has been used in South America for ages as a food staple and herbal boost for stamina, stress, and energy. If you look at PubMed, you can see many studies have shown that Maca can indeed increase stamina, reduce muscle fatigue after workouts, lower anxiety and depression, and may boost hormonal function and sex drive (woo hoo!).  So not a bad ingredient to add in a frothily delicious drink on a chilly morning!
maca powder: superfood
{ingredients}

3 Tbsp powdered Maca

3 Tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

3 Tbsp maple syrup

3 cups of drinking coconut milk

1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla ext)

pinch cinnamon

pinch ginger

optional: 2 shots of espresso, or 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
{how to}

Warm your coconut milk in a pot on your stove. Add your scraped vanilla bean and whisk to get it all distributed. You can place the whole bean shell into the pot to infuse more vanilla flavor too (just pull it out before serving). Whisk in all the rest of the ingredients. Keep whisking. Keep whisking. Let it warm up on the stove for 5-7 minutes, whisking every minute or so. DO NOT boil. You just want to warm it enough to dissolve the cocoa/maca/spices and get to a nice drinking temperature. Remove from heat. Whisk again and remove your vanilla bean. Taste it. I like mine just like this. My husband likes a little more sweetness, so I add coconut palm sugar to his to taste. 

If you like, zest a little organic orange over the top. 

Drink!

This makes 2 large mugs of Maple Maca Mocha (say that fast three times). 

Maca is in the Brassicaceae family, so if you have allergies to mustards, crucifers or cabbages, etc. you should probably avoid it.
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    denise cusack

    I am a certified aromatherapist, clinical herbalist, permaculture designer,  organic gardener, plant conservationist, photographer, writer, designer, artist, nature lover,  health justice activist, whole foods maker, and mother of two young adults  in south central Wisconsin. 

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