Over the last 2 weeks, we have experienced some seriously freezing weather! One day I was out getting my once a day exercise and it actually felt painful to be out!
In these times when you need to go and get fresh air, just having a warm drink really warms you from the inside out which is why there have been quite a few queues outside coffee shops and coffee vans across the seafront.
This last week a couple of established coffee shops have announced closing their take away options as they are worried about the safety of their staff and also the number of people venturing down to grab a coffee and go!
It’s quite sad that our favourite coffee stops might be put on hold but don’t let that spoil your outside walk and think about maybe stopping by quieter spots on your journey to avoid standing in a horrendously long queue.
One option is to make up a flask of a warm drink to take with you and then you won’t feel cold or disappointed if you can’t grab a hot drink out.
You may feel by the time you head off on a walk you are all caffeined out and so here are some alternative drinks to tea and coffee that are soothing, good for you, and bring comfort in the Winter times we are in.
Turmeric Latte
This drink has stormed the menu boards across the country as a warming and caffeine-free alternative to the usual choices we make. It can be made with soya, oat, coconut milk, or standard milk and the trick is how the turmeric is added to the milk. Cinnamon sprinkles on the top will add another bow to the health benefits of this drink.
Turmeric derives its medicinal superpowers from the compound curcumin that has anti-inflammatory properties and can help fight depression so not only will this drink be warming but is healthy and will boost your mood!
There are many recipes for this drink on the internet but I found this one worked because it adds a touch of black pepper and tastes nice and sweet too!
Ingredients
2 cups of milk of your choice (semi-skimmed, soya, coconut, almond etc.)
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
pinch of black pepper
Method
Warm all ingredients in a small saucepan until it comes to a low simmer.
Whisk well to mix all the spices and pour into a flask. There should be enough to serve two people
Honey, Lemon and Ginger
This heart-warming drink to warm your cockles is made with honey and lemon and is also great for sore throats. It can help you regain a lost voice, whilst the ginger settles your tummy. Just add the juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp of honey and a piece of chopped, peeled root ginger to some hot water.
You can buy great local honey by the 100mls at Package Free Larder . You need to take a container for this or you can buy one of their recycled jars for 50p. You can also buy a jar from the Southsea Deli which is on Elm Grove and they work with local suppliers to bring top quality produce to the shop. Root ginger is available across the road at the Mediterranean on Elm Grove or of course from all good supermarkets.
Hot Not Toddy
Get the full recipe here
Gingerbread Spice Hot Chocolate
Take your usual hot chocolate powder whether that be Cadburys or a more luxurious blend and put it into a small bowl with the other dry ingredients. We received a lovely Hotel Chocolat blend before Christmas but there are lots of other brands out there.
Ingredients
25g Cocoa Mix
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp All Spice
1/4 Clove spice
Pinch of grated nutmeg
mix all together in the bowl.
Method
Heat up your preferred milk in the pan, around 1 cup full or more if you want to share with a partner.
Slowly add in the mix and whisk well then transfer to a flask just before the boil.
You can add dark chocolate shavings to the top or you can add marshmallows. All the spices will warm you up and the velvety texture of the drink really makes you feel good.
Vanilla Almond Milk
If I have drunk quite a bit of tea in the morning when I head out to a coffee shop I like to have a Chai Latte. There are certain places I like lattes from but my absolute go-to for Chai Latte has to be Hideout Coffee. Ross just knows how I like my Chai and I would walk there on a mission to get one because they are the bee’s knees. Thankfully they are still open for takeaway and still offer the most amazing donuts you can eat on your walk! This drink however is a lovely warming, comforting drink you can take out with you and will help you to survive the cold snap we have been experiencing.
You might not have almond extract in the cupboard as a usual staple but if you buy some just like vanilla extract it will last for a long time.
When my son was a toddler and stopped having formula I used to make him hot milk with just vanilla extract and he used to love it!
Ingredients
I cup of preferred milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Ground Cinnamon
Method
Pour the milk in to a pan and add the cinnamon stick, almond extract and vanilla extract. Slowly heat but don’t let it get to full boil usually for around 5 minutes. Whisk all the ingredients together then transfer to flask or mug, add the sugar and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.
All these drink recipes are adaptable and you can add different bits and take away some spices if you don’t like them.
Coastal Remedy on Marmion Road sells a wonderful tea range where you just add water and there are some really nice flavours so that is a thought if you wanted to have a quick option. My favourite is the Morning Kick range by Bird Blend but there are some lovely choices. Have a look here.
Hope you enjoy them and if you try any of them please let me know what you think?
I love these Nigella Cookies that are so easy to make. They bake very quickly and are delicious to have with one of these drinks. I have tried to make them gluten-free but they came out more like granola but as a normal cookie they are my go-to as a staple cookie to make. Putting into an airtight container they last well too so if you make a big batch you can save some for a couple of days! if they last that long in your home that is!
Here is the recipe
