Best Christmas Smoothies

There’s a lot that is great fun about Christmas and a bit of overindulgence is among them.  What with the chocolates, the wine, a few drinks after work, Christmas parties, big meals, party bits, the list just goes on.  Sometimes you end up feeling a bit yuck.  This is when a smoothie can be the perfect solution.  They don’t need to be ultra-healthy but can contain a few secret ingredients that make them both seasonal and helpful to your system.

Spices

Spices may be traditionally associated with Christmas cake or a good Indian meal but there are plenty of ways to include them in a smoothie and lots of benefits from doing so.  Take cinnamon, for example.  It is sweet flavoured and is known for its anti-oxidant benefits – it has the highest strength anti-oxidants of any food.  It also has anti-inflammatory properties to help with that sore knee when you walked into the table after a little too much mulled wine!

Another useful spice is cardamom, which comes in different colours from different parts of the world.  It too has anti-oxidant properties as well as helping the digestive system and the stomach as well as being a good source of minerals such as potassium that helps with body fluids.

The Gingerbread Smoothie is a great way to get these spices and more as well as having that Christmas cake vibe going.  Take one third of a cup of cashew nuts and soak them overnight.  Then pop them into the blender with:

• ½ banana
• ½ cup sweet potato puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp cardamom
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 cups almond milk

Blend until all the ingredients are mixed and smooth then deposit into that personalise bistro cafélatte glass that the kids bought you for your birthday – it will do you much more good than that latte you normally use the glass for!

Detox

Sometimes, after the excess of Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a great time to start the detox process with a special smoothie for breakfast (or lunch if you were a little late in getting up!).  Spinach is known as a super food and for good reason.  They have very little calories but are packed with important nutrients.  They are good for skin and hair health after all that styling and makeup as well as giving you loads of vitamins and minerals.

To make the Detox Green Smoothie you need:

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 cucumber
• ½ avocado
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 lemon
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds

You can also add a scoop of vanilla protein if required and any other greens you have lying around if you want an extra boost.  Add everything to the blender and whizz until smooth, adding a little water if needed.

Conclusion

These are just a couple of ideas about Christmas smoothies but there are plenty of recipes available.  Whatever you do, enjoy Christmas and then have a bit of fun with the blender afterwards!

What is a Hot Toddy?

Whether we like it or not, it seems summer has passed us by for another year and there is a definite chill in the air on an evening.  The dark nights are coming up fast and the prospect of frost and snow has to be considered, though hopefully not for a while.  But as the weather turns against us, we often come home looking for something to warm us through and one idea (though not for the kids particularly!) is the hot toddy.  But what exactly is this?

Hot toddy basics

For most people, the hot toddy involves whiskey and this has been at the heart of the drink.  But modern versions have come along that explore other alcoholic components and, apparently, some of them are quite tasty.

The phrase ‘hot toddy’ is said to have connections to a drink that was brought to Scotland by those working for the East India Company as the word toddy is a drink in India made from fermenting the sap of palm trees (doubt there were many of them in Scotland at the time).  Another possible idea for the name comes from the freshwater spring at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh and the drinks made with it – whiskey being one of them!

When it comes to choose an alcohol for the job, go for something that has the strength to stand up to the other ingredients.  A good whiskey is something like a Talisker or an Islay Malt – Chivas regal, Glenlivet and other famous brands are a little too delicate.  Bourbon works well as an after-dinner toddy with its vanilla flavours while spicy drinks also work.

The hot bit

The other main ingredient in a hot toddy is the hot element and hot water is most common.  But there are other ideas for those looking for the more exotic – these include using a spice-infused tea for a chai rum toddy while another mixed apple juice and Drambuie.  The latter is said to be a lot like mulled wine.  Sugar, sugar syrup or honey can all be added to the hot element to enhance the flavours used.

The final element is what makes the drink – the spices.  The chai toddy mention makes use of some really exotic spices such as star anise, cardamom and peppercorns though some may find them too powerful.  Traditional spices used as cloves and a cinnamon stick for a subtle heat.  Ginger is another option to add as it is also warming while ground nutmeg brings a slightly peppery taste.

Cinnamon sticks and a twist of lemon peel are often used as garnish but the great thing about this drink is there is no need to stand on show – you don’t need a fancy glass and elaborate finishing as your favourite mug that the kids got you for Christmas will do the job perfectly.  The point is to wrap the hands around the mug, inhale the warming aroma and enjoy feeling the heat of the drink warm you all the way to your toes – that’s the whole point of the hot toddy!