golden milk

I went to  a restaurant yesterday, one I hadn't been to in years.

As some of you may know, I have severe issues with gluten. I took the celiac blood test, but if you haven't recently ingested gluten, it will say "negative" to celiac's even if you do indeed have it. To sugar coat my issues....since you can't take blood tests in the restroom, I didn't eat gluten before the test. But I know I have either very bad gluten intolerance or celaic's.

Anyways...

Years ago, I was less sensitive. I could even act as if my gluten-free living was a fad diet and splurge and eat a small cookie or a bite or two of pizza or cake and survive. I enjoyed Chinese food (containing soy sauce which has wheat) and beer and all that.

Nope. Not anymore. Even cross contamination can get to me.

So I went to a Mexican restaurant and got a salad. Salads can easily be made gluten-safe.

My salad had rice, beans, pork, corn chips, lettuce, pico de gallo, creamy cilantro dressing, sour cream. Safe right?

Yeah, sure, if I ate only the pico de gallo, sour cream, lettuce. They had a sign inside about gluten allergies and possibly cross-contamination, and advised to obviously not eat the wheat tortilla.

So my salad also came in a wheat tortilla showed at the bottom which I didn't see.

The salad dressing, beans, pork, rice all had gluten. Really? I have never added wheat flour to any of those ingredients. So much for the "fresh, healthy, from scratch simple ingredients" mantra they tote.

So....

I'm counting down the moments until I live in the bathroom. I googled the gluten-free menu as I began to eat my salad. I ate probably 4 bites of meat mixed with rice and beans, then went on over to the lettuce smothered in dressing when I read it...gluten. everywhere. I then peered down to see the wheat tortilla at the bottom. The tiny corn chips which have wheat, microscopically scattered in every bite.

My friend suggested Golden Tea. She has my same -uh- issues and says it isn't a cure but lessons the blow (pun intended).

So here's my recipe!  You can use other "milk" if you can't have cow's milk, coconut milk leads well to the taste and I bet almond would too. (But did you know how much water goes into almond trees? Something like 25 gallons of water ends up producing one nut. Well one nut, some leaves and bark and stuff but you get the idea).

Ok now that I've scared you away from almonds (but they are so tasty!)...

GOLDEN MILK

1 c. milk
1/2 tea turmeric powder
1/8 tea coconut oil
1/4 tea cinnamon
1/2 tea honey 
grind of pepper (helps absorption)
1/8 tea ginger powder or tiny bit more fresh ginger
cayenne (optional)
dash cardomon powder or one cardamon pod

Surprisingly, turmeric works well taste wise. I always think of spicy curry with turmeric but it's ginger cousin means it can be sweet or savory. I imagine the cayenne (optional) would make it savory and add a boost of the medicinal glory of capsacin. But I wanted sweet. It reminds me of Chai, really. Minus the tea.

Anyway, put everything in a blender (but if using a cardamon pod, don't blend it, leave it out till cooking).

Blend till, well, blended and a little frothy. Pour into a saucepan  (add cardamon pod if doing pods) and cook over low to medium (depending on your burner) until the milk comes to a gentle and frothy scald but not a burning scald or boil.

Pour into a cup, let cool a bit (unless you like super hot burn your tongue stuff) and enjoy.

It is supposed to help with inflammation per Ayurvedic medicine practice.