I've recently had a little trouble sleeping, but I don't like to take sleep aids. So I have been using a sleepy time tea that you buy at the store. I was amazed by how well it worked. So I ended up researching what they put in the tea. I was shocked when I found out that the red coloring comes from an additive called carmine. It essentially is crushed bugs! Ew, there was no way I'd continue to drink those brand name sleepy time teas. So I researched a good recipe without chamomile. I ended up finding a beautifully simple one from Nourished Kitchen. I went to the local health foods store/farmer's market to buy the different herbs. I bought: dried licorice root, lemon balm, spearmint, rose petals, fennel seeds, and lavender flowers. I am trying it right now as I write. I really like the softness of flavors. It isn't overwhelming. The color is nice. I felt very homey and calm while grinding everything in a mortal and pestle. Overall, I feel a little bit more calm and sleepy, so maybe it'll work. Perhaps I will continue making this as a nice little bedtime routine.
 |
| My stack of herbs. Can't wait to use these for other things too. |
 |
| Sleepy tea plus a pear oatmeal crisp. It was just a quick mix that I threw together (recipe below) |
Pear-Oatmeal Crisp
- sliced pear
- oiled pan
- rolled oats
- sugar
- soy milk
- raspberry jam
- mixture of nuts (any kind you like)
- chopped mint and basil
- cinammon
I took the pear slices and laid them on the bottom of a well oiled pan. In a bowl, I mixed the nuts and some raisins with sugar, oats, cinnamon, and a splash of soy milk. I poured the oatmeal mixture over the pears. I placed the pan in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. While it was baking, I mixed some raspberry jam with soy milk, mint, and basil. I spooned it over the pan and baked for the last minute. Overall cook time was about twenty minutes to let everything become golden. It was a pretty good and healthy alternative to regular crisps that are laden with gluten, butter, and sugar.
