This trio of warming drinks has been on my mind lately.
And while I’ve never been a coffee drinker myself, I do like a good, bracing cup of tea.
In fact, my morning meal doesn’t seem complete without a big mug of this steaming brew, preferably a robust variety of green tea such as Hojicha or Gunpowder.
The names alone are part of the experience!
Whether a tea or coffee drinker, who among us hasn’t visited their local Starbuck’s on occasion, or made this a regular part of their daily routine?
Not only are there coffee shops on just about every corner, but the coffee and tea aisles in the local grocery store are nearly filled to overflowing with a wide assortment of brands and flavors.
And here is where the gluten-free among us can definitely run into some challenges, since these flavored brews may not be gluten-free.
As always, you need to be diligent about reading labels, and look for words like “natural flavors” listed in the ingredients – which indicates that particular beverage may or may not be suitable.
It isn’t always clear.
If anything sounds the least bit suspect – and the words gluten-free do not appear on the label – my advice to you is to keep looking!
As for chocolate – whether hot chocolate or chocolate candy – the same advice applies, especially if you are looking for suitable Easter candy.
In honor of the Easter holiday – and this trio of beverages – I’m sharing 3 recipes that feature chocolate in one form or another.
This way, you can indulge both your sweet tooth and your chocolate cravings while knowing these treats are absolutely safe for your special diet.
The first two are for Chocolate Truffles and a luscious Chocolate -Avocado Pudding, respectively.
But first, I thought it would be fun to take a quick trip down memory lane – back to a time in history when coffee, tea and chocolate were such a rare and exotic treat – that only the upper levels of society could even afford these expensive brews.
Coffee was actually the last of these drinks to arrive, imported as it was from Africa. By the time coffee had made an appearance in Europe in the early 17th century, tea and chocolate had already been introduced about 100 years earlier!
Did you know that tea was originally imported from China?
Chocolate, on the other hand, owes its European debut to Spanish explorers who had visited Aztec lands.
Yet the earliest chocolate drinks were quite different from anything we’d partake in today. Imagine, if you will, a chocolaty beverage that was hearty and bitter – and served cold!
We’ve certainly come a long way since then.
Indeed, there is nothing quite like a mug of hot cocoa when the weather warrants it, although chocolate in any form seems to be the perfect indulgence any time of year.
I certainly appreciate a cup of hot chocolate as much as the next person, even if mine happens to be dairy free.
The following recipe for a Hot Chocolate Elixir comes from Replenish PDX, one of my favorite resources for healthy, mouth-watering recipes as well as an abundance of nutritional advice.
HOT CHOCOLATE ELIXIR – Serves 1
From Andrea Nakayama, from Replenish PDX
1 tbsp GF Cocoa powder
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Dash salt
Boiling Water
A few drops liquid Stevia, or your choice of Sweetener
1 – 2 Tbsp Coconut Milk
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a mug, and fill to the brim with boiling water. Stir to dissolve, before adding coconut milk.
Sweeten to taste as desired.
Sit back & enjoy!
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