Lavender Blueberry Moon Milk is a comforting cup of cozy to lull you to sleep tonight. With just a hint of lavender for relaxation, and the sweet-tart flavor of blueberry, which is rich in magnesium, who wouldn’t want to drink moon milk? Sweet Dreams.
What is Moon Milk?
When I was flying home from Oregon, stopping in Seattle for a quick minute, I stumbled upon the book Moon Milk by Gina Fontana in a gift shop. Filled with stunning pictures, I needed something beautiful to pass my time as I traveled. Excitedly, I picked up the book and bought it on the spot. Yes, I am one of those people who buys things in an airport. I had never heard of Moon Milk before, but the concept was familiar. Don’t you just love the name?
When you were little, did your mom give you a mug of warm milk and send you off to bed? Warm milk is soothing, nourishing, and calming to the body, especially at bedtime. When health-promoting adaptogens, superfoods, herbs, and spices are added, the body gets that little extra boost to help it reach its slumber. Sleep is a necessary factor in our health, regulating our mood and memory. In my herbal certification course with Herbal Academy, I fell in love with the holistic Ayurvedic approach to health. In particular, the use of adaptogens—plants and mushrooms that help the body “adapt” and respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and overall well-being.
Bedtime drinks such as Golden Milk (also a Moon Milk) or Chai tea have been essential in my bedtime routine, but when I discovered Moon Milk (the name alone thrills me), I was all over discovering and jumping into a new cup of cozy. Moon Milk is made with a base of either whole cow’s milk or any plant-based nut milk that you prefer. I love my raw dairy, but I have also enjoyed preparing this recipe with my favorite nut milk I prepare with my Almond Cow: almond, cashew, and macadamia milk. Feel free to use whichever milk you prefer.
Recipe
Lavender Blueberry Moon Milk
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (I use organic whole, unhomogenized, and low-heat pasteurized or raw cow milk or my favorite plant-based milk with almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts that I prepare with my Almond Cow). Feel free to use whichever milk you prefer.
- 1 T Blueberry extract powder or ground freeze-dried blueberries
- 1/2 tsp lavender paste (a little goes a long way)
- 1 tsp ashwagandha powder (optional)
- 1 T pure maple syrup
- 1 T raw, grated Cacao Butter, MCT Oil, or Ghee
Instructions
- Warm milk in a pot on the stove on medium-low heat.
- Swirl in lavender paste, blueberry powder, ashwagandha powder, and maple syrup.
- Using a fine zester/grater, grate in 1 T Cacao Butter OR 1 T healthy fat of your choice such as MCT oil, or Ghee,
- Use a whisk or hand frother to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
- Pour into your favorite mug and garnish with freeze-dried blueberries and lavender buds (optional for asthetics and beautiy). Truthful disclosure...freeze dried blueberries and lavender buds look beautiful in pictures but they are rather annoying and uncozy in real life. I omit the garnish when preparing this in real life. Just say'n.
- Share with your favorite person and EnJOY! Sweet Dreams
Key Players and Their Benefits
- Lavender: Lavender is known for its soothing and calming effects. It is usually most known for diffusing in the air as a favorite essential oil. It has an herbaceous and pungent flavor, but in a small dose mixed with blueberry, the flavors marry well together. Lavender has been known to elevate the mood, aid in digestion, ease you into sleep, and is excellent for burns and tension headaches. A little goes a long way. Technically, you could use an extract of lavender, but I prefer the paste form. Essential oils may be too powerful, but hey, try a drop and see. Make sure it is of food and therapeutic grade before ingesting.
- Blueberry: Besides being a delicious flavor and the main component to the beautiful bluish color of this gorgeous moon milk, blueberries are known for their high magnesium content, which helps the body and brain relax, regulate melatonin, and wind down. They are also high in tryptophan—you know that essential amino acid responsible for the turkey coma after Thanksgiving dinner? Blueberries are a superfood loaded with antioxidants that help our bodies protect against stress caused by sleep issues and help support brain and memory health.
- Ashwagandha—Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is wonderful for balancing stress levels and fatigue, calming the nerves, supporting the body’s immune system, boosting energy and stamina, and promoting vitality and regeneration. I love it because it is known for balancing cortisol levels.
- Cacao Butter/ Ghee/ MCT oil: Cacao Butter is great for mood improvement, helping the brain settle down and stop racing for the evening. The main reason to incorporate a healthy fat with your evening cup of cozy is that fat helps assimilate vitamins and minerals, helps reduce swelling, is great for the skin, hair, and nails, gives your body a feeling of satiety (fullness), helps with mental clarity, and fuels the brain. Plus, it just makes it more yummy!
Precautions in Using Herbs and Roots
Just a note of caution: Ashwagandha root is not for use in pregnancy except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. It is recommended that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, mainly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
*This recipe has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Herbs are used to aid the body in promoting a healthy lifestyle. For educational purposes only.
Furthering Your Herbal Education
If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of herbs, either for culinary purposes, learning to make your own herbal remedies, herbs with children, or even furthering your education to become a certified herbalist or start your own herbal business, I highly recommend these websites:
Learning Herbs.com
I began my herbal journey on LearningHerbs.com. I took my children through the Herb Fairies course and enjoyed the Wildcraft board game with them. Learning and discovering with my children has enriched our relationships and passed on a wonderful herbal heritage to them.
I recommend all their courses and Rosalee De La Foret’s excellent book, Alchemy of Herbs. You can watch a video trailer of her book here. Truthfully, this book launched me into my herbal studies as it easily introduces you to twenty-nine of the most common herbs and several recipes to make with them. I have tried almost all of them. Alchemy of Herbs is one of my favorite go-to herbal cookbooks. Honestly, the recipes have been amazing, and I will feature some of them as well as adaptations of her recipes on this blog in the future.
Herbal Academy
As I continued my herbal journey, I wanted to go further and become certified as an herbalist and possibly create my own body, home, and wellness care products to sell as a business. I am currently enrolled at Herbal Academy in their Introductory, Intermediate, and Business courses, where I have been engaged in over four years of intensive study. The courses are phenomenal, and I encourage anyone to take charge of their own healthcare, even if mastery is not the goal. Learning how to incorporate healing herbs and plants into your diet, as well as discovering how the nutrients in various foods have healing properties, is a wonderful skill. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is famous for saying, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Amen that.
Romanticize Your Evening Routine
Truthfully, Moon Milk does not need to be complicated or involve many expensive ingredients. I have suggested a few alternatives for things that you may have more readily on hand. Other ingredients are totally optional. When you discover a moon milk recipe you are over the moon for (and I intend to discover more), it is worth investing in some quality ingredients to aid in your nighttime routine. Create those precious moments of sanctuary for yourself, and look forward to romanticizing your life with a bit of self-love at bedtime. This recipe makes two delicious cups for you and someone you love. P.S. Check out my Morning Sanctuary video on my YouTube Channel if you want a little morning inspiration.
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Organic Blueberry Extract Powder
Organic Ashwagandha Root Powder
Zester/Grater (one of my most used kitchen utensils!)
Freeze-dried blueberries—Trader Joe’s carries freeze-dried fruit at the best prices if you want to be fancy and garnish your Moon Milk. This is not necessary but totally pretty.
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In everything you do -eat, play, and love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!
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