Good Morning to you,
I love apple and cinnamon.... especially in a pie, so I thought the same flavours in a drink would work well.
I really enjoy a nice cup of coffee..... not too strong, but of medium strength. The problem is, I have been enjoying a little too much coffee recently, so in a bid to decrease my coffee intake, I have been drinking herbal teas and I have set myself a limit of 2 cups of coffee a day.
I have tried caffeine free coffee..... but do you know, it isn't the same.... it lacks something and to be honest, I am not, as yet, enjoying my change of drink regime.
That is until Natasha came to the rescue, with an idea for a drink I have not tried before.... a hot apple and cinnamon drink. My ears pricked up when she mentioned apples and cinnamon because,
I love apple and cinnamon.... especially in a pie, so I thought the same flavours in a drink would work well.
Also, the weather here, is still quite cold, so a hot apple and cinnamon drink sounds just the ticket to help combat our cold, grey days.
Natasha shared the ingredients with me, but I could not use her method, as Natasha uses a Thermo Mix to make her Hot Apple and Cinnamon drink. A Thermo Mix is as close to a saucepan as a BMW is to a Morris Minor. It is an amazing piece of equipment and as you know, I am not easily impressed by gadgetry. I hear about all the wonderful dishes which Natasha creates, using this piece of equipment and I have to tell you, next time I visit Natasha, she is going to give me a lesson, on how to use a Thermo Mix, but for today, I will be using my trusty saucepan.
I was just wondering, why a Morris Minor popped into my head, as it is not a car I have thought about for ages. I believe they are now classed as vintage cars and you don't see many on the roads nowadays, well maybe the odd one or two. Then I remembered. When George and I first met, a friend of George's owned a Morris Minor and the memory made me smile, because do you know how he decorated his dashboard.... with red roses. In case you are impressed, they were not fresh roses, but the red plastic roses which were given as a free gift with Daz washing powder. Now I cannot remember, if the plastic roses were a bid to attract the girls.... I think they were, I also think he would have had much more luck, if the flowers had been real, but we were all in our late teens and who could afford roses in those days, certainly not us. It was impressive that our friend even owned a car, as he was the only person within our group, who did.
Also remember, it was the days of "Flower Power" when teenagers wore "flowers in their hair". Our friend wore his hair short, so he could not (and probably would not) wear flowers in his hair, so maybe the roses were his bid to be on the fringes of the Flower Power scene..... but I'm still going with the theory that the roses were to attract the girls.
As much as I love roses.... and not the plastic variety, I think I had better get on and organise myself, before I start talking about the roses which are shooting in my garden. If I start talking about my garden, you will never know what I am making today.
So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am listening to, is something a little different. The artist is the magnificent Cesaria Evora.
I first heard Cesaria sing when I lived in Cyprus. When I listen to Cesaria singing, her voice creates a sense of calm and I just love listening to her.
At the moment, I am trying to create an Itunes list of music which I enjoy listening to, so that when I share an album, all you have to do, is click a button. For now, I have created the list and I had hoped that I would be able to share some of Cesaria's music with you today.... but as yet, no such luck. I have listed the songs, but I cannot get them to appear on my blog. That is what I enjoy about blogging, you cannot rest on your laurels, there is always something new to learn. I will keep trying and one day, as if by magic, my Itunes list will appear for you to enjoy.
....but for now, I need to stop thinking about the Itunes widget and get on with organising my ingredients.
I was just wondering, why a Morris Minor popped into my head, as it is not a car I have thought about for ages. I believe they are now classed as vintage cars and you don't see many on the roads nowadays, well maybe the odd one or two. Then I remembered. When George and I first met, a friend of George's owned a Morris Minor and the memory made me smile, because do you know how he decorated his dashboard.... with red roses. In case you are impressed, they were not fresh roses, but the red plastic roses which were given as a free gift with Daz washing powder. Now I cannot remember, if the plastic roses were a bid to attract the girls.... I think they were, I also think he would have had much more luck, if the flowers had been real, but we were all in our late teens and who could afford roses in those days, certainly not us. It was impressive that our friend even owned a car, as he was the only person within our group, who did.
Also remember, it was the days of "Flower Power" when teenagers wore "flowers in their hair". Our friend wore his hair short, so he could not (and probably would not) wear flowers in his hair, so maybe the roses were his bid to be on the fringes of the Flower Power scene..... but I'm still going with the theory that the roses were to attract the girls.
As much as I love roses.... and not the plastic variety, I think I had better get on and organise myself, before I start talking about the roses which are shooting in my garden. If I start talking about my garden, you will never know what I am making today.
So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am listening to, is something a little different. The artist is the magnificent Cesaria Evora.
I first heard Cesaria sing when I lived in Cyprus. When I listen to Cesaria singing, her voice creates a sense of calm and I just love listening to her.
At the moment, I am trying to create an Itunes list of music which I enjoy listening to, so that when I share an album, all you have to do, is click a button. For now, I have created the list and I had hoped that I would be able to share some of Cesaria's music with you today.... but as yet, no such luck. I have listed the songs, but I cannot get them to appear on my blog. That is what I enjoy about blogging, you cannot rest on your laurels, there is always something new to learn. I will keep trying and one day, as if by magic, my Itunes list will appear for you to enjoy.
....but for now, I need to stop thinking about the Itunes widget and get on with organising my ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
6 apples
(I used Granny Smith's apples)
(I used Granny Smith's apples)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoonfuls of brown sugar
1.5 litres of water
HOW TO MAKE
A
HOT
APPLE AND CINNAMON DRINK
Wash 6 apples
then
Cut into quarters
and remove
the
core
Place the apples in a
food processor and blitz.
If you do not own a food processor
please don't worry,
chop the apples finely using a knife.
Place
1.5 litres of water
in to a saucepan
and
add
2 cinnamon sticks
and
2 tablespoonfuls of dark sugar.
Bring to the boil and simmer for
30 minutes.
Allow to cool a little,
then
remove the cinnamon sticks.
Sieve the apples
using a fine mesh sieve.
I sieved the apples twice, the first time pressing down
on the pulp, to increase the flavour
and the second time,
I allowed the apple juice to drain through
freely, leaving the pulp in the sieve.
Whilst the apples are draining,
choose a cup and saucer,
so that you are ready to
so that you are ready to
pour out the Apple and Cinnamon drink.
I have chosen this lovely cup,
because it is wide and it
allows the drink to cool quickly,
plus I love the shape.
Remove the sieve containing the pulp
and
pour the apple and cinnamon liquid
into the cup.
Sit back and enjoy.
Oh yes, I also enjoyed a very nice ginger biscuit
which went exceedingly well
with my drink.
Natasha mentioned that she used ground cinnamon when she made her Hot Apple and Cinnamon drink..... I chose to use cinnamon sticks, as I have quite a few which we brought back from India.... maybe next time I will use ground cinnamon.
I did not want my drink to be too sweet, so I decided to add molasses cane sugar. It did make the drink darker, so if you would prefer a lighter colour to your drink, then add white sugar, or even honey, but after the apples have been cooked.
All in all...... this has been a nice change. ..... and as I mentioned before, it is still chilly here, but not as much as it is in some parts of America. I am hoping our friend Bea is reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! today, as she is still experiencing snow, so this is a drink, which I just know, will help to keep Bea and her family, nice and warm.
So I still have my two cups of coffee a day, interspersed with herbal tea. This apple and cinnamon drink, certainly makes my taste buds happy and it is helping me not to miss coffee.... well not too much.
Take care and I will see you on Wednesday.
This week I will be joining,
.
So I still have my two cups of coffee a day, interspersed with herbal tea. This apple and cinnamon drink, certainly makes my taste buds happy and it is helping me not to miss coffee.... well not too much.
Take care and I will see you on Wednesday.
This week I will be joining,
and
and
.
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Dear Friends,
It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.
Best wishes to you.
Daphne