The last of the summer blooms, our garden Nasturtiums.
 |
Bex, over at Crow Cottage is exploring a sugar-free lifestyle. More power to her! Bex mentioned that her morning coffee, with just a dash of milk, was not quite as enjoyable without the sugar. Amen to that! So I thought I’d have a look around for sugar-free coffee ideas, to see what is out there. Below I have listed a few of the healthier sounding alternatives. Maybe Bex will try them out, and do a review on what works, and what does not.
What some people are doing to cut sugar out of their morning coffee:
Cardamom – A spice that’s commonly added to coffee in the Middle East, cardamom gives coffee a bit of an exotic flavour. Cardamom, commonly used inAyurvedic medicine, is promoted as an addition to coffee because it helps to neutralize the stimulating effects of caffeine. Sprinkle ground cardamom into a cup of brewed coffee, or add a few whole cardamom seeds to your beans before you grind them.
Cinnamon – If you’re a regular cream and sugar person, you may want to consider switching up your routine and adding cinnamon instead. Doing so can apparently save you several calories per cup, as well as reportedly provide a few additional health benefits, like helping to boost your immune system. You can even brew your coffee with a cinnamon stick to replicate the Mexican drinkcafe de olla.
Vanilla Extract – If you like to sweeten your coffee, you don’t need to depend on sugar and processed creamers. Try a few drops of pure vanilla extract instead. For a different taste, you can also try almond extract.
Coconut Milk – Craving a non-dairy latte? Make your own with coffee and coconut milk. Some may not like the coconut flavor that comes through, but for those who do, it provides for an interesting alternative to regular milk. Mix it with vanilla extract for a homemade coffee creamer.
Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/9-surprising-things-to-add-to-coffee-beyond-cream-sugar-smart-coffee-for-regular-joes-203866
Add Some Cinnamon to Your Coffee Cinnamon is a tasty herb that mixes particularly well with the flavor of coffee. Studies show that cinnamon can lower blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetics (9). If you need some flavor, try adding a dash of cinnamon. It’s surprisingly good.
Add Some Cocoa to Your Coffee Cocoa is loaded with antioxidants and associated with all sorts of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease (11). If you want some flavor in your coffee, try adding a little organic unsweetened cocoa to your cup.
Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/8-ways-to-make-your-coffee-super-healthy/
If you like to ‘spice up’ your coffee
Spices are not just a great way to add flavor to coffee, but they can provide surprising health benefits:
• Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar, helps improve LDL (bad) cholesterol and is a good source of vitamin K and iron.
• Nutmeg is a very good source of manganese.
• Cocoa powder is a good source of protein, potassium and zinc, and is also a very good source of dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. However, it’s also high in saturated fat, so use it sparingly. And go for the unsweetened kind.
• Cardamom is a good source of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc, and it is also a very good source of dietary fiber, iron and manganese.
Source: http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/05/make-your-coffee-healthier-5-tips/
Cocoa and cinnamon
Cocoa and a couple drops of peppermint extract = peppermint mocha 🙂
Vanilla extract or almond extract would be good too.
I have a little shaker of “pumpkin pie spice” I use that’s good in a pinch.
Raw oatmeal. The hot coffee cooks it and its like breakfast in your coffee. Sweeten if you like.
These can go directly into the filter with the grounds to infuse the coffee (a few may sound strange, but don’t knock it till you try it)
• orange rind (other citrus rind will probably be good too, but I’ve personally only tried orange)
• ginger (preferably fresh ginger
• crushed chilies
• vanilla bean (the real stuff, not the extract)
• pumpkin spice
• cocoa
I often add some vanilla bean powder to my coffee. It sweetens it a bit without a heavy sugar feeling. Warning, it will leave tiny black specks on your teeth and gums, so best to swish a little water when you’re done with the coffee.
A mixture of cocoa, cardamom and cinamon. Or vodka. Infact, skip the coffee.
No one ever believes me on this, but it is delicious. Take an orange and cut a very thin flat slice (should look like a circle, not a wedge)and put it in the bottom of your cup, now pour black coffee over it. TRUST ME.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2meszm/what_are_some_things_you_can_put_in_coffee/
Note: None of these sites represent anything other than personal opinion, medical claims would need to be substantiated by a reliable source such as the Mayo Clinic. On the other hand, as far as I can tell, none of the suggestions above will hurt you.
The weather is beautiful! I managed to get out for a walk during the day, as I have been for the past few days. Attila is working days this week, who knows what schedule he will be on next week; always a surprise. The unpacking has progressed to the point where I can leave the house for half an hour, and not feel guilty when I come back through the front door. A real bonus is that Attila, in this new and improved lifestyle we now enjoy, has time, and inclination, to go for a walk in the evening. I love walking with Attila. Right now we walk through a darkening landscape, the same landscape as I walk through during the day, but with a completely different feel to it.
Today baking was in order. A rhubarb crisp was baked and removed from the oven before the hydro cost doubled at 7:00 a.m. The rhubarb was picked and frozen last summer.
The crock pot sits provocatively on the counter, emitting an enticing aroma, coddling a new and experimental dish, rice pudding made from arborio rice. It uses one of the two cups of arborio rice that have been sitting in the cupboard for more than a decade. More vintage food, that it is no longer feasible to store, and yet, cannot be thrown out. Again, waste not, want not.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
7°C
Date: 5:00 AM EDT Thursday 15 October 2015
Condition: Not observed
Pressure: 101.2 kPa
Tendency: falling
Temperature: 6.9°C
Dewpoint: 4.2°C
Humidity: 83%
Wind: WSW 12 km/h
Quote
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.”
Charles Kingsley
1819 – 1875
