What to drink as a remedy for a bleak, grey day when the wind is howling and the sky is thick with cloud.

My go-to winter warming drink is a blend of coconut milk and almond milk that is infused with an uplifting mix of spices, vanilla, honey, and a teaspoon of maca powder to give it an extra nutritional boost – it’s not bad with a nip of whiskey either…

1 x 400ml coconut milk

1½ cups milk of your choice – I used unsweetened almond milk

½ cup almonds, lightly roasted, skins removed

3 tbsp honey

1 vanilla bean, scraped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp maca powder

1/2 tsp ground clove

15ml whiskey, optional

Place lightly roasted almonds in a bowl and pour over coconut milk and almond milk. Let the almonds soak for at least 2 hours or overnight to soften.

Blend milks and almonds for 1…

For my birthday earlier this year, my parents banded together and bought me a Hurum slow juicer. I’d been aching for one for so long before I finally got this gift that keeps on giving, and we have definitely been making good use of it! I try to make a pitcher of juice every week and replace most breakfasts with a nice, cool, glass full. We haven’t gotten too adventurous yet with the juicer, but it does come with a very thorough recipe book that includes everything from baby food (no rush there!) to making crackers with the pulp.

Last week I was feeling a bit under the weather, and took a day off from work to recuperate. It worked out perfectly that I’d already bought the ingredients for carrot-orange juice, because a boost of C was just what I needed!

I decided to call this juice “Big…