Lavender Vanilla Moon Milk (DF, GF)

For the FULL recipe with step-by-step photo instructions and printable recipe card, visit:     www.inspirationapron.com

How does moon milk help with sleep?

Whether you suffer from chronic insomnia or just struggle with the occasional sleepless night, this magical recipe is just what you need to restore the balance of your sleep cycle. My husband knows well that I have my nighttime tea on a regular basis. I love my tea routine, it’s a very soothing and cozy sip for me about an hour before bedtime. There is a science behind why this natural sleep aid for moon milk works, let’s take a look at the main ingredients used in my recipe and break down the benefits:

Almond milk.

Almond milk is high in magnesium which has been shown to reduce anxiety and has a naturally calming effect. Almond milk also contains contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that may increase levels f melatonin and serotonin, which can in turn aiding with sleep. I used an sweetened vanilla almond milk for this recipe.

Seelect Tea vanilla melatonin tea.

This delicious tea is made with ingredients such as chamomile, alfalfa, oatstraw, papaya and natural flavors (vanilla) with a little melatonin added (0.5 milligrams per serving) Melatonin is naturally produced by our body and responds to darkness and our natural circadian rhythms (our built-in time clock.)( ref) The natural therapeutic effects of the herbs found in this tea along with the touch of melatonin will help to promote calmness, serenity and a sense of relaxation. This tea is the perfect match for enhancing the moon milk with it’s hint of vanilla flavor it blends wonderfully with the almond milk.

1/8 tsp Nature’s Flavors Organic Lavender Flavor Extract.

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean however; it has become wildly popular all over the world for good reason. Not only does it have a pleasant aroma, it is believed to have benefits such as a calming effect and antibacterial effects. It is commonly used to help reduce stress and anxiety, depression, insomnia and more! In it’s extract form, it is a little more potent, so use sparingly, a little goes a long way when using in recipes.

Raw honey.

Hang on, because this is where it gets wild! One would think that consuming a sweet sugary ingredient close to bedtime would drive up your energy but listen to how Dr. Ron Fessenden explains the science behind consuming raw honey before bedtime: Honey actually helps your brain release melatonin through a series of transformations in your brain: the sugar in honey spikes your insulin levels, releasing tryptophan, which becomes serotonin, which becomes melatonin. ( ref) That’s pretty interesting, right?!

Now that you’ve learned more about how moon milk works to help you sleep better, lets start with details about ingredients and step-by-step instructions on how to make moon milk tea. So go ahead, tuck yourself in and get ready to drift off to sleep!

Ingredients:

• 8oz water (1 cup)
• 8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk (1 cup)
• 1 Seelect Tea vanilla melatonin tea
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 1/8 tsp Organic Lavender Flavor Extract



Optional garnish: frothed almond milk, culinary dried lavender (for an aromatherapy enhancer), crushed freeze-dried strawberries. Note: For a natural lavender shade of moon milk, you will need 4-5 frozen blueberries.

How to make moon milk

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil and pour over tea bag. Let steep for 5-8 minutes (the longer, the stronger!) Is steeping tea necessary? Yes! You need to let the tea bag (or loose tea) steep in hot water to allow for maximum extraction of all the health-promoting benefits, aroma, and distinctive flavors of the herbs and other dried ingredients to reach their full potential.

Either warm up milk in microwave for 40 seconds or in a small sauce pot over medium heat, then stir in tea and honey. Lastly, add the lavender extract and stir.

Pour into serving glass or mug and add frothed milk and garnish, if desired.

This recipe makes one 16 oz serving or two 8 oz servings. The dried lavender garnish is totally optional, but it enhances the lavender smell acting like an aroma therapy with each sip.

The heartfelt inspiration for this recipe

I received a sweet and special “surprise gift” from Nature’s Flavors along with a touching hand-written note of support and encouragement. They had reached out earlier in the month to see if I wanted to collaborate with them, but I declined due to feeling overwhelmed and going through a few health issues such as back-to-back breast biopsies that were difficult and didn’t go as planned (although it did come back benign, praise God!) I was still healing from it along with trying to keep up my work and home duties when the unexpected package arrived on a rainy day.

What a special and heartfelt gift that brightened my day and I wanted to share with you how much that meant to me and one of the many reasons I collaborate with this company. Thank you Nature’s Flavors for taking the time and being an exceptional company that reaches out and shows so much love. I have thoroughly enjoyed this relaxing kit and the melatonin tea is what inspired me to create this delicious and cozy moon milk recipe.

To naturally add a lavender ”ish” hue to your tea, drop about 4-5 frozen blueberries into hot tea and stir, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Cheers to a quality night’s sleep and here is an inspirational quote (and great idea) about sleep that you should try every night after your teatime, devotions and prayer:

“Before you fall asleep every day, say something positive to yourself.” ~ Enid Bagnold