Ooohhhh…don’t you just love the sensation of a deliciously cool drink on your hot tongue during summer, or a belly-warming nourishing drink on a cool winter’s night?

When you add essential oils into the recipe, you take your food to a whole other level!

I want to share with you some of the fun and fantastic drink recipes that my Young Living family and I have created. I’m sure you will have lots of fun and compliments from family and friends when you surprise them with these aromatic recipes.

Using essential oils in food and beverage preparation

Sure, essential oils smell fantastic…well, at least most of them do. And many of them come from the very plants we cook with. So of course it makes sense to use essential oils in our food preparation. They are cost effective, and they have a very long shelf life (5,000 years if history tells us anything!), compared with the days or weeks that we get from fresh produce.

However, there are a few important guidelines to follow, so that your experimentation is a “WOW” and not a “WOE”!

1. Essential oils are highly concentrated compared to their plant part. For example, 1 drop of Peppermint oil is equivalent to 28 cups of peppermint tea….so always start slow…one drop goes a long way, and many a drink has been ruined by using too many drops of essential oil. If one drop is too much, you can simply use a toothpick and dip it into the essential oil and swirl it into your recipe. That will ensure you get just the “hint” of the flavour. Remember – the very best chef’s will create subtlety in their flavours…an air of mystery that leaves the mouth wondering, “What was that amazing taste????”
2. If you are cooking with essential oils that are adulterated in some way with synthetics, you are harming your body. So make sure you are using Young Living oils in your recipes. These are guaranteed to be pure and unadulterated, and exactly as nature created them.
3. If you live in Australia, you will be pleased to know that we have a “Culinary” range of essential oils, including all the ones listed below. These are compliant with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, and therefore can be used safely as food and beverage flavourings.
4. If you live in the USA, you will use the same oils mentioned below, but in the “Vitality” line (which is Young Living USA’s dietary line of oils). If you live in the UK/EU, you will use the “Plus Range” of essential oils.

Turmeric paste for making Golden Milk Latte by Grace Burbidge

Ingredients

• Approximately 2.5 cups of water (may need to add a little extra)
• 1 cup turmeric powder
• 2 drops of Young Living Ginger oil
• 1-2 drops of Young Living’s
  Cinammon Bark oil
• 4-6 drops ofYoung Living
  Black Pepper oil
• 2 drops of Young Living Nutmeg oil
• 6 teaspoons of unrefined Coconut Oil

Combine the Turmeric Powder and water in a pot. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring until the water has evaporated and you are left with a paste. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then add the coconut oil and essential oils. Mix well.

This mixture will keep for 1 to 2 weeks if it’s stored in the fridge and well sealed. It also freezes well. This is a lovely Autumn and Winter drink. I enjoy a generous mug morning and night, by adding 1 teaspoon of this mixture to warm coconut or almond milk, or other milk of your choice.

You may wish to tweak according to your taste as you become more familiar with this recipe. I added a couple of drops of Young Living’s Cardamom oil just for something different.

Julie & Marie’s Super Delicious Smoothie

Ingredients

• Home-made almond milk
• 1-2 frozen bananas
• 1 fresh date
• 1 heaped teaspoon of raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
• 1 Brazil nut
• 1 teaspoon of flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds
• 1 drop of Young Living cinnamon bark oil (our smoothie’s secret ingredient!!!)
• A few cubes of ice if you like it super cold

Blend in a Thermomix, Nutrabullet or other high speed blender for 1 to 2 minutes. This is super delicious

Charly’s Ultimate Calming Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon or more of boiling water
• Hot Milk of choice (I like Almond Milk)
• 1 teaspoon of honey or rice malt syrup to sweeten
• 1 drop of Young Living Frankincense oil
• 1 drop of Young Living Orange oil
• 1 clean toothpick dipped in Young Living Lavender oil

Put the raw cacao into a mug. Add the hot water, and stir to make a paste. Pour the hot milk into the mug and stir until combined. Add the oils. Enjoy the blissful, warm and cosy taste!

Marianne’s NingXia Red “pick me up”

Marianne writes: I was gifted lots of citrus, and had no problem using all the limes and lemons, or the grapefruit….but what do I do with the oranges? Oh, juice them!

So once they were juiced, I added Ningxia Red juice and 1 drop each of Young Living’s Orange, Lemon and Tangerine essential oils.

It makes the most amazing late morning “pick me up”.

I then dehydrate the lemon zest and the pulp, and have lovely flavouring for raw cakes with the addition of more of Young Living’s essential oils.

Recipes by Artemis

The following recipes were part of my own awesome creations (yes, I’m a bit of a creative foodie myself, and love creating new and exciting flavours using the Young Living oils).

The first 2 recipes I created for my “Outrageously Raw” class, and “Lime-a-Colada” has been a huge hit in my Oils Soirees. Enjoy!

“I am Infinite” Superfood Smoothie

Ingredients 

• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup (50g) of raspberries
• 1/4 ripe avocado
• Optional: 1/2 cup/50g of young coconut meat (eg. 1/2 packet of “Amazonia” frozen coconut flesh)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mesquite
• 1/2 teaspoon of Maca
• 1/2 teaspoon of Lucuma
• 2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder
• 3 drops Young Living Tangerine oil
• 2 drops Young Living Nutmeg oil
• 20ml NingXia Red

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. This quantity makes one superfood smoothie. Processing time: 2.5 minutes in a Thermomix.

“I am healthy” Green Superfood Smoothie

Ingredients 

• 250ml of almond milk
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves or other greens like Kale, lettuce, etc.
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mesquite
• 1/2 teaspoon of Maca
• 1/2 teaspoon of Lucuma
• 1 teaspoon of Cacao nibs
• 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 of a ripe banana
• 2 teaspoons of almond butter
• Packet of Slique Protein Powder, available from Young Living USA, or 50g of Young Living’s Balance Complete or Pure Protein (both contain dairy), any other protein powder of your choice
• Optional: ½ teaspoon of green powder (wheatgrass, barley grass, chlorella and/or spirulina)
• 3 drops of Young Living Slique Essence oil blend
• 3 drops of Young Living Citrus Fresh oil blend

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. This quantity makes one superfood smoothie. Processing time: 2.5 minutes in a Thermomix.

Lime-a-Colada

Ingredients

• 300ml of chilled coconut water
• 1 drop of tangerine oil
• 1 drop of jade lemon oil
• 1 drop of lime oil
• Optional – 1 tbsp of coconut cream (makes it creamier)

Mix all ingredients and serve in a glass with a slice of lime on the side.

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