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The dawn of a new year is an invitation for purging, letting go,
detoxifying on all levels. If you’re like me, you’ve probably
had your holiday landfill of butter, cream, animal fat, alcohol, and other
things that have contributed to dull taste buds and big bulges in all the
wrong places. Top this human sundae off with a measly dose of winter
daylight, and you’ve got a recipe for sludge. It’s a tough time of year to feel energized,
but how are you gonna do all those cool things on the New Year’s
to-do list when you’ve turned
into a toad? Pull out the blender. Leave the booze in the cabinet,
though; this drink is for restorative purposes only. Pineapple is the star
of this New Year’s show. It offers a bunch of that much-needed
vitamin C, as well as a unique enzyme called bromelain, which has
anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits. If you bumped your head while
wearing a lampshade on New Year’s Eve, for example, the bromelain
will help that injury. You get the idea. A hunk of fresh ginger joins the fun, warming the
winter body and working on that sluggish circulation. Canned or fresh
pineapple will do, and all you need is five minutes to throw everything
into the blender. A diet drink this is not (although it’s low in
calories), but perhaps this little number will inspire a morning walk, a
weekend hike, or just a change in the same ol’ tune.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com
Wakey-Wakey-It’s-a-New-Year Drink
Adapted from Wise
Concoctions,
by Bonnie Trust Dahan
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple or canned pineapple chunks 1/2 cup pineapple juice (I really like the Lakewood brand, which is
flash-pasteurized
and sold in bottles)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated Juice of half a lemon Honey to taste (start with 1 teaspoon and add to taste)
Place the pineapple plus 1 or 2 ounces of water in
the bowl of a blender and blend to combine. Add the rest of ingredients and
pulse for about 30 seconds. Add more juice if you prefer a thinner drink.
Serve immediately. Makes two 6-ounce servings.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2007 – Jan 2, 2008.
