Day 14: 

Juice: Apple Pie

Apple Pie:
4 Apples
1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

*Note: It is hard to stir in cinnamon after the fact because it tends to get all clumpy. So, I poured the juice into a jar and shook the cinnamon into the juice. "Shaken. Not Stirred" 

*Also, this morning I wanted less juice, so I reduced the amount of apples. You are always allowed to do that.






I was incredibly excited for this juice. Okay I confess, I tend to sneak peaks at what lies ahead...I can't help it. Natalie Savona's book is just so beautiful and enticing. I kinda spend hours flipping through it. Eh heh.

This juice however grabbed my attention because of the cinnamon. I j'adore cinnamon! I put it in everything practically. I love it in coffee during the winter. I love it in almost all deserts and chocolates. I even douse my mashed up winter squash (mainly butternut) and sweet potatoes with it. But, I have not - until this morning that is - tried it in my juice.

Excitement.

Cinnamon has been highly regarded in many civilizations throughout history. As a spice, as a scent or perfume and as a medicinal. Cinnamon is native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malabar Coast of India and Burma, but is now cultivated across the globe. 

The cinnamon tree is allowed to grow for two years before grower coppice the tree.  What is Coppicing? You may ask.

cop·pice
noun
- an area of woodland in which trees and shrubs are, or formally were, periodically cut back to ground level to stimulate growth and provide firewood or timber.

Branches of the Cinnamon tree are then harvested. The tough outer bark is beaten off  and discarded. Only the thin inner bark is used. It is cut into meter long strips which curl as they dry. (Source)

As Cinnamon is a favorite spice of many (not just me) it has been widely studied over the years. It contains many essential oils which contain many active ingredients like: "cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances." (Source) These in ingredients help in many ways, helps with blood clotting, serves as an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and new research is showing it helps to regulate blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin activities. I found a great article which researches cinnamon's many benefits for the purpose of helping those with Type 2 Diabetes. (From USDA)

So, not only is cinnamon amazing, but it is also comforting. It is known as a stomach warmer as well, much like ginger. I use cinnamon all year, but more so during this time of year - Fall and Winter. It just reminds me of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Watch this. Don't try this.

If this is your first time ever seeing GloZell, I highly recommend you catch up. The Willow Smith Video is good and the one she does about Westley Snipes. She is hilarious pretty much all of the time.