The holiday season can be busy: filled with travel plans, dinners, parties — the list goes on. Without proper care, the season can easily go from magical to manic.
This is why so many people experience heightened depression and anxiety during the holidays. Beyond simple exhaustion, some might notice amplified loneliness, nervousness, inability to sleep, or long for a lost loved one. Tense political conversations at the dinner table with stubborn relatives doesn’t help either. It is true: the season is not always as flawless as we would hope. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of people experience some form of “holiday blues.” They recommend some tips to avoid feeling bummed out, like avoiding alcohol, setting a budget, and sticking to routines.
This year, we want you to take some time for yourself. This special edition of The Herbivore features the best cannabis-infused recipes, meant to leave you feeling totally blissful. Whether you are sharing with a friend or keeping it to yourself, we hope these recipes offer a bit of holiday cheer.
Apple Cider with a Kick
There is nothing quite like warm apple cider. Apples are arguably the best fruit, simply because of their versatility. Autumn always comes with the best apple-based recipes including pies and jams, tarts and sauces. We love a good apple cider, especially with an added cannabis tincture.
Ingredients (yields 3-4 servings):
4-5 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp allspice
1 tsp whole clove
1/4 cup brown sugar
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Your favorite glycerin-based cannabis tincture (we recommend the Chronic Health tincture, available at HMH!)
Directions:
First, cut apples into quarters without removing the seeds or skin.
Place apples into a large pot, with enough water to fully cover them.
Bring water to a boil, add in sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and nutmeg.
Allow mixture to boil for 1 hour, stirring frequently.
Cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
Mash boiled apples.
Once the mixture has cooled, strain out cider, removing any remaining apple skin or seeds.
Finally, add 3-4 drops of your tincture. Best served in a favorite ceramic mug.
Grateful Gravy
It can’t truly be a holiday without gravy. Easily made vegetarian, put it over potatoes, turkey or veggies for a special treat. We recommend replacing regular butter for cannabutter. Check out our blog post on how to make cannabutter here!
Ingredients (yields 8-12 servings):
1/2 cup cannabutter
Turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt cannabutter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add onions and saute for 10 minutes.
Then, add herbs and saute for another 10 minutes.
Gradually add flour, whisking vigorously.
Add in the stock until the gravy thickens. Make sure to continue stirring to prevent scalding.
Add vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow simmering for 15 minutes.
Serve over mashed potatoes (or roasted veggies or turkey!)
Crowd-Pleasing Pumpkin Pie (Raw & Vegan)
Pumpkin pie is truly the best aspect of the holiday season. This dessert boasts the best combination of seasonings around, all with a creamy pumpkin filling. With this raw and vegan option, you’re sure to please even the pickiest “cannasseurs.” We recommend checking out our recipe on how to make a cannabis-infused oil before getting started — this recipe requires infused coconut oil.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cup mixture of almonds and walnuts
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1-2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
Filling
2 cups pumpkin, cubed
3/4 cups dates, pitted
5 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp cannabis-infused coconut oil
Directions
Using a food processor, blend the almonds, walnuts, and raisins into a flour.
Then, add in the shredded coconut and vanilla.
Add up to 1 tsp of water, depending on the consistency of the flour. The mixture should hold together.
Once you’re comfortable with the consistency, press the crust into a pie tin, ensuring you’re covering the whole bottom and sides of the tin.
(Bonus: Use a fork to create a pattern around the circumference of the pie tin for that extra visual appeal!)
For the filling, blend the pumpkin, almond milk, spices, and vanilla.
Add in the vanilla.
Finish by blending the oil into the filling mixture.
Ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
Cover with parchment paper and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.