This weekend, here in the states we’ll be “springing” forward and losing an hour. I don’t know about you but it always takes me a good week to adjust. And clearly young children do not get the Daylight Savings Time memo – at least my 4 year old does not. So I plan to enjoy this soothing drink each night (and going to bed a 1/2 hour earlier isn’t a bad idea either…but if I’m being completely honest, that’s not happening.)
You’ve probably know about some foods that can help you sleep – we often hear about tryptophan-indused naps after our Thanksgiving meal as it’s an amino acid is found in turkey. But tryptophan needs carbohydrates to help transport it to our brains before it can work it’s calming powers. We’ve all heard that warm milk can help us sleep and that’s logical since milk contains both carbohydrate and tryptophan. And lavender is a flowering herb that’s long been used in aromatherapy products to relax the body and mind. It’s also found its way into culinary creations like cakes, breads and ice cream for its beauty, fresh flavor and calming attributes.
You don’t need a fancy espresso maker to create a milk steamer. I love this simple glass milk frother but as long as you have a saucepan, stove & whisk, you are good to go. Add a drizzle or spoonful of your favorite sweetner or just enjoy as is and hopefully you’ll be off to catch some zzzzs sooner than later.
PrintLavender Milk Steamer
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups lowfat milk
- 3/4 teaspoon dried lavender
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat milk and lavender over medium heat until hot (but not boiling.) Stir occasionally and warm for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain out lavender petals, discard.
- Whisk in honey and almond extract.
- Froth milk with frother pump or stir vigorously with a whisk. Serve in mugs.
Sweet dreams and bring on Spring! Do you have food or drink rituals that help you go to sleep? How do you adjust to losing that hour during DST?
Marilyn Rose
Wednesday 28th of December 2016
This is a family favorite, we call it night night milk. The best lavender to do this with (besides your own home grown or local) is Polish lavender, I buy it in bulk off eBay from Poland.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Wednesday 28th of December 2016
Love the title "night night" milk and I never knew Poland was known for its lavender - thanks for sharing!
10 Flavored Milk Ideas and Recipes
Wednesday 18th of June 2014
[…] Lavender Milk Steamer […]
cassie jaffe
Sunday 10th of March 2013
can you use a milk aulternative? Soy or almond or coconut?
Deanna
Sunday 10th of March 2013
I don't see why not - I've never tried to froth a nondairy milk before - let me know if you try it.
Karman
Wednesday 14th of March 2012
This sounds lovely...I do enjoy steamers! Beautiful photos as well.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
Sunday 11th of March 2012
This looks (and I bet smells) absolutely wonderful. I'm a sucker for lavender loose leaf teas, this is a great way to change things up! Dogs don't get the whole DST thing either unfortunately, so I feel your pain.