Hello friend! It’s been quite a week in the news! Are you hanging in there? Making some time to fill your cup?
Frenzied news cycles make me glad I set screen time limits on my phone a couple of years ago. Knowing how easy it is to get sucked into mindless scrolling, I decided to treat myself like a kid who’s new to technology and can’t quite be trusted to make good decisions.
Turns out, it was the best little life hack. Now I can only browse news sites or social media for 30 minutes a day - then my phone cuts me off, as if to say: “Alright you’re done missy! Enough of that for today.”
Yet, the general cultural milieu can’t help but seep in. It feels like so many people are on the edge of their seats right now. The tension and underlying anxiety is palpable. When I was younger, it definitely would have given me a case of the can’t-stop-thinking nighttime jitters.
Does that ever happen to you?
If it does, I want to share a remedy with you: leche de sueños (dream milk).
When I was a child, if I was staying over at Nana’s house and came downstairs to tell her I couldn’t sleep, she’d head to the kitchen to start warming up some milk. She’d add a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of cardamom, then a touch of maple and vanilla - all while listening to whatever was on my mind. A few minutes later, we’d settle at the table with mugs of leche de sueños and little stacks of Danish butter cookies. She always kept a tin in the kitchen “for emergencies.”
Nana swore by this remedy, and now, I do too. To this day, I make this soothing sip if I can’t sleep. Sometimes I’ll also add a bit of ashwagandha, which is an Ayurvedic herb that can help relieve stress. (More on this ingredient, which is optional, below.) The addition of ashwagandha essentially turns leche de sueños into a variation of an Ayurvedic drink known as “moon milk.”
I think both names are lovely – and equally accurate. Warm milk with a touch of sweetness and spices has a way of welcoming good dreams. Imagine holding a toasty mug in your hands at night while sipping frothy cinnamon-scented milk. Sounds cozy, doesn’t it?
So set some milk to warm, grab a few spices, and take out your favorite mug. Settle in. Treat yourself to a cookie. Or maybe a slice of coffee cake. And have a peaceful night.
(In the photos shown here, I served leche de sueños with “Can’t Make Up My Mind” cookies, which are a combination of chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies.)
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