Day 119 -- Thank Goodness Alcohol Is Vegan!

I've had a particularly difficult week.  Lots of conflict and angst, which is unusual for me since I'm usually a very chill person.  But this was one of those weeks when I just needed a drink.

I miss a lot of foods from my old diet -- cheese, sour cream, and an endless list of desserts made with butter and eggs.  But there's one thing that I'm not sure I could give up if it weren't part of a vegan diet.  There are just sometimes when you need a really good drink.

It's really the only time I allow myself to enjoy sugar and calories without any guilt.  I normally stop at just one drink and tend to stick to margaritas, bloody Marys or beer.  I think I am going to try to find a few drink recipes that might be a little healthier.  Here's one from Vegetarian Times for a Pineapple Ginger Elixir.  An elixir sounds very healthy to me!

Pineapple-Ginger Elixir

Serves 4

To turn this sweet-and-spicy cooler into a cocktail, add a shot of rum to the bottom of each glass and stir well. Don’t forget to break out the drink umbrellas.

4 cups fresh pineapple cubes

2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

¼ cup light coconut milk, optional

2 ½ Tbs. lime juice

2 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp. ground cardamom or allspice

⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

4 ½-inch-thick pineapple rings and/or lime wedges, for garnish

1. Purée pineapple cubes, ginger, and 1/2 cup water in blender until smooth. Strain through fine-meshed strainer into bowl, stirring with spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard pulp, and return liquid to blender.

2. Add coconut milk (if using), lime juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne (if using) to blender; blend until smooth. Serve over ice, and garnish with pineapple rings and/or lime wedges.