A Recipe for Morning Thunder

For a while, during my studies at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, I lived with my friend at 7500 feet above sea level, in a tiny cabin perched on a shelf overlooking Left Hand Canyon, in the front range outside Boulder, Colorado.

It was a good way to learn about snow for a kid raised in the South. The fat flakes often fell gently and thickly for the better part of an afternoon, and in the morning the sun returned and melted the powdery stuff into unintimidating merengue poofs. Nothing like the terrifying ice sheet that lays in wait outside my current abode in southern Vermont, making plans in the night to deck me ingloriously.

But despite the sweet affability of Colorado snowfall, nothing prepared me for the cold. Not even our cleverly insulated passive solar post-and-beam cabin could keep the chill out. So what do two herbalists do when living under such conditions?

Of course. They experiment with morning beverages.

My pal (now purveyor of Take Care Herbals) was looking for something warming and stimulating to help wean off of coffee, and I was willing to drink just about anything that promised to make my red blood cells get a move on. Our original brew involved a base of roasted chicory, dried burdock, and cinnamon. Similar to Dandy Blend, if you’ve ever tried that good stuff.

My cabin-dwelling buddy dubbed our experimental breakfast brew “Morning Thunder,” which stuck. We have since added and taken away half a dozen herbs and spices, but it wasn’t until this winter — the mother of all freaking cold long winters, in my little life’s experience — that I really figured out a blend that not only satisfied my bitter-tolerant taste buds, but which my non-herbalist friends really seemed to dig.

BREW ME

Morning Thunder Tea Mix

Chicory Root (chopped, roasted) – 3 parts

Burdock Root (dried, chopped) – 3 parts

He Shou Wu (pounded) – 3 parts

Marshmallow Root (dried, chopped) – 2 parts

White Peony Root (pounded) – 2 parts

Cacao Nibs (roasted or raw) – 1 part

Cinnamon (pounded) – 1/2 part

Ginger Root (dried, chopped) – 1/2 part

Licorice Root (dried, chopped) – 1/2 part

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of tea mix to one quart of water in a small post, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. While the tea roots brew, in a quart jar combine the following.

1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil

a dash of coconut or almond milk to taste

maple syrup, honey, or stevia extract to taste

1 tablespoon of hydrolyzed gelatin

When the tea is done simmering, ladle it through a strainer into the jar with the coconut oil and other ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved, pour into a mug and enjoy your morning.

I know the gelatin part might sound gross, but it has no taste or texture, and this is a freakin great way to get your daily dose of the stuff. Also, for all you perfectionists out there, none of this is a must, if you are out of one ingredient or another, or if you aren’t a fan of licorice, or cacao or he shou wu is too stimulating, or maybe you want to take the super warming ingredients like ginger and cinnamom out for a warm weather beverage. Maybe it’s obvious, but this is one of the beautiful thing about herbal medicine: it can be tweaked and arranged to suit the individual.

Stay tuned for next week’s writing on the material medica of Morning Thunder herbs!