January has come around rather quickly. It’s the month in which I am always full of good intentions regarding my diet and lifestyle – an annual necessity after a hectic Christmas.
However, my body isn’t as fit as my mind; it’s telling me it needs a break, that it is craving warm, healing, nourishing food.
If you are, like me, juggling a family and a job, Christmas can indeed be a trying time and early January generally heralds a collapse into a heap, surrounded by tinsel and a sagging Christmas tree. All the colds and ailments that have been threatening for months decide now is the time to visit.
Fortunately, January is also a long month and the sugar-free good intentions can be put aside for a week, allowing us to nourish ourselves.
I recently bought three ginger roots, great big sprawling things that resemble the hands of a hard working man. These are the ultimate healing hands, which, when grated and added to boiling water for ginger tea with honey and lemon, or used in soups, cakes, breads or stews, will soothe and revive the body and the spirit.
The following cake is just what the doctor ordered. It contains lots of healing ginger, warming cinnamon, cleansing lemon, with an egg thrown in for good measure.
In the words of my mother – be nice to yourself this week.
