Move Over Eggnog, It’s All About That Maca-Nog

I’ve never really been one for eggnog and my disposition on the often flubber-like concoction has gotten stronger since realizing I had an allergy to eggs. Fortunately, Nikki (the founder at Poppy + Seed and also one of the loveliest people to have ever graced the face of the Earth) came to the rescue with the cutest little spiral-bound book called “A Small Book of Tasty High Quality Recipes.”  I hadn’t forgotten this lil’ gem ever since she showed it to me years ago. When she recently reminded me of its existence, I was instantly brought back to the inspiration I felt when I originally thumbed through the book. There’s a hand drawn Vita-Mix on the cover, all of the page numbers are manually written in pen, and there is no listed author. Whoever wrote the book was well ahead of the food trends, considering it was printed way back when in 2012.  One of my favorite recipes in this gem of a cookbook is this recipe for Maca-nog. I personally prefer it to its traditional counterpart. Maca, mesquite, and lucuma together are the perfect trifecta to make it creamy without dairy and also add depth to the sweetness. With the addition of hormone-balancing, nutritive pine pollen (which is also a complete protein) you end up with a supercharged alternative to what would otherwise be milk, eggs, and sugar (and maybe alcohol if there’s political discussion at the dinner table).  | INGREDIENTS |1½ cup Water2 teaspoon Almond Butter1 teaspoon Maca1 teaspoon Mesquite1 teaspoon Lucuma1 teaspoon Pine Pollen1 teaspoon Coconut Oil1 teaspoon Palm Sugar (or Stevia, to taste)CinnamonNutmeg| ASSEMBLY |1 | Bring the water to a boil while you add the rest of the ingredients, except cinnamon and nutmeg, to a blender.  2 | Add the water to the blender after it has boiled and blend on high for 30 seconds.  3 | Pour into mug and top with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg. Sip and enjoy the holiday!  *Serves 1.