Gifts from my Heart, Gifts from my Kitchen #7

I started this short series to share real easy ideas and recipes to make Christmas gifts from the kitchen, simple but delicious treats for special friends or family.
These gifts from the kitchen are made with love, they come from the heart and mean much more than commercialized gifts in the stores.
I've been having fun making these as I knew exactly who I was making the various treats for.
I started with Drunken Fruit, to be enjoyed with Vanilla Ice Cream, and when I turn the bottles over now and see the rich colours of the syrup, I can still smell the heady spicy aromas of Cinnamon & Orange Zest from the Brandied Prunes. I know exactly who needs a little spice in their lives so those friends are going to get one of those added to their Christmas gift hampers ;)

Today I will show you how to make a deliciously spiced herbal tonic wine infused with Cassia Cinnamon bark, Star Anise, Cloves, Peppercorns, Nutmeg, Orange & Lemon peel and Rosemary, a creation of my mother, aka Ouma Lily.

Similar to mulled wine, but no added sugar and no cooking, simply an infusion of spices and herbs in a 1:1 blend of sweet red and dry red wine. The herbs and spices have to infuse for at least one to two weeks before opening.

Vintage labels designed especially for my series by my son's super talented girlfriend

Simply pour equal parts of sweet and dry red wines into a large jar & stir, adding a few sprigs of fresh Rosemary, Cassia Cinnamon bark, Star Anise, Cloves, Peppercorns, Nutmeg and Orange & Lemon peel. Always remember not to overdo it, you just want a hint of herbs & spices, go easy on the cloves especially.

Pour into bottles, seal & leave to infuse, turning the bottles once a day to let the herbs and spices mingle. These make lovely gifts and a quirky touch is to include a card listing the health benefits of having one glass at night as per Ouma Lily's prescription and a disclaimer about overdosing!

You can heat this a little and enjoy a warming drink in winter, but do not let it come to boil or most of the alcohol will evaporate.

Health benefits:
Red wine on its own taken in moderation has many benefits:
Full of antioxidants, boosts immunity, increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol— prevents clogged arteries and heart disease.
Contains resveratrol which slows down ageing, improves blood flow, brain function and memory, has ant-inflammatory properties, protects against bone loss and increases bone density, thus helps with osteoporosis.
Added benefits of Ouma Lily’s Herbal Tonic Wine:

Rosemary has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, enhances memory and concentration, contains carnosic acid which can fight off damage by free radicals in the brain, is an anti-tumor agent plus many more benefits. However do not overdo rosemary as there are side-effects when taking large quantities, as all herbs are powerful indeed!
Cassia Cinnamon bark has numerous powerful medicinal properties - anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, fights heart disease in the same way red wine does, may protect against cancer, fights bacterial as well as fungal infections, has a powerful anti-diabetic effect plus many more health benefits.
Star Anise is an antioxidant, contains Vit A & C, aids digestion and helps with coughs and flu.
Quirky claim - Star anise is said to improve sex drive ;)
Cloves has anti-viral properties and improves digestion.
Peppercorns—the king of spice has numerous health benefits; cancer prevention, alleviates depression and improves brain function, digestion, nutrient absorption, is an anti-oxidant, promotes a healthy heart, prevents atherosclerosis.
Quirky claim - Peppercorns is said to prevent grey hair, pity I was not aware of this or I would have overdosed on this ;)
Nutmeg is believed to improve cardiovascular disease and boost heart function, reduce fatigue, stress and improve concentration, also great for detoxing the kidneys and liver.
Orange peel contains flavonoids - antioxidant compounds that help prevent cancer and heart diseases, prevents allergies, help remove phlegm, bad breath and fights infection.
Lemon Peel contains high levels of Vitamin C and calcium thus improves and maintains bone health, prevents inflammatory polyarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and heart disease, boosts immunity and digestion.

Disclaimer
Ouma Lily will not be held responsible if anyone suffers ill effects as a result of overdosing on her Herbal Tonic Wine ;)

One last look for all our busy people:

I do hope you've enjoyed this series; it's almost closing time so for the final post in this series I will give you a couple of ideas for gift packaging just in time for Christmas.

LINKS TO THIS SERIES
1. Gifts from my Heart, Gifts from my Kitchen #1 - Drunken Fruit