Good Drink, brought to you by Cayenne Pepper

click here for all the reasons cayenne pepper is ridiculously good

I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee lately. A LOT of coffee. I like drinking my coffee black, because i figure if i’m going to dump a bunch of acid in my stomach, i might as well do it sugar- and calorie-free. Plus black coffee is about half the price of a mocha or any fancy tasting drink at a coffee shop.

I work in retail, so caffeine is a must. Let me try that again: being peppy and friendly is a must, which for me means caffeine is a must. I was getting ready for work today, brewing half a pot of coffee, and thinking about how I didn’t want to be starving while i was at work, and how bored I was of black coffee, and how i really should drink that chocolate milk in my fridge before it goes bad. Suddenly, an idea was born. I  call it “Good Drink,” because it’s a drink. and it’s good.

– 1/2 of whatever container you’re using of coffee (I used a thermos, because of It Keeps Stuff Warm)
– 1/2 of your container’s worth of chocolate milk
– a bunch of cinnamon
– half as much cayenne pepper as cinnamon

1) add the coffee and the chocolate milk to your container.

2) add the cinnamon and the cayenne pepper. some countries use the metric system, others utilize more arbitrary measurements like tablespoons and teaspoons. I prefer the “add ‘n taste” method. this means you add some cinnamon, and pepper, then take a little sip. Keep adding what it seems like it’s missing until you like how it tastes, or it’s so bad that you have to throw it out and start over. the “add ‘n taste” method can be applied to almost any cooking situation. so there, now you all know why i always come to school with sandwiches that have bites missing.

Rating: Triceratops

Why is this good? cost and caffeine are the two biggies. I bought my cinnamon and pepper for $1 each. obviously you can get way fancier with spices, but i still thought it was tasty. Cinnamon is also an under-celebrated superfood, so if kale and goji berries are a little out there for you, start sprinkling cinnamon on everything. The Interwebs say cinnamon probably decreases cholesterol and regulates blood sugar, which means the sugar in whatever you add it to isn’t going to string you out. I add cinnamon to coffee all the time, mostly because it’s an appetite suppressant and if i’m drinking black coffee it usually means i don’t have time to eat.

Cayenne pepper. That’s weird. ya it kind of is. but it’s also CRAZY GOOD FOR YOU! it neutralizes acid (which is convenient, because coffee is acidic)  and it’s an anti-inflammatory. my understanding of inflammation, from my one nutrition class, is that everything bad is caused by/worsened by inflammation (or Inflammation: It’s Not Just An Allergies Thing). not having time to eat or sleep means i also don’t have time to get sick, so i think i’m going to start adding cayenne pepper to everything ever. nothing can go wrong!

That’s so great you made this amazing drink! Well, it wasn’t all good. The temperature was awkwardly lukewarm, probably because the milk was in the fridge and the coffee was hot. Next time i’ll microwave the milk or add ice to the whole thing. Did you know you can make leftover coffee into ice cubes that won’t dilute your drink? Science is crazy. Also, the pepper seemed to intensify after my initial taste tests, so PROCEED WITH CAUTION. i love spicy things, but if that’s not your cup of Good Drink then only add a little or leave it out.