One of my greatest joys in life is cuddling up after a long day (or a long week) of work and reading. Whether it’s 8pm in my bed at night or 10am on a Saturday morning, nothing beats a good reading session spent curled up between blankets and pillows with a good book. I love getting new ideas and for this time of my day, whether that’s a new drink or possibly a new baked good, so I thought I would share my go to ways to relax during my reading time!
When I am setting up for my reading time I always start with a beverage. Sometimes I’m lazy and just grab a La Croix or just fill my tumbler with water, but sometimes I like to have something a little extra. If it’s a weekday I have a little different go to than the weekend (because I don’t need to caffeine up at 7pm at night…).
Night Time Beverages
Okay, I love a good a good cuppa as much as the next person, so a lovely cup of this tea in my favorite mug during a night time read is my go to! It is such a smooth peppermint coffee and is great for winding down after a long day. In addition to this lovely cup of tea, I do love a good decaffeinated tumbler of iced coffee with oat milk and a dash of peppermint mocha creamer! Either way, both of these are great for a nighttime in!
Link for Peppermint Tea: Amazon
Weekend Beverages
My weekend go to drinks are a little different than my weekday because I can have caffeine and not worry about being up all hours of the night! My first go to drink is a matcha lemonade. This is a drink that has become a constant for me and is so easy to make. I use a 24oz (venti sized) Starbucks double walled tumbler when I make this drink. I start by filling it halfway with ice and then add lemonade up to just below the lid. I have experiment a lot with different matcha and the best is the barista blend from Matcha Love. This uses a sweetener with the matcha that gives it that Starbucks taste that I crave. I add 2 tablespoons of this matcha, put the cover on without the straw and shake it up right in my tumbler. This drink is packed full of sugar but is truly delicious and great for sipping while reading.
Link for Matcha: Amazon
My second go to is another tea and lemonade mix up. For this I use either a 16oz (grande) Starbucks reusable cup, as it is a very sweet drink. I got the idea for this one from an area coffee shop 3 years ago and I absolutely love it. To start I fill my cup to the top with ice (again, it’s a very sweet drink) and then I fill the bottom with close to 1-2 tablespoons of the above lavender syrup. After this I fill around 6oz of lemondade into the cup. You will then want to steep 2 bags of the Harney & Sons Chinese Flower tea in 6oz of water for around 2 minutes. This tea and the bags will then be added to the lemonade and syrup. Grab your straw, stir it together and you are good to go!
Link for Lavender Syrup: Amazon & Link for Harney & Sons Tea: Amazon
Reading Go To Snack
My go to snack is usually candy or some fruit if we are being honest, but occasionally I get on a baking kick and when I do my go to snack is a scone. I am fortunate enough to have an amazing recipe for scones that was shared with me and I am going to share that on here!
Preheat oven to 425
Ingredients Needed:
- 2 Cups of Flour
- 1/2 tsp of Salt
- 1 Tbsp of Baking Powder
- 1/4 Cup of Sugar
- 1 1/4 Cup of Heavy Cream
- 3 Tbsp of Melted Butter
- 2 Tbsp of Sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions:
- Mix dry ingredients
- Add cream & mix well
- Knead 7-8 times on a flour surface
- Roll out to form 8″ around on either a pizza cooking tray or any tray large enough to hold
- Slice on pan into “slices”
- Brush melted butter over top
- Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar over the top
- Bake 10-12 minutes (until golden brown)
I enjoy my scones with either some jam/jelly or some lemon curd. My go to brand is Bonne Maman (delicious jams and curds)!
Now, obviously I pair these with a warm sweater, a pile of blankets and my favorite slippers, but I love the small treat of my favorite beverage with some warm scones. I am nothing if not a firm believer in self care and that self care is reflected in my reading time. I think that this time can be crucial to recharging and relaxing after the stresses of every day life. Why not treat yourself to a fun homemade beverage and some scones. The very act of making these things for yourself can be therapeutic! Share your own favorites below, I would love to hear how you treat yourself during reading time!
Happy reading!
Joyfully Jacquie 