How to Cook (and Relax!) with CBD

      Picture Thanksgiving. Picture it not only with your mom and grandparents and wife, but with your dad and stepmom too, your step-brothers, your in-laws, your uncles and aunts and cousins, their wives and husbands and kids, and everyone in between. It probably isn’t a pretty picture.

     Picture yourself hosting a dinner for your newest hires at work. You’re going to eat with them, drink with them, and then tell them who gets the big office and who gets the broom closet. That probably isn’t a pretty picture either.

     Finally, picture yourself at a superbowl party. You and your friends are gathered around the TV, eating snacks and guzzling soda and growing more and more agitated by the teams’ mistakes, your team’s losses, the goddamn referees. That definitely isn’t a pretty picture.

     Those are more extreme (although common) scenarios, but there are a bounty of times it would help to have some relief right there in your food. When you’re stressed at work, when you’re getting sore (and hungry) at the gym, when you can’t sleep but want a midnight snack, the options are endless… and if you cook with CBD oil, you can have the perfect solution right on hand, in your lunch or cabinet or on your dinner table. No more discomfort at Thanksgiving or work dinners!

     Cooking with CBD can help you by:

• Reducing Pain (since it’s an anti-inflammatory)
• Relieving Anxiety and Stress
• Relaxing, Calming the Mind
• Improving Sleep
• Boosting Energy
• Helping Relieve Illness Symptoms
• Channeling Emotions

     When you’re in public and you’re in pain, you often don’t want people to know you’re in pain… so taking something, like a visible CBD gummy, is a billboard saying I’M UNWELL. The same goes for when you’re anxious, except you’re even more aware of how people may be watching you, judging you. But, when you make something with CBD and take it with you, all you have to do is pull that CBD sandwich out of your bag and take a bite. Nobody will know. After all, everyone likes sandwiches. What’s more, you may not like the blunt flavor of CBD oil on your tongue–maybe it unnerves you–but you love brownies… so you can make brownies with CBD and boom: you kill two birds with one stone. That’s what cooking with CBD is all about, meeting two needs with one item. And there are more recipes than just brownies!

     When cooking with CBD, you can start with easy recipes:

• Salad Dressings
• Guacamole
• Pesto
• Smoothies
• Teas

     And once you’re comfortable, you can make more complicated ones:

• Cookies
• Cakes
• Pizzas
• Pasta Sauces
• Sandwiches
• Stir Fries

     But before you start, there are some things you’ll want to know…

     When you cook with CBD oil, don’t put it on direct heat (example: don’t place it on its own in a hot stovetop pan) and don’t heat it over 320-360 degrees (when using an oven, don’t heat over 350), since both will decrease its efficacy. Also, since CBD is fat-soluble and your body will most effectively absorb it when paired with fats, it’s best to infuse CBD in a food’s fatty component (butter, Crisco, ghee, vegetable oil, coconut oil, etc). When mixing CBD with food, mix more than you think you should, and don’t use too much- at first, you might want to start with 5-10 milligrams of CBD oil. It will be more effective when cooked into foods, but you can drizzle CBD over foods as well; and it will stay effective if you store the oil in a cool, dry place. But be careful when eating CBD-added foods with alcoholic drinks- they may accentuate each other, so it’s best not to drive or lift heavy machinery. Finally, know that your body will take longer to digest CBD when it’s mixed/cooked with other ingredients; it won’t be quite as quick to kick in.

     Now you’re ready to cook. Go! Buy CBD oil! Broach the kitchen! Make delicious, tasty food with the effective effects of CBD! Help yourself feel fat and happy and relaxed.