The Lightshade 30-Day Challenge, Continued

Elevate the season with our Autumn-focused recipes and ideas.

Last month, we challenged you to make a switch from alcohol to cannabis at least one evening a week, for 30 days. We’ve since received a flood of positive feedback from Lightshade customers, who have discovered for themselves, the transformative impact making this change can have.

From the miraculous to the mundane, customers have reached out to share inspiring stories and significant results—our budtenders have heard it all. Everything from people who have dropped an inch from their waistlines to one customer, new to cannabis, who realized an incredible personal transformation after only a handful of positive experiences, and has since made the decision to eliminate alcohol completely.

This month, as the temperatures drop and you begin to spend more time indoors, Lightshade encourages you to continue to challenge yourself and perhaps add an additional day (or more) each week where you swap the booze for the bud. To help support you in this endeavor, we’ve come up with a handful of ideas specific to this transitional time, as the heat of summer subsides, and we changeover to the season of cold.

It can be difficult to keep clear of the whiskey or wine on a cold Colorado evening. The recipes and ideas below will help you stay the course.

Transform your Broncos game-day experience.

When imagining game-day parties, most Coloradans see images of wings, dips, and beer—lots of beer. The thing is, when you’re surrounded by carb-heavy treats, inserting extra calories in the form of a beverage isn’t ideal. Adding the threat of a possible post-game-day hangover (made worse by a loss), is equally unappealing. This football season, try swapping out the brews for cannabis. Your guests might make jokes, they may seem shocked, and a few might call you crazy, but they’ll appreciate the restful sleep, dropped calories, and hangover-free morning, post game-day.

Everyone loves Mac N Cheese—try this enhanced recipe at your next game-day gathering.

  •     ½ cup cold Cannabutter
  •     1 tablespoon melted Cannabutter
  •     ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably grass-fed
  •     1 cup flour
  •     4 cups milk
  •     2 teaspoons salt
  •     ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  •     1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •     1 pound penne pasta, cooked
  •     1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
  •     1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  •     1 cup shredded American or Swiss cheese
  •     ¾ cup grate Parmesan cheese
  •     ¼ cup breadcrumbs

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring your milk to a rolling boil. Add your Cannabutter, seasoning, cheese and penne pasta. Pour mixture into a baking pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.


Hunker down for a chill afternoon at home.

It’s getting cold—in comparison with our string of 90+ degree-days in September, some might say frigid. Throughout summer we advocated taking advantage of Colorado’s outdoor activities, but there’s nothing wrong with spending a guilt-free afternoon at home on a cold fall day. Self-care is a must in this fast-paced digital age, and sometimes a quiet afternoon, reading, listening to music, or revisiting your favorite movie is just the thing to recharge your batteries. Cold weather is the perfect excuse to stay inside.

Enjoy a dose of liquid sunshine on a cold Colorado afternoon.

Vegan Golden Milk—via Stillwater Brands

Golden Milk

  • 1 ½ cups light coconut milk canned
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • Sweetener of your choice—we recommend maple syrup, coconut sugar, or sugar in the raw
  • 2 Ripple Relief 20:1 Packet (10mg CBD: 0.5 mg THC)

Instructions: 

  1. In a small saucepan, add coconut milk, almond milk, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon stick, coconut oil, black pepper, and sweetener of your choice (1 TBSP).
  2. Whisk to combine and warm over medium heat. Heat until hot to the touch but not boiling—about 4 minutes—whisking frequently.
  3. Turn off heat and taste to adjust flavor. Add 1 Ripple packet. Add more sweetener to taste or more turmeric or ginger for intense spice and flavor.
  4. Serve immediately, dividing between two glasses and leaving the cinnamon stick behind.


Host a cannabis-themed dinner party and/or happy hour.

Fall is the season of small gatherings and reflection. There’s no better way to stay warm than by inviting a few of your closest friends over for a cannabis-themed happy hour and/or dinner party. Invite your friends to join early, whip-up a delicious cannabis-infused mocktail–or leave the cannabis out, place a few tinctures nearby, and have guests dose themselves. As an alternative, set out a plate of edibles for everyone to enjoy–remember, ‘start low and go slow’.

Take a short break from cannabis while you and your guests enjoy dinner, and instead of a cocktail or dessert after the meal, indulge in a post-dinner cannabis-infused chocolate. We recommend Bliss Cups from 1906, or Coda Signature’s ‘Coffee & Donuts’ 100mg THC chocolate bar (to be shared).  

Couples, after your guests leave for the evening, keep the fun going with High Love Beans from 1906 or wind down with Midnight, also from 1906.

Pro Tip:  As we’ve said mentioned above, start low and go slow. It’s easy to over-indulge—you want your guests to feel relaxed, not ready for a nap. Have questions? Visit us, we are always more than happy to help.

Sativa Pear Punch

  •      2 parts pear nectar or pear juice
  •      2 parts sparkling cider or lemon-lime soda
  •      1 part cranberry juice
  •      10 mg worth of cannabis tincture:

*We recommend Aliviar CBD Tincture for a punch with no psychoactive effects, Mary’s Medicinals The Remedy 1:1 Oil or Dixie Synergy Drops, both of which contain equal ratios of CBD to THC, or Ebbu Genesis Aqua Drops, a THC-only option.

  •      Garnish: pear slice and/or freshly grated nutmeg

(Alternatively, you can make the punch without cannabis and let your guests control their dosage. Place the tincture drops directly under your tongue for faster results.)

sweet-potato-mash

  • 2 lbs sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup Cannabutter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoons, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth (or relatively smooth). Once smooth, pour the mixture into a casserole dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. For greater potency, add more Cannabutter when done.


Find Your Balance

Whatever the occasion, you can find the right product and strain to fit the moment for both you and your guests. Enliven, to find focus, euphoria, and energy. Calm, to elevate your mood or to relax. Inspire to boost your pre-dinner appetite, enhance creativity, or discover bliss. Rest, to relieve tension and to help your guests go home and enjoy uninterrupted sleep.  

We realize the transition from summer to fall can be rough. We also realize, for many people, making a switch from alcohol to cannabis can be equally challenging. The unnecessarily checkered past of our favorite plant, mischaracterized both pre and post-prohibition, only adds to the challenge new consumers face when integrating cannabis into their lives. Lightshade is here to guide your journey—visit us today and begin your transformation.