Let Us Toast with Tea

Delightfully, and appropriately, January is Hot Tea Month.  The weather is chilly, and it's time to get cozy, and nothing soothes a chilled spirit and body than a cup of hot tea.

 I love tea all year round, but it's especially inviting in the winter. An absolute favorite of mine is chai, a spicy blend with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove and all spice, traditionally made with warm milk. Add a dash of chocolate and it is heaven after an afternoon of shoveling snow. Throw in a little Pumpkin Syrup and you won't be able to talk to me until I've finished the whole cup. I'll be in my happy place.

Tea has been enjoyed for thousands of years. It is the most widely drunk beverage in the world (coffee is moving up as a close contender, but tea still wins at the moment).

Not only is tea a spirit lifter, it is a beverage packed with healthful benefits. All of the varieties are!

The most typical and popular teas are green, black, white, oolong,  and pu-erh. These are filled with ECGC, a powerful antioxidant. They do have caffeine, but in different strengths compared to coffee. Herbal teas can add a wide variety of healthful benefits. Chamomile can be calming and help with sleep. Mint and ginger is refreshing and aids digestion. Hibiscus is very refreshing and can help reduce blood pressure.

And tea offers a myriad of magical options. Add fruits like pineapple or raisins, add a kick of heat with peppercorns, dabble in reds or blacks or blends, include a splash of honey or sugar or milk... the list goes on and on.

Mountain Rose Herbs and Ducky Life are two of my favorite companies to purchase loose leaf tea. I even have a soft spot for Teavana. My absolute favorite way to make tea is with herbs from my garden - chamomile, lemon balm, mint, lavender, roses, Jersey Tea, Oswego tea or Mondara (bee balm), holy basil, and my favorite lemon verbena. I just pick them in season and dry them to enjoy year round.

Celebrate Hot Tea Month this January... and keep the fun going through out the year.

Oswego tea or monardo,

 

Oswego tea or monardo,

Oswego tea or monardo,

Beeting the Summer Heat

I'm lucky enough to have a number of wonderful local farms not to far from where I live. One of my favorites, Giamarese Farm, has a CSA and we're happy to be members. The last couple of shares

have had a wonderful selection of rich, sweet, beets. I LOVE beets.

With this abundance, I decided to boil our last couple of batches. Then I freeze some, mash some, finish it up by roasting them, or pickling them. But there was all this lovely water that I thought, "There has to be something I can do with this."

Figured something out that's VERY yummy.

I took the water and strained it out well. I made a wonderfully fruity blend of ice tea with limes, pineapple, cherries, raspberries, and rooibos tea. (Sorry there's not more detail, this was very much a little of this and little of that recipe). I sweetened it with just a little honey and added the beet water. Delicious, refreshing - and healthy!

Beets are nutritious little jewels. They are rich in Vitamin B, C, magnesium, folate, lutien, copper, and more. And low in calories! Although the water isn't quite as powerful, it still carries some of those health benefits.

My suggestion - play with your food. Think about what else you can do with the juice or water. I may try it again by adding some beet water to rice, or maybe as part of a stock. So many options that I never thought of before.

Hey - I wonder if it would work making a sherbet. Hmmmm. Maybe next time!

Sharing the Love ... of Catnip

In our newsletter I talked about some of the many benefits of Catnip – that perennial herbal favorite of cats. But they aren't the only ones that love this perennial herb. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a member of the mint family. It's sometimes called catmint.

This pretty and prolific herb is filled with vitamins and minerals: Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Potassium, Selenium, with Calcium, Magnesium,Phosphorus, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin A and some Folate (B9), Niacin (B3), Silicon, Sodium, Sulfur,Thiamine (B1), Vitamins B5, B6, B12, C, and Zinc.

One of the wonderful things about catnip (among the many others) is that it is safe to use for all ages – children and adults. It can be used as infusions, teas, compresses, tinctures and just about anything!

If you are using this for people, I would recommend that you use fresh catnip or dried herbs from a reliable herbal source. Do not make a tea for yourself or your children with the catnip you buy for your kitties. That may be old or cut with something that won't hurt the fluff balls, but might not be great for you.

Here are a few of my favorite uses for catnip.

Cozy ZZZ's
This tea is lovely to sip before bedtime. Calming and soothing for digestion, your sleep will be cozy as a kitty curled up on a pillow.
1 teaspoon catnip
½ teaspoon chamomile
½ teaspoon lemon balm
pinch of peppermint
a little licorice root or honey
Pour 2 cups of water over the herbs. Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes than strain. Sip while warm.

Tummy Tamer Tea
½ to 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Very soothing.
1 teaspoon catnip
A little grated ginger
Steep in 2 cups boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes then strain. I like adding a spoon of honey as well.

Fussy Baby Tea
½ to 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Very soothing.
1 teaspoon catnip
Steep for 5 minutes in 3 to 4 cups of boiling water. Let cool absolutely completely. I would give this to my children when they were very little and had fussy tummies.

• Chew on a few fresh catnip leaves if you have a mild toothache. It'll help!
  

• Make a poultice or compress with catnip flowers and leaves. Works wonderfully for hot rashes.
  

• If mosquitoes are irking you this year, catnip essential oil has been shown to be more effective than DEET. That's why we add it to our new Bugger Off Spray. (Right now it's only available at fairs, but look for it on our websitehttp://www.chairde.com/ soon.)

I will freely admit that, if you live in a household with a cat that likes catnip (there are cats that don't like it the much), it can be challenging making a tea or poultice for people use. Releasing the fragrance of the herb is what attracts our feline friends. I usually put a little sprinkle on the floor for them. Makes things go a little easier.


This is presented as educational and information only. As with anything, be extremely cautious if you have allergies. Check with a doctor if you have medical conditions. Do your own research before trying any herbal remedies.

Very Violet Springtime Welcome

Spring seemed to dawdle about this year. A very chilly March and an equally rainy April made it seem like the warmth and fragrance of spring would never get here. And then I saw them. My wild violets were blooming. Spring was really here!

When I see those dainty little purple flowers erupting all over my yard, I know that warm weather and sunny days are on their way. And the moment that sunshine appears - I'm out crawling around on the ground picking as many flowers as I can. Because these harbingers of spring don't last very long, but while they do I'll be picking them!

Both the leaf and the pretty purple flowers have health benefits including being antisepticc, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. They contain beta-carotene, vitamin C and are musilagenic. They've been used for a myriad of reasons, from acne to mastitis, coughs to urinary tract infections. Plus, it makes you happy just to look at it.

Violets are also considered a symbol of innocence and modesty. Crowns of violets were used by the ancient Greeks to promote sleep and serenity. It's also the state flower of New Jersey!

You may find it difficult to catch the light and lovely fragrance of a violet. They contain a chemical that actual blocks the scent after that first whiff.

I use violets to make pretty purplish blue jelly which has a lightly sweet flavor. I also like to dry violet flowers and include them in powders or save them for tea. Fresh violet leaves and flowers are used in spring salads.

Try making a violet vinegar by collecting several cups of the blossoms and putting them into a large glass jar. Cover with a light white wine vinegar - like rice wine vinegar. Let this steep for several weeks. The longer you can let it sit, the better. After at least 3 weeks, you can start using the vinegar. Strain if you'd like, or use with the flowers. This is very nice on salad or as part of a marinade.

Now that spring is really here, I'm sure it will zip by in a flash. But while it's here - I'll be picking my violets!

Christmas Trees, Chai Tea and Seed Catalogues

It was late into the evening. I was curled up on the couch, sipping a lovely cup of Ducky Life's Doreen's Green Classical Chai Tea. The lights on the Christmas tree twinkling like stars while I flipped through my catalog, marking pages and taking notes. The wind howled outside, making the 20 something degrees that it was feel more like single digits.

At one point, the catalog was not enough and I jumped up, startling one of my cats and creating momentary havoc when the cat startled the dog. I went to the computer. I pulled up the website and began clicking and filling up my shopping cart. It was about to start the checkout process when I stopped - frozen by realization.

"What the hell am I doing buying seeds right now?"

Yes indeed. I was shopping for seeds and seedlings for my garden. The candy canes were still hanging and yet I had an over whelming urge to start buying things for my garden.

Tis the season of the seed catalog, and it brings thoughts of lovely spring days digging in the dirt and coaxing little seeds to life. Now, many people have a true aptitude for starting seeds. Alas I'm not one of them. I'll keep trying, but it doesn't seem to be my forte.

Days are growing ever so slightly longer. The catalog's hold many temptations for new and exciting herbs to try: Toothache Plant, which soothes sore teeth and gums; Stinging Nettle, wonderful for hair and a nourishing tonic; Roselle, the form of hibiscus with which you make tea; the list goes on and on.

I will be daring, I will get my seeds and try again. I will make my sojourn to Well Sweep Farm and by an array of young plants to nurture. I will refresh my mints and bee balm from Mountain Valley Growers. But first....

I think I should take down the Christmas tree and finish paying off the holiday bills.

What are you looking forward to planting in your garden?

A Hug and some Hot Tea

Cindy and I are busy planning out the events will be attending this year. In the meantime,I thought I'd share some other key events we should all take part in.

January and February are certainly some bone chilling months. Icy winds and snow bring us all inside for warmth and company. Why not share a pot of nice hot tea? After all, January is National Hot Tea Month. Whether your preference is green, black, Earl, herbal, or fruity, tea provides soothing warmth and friendship. Tea is also healthy and healing.

For me, tea has always been an i-have-a-cold drink, at least until recently. I'm trying to cut back on my soda habit and I've found tea - both hot and cold - to be a tasty and soothing alternative. Our favorite teas are from Ducky Life Tea. A local company, these teas are beautifully crafted to be full of flavor.

Tea is a part of life all over the world. Part of our own history in the US was created over the unfair taxation of this vital drink. There is a wonderful documentary, The Meaning of Tea, that explores the romance, mystery and meaning of this international beverage. You can also find more about reading tea leaves, tea tours and benefits at the Tea Association of the US. And the American Botanical Council has wonderful health information about tea. So grab yourself a cup of your favorite (I'm drinking Ducky Life's Kathi's White Tip with Peach Tea right now - yum!) and celebrate the drink of the planet and the drink of the month - Hot Tea.

And if tea makes you feel so good you just can't contain yourself - on Wednesday, January 21st, you can celebrate National Hugging Day TM. ! Of course, you should always ask first, but hugs are another essential of life.

But don't hug while your drinking the tea, that could be rather messy! Happy Hot Tea Month and National Hug Day!