Tasty Tea #6: Chrysanthimum

I spent last weekend in Seattle and made a trip to the herb store.  Our pantry has been thinning out in terms of our medicinal herbs and I couldn't help but stock up while I had the chance!  See all the wonderful goodies I managed to get my hands on?  Yum!  Amongst them are comfrey root powder, nettles, lemon balm, foti, elderberries, damiana, oatstraw and a few others.  Mmmmmm.  I was in some serious heaven and probably went a little overboard!

As I perused the shelves I caught a glimpse of a jar of Chrysanthemums.  I instantly went into my past and couldn't resist buying a small bag full.  I haven't had this tea since I was a young girl.  My parents used to take my brother and I to a Burmese Restaurant in downtown Oakland and along with my noodle soup, I would gulp down several glasses of Chrysanthemum tea.  Not only do I remember it being a delicious, but also a very pretty to look at--the white flowers expand in the water and stay floating on the top.  I could see making this tea for a small group of people and putting it in a glass kettle/tea strainer for all to admire.  It really is pretty.

Of course, after being out and about, the first thing I did when I got home was put the kettle on.  I was eager drink some tea! I quickly realized that it doesn't take much to flavor the water and you only need a 3-4 flowers per cup--not a dozen, or so, like I did, see below.  I think I just got over excited (and greedy)!  While the cup looked pretty, it did taste a bit on the bitter side.

In terms of medicinal properties, Chrysanthemums are anti-inflammitory and cooling.  The tea is great to drink during the summer and particularly if you suffer from heat stroke.  You can also use it to bring down a fever or reduce symptoms of cold and flu.  It's bitter qualities make it great for helping with digestion too.  The flowers themselves are rich in vitamin B and also have tons of calcium and phosphorus.  You can even soak some cloth in the tea to chill it to make a refreshing eye compress for the end of the day!

Drink Up!

Tasty Teas #5: Roobois

We don't do all loose leaf teas in this house. Choice Roobois tea is one of our favorite bagged teas. Roobois is a red tea, it's caffeine free and is packed with anti oxidants. They use it in South Africa to help in calming children. It's a very relaxing, deliciously tasting tea. Mmmmmmm. 

 I used to love to drink black tea during my "England Days", but I'm pretty much a no caffeine girl  now.  Roobois is a nice alternative and you can add milk and sugar just like you might to a cup of "English Breakfast" tea. You get a nice nutty flavor, mild, but just strong enough. We've tried many different types of Roobois and have found that the Choice bags are good for the price you pay. For my British hubby, I have to say, it is his tea of Choice (ha ha, pun definitely intended!).  We by them in bulk, six boxes at a time, that's how much we love it!

Catnip teething pops!

Catnip isn't just for cats, it has quite an amazing impact on us two legged creatures as well!  While giving a handful of this herb to our furry friends makes them go a bit crazy, it has the opposite affect on us.  When I drink a cup of catnip tea I find myself winding down and getting sleepy.  It helps calm the nervous system and is an analgesic, pain reliever.  

Catnip has been given to children as a teething remedy for ages.  It is a very gentle herb.  I figured, since ice also helps numb the gums, I thought I could give Silas a double wammy and hit him with two teething tricks at once.  Henceforth we began making catnip teething pops!

They are simple to make, just brew some catnip tea, using a ration of 1 Tsp to 1 cup of water.  Once the brew  has cooled, freeze the tea in ice-cube trays.  When you child is driving you batty and needs something to gnash on, you can either put one in one in a mesh feeder, or, my more preferred method, put it in a cloth napkin, secure it with a knot or piece of string and let your child go to town.  If anything, it will give your kiddo something to do for a little while!  Poor little ones, teething is no fun!

Tasty Teas # 4: Goddess Tea

This is one of my favorite FAVORITE teas.  Wait, did I mention this is one of my favorite teas? I probably drink this one more often than any other tea in my arsenal.  I call it Goddess Tea because it is particularly good for women, especially for those that are pregnant and breast-feeding.  The combination of herbs was first given to me by my herbalist during my pregnancy with Silas and I even remember drinking a rendition of it years ago while pregnant with Serafin.  I loved it so much that I continue to drink it in large quart size jars at least 3-4 times a week.  In my opinion, it's WAY better that the "Pregnancy Tea" you get in the super market, plus if you buy the herbs in bulk, it's much cheaper too.  

This tea is good for pregnant mamas, breast-feeding mamas, mamas in general, women in general, PEOPLE in general!  One of the reasons why this tea is probably more geared towards pregnant women is because of the red raspberry leaf, which is known to aid in reproductive health and tonify the uterus.  The tea also has Oat Straw, rich in calcium and great for building bones (it has a reputation for being great for those with osteoporosis) and Nettles an herb that helps strengthen blood vessels, is full of iron and keeps swelling down in the body.

For pregnant women, I recommend drinking this tea throughout gestation, but particularly in the third trimester, at least 3-4 cups a day (please be sure to check with your care provider to cover all bases).  Here's what I did, and still do (!).

I buy the herbs in bulk and mix them together in a large jar for fresh keeping.

Goddess Tea:

2 parts Raspberry Leaf

2 Parts Nettles

1 Part Oat Straw

Make the tea in the morning in a large quart size jar, use about 1 tablespoon per cup,  let it steep for a few hours, the longer it sits, the richer it gets.  Sip through out the day and enjoy!  When I drink it I feel the goodness seeping into my cells.  It really is one of my favorites!

Tasty Teas #3: Elderberry

Elderberries are wonderful.  So rich in vitamin C.  We drink this "tasty tea" to ward off a cold or flu.  You can drink it when you start to feel a bug coming on, or when you're in the thick of it .  It helps build immunity and repair your health.  Instead of steeping these little berries, you want to make a decoction.  

Put a tablespoon of berries in a medium size pot , cover with two inches of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  

The result is this beautiful magenta colored tea. 

 

Add a spoonful of honey and you are on the mend!  The kiddos will love it too!

Tasty Teas # 2: Tea for Teething

Guaranteed to knock both you and your child out!

Many of you have asked about the tea that I use for my teething children. I can not imagine not having these herbs on hand in my home.  I have found the stuff to work incredibly well to calm and sooth an unhappy child; whether they are teething, have a headache, over stimulated, whatever. It works like a charm on us adults too!  I've been drinking a cup every night these days, I kind of consider it my "night cap". It helps to wind me down and sleep better.  Silas gets it through my breast milk as well. 

I got the list of ingredients from Aviva Jill Romm's book, which I have plugged here.  The combination of herbs is simple; here's what I do: in a large jar, combine equal parts chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, catnip and lemon balm.  The longer you steep, the stronger it gets!  We keep this tea by the quart size jar in our house, it goes fast!

 When Serafin started teething at 5 months, I used to give it to her by the spoonful. When she got older I would put it in a bottle or a sippy cup and have her drink it herself, she still drinks it sometimes.   I'm sure I will do the same with Mr. Silas.  I have to give it to Mother Nature, she really does offer us some wonderful gifts!

Tasty Tea # 1: Moon Tea

After waking up my usual time to feed Silas I noticed the moon was shining strong through the windows. I thought of my Mom and "moon tea". She loved making moon tea. I got my jug out, filled it with water and a hand-full of chamomile tea. Then I set it out to steep in the light of the moon. Yum. If you do make some moon tea, don't forget to cover it up so that bugs don't fly in, they sure do love chamomile. You can do it with any tea that steeps well in cold water, I just happen to love chamomile.

The picture above was the outcome I woke up to the next morning. Imagine it's dark out and the moon is reflecting off of this jug of water. It was actually quite beautiful, but I had problems catching it on my camera because it was friggin freezing out there and I was in my pjs, plus, I'm not that hardcore to insist on a good blog picture at one in the morning! Hope you make some and enjoy it!