Brew up a Cup of Tea

For Hot Tea Month, I decided I should share more about tea on my blog.  But first I think you should just brew some!

A cup of fragrant herb tea is a natural choice when you want to avoid caffeine. And best of all, you can grow a variety of wonderfully scented herbs and snip off a couple of sprigs whenever you want a comforting cup of tea. You can also dry them and keep them for winter use during cold season or to give as gifts.

Add them to your garden and it comes alive with their spicy scents and with appreciative wildlife. Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies love the flowers of many herbs. It’s a pleasure to rub the leaves and enjoy a whiff of all the different perfumes while working in the garden. Many will do well potted into containers for your porch or patio.

Some of my favorites are: lemon verbena, bee balm, chamomile, scented geraniums, catnip (aka, catmint), pineapple sage, and lemon balm. But you may enjoy a more savory flavor with marjoram, thyme, especially the flavored thymes, like lemon or orange, and Holy Basil.

Brewing Herbal Tea

To brew herb tea just add a few leaves or sprigs to your tea pot, or follow this basic method from Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:

1. Use a non-metal tea pot to preserve the true flavors.

2. For hot tea use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water.

3. For iced tea use 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water (to allow for ice cubes).

4. Bring water to a boil, then pour over the herbs in the tea pot; cover to steep.

5. Steep for at least 5 minutes, test for taste, steep longer if desired.

Serve with honey, lemon or orange slices, or sprigs of fresh herbs. I like to add a dab of honey to both hot and iced tea. For iced tea add the honey before chilling the tea so it will dissolve.

Teapot Therapy

The pleasant ritual of brewing tea and enjoying a couple of cups from my teapot is very soothing. If you don’t have a teapot you can brew your tea right in your cup, just cover it while it’s steeping and strain out the herbs by pouring it into another cup to drink. Then keep an eye out at garage sales or pottery sales for interesting teapots to collect and enjoy a daily herbal tea ritual.

Five Benefits of Herbal Tea

Whether you want to shed some few pounds or simply desire to have good heath, herbal tea is definitely good for you. Herbal tea is a great substitute if you find drinking mineral water plain. Make sure you drink five glasses every day to relish all the benefits. Here are five top reasons  (one for each cup of tea) why you should drink herbal tea.

1. Great for weight loss

Herbal tea has been known to help in losing weight. This is a popular topic, reason being that teas can actually help in weight loss as they increase the body’s metabolism thus improving your blood circulation, cholesterol level and ultimately enhances cardiovascular health.

2. Prevents Cancer

People who drink herbal tea are less susceptible to lung cancer and other common diseases. Believe it or not, research indicates that herbal tea helps to treat stroke, heart ailments and even certain cancers.  But it could also be the lifestyle those that drink tea tend to adopt?!

3. Cures stomach ailments

If you suffer from frequent stomach ailments, try drinking at least a cup of tea every day after your meals. Herbal tea reduces the acids in the stomach and therefore digestion takes place ably.  Ginger and any of the mints can quiet digestive ailments.

4. Enhances the immune system

According to recent scientific studies, herbal teal strengthens the body’s immune system to ensure you are not prone to flu and other lung diseases. With a strong immune system, your body now has the ability to repair and regenerate the damage cells rapidly.  Echinacea is said to be a marginal assist with this, but germ fighters like lemon grass, thyme and sage will certain help.  And a bit of extra Vitamin C you get from parsley and rosehips cannot hurt either.

5. Reduces stress

When your work and lifestyle seems stressful, drink one cup of tea. It is relaxing and therefore very effective at minimizing stress levels.  Lavender and chamomile will both help your body calm down in stressful situations.

On the other hand, herbal tea has been known to interfere with medication, so always consult your physician. For instance, it prevents proper absorption of iron in the gut. Herbal tea is also considered an expensive habit, especially if you become addicted, like me – it could lead to large gardens and tea pot collections and many other bad habits.

Lemon Scones, Lemon Tea and Lemon Curd!

This time of year I start thinking about tea and scones and so in celebration of Hot Tea month.  You get the makings of a perfect tea party!  Tea, scones and lemon curd.  Enjoy!

Lemon Scones with Sour Lemon Glaze

These flaky lemon scones, drizzled with a tangy lemon icing are delicious hot, but I enjoy mine at room temperature the following day so the lemon flavor is at its best.

Makes 8 to 10 scones depending on size.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about one lemon)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg

Icing:

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, measure the sugar and blend in the lemon zest.  Work the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the entire mixture becomes aromatic.
2. Then whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. 
3. Cut in the butter.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cream, and egg.
5. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, just until a dough starts to form. Knead a couple times until the dough holds together.
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently press dough into a circle, about an inch thick. 
7. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges.
8. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet, not touching each other, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 
9. Remove from oven and let rest on the sheet for 5 minutes.
10. Prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency. 
11. Place scones on a wire rack. Drizzle or brush icing over warm scones.

Lemon Herbal Tea
  This is a kin to my popular herb tea Zesty Lemon, featuring fun lemon herbs.

1 Tbls. Lemon Balm or Lemon Verbena
1 Tbls. lemon peel
1/2 Tbls. lemon grass

Use 2 tsp. per cup of water and let steep for 5 to 8 minutes.  The tea will be very light in color, but the flavor will be great!

Lemon Curd

2 cups sugar

12 large egg yolks, beaten and strained

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted at room temperature

2 Tbls. grated lemon peel

Combine sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.  Gradually stir in lemon juice.  Cook, stirring constantly over low heat, until mixture coats the back of a spoon and the temperature registers 168 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.  Do not allow to boil.

Remove from heat and whisk mixture until slightly cooled.  Stir in butter, 1 Tbls. at a time, and add lemon peel.  While it is still warm, pour mixture into sterilized jars, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

You might also like to see the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake that we posted back in December 2012.