Relaxation Tea Blend - Tea Blend of the Month

Today I am speaking to the Village Garden Club of Hinsdale, Illinois. They asked me to speak on my favorite subject, herbal tea!  The program is called the Curative Properties of Tea, where I review and explain the medicinal properties of various herbs used in healing teas.

I became an herb grower because of my love of herb tea, and back in the 90's there just was not much selection, so I needed to grow a few herbs to make my own.

When making tea, you have to consider several flavors: sweet, savory, pungent and floral.  Floral flavors can be savory or sweet, but we separate them out when making tea because they are so commonly used.

Here are the rules for blending teas:

• 1 pungent, 1 savory, 1 sweet, 1 floral
• 1 pungent, 1 savory, 2 sweets, 1 floral
• 1 pungent, 2 savory
• 2 savory, 3 floral
• 1 savory, 1 sweet, 1-2 floral
• 1 sweet, 2-3 floral

And here is a tea recipe using those rules that my lecture participants will be creating today.

Relaxation Tea Blend

• 1 part lemon balm (sweet - helps relaxation and reduces stress)
• 2 parts hops (floral - increases restfulness and calm)
• 1 part mexican oregano (savory - reduces cold symptoms)

Mix together and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  

To Use: Use 1 tsp per cup of hot water and allow to steep 7 to 10 minutes before enjoying.

Three Host and Hostess Gifts to Make Ahead

The Fall entertaining season is about to start and if you are traveling to someone else's for a party we would like to recommend a few hand-made gifts that you can create to take as a present for the hosts.

Three handmade, herb infused gifts to present to your hosts:

1. Homemade Bitters
2. Hand-blended Teas
3. Flavor infused Mixers

Handmade Bitters

In my mocktail program I always say I am going to share this recipe for citrus bitters on my blog, but i never seem to do it, so for those who have been waiting, here is the recipe.  you need to plan ahead to make this as a gift, as it takes 6 to 8 weeks to cure properly, but one batch will give you may jars of bitters to use for gifting and yourself!

Bitters are a special ingredient in cocktails that lends a tang to a drink and are great in drinks based on gin or vodka.  Bitters are also a digestive aid and these two recipes made with citrus are high in anti-oxidants and can assist with keeping blood sugar levels, well level.

Citrus bitters

The bright flavor these lend to your ginger ale, seltzer, sparking water or spirits is amazing and unique; you may find you cannot live without it.

• 1 750-ml bottle of plain (unflavored) vodka
• 4 oranges, zest only from the entire orange
• 2 lemons, zest only from entire lemon
• 1 Tbls fennel seeds
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• ½ tsp coriander seed

Zest the lemons and oranges, getting all the orange and yellow peel, but none of the white pith underneath.  Place the zest and the fennel, coriander and cloves in a 1-quart mason jar.  Seal tightly and shake, then place in a cool, dark area for 4 to 8 weeks shaking every other day.

Once infused, strain the bitters using a fine mesh strainer and transfer the liquid to 4-ounce amber dropper jars for long term storage at room temperature. Recipe makes 6 4-ounce jars. These never spoil!

TO USE: 

• Bitters can be added to a tall glass of iced ginger ale, just a few drops will make a refreshing drink.
• Swap them in for extracts in baked goods.
• Toss them with popcorn.
• Shake them into lemonade or juice.
• Infuse honey and maple syrup.
• Add them to poaching liquid for fruit.

Try this Cocktail--  Tea Time Tippler

• 2 oz. Green or Herbal Tea
• 1 oz Lavender Simple Syrup
• 1 oz Ginger Beer
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 2 Dashes of  Bitters

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grapefruit disk. Recipe makes 1 cocktail.

Hand-blended Teas

A dry herb tea blend is quick and easy to make. Then just place the mixture in a canning jar with a decorative label with instructions and attach a tea infuser and you have a perfect little gift. Choose a relaxing blend to help your host wind down after the stress of entertaining. This recipe has cooling and restoring mint along with immunity boosters in lemongrass and rosehips.

Winter Serendipitea Tea 

• 1 teaspoon dried spearmint
• 1 teaspoon peppermint
• 1 teaspoon crushed rosehips
• 1 teaspoon dried chopped lemongrass 
• 1/2 teaspoon each of orange peel 
• 1/2 teaspoon raspberry leaf
• dash of cinnamon

Mix ingredients together well.  Store in a tightly lidded container.

TO USE: Bring cool water to a boil.  Place 1 tsp of the tea blend in a tea infuser, pour 1 cup of boiling water over and allow to steep for 3 – 5 minutes, preferably in a covered container.  

For iced tea, allow to steep up to 10 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature and add ice and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

We have shared a number of recipes for herb teas here in the blog, so if you want something different check out this list: Tea Recipes at Backyard Patch

Or you can just pick up a Backyard Patch Tea blend by visiting our website.

Flavor-infused Mixers

My last recommendation is to make a flavored alcohol or a faux gin for your hosts. We have recipes here: Faux Gin. Or you can craft something with our simple cocktail kits, like Apple Cinnamon Bourbon or a quick and easy Faux Gin, or even an Old-Fashioned Cocktail.

To make your own Old-Fashioned --

• 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey 
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup 
• 2 dashes bitters 
•  orange slice & maraschino cherry to garnish

Combine all ingredients in a low ball glass, add ice and garnish and sip!

New Feature - Monthly Herb Tea Crafting Ideas

I have a boat and a garage and a house full of tea recipes.  Some I learned, some I crafted from scratch some I created by accident. I share them regularly on the blog (you can find them by searching Tea Recipes on the blog) but I thought it might be nice to be more organized about it and share some tea creating ideas every month. These will include recipes for tea, recipes for items to serve with tea and highlights on herbs to grow for making tea. 

I started my first herb garden in 1992, because I love herb tea.  However I wanted my herb (caffeine-free) tea to be as nuanced in flavors as the black teas I also enjoy, like Earl Grey with a hint of orange from bergamot oil, or Assam Tea which has a chocolaty finish to go with the malty strong flavor. What was available in the stores were generally single herb teas like peppermint or chamomile and those were not subtle. So I began experimenting with herbs and their flavors and creating combinations.  

I started with two-herb combos like Lemon balm and Lavender (now called Lemon Lavender Splash and made with multiple lemon herbs) or Lemon balm and peppermint (called Lemon Peppermint and made in the winter because of its throat-soothing properties.) Then I moved to three and four herb combinations like Dreamtime (chamomile, lavender and catnip,) Headache Relief  a combo of lavender, rosemary and thyme and Nerve Soothing (sage, thyme, marjoram, chamomile, because you can be soothing without lavender.)

Once I gained confidence in my blending skills, I began making multi-herb blends like my popular hot and iced tea called Calming Spirit named so because it is made with relaxing herbs of spearmint, lavender, chamomile, rosemary and cloves for color. Now I can create a tea with any number of herbs and spices and enjoy a side hustle of custom tea blends for groups, events and weddings.  If you have questions about herbs for your tea, please ask in the comments down below.

There are many recipes I have made or adapted to try at home, use in cocktails and tryout for programs so I thought I would share some of these experiments and perhaps a few of my commercial failures with you and let you judge them for yourself. And since herbs are best with shortbread and scones, I will share a few of those recipes along the way as well.

As it is May I decided to start with an iced teas, you can then enjoy a cooling blend as summer heats up. Although as I write this is is not yet very warm, I am hopeful that by publication it will be warm enough outdoors for you to enjoy these recipes on your porch or deck.

Tea Idea to Start

Lemon Verbena-Apple Mint Tea
Nothing is more refreshing in the summer than lemon verbena iced tea, and a hint of apple and mint adds a twist.

1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh apple mint leaves, loosely packed
2 quarts water

Bring water to a boil.  Turn off water and add the herbs, bruising them slightly.  Cover pot and let sit for 10 minutes.  Strain out herbs, allow to cool and add ice.

Another Tea Idea

Now if you do not bring in your lemon verbena plants for winter like I do , you might not have any of that herb just yet, so here is a recipe you can make with kitchen herbs, or those you can gather at the grocery. I shared this years ago in my herbal newsletter - which is now called the Good Thymes....

Nippy Iced Tea  

• 5-6 stems catnip
• 4-5 stems peppermint
• 4-5 stems lemon balm
• A bit of sage 1-2 leaves

Because you are dealing with stems of herbs, place the stems in a roaster pan pour boiling water of them and let steep 20 to 30 minutes.  Chill and serve over ice with a splash of fresh cool water. Start with one quart of water and if it is too strong add another quart.  Allow to cool then serve with ice.  The mint is cooling and refreshing while the lemon balm is uplifting.  The catnip and sage will help with allergies too!

Stop back next month for more tea ideas!

Busy times at Backyard Patch Herbs - Advent Calendar Announcement

I have announced the coming of the Advent Calendar in my newsletter, but not here on my Blog.  About a year ago we migrated our website from one provider to another and the new provider has the ability to craft as many pages as I want and I have been having fun finally posting the product related recipes I have tried to figure out how to post so people could search for them easily. 

In my work I found my old website postings of Advent Calendars and decided it was time to do that again.  I posted items on Facebook a few years ago, but nothing as organized as I was back in 2010- thru 2014.  Here are the links to the postings that were collected onto a single page for each year on an old website.

2011http://www.backyardpatch2.mysite.com/custom3.html

2012 http://www.backyardpatch2.mysite.com/custom3_1.html

2013: http://www.backyardpatch2.mysite.com/custom3_2.html

2014: http://www.backyardpatch2.mysite.com/custom_17.html

 https://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2014/12/advent-calendar-how-to-herb-holiday.html

https://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-advent-2014-scented-pine-cones.html

https://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-advent-2014-making-scented-cork.html

No Advent done in 2015 thru 2019

In 2020, I gathered new ideas and recipes to share and will be doing so on the website.  Each day beginning today, Nov 29, 2020, you will have the opportunity to read a recipe, craft idea, decoration tip or gift suggestion all related to herbs.  Since so many people are staying home for the holiday, we tried to find recipes and gift ideas one could make at home as well.

Short History of Advent Calendars

There are many types of calendars used in different countries. The most common ones in the UK and USA are made of paper or card with 24 or 25 little windows on. A window is opened on every day in December and a Christmas picture is displayed underneath.

In the 19th Century, German protestant Christians counted down to Christmas by marking 24 chalk lines on a door and rubbing one off every day in December.

Paper calendars were first popular in Germany in the early 1900s, although people made their own  from the 1850s. There's a debate about exactly where and when the first mass produced calendar was printed but it was in the first decade of the 1900s. The most famous and popular early maker of printed Advent calendars was a German printer called Gerhard Lang. His first calendars consisted of two sheets, a 'back' piece of card with the numbers 1 to 24 printed on it and a separate sheet of pictures which you could cut out and stick onto the numbers each day. The first calendars with 'doors' were made in Germany in the 1920s. During World War II, the production of Advent calendars in Europe stopped due to a shortage of cardboard.

When they were first made, scenes from the Christmas Story and other Christmas images were used, such as snowmen and robins, but now many calendars are made in the themes of toys, television programs and sports clubs. The first record of an Advent calendar, in the UK, was in 1956.

The first calendar with chocolate in it was made in 1958; and in the UK Cadbury's made their first chocolate calendar in 1971. However, they didn't sell very many to start with. Chocolate calendars really only became popular in the 1980s.

Some European countries such as Germany use a wreath of fir with 24 bags or boxes hanging from it. In each box or bag there is a little present for each day. Pinterest is covered with great ideas for making Advent countdown decorations.  I started a tradition back in 2011 of posting Advent recipes and activities.  I posted them on my, now defunct, website and on Facebook. This year I thought it might be nice to go back to using my website, so this year I will be posting them beginning November 29^th.  

Each day I will have an activity or recipe that one can make.  Many will focus on gift giving and all will use herbs and spices. Since it has been almost decade since our original Advent calendar, we will bring back a few of the popular recipes from our original postings.

You can find the Advent Calendar, which will be updated daily – on our website www.backyardpatch.com  then just click on the Advent Calendar link at the top of the website home page.

Cold and Flu Symptom Teas

As I chugged down another cup of herbal tea trying to soothe the sore throat, cough and congestion I have been fighting with for a week now, I thought what a wonderful idea for a thoughtful gift for someone suffering the same way, but to make them herbal tea. 

Now I have hundreds (that is not an exaggeration) of tea infusers, but many people I know do not.  That was when I stumbled across this great idea.  I found it on Dinah’s Gourmet Gifts.

Cheese cloth tea sachets.  Here are her instructions: 

• Place a small square of double ply cheese cloth on a flat surface.
• mound herbal tea blend on one end 
• tightly roll up the cheese cloth  “sushi style” 
• bring the open ends to the center of the “sushi roll” 
• tightly bind in pretty cotton embroidery thread

She even suggested a cardstock label with the ingredients and the healing properties of the herbs included.

This was so cute a picture in my head, when she said you could put them in a glass jar or a cellophane bag, I thought "hey why not a cute tea mug or tea cup…"

Then I realized I was using three different tea blends at home as a remedy for my ills and I could share those with you and you can make tea sachets for yourself or those you care about who are under the weather.

I received this as a gift when I was the volunteer, volunteer coordinator for the PBS station in Indianapolis.  I loved that position and this has become my favorite mug, especially when I am ill!

Soothing Tea

1 part mint

1 part hyssop

1 part oregano

1 part parsley

1 part lemon balm

Place all herbs in a tea ball or bag, put in your nicest or most favorite cup or mug, and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Remember you are feeling ill so pamper yourself.

Floral Flu Symptom Tea

2 parts Calendula

1 part Feverfew

1 part Lavender

1 part lemon balm

Blend the herbs together, then use 2 tsp per cup of just off boiling water and steep for 7 to 10 minutes.  Sweeten with honey if needed.

Bronchial Congestion Tea

1 ½ oz Aniseed

1 oz Calendula flowers

3/4 oz Marshmallow root

1/3 oz Licorice root

Crush aniseeds and add to herbs. Pour 1 cup just off boiling water over 1 tsp. mixture and steep 10 minutes.

I have also been drinking From the Hearth Tea from the Essential Herbal which I recommend as well, it has holy basil, rose hips, lemon grass, and other strengthening herbs.  

Blends from the Backyard Patch that are popular for winter colds include: Winter Remedy, Cure All, Headache Relief, and Work cure.  This last blend has a bit of cayenne which clears the head and makes it easier to stay alert at work.  You can check out all the Herbal Tea with this link.