Hot Tea Enjoyment Step 5 - Experiment with other tea drinks

Okay this was out of order because I lost the recipes I wanted to include, so rather than hold up the series I listed step 6 on Monday. HEre are all the steps to increasing your enjoyment of Hot Tea if you ant to review:

Step 6: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2012/01/hot-tea-enjoyment-step-6-tea-tastings.html

Step 4: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2012/01/hot-tea-enjoyment-4-storing-your-tea.html

Step 3: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/brewing-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment-3.html

Step 2:  http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/loose-herbal-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment.html

Step 1: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-tea-enjoyment.html

So now. on the the next step:

5. Experiment with tea in other drinks, such as lattes, cider, cocoa or as Chai.  I stretched this out a bit and included using tea as an ingredient in recipes not only for desserts and main dishes, but in the bath as well..

When I was younger I thought Tea is Tea, Coffee is Coffee.  They are specific drinks prepared a specific way.  I do not drink coffee.  I love the smell, dislike the taste.  So as a result I do not drink hot coffee, coffee liqueur, iced coffee, or coffee ice cream, wait if coffee comes in all these varieties, doesn’t tea?

That was when I realized that there was probably more variety to tea than hot or iced.  So I began experimenting with ways to use brewed teas.  In the process I created a tea version of a Latte, a Chai Tea Latte you can enjoy cold as well as hot.

Chai Iced Tea

You will want to use a coffee filter to strain this mixture as the powdered herbs will float on the surface of the tea otherwise.

1/3 cup loose green tea leaves
2 tablespoons loose black tea leaves
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Milk (may substitute soy or rice milk)

Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl. Place 1/2 of the mixture into a tea pot and add boiling water. While the tea is steeping, heat an amount of milk equal to the amount of tea brewed.  Steep until tea is of the desired strength Strain and pour into a mug, filling halfway. Add the warm milk to the mug and blend with the tea. Then pour over ice for iced chai tea. Skip the ice for a hot version.

In my experimenting to create a Latte, I ended up with a traditional Chai and two Green Tea Chais that I now market (scroll to the bottom of the web page and you will find them!) 

I even found ways to cook with tea and ways to use it in the bath.

Spanish Rice with Crab or Shrimp  

(Makes approximately 4 servings)

Ingredients
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 small onion
2 small cloves garlic
2 tblsp canola oil
1 1/4 cups water
1 - 8 ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 tsps loose green tea
1/4 tsp salt
hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. crab meat or cooked medium shrimp

Cut up onion and garlic.  In skillet cook rice, onion, garlic, Backyard Patch Spanish Rice Seasoning (optional) and tea in canola oil over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally until rice is golden brown.  Remove from heat.  Add water, undrained tomatoes, salt, and a couple dashes of hot pepper sauce (optional).

Cover and simmer about 15 - 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in frozen peas and crab OR shrimp and cook for 5 minutes more, or until heated through.

Green Tea Chicken Stock

1 cup freshly brewed green tea
2 Tbls. canola oil.
2 Tbls. of ginger root chunks
1 tsp. white pepper
5 cloves minced garlic
5 green onions
6 cups canned chicken broth
3 cups kernel corn
1 cup chicken, chunked

Heat a deep saucepan over medium heat and add oil. Stir in ginger, garlic and green onions and fry for 1 minute. Add chicken to it and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns brown.  To the chicken mixture add the tea, chicken broth and corn. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer and cover it for 40 minutes. Season it with white pepper. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as you can. Cool it and pour the stock into a container. Keep in a refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze. You can use this great tasting green tea chicken stock in any other recipes calling to broth or stock.

Green Tea Bath Blend

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup chamomile flowers

2 tbsp. loose green tea

1 tbsp. orange peel, dried

1/2 cup Epsom salt

Mesh drawstring bag

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Fill mesh drawstring bag with mixture. Pull drawstrings tight, and tie. Run warm water in the bathtub. Place the ingredient filled mesh bag under running water. The water will seep through the mesh, and release the essential oils and other nutrients into the water.

Hot Tea Enjoyment step 6 - Tea Tastings

We have been working our way through 7 ways to enjoy hot tea in celebration of January as Hot Tea Month.  Here is number 6.

6. Host a tea tasting with friends. Try several different flavors and compare notes. Or hold an actual tea and serve scones and treats with your tea selections.

I love the possibility of inviting people over to try tea.  When I do programs on tea and herbal tea, I always have participants try samples because once you understand how different teas and herbs taste you can begin to put them together into blends of your own which you can enjoy.

Al you need to host a tasting is a tea kettle, some cotton tea infusers (easier than cleaning out the tea ball each time), a selection of tea cups or mugs, and a few friends.

A short tea sample list would include both traditional tea and /or herb teas.  You can combine a tasting of both or choose one or the other as a theme.  You brew up the teas or herbs and have everyone jot down impressions, likes and dislikes and discuss them.

Two Tea Tasting Event Suggestions

Be aware that black, green, oolong, and white teas all come from the same plant – Camellia sinensis.  The flavors of these tea leaves however, vary by growing region’s soil conditions and weather.  So tasting the various teas and linking them to country of origin is always a great way to study the differences in flavor.

Varieties to include in Camellia sinensis tasting:

Black Tea is the strongest tea in color, flavor, and in caffeine content. It is fermented giving it a dark color, and a full-bodied hearty flavor. 

Earl Grey (a black tea blended with bergamot oil so it has a citrus after taste)

Assam (rich aroma, strong-flavored, malty body)

Darjeeling (rich golden color with a delightful aroma)

English Breakfast (traditional full-bodied tea, familiar aroma)

Irish Breakfast ( darker and more rich than English breakfast)

Lapsang Souchong (a robust tea with smoky aroma and flavor, may be an acquired taste)

Green tea is created using hand-picked tea leaves steamed immediately after harvest, allowing the leaves to retain their bright green color, and fresh vibrant taste.  A popular tea, it is most well-known for its health benefits and as a powerful antioxidant. 

Two main styles to try are Gunpowder (also known as Pearl) and Dragon well.

Oolong is a medley of black and green tea leaves created by only partly fermenting the leaves.  This tea is beautiful, full bodied, and has a mildly smooth aftertaste. It is preferred by those who dislike the bitterness commonly associated with green tea and contains less caffeine than black tea. 

White tea has become recently popular.  It is the least processed for the tea leaves are simply picked and dried.  White tea is picked early in the season when the buds are still fresh, young and tender. The taste is very mild and sweet.

An herb tea item list for tasting, could include:

Once you have tried the herbs, find three to combine together to make your own herbal tea blend.  Although herbs can be taken singularly in tea, the best flavors come when you combine the herbs together to create a rich combination that exhibits all the aspect you enjoy singly.

Blackberry leaf – this is an earthy flavor, it combines well with sweet and floral tastes and is goof for female issues of cramping, digestion and other concerns.

Lemon Balm – this is a sweet gently lemony flavored herb with a multitude of medicinal properties which it can impart to tea.  Trying it to see that it is not overpowering in its tartness is always good

Spearmint or Peppermint – these mints are gently cooling in flavor and will work well with most other herbs earthly, savory or sweet.  Peppermint is a sharper more mint-like flavor and Spearmint is a gently soothing taste.  You may want to try both to discover a favorite.

Thyme – a savory traditional cooking her, this herb brings many medicinal properties like being an anti-bacterial to the table.  It is to be used sparingly as it can overpower the flavor of other herb and more is not needed to gain it medicinal benefits.

Chamomile – an old fashioned remedy for colic and sleeplessness this herb adds a apple-like flavor to tea.  It is used for it soothing properties as well as its nice sweet flavor.

Lavender – some lavenders can seem soapy tasting, so I recommend a pure blue lavender for tea.  The savory sweet flavor as well as the relaxing and stress relieving qualities make it a great addition to herbal tea.

Rose hips – the flavor they add is soft, but tart, however the vitamin C they bring is better than several glasses of orange juice.

To go with your teas, you can enjoy scones and biscotti.  Tea is the perfect accompaniment to dry items and those with light flavors so you combine with the flavor of the tea rather than overpower it.

Here is a seasonally friendly scone recipe:

Nut & Raisin Sticky scones

4 cups unbleached flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 T baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 egg

4 T butter, cut into pieces

1 1 /2 cups buttermilk

½ cup raisins

1 cup pecans

4 T butter melted

¾ cup brown sugar

1 T honey

1 T molasses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large mixing bowl add flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder and soda.  Stir.  Add the egg and butter pats and beat at low speed with an electric mixer for one minute.

Slowly add the buttermilk to the bowl and continue to beat just until the dough is formed.  Do not over beat

Turn out the dough onto floured bread board and lightly press out the dough to form a rectangle, approx 1 inch thick.  Sprinkle with raisins and nuts.  Roll up the dough form the long side, to form a log.  Cut into 8 to 10 slices.

In a small bowl Mix together melted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, honey and molasses.  Pour this mixture into buttered 9 x 13 baking pan.  Place the sliced rolls into the baking dish.  Bake for 28 minutes.

And if you want already blended tea for your event, be sure to check out all our Backyard Patch tea blends, or our monthly tea subscriptions available on Etsy.

Winter Gardening To Do lists

I started worrying about my garden the other day.  It has been unseasonable warm here and I started to worry that the perennials might have gotten he signal to sprout and that could give me large amounts of winter kill if the weather turns like I expect it to any day now.  Before I went out the garden (which is located about 9 miles from my apartment) I looked up the winter to do lists to see if there was anything I needed to accomplish while I was out there.

Of course this is January, so there was nothing on the list for me to do outside.  I thought rather than let that file work go to waste I would share with you the zone specific list of chores for those of us in the Midwest.  If you live farther south than Illinois or north of Wisconsin, these lists might be what you needed to do last month or what you cannot do for another month or so!

January & February TO Do Lists

Zone 4

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds indoors for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Zone 5

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Zone 6

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

February

Zone 4

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds indoors for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Zone 5

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Zone 6

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Pineapple Sage - Herb of the week

I have been admiring the Pineapple Sage I brought into the house this fall because it was still flowering when frost hit.  As as a result, today's

 Herb of the week is: Pineapple sage, Salvia elegans

Belonging to the mint family Labiatae, it is indigenous to high altitude regions of Guatemala and Mexico. Despite its name, this perennial flowering plant is not related to pineapple. It is so called with reference to the scented leaves, whose sweet fragrance resembles that of the pineapple fruit. Similar to the growth habit of common sage, pineapple sage plant is a shrub of about 4-5 feet.  It will begin flowering in Mexico in August, but farther north it may not flower until much later in the fall.

Including pineapple sage in your garden will allow you to enjoy lovely butterflies and humming birds visiting this fragrant plant. Harvest the leaves occasionally and enjoy them yourself or dry them for later use.

How to Grow

Considered a tender perennial, Pineapple sage is best adapted in USDA zones 8-11, so here in Illinois I am forced to grow it in a pot if I want to keep it from one year to the next. The ideal growing conditions are optimal sunlight exposure (at least 6 hours a day), well-drained and fertile soil, and regular watering. Based on your plan, it can be included in container gardening or grow directly in garden soil. Planting is best done in spring with stem cuttings. Prepare potting media or garden soil in early spring and purchase already rooted plantlets from the nursery, and plant in the regular way as you do for other bushy herbs. Pineapple sage is easily propagated from stem cuttings rooted in potting soil or a mixture of sand and peat moss.  Pinching the tops of newly rooted cuttings reaps dual benefits: it promotes a bushier plant, and you can use the tasty young leaves to flavor a fruit salad or dessert.

The pale yellow-green leaves are veined, and covered with fine hairs. Six to twelve scarlet flowers grow in whorls, with a long inflorescence that blooms gradually and over a prolonged period of time. Scarlet colored flower buds in long tubular shapes appear in the late season, usually after everything else has bloomed. The buds bloom in a specific pattern, with the base flowers opening first. For regions with short fall or an early frost, transfer the plants indoors to lengthen their blooming period. This year I brought mine inside in October and it bloomed up until Christmas.  Remember that it cannot tolerate prolonged dry spells and cold temperature, so you must water it regularly if you bring it indoors or the leaves with turn brown on the edges.
Because it’s a tender perennial, the way you grow pineapple sage depends on your climate. In the South, it is treated as a perennial, in the North as an annual. Either way, it develops into a graceful mound of fragrant foliage, equally at home in a formal herb garden or a casual herbaceous border. An established plant in the South needs a space about 41/2 feet in diameter, preferably at the rear of a border or in the center of an island bed where it will not obstruct the view of foreground plants. When placing pineapple sage among other ornamental flowers, consider the colors of its fall-blooming neighbors; for example, white or lavender asters might be a better choice than vivid magenta ones. If you grow pineapple sage as an annual, think of it as a foliage plant, as it may need to be brought indoors before it flowers. To facilitate the transition, you can grow it in a large container. This guarantees a satisfactory root system for it to carry on indoors and minimizes the shock of moving it when its season in the garden is over.

For easy maintenance, consider laying a mulch layer around the stem. This will reduce soil moisture evaporation and weed growth. If required, stake the plants to protect from strong winds, they can get tall and the stems are not woody, when you trim them they will bush out. The maximum height for pineapple sage is about 3 to 4 feet in the first year.  If you live in the right zone they you can winter them over and get higher growth the following year.

Pineapple Sage Uses

The pineapple sage is a well-known multipurpose herb, prized for its versatile application. It is used as a curative plant, a flavorful herb for garnishing dishes and a specimen plant for avid gardeners.  Pineapple sage leaves are edible and can be steeped in hot water to make an herbal tea or jam. It is also used in perfumes.

Cut them freely; buds on the lateral shoots will develop in abundance to produce a steady supply of flowers for your garden. The dried leaves and flowers impart their delicate, fruity bouquet to potpourri—it is hard to use too much. Entire stems can be dried for use in herbal wreaths.

In the kitchen, fruit salads are enhanced by the fruity, piquant flavor of the fresh flowers and leaves. This flavor is very different from that of garden sage; although there is a sagey element, it’s very subtle, and pineapple sage doesn’t substitute for other culinary sages. The flowers add visual sparkle as well. Even without flowers, a fresh leafy stem of pineapple sage is the perfect garnish for tall summer drinks.

For food lovers, pineapple sage recipes are perfect for including a flavorful dish in the meal menu. From sweet banana smoothie to bread, fritters, salsa and chicken recipes, the sweet scented leaves complement nearly all types of dishes that call for a rich flavor.  Try mixing the minced leaves and flowers in cream cheese for a delightfully fruity spread, or knead a handful or two of chopped leaves into raisin bread dough. Steeping the leaves in hot apple juice and using the juice to make jelly is an easy way to preserve the pineapple sage flavor. You can preserve the sweetness in herbal sugar too by layering the leaves in sugar and allowing to infuse for a day or 5. The dried leaves can be brewed for a satisfying winter tea; however, the fruity element is lost in drying.

The purported health benefits of this herb include calming the nervous system, serving as a general tonic, improving the digestive health and treating heartburn. Pineapple sage is extensively used in Mexican traditional medicine, especially for the treatment of anxiety, and also for lowering of blood pressure. Although scientific information about these medicinal properties is scarce, a preliminary study on mice found support for the plant potentially having anti depressant and anti anxiety properties.

Recipes

Pineapple Sage Smoothie

1/3 cup skim milk

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 banana

1 tsp honey

1 1/2 tbls pineapple sage packed and chopped

Place ingredients in blender in the order ingredients are listed. Process until smooth.

Pineapple Sage Pound Cake

I adapted this recipe from a pineapple and sage pound cake and I find it is much sweeter less savory with Pineapple sage.

1 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup honey

5 eggs

2 tbls pineapple sage leaves, chopped

3 tbls pineapple sage flowers, coarsely chopped

1 tsp grated lemon rind

4 tbls crushed pineapple, drained

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour four miniature loaf pans Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the honey. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat for one minute after each addition. Beat in the sage leaves, flowers, lemon peel, and crushed pineapple. Stir the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture. Fold these together gently, until just blended. Pour into loaf pans. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown (wooden pick inserted into center will come out clean). Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of pans and continue to cool.

*I used a regular size loaf pan just bake a little longer till brown and cake tester comes out clean.

Pineapple Sage and Ginger Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/3 inch uniform thickness)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

grapeseed oil

butter  

1 bunch of  fresh pineapple sage leaves, washed and chopped)

2 tbls ginger puree

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 lb pasta (gemelli or fettuccini)

whole pineapple sage leaves for garnish

Preparing the chicken: If you have a little time before cooking dinner, lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts. It's great if you can do this the night before, but it's not necessary. Mix about a half teaspoon of salt in with the flour along with a little pepper. Dredge both sides of the chicken lightly in the flour. Heat a large heavy skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat, with a little grape seed oil and about half a tablespoon of butter. Quickly sear both sides of the chicken breast until just faintly golden; you don't want the insides to cook much at all. Cover tightly and turn the heat down very low. Cook for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let sit for another 10 minutes, still tightly covered. Transfer chicken to warming plate, tented with foil to keep it warm.

 Whisk the ginger puree into the wine. Heat the skillet with the pan juices and fat, scrapping up any fond (brown bits) from the bottom of the pan, and sauté the sage leaves just until wilted. Deglaze the pan with the wine and ginger mixture, letting it bubble until slightly reduced. Add the broth and cook until reduced by half. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and toss with the ginger sauce. I saved a little bit of the ginger sauce to pour over the chicken. OR: Place the pasta on the platter, then the chicken and pour all the sauce evenly on top of the mixture. Serve the chicken on top of the pasta. Garnish with a few whole pineapple sage leaves. Serving suggestion: steamed vegetables and/or a tossed salad using seasonal produce. Basmati rice or jasmine rice is another option instead of pasta.

*To make your own ginger puree, finely grate 1 tablespoon fresh ginger and stir in about 1 tablespoon softened honey (or cane sugar). Do not substitute dry or ground ginger in this recipe as it will be overpowering in flavor and strength.

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.

Winter Blah boost With Herbs

Winter Mood Booster Herbs

There has been virtually no snow this winter.  Many days it feels like spring outside, but unlike spring there is not lengthening of the days yet, no greening of the plants and if there is you worry that the next temperature turn will kill them and lessen real spring when it does come months from now.

With my husband going into the hospital at the first of the year and myself gathering a nice seasonal cold by the second week of the month, this year has brought on a serious case of the winter blahs.  I have no creativity at all.  Writing the blogs takes so much energy that I am lucky to write one a day which hardly gets me ahead for gardening season!  My fiction writing is in an untouched pile on the desk and even the thought that I might be getting something back from my editor is not exciting to me.  My beadwork has been spread out on the table for weeks and I have not even bothered to fix my broken earrings.  And we will not even talk about the housework that I have not accomplished this month…

I realized I needed some winter recovery in a hurry.  I turned to a few natural mood boosters. Try adding little things to your life that bring you joy till you reach a tipping point and have to give in to being in better spirits -- from a hot date with your bathtub every night for a week to fresh-cut flowers by your bed.  Sometimes it just takes a little creativity to find your way out of the doldrums of winter.  Someone once told me a cold shower in the morning is good for removing the blah’s too, but I have not yet given that the test.

Here are a few herbs shown to help ease you out of that rut...

Remember always check with your physician before beginning a new regimen (especially if you're on medication).

Lemon balm – Loved by gardeners and herbalists for its fresh minty-lemon aroma, Lemon Balm is known for its relaxing and calming effects and great flavor.  Lemon balm is wonderful in combination with milky oats and chamomile as a relaxing after-dinner tea.

St. John’s Wort might be one of the most well-known herbal remedies for depression.  It has been the focus of many scientific studies, but the evidence of its effectiveness has been inconsistent.  The general consensus seems to be that it can be healthful for mild forms of depression but lacks the ability to treat more severe depression all by itself.  This makes sense, since herbs, though potent, are not drugs and any herbal protocol for serious issues should have a broad and multi-tiered approach.  That said, individuals have had positive results taking St. John’s Wort, and it has a long history of use, especially in Europe.  Taking St. John’s Wort in the form of a tincture is easy and doable.  If you do not make your own tinctures, check out a supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs for a bottle of tincture.  Follow the instructions on the bottle or ask your healthcare provider for their recommended serving size specifically for you.  I am not one from the capsules, but I do make it into tea.  I have never grown more than I can use personally, so I do not have a tea blend with St. John’s Wort.

Lavender is one of the best herbs for relaxing tension, calming anxiety, and easing mild depression.  Turning to lavender essential oil is fast, easy, and uplifting when you’re feeling down.  Dilute the oil in a bath, use an essential oil diffuser, or apply a drop or two to your clothing or pillow case.

One of my first tea blends (a combination of lavender and lemon balm) was created during the winter doldrums when I was trying to make it through an especially dark winter.  After being outside gardening all summer the lack of activity and daylight took its toll.  The resulting blend is Lemon lavender Splash.  It even sounds uplifting, doesn’t it?

My Afternoon Lift  Tea was created the following year with the same idea in mind.  It contains cinnamon, chamomile and lemon balm and lemon peel.  It is a good treatment for winter ailments as well as mood lifting.

Everyone always asks me why I seem happiest in winter when it snows a lot.  That is because I love snow.  After a storm when the air is brisk and the sun is out I love to go for a walk and those in the know will tell you, Vitamin D which we get from sunlight exposure is especially good for improving your mood.  When there is no snow, I do not get outside much.  So don’t forget to get some time in the sunshine when you have the opportunity.  It’s for sure the best way to bring a little extra light into your winter day!