Tea Note Speaker - September 2010 Issue Editors Note
From the Editors Desk
Welcome to Tea Note Speaker !
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Connie
How to Make Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is made from the ginger root, or the rhyzome. It is a knotty root, and has a light brown skin and a light juicy flesh on the inside. You can find ginger root in the fresh produce section in most grocery stores.
But if you like you can grow your own ginger no matter where you live. If you live in the warmer regions of the world, then you can grow it in your garden, but if you live in the cooler regions then you will not be able to grow it in the garden, but you can grow it in pots inside your home.
To Make the Tea It is very simple to make ginger tea, as all you need to do is grate a small piece of ginger root and place it in a tea ball and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Another way that you can make the tea is to boil a piece of ginger in water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Once you have obtained the ginger flavor you can discard the ginger and add other flavors to your tea. Some of my favorites are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice and a natural sweetener such as agave nectar or honey. You can let your imagination run wild and add anything that you like, provided that it is natural.
You do not have to drink your tea hot, but you can allow it to cool and pour it over some ice for a nice refreshment on a hot summer day.
Health Benefits There are many health benefits associated with ginger tea, and has for many centuries been used to relieve gas, bloating, heartburn, indigestion and other digestive problems. Drinking ginger tea after your meals can help the digestive juices to start flowing so that you can eliminate the above problems.
Ginger also helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol that is being absorbed by the body, and thus it helps to lower your bad cholesterol levels. This is turn is very good for the heart as it helps to keep the blood vessels clean from cholesterol, and thus you can prevent high blood pressure, atherosclerosis which are major risks factors for heart disease and stroke.
Ginger tea can also help to relieve the symptoms of a cold, as it acts as a natural antihistamine which helps to relieve chest and nasal congestion. In addition it can also help you to sweat out the harmful bacteria and other toxins which caused the cold in the first place. Here at Your Cup of Tea we thought this article written by Helena Reimer, was interesting enough to share with our readers. For more information on how to prevent disease and live a long and healthy life, visit her site LivingFood101.
A Toddler Tea Party (Sort Of)
When I was a young girl the teddy bears picnic was a popular song. Teddy bear tea parties could make a cute party theme for kids today. A nice theme for a birthday party or a just because party.
I notice my grandchildren have play dates a few children could make believe with their teddy bears and turn it into a tea party. Play dates dont really require decorations just some kids that want to play and their teddy bears to have a tea party with. My granddaughter has several tea party sets. One, my favorite, tea pots makes a gurgling noise as the pretend tea is poured into the plastic tea cups.
The hosting mom could make up some treats that the little ones could pretend share with their teddy bears. Pottery Barn Kids has some great pretend food items that the teddy bears could enjoy as well.
For the little ones themselves mom could offer some good for you foods. Bananas spread with peanut butter makes a healthy treat for children not affected by nuts. My granddaughter will eat almost any fruit. She loves strawberries and blueberries, these are good for you foods that can be eaten with the hands (mom doesnt even have much prep work for this fruit).
I found some really great treats for kids of very small to older ages. I just had to share with you.
First though one of the recipes
Fruit and Cheese Kabobs
Ingredients
4 cantaloupe or honeydew melon slices
2 oz. reduced-fat cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese slices
4 fresh blackberries
4 whole fresh strawberries
Directions
Use 1- to 1-1/2-inch cookie cutters to cut shapes out of cantaloupe and honeydew slices and cheese. Thread fruit and cheese onto 4 small skewers. Place in a flat storage container and chill until serving time (or up to 24 hours). Serves 2.
You can find the recipe and really cute picture of these here. If you dont have small cookie cutters you can buy some at Cooking.com
Clicking this link will send you to their home page where you will want to enter cookie cutters into their search box. There really have a large selection to choose from.
Mom can prepare a real tisane (considered a tea) with rooibos tea leaves. Kids love it and there is no caffeine. Plus it is packed full of antioxidants and thats a good thing. It would even work to allow the little ones to pour the tea from their little tea pots. Allow the tea to cool to lukewarm to be safe.
You may have a mess to clean up mom. Remember our kids are little for such a short time we need to make lasting memories for them while we can. Use your movie camera to capture the children at some serious play.
For more tea party ideas for kids check out our web site. Here you can even see the gurgling tea pot in action.
Featured Herb: Echinacea
Summer is winding down and the cold and flu season will soon be on us. Since I have begun to study herbs I have learned that the herb Echinacea is a useful herb to boost the immune system.
Herbalist make a tincture with Echinacea to be used at the very first hint of a cold. Some families take this tincture once a day to prevent colds. It can also be used as an anti-bacterial for first aid situations like cuts and scrapes. Just as you would use bactine.
Here is a recipe
You will need a sterile jar
Dried Echinacea root
100 proof alcohol
Cheese cloth lined strainer
Blue or amber bottles with an eye dropper
Place enough dried Echinacea into the jar to fill to the top
Cover with alcohol and place the lid on
Let this mixture sit in the jar (preferably in a dark place) for 2 to 6 weeks shaking the jar once a day
To decant use the cheese cloth lined strainer to strain the liquid
Fill jars, label and date them
Please note that herbal remedies are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. I make no claim to be a doctor or an accredited herbalist. I am an individual who believes we take too many pills and too many antibiotics. I believe I have found useful natural ways to maintain health or useful remedies for certain illness. I encourage you to do your own research and consult your medical professional.
Dose
An adult dose is 2 ml or ½ teaspoon up to 5 times per day.
For a child's dose divide the childs weight by 150. A 50 pound child would take 1/3 the adult dose 50/150=1/3
Have Your Say Or Even Your Own Web Page
This is your opportunity to tell us what you need, share a fantastic tea party you hosted, describe your absolute best tea house experience. Let others know where to stop in their travels for the best tea.
If you are an herbalist or grow herbs share your knowledge. Our readers are really interested in what you have to share.
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