Yesterday my husband and daughter traveled to our local mall to go birthday shopping for me.  My birthday is not for another 4 weeks and this was quite the surprise.  My husband is usually a fly by the seat of his pants, last minute kind of guy.  When they came home they had a cup of iced tea from Teavana.

My daughter loves going there to try the samples and we usually walk out with something. My husband very excitedly says “you have to try this.” It was a red colored tea and I could immediately taste the jasmine. I asked him what it was and he told me it was a blend of Strawberry Lemonade and Peachberry Jasmine Sutra tea. Normally my husband is not a big fan of Jasmine tea, so it was a surprise that he liked it.

These two teas make a really great blend together and I am going to add some of both to the tea cabinet. Now is a great time to do so too, because with every $30 order placed at Teavana.com, you can receive a gift subscription to Body+Soul magazine. What a great way to do something nice for your body & soul with tea and a magazine filled with articles and tips on living a healthy lifestyle.

*Magazine subscription is valued at $9.95; refer to the Teavana website for full offer and refund details.*

I’m not the only one who can come up with some delicious tea blends! Here are a few samplings from some internet neighbors.

Green Chai Spa Tea blend from Epicurious is a delightfully spicy, yet simple beverage that will perk up your afternoon snack. The ingredients are easily obtained from your local health food or herb supply store. I recommend merely sweetening with raw sugar.

Fruits from Washington offers up a wonderful Red Summer Tea recipe. Again, these herbs are pretty easy to obtain and result in a tangy, sweet taste that is perfectly complimented by a squeeze of honey. Serve with your favorite muffin for a lovely breakfast.

Relaxation Herbal Tea is the perfect way to end your hectic day. Chamomile relaxes the nerves, while oat straw, hibiscus, and rose petals nourish the body. I think you’ll find this blend to be a regular evening drink.

I very much love the ingredients used in the Less Stress Tea by Ladies Blend. The flower aromas of lavender, chamomile, and rose will lift your spirits as the peppermint, lemon balm, and catnip strengthen your nervous system. Serve this one up whenever you feel overwhelmed, sad, or discouraged.

For a beverage to jazz up your afternoon snack or your dessert platter, Moroccan Mint Tea makes a delicious choice. Definitely follow the directions to the letter and steep exactly as recommended to prevent a tea that is too bitter. I think you’ll find this one to be an unusual treat.

The world of teas and tisanes is never-ending. I hope you leap at the chances to explore new tastes.

There are so many books on tea that it can be hard to know where to start. But, several seem to shine above the rest. Filled with recipes, tricks of the trade, and blending advice, the books I’ve listed will enable you to create that perfect cup of tea in no time. I thought a variety of ideas, both in the tea world (from the tea bush: black, green, etc) and in the infusion/decoction realm (purely herbal) would be beneficial for you to explore.

1. 20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak – filled with detailed descriptions of herbs (including a history of their uses), this book is jam packed with information from tea to herbs. It is quite easy to follow and helpful in the sense that the symptoms or herbs you are looking for are easily cross-referenced. This one will most definitely be a keeper in your collection, especially with the huge array of recipes. Be mindful, though, that many of the ingredients require online shopping to obtain.
2. Tea for You by Tracy Stern – this is a FANTASTIC book that focuses on the camellia sinensis plant, but combines the leaves with such delicious, whimsical, and fun ingredients. For example, did you ever think of blending white tea with chamomile, cacao, and coconut flakes? This is for sure a must have.
3. Healing Herbal Teas by Brigitte Mars – for a great jumping off point, Mars makes a lovely read. Her writing is passionate, informative, and seems to contain the verbage of ancient Vedic texts on our relationship with the Plant Kingdom. The tasty recipes will encourage your experimentation without having to hunt for exotic ingredients.
4. Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health & Vitalityby Kathleen Brown – this book contains a wealth of herbal recipes, including helpful side notes, detailed information, and a sweet written humor.
5. The Yoga of Herbsby David Frawley – this is just simply my go-to book when researching particular herbs for medicinal purposes. Frawly goes into great depth by listing the areas of the body affected by the herb (tissues and systems), specific actions (such as antiseptic or diaphoretic), indications, precautions, and methods of preparation. If you are expanding your herbal tea knowledge for healing, then by all means, get this book.

What are your favorite Tea Books? Please share in the comments below.

If you are planning on traveling to Sydney, Australia in the near future then consider adding a visit to the Sydney Opera House paired with High Tea.  This tea tour experience will have you viewing some spectacular Sydney skylines as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Enjoy a three course high tea prepared by a trained Michelin & three-star rated chef, Guillaume Brahimi. The tea takes place in a very elegant dining room and includes a glass of sparkling Australian wine, sandwiches, tea (of course), pastries and petit fours. As no visit to the Sydney Opera house is complete without music, this lovely high tea is topped off by a performance by an opera singer.

You can view more information such as menu, location and tour availability by visiting the Sydney Opera House High Tea page.  This two hour experience is certainly not one to be missed.  What a great way to experience High Tea!

For the last several years, the buzz on the weight loss scene has been that drinking Green Tea can help you lose weight.  Is there any truth to this or is it just another hyped up weight loss claim?  I decided to do some investigating and share what I found.

The component in green tea that is believed to help with fat loss is called a catechin.  A study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition compared two groups of people.  One was given a daily beverage containing catechins and the other group got one without.  Both drinks had the same amount of caffeine.  They were also given an exercise regimen to follow.  They were studied for 12 weeks and at the end of the study it was found that the group that consumed the green tea catechins lost more abdominal fat than the other group.

While there are a large number of supplements that claim to contain green tea extracts, I am much more interested in drinking green tea itself.  There are so many good options out there from American Tea Room’s Immortal Green to Teavana’s Dragonwell.  Please let me know if you need any recommendations or help finding something specific.  Order some Green Tea today, your body will thank you.

Tea, infusion, decoction, tisane? With all the various titles, it can be a little confusing, if not daunting when it comes to herbal preparation. Simply put – a tisane is an infusion of herbs without any leaves from the tea bush (although, camellia sinensis, tea is considered an herb). Thus, tisane and infusion mean exactly the same thing.

A tisane is an easy way to prepare herbs, made in much the same way as tea, and especially calls for flowers and leafy parts. The standard quantities for medicinal use are often 30 g of dried herb to 500 ml of water. For just a simple beverage, 2-3 teaspoons per cup of water should suffice. Be sure to only “just” boil the water as vigorous boiling dispserses the volatile oils in the steam. Merely place your herbs in a tea pot with a close fitting lid, pour hot water over, cover, and let steep 10 minutes.

Try mixing together herbs like:

-          Lavender, rose hips, and cinnamon

-          Chamomile, lemon balm, and cloves

-          Raspberry leaf, lavender, and orange peel

-          Red clover and Nettle leaf

I think you will enjoy the process of discovering great tasting drinks with helpful benefits. Definitely check out Healing Herbal Teas by Brigitte Mars for a delightful compilation of recipes, instructions, and inspiration.

Today’s cup of tea is from Teavana.  It is their Rooibos Rose Garden, which I believe they are clearing out.  It is a really great tea and a total steal at just $2.40 for 2 oz.

You may know matcha as the powdery green tea that is blended with hot water in order to make a refreshing & healthy cup of tea.  Have you ever wondered how matcha powder is made?  Well I did so I set out to do some research in order to find out.

Tea leaves that are going to become matcha powder must be specially prepared while they are still growing on the tea bush.  A few weeks before they are harvested they are covered so that they do not receive any sunlight.  This prevents the sun from reaching the leaves, which slows down the growth and makes the leaves darker and sweeter.

After the tea leaves are picked they are laid out flat to dry.  This causes the leaves to crumble. The stems and veins are removed and then the leaves are stone ground to create matcha powder.  This powder is then whisked into hot water to make matcha tea. I also enjoy matcha lattes where you add milk and sweetener.

Here is a great video on how to make Matcha:

A great source of Matcha is American Tea Room. They have everything that you will need to start preparing Matcha tea at home. Order some today.

Blending your own herbal tea is so amazingly simple; you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it sooner! For supplies, all you need is a couple of measuring spoons, funnel (completely optional), and a mason jar or two (quart size for large amounts, pint size for less). In order to start blending, it helps to understand the qualities, benefits, and indications of herbs. Start small by choosing something that you need a bit of help with, like insomnia or immune support and study the herbs that are indicated for those conditions. The art of blending enables you to “cover all the bases,” as well as enhance the taste of the tea.  Here are two recipes that are tried and true in my own household…

Women’s Tea

2 parts nettle

2 parts raspberry leaf

1 part rose hips

1 part lemon balm

1 part milky oats

Combine the herbs together in the jar and use 1 to 3 tbsp per cup of water for your tea. This tea makes a light, satisfying tonic. Enjoy 2 to 3 cups per day.

Healthy Lungs

2 parts licorice root

1 part each of elecampane root, cinnamon root, and marshmallow root

½ part Echinacea root

¼ part ginger root

Combine all the herbs in the jar. For use, use 2 tablespoons of herb to 1 cup of water. Place in a saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Use this tea to prevent lung congestion and/or when a cold is just beginning. It’s best sipped throughout the day, every 30 minutes to 1 hour.

For recipes and research, I definitely recommend books like Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health or The Yoga of Herbs by David Frawley. Enjoy your tea!

You can find many of the items needed for these herbal teas by clicking the banner below.

This morning is tea for two and I brewed a whole pot of American Tea Room’s Earl Grey Shanghai.  It has certainly been the week of Earl Grey tea and I still have one more to try.  They have all been lovely with their own flavor and twist, from black to green to rooibos.  Who knew there were so many varieties of Earl Grey tea?  Here is my daily cup of tea picture for the day.

Want to add some Earl Grey Shanghai to your tea cabinet?  It is easy with free shipping from American Tea Room on a $60 order.