Blueberry Lemon Iced Tea

Blueberry Lemon Iced Tea

4 pints of fresh blueberries or 2 (16 ounce) packages of frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemon)

8 cups water

6 TBSP Black tea (we recommend Java Kertasarie)

1 ½ cups sugar

Bring package of blueberries and lemon juice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, and pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to press out juice. Discard solids.

Heat 4 cups of water to just below boiling. In 2 cups of the hot water, steep the 6 TSBP of the Java Kertasarie for 3-4 minutes. Strain tea leaves from the tea. In the other two cups of hot water, dissolve the 1 ½ cups of sugar. Remove and discard teabags.

Add the blueberry juice mixture. Into pitcher pour the other 8 cups of water and add the tea/blueberry mixture. Cover and chill 1 hour. Serve over ice.

Garnish with lemons and blueberries if desired.

Iced Apricot Tea

Ingredients

8 TBSP Apricot Allure black tea (or your favorite black tea)

9 cups water (I always use spring water)
2 sprigs of rosemary
6 fresh apricots, halved, pitted and sliced
2 1/2 cups apricot nectar

1. Heat four cups of water to 175°F. (Steam should be slow and lazy. Do not allow water to boil. Steep tea and rosemary in the water (alone, in a tea bag, or in a tea ball or other infuser) for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Remove tea from water (strain if necessary)

2. Add tea to the remaining water.

3. Stir in the apricot nectar.

4. Serve over ice. Garnish with the sliced apricots.
(If desired top off with a splash of sparkling water for a surprising fresh spritzer)

Strawberry Iced Tea

What a great combination! Freshly ripe strawberries and loose leaf tea! Yum!

Strawberry Iced Tea
2 cups whole strawberries (cleaned, hulled and frozen)
4 cups of fresh water
2 Tbsp loose black tea (in a large tea ball, TSac, or cheesecloth)
¼ - ½ cup of white sugar (to taste)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)

1. Heat two cups of the water to just below boiling.
2. Dissolve the sugar in one cup of the hot water
3. Place the tea leaves in the other cup of hot water and steep for 3-4 minutes
4. Remove the tea leaves and discard (great mulch for roses, azaleas and rhododendrons). In a heat-proof pitcher, add the hot tea to the remaining 2 cups of water.
5. Set aside 4 strawberries.
6. Place remaining strawberries in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
7. Strain the puréed berries and discard the seeds
8. Mix together the puréed berries, tea and lemon juice.
9. Chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice, using reserved strawberries as garnish.

Our favorite teas for this recipe are Darjeeling Gopaldhara or Ceylon Labookellie as the black teas for this recipe, although Longjing green tea and Ti Kuan Yin Royal oolong also result in a lovely strawberry iced tea.

Sweet Lime Iced Tea

Ingredients

4 TBSP Lime black tea (or your favorite black tea)

4 TBSP Lime Green Rooibos

1 gallon spring water (I always use spring water)

1 1/2 cup white sugar

4 limes, juice from

1. Heat four cups of water to 175°F. (Steam should be slow and lazy. Do not allow water to boil. Steep tea in the water (alone, in a tea bag, or in a tea ball or other infuser) for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Remove tea from water (strain if necessary)

2. Heat 1 1/2 cups of water to boiling. Dissolve the sugar in the cup of boiling water.

3. Place the remaining water in a gallon pitcher. Add the tea concentrate from step one, the simple syrup from step two and the lime juice.

4. Stir and serve over ice. Garnish with lime, lemons and/or oranges.

Wild Berry Iced Tea

So ... I just came from Wendy's curious to try their new Wild Berry Tea. I watched the employee dispense the tea and squirt some thick berry-colored syrup into the cup and stir with a long iced tea spoon. The taste is predictably sweet, but I don't care much for the seeds in it.

So, I thought, how can I make that tea at home -- without the seeds and maybe a little less sweet...

Ingredients

2 TBSP Pu Erh tea

1 Gallon of Spring Water

6 oz., or so (to taste) Northland Raspberry Pomegranate Goji Juice (or any raspberry blend juice that pleases you -- this is about equivalent to one juice box.)

Yes, this recipe is a little light on the tea, but really so is the Wendy's version I think ...

1. Heat one cups of water to 175°F. (Steam should be slow and lazy. Do not allow water to boil. Steep tea in the water (alone, in a tea bag, or in a tea ball or other infuser) for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Remove tea from water (strain if necessary)

2. Place the remaining water in a gallon pitcher. Add the tea concentrate from step one and the juice. Stir.

3. Serve over ice.

Wendy's Wild Berry Tea (Medium 17oz size) has 100 calories, 15mg sodium, 14g sugar.

Wendy's ingredient list: Water, Tea, Wild Berry Puree (blackberries, sugar, corn syrup, strawberries, water, raspberry, natural flavoring, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum).

SensibiliTeas version (17 oz.) has 13 calories, 2mg sodium and 2.5 g of sugar.

SensibiliTeas ingredient list: water, tea, juice (apple, pomegranate, goji, raspberry, grape and pear juice, natural flavors, vegetable color, citric acid, fruit extracts, vitamin c, vitamin A and vitamin E.)

Boston Iced Tea

Boston Iced Tea

What's that iced tea I had a Red Lobster? It's sooo good...

Boston Iced tea is really just slightly sweet iced tea with cranberry juice added.

Ingredients

8 TBSP Ceylon Labookellie black tea (or your favorite black tea)

1 gallon spring water (I always use spring water)

1 cup white sugar

1 12oz. can frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1. Heat four cups of water to 175°F. (Steam should be slow and lazy. Do not allow water to boil. Steep tea in the water (alone, in a tea bag, or in a tea ball or other infuser) for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Remove tea from water (strain if necessary)

2. Heat 1 cup of water to boiling. Dissolve the one cup of sugar in the cup of boiling water.

3. Place the remaining water in a gallon pitcher. Add the tea concentrate from step one, the simple syrup from step two and the cranberry juice concentrate.

4. Stir and serve over ice. Garnish with oranges, lemon, limes and/or cranberries.

Blueberry-Lemon Iced Tea

Get refreshed with this antioxidant powerhouse!

Blueberry-Lemon Iced Tea

Ingredients
• 1 (16-oz.) package frozen blueberries
or 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• 2 Tbsp loose black tea
• 3/4 cup sugar

Preparation
Bring blueberries and lemon juice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard solids.
Boil 2 cups of water. In one cup of water, steep black tea in for 3-4 minutes. Remove tea leaves and discard. In the other cup of water, dissolve the sugar. Add blueberry/lemon juice mixture, the dissolved sugar and 2 cups of cold water to the tea. Pour into a pitcher; cover and chill 1 hour. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemons and blueberries. Enjoy with friends!

Summer's here!

On June 21 at 7:28am EDT (11:28am GMT) summer will finally be here!
What better way to celebrate than a bowl of delicious frosty ice cream!


Green Tea and White Chocolate Ice Cream

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped into pieces, about 1/2 inch
2 cups light cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla
5 large egg yolks (be sure they are at room temp)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (more if you like sweet ice cream)
2 Tbsp matcha

Directions
1. Mix the creams and extract in a saucepan and heat to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks.
3. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar with the green matcha making sure to completely incorporate the matcha.
4. Add the brown sugar/green tea mixture to the egg yolks and blend.
5. Add 1/4 cup of cream at a time to the egg/tea blend and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour it back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the custard is thick, at about 170°F.
6. Remove the custard from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl of chopped white chocolate pieces. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the custard cool to room temp and them cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
7. The following day, processing in an ice cream make according to the manufacturers instructions.

Enjoy!

It's National Hot Tea Month!

January is National Hot Tea Month!
I think Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Council in the USA summed it up nicely by stating:

``This January is the perfect time to consider tea as part of a healthy diet. As a new year and new millennium begin, people are making resolutions to eat and live healthier, and there’s no better time to celebrate tea’s healthy attributes than National Hot Tea Month.''

Naturally I agree ...

It's also National Soup Month!

And January 1-7 is Resolution Week. Such a good time to work tea into your healthier-for-the-past-four-days lifestyle. Perhaps paired with a great bowl of soup.

Here's a nice recipe that pairs soup with tea ... the tea is in the soup! Nice vegetarian soup or even vegan with the right pasta choice.

GREEN TEA SOUP

Ingredients
5 cups vegetable stock, broth, or bouillon
4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tsp dried thyme, lightly crushed
3 cups chopped broccoli
8oz. small shells or other macaroni shapes
1 cup prepared green tea
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the stock, garlic, and thyme in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the broccoli and macaroni, reduce heat, and simmer until the macaroni is just at the al dente stage of tenderness, about eight to twelve minutes according to package instructions. Stir in the tea and heat through for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and pepper, and adjust the salt if necessary. Serve immediately and piping hot.

Need a little different?
Substitute other chopped cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) for of the broccoli.

For a main dish soup, add 1/2 pound firm tofu or chicken, diced

Enojy with friends, perhaps some awesome hot bread, and of course, a cup of awesome tea.
Namaste!

Hot Spiced Cider

Wouldn't this be nice after a day of raking?

HOT SPICED CIDER

• 1 quart water
• 1-2 TBSP Constant Compliment
  
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups light rum
• 8 cinnamon sticks
• 1TBSP butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Steep the Constant Compliment for five minutes using your favorite method. To the prepared tea, stir in the sugar, apple cider and rum. Add 2 of the cinnamon sticks. Heat just to steaming -- do not boil. (Mmmm ... doesn't that smell amazing!?)
   
2. Drop 1/6 TBSP (1/2 teaspoon) butter into each of 6 mugs. Ladle the steamy cider blend over the butter and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

How about a nice cup of chai?

To utter the words chai tea is to be completely redundant. That's like saying tea tea. Orginating in India, chai is the Hindi word for tea. It often refers to Masala Chai which is a stimulating combination of black tea infused with milk and spices that is savored for its rich, complex flavors. As with all spice blends, there is much variation from kitchen to kitchen. Most commonly, though, the spices used will include ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, allspice and black pepper. As SensibiliTeas, our very popular chai blends use cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. Many feel chai produces a warming, soothing effect and a serene sense of well-being. One cup is usually followed by another.

But what if you were out of chai, your favorite tea shop was closed and you still craved a nice cup of chai? Here's a recipe I've rarely shared, but admit to using it myself with outstanding results. Try it ... and let me know what you think!

1 14oz can of condensed milk (sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Blend spices with the milk and place in a clean dry jar. Cover tightly with a lid.Place in the refrigerator. The longer it stays, the better it gets.To use, stir the mixture and scoop out 2 TBSP or so into a cup of strong hot black tea (2tsp black tea to 12oz of water)

The best teas for this are Assams or Assam blends like Scottish Breakfast or Afternoon With Aunt Faye, though great results can also be obtained with Java Kertasarie or some of the Ceylon teas like Ceylon Kenilworth, Ceylon Vithanakande or Ceylon Lumbini (Vithanakande and Lumbini are new to the shop and not yet on the website, but both are outstanding Ceylon teas)

Enjoy!

Drink your tea and eat it too!

When I was a kid, I loved most vegetables, but not all of them. I happily ate corn, green beans, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips – more vegetables than most kids I think – but I hated peas and carrots. American Kitchens put out some frozen French fries that contained the vegetables I hated. They were called ``I Hate Peas”’ and ``I Hate Carrots’’. They weren’t on the market for long as I believe most kids saw through the trick. I must have been a little slower on the uptake, or perhaps a little more trusting. But I loved them!

So I thought … I don’t like green tea much, but I do eat oatmeal. So what if I made the oatmeal with green tea instead of plain old water. Hmmm… get the health benefits of the tea while I’m eating my breakfast? Sign me up! So I tried a recipe provided to me by a friend and it was fabulous! Now it’s my favorite breakfast! Here’s the recipe in case you’d like to try it. (She said I could share it!)


1 cup brewed green tea
1/2 cup quick oats
1 TBSP or so diced apricots
1 TBSP or so of dried berries (cranberries, craisins, cherries [my favorite], or a mix)
1 TBSP of toasted almonds
1 tsp almond extract (vanilla extract is nice too)
honey

Make the tea. Remove the tea leaves from the brew. Reheat the tea to boiling. Add the oatmeal. Let it sit for a few minutes. This is when you can dice your apricots, and maybe cut the berries into smaller pieces if you wish. Add the toasted almonds to the fruit mixture.

Mix the almond extract into the oatmeal. Top with the fruit & nut mixture. Drizzle with honey.

Want to make it vegan? Omit the honey. If you want it sweetened use agave nectar or brew the tea with stevia leaves. Or sugar … there’s really nothing wrong with sugar used in moderation!

Don’t have toasted almonds? Plain slivered almonds are fine too. But almonds are easy to toast and they are so much tastier when they are toastier. One pound of slivered almonds equals about 4 cups, so toast a whole bunch one day and have them on hand. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. spread nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden OR stir in a heavy ungreased skillet over medium heat until brown.

Now, though I haven’t tried it I would bet this recipe would work just as well with rooibos or honeybush or just about any tea you like. Think of the variations! Maybe oatmeal made with chai, or a fruit tea. Maybe you could get the kids to eat oatmeal! Gotta get your omega-3 fatty acids? Try adding some flax seed or walnuts. Ooooo … Banana Green tea with bananas and walnuts and a little dab of cinnamon. The ideas just keep coming! Why does breakfast come only once a day!

Today’s Birthdays

Albert Schweitzer – Born on January 14, 1875 Schweitzer, a philosopher, theologian, missionary and musicologist, was one of the most remarkable people of the 20th century. His life and work were governed by a great humanitarianism and a reverence for the natural word. In 1952, he was award the Nobel Peace Prize, and used his $33,000 award money to open a leprosarium (home for those with leprosy) in Lambaréné in Gabon. From the early 1950s until his death in 1965 he spoke tirelessly of his opposition to nuclear tests and nuclear weapons. And yes … he was a tea drinker.

LL Cool J – Hip hop artist LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore, NY and raised in St. Albans, Queens NY. He adopted the stage name which stands for Ladies Love Cool James. LL Cool J's Platinum Workout: Sculpt Your Best Body Ever with Hollywood's Fittest Star, he states: “Drink 2 cups of green tea every day. It gently boosts your metabolism and is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. The most potent among them has demonstrated 100 times the antioxidant power of Vitamin C and 25 times the power of Vitamin E.” While his music is not my cup of tea, and tea hasn’t done much for his humility, you have to admit the man is in pretty ripped shape for 41 years old.

Celebritea quote of the day:
Never say there is nothing
beautiful in the world anymore.
There is always something
to make you wonder in the shape of a tree,
the trembling of a leaf.
Albert Schweitzer (01/14/1875-09/04/1965)

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is in English folk custom the end of Christmas merrymaking and in ancient Celtic tradition the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration. On Twelfth Night, it was customary for the assembled company to toast one another from the wassail bowl. In Old English, wassail means "Be in good health," but the term also was applied to the drink itself (usually spiced ale). Leaves me to wonder how many people got sick drinking from the same wassail bowl!



WASSAIL TEA recipe for Twelfth Night Celebration
¾ c. lemon juice
1 ½ c. orange juice
1 ½ c. apple cider
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. water
3 tsp. of our Organic Pumpkin Spice Black Tea blend
or
7 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 ½ tsp. tea

Combine juices and cider in large kettle. Set aside. Combine ½ cup sugar, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Remove spices. Add spiced water mixture to juices. Add 1 ½ cups boiling water to tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Add tea to juices with remaining 1 cup sugar. Add 5 cups boiling water before serving. Heat until piping hot. Do not boil.

GraviTea

On this date in history, Sir Isaac Newton was born in the year 1643. This mathematician, astronomer, physicist, theologian, alchemist, philosopher, all-round-brainiac is considered to be one of the most influential men in history.

GREAT EVENTS THAT NEVER OCCURRED

Sir Isaac Newton was taking tea under the apple trees in the family gardens at Woolsthorpe one summer's afternoon in 1665 when an apple fell from an overhanging branch, plunked him on the head, and immediately provided the inspiration for his law of gravitation. Or so the story goes. It may indeed have happened that way, but no one knows for certain. Even the famed British astronomer Sir Harold Spencer Jones, who publicly stated in 1944 that the story was probably true, later recanted, noting that "one cannot be sure either way." Sir Harold the Waffler …, that is. (Picture from Schoolhouse Rock ... one of the best kids shows of all time!)

Excerpted from the book: Isaac Newton: Live and Legacies, Chapter 3 Of Genius, Fire and Plague

While at Woolsthorpe waiting for Cambridge to reopen, Newton experienced the insight that has since become legend. A year before Newton died in 1727, his friend William Stukeley visited him at his home in Kensington near London. After dining, they went into the garden to drink tea under the shade of some apple trees. "Amidst other discourse," Stukeley wrote, "he told me he was just in the same situation as when formerly the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasioned by the fall of the apple, as he sat in a contemplative mood.
Isaac Newton -- Lives and Legacies, Christianson, Gale E.
Published by Oxford University Press US, 2005
ISBN 019530070X, 9780195300703

Here at SensibiliTeas, we'd prefer to believe that it was the TEA, not the apple, that helped him develop and describe of principles of universal gravitation (c'mon ... it could have been that way ... ask Sir Harold Spencer Jones)

At any rate, tea and apples are a great combo! Here’s a recipe for a apple tea cake that might even be okay (once in a while & shared with friends) for the resolutionists on their weight loss quests. About 1300 calories in the entire cake (about 190 from fat). Simple enough to encourage the young baker in your life.

Apple Tea Cake, serves 6-10

½ stick of butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup self-rising flour
pinch of salt
½ cup milk
1 apple peeled, cored and thinly sliced
extra sugar
nutmeg
cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 355º.
2. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat well.
3. Add flour and salt alternately with milk. Mix until light and fluffy.
4. Pour mixture into a greased, lined cake tin.
5. Place sliced apple on top of cake. Go ahead! Be decorative!
6. Sprinkle with extra sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.
7. Place in oven and bake 30-45 minutes.
8. Allow to cool on rack.
9. Enjoy with tea!
The perfect tea to have with this cake?
A Ceylon tea would be nice, but perfect would be our Cinnamon black tea or our Vanilla Cinnamon Rooibos!
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvblkcinnamon.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/tearoovanillacinnamonrooibos.html
Had it not been for Sir Issac Newton, we may have never known about a really cool way to make tea -- in a gravity press! What's a gravity press? It's how we make each cup of tea at SensibiliTeas. It is a infuser cup into which you place any kind of time on top of the fine mesh filter. Add hot water and close lid. Steep for the appropriate time. When that time is up, simply place the infuser cup atop the cup from which you will be drinking your tea. The clear brew is deposited into the cup, through a drain beneath the filter in the center of the bottom of the infuser, while all the loose tea leaves remain about the filter. The great thing about this cup, beyond its ease, is its versatility. While a tea ball is really only well-suited to a black tea, a tea press like this has a chamber large enough to handle the largest. most elegant oolong leaves, the filter is fine enough to strain the finest tisanes, such as rooibos. This gadget changed the way I drank tea. It makes it so easy to enjoy loose leaf tea! Below is a link to a youtube video that shows the cup in action. Though not yet listed on the website, they are available for sale. They are $20. The ingenuiTea (on the right) is a 16 oz cup, while the Smart Tea Maker (on the left) is 18oz. A 32oz version of the ingenuiTea, perfect for iced tea is available for $25.00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-c9xELDnBo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to weight loss teas tomorrow.

How about a nice hot toddy?

How about a nice hot toddy to finish off the year?
Naturally, the recipe found here will contain green tea, but it's only one of countless variations of this drink.
You'll need:2 slices fresh ginger
8oz freshly brewed green tea
1 TBSP honey
1.25 oz brandy
Peel the ginger slices (easier than peeling the whole root) and place in the bottom of a 10-12 oz cup or mug. Add 8oz freshly brewed green tea. Dissolve the honey and add the brandy. Garnish with the lemon slice (I float it in the tea for maximum lemon flavor)
Yield: one toddy
The best green tea for the job? Hard to say exactly because there are so many fine choices in my shop. I think Makaibari Green or Young Hyson would be good choices to start with. Both are affordable and delicious.
Available here:
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teagreen.html
For a 10% discount on your next green tea order (limit one use only) mention that you saw this recipe on this blog (or add blog123108 to the online order form for online orders)
Where did the term hot toddy come from anyway? Most folks don't know (or really care, I guess) but having spent many years in the entertainment industry, often researching the sordid lives of celebrities, I know the answer to this one. The hot toddy was named for silky Hollywood actress Thelma Todd. Perhaps you've seen her in ``Horse Feathers'' or ``Monkey Business''. Thelma, recently divorced from reputed mobster Pat DiCicco, was found face down in her Packard in Hollywood, the victim of an apparent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Pat is reported to be one of the last people to see her alive that night. Some say murder, some say accident while others maintain suicide. Perhaps we'll never know. Some say her ghost still haunts Hollywood today. So bottoms up and hats off to Thelma Todd, the original hot toddy!

``Life isn't worth the candle. While we're here we should laugh, be gay and have fun.''