I love searching the web for
articles on herbal teas. I love to craft
herbal teas and I enjoy seeing what other people combine. I saw a lovely blend called Cocoa Cabernet made
with Cabernet grapes and seasonal spices with roasted cocoa nibs. It sounds very unique.
On that same day, I found another article that was about
single herbs which they were calling herb tea.
Regular readers know this is pet peeve of mine. A single herb is a tincture or a tisane one
can certainly drink but to call it a tea which imparts a meaning of taste and
enjoyment and tea drinking and all the pomp and circumstance that includes, is not reflected in a single herb brew.
So when I saw this article I looked carefully at the herbs
they listed and decided that perhaps a great tea blend could be crafted with all 10 herbs they listed: Mint, ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, lemon grass, Echinacea,
rosehips, black berry leaf, clove and lemon balm.
The list did pull in 2 spices, but I don’t quibble much if a
spice is referred to as an herb because I enjoy my spices as much as my herbs, I
just don’t grow them. I love the
wonderful Midwest Spice Company Pensey’s Spices. Where do you get your spices?
So here is the Tea Blend I created with this list. The article was entitled top 10 teas for your
herbal medicine cabinet. So I am calling it Top Ten Tea, or to sound like Guy
Fiery, Triple T!
Top Ten Tea (Triple T)
½ cup spearmint
¼ cup chamomile
¼ cup lemon grass
¼ cup lemon balm.
¼ cup black berry leaf
1 ½ Tbls. Rose hips, crushed
1 Tbls. echincea root, chopped fine
1 tsp. broken cloves
1 tsp. ginger root, snipped
fine
1 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken
Combine all the herbs and
spices in an airtight jar and use 1 to 2 tsp. per cup of hot water and allow to
steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Enjoy.
Here is what the herbs in the blend can do for
you medicinally:
- Mint will reduce
congestion in colds and flus, induce sweating, which helps reduce a fever
and relieves nausea without vomiting.
- Ginger will also
help with nausea and soothe a sore throat.
It is a warming herbs to is can bring on sweating and help reduce
chills
- Chamomile can
assist with anxiety helping to induce sleep. It is also good with mild nausea and indigestion and can
soothe a cough from throat irritation
- Cinnamon is an all around herb for winter issues. It can ease stomach discomforts like bloating and nausea as well as soothe a sore throat and can reduce other cold symptoms while warming you up on a cold night by increasing blood flow and circulation.
lemon grass
- Lemon grass aids
digestion, especially from nervous disorders and anxiety. It also helps with high blood
pressure. If you drink a cup daily
it also dilates blood vessels and improves circulation and reduces fluid
retention al of which aid in lowering blood pressure.
- Echinacea is a traditional herb for boosting the
immune system, relieving pain and reducing inflammation. It has many antioxidant effects and is believed
to shorten illness time for sufferers of the common cold
- Rosehips provide
a natural source of Vitamin C, even better than an orange. As a result it boosts immunity. Rosehips also provide minerals such
as calcium, iron, silicon, selenium, natural sodium, magnesium,
manganese, potassium, phosphorus and zinc which aid in cell healing
- Blackberry leaf is
also a source of Vitamin C as well as working on stomach bacteria. It can help relieve pain, fevers and
inflammation. It is also considered
an immunity booster.
- Clove is a
powerful analgesic that breaks up mucous and works as an expectorant. A steaming cup of tea with this spice
will provide a decongestant. The
spice is also good in the treatment of strep throat or tonsillitis.
- Lemon balm is a
virus fighter. It has been used historically
against shingles, mumps, and cold sores.
It also has relaxing properties that calm anxiety and nervousness
and aid sleep. It works well in the
digestive system by reducing spasms, quelling heartburn and reducing
nausea.
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