|
| |
 |
|
It's winter, time for cold fingers, hot drinks, and cozy nights on the couch under a blanket. Winter is a perfect time to reconnect with domestic crafts, or learn a new one while enjoying a hot cup of tea.
I learned to crochet during a snowstorm. My older sister was visiting and my entertainment value plummeted when we got stuck inside while 8 inches of snow piled up outside. I made a pot of hibiscus tea and fretted about the plow schedule for the neighborhood. My sister, undaunted, pulled out her hooks, a skein of yarn and set me to work creating a single chain. When I had made one hundred chains, she directed me to rip it out and do it again until my fingers memorized how to make the stitch. In one night, we finished off two pots of tea and I had nothing to show for my work but sore fingers and wrinkly yarn. In two days, I made a scarf.
Even if you live in a temperate climate, it can do wonders for the soul to turn off the phone, and snuggle up alone with a movie, a pot of tea, and knitting needles. A quiet night is valuable whether you live in North Dakota or Florida. If you don't know how to knit or crochet, you can teach yourself from a book. The internet is full of tutorial videos for when you get stuck. If yarn crafts aren't to your taste, you can make magnets from glass marbles and pictures, flowers for your hair from material and rhinestones, or even get your aggressions out making mosaics.
If you have a friend or family member who can teach you a craft, or do it with you, make a night of crafting together. The conversation that flows from creating with others can be insightful and genuine - and nothing compares to the special feeling of learning something new from someone you love. If you learn on your own, you have that spectacular feeling of accomplishment of independent learning.
Since that winter snowstorm with my sister, I've made hats, amigurumi dolls, shawls, and fingerless gloves. Whenever I pull out the hibiscus tea, I think of that snowstorm and how much I learned and I'm inspired to learn more. I need my sister to come back out during inclement weather for another crochet boot camp.
If you'd like my recommendations for crochet or knitting instructions or websites, please feel free to contact me.
A couple of days ago I had small accident.
We'll just say that I was perhaps a little too tired to be slicing an apple and in addition to a couple of ounces of beautiful, crisp, sweet gala apple slices, I wound up with a beautifully sliced thumb as well. It was almost like a surprise holiday bonus. Almost.
Anyway, since I use my thumbs quite a bit as a primate, writer, student, and assistant office manager, my first reaction after suturing myself up (thank you, Girl Scouts) was to scour the Internet for information on how I could help my injury heal as quickly as possible.
And lo and behold! Green tea evidently reactivates dying skin cells (source). Because compounds found in green tea help keep skin cells alive, green tea may help to minimize or prevent scarring. That is good news for me, because the length of the tip of one's thumb is an odd place to have a scar.
I also found that chamomile tea, when poured into a bath, may reduce inflammation and thus help increase the speed of healing (source).
Armed with my new knowledge, I soaked in a chamomile bath and prepared a pot of green tea, drinking one cup and soaking several cotton balls in what was left over. I have no similar injury with which to compare the results, but the wound healed quickly and cleanly. Of course I would have gone to a doctor at the first sign of infection or had I suspected for a moment that I needed stitches or medical attention, but it was a relief to be able to use a low-cost herbal remedy in this instance!
Many of the herbal teas offered by California Tea House are grown at small, organic farms in California; these farms also provide many of the berries and flowers found in other teas. Even large chains like Wal-Mart have begun to offer and promote organic products. In my experience, organic products taste the same as coventionally-raised and produced food items, yet cost much more. So, what gives? Why is it important to eat and drink organic, even when it coems to tea?
1. It's important to support small farms. Most organic farms are small farms (source), which means you can feel fairly safe in that your organic dollars are not supporting unethical labor conducted in third-world countries.
2. By choosing organic, you are choosing to protect the health of farm workers. Because organic products are not grown using dangerous pesticides and chemicals, farmers who work on organic farms do not risk their health by coming into extensive, close contact with these toxic substances (source).
3. It's green! Because organic farms do not use as many chemicals as conventional farms, less energy is used applying these chemicals. Many organic farmers use naturally-occurring fertilizers, and because organic food is typically sold closer to where it is grown than conventionally-grown food, less energy is used for transport (source).
4. There is research indicating that organic foods contain more vitamins and minerals than conventionally-raised food (source).
By drinking tea comprised of organic ingredients, you are doing something wonderful for yourself, the earth, and society at large.
Christmas is drawing near and a crisp chill is in the air as we all plan our holiday shopping lists. I was fortunate enough to get to sample one of the gifts I will be sending to many people on my 'nice' list this year: Gingerbread Chai Tea. Not only is this blend, which is a subtly spicy combination of Rooibos tea leaves, ginger, lemongrass, vanilla and cinnamon, incredibly tasty, but it's also very healthful.
Ginger has long had a reputation for naturally easing gastrointestinal distress (source), but many people do not realize that ginger is also a potent anti-inflammatory, may fight cancer, and boosts the immune system (source). Ginger also contains a large amount of such vital nutrients as potassium, copper, magnesium, and vitamin B6 (source).
This tea is caffeine-free, which makes it perfect for pregnant women and nursing moms, as well as anyone who has to be up early for work! It has a wonderful complex, slightly sweet, spicy taste when brewed by itself; add sweetener and milk, and it tastes like a quite sweet, slightly spicy cookie! It has an excellent, warm aroma, reminiscent of gingerbread houses and Christmases past, while brewing; it would provide the perfect ambiance for any holiday party!
Gingerbread tea -- in addition to tasting like an indulgent dessert -- has many benefits and is a wonderful choice for this holiday season!
 Have you experienced the nighttime stalker, the sleepytime killer, the tossing and turning, turning and tossing, head under pillow, covers over head, on the tummy, left side, right side, even upside down and you just can't seem to escape its doom? Whether it be a final exam, a new job interview, a relationship gone sour, or a business decision that keeps you up staring at the ice melting away in your water glass with the nearby reflection of red lit numbers ticking away at your sanity as it approaches the set alarm time before you've even had a chance to catch one z. Insomnia is no joke. The good news is, tea for insomnia is no joke either.
You've tried all sorts of remedies. Over-the-counter, prescription, counting, reading, watching television, glass of milk, spoonful of yogurt, acupuncture, hypnotism and nothing seems to work. You've simply had enough.
California Tea House's Bedtime Chai is specifically designed to combat sleeplessness ... Bedtime Chai is a sleepytime tea, and it works. CTH invites you to take the natural challenge by sipping yourself to sleep. The main, all natural ingredient, valerian root, is a powerful herb famous throughout history to tranquilize oneself.
Bedtime Chai's valerian root is blended up with organic honeybush, chamomile blossoms, organic vanilla pieces, whole cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted rice bits. The addition of chamomile, which is also known as a sleep aid that combats anxiety, seals this beverage as a powerful sleepytime potion.
California Tea House invites you to take a sleepytime challenge for a peaceful slumber:
1. Eliminate caffeine intake at least 8 hours before you sleep.
2. Eat a hearty dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime that leaves you full.
3. Brew a hot cup of Bedtime Chai an hour before bedtime.
4. Drink your tea next to a fire, listening to soft music, or cuddling next to a loved one.
As always, we love your feedback!
|
