Last week, I ran away from home. My hometown is half an hour from one of the predicted prime spots for today’s full eclipse. I can watch the eclipse in the back yard and avoid crowds and long lines for port-a-potties.
It’s getting cloudy but so far, we have sunshine.
And what do Mom and I do when we get together? Drink tea, of course.
After a quick shop at GT Boutique, we ventured downtown (where I had to parallel park on Main Street) and went to Elena’s, a local shop and café for Tealish English Breakfast tea and a shared Raspberry Buttercream brownie.
Both were delish!
Tealish Fine Tea is a Canadian online tea company, owned and operated by women, which began in 2005. They believe in 100% natural, vegan, and ethically sourced ingredients 100%. They also use plastic free tea bags and earth-friendly, recyclable packaging. A portion of every sale goes to support Veritree, a company that plants trees. The cost for 50g of loose leaf tea is in the medium range of David’s Tea, so a little more expensive but possibly worth it for a special occasion.
Like an eclipse. Or a holiday with Mom.
I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.
It looked like an easy peasey recipe, (and lactose-free) but it should be made ahead because it requires plenty of time to freeze…twice. And it requires a food processor or blender.
I made a half recipe because I didn’t want to use up 8 tea bags, and I cheated a bit. I pre-boiled my water in the kettle because it was dinner time and I was hungry. But I did bring that cup of water to a boil on the stove so I could dissolve 1/2 cup of sugar. I steeped my tea bags, off the heat, for over an hour. I know they said 5 minutes, but…dinner! I initially tried the recommended metal pan for freezing, but the items in my freezer are lumpy and I was confident that I would spill the very sticky syrup everywhere. Instead, I used my ice cube tray, because it has a lid.
This morning, I slept in. Hubby was going to the office and Little Guy didn’t have school, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to be lazy rest up after a busy weekend. I let the icy goodness rest on the counter for about 20 minutes to soften it a bit before tossing it in my food processor, about 15 minutes too long. It was too soft and really started to melt quickly. I also added the lemon juice I forgot when I initially made the syrup. Silly me…
Nothing can replace a fresh, ripe peach in season, but this was refreshing, both sweet and tart, and lacking the artificial aftertaste so prevalent in many fruit inspired teas and tisanes. I think it would be really good with fresh fruit, like raspberries, blackberries, or even more peach! Since it is an herbal tea, caffeine isn’t also not issue. I believe this would be a delicious, frosty treat any time of the year.
Now that I know how simple this is, I wonder if I can join 3 of my (many) favourite things: tea, chocolate and dessert?
I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert.
Hot tea? Always! Iced Tea? Sure thing! Ice pop? Right on!
I recently shopped for Christmas gifts with David’s Tea…and I bought an early “Christmas present” for me. (psst…it was on sale!) I have memories of making kool-aid pop in the plastic molds of the ’70s…and memories of madly licking those purple pops on the back porch steps, while it trickled down my arms and chin. I’m sure my mother is having laundry flashbacks right about now… Good times!
These molds are really easy to use. Made from silicone, the cover pops right off and the mold can be manipulated to release the frozen treat, without fuss. Flat on the top, the molds stack easily in the freezer, which is a bonus if your freezer is an orderly mess like mine.
“I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert – Jason Love
Who says you can’t have both? So I made my ice pops with iced tea, or course.
I started with Laughter and Lemonade Iced tea from Steeped Tea. It’s green tea-based, and includes mango, pineapple, apple, orange and papaya pieces, as well as sunflower, hibiscus, marigold, and cornflower blossoms.
While it has a grassy note from the green tea, the combination of fruit and flower is well-balanced, making this a surprisingly refreshing icy treat…that melts just as fast as when I was a kid! But I’m better equipped to stay ahead of the dribbles…and it’s not purple!
Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right. —The Beatles