Sunday Soothers--Tea, Flowers and Abbie

Flowers from the grocery from hubbie

The Tea pot ready

The tea from Teavana, a delightful luxurious combo I selected there with three combinations of my favorites and main ingredients for natural soothing of my flareups of colitis......

Of the three alone, I like Peach Tranquility the best but the combo they made for me in this cannister to take back from Boston is a delight. I tasted all three. The Lavender Dreams has alot of lavender and chamomille in it which is awesome for soothing the digestive tract. Believe me, that Lavender Dream tea from Teavana back in 2007 after hospitalization from a ulcerative colitis flare helped me as much as some of the prescription medicines I had to take. It's caffeine free.

The Jasmine Dragon Pearls blend is mainly pure white tea leaves. Its a powerful antioxident. This was the first time I tasted it. Problem with this one is that it has 5% caffeine and I have been strictly off caffeine for health reasons for about 5 years now but every now and again a little it ok. So the lovely gentleman who made this cannister for me put more of the other 2 and less of the Jasmine Pearls.

I have read alot about white tea and it's health benefits are great, probably the purest form of antioxident you can intake. So, a little of that is good. My immune system needs the boost right now.

so here is my cup I got there. I had one at home already from 2007 that is a travelers mug for tea and it is handy with commuting and when my tummy acts up like it has this week I usually can curb a flare with drinking no caffeine chamomille and lavender tea, dried from Teavana.

I splurged, ok.......LOL

Body Guard looked at me with a raised eyebrow when I said I splurged on our trip.

here it is opened up with the ceramic strainer ready for about 1-2 teaspoons. If you use 2 tsps, steep less time for the first cup and then you can use the same brew again for about 3-4 cups.

Bring the singing kettle of hot water over and pour in to the top.

Watch the tea leaves swell and imagine all the pure antioxidents you will drink in a few.

Cover and let it steep, depending on tea, but today I got a little distracted, and steeped it 10 minutes....way too long....usually 2-6 minutes depending on if its herbal use or whatever.

They have a wonderful website too, just click here

I really love reading about the different types of tea.  I don't drink this kind all the time due to high costs but like I said before, for medicinal, herbal use, it's tops!

And while it steeps you can inhale deeply the aroma of the mixture in the cannister and people will think you are nuts like inhaling markers or something (just joking) and your senses will be delighted and your giddiness will set in fast.......without caffeine!

So, yes here lies my distraction.  Abbie is posing in her new beautiful sweater that Betsy, another friend and dog lover of Chi's sent to Connie my good friend at work.....am I rambling?????

Well, anyway, she loves it. She says even if it's April, it's great for the cool mountain air and times when mommie has hot flashes like today.

I pick her up and try to give her a new brand of T_R_E_A_T, with beef flavor cowhide......Oh no, Miss Abbie turned her nose away.......besides begging me to start a BAP (Big A-- Project) here, she is wanting her usual chicken flavored sweet potato T_R_E_A_T

Look at that tail. When it wags, there is air in the house!

Her fave spot is right by the stinky socks and with her Treat

Speaking of aroma......

I take the strainer out, flip the lid upside down to hold my precious tea for future cups in a minute, and my tea seeped way to long because you can see it's too dark however, I add a teensy sweetner and it ok.

When I'm ready for my second cup I just put the strainer and tea back in there and pour hot water.

You can get quite a few cups out of 1 tsp.

I love tea like this and forgot about how good Teavana was until I went to Boston and it was a hop and a skip to get me a cup of Peach Tranquility between conference sessions.  This canceled out all the Dunkin Doughnuts in the mornings......LOL

Not really but I do believe in holistic health. Medicines are good and there are places for them but complimenting with other strategies such as herbals is the way to go!  Our ancestors can tell you about how much herbals are good to the body.  Mind too.

So, here's hoping you have a Sunday afternoon  with something that soothes your soul.

I plan to start a BAP and/or work on the smaller one to finish up by LHN.

Time for a second cup to brew.........

Jennifer