Playing with Tea

I have awakened at 5:30 a.m. the last two mornings. Is it a result of last week’s fall and new body chemistry? Or is my body just looking forward to the time change this weekend? Either way I did not want to waste any time this morning since today is both book club and writer’s guild. So I used SAD lamp with a book and then headed to the kitchen.



I popped a new chicken cacciatore recipe into the crock for our lunch. I made double batches of both cinnamon pecans and curried pecans. Then I set about sniffing the jars in a bag of herbs from my sister-in-law who grows them in Montana and totes me some each autumn. A new jar of chamomile called to me. I had tried it once and did not care for it although I know it is main ingredient in a many tisanes. While it was brewing, I prepared some lemon grass I had bought at the farmer’s market yesterday. I had never tried to make my tea from this either, but I decided to give it a shot too.


The chamomile was slightly bitter to me, even with a dash of sweetener. Maybe I used too much per cup. The lemongrass tea was weak tasting but yet very lemony of course. So then I took half of each cup and mixed it, added a wee tad more sweetener and wow, I had a great tisane for the coming brumal weather! What fun to make my own tea, although I will admit any tisane can not out shine my favorite black teas.