Weddings, Weddings, Weddings…

If I hear about ONE more friend of mine getting married this year, I don’t know what I will do with myself.  *Pictures herself running down the street pulling out her hair while screaming like a mad woman* There comes a time in everyone’s life when it seems like all of your friends are getting married.  In the last three years I have had 8 friends  ”bite the bullet”  and say their  ”I Do’s”.  I have worn four different brightly coloured bridesmaid dresses and danced to YMCA 8 times.  I’m not complaining. It all comes with ”this age”.. The age where if your friends aren’t getting married they are having their first child.  Besides… weddings are fun!

Planning for the big day

What isn’t fun is rushing around at the last minute trying to get things together for the ‘big day’. I’ve always been a planner. I organize my kitchen cupboard with labels so that my husband knows where to find the quinoa and doesn’t mistake the cassia bark for chocolate flakes.  My desk at work is usually impeccable.  The stapler, pen, and highlighter all have their place.  Sure, it’s a little bit OCD… but that’s ‘the way I roll’.

Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Over the last three years I have definitely fine tuned what I like to call my “wedding awareness”.   In general, you have the beautiful bride to be, who wants everything to be perfect; the groom who wants the bride to be happy but gets tired of the word ‘wedding’ a good three months before the date, and really doesn’t care if the place cards are  sage or mint green.  You have the parents of the happy couple who want to be involved in decision making that inevitably get on the nerves of the bride or groom, or both.  Let’s not forget the cute flower girls or junior bridesmaids, the groomsmen who look smashing in their suits, and the lovely bridal attendants who facilitate all of the brides plans. Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)  You have flowers that don’t match the dresses or that don’t show up at all;  someone who thinks it is funny to lick the icing off the cake on the way through the kitchen; the camera man accidentally keeps his lens cap on; one of the dresses doesn’t fit the bridesmaid; the groom can’t find his suit pants; the dog runs away with the pillow with the rings tied to it; and Uncle Bob gets so drunk that he insists on dancing with your father during the father daughter dance… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Unique wedding favors will leave a lasting impression

About three years ago, when a friend of mine was getting married and was close to having a nervous breakdown because her overly priced wedding favours hadn’t made it in time, I decided that enough was enough. Being the co-owner of Herbal Infusions, I thought it was about time I used my business smarts to heal a heavy heart.  (Plus, I really didn’t want to have to piece back together a tattered wedding dress or a batty bride)  Tea favours! The ultimate wedding solution! After pulling an all night-er, I had 250 cute, classy tea wedding favors ready to go.  She still recommends them to everyone she knows.  This year, our best seller by far has been the Peppermint Dream Tea Party Favor with our new pyramid style tea bag.  But the wonderful thing about our party favors is that you can find one to please any wedding guest. Ice Wine for Uncle Bob, Buckingham Palace Garden Party for Aunt Eunice who flew in from overseas, Faerie Falls Herbal Tea for your flower girls, Kama Sutra Chai for your spicy bridal party… You get the idea. The options are pretty much limitless, which is great for both the bride who wants to plan out every single grueling detail and for the bride that just wants to “get ‘er done!”.

Many of us have been through the process of planning a wedding, and for those of you that haven’t… Don’t worry… Your time will come.

I have come across some very helpful websites for weddings that other people may fins useful while planning for their own wedding, helping a friend plan, or trying to find a last minute speech.  When it comes to white dresses and wedding messes, there are never enough resources.

• Everything About Weddings
• Canadian Weddings
• Toronto Weddings
• Destination Weddings
• Wedding Vows and Speeches
• Ethical Weddings
• Green Weddings
• Eco Weddings

I was tuning in earlier today to the Barack Obama Pre-Inauguration broadcast and thought what better way of celebrating this historic and monumental occasion in American history  than releasing an Obama inspired tea blend?  Now the question was not only what base to begin with, but also what would Obama himself enjoy?

I kicked around a few ideas- maybe a nice Oolong? Or how about a Green tea? ‘Nah’ I thought, ‘It’s gotta be Rooibos‘  So with that as a canvas I tinkered around and came up with a wonderful African Red Bush (rooibos) tea base deeply rooted  with Hawaiian pineapple, coconut and a hint of dry rum.

Hurry on over to our Herbal Infusions Store and pick up your limited edition Aloha Obama loose leaf tea before its gone!     

More people are choosing Green tea over other types of tea because of its many health benefits.  An article published in the Toronto Star in March 2006 discusses the different products that are popping up that include green tea:

“More and more products laced with green tea extracts are popping up alongside the Starbucks frappucchino, including in chewing gum.” 

          People are not only choosing to consume green tea for its great taste, but they are realizing the health benefits of doing so as well.  For the full article visit:

http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/191456

I feel a tug at my waist, and I look down to see her pulling at the bottom of my top, happily chewing away looking up at me with expectant eyes. After I managed to take the material out of her mouth, she gently bumps her head against my thigh, begging for a scratch behind her ears. Who knew goats could be so affectionate?

I spent the evening wandering around my friends hobby farm, chasing chickens and checking out the vegetable garden she has with tomatoes, peppers, peas and tons of herbs and other good things growing.  Barn cats, as cute as can be, sprang at each other through the grass, then lazed around trying to catch the last few rays of warm sunshine.  One particularly excitable little rascal chased a duck whenever he got the chance, bounding away as soon as the duck retailiated. It was quite the sight and quite the experience.

My friend makes her own chocolate which is to die for. She creates yummy chocolate goodness from pure cacao beans and uses ingredients like goji berries and agave nectar to make the tastiest natural and healthy (yes, I said HEALTHY) chocolate I have ever had the pleasure of eating. She also makes her own marvelous cheese thanks to the shirt chomper who happily provides the goat milk to produce it.

After having a big BBQ and talking to other guests that came out for the day, I stretched out in a hammock under a shady tree and thought, “This is the life for me!”.  Since becoming educated in different types of tea and many of their healing properties, I have also further developed my knowledge of herbs, plants and other natural healing products. I like the idea of being able to live in a way that so few of us do.

Growing your own crops, caring for animals, feeding chickens and collecting eggs… Admittedly, it isn’t everyone’s dream job, but there is a lot of reward in the (very hard) work. There is a feeling of accomplishment, and of appreciation that you just can’t get from buying a carton of eggs or a frozen bag of beans at the grocery store. Buying a chocolate bar at the corner store does not even come close to comparing to the chocolate that my friend makes. Aside from the flavour, it is pleasing to know that everything in it is good for you. In a world where fast food and candy bars are taking over, it’s nice for once to know that I can eat something sweet and tasty without having to worry about what I am putting into my body.  The chocolate is the perfect pair to our Vanilla Chai Dream tea blend whether you are chasing goats around all day or unwinding after a hectic day at the office.

I love the city for many reasons… There is always something going on, and always entertainment of some sort, but for me, nothing beats the feeling I get sitting in a hammock looking at green field with a warm cup of tea in one hand and a homemade chocolate in the other.

For more info about, or to order the chocolate I mentioned above, send an email to: la_selva_girl@hotmail.com

A friend of mine came by my desk at work the other day, and asked, “What is that? It smells so good!” I told her that it was Strawberry Long Island Green Tea. She said that her tea smelled nothing like that and that she was trying to switch from coffee to tea to cut down on her caffeine intake. When I told her it was loose leaf, she asked what the difference was and I gave her some of the reasons that I think loose leaf tea is better than bagged tea.

Not all pre-bagged teas, but MOST are made up of little fragments of tea leaves. Because the tea leaves are all broken up, they get stale very quickly – much more quickly than whole loose leaf tea. Because of this, when the tea is brewed, it doesn’t have nearly the same flavor or fragrance. Just like coffee – fresh is better. Coffee grounds for example, that have been sitting around in a cupboard and exposed to air are not going to taste as good as coffee beans that have just been ground. On top of the freshness factor, in general, the quality of the leaves themselves, are much higher with loose leaf than bagged tea.

Another thing to consider is how the tea is actually brewed… Tea in a tea bag doesn’t really allow the hot water to flow freely over the tea leaves. For the best tasting, freshest cup of tea, it is best if the hot water can move easily around the tea leaves to get the most out of them. That is why although we sell loose leaf, and I personally prefer to use a tea ball, or infuser for my own tea, we also sell tea bags separately, so that people who are used to tea bags, can still scoop in their tea and brew as usual. In this way, you can still have fresh tea, in a bag that allows the hot water to flow more freely inside it because of the size of the bag in comparison to the amount of tea you place in it.

From what I have found there are also more types and flavours to choose from when you choose loose leaf over bagged tea. You can get gourmet loose leaf teas that are not offered in tea bags. If you are creative, or you have a natural knack for what flavours go well together, then you can use loose leaf tea to make your own personal blends, which makes for a cup of tea, quite literally, like no other. I have done this with a few of our teas, like Vanilla Chai Dream. I originally made it for myself, and it was such a hit with my friends and family, that we decided to add it to the teas we offer on our site.

I think that the primary reason that people choose teabags over loose leaf tea is that they think that teabags are more convenient. They offer a ‘quick’ cup of tea… While this may be true, it really doesn’t take a lot of effort to brew loose leaf tea – and the extra 30 seconds or less that it *does* take is WELL worth the effort. There are a number of ways to brew loose leaf tea, from self sealing tea bags, tea balls, tea infusers… (some of which are built right into tea pots)… to the old fashioned brew and strain… The main thing to keep in mind, perhaps during the extra few seconds it takes for you to scoop a teaspoon of tea into a pot, is that brewing tea from loose leaves is the purest method of brewing, and it truly does make a difference in flavour, fragrance and quality. I used to be a ‘quick’ convenient tea maker, and I can honestly say that now that I’ve gone loose leaf, I’ll never go back.

(Just give it a try…You’ll know what I’m talking about.)

There have been a number of studies on the health benefits of green tea, and there are lists of advantages for its consumption… Here is another one to add to your list:

It may protect your brain cells.

Green tea has neuroprotective effects – the polyphenols in green tea protect dopamine neurons. People that have Parkinson’s disease often have decreased motor skills and cognitive dysfunction due to the insufficient creation and use of dopamine. Studies are currently being conducted on the effects of green tea polyphenols on Parkinson’s Disease, with the hope that they can be produced and used to treat Parkinson’s. Studies that have been conducted on mice and have proven positive, however, human testing needs to be done to see if the consumption or green tea could be useful to slow the progression of the disease.

For an article from Science Daily visit:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213101406.htm
For an article from BBC visit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1933596.stm
For information on PD visit:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov

If I were a crayon, I would want to be a green one. Green is my favourite colour… There is just something about it…

There are so many things that are green and great!

Mike Wazowski  from Monsters Inc, for example… He is pretty awesome, with his one big eyeball and little stick arms and legs… What’s not to love?

Of course, you also have green M&M’s and apparently there is something ‘a little bit different’ about them.

One of my favourite green pals that I have loved since my childhood is Kermit the Frog… Also, the best colour in the world – green! As he would say, “It aint easy bein’ green…”

I agree with him, it probably isn’t easy being green…unless of course, you are Green Tea.

Green Tea – Also Green. Also Great. But what makes green tea green? And what makes green tea stand out from the rest?

All teas – come from the same plant, the key difference is in the processing of the tea leaves. Green tea is made by drying the tea leaves, but not allowing them to oxidize, as is the case with black tea. This is what makes green tea, green. This processing, or lack thereof, gives green tea a lighter flavour and colour to be sure, but it also gives it something else that is vitally important… our little friends called polyphenols. The less processed the tea is, the more beneficial it is to your health, because the polyphenols remain in-tact. Polyphenols are the antioxidant compounds found in tea. The high amount of these polyphenols in green tea, is what makes green tea so great! Green tea has been consumed for years. It is an ancient “cup o’ healing”… and now that it is being put to the test in modern times, we can see why it was, and remains, such a popular beverage for one’s health.

The polyphenols in green tea have been proven to:

• Help lower cholesterol levels

• Help lower blood pressure

• Help fight certain types of cancers

• Help with certain skin conditions

• Help prevent food allergies

• Help reduce weight

• Help prevent the aging process…

The list goes on… and I will share more benefits (with evidence) in later blog entries.

There are many different types of green tea, and each has a unique flavour.

The strongest tasting green tea that I have tried is Gunpowder Green Tea. The tea leaves are usually rolled up into tight tiny balls that originally served the purpose of keeping the tea fresh when it was being exported to Europe from China.

Bancha Green Tea is your everyday green tea. It has a slightly astringent taste, being made up of mature tea leaves.

Genmaicha Green Tea has a unique nutty flavour to it because it is usually made by combining bancha

and brown rice and roasting it.

The most sweet tasting green tea that I have tried is Sencha Green Tea. It is a more delicate leafed green tea and a favourite for many people. The best example of this that we offer, is Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose. A very yummy blend. 

Green Tea… Just one more thing that is great about the colour green.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your Garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

Well, I definitely don’t have a garden like our old nursery rhyme friend Mary, and knowing the origin of this poem I am certainly glad I do not! There are three herbs in my garden however, that I would definitely recommend planting. My three favourite herbs that I keep in abundance are lavender, mint, and chamomile.

The use of these herbs can be traced back to medieval times, and are still widely used today for a number of things, including consumption. These herbs are grown easily in your own backyard, and are wonderful additions to tea, especially green and white teas, although they can of course, be used on their own.

Lavender

The name lavender comes from the Latin word ‘lavare’ which means ‘to wash’. Lavender is a perennial; the flowers grow in small spikes and are purple, or lavender, in colour. It smells wonderful in gardens and is fairly rugged. Because there are so many different varieties of lavender, you are sure to find a type that will go with any garden.  Lavender has many uses and has been a staple herb for ages. It is an herb that was used frequently in Pre-Christian Europe – made into a wash and used externally, as it is an excellent herb for skin conditions such as acne. (It is considered a purifying herb)

I personally use lavender oil to get rid of my headaches by rubbing it on my temples and forehead – a practice invented long, long before my time. Another use for lavender is of course, tea! Lavender is a nervine. Nervine herbs function as a tonic for the nervous system. Lavender tea is used to calm ravaged nerves, help reduce stress, induce relaxation and combat fatigue. It is also a carminative herb – pleasant for digestion and releasing tension in the the body. Of course, anyone who has ever been close to lavender would agree that it has a strong and pleasant scent. It is an aromatic herb, making it a perfect addition to other herbs, or tea, to make them more palatable.

Peppermint

Peppermint, by far, has both the sweetest scent and flavour of all of the mints. The smell often reminds us of candy canes and Christmas. Peppermint is a broad-leafed plant that has serrated, spikey looking edges. Like all mints, peppermint is a fast growing plant. If not cultivated, it will spread quickly, and take over the space needed by other garden plants.

Lore has it that peppermint is a visionary herb. It is said that drinking peppermint tea before bed makes for interesting dreams.

Peppermint is a very mild anodyne (pain reliever) because of the presence of menthol in the plant. For aches, pains and bruises, peppermint oil can be used in the same way as lavender oil – by gently rubbing it on the affected area. Take note: Peppermint will create heat when rubbed on skin, so large amounts should not be used, and it should not be used on open wounds.

My favourite tea by far is peppermint and lavender. I call the combination of the two, ’sleepy time tea’, because together they are a refreshing, but very relaxing combination that is perfect before bed. I have enjoyed the two of them mixed together for many years. I finally created a special blend of the two herbs, using the finest peppermint leaves available, to create one of our signature teas, “Peppermint Dream”, which we will be launching in early January.

Chamomile

Chamomile is an aromatic herb. In the middle ages, chamomile was used as a stewing herb. Because it is a very hardy plant, it was also planted on pathways because it would survive when trampled on, and gives off a nice fragrance when crushed underfoot.

“Like a chamomile bed

The more it is trodden

The more it will spread”

It is a very hardy plant. It is daisy like, with very soft fine leaves. It survives in gardens to be sure, and is also very often found in the wild. An interesting thing about growing chamomile is that it brings health to the other plants in the garden. Folklore indicates that it will bring health to any other plant it grows next to – earning it the nickname, ‘Plants Physician’. It was the most used herb in Ancient Egyptian medicine where it was dedicated to the Sun God for it’s healing powers.

Chamomile, like lavender, is a nervine. It is used today primarily as a tea, as a very mild sedative that will bring you down a notch on restless days and nights. It eases the nerves, and promotes drowsiness. It will definitely comfort even the most anxious person into a good night’s sleep if consumed before bed, although some would say that it is an acquired taste because of it’s earthy quality. In addition to a sleeping agent, it is also known for it’s treatment of pain and has been added to lotions and balms to treat muscle aches.

These three herbs are definitely worth planting in your garden this coming spring!

Thanks to Jaiden for the photo of Brenna in the Herb Garden.

For more photos taken by this photographer, visit:

Just Jaiden

For more information on the gruesome origins of the nursery rhyme Mary Mary, visit:

Bloody Mary – Mary Tudor, Daughter of King Henry VIII

Big flakes of snow float to the ground outside the window signaling that the winter weather is once again upon us; but inside our house, it is warm and cozy… The Christmas tree is lit, the faint smell of freshly baked cookies drifts from the kitchen, the sound of laughter and friendly chit-chat fills the air, tea blossoms bloom…

Tea Blossoms Bloom???

This weekend we had a few friends over for dinner to kick start our seasonal celebrations. Dinner was delicious, the cookies were a hit, but the star of the show was surprising. It was a tiny green ball – no bigger than the size of a walnut. A colourful mystery, wrapped inside a tiny package of dark green leaves.

We were amazed that no one else at the table had ever heard of flowering tea. They were shocked that such a large flowery bloom could come out of such a small package and make a refreshing tea. At first our guests thought that they were just looking at an entertaining decoration – that is – until they sipped the warm fragrant liquid from their cups, and quickly changed their minds.

The artisan tea that we chose to display last night was Oolong Mystere. It is a hand made, hand tied, partially oxidized green tea with hibiscus. It is a simple refreshing tea with a light lemony flavour.

In China, these types of artisan, or ‘presentation’ teas are known as “hui fa cha”. In North America they are called a number of things including flowering tea, blossoming tea, blooming tea, decorative tea, tea balls, tea bundles, and artisan tea. Supple tea leaves and flower buds are carefully tied by hand with silk thread into tiny tea bundles that transform into blooms, blossoms, and other beautiful shapes when they are steeped in hot water. They are definitely great conversation pieces, and I’m glad we thought to use one. Everyone seemed entertained by the idea of a tea ball that blooms like a flower, and they were amazed as they watched the little leaves slowly unfold to reveal a bright pink center.

Another great thing about these teas is that they can be kept as a centerpiece, much like fresh flowers, in a clear bowl for up to a week if they are refreshed daily with cold water.

To see flowering teas that we offer, visit:

Herbal Infusions Flowering Teas

I was browsing through the trusty old Toronto Star online the other day and I came across an article written by Roberta Avery on one of my favourite TV personas: Les Stroud.

For those of you who don’t know who I am talking about – Les Stroud has a TV show called “Survivorman” that is played on the Outdoor Life Network and the Discovery Channel. Les goes out into the wilderness in various parts of the world, with his own camera equipment and survives with a very limited number of supplies, (if any at all) both filming and narrating the journey on his own. It is a great show that really gets you thinking about wilderness survival.

In the recent interview with Les that was published in the Toronto Star he talks about the food he eats for survival when he is in the bush, such as “…grubs, grasshoppers, rattlesnakes and leeches.” Pretty gross if you ask me! Whenever I watch the show I wonder if I would do it… If I was starving, would I eat THAT? Probably. But I don’t like to imagine how a scorpion or beetle would feel in my mouth, roasted to perfection over and open fire or not!

About two years ago my husband and I had the opportunity to spend a day with Les in Muskoka, where we trekked though the forest and learned how to build a shelter, start a fire, and discovered what Northern plant life a person can and can not consume in a survival situation. The day was very informative and a lot of fun! I remember Les talking about making tea out of pine needles, which he had done on one of his survival shows. On that episode, he talked about what a difference a hot cup of tea can make to lift a person’s spirits when they are cold and hungry, out in the wilderness by themselves.

Lucky for me, I don’t have to go and pick pine needles to enjoy a cup of tea… BUT, it *is* good to know that if desperate times call for desperate measures, you can!

For the Full Toronto Star Article Visit:

The Star – Les Stroud

For More Info on Les Stroud Visit:

His Page