Milady's Tinctures, Tonics & Teas

“What are you doing?” he asked. His hands rested gently on my shoulders.

“Looking for that plant,” I answered, sticking a finger between the pages to mind my place. “The one I saw in the stone circle. See…” I flipped the book open. “It could be in the Campanulaceae, or the Gentianaceae, the Polemoniaceae, the Boraginaceae—that’s most likely, I think, forget-me-nots—but it could even be a variant of this one, the Anemone patens.” I pointed out a full color illustration of a pasqueflower. “I don’t think it was a gentian of any kind; the petals weren’t really rounded, but—”

Excerpt From: Gabaldon, Diana. “Outlander.” Bantam Dell, 1991. iBooks.
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Everyone who knows me , knows of my passion for all thing Outlander and especially the character of Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser...wife, lover , mother, herbalist, Nurse and Doctor. So I've decided to create a page in her honor and once a week address a different medicinal, fragrant or nutritional herb from the vantage point of my favorite question - " What would Claire do with it ?" Stay tuned!

Tea Leaves: Tazo Rest

Tazo Rest is truly my favorite of the delicious Tazo Teas. Sadly, Starbucks (who owns Tazo) has discontinued it. I was ecstatic tonight when I found an extra box in my local whole foods. I really enjoy rose teas and this one is very perfumey in a way that I love. It's a completely bewitching & soothing herbal infusion of rose petals, valerian root (so relaxing) & citrusy herbs such as lemon balm and lemon verbena. I think  that the next time I make afternoon tea I'm going to create a sorbet with this and a bit of raw honey. It would be the perfect palate cleanser between all the little sandwiches, curried deviled eggs and dessert!

Tazo lists ingredients as: Lemon balm (Relaxation and good cheer) , rose petals (Love and affection), honeybush, orange peel (Beauty ,Luck and Joy), lemon myrtle (Love and peace) , lemon verbena (Love and Protection), licorice root (To attract love and relaxation), lavender (Sleep and peacefulness), valerian root (Relaxation and love) , natural flavors, ginger (Psychic growth and success), orange essence oil and Chinese geranium oil (Happiness and protection).

I'm glad to know the ingredients because seeing as they've discontinued it,  I'm going to need to make my own!  If you've never made your own tea, please tell me you'll try. Tea made from herbs and flowers that you've grown yourself is always just that much better for you because you're already in tune with them. I've got huge patches of lavender, lemon balm, verbena and rose petals in my garden just waiting to harvest for the teapot!

However if you see a few boxes of this delightful tea please treat yourself and buy it. The valerian and lavender will insure a blissful nights sleep and the rose petals just make you feel spoiled rotten. I've tried it iced, but the beauty of this tea is in its spellbinding rose perfume which doesn't really get released unless the tea is hot. 

And while you're enjoying your tea, why not let Alan Rickman read you a pretty little lullaby:)