Friday, August 20, 2010

Use Tea In Interesting Ways

Tea is made for drinking, right? Of course. And I drink several cups a day. But if you sit and think about it, that's only one thing to do with a nice brewed cup of tea. In this article we'll explore some ways you can "shake up" your tea-drinking routine--and do something else with it entirely.


Instructions








1. Taking a bath can be very relaxing--and some of the most wonderful baths of my life have included tea. Chamomile, for example, is great in a bath that is designed to relax the muscles and put me in a sleepy state. Sipping a cup of chamomile is a great accompaniment to such a bath. Peppermint and rosemary are also great bath teas--especially for sore muscles.








2. Sounds strange, but tea can make a nice broth for soup. Green tea makes a nice light broth for miso soup--just use the tea instead of water when preparing the soup. Stinging nettle tea (when steeped for at least an hour) makes a great vegetable broth for a rich soup like lentil. Or get even more creative--chamomile tea can make a nice blended summer soup--try pureeing fresh watermelon and chamomile together and see what happens. There's a lot you can do.


3. Tea also makes a wonderful hair rinse. My three favorite hair rinse teas are: parsley (to control dandruff and make the hair soft), stinging nettle (makes the hair shiny) and rosemary (brings out the natural brunette color in my hair). If you have light hair, try chamomile instead. Just make the tea as usual (at least three cups worth), let it cool down and pour it over your head after you shampoo and condition. Don't rinse it out--leave it in.


4. Substitute tea for milk in your favorite cake icing recipe. My favorites include mint, rose and chamomile. But you can use your creativity and imagination. Rose water is also a nice alternative to rose tea.

Tags: great bath, hair rinse, make nice