Party for a shut-in

A special treat for someone who's feeling "blah", sweeten herbal tea with fruit preserves. 
Suggestions for tea sandwiches- cream cheese blended with orange marmalade,   salmon spread,  egg salad. 
Some traditional favorite teas for colds and sore throats are horehound, mint, lemon balm and sage.  For nausea or cramps, peppermint. For digestive calm, anise, fennel and lemon verbena.

Country Tea Party for September

SeHikers' Tea- Just as we're coming to terms with the inevitable approach of cold winter weather, September often offers us a surprise; the blue sky and soft warm air of Indian Summer.  Bring along iced tea and hot tea for your hike.
For iced tea on the trail, make your tea the day before and freeze in a plastic drink container overnight; it will defrost in your pack while you hike. 
Hot tea- ginger/fennel base.  Simmer 4-5 slices of fresh ginger and about 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds in water.  When it is very fragrant, strain out the spices.  Bring the flavored water to a boil and use that to brew your tea; use a strong blend like Irish Breakfast so the ginger doesn't overpower the taste of the tea.    
Gorp cookies- start with a basic recipe for oatmeal-raisin cookies; add to the dough any or all of these: sunflower seeds, M and M's, chopped nuts, dried coconut strips, chopped dates, chocolate chips, and peanut butter or butterscotch bits.  The more stuff you include, the gorpier the cookies.

Enjoy your September Hikers' Tea  

Country Tea Parties

From the book-  Did you know that Orange pekoe, is not a variety or a blend but a term that designates size of the tea leaf?
Tea leaves release their flavor in water- the hotter the water, the faster the tea steeps.  Brewing with boiling water takes 5 minutes , sun tea can take an hour, and refrigerator tea takes several hours. 
Remember green and white tea you do not use boiling water but about 175 degree water and steep for about 2-3 minutes.  If longer tea can become bitter.  Black tea you boil water and steep for 4-5 minutes.
When using a screw-together tea ball, fill it only halfway, loose tea expands severalfold when it steeps.
Store sugar cubes for tea in a jar with whole cloves or cinnamon sticks.  They will absorb the spicy fragrance.

For large tea parties, prepare a strong tea concentrate ahead of time; Use 4 teabags or 4 tsp. loose tea per one cup of boiling water; steep 2 minutes, then strain; leave at room temperature.  During the party keep a large kettle of water simmering on the stove.  For each serving, add 1/2 cup hot water to 1/8 cup concentrate.