 Easter is coming quicker than quick, and it's time to start planning that Easter Brunch or Easter Dinner menu! Or maybe its not brunch, but linner (lunch & dinner), like we are hosting down on the farm this year.
We will be serving the traditional ham at our brunch/linner, along with more of a potluck style meal. I'll be cooking a few other dishes to go with the ham as my contribution. I thought about scalloped potatoes, but Grandma's potato salad is tradition and a must have. Aside from the ham and potato salad, I haven't thought about it much, with the exception of dessert. Dessert first, am I right? Enter carrot cake. Very traditional and very seasonal. It's the perfect blend of sweet cream cheese frosting, hearty sprouted flour, and the freshness of spring carrots.
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Biscuits are the quintessential farmhouse food, next to maybe a loaf of fresh baked bread. They are the perfect quick food for a slower life style. Faster than baking bread, yet just as hearty.
Today we are sharing with you our basic sprouted wheat biscuit recipe. One we often throw together when we have been working out in the garden or when we have been busy in the tea studio. But this ain't any ole' biscuit recipe now. These biscuits are made with sprouted whole wheat. Why sprout the wheat you ask? 
As I sit here typing this the rain is coming down. In droves..... and droves.... and droves. While it's not cold and there isn't any snow, the rain just sucks the heat out of the house and makes it dark and dreary inside.
Thank goodness for the crackling of a wood stove to heat our outsides. When it comes to lunch though our insides could use some warming up as well. With soup season hear it's also time for savory scones at lunch. Are you eating gluten free? Maybe you have company coming who can't eat gluten? No worries, these scones are great even for this who are on a gluten free diet (or even if your not!). 
"The best of times are always found,
When family & friends are gathered around."
This is truly my favorite time of year because the heat of the summer is tamed, the farm work outside is mostly done and it's now time to spend hours inside with friends and family. By enjoying the harvest from the summer's hard work and keeping warm by the fireside. Be it a fall family gathering and Christmas meals or anything in-between, this is a time for family, food and giving thanks to our Creator for the seasons abundance!
Sometimes though it's easy to get stumped on what to make with that abundance. That is why we gathered 14 recipes from farm/homestead blogs to liven up your holiday meals. It's time to gather, celebrate and enjoy food that is as good as the company we are with! Farmhouse style. 
Ahh, light and fluffy, with fresh rosemary and savory cheeses! These Rosemary Gruyere Savory Scones are the perfect addition to your afternoon luncheon or tea. Served with a crustless spinach quiche and the perfect cuppa earl grey or English breakfast tea and you are set for a satisfying meal.
These scones come together quickly and are easily made in a pinch when you find out company is coming over or when you realize there isn't anything to serve with your tea. But the question begs to be answered. What is the difference between a scone and a biscuit? 
Tea Time. The words bring to mind, delicate, dainty, white, sugary treats. Paired with a dark black cup of tea to counteract the sweetness from the treats. Who doesn't enjoy it, but later finds that their blood sugar is sky high, they are still hungry because those quick carbs have worn off and you are craving even more of those sweet treats.
A favorite on the tea time platter is chocolate and hazelnuts. Well move on over Nutella because these Chocolate Hazelnut Dainty Date Bites (also known as date balls) are taking over at tea time. These healthy tea time treats are sure to be the perfect fit with your cup of Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea without leaving that sugar coma hang over. 
Some may say that a scone is a sophisticated baked good. While I agree that their delicate and refined nature might suggest sophistication, they really are not that hard to bake. Scones take many different faces from a drop scone, to a fine cut wedge, to a rustic round shape. One thing is for sure though, there is no other baked good that pairs better with tea than a scone.
From gluten and sugar free scones, to the ancient but healthy einkorn and those for every season such as sweet potato and forsythia. These five scone recipes are sure to meet your tea time needs and hit the spot. Spot of tea eh? 
Happy Friday! We have a special treat for ya'll today. I mean that in a couple of ways! One of our first and long time customers, Kris, will be helping us out here on the blog. She not only is a lovely lady but also has a passion for loose leaf teas along with some fabulous culinary skills. Today she is bringing us a super tasty cake. I currently smell is fabulous flavors as I type waiting for it to cool down! So join me in welcoming Kris today!
By: Kris MillerDevoted wife and mother of two, recently graduated from LBCC Culinary program. 
It’s the dog days of summer, but I am one that is in perpetual Autumn mode. And I enjoy desserts with a slightly spiced note. That is what put me in the mood to develop this recipe for white chocolate cherry pound cake using St. Fiacre’s Farm, Cherry City Chai tea blend. Most of us enjoy cooking and baking, and making things look and taste great. And many of us are realizing we have sensitivities and allergies to certain foods and preservatives. I discovered I was gluten intolerant five years ago. I thought my baking days were over.
 How many of you are growing a garden this year? How many of you have flowers in your garden? How about medicinal flowers?
We started our garden out with just things that could be eaten. It was a way to help cut down the food cost and to know the story of where our food was coming from. Which growing methods were used, where the seeds came from, the type of soil that they were growing in. Equally important as our vegetable garden though are our medicinals that we grow as well. It's handy to also know where our medicine comes from as well. Today we thought we would share a bit about a favorite medicinal flower that we are growing here on the farm. Bachelor Buttons also known as cornflowers are used in many of our teas but that isn't there limitation. Join us as we go over their culinary and medicinal uses!  Did you know that you can cook with tea and not just drink it? One of our Super Fan's and V.I.P. Members, Kris Miller, sent us this lovely recipe using Golden Turmeric Spice Tea in a curry dish. What makes it super fantastic is that not only is it yummy, not only does it have anti-oxidant packed turmeric in it BUT Kris is also a culinary student at a local college! Training as a professional chef she used her culinary skills to cook up something fantastic! It even made it on the college menu :)
 Jello salad in the summer time. Jello cups. Jello cheesecake. Pinapple fluff. Jello cake. Layered jello, O my! There is no shortage of jello recipes out there and no doubt most of us grew up eating it in one form or another. Most of these recipes are very high in processed sugar and processed ingredients. Not to mention synthetic dyes and flavorings. But not this one! It's time to make a healthy jello that you can feel good about serving to your friends and family!
 Matcha Shamrock Shortbread cookies add that little special touch to our yearly family celebration and heritage.
You see the Farmer and I both have Irish heritage in our family. We grew up celebrating St. Patrick's Day every year and when it came to picking a name for our youngest son we gave him the strong, strapping and Irish name of Patrick.  Oh winter. The last few weeks of the wet and the rain in Oregon really start to get to a person. It's dark, its gloomy. ITS WET! Really wet, like slip around outside when its wet, wet. We spend much more time in the house than we care to but there is so little to do in so much rain and mud. There is no garden to work on - its too cold. The animals are hunkered down just like us. The only thing to do is to make a mess in the kitchen - I mean be creative in the kitchen. ( As I look behind me to see if the Farmer' saw me type those words... ah hem.)  cooking with, not drinking teaI have sort of a reputation for being a mad scientist in the kitchen. I think its usually the after math of my creativeness that gives me that reputation. The latest inspired mess - I mean creation - came from a tea called Lapsang Souchong. Lapsang is a special black tea from China that is smoke-dried over a pine-wood fire. It's known as the smoked tea.
Let me tell you what, that is the best name for this tea! While drinking smoked liquid just didn't sound pleasing to MY palate, I had some other ideas! Some people buy Liquid Smoke but what does this farm girl do? I just eat my tea.  Gut shots and kraut pounders. A couple of words I didn't think would probably ever enter my vocabulary until a few years ago. Doesn't sauerkraut just come in a jar? Isn't that, that stinky stuff that goes on roast beef sandwiches? Cabbage? Bleck! I wasn't a fan of sauerkraut in the least, at least the stuff that I saw at Costco being piled on hot dogs and the yellowish stuff out of a jar for on top of St. Patrick's day corned beef. And if your wondering what a gut shot is.... its kraut juice in a shot glass (just had to put that out there.) I'm here to tell you that REAL fermented sauerkraut doesn't taste like that stuff at all. Its actually good! About 5-6 years ago I encountered traditional cooking. A way of cooking that uses traditional preparation methods for things like grains, vegetables and meats. Some of these methods might not seem so strange like dehydrating meat for jerky. Fermenting bread dough and vegetables was a new thing to me though. The fermentation process, whether it be bread our sauerkraut adds nutrition to the foods, helps to pre-digest some things our bodies are not so great at digesting and helps with our overall health. Live fermented vegetables add probiotics to our gut which helps us have healthy digestion. It is said that health starts in the gut! These forms of food preservation were used until the Industrial Revolution making them quite normal in every day life. Over time that changed and these methods were lost and set aside. With so many gut related health issues in the news (think Chrons, IBS, ulcerative colitis) its no wonder that these traditional methods are coming back. So its time to throw out that jar of store bought kraut and meet the real stuff!  Plain sauerkraut Recipe2 medium to large green cabbages (purple cabbage works too, a bit spicier!) 9 tablespoons of good quality sea salt 1.) Remove the outer leaves of your cabbage to insure cleanness. 2.) Shred cabbage with a food processor shredding blade, knife, or traditional cabbage shredder. 3.) Add sea salt to shredded cabbage. Blend in well. 4.) Pound the cabbage to help speed the release of the the cabbage juices. When cabbage is juicy pack into a jar that kraut will fill to the top. You don't want any extra space in the top of your jar. 5.) Place a fermenting weight on the top and a lid. Let fermented at room temperature for 3-7 days until you see bubbles and have a sour taste. Time frame will vary depending on the temperature in your house.  If you love spicy and hot things than kimchi is going to be the kraut for you! Ours is a little more low key than the traditional Korean stuff but a great place to start if you are not sure about kimchi .... or if your just not ready for that hot bright red stuff! Our low key kimchi 2 heads of green cabbage 9-12 tablespoons of good quality sea salt 3-6 carrots 1-2 daikon radishes 2-3 garlic cloves Approx. 4 inches horseradish or to taste 2-3 tablespoons red pepper flakes 1.) Remove the outer leaves of your cabbage to insure cleanness. 2.) Shred cabbage, carrots, daikon radish, horseradish, and garlic with a food processor shredding blade, knife, or traditional cabbage shredder. 3.) Add sea salt to shredded cabbage & veggies. Blend in well. 4.) Pound the cabbage & veggies to help speed the release of the the cabbage juices. When cabbage is juicy pack into a jar that kraut will fill to the top. You don't want any extra space in the top of your jar.
We hope that you enjoy these simple sauerkrauts as much as we do! Feel free to try different veggies in either of these recipes. Caraway seed and dill might be great in the basic recipe and remind you a bit of dill pickles. Spice up the kimchi more or less according to your taste! Add some green onion or what ever suits your mood. If you would like to watch how we make sauerkraut we did a little video here with our 3 year old helping us out, complete with an end of fall farm update! See you next time. Cheers! CeAnne & Paul How to Make sauerkraut The stores in town are busting out the Christmas trees and the lights. The holiday bazaars have started and so has the shopping. Down at the farm life is a little bit slower. This time of year we are embracing fall, even if the coldness feels a bit more like winter. We are enjoying the beautiful color on the fall leaves, the reds and oranges are just beautiful here this time of year. Along with the fall beauty we are embracing seasonal foods. Not that that is a new thing here on the farm but the season is new! That means lots of cranberries, pumpkin and squashes and apples! Its also the season of sharing with friends and family! What better way than to make a dish to take and share at gatherings with friends and family?!  My favorite food at gatherings is usually the snacks or appetizers, aside from dessert of course ;) Little bites of yummy goodness! We decided to spice up a favorite treat of ours, turkey pinwheels, with some tea. Our Coastal Cranberry Spice was the perfect blend for this recipe but you are welcome to use any fruit tea that you enjoy as well as just plain cranberry sauce. We used tea in place of cranberry sauce not only because it adds to the depth of the flavor but it also utilizes different herbs that come with different qualities and nutrition. Its super yummy and we think you will love it! What is your favorite holiday appetizer? Let us know in the comments below! Tea Infused Turkey PinwheelsServes 6-10 Ingredients 6 Whole Wheat Tortillas Deli Sliced Roasted Turkey 1.5 TBL Cranberry Tea (We used our Coastal Cranberry Spice Herbal Blend) 6 oz of Hot Water 12-15 leafs of Romain Lettuce 1 - 8 oz container of Cream Cheese (We love Nancy’s Brand filled with Probiotics) 1 TBL Pure Maple Syrup Directions: 1.) Steep the tea in 6 oz of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain and set aside until cool. 2.) Once tea has cooled add steeped tea, cream cheese and maple syrup to food processor. Blend until everything is well incorporated. 3.) Spread 1/4 c. cream cheese mixture on one whole wheat tortilla making sure it is thin and even over the entire tortilla. 4.) Place two turkey slices down the middle of the tortilla with cream cheese. 5.) Place 2-4 leaves of romaine lettuce over the turkey. 6.) Roll tortilla tightly and slice in about 2 in. pieces. Top with steeped tea leaves for a little bit of flare. If you loved this recipe, good news! There is more to be had :) Below are 9 more recipes for our readers in our free cooking with tea e-book! Grab Our Free |
| * Creamy Chai Latte * Pumpkin Spice Bullet Proof Tea * Tea Infused Turkey Pinwheels * Side Salad w/ Tea Infused Dressing * Green Tea Infused Rice * Chai Marinated Chicken Breast * Lavender Earl Grey Shortbread * Poached Pears w/ Berry Sauce |  |
Did you know it was a thing? Apparently its as exciting as pairing wine with cheese, and chocolate with cheese... tea with cheese. Wine has many tannins which make it pair well with cheese and tea has the same tannins. While we feature mostly herbal teas, which don't have tannins, these teas still pair great because of their fruity quail-TEAs. See what I did there ;)
We are off to the Wedge of Portland to share our teas amongst a sea of wonderful Oregon creamery's this Saturday and so we thought we would share with you our picks for tea pairings. Grab some great cheese, and some other accompaniments (Perhaps some Mt. Hope Farm's fruit spreads) and make a platter that you won't forget.
We are off to the Wedge of Portland to share our teas amongst a sea of wonderful Oregon creamery's this Saturday and so we thought we would share with you our picks for tea pairings. Grab some great cheese, and some other accompaniments (Perhaps some Mt. Hope Farm's fruit spreads) and make a platter that you won't forget.
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Cherry City Chai & Decaf Chai Tea- Willamette Valley Cheese’s Brie, Comte Cheese, Sharp Cheddar. Other foods to pair with: milk chocolate, apple scones, hazelnuts, popcorn and plain beef jerky or used as a beef marinade.
Gingerbread Spice Tea - Brie, aged goat cheese, mascarpone and mozzarella. Don’t forget blue cheese- yes ginger snap flavors and blue cheese are a thing. Pairs well with other fall flavored foods especially cranberries, apples and pears.
High Desert Hibiscus Tea- Goat cheese (aged and fresh), & blue cheese. Pairs well with citrus flavors and mints.
Coastal Cranberry Spice Tea - Rouge Creamery’s Blue Cheese, Smokey Touvelle from Rouge Creamery, Mozzarella from the Urban Cheesecrafts, and Rouge Creamery’s Caveman Blue. Pairs with anything that mulled wine pairs with.
Oregon Harvest Berry Tea - Mascarpone, Cream Cheese, Willamette Valley Cheese’s Brie, Camembert, and Urban Cheese Crafter’s Mozzarella. Makes a great reduction sauce for baked fruits.
Three Sisters Kombucha Blend (served hot by the cup)- Aged Gouda from Willamette Valley Cheese Co., Sharp Cheddar and Chiriboga Blue. Pairs well with dark chocolate.
Mossy Rock Kombucha Blend (served hot by the cup)- Cheddar, Brie and Chevere from Willamette Valley Cheese Co.
Willamette Berry Pie Tea- Lavender Touvelle from Rouge Creamery, Mascarpone, Willamette Valley Cheese’s Brie and Camembert.
Rose City Repose Tea- Lavender Touvelle from Rouge Creamery and Plain Cheese Curds.
Which flavors sound best to you? Have you paired cheese with tea before? Tell us about it, we would love to hear your experience and your favorite pairings!
Gingerbread Spice Tea - Brie, aged goat cheese, mascarpone and mozzarella. Don’t forget blue cheese- yes ginger snap flavors and blue cheese are a thing. Pairs well with other fall flavored foods especially cranberries, apples and pears.
High Desert Hibiscus Tea- Goat cheese (aged and fresh), & blue cheese. Pairs well with citrus flavors and mints.
Coastal Cranberry Spice Tea - Rouge Creamery’s Blue Cheese, Smokey Touvelle from Rouge Creamery, Mozzarella from the Urban Cheesecrafts, and Rouge Creamery’s Caveman Blue. Pairs with anything that mulled wine pairs with.
Oregon Harvest Berry Tea - Mascarpone, Cream Cheese, Willamette Valley Cheese’s Brie, Camembert, and Urban Cheese Crafter’s Mozzarella. Makes a great reduction sauce for baked fruits.
Three Sisters Kombucha Blend (served hot by the cup)- Aged Gouda from Willamette Valley Cheese Co., Sharp Cheddar and Chiriboga Blue. Pairs well with dark chocolate.
Mossy Rock Kombucha Blend (served hot by the cup)- Cheddar, Brie and Chevere from Willamette Valley Cheese Co.
Willamette Berry Pie Tea- Lavender Touvelle from Rouge Creamery, Mascarpone, Willamette Valley Cheese’s Brie and Camembert.
Rose City Repose Tea- Lavender Touvelle from Rouge Creamery and Plain Cheese Curds.
Which flavors sound best to you? Have you paired cheese with tea before? Tell us about it, we would love to hear your experience and your favorite pairings!
The leaves are falling, the grapes are changing colors. The fall and Christmas decor is already in the stores. Wait! What? What is the date?!
While the official first day of fall is not until September 22nd (not too far off), down on the farm we are ready for this slower time of year to come. Summer is such a busy time on the farm planting and harvesting, trying to get our building project sealed up before the rains start and thankfully we don't have wood cutting on our list this year with the stash we have!
The local coffee shops are advertising pumpkin this and that, gingerbread is surely not far behind but you know what?! Its CHAI SEASON! While chai is the name for all kinds of tea in India, marsala chai is what us American's are familiar with. That spicy drink filled with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and other spices that warms us up in the cooler months and makes us all comfy cozy.
Back to those coffee shops... most pumpkin spice latte's are flavored with synthetically flavored syrups and the sweetner in them is usually corn syrup. Far from a health food! Along with that is usually added a conventional milk. Today we are going to turn this unhealthy drink into something very healthy by just changing up what we use in the recipe.
While the official first day of fall is not until September 22nd (not too far off), down on the farm we are ready for this slower time of year to come. Summer is such a busy time on the farm planting and harvesting, trying to get our building project sealed up before the rains start and thankfully we don't have wood cutting on our list this year with the stash we have!
The local coffee shops are advertising pumpkin this and that, gingerbread is surely not far behind but you know what?! Its CHAI SEASON! While chai is the name for all kinds of tea in India, marsala chai is what us American's are familiar with. That spicy drink filled with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and other spices that warms us up in the cooler months and makes us all comfy cozy.
Back to those coffee shops... most pumpkin spice latte's are flavored with synthetically flavored syrups and the sweetner in them is usually corn syrup. Far from a health food! Along with that is usually added a conventional milk. Today we are going to turn this unhealthy drink into something very healthy by just changing up what we use in the recipe.
Brewing the tea
First stop on our recipe journey is to get our tea brewed. Our preferred way to brew loose leaf tea is by using a french press. Typically used for coffee, french presses are very simple to use. Simply place the tea inside the press, pour your hot water over the top and place the lid/press on the top to steep. (Check out the demo in the video below)
We are excited that we were sent a new french press to review called the Espro P3. The most common french press is Bodum, which we have many of, because they are the easiest to find locally. We also have a couple of others that are lower end and we use all 5 of them every week when we brew tea for our farmer's market tea tastings.
I was super impressed with the Espro 3! Mostly for 3 reasons:
1.) The Double Filter System - Typically a french press has one filter that is made from metal mesh and some times the tiny tea bits will sneak through there. The Espro has a double filter system and catches all of the smallest particles making it great for any kind of tea. I'm sure it would work with fine ground coffee as well!
2.) Lock- This lovely lock keeps the glass carafe attached to the exterior case and handle which is great for when it comes time to hand wash. We have broken many carafe's because they fall out during washing and hit the sink then shatter. This lock ensures that won't happen during washing.
3.) Double Thick Glass- The carafe on this french press has double thick glass which helps keep the tea warmer longer and makes it more durable if dropped. Ask me how I know that its more durable if dropped ;) Yep, I dropped it! Not on purpose of course but I was super glad to see that it held up!
We are excited that we were sent a new french press to review called the Espro P3. The most common french press is Bodum, which we have many of, because they are the easiest to find locally. We also have a couple of others that are lower end and we use all 5 of them every week when we brew tea for our farmer's market tea tastings.
I was super impressed with the Espro 3! Mostly for 3 reasons:
1.) The Double Filter System - Typically a french press has one filter that is made from metal mesh and some times the tiny tea bits will sneak through there. The Espro has a double filter system and catches all of the smallest particles making it great for any kind of tea. I'm sure it would work with fine ground coffee as well!
2.) Lock- This lovely lock keeps the glass carafe attached to the exterior case and handle which is great for when it comes time to hand wash. We have broken many carafe's because they fall out during washing and hit the sink then shatter. This lock ensures that won't happen during washing.
3.) Double Thick Glass- The carafe on this french press has double thick glass which helps keep the tea warmer longer and makes it more durable if dropped. Ask me how I know that its more durable if dropped ;) Yep, I dropped it! Not on purpose of course but I was super glad to see that it held up!
Check out the Espro in our video review below and also on Amazon.
Yes these are affiliate links, they provide our family farm with a wee bit of income so we can continue to bring you great recipes and local teas! There is no additional cost to you, if you decide to purchase. Cheers!
Yes these are affiliate links, they provide our family farm with a wee bit of income so we can continue to bring you great recipes and local teas! There is no additional cost to you, if you decide to purchase. Cheers!
Espro P3 Standard
Espoo Stainless Steel
Large Espro Stainless Steel
Travel Mug!
Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher
Espoo Stainless Steel
Large Espro Stainless Steel
Travel Mug!
Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher
Mix'n it up
Now that we have covered the WHY we are drinking the chai and the how of brewing the tea lets get on to the actual recipe, because that's what you all are here for right ;) Bring on the tasty yummy (and healthy) Pumpkin Spice Bullet Proof Chai.
Pumpkin Spice Bullet Proof Chai Tea
4 - 6 TSP Loos Leaf Chai
( Recommended Decaf Chai, Cherry City Chai and/or Gingerbread Spice)
2 TSP Butter from Grass Fed Cows, melted (also known as grass fed butter, no - butter doesn't eat grass.... why do I say that, because the Farmer asked me.)
2 TBL Organic or Homegrown Pumpkin Puree
2 TSP Organic Coconut Oil, melted
2 TBL Organic Maple Syrup (the real stuff from trees!) or Local Raw Honey
1 C. Grassfed Milk (no milk doesn't eat grass... the cows, they eat the grass and make the milk... vs grain fed. That reason is a whoooole other post... leave a comment if you would like me to write it.)
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or to taste, see recipe below)
4 - 6 TSP Loos Leaf Chai
( Recommended Decaf Chai, Cherry City Chai and/or Gingerbread Spice)
2 TSP Butter from Grass Fed Cows, melted (also known as grass fed butter, no - butter doesn't eat grass.... why do I say that, because the Farmer asked me.)
2 TBL Organic or Homegrown Pumpkin Puree
2 TSP Organic Coconut Oil, melted
2 TBL Organic Maple Syrup (the real stuff from trees!) or Local Raw Honey
1 C. Grassfed Milk (no milk doesn't eat grass... the cows, they eat the grass and make the milk... vs grain fed. That reason is a whoooole other post... leave a comment if you would like me to write it.)
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or to taste, see recipe below)
1.) Steep the tea (any way you like) in 12-16 oz of almost boiling water for 7-10 minutes.
2.) Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, butter, coconut oil and steeped (strained) tea to a blender.
3.) Blend on high for about 2 minutes (we used the hot chocolate setting on the Blend Tec) until fats have emulsified and mixed together with the other ingredients.
4.) Warm up milk on stove so that its warm to the touch but not boiling and turn the heat off before the milk creates a skin over the top.
5.) Froth the milk using an electric frother or by placing it in a clean french press and pumping the press up and down until frothed.
6.) Pour pumpkin mix from blender into a mug, top with frothed milk and sprinkle on Pumpkin Pie Spice. Enjoy!!!
2.) Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, butter, coconut oil and steeped (strained) tea to a blender.
3.) Blend on high for about 2 minutes (we used the hot chocolate setting on the Blend Tec) until fats have emulsified and mixed together with the other ingredients.
4.) Warm up milk on stove so that its warm to the touch but not boiling and turn the heat off before the milk creates a skin over the top.
5.) Froth the milk using an electric frother or by placing it in a clean french press and pumping the press up and down until frothed.
6.) Pour pumpkin mix from blender into a mug, top with frothed milk and sprinkle on Pumpkin Pie Spice. Enjoy!!!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
4 TBL Organic ground Cinnamon 1/2 TSP Organic ground Nutmeg
2 TSP Organic ground Ginger 1/2 TSP Organic ground Allspice
1/2 TSP Organic ground Cloves
Mix all the above spices together an store in an air tight container in a dark location. Should keep up to a year, if you don't use it by then!
Thanks for stopping by the farm and we will see you next week! Enjoy that cup of Pumpkin Spice Bullet Proof Chai!
P.S. Don't forget to grab our FREE Cooking with Tea E-book for more tea time treats!
2 TSP Organic ground Ginger 1/2 TSP Organic ground Allspice
1/2 TSP Organic ground Cloves
Mix all the above spices together an store in an air tight container in a dark location. Should keep up to a year, if you don't use it by then!
Thanks for stopping by the farm and we will see you next week! Enjoy that cup of Pumpkin Spice Bullet Proof Chai!
P.S. Don't forget to grab our FREE Cooking with Tea E-book for more tea time treats!
Oh March you were so wet, so cloudy and so windy!!! Despite the wet and windy weather St. Ignatius Vineyard was still so beautiful that I had to stop and take pictures. The clouds just made the bright green grass even brighter and the blues bluer! We took a little trip off the farm to pick up some of these beautiful dried Royal Ann cherries from Cherry Country to add to our chai tea blending turning an already fantastic blend into Cherry City Chai, a chocolate cherry chai!
Aren't these cherries beautiful! They add such a wonderful aroma to our chai tea and knowing that they were grown right here in Salem, Oregon and that they are an heirloom to the area makes us feel like we are drinking history in a cup. Check out our Cherry City Chai here.
Around the Barnyard ...
Chicken's and tea? Who knew? We are loving our Great American Farm Tour cup, great for drinking tea hand blended down on the farm.
We have two new additions down on the farm! Meet Hey Ewe and Dodge Ram! They are sure sweet little ones and babies are always welcome down on the farm!
In the Farm Kitchen...
Kefir grains, they make the fastest yogurt with the biggest probiotic punch! We have been loving them in our morning smoothies with bananas, Bliss Nut Butter and local raw honey from Flying Bee Ranch!
Mixing up some purple dilly kraut! Fermented foods make the gut healthy and happy and this one is beautiful to boot!
Local granola with some of our kefir yogurt, a tasty breakfast and treat!
Crepes? Yes please! Filled with Bliss Hazelnut Butter, cocoa powder and local raw honey to make a fantastic "nutella" like spread! Complete with a bright yellow tint from our farm fresh egg yokes.
Building the tea studio...
March brought us the completion of the bottom level framing! Getting a little bit closer to that tea studio being complete. Estimated competition date is Summer of 2017
In the Farm Store...
Ahhh... Cherry City Chai, beautiful and delicious. Sporting our new Mexican hot chocolate mixer which we used to help froth our Cherry City Chai milk for latte time!
So in love with these flowers from Floating Petal Confetti! They are the beauty in our Oregon Harvest Berry Tea!
Rain or Shine its Market time! We are back at the Salem Saturday Market doing tea tastings! Come down and have a try. Salem Oregon Capital area from 9 am to 3 pm.
We welcomed a new piece to our tea business. Our new dehydrator will allow us to dry even more local goodness from black berry leaf to cranberries, aronia berries, haskap berries and more! We are super excited to be able to provide local goodness without any additives or chemicals!
These beautiful cranberries from the Bandon area just make us want to drink tea! Coastal Cranberry Spice tea that is! We hand sliced 40 some pounds of berries in order to bring this wonderful tea to Made in Oregon. We are now located from Portland to Eugene and to Newport!
Thanks for joining us down on the farm!
We are excited to be providing a hand-crafted, artisan loose leaf tea featuring Oregon grown ingredients. Local farmers. Local Families. Small Business. Just plain good tea! No nonsense! Visit our store and make sure you get free shipping through April 21st using coupon code HEisRISEN17 on orders $25+.
But first cake! This post may contain affiliate links. What's that you say?! Sometimes we share products that we love with you and those may pay us a little something to keep ye ol' farm a running, feed the children, teach them their arthimatic and the like. These links don't change the cost of the product. Read our full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting our family farm with your purchases!
Welcome to another round of Tisane Tea Tuesday! This will also be our last round in this series as we approach the Lenten season. Here down on the farm we start diving into the season of fasting and so tea time is less here on the farm. We plan to have another exciting weekly post on the blog though, so stay tuned to see what is next on our little farm adventure!
If you are new to this series of posts, every week we have been sharing some fabulous tea time recipes and then pairing them with one of our lovely herbal teas also known as a tisane tea. These teas are not made from the typical tea leaf but rather from fruits, herbs and flowers. We hope you enjoy your visit to tea time down on the farm!
If you are new to this series of posts, every week we have been sharing some fabulous tea time recipes and then pairing them with one of our lovely herbal teas also known as a tisane tea. These teas are not made from the typical tea leaf but rather from fruits, herbs and flowers. We hope you enjoy your visit to tea time down on the farm!
Pacific Peppermint Patty Tea
This week we are featuring our super yummy Pacific Peppermint Patty tea! This tea was blended with a peppermint patty in mind and I think that we have achieved that. It goes great with almost any tea time treat and especially good after a meal. There is nothing like peppermint when it comes to calm and relaxation.
This tea features Organic Peppermint, Organic Cocoa Nibs and wee pinch of Organic Stevia leaf to take the edge off of the cocoa nibs. No worries, this isn't the processed white powder that comes in the stevia packets but an actual herb and green leaf. There is a very small amount added and so it doesn't tend to carry that after taste that Stevia sugar replacements can be known for.
Brew this tea hot or cold it makes a great drink! Iced in the summer time for a cool and refreshing thirst quencher or hot in the winter with some warm frothy milk on top. Sprinkle the top with some extra cocoa nibs and you are good to go. Grab your bag of Pacific Peppermint Patty here.
It goes great with this weeks tea time treat..... Caramelized Balsamic Skillet Cake!
This tea features Organic Peppermint, Organic Cocoa Nibs and wee pinch of Organic Stevia leaf to take the edge off of the cocoa nibs. No worries, this isn't the processed white powder that comes in the stevia packets but an actual herb and green leaf. There is a very small amount added and so it doesn't tend to carry that after taste that Stevia sugar replacements can be known for.
Brew this tea hot or cold it makes a great drink! Iced in the summer time for a cool and refreshing thirst quencher or hot in the winter with some warm frothy milk on top. Sprinkle the top with some extra cocoa nibs and you are good to go. Grab your bag of Pacific Peppermint Patty here.
It goes great with this weeks tea time treat..... Caramelized Balsamic Skillet Cake!
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Caramelized Balsamic Skillet Cake
While shopping at one of our favorite local grocery stores I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Crate Expectations, the maker of this lovey Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar. Its always fun learning the story behind a product and how it is made and to see the passion , interest and knowledge that small business owners put into their product. Bill was no exception and he certainly knows how to pair his Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar with the perfect foods. We were privileged to try it on some strawberries, which was my favorite but the little farmers seemed to favor the vanilla ice cream with this vinegar on top. Since it was such a hit we had to purchase a bottle to bring home and today we are drizzling this goodness on top of a sourdough griddle cake - they are the perfect pair!
This skillet cake is a little reminesant of a bread pudding and a German pancake combined. A little vanilla ice cream on top wouldn't hurt either but we were fresh out. Make sure to add an extra drizzle of Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar!
Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar Cake
1 tbl. Organic/Grassfed Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Sourdough Starter
1/4 cup Raw Grassfed Milk
1 tsp. Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a small cast iron skillet (6-8 inches) in the oven with the 1 tbl. of butter to melt and heat up the pan. While the pan is heating and the butter melting blend together the ingredients leaving aside the Balsamic Vinegar. When oven is heated pour your cake mixture directly into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Immediately after removing from the oven drizzle with Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar to your liking, you may always add more :) Serve with a slice of lemon or vanilla ice-cream.
This skillet cake is a little reminesant of a bread pudding and a German pancake combined. A little vanilla ice cream on top wouldn't hurt either but we were fresh out. Make sure to add an extra drizzle of Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar!
Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar Cake
1 tbl. Organic/Grassfed Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Sourdough Starter
1/4 cup Raw Grassfed Milk
1 tsp. Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a small cast iron skillet (6-8 inches) in the oven with the 1 tbl. of butter to melt and heat up the pan. While the pan is heating and the butter melting blend together the ingredients leaving aside the Balsamic Vinegar. When oven is heated pour your cake mixture directly into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Immediately after removing from the oven drizzle with Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar to your liking, you may always add more :) Serve with a slice of lemon or vanilla ice-cream.
But first cake! This post may contain affiliate links. What's that you say?! Sometimes we share products that we love with you and those may pay us a little something to keep ye ol' farm a running, feed the children, teach them their arthimatic and the like. These links don't change the cost of the product. Read our full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting our family farm with your purchases!
Hey! Howdy! Hi! Thanks for joining us down on the farm this week for Tisane Tuesday! If this is you first stop by the farm for tea time let me share with you the lo down. Every Tuesday we are sharing some great, wonderful, fantastic whole food recipes for tea time and pairing those great, wonderful, fantastic foods with some great, wonderful and fantastic TEAS!
Not just any tea though! We specialize in blending herbal teas with Oregon grown goodness in them and so that is what we are sharing here every week. Herbal teas are known as tisane's and hence the name of our weekly post, Tisane Tuesday. You can check out previous recipes and teas here on our Tisane Tuesday blog roll.
Herbal teas are great because they are generally caffeine free and are easier to source locally as different climates lend to different herbs that may be grown. Actual tea leaves (camellia sinensis) only grow in certain places and it takes a really LONG time for them to get big enough to make much tea! It takes 10 years to reach a maturity point where leaves may be taken from the plant without harm and only the top couple may be used. So it ends up taking lots of tea plants to make a little ol' cup of tea! Herbs on the other hand are much different and easier to grow in a shorter amount of time.
So without further ado lets introduce you to a little cuppa!
Not just any tea though! We specialize in blending herbal teas with Oregon grown goodness in them and so that is what we are sharing here every week. Herbal teas are known as tisane's and hence the name of our weekly post, Tisane Tuesday. You can check out previous recipes and teas here on our Tisane Tuesday blog roll.
Herbal teas are great because they are generally caffeine free and are easier to source locally as different climates lend to different herbs that may be grown. Actual tea leaves (camellia sinensis) only grow in certain places and it takes a really LONG time for them to get big enough to make much tea! It takes 10 years to reach a maturity point where leaves may be taken from the plant without harm and only the top couple may be used. So it ends up taking lots of tea plants to make a little ol' cup of tea! Herbs on the other hand are much different and easier to grow in a shorter amount of time.
So without further ado lets introduce you to a little cuppa!
Farmer's Wife Raspberry Tea
This BEAUTIFUL, deep red herbal tea gets its color from the sweet and wonderful hibiscus petals that are in the blend. Hibiscus is a tropical flower that many would recognize as the Hawaiian state flower. This flower is used as dyes and flavorings in many foods carrying with it a very light cranberry flavor unless paired with other herbs. The base for this tea is a green rooibos which is naturally caffeine free and has similar properties of green tea. Red clover leaf and nettle leaf add a light herby flavor to this tea making it a very refreshing and satisfying blend.
It is perfect for a morning cup of tea to get the day started off right. Its bright cheery color will brighten any cloudy day and the raspberry flavor is just right- not too strong. This would make an excellent white chocolate raspberry TEA mocha paired with some heavy cream and melted white chocolate chips. Brew up a cup today by grabbing a package from our farm store here. Serve it up with this yummy white cake and cream cheese frosting below!
It is perfect for a morning cup of tea to get the day started off right. Its bright cheery color will brighten any cloudy day and the raspberry flavor is just right- not too strong. This would make an excellent white chocolate raspberry TEA mocha paired with some heavy cream and melted white chocolate chips. Brew up a cup today by grabbing a package from our farm store here. Serve it up with this yummy white cake and cream cheese frosting below!
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Vanilla Kefir Cake with Honey Frosting
Today is a special day on the farm, its Farm Girl #1's birthday and we are serving up a special treat! Her request was for a white cake with white frosting and "M&M"'s (synthetic dye free coated candies).
Vanilla Kefir Cake & Creamcheese Honey Frosting
Modified from Whole Food's Simple Yogurt Cake
2 Cups White Wheat Flour (or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Cup Kefir
1 Cup Honey
3 Large Eggs
1/3 cup Canola Oil, plus more to oil the pan
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and incorporate until just mixed together. Don't over mix. Pour batter in a greased 9" round cake pan (we used a spring foam pan that worked perfect!). Bake for 45 minutes, test with a tooth pick to make sure its done. The tooth pick will be clean when it comes out if the cake if it is done. Set to cool 10-15 minutes then remove the spring from the pan and continue to cool.
After the cake has cooled its time to frost the cake!
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz container of Cream Cheese
(Cultured cream cheese is best and gives you probiotics!)
1 cube of Organic/Grassfed Butter (cold) cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup of Raw Honey
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1/2 cup Organic Arrowroot Powder
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth and cream. Adjust arrowroot powder as needed to get desired consistency. Spread all over your cooled cake and decorate as desired!
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We hope to see you for tea time next Tuesday!
Vanilla Kefir Cake & Creamcheese Honey Frosting
Modified from Whole Food's Simple Yogurt Cake
2 Cups White Wheat Flour (or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Cup Kefir
1 Cup Honey
3 Large Eggs
1/3 cup Canola Oil, plus more to oil the pan
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and incorporate until just mixed together. Don't over mix. Pour batter in a greased 9" round cake pan (we used a spring foam pan that worked perfect!). Bake for 45 minutes, test with a tooth pick to make sure its done. The tooth pick will be clean when it comes out if the cake if it is done. Set to cool 10-15 minutes then remove the spring from the pan and continue to cool.
After the cake has cooled its time to frost the cake!
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz container of Cream Cheese
(Cultured cream cheese is best and gives you probiotics!)
1 cube of Organic/Grassfed Butter (cold) cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup of Raw Honey
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1/2 cup Organic Arrowroot Powder
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth and cream. Adjust arrowroot powder as needed to get desired consistency. Spread all over your cooled cake and decorate as desired!
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We hope to see you for tea time next Tuesday!
Welcome to this weeks Tisane Tea Tuesday featuring one of our herbal blends! Get to know the story of this tea and more about its herbal goodness! Just as a side note! This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that by clicking on the link and making a purchase part of your purchase helps to support our little farm. There is no additional cost to you. Click here to read our full disclosure.
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Actual tea leaves do not come from herbs but from the actual tea plant called the camellia sinensis. While it is grown in the United States the bulk of it is grown in other countries. Herbs on the other hand may be grown all over and very easily (depending on the variety) and many of them make wonderful teas as well as medicines!
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Actual tea leaves do not come from herbs but from the actual tea plant called the camellia sinensis. While it is grown in the United States the bulk of it is grown in other countries. Herbs on the other hand may be grown all over and very easily (depending on the variety) and many of them make wonderful teas as well as medicines!
Feature Tisane of the Week
These week we are bringing on the spice with some Decaf Chai Tea! Chai is actually the normal name for tea in many parts of the world. Marsala chai is the term for the tea which many know of that is dark, black and has many spices including cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger and a variety of other spices. The spices that are in marsala chai differ for every chai that is blended. Down on the farm, this farmer's wife is quite a fan of marsala chai but as caffeine is not my friend I sought to create the same lovely spiced tea without the caffeine. That brings us to our decaf chai. With all the same spices from marsala chai the black tea is traded out for some red vanilla like flavored rooibos that gives a very nice chai taste without the caffeine.
Down on the farm we love to drink our chai with some farm fresh, local, raw milk and a bit of organic maple syrup or local raw honey. Brew it up dark and add your warmed cream and sweeter of choice and you have one delicious, warming drink! Their are also health benefits to the herbs in this chai from the antioxidants in the red rooibos to the digestive aide that the cinnamon and other spices provide. This is an excellent choice for those winter days that leave you waiting for the bright sunny days of spring. When the warmer days come it would also be great blended with an organic ice cream and turned into a milkshake. Check out our marsala chai (caffeinated) here and our decaf chai here in our farm store. Now on to the tea time treats!!!
Down on the farm we love to drink our chai with some farm fresh, local, raw milk and a bit of organic maple syrup or local raw honey. Brew it up dark and add your warmed cream and sweeter of choice and you have one delicious, warming drink! Their are also health benefits to the herbs in this chai from the antioxidants in the red rooibos to the digestive aide that the cinnamon and other spices provide. This is an excellent choice for those winter days that leave you waiting for the bright sunny days of spring. When the warmer days come it would also be great blended with an organic ice cream and turned into a milkshake. Check out our marsala chai (caffeinated) here and our decaf chai here in our farm store. Now on to the tea time treats!!!
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This Weeks Tea Time Recipe
Whole Wheat Cardamom Cookies
This Tuesday for tea time we enjoyed the farmer's favorite cookie, cardamom cookies. These are flakey and buttery, lightly spiced with fresh ground cardamom. Today we take this family favorite and give it a homestead twist. Swapping in some fresh ground, white whole wheat flour, farm fresh eggs and some organic sugar. A perfect tea time treat and it goes great with a nice cup of chai! Find the recipe below and enjoy some decaf chai or caffeinated marsala chai from our farm store!
Whole Wheat Cardamom Cookies
1 cup Organic/Grass Fed Butter
3/4 cup. Organic Sugar (or coconut sugar, skip molasses)
1 tsp. Organic Molasses (unsulphured)
1 pastured egg - separated
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups White Hard Wheat Flour (or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 tsp. organic cardamom powder (fresh ground is best!!!)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Frosting
1 1/2 tbl. Organic Butter, melted & browned slightly
1 cup Organic Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp. organic vanilla
Blend together until creamy the butter and sugar (molasses too if using). Add the egg yoke (yoke only! a mistake I made once). Save the egg white for later. Also add in the vanilla, cardamom and sea salt. Blend together until incorporated. Last add the 2 cups of white whole wheat flour. Blend until evenly incorporated and then spread in a 10x15 UNgreased pan. Brush the egg white over the top of the cookie dough. We love this stoneware baking sheet! Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.
Cut cookies in 1 x 3 inch bars (or what ever size you wish!) Make sure to cut these cookies before they cool or it makes them hard to cut, they crumble and are hard to get out of the pan. While the cookies are cooling mix your melted/browned butter with the 1/2 tsp vanilla and organic powered sugar. Mix well and then drizzle over the cooling cookies and let set until cookies have cooled. Serve with a great cup of chai tea and enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We will see you again soon!
Whole Wheat Cardamom Cookies
1 cup Organic/Grass Fed Butter
3/4 cup. Organic Sugar (or coconut sugar, skip molasses)
1 tsp. Organic Molasses (unsulphured)
1 pastured egg - separated
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups White Hard Wheat Flour (or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 tsp. organic cardamom powder (fresh ground is best!!!)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Frosting
1 1/2 tbl. Organic Butter, melted & browned slightly
1 cup Organic Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp. organic vanilla
Blend together until creamy the butter and sugar (molasses too if using). Add the egg yoke (yoke only! a mistake I made once). Save the egg white for later. Also add in the vanilla, cardamom and sea salt. Blend together until incorporated. Last add the 2 cups of white whole wheat flour. Blend until evenly incorporated and then spread in a 10x15 UNgreased pan. Brush the egg white over the top of the cookie dough. We love this stoneware baking sheet! Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.
Cut cookies in 1 x 3 inch bars (or what ever size you wish!) Make sure to cut these cookies before they cool or it makes them hard to cut, they crumble and are hard to get out of the pan. While the cookies are cooling mix your melted/browned butter with the 1/2 tsp vanilla and organic powered sugar. Mix well and then drizzle over the cooling cookies and let set until cookies have cooled. Serve with a great cup of chai tea and enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We will see you again soon!
Howdy from down on the farm and welcome to this weeks Tisane (ti-zan) Tea Tuesday! Every week we hope you will stop by as we feature one of our herbal teas and some great, whole food, tea time recipes from our farm kitchen, other homesteads around the country and whole food kitchens.
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Most tea drinkers know tea as that which is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. This is where black, green, yellow, white and oolong teas are made from. These plants take many, many years to grow and only the top few leaves of the plant are used.
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Most tea drinkers know tea as that which is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. This is where black, green, yellow, white and oolong teas are made from. These plants take many, many years to grow and only the top few leaves of the plant are used.
Feature Tisane Tea of the Week
This weeks herbal tea is Gingerbread Spice! This spicy fall and winter blend is a great afternoon pick-me-up, great for a warming the body on a cold rainy day! The vanilla bean paired with the sweet organic red rooibos evens out this sweet spicy tea. Cinnamon and ginger are the prominent flavors but all ingredients combined insure that this cup will bring back the smell and flavor of Gingerbread cookies! Add a bit of milk and sweetener to turn this yummy cup o' tea into a latte! Grab your bag here and brew your very own. Its so much gingerbread like we just had to make some actual gingerbread to go with it !
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This Weeks Tea Time Recipe
Gingerbread Bars
Ingredients
2 Pastured Eggs
3/4 cup Organic Maple Syrup
1 cup Organic Molasses (unsulfured)
1/3 cup + 2 TBL melted organic/grassfed Butter
1 cup Water
3 cups White Wheat Flour
2 TSP Baking Soda
2 TSP Ground Ginger
1 TSP Sea Salt
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a pan on the stove top.. While the butter is melting blend the eggs, maple syrup and molasses together. Then add the water to the butter. Add the water/butter mixture to the egg mixture and incorporate. Next add the dry ingredients and blend. Grease a bar pan with butter and pour your gingerbread mixture on. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Bars are done when a tooth pick comes out clean from the middle. Let rest 5 minutes and serve! With Gingerbread Spice tea of course! And maybe a dusting of powdered sugar or top with whipped cream.
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We hope that you have a great week!
2 Pastured Eggs
3/4 cup Organic Maple Syrup
1 cup Organic Molasses (unsulfured)
1/3 cup + 2 TBL melted organic/grassfed Butter
1 cup Water
3 cups White Wheat Flour
2 TSP Baking Soda
2 TSP Ground Ginger
1 TSP Sea Salt
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a pan on the stove top.. While the butter is melting blend the eggs, maple syrup and molasses together. Then add the water to the butter. Add the water/butter mixture to the egg mixture and incorporate. Next add the dry ingredients and blend. Grease a bar pan with butter and pour your gingerbread mixture on. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Bars are done when a tooth pick comes out clean from the middle. Let rest 5 minutes and serve! With Gingerbread Spice tea of course! And maybe a dusting of powdered sugar or top with whipped cream.
Thanks for stopping by the farm! We hope that you have a great week!
Welcome to the first of our weekly series in Tisane (ti-zan) Tea Tuesday! Every week we hope you will stop by as we feature one of our herbal teas and some great, whole food, tea time recipes from our farm kitchen, other homesteads around the country and whole food kitchens.
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Most tea drinkers know tea as that which is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. This is where black, green, yellow, white and oolong teas are made from. These plants take many, many years to grow and only the top few leaves of the plant are used. We look forward to featuring these locally grown tisane (herbal) teas.
According to Wikipedia a tisane is an: "Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane, is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine."
Many of our teas are made from herbs that are either grown on our farm, sourced from other local farms in Oregon or purchased from bulk herb suppliers that provide the best quality organic products.
Most tea drinkers know tea as that which is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. This is where black, green, yellow, white and oolong teas are made from. These plants take many, many years to grow and only the top few leaves of the plant are used. We look forward to featuring these locally grown tisane (herbal) teas.
Feature Tisane Tea of the Week
This week we are excited to share one of the first teas which we featured Oregon grown ingredients in. Our Willamette Berry Pie Tea is made with a base of green rooibos which is actually not tea but from a plant that has needle like leaves. Green roobios (roy-boss) is from the same plant as the more familiar red rooibos. The only difference is that the green is not fermented like the red and so it has a different chemical make up. Rooibos tea does not contain any caffiene and is low in tannins making it a great alternative to those concerned wtih their coffee, black or green teas.
The green rooibos is paired with some amazing smelling, and tasting herbs! Cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla give this tea its over powering pie like smell and flavor. They warm up the insides and make one feel all cozy. A great tea for the cold fall and winter months. Rose petals add an elegant touch and a very light floral fruity flavor. Orange peel adds a nice citrus touch that brings out the other more subtle flavors.
The green rooibos is paired with some amazing smelling, and tasting herbs! Cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla give this tea its over powering pie like smell and flavor. They warm up the insides and make one feel all cozy. A great tea for the cold fall and winter months. Rose petals add an elegant touch and a very light floral fruity flavor. Orange peel adds a nice citrus touch that brings out the other more subtle flavors.
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Last but not least, the Oregon grown haskap berries. A haskap berry is like an elongated blueberry but is a bit more tart and they are an early season berry. This cold weather, hearty berry was brought from Japan to Oregon by Dr. Maxine Thompson of Oregon State University. She has worked a great many years to cultivate these lovely high antioxidant fruits in Oregon. Read more about Dr. Thompson's Haskap Berries here.
Our Willamette Berry Pie Tea is served perfect by itself or with a touch of natural sweetner, we prefer a good local honey. A touch of raw milk would also give this sort of a vanilla ice cream on pie touch! Grab your cuppa Willamette Berry Pie tea here in our Farm Store.
Our Willamette Berry Pie Tea is served perfect by itself or with a touch of natural sweetner, we prefer a good local honey. A touch of raw milk would also give this sort of a vanilla ice cream on pie touch! Grab your cuppa Willamette Berry Pie tea here in our Farm Store.
Five Tasty Tea Time Recipes
 | Great tea also needs a great treat! Here are five whole foods recipes to fill your tea time table with this week. #1 Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins by St. Fiacre's FarmGrow an abundance of zucchini like we did this summer and have some stashed in the frige? Here is a great way to use it up, or you can always head to your local organic produce section. Grab the recipe here. They are sourdough and whole wheat to boot. |
#2 Quick and Easy Blackberry Cobbler by Summer Acres
Its time to pull those lovely summer berries out of the freezer and make this excellent dish!
#3 Raspberry Breakfast Cake by Grace and Garden Homestead
Haskap berries, blackberry and now raspberry, this weeks tea is sure to be berry delicious! The sweetness of summer right in our freezers. Not only does this look super yummy but it can be made with what ever berries you might have around or access to.
#4 Rhubarb-Walnut Muffins (Gluten Free, Processed Suger Free)
This recipe is aslo GAPS diet friendly for those who follow that. This one will send spring right into our kitchens, once again making use of the loviness that is stored in the homestead freezer. Paired with processed suger free rhubarb jam.
#5 Sourdough Einkorn Cinnamon Rolls by TCS
These look super yummy! Einkorn is an ancient grain that many have had an easier time digesting and add that to a fermented sourdough and digestion is improved even more. Plus the unique twist to these cinnamon treats is just beautiful!
Do you have a favorite, whole food, tea time treat? We would love to check it out. Please send us the link via email.
Do you have a favorite, whole food, tea time treat? We would love to check it out. Please send us the link via email.
Thanks for joining us down on the farm, see you at tea time next week!
Plant a zucchini and feed the world, the saying goes. Well my over exuberant self had to plant the WHOLE package of zucchini seeds because what if those pill bugs liked zucchini seeds and left me with none like my lettuce, like my beans? I didn't stop to consider that they might all grow. They might all turn into viable large, feed the world plants. And they did, but I couldn't dare through them all out. What a waste! Well not only are we 'feeding' the world with zucchini now but our whole family, at every meal and every dish. Time for some variety! Here are a few yummy looking zucchini recipes for your zucchini abundance.
Preserving Recipes
Preserving Zucchini (freezing shredded zucchini) from Life Between the Kitchen and the Coop
Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips by Sugar Free Mom
Dehydrating Zucchini for Winter Use by Learning and Yearning
Fermented Zucchini Pickles from the Fermented Food Lab
Dessert/Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread from Made to be a Mamma
Zucchini Brownies from Crazy for Crust
Zucchini Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes
Side Dish Recipes
Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Zucchini, Squash and Tomatoes from Cooking Classy
Zucchini Tots from 31 Daily
Main Dish Recipes
Zucchini Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage from Yellow Bliss Road
Zucchini Season Italian Sausage Boats from The Beautiful Life
Zucchini Pad Thai from Eat. Drink. Love
Zucchini Meat Loaf by Diet Taste
Mexican and Zucchini Beef from Low Carb Yum
Garlic Margherita Chicken and Zucchini from Healthy Fitness
Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats by The Wholesome Dish
Preserving Zucchini (freezing shredded zucchini) from Life Between the Kitchen and the Coop
Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips by Sugar Free Mom
Dehydrating Zucchini for Winter Use by Learning and Yearning
Fermented Zucchini Pickles from the Fermented Food Lab
Dessert/Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread from Made to be a Mamma
Zucchini Brownies from Crazy for Crust
Zucchini Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes
Side Dish Recipes
Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Zucchini, Squash and Tomatoes from Cooking Classy
Zucchini Tots from 31 Daily
Main Dish Recipes
Zucchini Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage from Yellow Bliss Road
Zucchini Season Italian Sausage Boats from The Beautiful Life
Zucchini Pad Thai from Eat. Drink. Love
Zucchini Meat Loaf by Diet Taste
Mexican and Zucchini Beef from Low Carb Yum
Garlic Margherita Chicken and Zucchini from Healthy Fitness
Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats by The Wholesome Dish
Last but not least our yummy zucchini muffin recipe for those rather large, "missed you when I checked the garden yesterday" zucchini, you know the type. They are now going into one of the best chocolate muffins I've ever had. We hope you will think so too or at least have a new way to use those monster zucchini's!
Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Makes 12ish muffins, 1 large quick bread loaf or 2 small quick bread loaves.
 | Ingredients 3/4 c. raw local honey 1/3 c. melt organic butter 3/4 c. sourdough starter 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp baking soda | 2 eggs 1 c. shredded zucchini 1/3 c. cocoa powder 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 1/3 c. white wheat flour 1 c. dark chocolate chips |
1.) Melt your butter over low hit and let cool.
2.) Mix your raw honey and sourdough starter. After butter is cooled add that to this mixture.
3.) Add your eggs and vanilla, give it a good mix.
4.) Next are the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sea salt and blend in well until dry ingredients are incorporated. If its a little wet its ok to add more flour, the thickness of your sourdough starter will affect how much flour to put in.
5.) Add your zucchini and blend well.
6.) Add chocolate chips if you have them and blend in. This recipe is great without them but chocolate chips make everything that much better!
7.) Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 22 minutes, mini loaves for 33 minutes and full size loaves at 45 minutes. Check to see if they are done with a toothpick. If it comes out clean your good to go. Happy eating and don't forget the tea, we might suggest some Peppermint Patty with this.
2.) Mix your raw honey and sourdough starter. After butter is cooled add that to this mixture.
3.) Add your eggs and vanilla, give it a good mix.
4.) Next are the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sea salt and blend in well until dry ingredients are incorporated. If its a little wet its ok to add more flour, the thickness of your sourdough starter will affect how much flour to put in.
5.) Add your zucchini and blend well.
6.) Add chocolate chips if you have them and blend in. This recipe is great without them but chocolate chips make everything that much better!
7.) Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 22 minutes, mini loaves for 33 minutes and full size loaves at 45 minutes. Check to see if they are done with a toothpick. If it comes out clean your good to go. Happy eating and don't forget the tea, we might suggest some Peppermint Patty with this.
Its officially summer and its starting to get mighty warm in the Pacific Northwest. It makes for happy plants but also thirsty and dehydrated gardeners as well as children. What to do? We thought we would share our favorite down on the farm recipe for a nutritious hydrating and flavorful cold drink that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
The recipe we are sharing today is made with our Bloom'n Hibiscus Tea Blend which features the lovely and brilliant colored hibiscus flower. Most people will recognize this lovely flower as a Hawaiian flower and actually the yellow hibiscus is the state of Hawaii's flower. It has a bright petals usually five in number with a long protruding pistil typical of the tropical flower we all tend to think of. They come in many different colors but our tea today features the bright red variety.
The tropical flower this tea is based off of will make you think of the tropics when you drink it as the lemon balm and lemon grass compliment the fruitless of this flower with a citrus twist. Blackberry and Raspberry leaves give it some heartiness which is reminiscent of a light green tea and add a nutritious punch. Some have likened the taste of this hibiscus tea to 'Kool-aid' but better and I have yet to meet anyone who didn't like this tea - be they a tea drinker or not.
According to online sources hibiscus boosts the immune system, helps prevent cold and flu, assists in weight loss, helps to quench thirst, aids in blood pressure management, assists in reducing anxiety and depression, helps to lower levels of bad LDL, protects the liver against infections, assists with relief from cramps and menstrual symptoms as well as slowing down the growth of cancer.
Needless to say if you are looking for cool and refreshing and a crowd pleaser for young or old this is the drink to try!! Without further ado we will move on to the tutorial.
The recipe we are sharing today is made with our Bloom'n Hibiscus Tea Blend which features the lovely and brilliant colored hibiscus flower. Most people will recognize this lovely flower as a Hawaiian flower and actually the yellow hibiscus is the state of Hawaii's flower. It has a bright petals usually five in number with a long protruding pistil typical of the tropical flower we all tend to think of. They come in many different colors but our tea today features the bright red variety.
The tropical flower this tea is based off of will make you think of the tropics when you drink it as the lemon balm and lemon grass compliment the fruitless of this flower with a citrus twist. Blackberry and Raspberry leaves give it some heartiness which is reminiscent of a light green tea and add a nutritious punch. Some have likened the taste of this hibiscus tea to 'Kool-aid' but better and I have yet to meet anyone who didn't like this tea - be they a tea drinker or not.
According to online sources hibiscus boosts the immune system, helps prevent cold and flu, assists in weight loss, helps to quench thirst, aids in blood pressure management, assists in reducing anxiety and depression, helps to lower levels of bad LDL, protects the liver against infections, assists with relief from cramps and menstrual symptoms as well as slowing down the growth of cancer.
Needless to say if you are looking for cool and refreshing and a crowd pleaser for young or old this is the drink to try!! Without further ado we will move on to the tutorial.
Bloom'n Hibiscus Cooler Recipe
What you will need:
1 1/2 gal. canning jar or glass equivalent
2 large tea filters (found at most grocery stores near the coffee filters)
1/2 oz Bloom'n Hibiscus Loose Leaf Tea (small bag from our farm store)
1/2 gallon filtered water
1 lid for canning jar
1/3 cup local raw honey (optional)
1/4 cup organic unbleached sugar (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)
1 1/2 gal. canning jar or glass equivalent
2 large tea filters (found at most grocery stores near the coffee filters)
1/2 oz Bloom'n Hibiscus Loose Leaf Tea (small bag from our farm store)
1/2 gallon filtered water
1 lid for canning jar
1/3 cup local raw honey (optional)
1/4 cup organic unbleached sugar (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)
 |  |
Once you have your materials gathered together take the 1/2 oz of Bloom'n Hibiscus tea and place it inside each of the tea filters, putting half a bag of tea in one filter and the other half in the second filter.
 |  |
Next fill your half gallon jar with clean filtered water (tap water will work but may give an off flavor). We love our Berky for filtering gunk out of water as well as fluoride.
Slide your tea bags in the jar hanging the lip of them over the edge of the jar so that the tea leaves cannot get out of the bag. Screw the lid on your jar so that it holds the tea bags in place.
Place your tea in a sunny spot outside, we tried ours in the entrance to the greenhouse... but the sun moved so we decided to move the tea....
It loved brewing on the front porch as much as we love the sun on the front porch too... this day we skipped the tea bags and dumped our blend right in the jar using a metal strainer to separate when finished. When your tea has brewed to the strength you prefer (for us about 4-6 hours depending on the sun) discard the tea filters and/or strain. Pour over ice for a refreshing drink. Though if you would like to make your tea up as we do it down on the farm we add about 1/3 of a cup of raw local honey and blend using a stick blender. We pour over ice and if we are getting really fancy with it we dip the rim of our cup in some liquid (water or lemon juice) and then dip the rim in some organic raw sugar for some sparkle. Add a slice of lemon to your cup and you have a very affordable summer time treat!
Thanks for visiting us down on the farm and if you really want to make this an affordable drink make sure to check out our larger size economy bags of tea for more tea and less on your pocket book in our farm store. See you next time!
Welcome to our Family Tea Farm!
Howdy from our farm to your home! It is said that the, "farm is the nursery of the family," and that "the family is the nursery of the nation." We hope you enjoy your visit to our blog as we share with you the happenings on our little "nursery". Thank you for following us on our journey and watching us GROW! Read more about our farm HERE.
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