St. Fiacre's Farm Blog - ST. FIACRE'S FARM

Boost your Spirit this Fall with Pumpkin Spice Chai Muffins

10/4/2019

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Nothing says October like pumpkin spice, am I right?

Did you know that the spices in pumpkin pie spice are the perfect blend of medicinal goodness for fall? Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Not only are most of these herbs anti-viral and anti-bacterial, but they are also considered catalysts or movers in the herbal medicine world. They get the blood a-moving, along with the lymph. They warm you up and keep things flowing. They are the movers and the shakers of the spice world.

So, for all of you "pumpkin spice everything" fans, you now have another reason to love on your pumpkin spice. The recipe we are sharing today is no different and in addition to pumpkin spice, we are adding the very loved flavor of chai. The two together are a dangerous combo and then add them to this real, whole food, muffin recipe and you have some fabulous fall deliciousness!

Celebrate Fall with Unbelievable Cranberry Scones

10/4/2019

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Can you guess what the top two scone flavors are amongst tea drinkers?

As a business owner that makes and blends tea for a living, one could can imagine I'm in quite a few different tea groups. When I polled all of these groups to see what their favorite treats were, to eat with their tea, they came back with a two resounding answers.

Lavender Lemon Scones and Orange Cranberry Scones.

We decided we had to take these traditional and popular scone flavors into our farm kitchen and give them a little real, whole food make over. The result was fabulous! So fabulous we decided we would share it!

Cheap and Easy Gluten / Dairy Free Zucchini Parmesan

9/24/2019

gluten free parmesan, chicken, zucchini, best gluten free noodles, easy to cook rice noodles, easy to cook gluten free noodles, homemade tomato sauce, dehydrating tomatoes, basil, zucchini recipes, savory zucchini recipes

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Did you just discover the largest zucchini you have ever seen hiding in your garden?

You thought that you were done with that never ending summer squash. You were ready for the first frost and the leaves to change color. Bring on the winter rest!

OR MAYBE you love zucchini like I do and you just wish there was more fabulous ways to cook it up.

This recipe is for you... who found the prize winning squash and for you who love all things zucchini.

OH AND ALSO FOR YOU... who are gluten and dairy free like us!

Tuna Tea Sandwiches Farmhouse Style

7/23/2019

probiotic tuna sandwiches, fermented pickles, sourdough bread, homemade mayo

A very traditional tea time sandwich meets, healthy, good for you fermented ingredients.

This isn't your typical tuna sandwich, though it does have many traditional ingredients about it. We here at Farmhouse Teas are all about taking the traditions of tea time and mixing them with whole, real foods to help build better health.

Not a tuna fan, don't turn your nose up at the fish yet - shredded chicken works just as well for this recipe so come on over the farm kitchen and see what we have cooking!

Farmhouse Pesto & 2 Tea Time Recipes

7/8/2019

'Tis the season for all things basil, no?

Nothing quite says summer to me as pesto sauce! Well... ok maybe except for iced tea, but what kind of a tea sommelier would I be, if I didn't included tea on the list?

While pesto is basically great smeared on anything, aside from maybe chocolate... hmm. I'm always looking for great ways to use it. Today I'm sharing two yummy recipes that we love. Roasted Garlic Basil Crustini and Turkey Pesto Tea Sandwiches.

Lavender Lemon Scone REcipe

4/24/2019

lavender lemon scone recipe

19 days.

Mother's Day is not far off and the mad dash to find just what mom has been hoping for has started.

As a mom myself, I'd be happy to help you out, since you asked ;) Just some quiet time, with loved ones, good food and a good cuppa tea. With lots of sunshine. Flowers and chocolate never hurt either.

That's where these lavender lemon scones come in.

Maple Carrot Cake - The Recipe That Inspired the Tea

4/15/2019

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.

Why Sprouted Wheat is better & Sprouted Wheat Biscuit Recipe

1/14/2019

sprouted whole wheat biscuit recipe

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?

Savory Onion Chive Scones (Gluten Free)

11/5/2018

savory onion chive gluten free scone recipe

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!).

Gather Around - Fall FarmHouse Recipes

10/29/2018

Christmas thanksgiving recipes gathering family

"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.

Rosemary Gruyere SAvory Scone Recipe

10/23/2018

fluffy buttermilk biscuits

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?

Chocolate Hazelnut Dainty date Bites

10/18/2018

chocolate hazelnut date balls Nutella bites healthy tea time

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.

5 Farmhouse Scone Recipes(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Einkorn)

10/12/2018

farmhouse scone recipes gluten free sugar free farmhouse teas einkorn

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?

White Chocolate Cherry Chai Cake (Gluten Free Recipe)

8/10/2018

gluten free white chocolate cherry chai cake

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 Miller

Devoted wife and mother of two, recently graduated from LBCC Culinary program.

lbcc culinary school

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.

Medicinal & Culinary Uses for bachelor Buttons

5/17/2018

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!

Golden Turmeric Chicken/ShrimP Curry Recipe

4/7/2018

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 :)

D.I.Y. Healthy Jello (herbal & sugar free!)

3/27/2018

healthy homemade jello

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 Recipe

3/15/2018

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.

EAT TEA: SMOKEY LAPSANG MEATBALL RECIPE

3/1/2018

lapsang tea meatball recipe smokey meatball recipe

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.)

lapsang tea meatball recipe smokey meatball recipe

cooking with, not drinking tea

I 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.

Making Traditional Fermented Sauerkraut

12/13/2017

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 Recipe

2 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

Recipe: Tea Infused Turkey Pinwheels

11/8/2017

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 Pinwheels

Serves 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
cooking with tea e-book

* 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

Grab Your E-Book HERE

Pairing Cheese with Tea

10/6/2017

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.

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!

Pumpkin Spice Bulletproof chai (Recipe)

9/14/2017

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.

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!

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!

Espro P3 Standard
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)

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!!!

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!

Cooking with Tea Recipes

Down on the Farm - April 2017

4/19/2017

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+.

Caramelized Balsamic Skillet Cake - Tisane Tuesday

2/7/2017

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!

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!

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.