Three A.M.

As a college student I often find myself staring at my clock to see 3:00 A.M. glaring at me. It’s basically mocking me. “Bet you wish you didn’t have that coffee earlier.” Yes, alarm clock your right I do wish I did not have that coffee after dinner. However I had a paper to write and a book to read and my shot of caffeine helped me do it. Now I am stuck wide-eyed and awake at three in the morning with no more work to do. This is not an ideal situation because not only is sleep rare, but it also happens to be one of my favorite things to do, next to eating at least. I decided to do a little research and discovered herbal teas have two solutions to my problem.

Meet Chamomile and Lavender.

Chamomile is a rich golden tea that leaves its drinker calm and relaxed. The golden bulbs have been used as an herbal sleep remedy for hundreds of years. The best chamomile flowers come from the Nile River Valley of Egypt. The fragrant herb smells like freshly cut apples when steeped. Warning: pre-packaged chamomile tea does not produce as strong or pure a taste as the fresh herbs.

To prepare fresh chamomile tea simply dry out the blossoms, cut them up and steep two teaspoons into a cup of hot water. Personally I like to add a bit of lemon juice and honey to add variety to the taste. Let the tea sit for a few minutes before sipping the sweet apple liquid that will lull you to sleep through relaxation.

Lavender is a great tea to calm nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia. The light sweet tea is made from the fragrant purple colored petals which have been known soothe the mind and body for centuries. To make lavender tea steep two teaspoons of dried lavender petals for about five minutes. Drink the tea an hour before going to bed and you will experience a more restful sleep. For a variation on lavender tea, add one teaspoon of dried mint leaves. The flowery aroma adds a nice contrast to the clean flavor of mint.

Every Tea Lovers Dream

While many diet and fitness magazine are steering consumers to go green as a way to stay healthy. I would like to take a step back and revisit one of the oldest and purest types of tea. White tea. This cancer fighting, skin nourishing super tea has been consumed in China for over 5,000 years. White tea is produced using the leaves and buds of the Comellia Sinensis tea plant commonly found in the northern district of Fujian, China.

To initiate the blog I brewed the finest and most sought after of white teas. The Silver Needle tea. This tea is rich with antioxidants and a popular medicinal tea. The pea pod shaped leaves got their name from the silvery-white hairs that cover the leaves. I have heard the scent of the leaves be described as “woodsy” however the scent reminds me of freshly cut grass. Yes, I know what you are thinking. “Why do I want to drink grass flavored water?” Disregard this question and brew some anyway. It will be worth it.

Here is how you should proceed:

1. Place 1.5 teaspoons of Silver Needle leaves into a tea strainer/infuser

2. Boil a pot of water

3. Pour water over the leaves and let it steep for 5 minutes

4. Remove tea strainer (and leaves)

5. Drink to your hearts desire (helpful hint: be sure not to burn yourself)