Sage, Lupine, and I had a delightful (and messy) homeschooling day this week involving plant pressing, terrarium-building, history research, tea-making, and a bit of writing and multiplication for good measure. Not all of our days are so dialed in, so I celebrate these small victories.
And one of the sweetest parts of the day was blending tea with Lupine.
She has been cow dairy-free for a couple of years due to some eczema she was experiencing, and I sometimes wonder if she gets adequate minerals in her diet without it. Blending up a mineral-rich tea what the perfect answer!
We did a little research, then pulled jars out of our apothecary and set to work smelling and mixing and blending.
Horsetail, raspberry leaf and nettle are all great sources of minerals. (Especially when given a good, long steeping-time.)
We added rose petals and lemon balm for flavor and tulsi because of it's gut-soothing properties (helpful for anyone with eczema or leaky gut).
We planned to add rose hips but the kids ate them all instead. There are worse problems to have, I think.
And the tea is downright delicious! No one even asked for honey. I'll share my recipe below if anyone is interested, but stretch yourself and create your own blend from the herbs you have on hand.
This tea isn't just for kids! Most adults can use more minerals, too. Drink up.
Mineral-Rich Herbal Tea
- 5 grams raspberry leaf
- 5 grams nettle
- 4 grams rose petal
- 3 grams tulsi
- 2 grams horsetail
- 2 grams lemon balm
Exact proportions are not necessary. Experiment with your favorite herbs.
Other herbs to consider: oatstraw, peppermint, rosehips, and chickweed.
Or make a bedtime blend for kids by adding catnip leaf!
I’ve been reading your blog for 6 years and I’ve always wanted to ask – do you pronounce her name loo-pin or loo-pine? I pronounce the flower loo-pin but when I read your blog for some reason I want to say loo-pine.
Also for reals I would really love a recommended reading list!
This sounds delightful!!
Just like the flower is pronounced (here in the US anyway), with a soft “i”. It’s counter intuitive with that E at the end but as a former naturalist I just couldn’t misspell it. 🙂
What a delightful activity to share with your kids. And thanks for sharing it with us. I would urge readers to do their own research before using any herbs they are not fully familiar with.
Loved reading this and you have posted some awesome pictures! Lucky kids 🙂 Definitely agree with Lois about researching and educating yourself first (as you did) especially when unfamiliar with the herbs. Hilarious that the kids ate the rose hips, but totally understandable 🙂
mecala
http://www.elegantserenity.com
Thanks for sharing!