The Slow Down - time to enjoy a cup of tea

-posted by Jayne

We've been experiencing a "slow down" here at Honeyrun Farm.  Babies have a way of reminding us what's important in life.  These days, I am just content to sit on the couch and hold baby Eden.
I closed the Etsy shop for a few days (something I rarely ever do).  I suffer from sleep deprivation, but can't really be upset about that.  We are so blessed by our children, and as the popular poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton says, "Babies don't keep."  Here is the last stanza of that poem:

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep.

Baby Eden, 10 days old

The weather is finally beginning to change here in Ohio, and with it changes our tea-drinking style.  Today I brewed my first batch of iced tea.  All winter long we've been enjoying a bounty of hot tea.  Bridger loves hot tea, and he doesn't let me make my own cup without also making one for him.  He's even been known to throw a temper tantrum when I told him "No- no tea right now."  The boy loves his tea.

A boy and his morning tea.

 Today I thought I might share with you two of my favorite sources for tea, as well as how I like to pair them with our honey.  I have found that loose tea imparts much more flavor than store-bought tea bags. The tea leaves themselves tend to be larger and more intact, giving a fresher flavor to the cup of tea.  I mentioned in my last post about tea that Brew Mama Herbalism makes a delicious Herbal Chai.  I like to pair it with a darker, stronger honey, such as Fall, Tulip Poplar, or even Buckwheat.

Herbal Chai from Brew Mama Herbalism (photo credit Angela Kiser Brown)

 The morning that I went into labor with Eden, I had made myself a cup of "Calm" which is a mild chamomile flavored tea.  I told Angie from Brew Mama that she might want to call it "labor inducing tea."  It is made with Chamomile, Lavender, Passion flower, Skullcap, Red Clover, Catnip, and Dried Orange Slices.

Calm- a mild tea with a chamomile flavor (photo credit Angela Kiser Brown)

Another place I source my tea is from Montana Tea and Spice Trading.  I usually order a one year supply of my favorite, Montana Gold (a dark cinnamon rooibos tea), as well as white tea and green tea.  The prices are great and the quality of the tea is excellent.  I like to drink the Montana Gold tea with our fall honey.  Green tea and white tea pair well with Spring and Summer honey, since they are more mild in flavor.  

White tea from Montana Tea and Spice Trading

The first day of Spring is just 6 days away, and the sun is a welcome sight here in Pickaway County.  The treacherous snow and ice that blanketed the ground around our farmstand for the past 3 months is now gone.  It's time to enjoy our last few cups of hot tea before iced tea takes the stage.  If you need some honey for your tea- come visit Isaac at the Worthington Winter Market tomorrow from 9-12.  Or stop by our sunny farmstand, where our dog Lucky will greet you with a tail-wag.

Our farmstand - and THE SUN!