Making Tea

 

When we think about making tea, we immediately think of the brand, the bag, the pot. 

We are so conditioned to associate an item with a brand first and foremost. 

I can still recall jingles about tea bags from my childhood..... and that is frightening. Where is this data stored in my brain for all these decades ? 

Did you know that gresh spices make a lovely tea ? They are the same spices that I often use in cooking and you can buy them in bulk. 

For a refreshing tea, the basis would be coriander, fennel and cumin seeds, however, I like to 'spice mine up a little. 

I like to add some cardamom pods (broken open) and some cinnamon stick. I also add some mulberries from the freezer from last year's surplus. I like to call the tea ' Mulberry Spice'. 

You can make enough for a week or so by putting those ingrediatents into a dry jar. Don't woryy about quanities.... just find your own taste and change it up as you like. 

I have a little jar that I fill when I am travelling. 

I have a little tea strainer ball that cost me $1.00! I also use an old inside of a tea pot... or if you like, why not make the pot! 

The point is, it's straight from the jar.... sooooooo cost effective, no packaging (after the bulk purchase) and you can change it to suit the season and your taste. 

It is the perfect ritual to start the day with.... to sip slowly.... to be at peace..... THEN, you can dive into the coffee and the crazxy world. 

Rustic Lavash Cracker Recipe

Ingredients 

315g of flour ( your choice of plain, rice, wholemeal etc) 

1/2 tsp of sea salt 

1 tbsp poppy seeds 

1 tbsp sesame seeds 

1 small egg ***

1/3 cup milk ***

30g butter *** 

***i swap these ingredients for good quality olive oil. I don't measure it, I just keep adding until the consistency is not too sticky and easy to roll. 

I use the pasta maker to roll the mixture into sheets, but you can also use a rolling pin. Then I transfer the sheets to baking trays and slice across them with a pizza cutter. I don't bother moving them apart, as they separate once they're baked. 

Then bake at 180 degrees for about 8-10 mins or until they are golden brown. When you get the crackers of the tray, they fall part where they were cut. 

This recipe makes a huge container of crackers and is worth the time investment for the beautiful result. It also means that you have crackers on hand in the cupboard whenever they are need and they extremely cheap when compared to buying rusti crackers from the store. 

As an added bonus there is zero waste because you are not bringing home any packaging. 

You could change this recipe to any flavour by adding spices or other seeds or change it to a gluten and dairy free option. The best way to find out what works is to experiment. 

Do you have a similar recipe to share ?