Tea time

I'm not what you'd call a big spender. Unless it's food related, I really hate shopping and in the end would rather see the money in the old savings account than in "stuff" that clutters the house. Most people who visit our home politely describe us as minimalists. So when I buy something and recommend it, it's not fluff.

Many of you also may know that I'm a big tea drinker. Raspberry tea, mint tea, and green tea were my favorites for years. I had one of each every day for a total of 3 large mugs of tea a day. Even in the summer, the warmth of the liquid filling my system just made me feel better. It's a calming, peaceful time for me, this tea sipping.

But somewhere along the way, between cutting costs and buying local, I decided to switch my tea to local. For a long time, I purchased weekly bags of sage and mint from our farmers market. Then I started raising it myself on the back porch. Talk about local!  Not only did I know where my herbs were coming from, but it was amazing how many paper sleeves I was no longer going through - I noticed all the sleeves one time when I was sifting through our recycling - yikes! Tea has definitely become simple, green, and frugal.

Of course, once I was steeping my own herbs, I needed something to contain them and had purchased a $1 tea ball from our grocery store. Sometimes it falls apart while steeping. It's not the best tea ball in the world, but it works - well, most of the time. But months ago when Organic Needle, who hand-makes the produce bags I use for grocery shopping, asked for guinea pigs (or test piggies) to try her tea bags and critique them for final stage changes. I signed up to be one of the test piggies, but alas, my name didn't make the drawing. 

But last week, my patience paid off and her organic cotton tea bags were released to the market. As you can see from the picture, they're beautifully made, and knowing my mom (who is also a tea drinker) might get a kick out of one, I purchased a second to mail to her for her birthday. Good thing my Mom doesn't read my blog or I'd have ruined the surprise (bad Mom for not reading, but I'll let it pass this time).

But pretty isn't everything. I tried it out first thing Monday morning and it worked beautifully. I put a few leaves of mint and a few of sage into the bag, pinched it closed with the little nut, and allowed the leaves to steep. When I was finished, I just emptied the contents into our compost, rinsed the bag clean, and hung it up to dry. Easy, cheesy!

Thanks Organic Needle for making another wonderful product! If anyone is interested in the tea bags or her produce bags, check her out on Etsy here. In the meantime, I do believe it's time for tea. Ta ta!