Once upon a time I turned my nose up at tea.  I considered it all to be nothing more than dark, smelly water until Dom came along and introduced me to the magical land of herbal tea…

Oh, why hello and welcome to my world, Lemon Ginger, Peppermint, Camomile and Wild Berry!

Suddenly I couldn’t get enough of their subtle flavours and heady scents.  I collected different flavours on my desk and delighted in choosing several per day.  Dom bought me my very first tea-pot and I experimented with loose teas in pretty jars and which tea cups I liked best.

I had officially become a tea geek and I was loving every minute.

 

photo credit: Stéfan via photopin cc
photo credit: Stéfan via photopin cc

 

With excitement I tried all sorts of teas during our US travels but there was one in particular that stopped me in my tracks and forced me to yell ‘WOW!‘ in Dom’s face as he was innocently eating his magical Tempeh Reuben:

♥•*´¨`*☆•  The ‘Good for Everything Tea’ from Caravan of Dreams.  ♥•*´¨`*☆•

I’m a huge fan of lemon and ginger and I’m no scaredy-cat when it comes to a little spice either, but this tea really packed a power punch of flavour that had me grinning from the first sip.  I felt amazing afterwards and is it any wonder when the four ingredients are so incredibly good for you:
 
Lemons are an excellent source of Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and folates, providing strong antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers.  They also contain a healthy amount of minerals such as iron, copper, potassium and calcium, and naturally aid digestion and liver cleansing.

Ginger has been used since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties and contains essential oils that help improve intestinal motility.  It contains many essential nutrients and vitamins such as Vitamins B-5 and B-6, and minerals such as potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.  It is often used to reduce nausea induced by motion sickness or pregnancy.

Cayenne Peppers have anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties.  As a spice, it boasts amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals including the highest level of Vitamin A and anti-oxidant flavonoids of all the spices.  It is rich in B-complex vitamins such as niacin, Vitmain B-6, Ribuflavin and Thiamin, and contains very high levels of essential minerals that even if consumed in small quantities regularly would provide sufficient levels of iron, copper, zinc, potassium, manganese, magnesium and selenium.

Goji Berries contain all essential amino acids and have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. Loaded with vitamin C, they contain more carotenoids than any other food, have 21 trace minerals, and are high in fibre. Boasting 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace minerals, this amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

 

The 'Good for Everything' Tea

 

It could take a little practice to get it to the exact flavour combination that you like best, so start with these measurements and experiment until you find your favourite balance:

The 'Good for Everything' Tea

Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Lemon
  • 1- inch piece of Ginger
  • Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
  • 10 dried Goji Berries

Instructions
 

  • Squeeze lemon juice into tea-pot.
  • Peel and cut ginger into smaller pieces (about 1cm or half an inch thick) and place in tea-pot.
  • Sprinkle cayenne and goji berries into tea-pot.
  • Fill tea-pot with hot water and allow to infuse for a few minutes before pouring into tea cups to serve and enjoy.

 

photo credit: ROSS HONG KONG via photopin cc
photo credit: ROSS HONG KONG via photopin cc

 
Thanks for rocking my world again, Caravan of Dreams! xx

13 Comments on The ‘Good for Everything’ Tea

  1. Gabby @ the veggie nook
    January 31, 2013 at 6:05 pm (11 years ago)

    Oh wow this sounds delicious! I am sooo making this 🙂

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      February 6, 2013 at 10:37 am (11 years ago)

      You’ll love it, Gabby – especially when you need a little energy boost. 🙂

  2. Annie
    January 31, 2013 at 10:53 pm (11 years ago)

    So cool! I love tea – – must make this, thank you!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      February 6, 2013 at 10:39 am (11 years ago)

      Tea is just the best, isn’t it! Enjoy, Annie! I can’t wait to try out more ideas and ingredients. 🙂

  3. Barb@ThatWasVegan?
    January 31, 2013 at 11:06 pm (11 years ago)

    Dark smelly water!? Hahahahahaha! That cracked me up! I love tea though, especially lemon and ginger, so this is going on my “to make” list…in fact, it’s already pinned! 🙂

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      February 6, 2013 at 10:41 am (11 years ago)

      teehee!! I was a little late to the tea party but I got there eventually! 😉 Enjoy, Barb!

  4. Katie (A Fork in Hand)
    February 1, 2013 at 1:39 am (11 years ago)

    Well, now I know what I’ll be doing with the goji berries I have left over from making granola last week. Looks like just the pick-me-up I need this afternoon!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      February 6, 2013 at 10:43 am (11 years ago)

      Perfect, Katie! It is definitely a great pick-me-up! Good for everything! 🙂

  5. Sophie
    February 5, 2013 at 5:41 am (11 years ago)

    This tea sounds very tasty & delicious! I love the 1st picture a lot: hahahahha,..that picture made me laugh a lot! 🙂

    A grand & tasty tea!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      February 6, 2013 at 10:49 am (11 years ago)

      hehe, I thought it was about time I started bringing the Star Wars geekery back. 😉 xx

  6. Reia@TheCrueltyFreeReview
    February 6, 2013 at 11:07 am (11 years ago)

    I too used to turn my nose at tea. But how can you, when it contains such great health benefits? Especially if you make your own concoctions. I started drinking the Republic of Tea Boost Metabolism which has cayenne in it and I just love it! Who knew spicy spices would go well in tea?

  7. Em
    February 10, 2013 at 5:18 pm (11 years ago)

    Can’t wait to try this Miss Sparkles… another awesome recipe! 🙂

    xxx

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