Recipes – The Steap

Tea Recipe | Mint Julep with a Twist

Published on May 30, 2017September 29, 2017 by thesteapLeave a comment

It’s summer people! Whether we like it or not!

Living in Florida has its perks: Disney, beaches, Miami…you name it! But the one thing you gotta know is…..FLORIDA IS HOT. Really hot. Starting early March through almost Christmas.

So we Floridians like to think of new ways to keep cool during the summer and I got the idea to make a tea-inspired mint julep.

with Rooibos.

oh yeah!

Just as nutty, caramel-y and creamy as bourbon, Rooibos is a great alternative when making a lovely chilled glass of mint julep!

How to make Rooibos Mint Julep

Muddle mint with one spoonful of sugar. Top the glass with ice. Pour freshly steeped Rooibos tea over the ice.

Add a sprig of mint as garnish. Enjoy!

You may notice that this drink doesn’t have alcohol. But who’s stopping you?! Go ahead, add a splash or two of your favorite bourbon to the rooibos!

Keep on steeping, my fellow tea lovers!

A DIY Mother’s Day Tea Bath Salt

Published on May 9, 2017September 29, 2017 by thesteap2 Comments

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching!!! Some of our moms love practical gifts, and some don’t want the at-home spa pedicure contraption (those things take much more work to use than meets the eye). They’d rather have something “pretty” like jewelry or a fragrant gift.

At times like these, we wonder if we’re getting her something she’ll really love. But there’s something to be said about a homemade gift made with care and love.

This easy DIY gift is something any momma would love to get! It’s all about rest, relaxation and tea! Something everyone could use more of!!!!

But this doesn’t have anything with actually drinking tea…..

oh no.

YOU BATHE IN IT.

This is a tea-inspired bath salt made with epsom salt, loose leaf tea, and lots of love!

side note: how cool would it be to have a teacup-shaped bathtub like this??? #wishlist

Though not an actual salt, Epsom salt is made up of magnesium and sulfate, and extremely beneficial for muscle relief, de-stressing, relaxation and eliminates toxins from the body.

The tea will add a lovely warm aroma to a bath. Depending on which kinds of teas or herbs you add, your skin can also benefit as well! I listed some beauty-benefiting teas for whatever suits your fancy!

What’s great about these ingredients is that we typically have them in our homes so hopefully you don’t have to go out of the way to buy these.

INGREDIENTS

epsom or coarse sea salt
loose leaf tea
mason jar or other cute container
essential oils (optional)
ribbons, stickers, or other decorations (optional)

For my bath salt, I’m using fresh mint, dried hibiscus and a touch of Bergamot essential oil!

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine the epsom salt, your tea/herb of choice and any essential oils (optional).
Give it a good mix so you reach a homogeneous mixture.
Slowly add it into your mason jar or container.
(Optional) label and decorate!

See? Easy breezy!

If you have enough ingredients, you can make one for yourself or another special mother-like figure in your life!

TEA & HERB RECOMMENDATIONS

For relaxation: chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, eucalyptus

For skin health: peppermint, green tea, black tea, cinnamon, calendula, rooibos

For hair: chamomile, black tea, rosemary, sage, cinnamon

Share a photo of your unique combination and creation on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with!

As always, keep on steeping my tea-loving friends…and Happy Mother’s Day!

Tea Hack: How Herbal Teas Can Help You Stay Hydrated and Drink More Water

Published on January 17, 2017September 29, 2017 by thesteapLeave a comment

I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty customary for people to come up with goals, resolutions, etc this month. But inevitably by February or March, we fall off whichever bandwagon we desperately jumped on!

One of the most common resolutions I hear is fitness goals. More specifically, to drink more water.

Put your hands up if this is you!! #shameless

Listen, unless you’re drinking heavenly glacier water harvested by a burly Nordic god, drinking water all day long gets boring and old after a while.

The rest of us force ourselves to schlep around a gallon-sized jug with motivational scribbles written with sharpies on the side. Some are successful, some of us are not.

If you have a fitness goal that challenges you to drink more water, I’m going to help you to own it from the beginning! Although my little hack I’m about to share with you is not infallible, at least it’ll add a bit of pizazz to your fitness efforts and at the same time help you enjoy and benefit from herbal teas!

Before we dive in to how to use this tea hack, we need to go over how much water we should drink in the first place:

Tip#1: According to WebMD and other health sources, your recommended amount of daily water intake is half of your weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds, then drink about 75 fluid ounces. (for more information, check out this article:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/water-for-weight-loss-diet#2 )

Ok, so here we go! Find a water bottle that is easily portable, fits in your bag (no milk gallon jugs!) and would only need to be filled twice or, at the most, three times. If you have a bottle that is convenient, it’ll help you stay on track! I typically use a Voss 850ml and only need to fill it 3 times to make sure I drink my prescribed amount of water. I’m good at counting only to 3!

Tip#2: If you like your tea more sweet, add your stevia or honey after you steep your tea and before you chill it. Have you tried adding honey to iced tea?!

Steep your favorite cup of herbal tea and experiment with the strength of the flavor that you like the most. Steep longer or with less water for a more intense flavor, or steep your tea with more water and a shorter period of time to get a mild flavor.

Pour your freshly steeped tea into the water bottle.

Then top it off with good pure water or ice and enjoy!

I hope this tea hack has been able to help you stay on track with your fitness goals! Comment below what your favorite teas are for using this hack!

Keep on steeping, tea lovers!