Our Blessed Journey...

Sunday, October 13, 2013

recipe for Yogi Tea

from: http://dragonflysamadhi.blogspot.com/2011/06/yogi-tea.html

The heat index hit 113 degrees today in some parts of the Carolinas. A nice hot cup of tea is probably the last thing on your mind right now. But, just because it is hot outside doesn’t mean we have to give up all the healing benefits of tea. Yogi tea is an amazing beverage that can deliver wonderful nourishment all year long. When the temperature rises, I drink my Yogi tea over ice.

I’ve been told many times over the years that I make the “best” yogi tea. The recipe that I use is the classic recipe that Yogi Bhajan has shared with his students. If my yogi tea has a certain something, it would be this: I hold the intention of creating a delicious and healing beverage that will hold much love for the drinker. I chant as I make my tea and imagine that my hands are filled with love and that this love goes into the tea. I also always begin to make my tea the night before I wish to share it. There are two reasons that I do this. The first and most important reason is that I am not rushed and am able to make the tea with calm intention. The second reason is that the tea has an opportunity to steep longer, developing a stronger taste.

Yogi tea is said to be good for the blood, colon, nervous system, and bones. Yogi tea is also indicated for colds, flu, and any physical weakness. The science of the blend is this: the black pepper is a blood purifier; the cardamom is a digestive aid; the cloves are for the nervous system as well as to generate heat in the body; the gingerroot is good for colds, flu, physical weakness, digestion as well as overall vitality; the milk helps assimilation of the spices as well as coats the stomach lining to avoid irritation and the black tea is a nice energy boost.

This recipe has a yield of approximately 2 quarts of tea. If you double it you will have a gallon of tea which is a nice amount for a gathering. I’ve found that there is no such thing as too much yogi tea!

The ingredients you will need: 2 quarts of water, 15 whole cloves, 20 green cardamom pods, 20 black peppercorns, 3 sticks of cinnamon, 8 thick slices of gingerroot, ½ teaspoon of black tea, 3 cups of milk and honey to taste.

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. Add the cloves and boil for at least 1 minute. Mash the cardamom pods in a mortar and add to the boiling water, along with the peppercorns, cinnamon, and gingerroot. Boil for 20 – 30 minutes. Turn off heat and add the black tea. At this point, I leave the pot on the stove, covered, overnight. The next day I strain the tea and return to the pot to warm gently. When warm, I add milk and honey. Voila! Yogi tea to enjoy.

It is a special treat anytime of the year. In the summer time, I like to drink my Yogi tea iced, with a cinnamon stick to swirl."

recipe for Golden Milk

from: http://dragonflysamadhi.blogspot.com/2012/06/golden-milk.html

"Like the recipe for Yogi Tea, I learned this recipe from Yogi Bhajan. Golden Milk is every bit as delicious and nourishing as Yogi Tea. Golden Milk is the beverage to drink that will address those aches and pains in your body. Yogi Bhajan taught that this recipe is good for the spine as well as all the joints in the body.

Be careful working with the turmeric as it can stain materials. Below is the recipe for a cup of Golden Milk as well as the way to make a half a gallon at a time.

For one cup: 1/8 tsp. turmeric (heaping)

¼ cup of water

8 oz. milk (can be cow or soy or rice or almond)

2 tblspn. Raw almond oil (optional)

Honey to taste

Boil the turmeric in the water for about 8 minutes. You are looking for a thick paste. You can add more water if you need to- the operative word being “paste”. In another pan, gently heat the milk and almond oil. If you are omitting the almond oil then warm just the milk. When the milk comes just under boiling, remove from heat and mix into the turmeric paste. Add the honey to taste. For me, the honey is a key part of the Golden Milk appeal. I am not a fan of the taste of turmeric alone. If it is summer time and you feel resistant to a hot beverage, you can add the honey to the hot turmeric paste and then add the milk at room temperature, stirring well.

To make half a gallon, increase turmeric to a heaping teaspoon, water to 2 cups, milk to 8 cups and almond oil to 16 tablespoons. You can also mix up the paste and then refrigerate it until you would like to use it. The paste will keep in the refrigerator for up to 40 days.

This drink is really quite delicious and I always feel that I am nourishing my bones and body when I drink it. There are many, many studies that verify the health claims made about turmeric. The primary active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Recent research has shown that turmeric:

*addresses the pain and stiffness of arthritis

*decreases the inflammation caused by arthritis

*could be an effective tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease

*inhibits the growth of cancer

*delays liver damage that can lead to cirrhosis

All I know is that I feel a difference in my body and my yoga when I add Golden Milk to my weekly diet. Many of the studies about the health benefits of turmeric are readily accessible online as well as other recipes for enjoying turmeric. Next time you are in the supplement aisle of your local co-op or health food store, scan the labels of supplements- many of them contain turmeric. It is almost always better to boost your health and nutrition through whole foods and whole beverages than supplements.

An overview published in Advanced Experimental Medical Biology in 2007 attributes Turmeric with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties. It would seem that a little Golden Milk can go a long way.

Enjoy."

dance with the light (see link below or ordering details):

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126452111/dance-with-the-light-five-wrap-memory

family fun day at daddy's place of employment

and WOW do they put on a picnic! rides, food booths, game booths, balloons, stilt people, bingo, imported semi real bathrooms :D, plant tour to see the airplanes being built, including about a dozen trolleys and shuttles bussing everyone back and fourth for the tour....sorry, no pix were allowed during the tour;) (speaking of which, I found out Oprah Winfrey has not one, but TWO luxury jets on order......thanks Oprah, job security for my hubby:)........etc. I can't even begin to imagine what the company forked out for this annual event of this, and the amount of coordination this took to pull this off....thinking at LEAST $100K! And there were literally thousands of people there!

the girls had a GREAT day, and it was followed by a trip to Tybee Island for the Pirate Festival (sorry for the lack of pix, I opted out of the second half of the day....peace, quiet, and laundry were calling my name;)

Friday, October 11, 2013

family friday fun day: on location of the filming of the new sponge bob movie (Savannah and Tybee Island)

we LOVE it when daddy takes advantage of his four day work week!
we explored Tybee Island (this weekend is the famous Pirate's Fest!)
we hit Broughten Street in down town Savannah to visit the set of the filming of the new Sponge Bob movie
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=106375
we hit River Street

in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Penninsula, you see signs a lot like these....but even taller....but of course they don't mark storm surge from hurricanes, they mark record snowfalls....we saw one that was around 17 feet! (they were beyond buried!)

Paramount Pictures is right here in our very own Tybee Island and Savannah! My girls BEGGED me to let them be extras on set (they are looking for extras)....but a homeschooling family whose kiddos are both actors, told me that you have to be on set for up to 12 hours a day. I love my girls....but maybe not that much :D

they weren't actually filming at the time we were walking around....they have a two block radius blocked off from traffic and were busy preparing today's set for filming later

they literally added signs, changed road signs, "changed" the names of existing store-fronts and businesses (this is actually a college) for the set. I've opted to take lots of pictures of the set, so we can get all excited when the movie comes out and we recognize everything from behind the scenes:) Even all the street vendors (like the stuffed animals below, and the sunglass stand) were all props with real items. There was a police officer semi guarding the items. But for the most part, passersby ignored the filming and went on with their shopping (yes, buisinesses are staying open throughout the filming).

they had older vehicles, strategically placed...all with Salty Shoals license plates. J talked to someone (thinking it would be fun to have his Bee in the movie....they actually do rent the cars from people, but they drive them around the set. As soon as J heard that he immediately retracted his first thought:) (hmmmmm, I wonder if his Bee would make the credits;)

who doesn't love a magic bus;)

and then we headed a couple of blocks back to the River Walk....and I don't think it's even humanly possible for us to go to River Walk without a stop in our favorite candy shop:)