{ gathering home }

Tea Time: Rooibos

No, it’s not really tea, but it is a great warm cup of tea-like goodness.  So what is rooibos?  It’s the dried leaves of an herbaceous plant indigenous to the Cedarsburg region in southern Africa. Lucky for us, it was brought back from near extinction!  The plant was long brewed for its health benefits by indigenous peoples of the area, but because it was so difficult to germinate the very hard-hulled seeds (impossible without a dry mountain top on fire to crack open the seeds!), it became more and more difficult to find and virtually impossible to grow in a traditional farm setting.  At least until a certain Benjamin Ginsberg came along in 1903.  Mr. Ginsberg realized the marketing potential of this good-for-you herb and the road to rooibos was beginning to be paved.  Interest in the herb grew exponentially during WWII due to the scarcity of Ceylon tea, but waned again after the war. Its popularity is back in full swing once again thanks to sophisticated research methods that prove its healthy benefits.  And those benefits are many!

Rooibos is full of antioxidants to help fight free radicals (a by-product of normal cell function).  Then, there’s  iron, potassium, magnesium, and copper – all essential minerals for metabolic function. Calcium and manganese are also present in rooibos, and will help build teeth and bone strength.  Rooibos is low in tannins and has no oxalic acid, so it’s safe for those with kidney stones.

I have clients who swear rooibos is the only thing to rid them of their migraines, and others whose stomach are soothed.  As for me, I use it to calm my mind throughout the day.

So all that being said, I thought I’d share with you some of my rooibos fusions.  Please email me at Gathering Home, Craft Current, or message me on facebook if you are interested in purchasing.  Thanks!

Rooibos Fusions

First, let me say that rooibos has an incredible smooth honey taste that blends well with so many other herbs and teas.  You can barely go wrong with blending or sipping for that matter!  In fact, rooibos combinations seem limitless.  There’s been more than a few times that I’ve actually told myself to “stop blending, already! ;) 

The List:

Pirate (only my best-seller) –is a delicious fusion of rooibos with vanilla and chocolate and a hint of a secret.  Pirate tea is a treasure for those who wish to have dessert without calories. (OK.  There are a few calories --- like 5, maybe)  $8/2oz

 Sparkle – rooibos, mint, oatstraw, and some pretty blue cornflowers that sparkle in the blend. $7/2oz

Spice Route Rooibos – a proprietary spice blend combined with rooibos.  Warm and soothing.  $7/2oz

Stage Light – a favorite among singers and speakers, Stage light offers the soothing benefits of rooibos, artfully blending with lemon verbena, lemon grass, and organic ginger. $8/2oz

Help Famiy Farms, Support GIPSA Rule

We recently received this note, and felt compelled to ask you to joinin and support-

Enough is Enough.

For decades, family farmers and ranchers who raise livestock have endured abuses from corporate giants that control the market. But, you can help level the playing field for independent farmers and ranchers.

Today, just four companies own 83.5% of the beef market, 66% of the hog industry and 58.5% of the broiler chicken industry. These giant meatpackers and poultry processors have enjoyed unchecked market power, allowing them to control prices, issue unfair contracts with farmers and bully, intimidate and abuse farmers who stand up against corporate power.

Help Out for World Water Day

The U.N. has designated March 22 as the day of the year to spotlight the global safe water and sanitation issue and the collective efforts underway find solutions and help those struggling and in need.

Please join in Washington, DC, across the United States and around the world to celebrate sustainable solutions being implemented right now to solve the global safe drinking water and sanitation crisis. Be a part of the solution. Help make World Water Day 2011 and the events that week a success!  Right now, you can do two amazingly important things:

1. "Donate Your Voice" on Facebook and Twitter to the cause. Each day next week, a story or fact about the water and sanitation crisis will be posted on every donor's wall or feed with a link back to the Water Day site. Please Sign Up at Waterday.org and Donate Your Voice.
2. Join in for Advocacy Day on March 23. Show your support for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues and urge continued support from Members of Congress. Whether you plan to be in Washington, DC or in your home district, you can connect with Congressional offices to let them know we need greater US leadership for WASH. Please sign up by March 16 to Participate in Advocacy Day.

 

Hen Fever: The Return of the Backyard Chicken !

 

Lots of folks these days are opting for fresher-than-ever eggs.  What better way to get fresh eggs than to raise your own – chickens, that is.  It all started on the farm, but Martha Stewart certainly brought the art of raising chickens into the limelight.  It’s so cool, in fact, that many celebrities – Julia Roberts for instance – are enjoying the benefits of the grow-your-own movement. 

There are a few things to learn, of course, and it is for that very reason I’ve assembled the following list of resources.

backyardchickens.com  thefarm.org   MyPetChicken.com 

Changing the Way We Eat - TEDx Manhattan, Watch Live

“Changing the Way We Eat” takes place today, February 12, 2011, in New York City. A one-day event, it will highlight several aspects of the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy, nutritious food is accessible to all and is hosted by TEDxManhattan. It will be streamed live as well.  

"If you really think about it, almost every issue can go back to food," says Diane Hatz, creator of the event and director of The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming. "The industrial model of food production we have right now is totally unsustainable. I think it's important, because I think we're close to the tipping point."

Traveling the Back Roads and Memories from an Earlier Time.

(With toddler in hand, a mother discovers nearby adventures and then, the children grow up!)

Even though last April I found myself in Paris with a slew of teens on another performance tour (more later), I haven’t blogged about that yet, but keep thinking of the past when my children were so little and open to the mysteries of the natural world.  I’ve always been passionate about exploring nature and traveling the back roads to uncover secrets never before seen – at least by my eyes!  Not an easy feat with toddlers!!  So, in order to satisfy my need for adventure, I began in my own backyard, so to speak. There’s a pond at the end of my street and the hike there is doable for wee ones.  Once there, my girls and I discovered frogs and dragonflies, wild flowers and --  lying flat on our backs -- those same things and more in the clouds.

"Climate of Change" Comes to DVD

From the producers of An Inconvenient Truth, CLIMATE OF CHANGE is a rich and inspiring documentary that takes the viewer around the world to find the ordinary people taking action in the fight to save our environment. Releasing on dvd February 22, 2011 via New Video, the narration was written by British poet Simon Armitage and voiced by Tilda Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia, Adaptation).  The film seamlessly explores how teenagers in India, villagers in Papua New Guinea and Africa, self-described “hillbillies” in Appalachia and a PR expert in London are harnessing their global thinking to act locally within their respective communities. 

The entertainment biz trade publication Variety called it a “half eco-docu, half art…social-action cinema with a twist,”.  Director Brian Hill and his cinematographers create a real sense of ambience in each of the countries and communities they visit.

America Recycles Day, November 15

November 15, 2010 is “America Recycles Day”, a day to remind us of the importance of recycling and to encourage folks to "join the movement toward creating a better natural environment by recycling and buying recycled products” and “promotes the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling.”

Will you participate, support the day and spread the word?  Share with GH on what you will do...

 And, as we celebrate the day, let’s remember WHY we recycle:
•    to reduce pollution  •    tosave energy  •    to help the environment
•    to save natural resources  •    to keep trash out of landfills

 

Kiss My Face Peace Collection Giveaway

 

Well, the holidays are upon us and there is no better time for “kissing”. To celebrate the holidays Kiss My Face has created a new Holiday Peace Collection.
 
The Holiday Collection features our new 100% natural all-purpose castile soap in a liquid form and also a foaming hand soap. As consumers are searching for ways to remove toxins from their lives, this versatile soap is the perfect solution. The liquid soap has over 101 uses from the shower to the kitchen to the lake and even washing man’s best friend. All bottles come with a to/from holiday card for easy gift giving.
 
Available in 4 “peaceful” scents: grassy mint, lemongrass clary sage, pomegranate acai & lavender mandarin scents.
 
In addition, we have soy wax Peace Candles in the same wonderfully relaxing scents.
10% of the profits will support Seeds of Peace, an organization that brings together teens from countries of conflict, like Palestine and Israel, to a camp in Maine where they learn about “the enemy” and leave more educated and compassionate about their neighbors.

Please share the ways in which you create a peaceful season.  Winner will be drawn from the giveway hat (our version of the sorting hat from Harry Potter!) on Dec 7th and shipped soon thereafter. 

Mike Adams over at naturalnews.com shares this interesting news: San Fran bans toy giveaways at fast food chains! Will more states follow? Here is Mike's take on the issue.

 More @ naturalnews.com

Now's the Time to Compost Lawn Clippings

You know how much waste mowing your lawn generates. And, you're likely tired off emptying the mower bag and starting over each time.  Why not compost the clippings !!??  It will not only motivate you to remove grass clippings from your lawn, it will help to create an all-natural, nutrient-rich material that you can use to fertilize your lawn and garden. It's a win-win situation! 

Enter to Win the Cook Islands "Eco-Wedding" Contest

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and Pacific Resorts Rarotonga & Aitutaki are celebrating their commitment to the environment by giving away the first "carbon neutral wedding". Eco-conscience brides and grooms from the USA & Canada are eligible to win the wedding of their dreams in the Cook Islands. The lucky winning couple will also get to bring along four family members, or friends to celebrate with them!

Prizes includes roundtrip airfare on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles, CA to the Cook Islands, accommodations for the bride & groom and their four guests, and an eco-friendly wedding ceremony and reception including South Pacific traditions.