Friday, July 17, 2009

Lavender Tub Tea



A hot cup of tea can be enhanced by adding a pinch of lavender bud. After a few minutes of steeping, the essence of pungent lavender fills the cup and pleases the taste buds. It's an acquired taste for some, but one I take great pleasure in. I find it so delightful. But sipping on a cup of hot tea is not the only way to enjoy lavender tea. Soaking in a luxurious bath of lavender tub tea is sure to relax the body and boost the spirit! Water has long been known to sooth our cares. It washes away stress and worry, and helps us gain new perspective on life. Herbs like lavender help create the perfect tub tea for days when this luxury is enjoyed. To create this homemade luxury, create a base by filling a jar with a combination of one or more of these common household items: soy milk powder, Epsom salts, sea salt, or oatmeal. Then add several tablespoons of lavender bud and lid. When ready to use, sprinkle generously into a bathtub of hot water, just as it is beginning to fill. The fragrance will be magnified by the heat and steam, creating a spa-like environment that is hard to resist. For added fragrance, other herbs can be added along with the lavender bud as well. You might try rose petals, calendula blossoms, dried lemon balm, or chamomile. A drop or two or three of pure essential lavender oil can enhance this tub tea further. If you like, the tub tea blend can be sprinkled right into the bath water, but if you don't want to be bothered with cleaning bits and pieces of herbs from the tub later, place the blend in a small muslin bag or put in the center of a washcloth and fold corners upwards, securing with a rubber band or hair twisty. Let the magnesium in the salts relax sore muscles, the anti-itch qualities of the oatmeal sooth your skin, or the creamy smoothness of the soy milk revitalize each pore. The fragrance of lavender will fill your senses with tranquility and carry you away to a place in your dreams! But do use care if falling asleep in the tub.

A recipe for lavender tea, the beverage, can be found HERE.

Photos: Vanessa's front porch which is right next door to Karen's lavender farm! No need to steep lavender bud in a tub at their houses! Everything smells like fragrant lavender there! I wonder if they all have lower blood pressure than neighbors that live a few miles away?

8 comments:

  1. Love lavender. We will be off to the lavender festival in Sequim on Sunday. There will be tea at a farm.

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  2. I know you'll have an amazing time at the lavender festival, Marilyn. Enjoy yourself!!!!

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  3. How lovely!
    I made lip balm with my niece this week with lavender, peppermint and clove oils. She smelled it and said it smelled like tea. I asked if she would like some tea like that. She agreed and so I picked lavender and mint from the garden. I added whole cloves and some plain black tea. We brewed it all together serving it with scones while watching Anne of Green Gables. A perfectly lovely day!

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  4. I love the fragrance of lavender that comes up from my dishwashing liquid. Sometimes I bend my head so the until I'm almost at the bubbles to soak it all in (well, not literally soaking that is). :)

    My lemon balm is huge. I didn't realize it was part of the mint family but I should have known.

    I also planted lemon thyme and basil this year. I got a late start so picking were limited. I wish there was lemon verbina plants left.

    Next spring I want to have one raised bed just for herbs so I can keep perennials going.

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  5. Kimberly, your lip balm sounds delicious! I made herbal lip balm once and was surprised how easy it was to make. And so fragrant! I think your tea idea --- using those same 'flavors' was a good one. Sounds yummy!

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  6. Brenda @ CoffeeTea --- I use lavender dish soap too! I know what you mean about washing those dishes and enjoying the smell.

    Your raised bed idea for herbs sounds really nice. I would love one too! Right now I use large flower pots --- and have them placed where the automatic sprinklers give the a daily dose of water. This works really well for the mints --- since they take over so quickly. I try to tuck other herbs here and there --- like lemon balm and parsley in the tea garden, chives at the edge of my veggie garden, etc. Herbs are such fun to grow and use!

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  7. Both my husband and I enjoy lavender, so when we got married I blended a tea to give as favors that was a lovely mix of lavender and rose petals in a black tea base. Everyone loved it, and I am glad I made enough to still have a little bit left almost a year later.

    A little while ago I posted on my blog about making herbed sugar and salt - my favorite is lavender. Simply place a handful or two of lavender buds in a sealable container and cover with either salt or sugar. Let it sit a few days before using, and replenish by adding more sugar, salt, or lavender when it gets low. My favorite use for the sugar is to use it in place of regular sugar in baking, especially shortbread.

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  8. Sadly, I shall never have to worry about falling asleep in the tub. But just that delicious prose made me kinda sleepy. How perfectly calming it all sounds.

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