Slow Train Cafe, Oberlin Oh, Iced London Fog

More #WednesdayWanderings.  We were working our way to Vermilion and decided to check out the tea selection here.  

https://www.slowtraincafe.com/

Come around back for service.  They have a great little patio area.  Great for sitting outside and for social distancing. 

They had more than I thought they would. 

They had some hot teas, iced teas, chai's, and a London Fog.

I got the iced London Fog.  It was okay, maybe a 7 on a scale of 10.  It was more milky than anything.  I missed the Earl Grey flavor in it.  There was some lavender in it which I enjoyed.  But, over all I wished I had gotten something else.

Kelly's Cafe, Iced Chai, Brunswick, Ohio

#WednesdayWanderings

https://www.facebook.com/Kellys-cafe-109160965789389/

Out with a friend to go tea hopping on our day off.  We stopped into Kelly's.  We got iced chai's.  They were refreshing because it was hot.  However, I think it was just Oregon Chai...which I am not a huge fan of.  But, I know some people really like it.

Her specialties are the crepes.  She does have out door seating right now. Some time I do want to eat here, the crepes smelled great.  And I was surprised how many of my friends have eaten here...it's 45 minutes from my hometown.  Next time!!!!

Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade - making it a variety of ways

                              

Butterfly-pea flower tea commonly known as Blue Tea is a caffeine-free herbal tea made from the flower petals or even whole flower of the Clitoria ternatea plant.

What is the Butterfly Pea Flower??  See what I found below from https://www.majesticherbs.com/clitoria-ternatea-blue-butterfly-pea-flowers-benefits/

"Are you suffering from low energy or brainpower? Feeling stressed? Anxiety? Can’t sleep? Can’t conceive? Constipated? Poor eyesight? Losing your hair or premature greying? Is your skin losing collagen?

Butterfly Pea is known to help.

Also known as Asian Pigeon Wings, Blue Bell Vine, Blue Pea, Cordofan Pea and Darwin pea, ‘Butterfly Pea’ (Clitoria ternatea) is an amazing brain boosting herb native to tropical equatorial Asia."

This tea is super easy to make.  You make it like any other herbal tea.  And it turns out this beautiful blue color.  

To make the tea I took 8 teaspoons of the butterfly pea blossoms and put them with hot water and no sugar- since I was adding lemonade to it.   I let it steep for about 10 minutes.

The tea by itself does not have a ton of flavor.  Next time I may add fresh mint to it.  There is no hint of floral taste, if anything it is more earthy.

By adding lemonade to the tea it turns it a beautiful purple color.  You would think that indigo and yellow would make green- but nope!  You get purple!

It is delicious!!!!

SECOND WAY:

Second time I made it I added mint tea from my garden....

I took 6- 8 tsp of the butterfly flowers and some mint and I made the tea.  I added the boiling water to the pitcher, let it steep and then took the tea bags out.

I then made a pitcher of lemonade.

I just poured half tea and half lemonade into my cup.  It worked well and I liked the addition of the mint.

THIRD WAY:

The third time I made it I added lavender to the butterfly blossoms.  This might have been my favorite!!!

Put the lavender and butterfly blooms in the pitcher.  Added the boiling water.  Let steep for 10 minutes or so, then pulled out the tea bags, and then filled with cold water.

I love the color!!!!

FOURTH WAY:

I tried adding Faygo Lemon/Lime seltzer water to the tea.  It turned colors, but I did not care for the taste.  I am sticking with lemonade!

I think I will call it Lavender Love!!!!  

6-8 teaspoons of butterfly pea blossoms

fresh mint

lavender

make the tea and add lemonade

Brew Dr- Island Mango Kombucha

https://www.brewdrkombucha.com/raw-organic-kombucha/island-mango/

This kombucha is so awesome!!  I love the flavors.

It is so healthy and wonderful for your gut too!!!

See the full article on line.  I love Dr. Josh Axe!!!  This is from his site.

"7 KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFITS

In research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food 2014, researchers from the University of Latvia say the following about the health benefits of kombucha:

It is shown that [kombucha] can efficiently act in health preservation and recovery due to four main properties: detoxification, anti-oxidation, energizing potencies, and promotion of boosting immunity.
We agree! In fact, according to research there are five main health benefits of kombucha..

1. Detoxification
The detoxifying capacity of kombucha is immense. A perfect example is in its ability to counteract liver cell toxicity.
In one study, the liver cells were protected from oxidative injury and actually maintained their normal physiology, in spite of being exposed to a toxin! According to researchers, this was “probably due to its antioxidant activity and could be beneficial against liver diseases, where oxidative stress is known to play a crucial role.”
2. Digestion
Naturally, the antioxidant prowess of this ancient tea counteracts free radicals that create mayhem in the digestive system. However, the greatest reason kombucha supports digestion is because of its high levels of beneficial acid, probiotics and enzymes.
Some research has shown kombucha’s ability to prevent and heal leaky gut and stomach ulcers. No surprise to us, in some instances it’s even proven to be as effective as drugs like Prilosec, which are commonly prescribed for heartburn, GERD and ulcers.
Kombucha can also help heal candida yeast from overpopulating within the gut because it helps restore balance to the digestive system. Kombucha is a great way to fight candida because it contains live probiotic cultures that help the gut to repopulate with good bacteria while crowding out the candida yeast. Kombucha does have bacteria, but these are not harmful pathogen bacteria, instead they are the beneficial kind (called “apathogens”) that compete with “bad” pathogen bacteria in the gut and digestive tract.
One thing to mention here is that candida or other digestive problems can sometimes be complicated issues to fix and symptoms might actually get worse before getting better. This doesn’t mean that kombucha isn’t effective or is exacerbating the problem, just that gut problems aren’t always a straight path to healing and at times some patience or trial and error is needed.
3. Energy
Kombucha’s ability to invigorate people is credited to the formation of iron that is released from the black tea during the fermentation process. It also contains some caffeine (although in very small amounts) and b-vitamins, which can energize the body.
Through a special process known as chelation, the iron released helps boost blood hemoglobin, improving oxygen supply to tissues and stimulating the energy-producing process at the cellular level. In other words, by helping the body create more energy (ATP), the ancient tea can help those who regularly drink it stay energized.
4. Immune Health
The overall effect that kombucha has to modulate the immune system is best seen in its ability to control free radicals through antioxidant measures.
Clinically proven to decrease oxidative stress and related immuno-suppression, a powerful antioxidant known as D-saccharic acid-1, 4-lactone (DSL) was discovered during the kombucha fermentation process that’s not found in black tea alone.
Scientists suspect that DSL and the vitamin C present in kombucha are its main secrets in protecting against cell damage, inflammatory diseases, tumors and overall depression of the immune system. Also, we know the probiotics found in kombucha support the immune system.
5. Joint Care
Kombucha can help heal, repair and prevent joint damage in a number of ways. Kombucha is loaded with glucosamines, which increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. This supports the preservation of collagen and prevents arthritic pain. In the same way it supports joint collagen, it also supports collagen of the entire body and reduces the appearance of wrinkles on the skin.
6. Cancer Prevention
Kombucha is also beneficial for cancer prevention and recovery. A study published in Cancer Letters found that consuming glucaric acid found in kombucha reduced the risk of cancer in humans.
President Reagan even reportedly drank kombucha daily as part of his regimen to battle stomach cancer.
7. Weight Loss
Data from a study in 2005 showed evidence that kombucha improves metabolism and limits fat accumulation. Though we need to see more studies before we can confirm these results, it makes sense that kombucha supports weight loss since it’s high in acetic acid (just like apple cider vinegar is) and polyphenols, which are proven to help increase weight loss."

https://draxe.com/7-reasons-drink-kombucha-everyday/

Ingredients: Brewed tea (water, green tea*), cane sugar*, mango puree*, passionfruit juice*, ginger juice*, live kombucha culture (yeast, bacteria), strawberry essence* *Organic