Three NEW Teas!

 Three NEW Teas!

     Just in time for my blog post to go LIVE on Samhain Sirens today I'd like to introduce you to some NEW members of the Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends Family!

Holy (Spirit) Roller Cocktail

This blend of Ginger Oolong, Chamomile and Mint lightly dusted with lavender flowers will roll you over with serenity and calm.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:
2 oz Brewed Holy Spirit tea
1 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Simple syrup
3 Mint leaves
3 Thumbnail sized pieces of Ginger
Extra mint leaf for garnish

Preparation: In a mixing glass, place syrup, mint and ginger and muddle. Pour the Cognac and fresh tea over top and muddle a little more. Strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Updated Tea Flavors

Presented in a 6 fl oz tin.  Roughly 14 cups of tea depending on preparation strength.

-Van Van Tea: The most popular Hoodoo oil in a Tea form.  Lemongrass tea removes Obstacles with just a hint of cinnamon and caffeine. Defeat Mercury Retrograde! Purification.  Banishing.  Ritual Preparation. 

-Fiery Wall of Protection: Surround yourself with this caffeinated, protective fire. Reading the 23rd Psalm over your tea, optional.  This cinnamon and ginger blend helps fill in the gaps in your defenses.  

-Come to Me: This spicy milk and honey flavored tea is a love drawing blend to bring the right lover your way.  Just a hint of cinnamon flavor means it is good with or without sugar and the rooibos base means no caffeine. 

-Peaceful Home: This comforting, caffeine free blend of vanilla, lavender and peppermint will help you focus on the path you need to get your house in order.  Bring peace back into your home with this comforting blend.  It’s your favorite cardigan with a hint of lavender. 

-Helping Hand: Feeling hit from all sides?  Get a leg up with this caffeine free blend.  Energetically promote healing, calm and boost your luck too! Soft mint and vanilla lifts you over the hurdles life brings your way. 

-Meditation: This fulfilling, herbal blend of herbs will  get you to the right state of mind.  Calm a racing mind and unwind.

-The All Seeing Eye: Boost your intuition with nutty flavors of wisdom and higher self.  Caffeine free blend turns your third eye into a magnifying glass.

-Gossip Stop: Others using their words against you? This Lemony fresh blend includes slippery elm to let their words pass you by and Burdock will keep their mud from sticking to your good name. It’s caffeine free too!

-Crown of Success: You deserve Success!  All your hard work is paying off with this soft and spicy blend of citrus and delicate florals will have you in the right frame of mind to get out of your own way and a bit of caffeine to help you achieve your goals. (Color Purple and Gold)

-Adam and Eve: This sultry black tea blend is perfect for all matters of love, faithful partnership and attraction.  This mildly caffeinated blend has enough vibrancy to keep you and your special someone up until the job is done! 

-Florida Water Tea: This blend of Clove, Orange and a hint of lavender will leave you energetically cleansed, lightly caffeinated and ready to take on the world!  Great with or without sugar!

-Triple Fast Luck: This light mint and vanilla blend paves the way and cinnamon brings your good luck on in a hurry.  Lightly caffeinated and great for a gentle morning ritual, brings good luck all day.   

-Holy Spirit: A lightly floral and green tea base with a soft, soul quenching taste.  Cleanse your space and yourself with this blessing tea.

-My-Tea Tea:  This mighty blend boosts inner strength with an empowering (and caffeinated) blend of Chai, cinnamon, ginger and lemongrass.  Instead of leaping tall buildings with a single bound, you’ll be picking them up to walk under them.  


http://blackthornhoodooblends.com

Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends tea!

Hey!  For you Witches, Bitches, Root Doctors and Joes alike, I've launched a new line of Hoodoo Teas.  They're modeled after traditional recipes for oils like Vanvan, Triple Fast Luck, Helping and more!

 Hey, guess what!  My FUNDLY Guest Blog just went live, EARLY.  :)  Learn what made me decide to start making tea and more.

http://fundly.com/2014/03/guest-blog-tea-store/

Here are some sample teas to whet your appetite for tea!

Vanvan Tea he most popular Hoodoo oil in a Tea form. Removes Obstacles with just a hint of caffeine. Defeat Mercury Retrograde! Purification. Banishing. Ritual Preparation.

Come to Me Tea This spicy milk and honey flavored tea is a love drawing blend to bring the right lover your way. Just a hint of cinnamon flavor means it is good with or without sugar and the rooibos base means no caffeine.

Peaceful Home Tea This comforting, caffeine free blend of vanilla, lavender and peppermint will help you focus on the path you need to get your house in order. Bring peace back into your home with this comforting blend. It’s your favorite cardigan with a hint of lavender.

Helping Hand Tea Feeling hit from all sides? Get a leg up with this caffeine free blend. Energetically promote healing, calm and boost your luck too! Soft mint and vanilla lifts you over the hurdles life brings your way.

Triple Fast Luck Tea This light mint and vanilla blend paves the way and cinnamon brings your good luck on in a hurry. Lightly caffeinated and great for a gentle morning ritual, brings good luck all day.

Dyeing with plants and flowers

So my current interest has turned towards natural dyes and plants used for dyeing.


With "the military look" being popular this fall, I thought I'd mention that Black Walnut hulls (the fleshy green part) make and excellent Natural "OD" Green dye.

It's simply the easiest thing!

1) Hit walnuts with hammer to break 'shell'. Place green hulls (the more hull, the richer the color of dye) into a pot (mark for DYE use only, as some plants used for dyeing are poisonous if ingested)

2) Fill with water and slowly heat water to 170 degrees over an hour or so. Make sure to slowly heat the water, as boiling can ruin the dye for fabrics, textiles and wool.

3.) Once it is up to temp, leave it to 'cook' over the next hour.



This is a range of colors that can be achieved with Walnut dye.



4.) Immerse textiles to be Dyed in cold water. Let them sit in water during your hour simmer.

5.) Once hour has passed remove textile from water bath, and introduce it to the dye pot. Leave for 3-4 minutes. Check the depth of color, and feel free to place back into dye bath if the color isn't as dark as you'd like it to be.



There is a wide variety of color to be had with natural colorants like flowers, grasses and nuts, so you can bet I'll be planning next year's garden around flowers I can dye with!



This silk scarf was dyed with Japanese Indigo. This annual self seeds here in zone 7 and will supply you with three batches of Indigo dye a season!


Indigo Dye pot getting ready for dyeing!

Suggested reading:
A Dyer's Garden: From Plant to Pot: Growing Dyes for Natural Fibers by Rita Buchanan

A Weaver's Garden: Growing Plants for Natural Dyes and Fibers by Rita Buchanan

Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing (Formerly Titled: Natural Dyes in the United States) by Rita J. Adrosko

The Craft of Natural Dyeing: Glowing Colours from the Plant World by Jenny Dean

The Chemistry of Natural Dyes (Palette of Color Series) by Dianne N. Epp and Mickey Sarquis