Magical Monday: Tea Time

Last updated on: August 31, 2015 at 9:00 am by Jen McConnel

Magical Monday: Tea Time 2015-08-30T10:14:46-04:00 Jen McConnel

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Every Monday, I’ll share a simple spell or charm that I use in my own busy practice. Remember, magic doesn’t always have to be a formal affair!

Lately, I’ve been on even more of a tea kick than usual, and I’ve started making my own chai blends. Even though I haven’t gotten the flavor quite the way I want it, the act of making the tea has become a lovely morning ritual, and I thought I’d share my trial and error with you.

You will need:

Black tea in bags (decaf or caf, whichever you prefer). Pick a tea that doesn’t have anything added to it, like Darjeeling. (The number of tea bags will tell you the amount of water to use: 5 bags = 5 cups, so decide if you want to make a lot or a little).
Cinnamon stick(s)
Black peppercorns (whole, not ground)
Cloves (also whole)
Other spices that may appeal to you (nutmeg, cardamom, etc, but go for whole pods, nothing ground)
A strainer
A pot

1. Crush the spices in the bottom of the pot. This is the one time I use the wooden mallet that came with my utensil set. Break everything up, but don’t pulverize it so much that you’ve got tiny particles. You want to release the flavor of the spices, not make a straining nightmare.

2. Add just enough water to the pot to cover the spices, and simmer for five minutes.

3. Add the tea bags, and however many cups of water as you have tea bags. Simmer for ten minutes.

4. Remove from heat and strain.

5. (Optional): Return to heat and add sweetener or milk, and then serve. Since I usually make a big batch, I don’t sweeten it until I’m ready to drink it, but perhaps I need to get in that habit…that may be the step that’s missing in getting the blend just right.

6. Sip and enjoy, or if it didn’t turn out the way you wanted, enjoy the fact that you had fifteen minutes of witchy work before starting your day.

Anyone have any good chai recipes or tricks? I’d love to hear what you do!

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