Healthy Herbal Chai

Written by Nicole

After the rush of the Holidays, I hope you’re all enjoying a quieter time and savoring the last of 2011. I know it can feel like a marathon—between social gatherings, shopping, cooking and staying up late to get it all done. With two small children, I also know that “burning the candle at both ends” will eventually lead to burn out. And when I start to rely on caffeine to get me through the day, I might feel energized in the moment, but I start to feel worn down and exhausted in the long run. 

With that in mind, I’d like to share a lovely herbal chai tea recipe to keep you warm and energized through the winter months—without caffeine. This blend contains Siberian ginseng to help the body adapt to stress, burdock root to help gently detox the liver, licorice to help balance the adrenals, Ginger with all of its amazing health benefits, and cinnamon and cardamom to warm you from the inside. Feel free to drink 3-4 cups each day for the best effects.

Healthy Herbal Chai Tea

3 teaspoons dried eleuthero (Siberian ginseng)

2 teaspoons dried burdock root

2 teaspoons licorice root

1 teaspoon dried ginger (or 2 tsp. fresh chopped ginger)

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon cardamom pods

Simmer herbs in 1 quart of water for 20 minutes. Strain and discard herbs. Pour into a thermos or teapot to keep warm. Add milk and honey to taste. Tea will keep for two days in the refrigerator. 

This is a perfect tea to pack up and take on a winter hike with the family. You’ll enjoy the warming sensation as well as the health-promoting benefits this tea offers, leaving your body feeling nourished rather than drained in the long run.

Enjoy!

Staying Home with Family

Written by Meg

Unplugging on Sundays gives us space. Space to breathe, to be together, to exhale. I feel like life is so hectic and switching off slows it down. Sometimes we get out for a hike (us kiwis call it a bush walk) or some fishing but often we just stay home.

I love being at home with my honey and my boys. Reading books, cooking and playing games usually take priority. Getting together over a board game we chat and hang out. It's a really great way for the kids to learn how to be good winners and losers. 

Some excellent family games:

•Carcassonne

•Hey That's My Fish 
•Uno 
•Labyrinth 
•Scrabble Jnr

The kids have an hour of quiet time in their rooms after lunch. Mummy and Daddy brew a pot of coffee and have our own game time. We love to play together and switching off lets us make time for that. It's so easy to get sucked into the Internet and for relationships take second place. 

Our favourite two player games:

•Dominion

•Race For The Galaxy 
•Mancala
•San Juan
•Backgammon

Unplugged days at our place often involve something crafty. The boys (5 and 7) both have enjoyed learning to sew this year. Trial and error has taught us that stitching into a heavy fabric like felt is easiest for a beginner.

I sometimes tinker about on my sewing machine but more often than not, I'll potter about and help the kids with whatever they're into. During the week I often have the computer on and I know that they don't get really good quality attention. I often feel a little guilty about that. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

Cooking from scratch and trying new recipes is a something I like to do too. Recently we tried making pasta and although a little time consuming it was really quite fun. When we're switched off there seems to be more hours in the day.

My mother tells the story of us playing"unhappy families" when I was a girl as our games of "happy families" would inevitably end in tears. There have been plenty of melt downs at our place but these days the kids are a lot better at losing.

I think we used 5 large free range eggs and 500g of flour, mixed them to a dough, kneaded it by hand and then popped it in the fridge for a wee rest. The rolling out part was a two person job (one big, one little) and was a little bit magical.

What are your favorite family games? 

Maybe you'll have a new one that we can try. 

Unplugging... The Old Fashioned Way

Written by Ellen

Unplugging in our home happens on the weekends. 

During the week, our family of five uses the computer quite liberally. My husband, a software engineer, works from home (yay!) Many of my sons’ assignments are on-line programs and my daughter’s reading program is from a website. 

The workweek requires a fast internet connection and enough computers (we have two) to service all five of us. It can be tough to get everyone the time he or she needs. 

On the weekends, rather than work, life happens. 

Our favorite way to unplug involves connecting with our good friends, and happily, new neighbors. We moved to our current home last May and quickly struck up a strong friendship with our “back door” neighbors. 

They have three boys, all close to my children’s ages. Each child pairs up with his or her playmate, or they mix it up. They love to play together, bike to school together, and seek each other out at home or at school.

In fact, our home has become their home, and vice versa, and the children (and often times myself!) will run over for a quick chat (or a cup of sugar).

We adults discovered that we all play bridge. This happy coincidence meant extra playtime for the kids and more together time for the adults. It’s a win-win. 

Since my main way of unplugging on the weekends is to prepare for the week ahead (in the kitchen), it is easy and rewarding to prepare a delicious home-cooked meal for my friends. If I say I’ll do a soup and muffins, they will always show up with wine. It’s that kind of friendship. 

After the kids munch homemade pizza for dinner, we adults settle in to our yummy meal, followed by as many hands of bridge as we can squeeze in. We are only interrupted if the kids need help, which is seldom, since they play so well together.

In fact, we are often treated to a run-by costume parade as the children, deep in their imaginary world, fly by us in search of something. Their made up games take them inside, outside and even into the garage. There is much laughter.

Sometimes we will put a movie on for them and they snuggle up together, wrapped in blankets and surrounded by stuffed animals. We adults continue to deal and bid, play and laugh, drink wine, and enjoy each other.

It is the highlight of our week, and something we try hard to do often. 

This ritual of ours hearkens back to the afternoons I remember from my childhood. Happily reading, nestled in a window seat next to shelves and shelves of books, I remember the clinking of ice in scotch glasses and the snapping of cards - my grandmother’s bridge games. 

My husband remembers it too, from his own childhood. His youth was filled with bridge (for his parents) and playtime with neighbor kids (for him). 

We both cherish the sounds, smells and rituals of our weekly reconnection with our friends. It refreshes and restores us, and reminds us to breathe, and to live. 

Have you found an unplugged moment that takes you back to your childhood? 

Do you think “unplugging” helps us find the moments we have in common with our parents and grandparents?  

Food and Connection: Coming Together Around the Table

Written by Elaine

Unplugging can be a challenge. It seemed much easier when our daughter was younger. I work from home and am online most days. Chloe (our teenager) often has to use the computer for homework, and of course there is the iPod. Who doesn’t enjoy listening to music? My husband spends most of his day working on computers or network systems. It seems that one of us is always plugged into something. 

It's a dilemma. When the days are shorter and nights are longer, there's even more of a temptation to go our separate ways and disconnect from each other. So what coaxes us to unplug and come together as a family?  

Food.  Preparing it and eating it. Once the hearth was the center of the home — both a literal hearth at the fireplace, and a metaphorical hearth, the place the family gathered for warmth, light and sustenance. Today our kitchen is the hearth, the heart of the home. It is where we gather together, whether it's just the three of us, our extended family or members of our community. 

My husband, daughter and I make the effort to unplug and come together most nights at dinner time. Not only do we go offline and put our electronic devices down, we gather together with the intention of connecting as a family. We do this by preparing and eating our meal together. The kitchen is mostly my domain. Most days you will find me in there cooking up something. But at dinner time I let go of controlling my beloved territory by bringing my family in to help in the preparation. There is always salad to make, things to chop, drinks to pour and a table to set. 

By participating in the creation of a meal, we become connected not only to our food, but also to those who grew it and those who are eating with us. Giving thanks is an important part of this process, and it creates an even deeper connection with the food we are eating. My family is blessed to live in an area where we have access to just about everything we need locally. We know the face of the farmers who provide us with our eggs, most of our produce, our chickens and any other animals we consume. This deepens our connection to our food, to each other and to our community even more.

The silver rain

The shining sun

The fields where scarlet poppies run

And all the ripples in the wheat

Are in the bread that we do eat

So when we sit at every meal

With grateful hearts we always feel

That we are eating rain and sun

And fields where scarlet poppies run

— by Alice C. Henderson 

(This is our favorite family grace said or sung before meals.)

In a world where being constantly plugged in is the norm  . . . sharing our meals (unplugged!) is one way we keep our family connected.

How does food keep you connected to your family and community?

Filling the Pantry

Written by Heather

Well friends, it appears winter is just around the corner. As a little preview, we enjoyed our first snowfall last night! Can you spot the snow on the roof behind my squirrel friend? He was looking pretty stunned this morning. This weekend we have a possible seven inch snowstorm heading our way. Oh boy, here we go!

This is a time of preparation, for sure. The last couple of Sundays I have spent some time canning or freezing to build our food storage and preserve this season's bounty.

Each year I work harder and harder to stock our pantry and freezer for the cold, dark months ahead. I do believe I'm setting myself up for a banner year in the apple department, putting up nearly 200 pounds!

I do a mixture of canning and freezing. The freezer is convenient and sometimes offers a "fresher" method of storage, but Irene reminded me that canning is a wise and resourceful practice.

In their book, Continuing the Good Life, Helen and Scott Nearing write:

"We were given a freezer and find it very handy for storing overstocks or surpluses from our meals or from the garden... we could live happily without electricity for lighting, but we find the freezer of considerable assistance in keeping certain few foods."

Several years ago my husband received a substantial gift card through his work. It was one of those things where we could choose from a catalog offering items from all kinds of stores. All things imaginable were available, from expensive jewelry to fancy clothing to practical home offerings. We chose an upright freezer. What a good decision that was. 

I tend to freeze nearly all of our food in glass jars and often get  questions about how to do so, specifically with regards to avoiding breakage. 

Tips for Freezing In Glass Jars:

• Use canning jars when possible, they are tempered and can withstand slight expansion.
• Leave one inch headspace at the top of jar, liquid contents will expand 10% when freezing.
• Once jars are filled, chill in the refrigerator until completely cool. I leave overnight.
• Leave the lids unscrewed when freezing, tighten only after contents are completely frozen. This gives the jar room to expand with out breaking.

Since I've been following this method I've had zero breakage. I think leaving the jars unscrewed until completely frozen is the most critical factor for success. 

Resources for Canning:

• I only use Pomona's Universal Pectin when making jams and jellies, you can read all about it on their website. Basically it does not require sugar to gel so you can make jam with little to no sugar at all.
• Ball Canning 
• Pick Your Own 
• Food in Jars

I'm pretty casual about my canning methods and have never had a jar fail. That said, I don't want to encourage careless canning practices - I just try not to overly obsess about every detail. Taking care and following basic canning procedure will give you good results (and huge satisfaction).

When canning, I make sure to have:

• Clean and hot jars.
• Lids simmering in hot water,  not boiling (new lids each year, screw on bands can be reused).
• Freshly cleaned hands, utensils, and work surface.
• Followed proper processing time according to my recipe.

That's really all there is to it. A bit of mental and material organization, a window of time, and a bounty of fresh produce is all you need. A few simple things and you are on your way to a stocked pantry and freezer. 

I really enjoy the activity of preserving food on a quiet, unscheduled afternoon. 

Over the last few Sundays I have put up countless pints, 1/4 pints, and quarts of apple butter, apple sauce, apple pie filling, pear ginger jam, and canned pears. Later today I'll be making one more batch of pear ginger jam, and a bit more apple pie filling. 

A sampling of this year's pantry supply.

My quick method for apple pie filling? I loosely follow this filling recipe (substituting sucanat for sugar and cutting back a bit on the cinnamon and lemon). I make huge batches of this filling and pack it into quart size canning jars to freeze. Two jars (slightly thawed) per pie is a good amount. It is great to have apple pie at the ready!

If you have any tips or resources from your own canning experiences, please feel free to share!

Unplugged in Denmark

Written by Sage


We are very excited to have quite a few new writers joining us here at Unplugged Sunday! We are an ever-growing community of people from around the world who enjoy taking a step back, slowing down and connecting.

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“Hygge” (pronounced something along the lines of “hooga”) is a highly regarded part of Danish culture.  It's difficult to explain hygge, but it often involves food, friends, family, and lots of white candles.  It's more of a vibe than a thing, but it's often translated to English as “cosiness.”  

One of my favorite “hyggeligt” Danish experiences was spent with a group of girls on a cold, damp Sunday drinking mulled cider and learning to knit socks. If you can imagine that warm, bonding feeling, then you understand hygge.  

In the US, I usually spent my weekends dealing with chores and projects that I didn't have time or energy for during the week.  Before I knew it, I'd be sitting in traffic, staring down another work week, freaking out about everything I hadn't gotten to.

But Denmark is more laid back.  Our work week is 37.5 hours.  We have comp time and 30 days of paid vacation, so I only work ten and a half months of the year, which means I don't have to decide between traveling or enjoying a peaceful week at home.  There's plenty of time for both!  

Last winter, I spent 16 days in Thailand visiting Buddhist temples and learning Thai cooking, and I still had enough time to visit Rome, Tuscany, the Norwegian Fjords, and enjoy some quiet time at home.

Naturally, the weekend vibe here is also laid back, a lot of time is spent with family and friends, mostly at home, though cafés can also have quite a hyggelight atmosphere, especially in the winter when it's dark about 18 hours of the day, tiny tea lights provide most of the light, and hot cocoa seems like a cup of nirvana.

Shopping is not a national pastime.  Most shops close by 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon and don't open again until Monday, except for the first Sunday of the month when they open shortly to give everyone a chance to spend their paychecks (we're paid on the first of the month).  

I moved here alone and so despite a strong expat community and the amazing travel opportunities, I inevitably spend some weekends alone.  Sometimes I'm slightly envious of those who are here with their partners, but mostly, I enjoy the simplicity and slow pace of this life...

Homemade blueberry muffins, tea, and an English book!

Sometimes, I need a break from rundstykker med skiver ost (bread rolls with cheese).  Danish bakeries are wonderful, but from time to time, I can't stop craving what I can't buy.  Scarcity does strange things to a palate.  Once, I came very close to spending 20 quid on a box of Lucky Charms from the UK, I barely touched the things when I lived stateside.    

I enjoy biking alone with my camera. Cars and fuel are very expensive in Denmark... gas is around $8/gallon and the tax to register a car is 180% of the car's value, so it costs more to register the car than to buy the car.  Due to a lot of red tape, I haven't been unable to convert my US license to a Danish license, so I ride my bike regardless of the weather.  On the upside, European city bikes are elegant and retro :)

I'm hard pressed to find anything that warms my heart and fills me with more love and compassion than watching Opie being lazy in the sun.  He's like a big, soft teddy bear that purrs!

I find such accomplishment in tailoring things I find at the secondhand shops. A few relaxing hours at the ironing board and sewing machine, a little hand stitching, and this Laura Ashley skirt is upcycled and perfect.

Even though it makes me wistful for New England, I try to savor every second of this changing season.  Riding my bike through the foggy morning streets, surrounded by beautiful colors is just a new kind of magic for where I am now.  And really, where I am now is what's most important.

Hygge is most traditionally experienced with friends and family, but it's also alive and well in solitude.  And its one of the things I'll bring with me wherever I go from here.

Flavors of Fall

Written by Chloe

Summer days are long and busy with all those extra hours that the sun shines, and I eagerly anticipate the break that comes with cooler temperatures and earlier sunsets.This year, though, Autumn has given my neck of the woods a rain delay. The equinox has come and gone. Mother Nature seems to have missed the memo.

Even the early mornings have been thick with humidity and unseasonably warm. Apple picking has been rained out. Kale and cabbage are planted along my front walk, but which plants are really happy with the weather?

Whenever it arrives, autumn will go by even more quickly than normal in my house. Any day now, my family will be launched into parenthood with the arrival of our first baby. I know a birthday this time of year will only make our subsequent autumns sweeter, but it's warm and wet now and I found myself desperate to have a little (manufactured) fall of my own.

Enter pumpkin bread. A sweet bread is a pretty rare treat for us. After a little indulgence while still warm from the oven, I froze individual slices.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread 
(modified from Tammy’s Recipes)

Bread Ingredients:

3⁄4 C demerara sugar or sucanat 
1⁄4 butter, softened 
1 egg 
3⁄4 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree 
Juice of 1 orange 
Zest of 1 orange 
1 1⁄2 cups white whole wheat flour 
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder 
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup powdered sugar 
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat sugar, butter, egg, pumpkin, orange juice, and orange zest. Set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Pour pumpkin mixture into bowl with dry ingredients, and stir until no lumps remain. 
3. Lightly grease and flour a loaf pan. (This recipe makes one 8x4 loaf) 
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick or fork (should come out clean) 5. Remove bread from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. While cooling, mix powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add just enough maple syrup to make a glaze. Poke tops of bread with a fork or toothpick, and drizzle the glaze over the warm bread.

Is your Autumn coming along slowly, too? 


Once we get those cool, crisp mornings I think a piece of spicy, toasted bread with hot coffee or tea will be the perfect way to greet the newly changed leaves.