Hibiscus Strawberry Iced Tea Cooler

I can't drink Hibiscus Cooler without thinking about both of my pregnancies.  Each time I drink it, delicious sweet flavors waken my taste buds and take me back to beautiful memories ... my midwife fed it to me while I labored in the water {birthing tub} + my husband got cold glasses of it for me to sip on during my babymoon.  

Hibiscus has a very distinct, delightful taste ... tart, lemony + fruity.  It's heavenly paired with sweet, juicy strawberries.

My family loves this tasty iced tea cooler ... especially when the weather heats up.  It's perfect for the whole family {but make sure to omit the honey if you're feeding it to a baby under 2 years old}.    

HIBISCUS STRAWBERRY ICED TEA COOLER

Perfect drink for rehydrating during the warmer months.  Full of flavor + not too sweet ... this mouthwatering iced tea cooler will have you reaching for a second glass.  Enjoy! 

Equipment: Medium-Size Saucepan w/ Lid, 8-Cup Measuring Cup or Large Bowl, Fine Mesh Strainer, Blender, Pitcher 

{Affiliate links included help support this blog.}

Ingredients

• 1 quart + 1 cup filtered water, divided 
• 2 tablespoons hibiscus flowers*
• 1 teaspoon lemongrass*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon chips*
• 2 tablespoons raw honey {or sweetener of choice}
• 2 cups frozen organic strawberries

• 1 cup fresh organic strawberries, hulled and sliced 
• 3 cups ice cubes {made from filtered water, I make my ice cubes with this} 

Instructions

1. In a medium-size saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to boil.  Remove from heat and add hibiscus flowers, lemongrass + cinnamon chips.  COVER with a lid and let steep for at least 30 minutes {covering helps keep all of the beneficial properties in the tea}.  For a richer flavor, I steep mine for about 1 hour or more.  

2. Over a 8-cup measuring cup or large bowl, strain tea through a fine mesh strainer, set aside.  

3. Add frozen strawberries, honey + about 2 cups of the tea to a blender.  Blend on medium speed to combine.  Puree until liquified and no strawberry chunks remain.

4. Pour strawberry mixture back into the tea {Note: If you prefer, strain strawberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer back into the tea.}.  Add 1 cup water, stir to combine.  Refrigerate until chilled.

5. Add 3 cups of ice + fresh sliced strawberries to a pitcher and pour cold hibiscus strawberry tea over.

Serve over ice with sliced strawberries to garnish.

Yield: Makes about 6 cups without ice added. 

*Note: If you would prefer to use tea bags instead of bulk herbs, try substituting with this or this. 

Vegan Option: Replace honey with sweetener of choice. 

Where Do I Buy Bulk Herbs? I buy bulk organic herbs, spices + more here.  

OTHER COLD DRINKS TO ENJOY

Vitamin C Herbal Tea by Recipes to Nourish 
Blended Watermelon Lemonade by Recipes to Nourish
Raspberry Lime Elixer by The Organic Kitchen 
Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion by Recipes to Nourish
Berry Lemonade Kombucha by Live Simply 
Watermelon Cucumber Juice by Recipes to Nourish
Cherry Mint Lemonade by Recipes to Nourish
Honeydew & Lime Agua Fresca by Recipes to Nourish
Nettle Cinnamon Herbal Tea by Recipes to Nourish
The PinkBerry by The Organic Kitchen  

HAVE YOU EVER HAD HIBISCUS COOLER BEFORE?

This post is shared at Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesdays @ Allergy Free Alaska,  Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, + Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable @ Phoenix Helix. 

Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

Nettle Cinnamon Herbal Tea Infusion (Iron + Vitamin C Tea)

Herbal tea infusions are awesome.  They’re nourishing, hydrating (they count towards your daily water intake) and they’re loaded with readily available vitamins and minerals. 

I started making this iron-rich herbal tea infusion during my 3^rdtrimester when I was pregnant with Tiny Love.  I was close to being anemic at that point and I wanted to boost my iron intake with herbs and food (instead of taking a iron supplement).  Luckily, this did the job.

The stars of this infusion:

Nettle + Rose Hips + Cinnamon

Nettle: Highly usable vitamin K, high in minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, potassium and zinc.  Amazing herb, promotes kidney function, excellent for pregnancy (should be in a pregnant woman’s daily diet), helps prevent anemia and boosts milk supply in breastfeeding moms.

 Rose Hips: Very high in vitamin C.  Also contains vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc.  They have a wonderful sweet taste.

Cinnamon: Has medicinal properties, is known for it's warming effect and aids in digestion.  It adds a wonderful sweet and spicy flavor to teas.

Nettle Cinnamon Herbal Tea Infusion (Iron + Vitamin C Tea)

{Affiliate links included help support this blog}

Iron is best absorbed when combined with vitamin C, so the addition of rose hips is perfect for this tea. 

Equipment:Medium-Size Saucepan w/ Lid (or steeping teapot), Medium-Size Mixing Bowl, Airtight Glass Jar/Container w/ Lid, Fine Mesh Strainer

·      2 parts nettle (buy nettle here)

·      2 parts rose hips (buy rose hips here)

·      1 part cinnamon chips (buy cinnamon chips here)

·      4 cups filtered water

·      Ice (optional)

·      Raw honey or fresh fruit juice (optional)

1.    Combine all dried herbs in a medium-size mixing bowl, store herb mixture in airtight glass container.

2.   Boil water in medium-size saucepan or in a steeping teapot.  Remove from heat once boiling. 

3.   Add 4 tablespoons of herb mixture to water (1 tablespoon per 1 cup of water). COVER, this ensures that you receive all of the nutritional benefits from the herbs.

4.   Steep 30 minutes to 4 hours for maximum benefit.  The longer you steep, the stronger the flavor will be.  If you don’t care for a stronger flavor, reduce the steeping time to 30 minutes. 

5.    Strain tea. 

6.   Sweeten with small amount of honey or fresh fruit juice if desired.  If you want to retain some of the beneficial properties of raw honey or fresh juice, add after tea has cooled some.

7.   Store extra tea in the refrigerator up to a week. 

Enjoy iced or hot.

Dosage: Drink 1 to 4 cups daily. 

Storage:Store herbs in an airtight glass jar with lid for up to a year. 

Where to Buy Bulk Herbs & Spices: I buy all of my dried spices and herbs in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Disclaimer: ALL information you read on Recipes to Nourishis purely for informational and educational purposes only.  I love to share and share with love, but I am not a health care practitioner.  This information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.  If you have questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health, please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner. 

This post is part of Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Mind Body and Sole, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free, Hearth & Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Allergy Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Chocolate Smoothie w/ Herbal Tea Infusion

I’ve been trying to find other ways to get herbal tea infusions into my Little Love’s diet.  She does love drinking tea, but she won’t drink full glasses of it usually.  I’ve found that making smoothies with infusions works great.  She will happily drink a full glass, yay!  

If you haven’t had herbal tea infusions before, give them a try.  They are loaded with readily available vitamins and minerals, you can’t get that from a vitamin supplement. 

Chocolate Smoothie w/ Herbal Tea Infusion

This is great for a snack (a favorite snack in my house), and it’s great for breakfast too. 

Equipment: Blender

·      2 cups frozen organic strawberries (or mixed berries)*

·      ¼ to ½ cup organic broccoli or chopped kale*

·      1 ½ - 2 cups Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion

·      2-3 tablespoons raw honey or sweetener of choice

·      ¼ cup raw cacao powder

·      2 teaspoons coconut oil (optional)

·      1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

1.    Place frozen strawberries, broccoli/kale, honey, cacao powder, coconut oil and vanilla in blender. Add herbal tea infusion, tea should be just below the frozen fruit/veg, not covering it.  COVER with lid.

2.   Blend on medium speed until combined and smooth, about 30-45 seconds.  If you have a cheap blender like I do, you might need to add a bit more herbal tea infusion to help it blend.    

3.   Serve immediately. 

Yield: About 4 cups.

Vegan-Option: Use organic maple syrup grade B or sweetener of choice instead of raw honey. 

Tip: Try Vitamin C Herbal Tea instead of the Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion, or make your own infusion.    

*Note: This smoothie is wonderful with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combo of all.  If you really don’t care for the flavor of greens in your smoothies, just omit the greens and add a little more frozen fruit.  OR, try adding a frozen banana to the smoothie, just omit some of the berries so you have about 2 cups of fruit total.  The banana flavor tends to mask the “green” flavor of the veggies.  


This post is part of Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Mind Body and Sole, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2dayjoys, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Wellness Weekend @ Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Superfood Sunday @ Pain Free Pregnancy, Make Your Own! Monday link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, and Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Simply Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, and Traditional Foods @ Cooking Traditional Foods.

Holistic Tips to Keep Your Family Healthy

It’s that time of year again, the end of summer is approaching and the cold and flu "season" is around the corner.  People are headed back-to-school, holidays are approaching and the commercial industry starts bombarding stores with processed candy and desserts. 

Nutrition is the key to health.  When the season changes and people start consuming large quantities of sugar-laden foods, immune systems weaken and become overworked.

Boosting your immune system is important if you want to stay healthy.  A healthy immune system will lessen your chances of getting sick.  If you do get sick, the duration of illness will not last as long and you will recover quicker. 

Now is the time to plan for the season change. 

Holistic Tips to Keep Your Family Healthy

Lemons, ACV, Elderberry Rose Hip Syrup, Master Tonic, Raw Honey, Lemons, Garlic, High Vitamin Butter Oil Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend, Kelp Granules, Ginger, Shiitake Mushrooms, Kombu

{Amazon & Mt. Rose Herbs Affiliate links included help support this blog}

Stock Your Kitchen w/ These

• Organic Lemons – Great for colds, sore throats, cleansing.
• Organic Garlic – Naturally antimicrobial, both antiviral and antibacterial, great for upper respiratory issues.
• Raw Honey – Naturally antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal (not for babies).
• Coconut Oil -  Strengthens the immune system, is naturally antimicrobial and has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties.
• Organic Ginger – Great for upset tummy, chills, colds and fevers (use w/ caution if pregnant, consult w/ your health care practitioner). 
• Organic Cranberries – Preventative, bacteria cannot thrive w/ cranberry.
• Dried Thyme – Naturally antimicrobial, make as a tea for colds/flu, great for coughs and respiratory issues, helps relieve diarrhea.
• Organic Shiitake Mushrooms – Have immune boosting properties.
• Elderberry & Rose Hip Syrup – Preventative, increase amount w/ illness, known for helping prevent the flu and/or lessen the duration of the illness.
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil & High Vitamin Butter Oil – Natural dose of vitamin D, very important for staying healthy, helps the immune and digestive system.
• Organic Sea Vegetables like Kombu, Kelp, Nori, Wakame – Full of vitamins and minerals, very nourishing, add to soups, beans, grains, vegetables (See Resources).
• Seasonal Organic Vegetables & Fruits for Juicing – Very cleansing, full of nutrients that are readily available for your body.
• Lacto-Fermented and Cultured Foods – Great for your gut, loaded with natural probiotics, helps with digestion, helps boost your immune system. 
• Bone Broth or Homemade Stocks – Loaded with nutrition, very nourishing, helps with healing process, stock up and store in freezer.
• High Quality Probiotics – Important for your gut, keeps your gut healthy. 
• Organic Unfiltered Raw Apple Cider Vinegar – Old school remedy, natural antiseptic and antifungal, very healing. 

Nettle, Thyme, Astragalus Root, Catnip, Elderberries, Rose Hips, Fennel Seeds, Vitamin C Powder,  Raw Honey, Olive Oil, Tinctures, Bioplasma Cell Salts, Neti Pot

Stock Your Holistic & Herbal Wellness Chest w/ These

• Organic Olive Oil (high quality)  - To make rubs/salves/oils.
• Pascalite Clay – Many uses, very healing.
• Neti Pot – A must have for colds/allergies and for keeping your nasal passages clear.
• Dried Organic Herbs & Flowers – Nettle (a MUST have), Rose Hips, Elderberries, Red Raspberry Leaf, Fennel Seed, Chamomile, Catnip, Lemon Balm, Oatstraw, Peppermint, Spearmint, Slippery Elm Powder, Dandelion Leaf, Calendula Flowers, Lavender – Herbs are great for making herbal infusions, loaded with vitamins and minerals that are readily available to your body (I buy bulk dried herbs here).
• Dried Astragalus Root & Tincture – Immune boosting.
• Echinacea Tincture – Immune boosting, helps prevent and treat.  Helps with viruses, is antimicrobial and great for infections.
• Goldenseal Tincture – Very potent, a natural antibiotic.  Use for bacterial infections, persistent infections, take w/ probiotics to help restore good gut flora.
• Calendula Tincture – Very healing, naturally antiseptic.
• Elderberry Tincture or Extract –A preventative or take with illness, helps lessen duration of symptoms, known for helping prevent the flu.
• Cranberry Tincture, Capsules or Concentrate – Take w/ illness, helps lessen duration, bacteria cannot grow/thrive with it.
• Bioplasma Cell Salts by Hylands – 12 essential cell salts that the body needs, many benefits, very healing, increase w/ illness.

***A Note on Tinctures: Glycerin based tinctures do not work as well.***

Essential Oils & Natural Cleaning Products - White Vinegar, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Lemons, Baking Soda

Tips for Your Home

• Change your filters every 1-2 months, especially when the season changes.  Replace w/ high quality filters, not the cheap ones that barely catch anything, you want filters that filter mold, viruses, dander, etc.
• Clean ceiling fan blades.
• Use natural/”green” cleaning products, make sure to read ingredient labels.
• Use True HEPA air filtration portable units (not HEPA-Type).
• Vacuum house at least once a week, every other day if possible, with a HEPA vacuum.
• Add indoor house plants to the home to clean the air.
• Use Nebulizer Diffusers w/ essential oils (like Thieves or Medieval essential oil) to clean the air, body will absorb the healing properties of the essential oils too.
• Remove any commercial-grade scented candles or air fresheners from the home.
• Open your windows as much as possible to allow fresh air into the home, outdoor air quality is almost always better than indoor air quality. 

Your Mind, Body & Spirit

• Remember that your body believes what you tell it and it will act accordingly.  Talk to your body (seriously!) and tell it want you want to occur and/or thank it for getting your attention.  Be positive when talking to your body and be grateful for the messages it sends you. 
• Daily Self-talk – Flood your mind w/ positive thoughts, peace, joy, happiness and comfort.
• Do your best to keep balance and harmony w/ all things.
• End the day w/ positive messages to yourself.  If you have children, this is an excellent time to talk to them and give them positive messages to sleep with.  Tell them that tomorrow will be a happy day, tell them how grateful you are, tell them the things you love about them, tell them that they are happy, healthy, strong, loving and whole.  Say the same things to yourself too!
• When you can, get outside and enjoy the fresh air.  If there is sun shining, make sure you enjoy it and soak up the vitamin D.  Be out in nature as much as possible.  Your body will thank you.
• Get some form of exercise, our bodies are not meant to be sedentary. 
• Make sure to get plenty of rest.  If you do get sick, honor your body by resting and sleeping as much as you need to.

Holistic & Natural Remedies

• Raw Organic Garlic + Raw Honey – This excellent remedy comes from my midwives.  As soon as you feel illness coming on, mince 1 clove of raw garlic into 1 tablespoon of raw honey, take orally, swallow and chase w/ drink if necessary.  The garlic is naturally antimicrobial, both antiviral and antibacterial and the raw honey is naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal.  This remedy is safe for pregnant moms.
• Garlic Oil – Use for chest rub, drop in ear for ear infections.
• Pascalite Clay – Helps w/ nausea, helps w/ diarrhea, very healing, many uses.
• Bone Broth – Loaded w/ nutrients, helps you heal faster.  See here for my bone broth recipe.
• Cranberry Compote – Great way to get cranberry into your body.  Bacteria cannot grow when consuming cranberry. 
• Vitamin C Tea – Full of vitamin C as well as other vitamins and minerals which are all readily available for your body.
• Thyme Tea – Naturally antimicrobial, great tea to drink during colds/flu, strengthens immune system, important to take during illness and after to help prevent recurrent illness.
• Herbal Infusions – Make herbal tea infusions with various dried herbs and flowers.  Typical infusions steep for a minimum of 30 minutes to overnight.  Loaded with vitamins and minerals that are readily available for your body, better than a vitamin/mineral supplement.  See here for my Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion and Nettle Cinnamon Herbal Tea Infusion recipe.
• Hot Garlic-Ginger Lemonade – Beneficial for colds/flu, drink hot and often.
• Master Tonic and Pepper Tonic – Helps prevent illness and lessen the duration of illness.
• Elderberry & Rose Hip Syrup – Take as a preventative daily.  Increase dosage w/ illness.  Known for helping prevent the flu and lessen the symptoms. 
• Echinacea Tincture – Great preventative, boosts your immune system.  Take during illness to treat and lessen the duration of illness.
• Thieves Oil or Medieval Oil – Great preventative and helps lessen the duration of illness.  To make your own Thieves Oil, you need Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary high quality essential oils.  To make your own Medieval Oil, you need Sweet Orange, Lavender, Lemon, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Red and White Thyme, and Rosemary high quality essential oils.  Place in carrier oil (like olive oil or jojoba), rub on bottoms of feet before bed and in the morning after bathing, also dab behind ears.  Use in a Nebulizer Diffuser to help cleanse the home during illness and use as a preventative during the cold and flu season.  
• Raw honey – Naturally antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal.
• Breastmilk – Very healing and full of beneficial properties, place drops in the eye/ear for infections, drops in nose for congestion, gargle for sore throat, good for the ears, nose, eyes, skin, gut, etc.
• Juicing – Brings balance to the body, very cleansing.
• Slippery Elm "Candies" for Coughs –  Great for pesky coughs.  It helps soothe irritations, helps moisten dry throats and calm coughs.  

Remember, nutrition is key and our body reacts to what we put in it.  Do your best to eliminate or at least limit processed foods and refined sugars.  When you buy food, try to buy organic or food that has been grown using organic practices.  You don’t want your body loaded up with pesticides, herbicides and GMO foods.  Check out local farmers markets and get to know your farmers.  If you need help finding some in your area, to find a local farmer or a CSA box delivery, check here: Eat Wild and Local Harvest.

Nourish the mind, body and soul. 

Be well.

What do you do to help boost your immune system?

Disclaimer: ALL information you read on Recipes to Nourish is purely for informational and educational purposes only.  I love to share and share with love, but I am not a health care practitioner.  This information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.  If you have questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health, please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner.  


This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, WLW Wednesday Link-Up Party @ Women Living Well, Healthy 2day Wednesday @ day2day joys, Works for Me Wednesday @ We are THAT Family, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Whole Health Weekend Link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Mind Body and Sole, and Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online.


Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.