Chamomile – Mulberry Iced Tea – A Spiritual Steward

Christ is in our midst!

For those who don’t know me well, the church I attend is the Synod of Bishops Lady of the Sign — it is named after the Kursk Root Icon. July 18 / July 4 is our mission feast day, the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh. While the color of the iced tea might not reflect the green we decorate our chapel with honoring our beloved St. Sergius, it does have a calming and sweet taste like our dear parishioners of St. Sergius mission. This parish is very special to me; it is my home away from home… very soon we are moving to upstate New York and this recipe is a way of honoring my parish mission but my recent California trip as well.

Since the parishioners at the mission stated what they were planning to bring sounded like a Mediterranean theme, at least for the most part, I planned on bringing my gluten free sun dried tomato, artichoke and asparagus brown rice infused with rosemary and bay leaves to align with the Mediterranean vibe we seem to be going for. Because it was hot and humid day here in NYC, I bought strawberry lemonade and iced tea. Then I started thinking… how about some homemade iced tea too? I wanted to make more of an effort to bring something homey, my comforting hygge-style that I lean towards and this certainly did the trick. I know that my husband and I enjoy this; will my parish community enjoy this too? If so, it is a great summer contribution for our Sunday trapezas! After making this many times over the summer, it really was a hit. It was a puzzling taste initially, as my friend Nikita had said, but it was delicious.

Now this recipe was inspired by my current trip to California.

Calming. Sweet. Nourishing. Lovely.

This has probably been the most calming trip that I have ever been on and I desired to keep that vibe going to the best of my ability in NYC this past summer while we are spending our last few months here. It is not the end for us since my husband and I have always found our way back to NYC, but we won’t be living here full time. My dear best friend, whom I consider to be my sister, my “lotus” sister to be exact, just got married! We stayed at a magical paradisal Eden-like property. Deer with enormous mature antlers frolicking amongst the apple trees. Birds chirping and flying about eating from the peach trees. An herbal garden that not only smelled amazing but was beautifully designed with some calla lilies, fennel, asafetida-like plant, varieties of lavender, and fruit trees…and more…being kissed by the various bees! This trip was so refreshing. It was as if God kissed my spirit and hugged my worries away.

The homes on the property were fairytale-like with a Provencal cottage feeling to it. I could see Van Gogh painting here. The gentle yellows, blues, greens, and pink flowers painted on the walls and on the interior decor of the yellow cottage that we stayed at soothed my nervous system. Not only was the place spectacular but so was the company. Everything and everyone was so positive! There were smiles all around. Negativity was not in our dictionary. Finding the positive was. It was a beautiful sight to witness everyone coming together to make my lotus sister and her now husband’s day be filled with love.

Coming back to NYC, my nerves were back on the edge again but this memory has a very special part in my heart. I can still feel the gentleness even as I am back in this harsh city. If I need a gentle reminder of gentleness, I can sip on this tea and or go to my parish to pray in silence… and sip this tea there too. 🙂

A note on sweetness & mulberries

Mulberries are high in sugar for berries but the sugar in mulberries is natural. In fact, these berries are sweet enough to limit the amount of sugar added to some recipes. If you’re looking to control blood glucose levels, you should keep an eye on the sugar and eat mulberries in moderation. I was inspired to use mulberries since I have an abundance of it, desired to give my drink a health boost, and to sprinkle a dash of country charm into my cup since I miss the Eden-like property and my lotus sister so much! Cheers to you my lotus sister, Radhika!

Please enjoy!

with peace and love, Anastasia

Ingredients

Half cup chamomile, dried

8 cup hot water

1 cup dried white mulberries, or to taste

Honey, optional

Directions

Add hot boiling water to the chamomile. Let it steep for 3 – 5 minutes; more than that and the chamomile may taste a bit bitter and will clash with the mulberries.

Once the chamomile has steeped, drain, and place inside your blender container.

Add the mulberries to the now steeped chamomile tea. Allow it to cool down for half hour or so. This gives it time to allow the mulberries to infuse the chamomile tea, the lazy way.

Place infused chamomile tea onto the blender stand. Blend until the mulberries are broken down. Once this is done, place a strainer over a bowl. If it is still hot, wait for it to cool down before placing in the refrigerator. If needed, strain for a second time before placing it in the refrigerator.

Before serving, add desired amount of ice into a cup and pour chamomile – mulberry iced tea into it and enjoy!

A Spiritual Steward