HOW WE SIP

how we sip Issue 1.3 | Summer 2021

ICED TEA Sweet tea, lemon wedge, or sun-kissed? Learn about how to make a refreshing glass.

BRUNCH + TEA TIME

Impress your friends with a delicious brunch and tea is definitely on the menu.

SELF CARE SIPS How to pour into your own cup as the temps rise and things return to "normal".

how we sip Summer 2021

Editor In Chief — Brandi Shelton Contributing Artists and Photographers Alexa Gilbert Tia Haynes Brandi Shelton Ashley Thai

how we sip is published by just add honey inc. All rights reserved. American Copyright 2021 by just add honey inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any manner without the permission from the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

06 HISTORY OF ICED TEA Do you know the history of the "champagne of the South"? We didn't either! Read about it here first.

14 TEA BRUNCH Let's plan a tea brunch! Pull out your teapots and invite your tea loving friends for a lovely afternoon spread.

18 SELF CARE SIPS Pour into youself with these self care tips.

22 GET LOST Read about the beautiful tea fields of India and travel with the tea lady.

editor's note

Hello hello TEAlovers!

I am so excited to bring you our newest adventure with just add honey tea company, HOW WE SIP. While enjoying a cup of tea one morning, I found myself mindlessly scrolling through social media.

To be honest, the last year has been a social media mind dump. It's where I would go fill the time. This season of life has comsumed us all, am I right (hello new dance moves)?

When I noticed my habits, I made a concious effort to put down my phone

and pick up

reading material. A book felt heavy and during my morning cup, I didn't have time to get lost in the pages. I really just wanted something light while I sipped.

I loved (and still love) magazines. A beautiful cover. A tear out page or two. Great recipes.

Fun facts. Stories from around the world. A quick way to get lost while still being present.

With a background in print media (I have so many backgrounds. We'll save that for another editor's note) and a love for tea, I thought I would combine the two worlds.

HOW WE SIP is a way to sip and savor the lives of TEAlovers around the world while getting lost in your own. It's the perfect companion to your morning cup, your daily commute, or your self care moment. It allows you to be present with your cup of tea (or glass of wine - no judgement!).

Brandi Shelton Brandi Shelton EDITOR

IN

CHIEF

SUMMER HAS A FLAVOR LIKE NO OTHER. ALWAYS FRESH AND SIMMERED IN SUNSHINE. - OPRAH WINFERY

SIP SIP HOORAY

You

HISTORY OF

may

have

heard

iced

tea

was

invented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St.

Iced Tea

Louis.

From

our

research,

it’s

more

appropriate to describe it as “iced tea was

popularized”

recipe

books

at

and

the

other

Fair

because

materials

refer

to iced tea long before 1904.

Since the late 1800s, Americans in the southern part of the US have enjoyed cold tea. They would let hot tea cool down in the summertime and drink the cooler tea.

If they could afford ice, they added ice to cool it even more.

At the World’s Fair in 1904 an Englishman named Richard Blechnyden had a tea pavilion to promote Indian black teas. At the time Chinese green tea was popular in the Midwest and other parts of the US, but black tea was not as well known.

During

that

summer

there

was

a

heat

wave

in

St.

Louis,

and

few

visitors

were

interested in the hot black tea. Blechynden decided to buy blocks of ice, make ice chips and serve iced tea. People loved the refreshing, cold black tea!

FEATURES

3 Easy Ways to Make Iced Tea

1

COLD BREW steep your tea overnight in the fridge and you'll never turn on the stove again!

2

SUN TEA find a sunny window and watch the

magic happen! perfect for herbal teas, this sweet tradition is how grandma used to make it.

3

POUR OVER no time to wait? this method is perfect

in a pinch. it will require a little more tea to offer you lots of flavor, but it's perfect when you can't wait.

how we sip Summer 2021

YOU BE MY SUGAR, BABY I'LL BE YOUR SWEET ICED TEA YOU'LL BE MY HONEYSUCKLE I'LL BE YOUR HONEY BEE

BLAKE SHELTON, "HONEY BEE"

HIBISCUS

hibiscus flowers are known by many names in countries around the world and can be enjoyed both hot and iced. known for its color, tanginess and flavor, hibiscus is the definition of refreshing! naturally caffeine free. ingredients :: organic Egyptian hibiscus - Nile River Delta

ORDER ONLINE ::WWW.JUSTADDHONEY.NET

ENJOY A SIP OF

what's in season

june

apricots avocados basil beets blueberries - wild blueberry tea anyone? cabbage cherries xitrus fruits corn mangos peaches - georgia peaches, am I right?! peas radishes strawberries - strawberry kiwi, strawberry breeze, awake summer squash tomatoes

what's in season

july

avocados basil blackberries blueberries - wild blueberry tea anyone? cabbage cherries corn cucumber eggplant melons plums raspberries strawberries - strawberry kiwi, strawberry breeze, awake summer squash watermelon tomatoes - farmer's market iced sounds delicous right now

what's in season

august apriots avocados blackberries blueberries - wild blueberry tea anyone? carrots cantaloupe cherries corn cucumber eggplant grapes green beans kale mango - let's sip mango rose by the pool melons peaches peppers plums potatoes radishes raspberries summer squash tomatoes - farmer's market iced sounds delicous right now

Plan your menu, invite your friends, pour the tea from white tea to waffles, let us help you host the perfect afternoon tea soiree

SELECT THE TEA Pick an assortment of teas based on caffeine levels.

CHAI - is spicy black tea that is full of flavor - perfect for guests that need a mid morning pick me up MANGO ROSE - a delicate white tea with rose petals and dried mango pieces MINT TO BE - peppermint and spearmint round out a delicious herbal tea - naturally caffeine free

MAKE A MENU

TEA TIP have an assortment of milk choices for your black tea to make a fun latte

Now that you've pulled out your teapots and china, it's time to set the table.

WAFFLES - make a few batches ahead so can enjoy tea time with your guests FRESH FRUIT - full of color for the table and garnish for your waffles, seasonal fruit is the perfect brunch accompaniment EGGS - scrambled, over easy, boiled, poached; ask your guests their preference to surprise them with their favorite at the table MEAT - prepare your bacon in the oven for the perfect wavy look that will impress your friends

SET THE TABLE

FANCY WITHOUT THE FUSS, make the table beautiful with these following items.

TEA CUPS - they do not have to match.

SOMETHING SWEET - sugar cubes and just add honey FLOWERS - mini bouquets of fresh flowers offer a table scape that is beautiful and fragrant.

how we sip

Easy Like Sunday Morning Waffles These Easy Fluffy Homemade Waffles are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside and full of buttery vanilla flavor! Our whole family can’t get enough of these delicious waffles!

Ingredients 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour 1/4 cup (52g) sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted Challenge butter PHOTOGRAPHY :: Alexia Gilbert

2 cups (480ml) milk 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions 1. Preheat your waffle iron and set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, add the butter and few tablespoons of the milk. Melt the butter in the microwave and stir to combine it with the milk.

4. Add the butter mixture to the rest of the milk, then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk together to combine. Don’t over mix. A few lumps are fine.

6. Add waffle mix to your hot waffle iron and cook according to your waffles iron’s instructions.

7. Serve warm!

RECIPE SHARED FROM:: lifeloveandsugar.com

1

SELF CARE SIPS

Let your voice be your journal! Open the voice memo on your phone and share the random thoughts in your head. Spend five minutes allowing your words to take over without any judgement.

2 3

Savor each sip.

Taste the flavors. Let each ingredient dance on your tounge and guess where one flavor ends and the next one begins.

Be still. Sometimes you just need a quiet moment. Put away your phone.

Ignore your to-do-list. Give yourself five minutes of solitude to enjoy your cup, your time, your peace.

Cheers! how we sip

ORDER ONLINE ::WWW.JUSTADDHONEY.NET

ENJOY A SIP OF

DANDELION

reduces stress levels . reduces fever . improves digestion . prevents nausea and vomiting . boosts immune system . removes bad breath

IT'S GOOD FOR YOU

CALENDULA

THE SUMMER HERB YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED have you heard of calendula? it's a bright beautiful flower with petals that have medicinal properties that help fight the Summer time sunburn, bug bites, and seasonal allergies.

Drinking calendula tea is reported to help heal sore throats.

Use calendula tea as an eye rinse for itchy eyes due to seasonal allergies and dryness.

Dip a small cloth into your tea and apply as a compress to sun burned, itchy, or inflamed skin.

Calendula tea can safely be used on most nonpregnant animals as a soothing rinse for flea bites, itchy coats, or scratches and scrapes.

SUNBURN SALVE First, create an infused oil by adding dried or fresh plant parts into a glass jar and filling it with olive oil.

Then, place the jar in a warm, sunny window a few weeks before your beach day {the sunlight helps to break down the plant parts}.

Shake the jar at least once a day and then, when you're ready to use it, strain the mixture and bottle it in a new container.

Use the oil directly on your skin or make the infused oil into the base for a salve by combining it with coconut oil or an unscented moisturizer.

recipe from :: Herbal Academy

how we sip

you can't buy happiness but you can buy tea

AND THAT'S KIND OF THE SAME THING

Get Lost The trip to India wasn't planned but it had been

I quickly learned that I needed a Visa to travel to

planned for years. The Universe has a funny way of

India and moved the date back by two days to

saying "just do it"!

ensure that I'd have it in time for my departure.

I wanted to travel to tea growing countries for

Once the paperwork was done, I checked off other

years. It never felt like the right time. I didn't want

travel need off of my list.

to travel alone. Would I really spend a bunch of

Hotel. Transportation. Tea. Places of Interest. Tea.

money to see tea leaves? All of these thoughts

History. Culture. More Tea. Food. Connections. And

floated in my head and I talked myself out of the

of course, Tea. Check. Check. Check.

trip. Each and every time. I even created another

I arrived in Mumbai in the wee hours of the night

company, Tea Experience Adventures (spelled TEA)

and chose a very local accommodation to rest my

to share curated tours for tea lovers around the

eyes for a few hours. A cow relaxed outside of my

world. I did all of the things but couldn't take my

hotel and greeted me upon my check out. I found a

first trip.

nearby restaurant to get a feel for my surroundings

Then as luck would have it, a TEAlover that I've

and find a hotel that didn't have animals as the

never met, stopped into our retail cafe and said out

welcoming and departure committee.

of nowhere (but definitely somewhere), "You know

I hailed a rickshaw (an open air taxi run by locals)

what would be cool? If you could take customers

to my hotel, settled for minute, and began

around the world and see where the tea comes

exploring the bustling city of Mumbai. A local daily

from". So casual. So nonchalant. Her words filled

farmers market on display showcased the beautiful

the room. Her words lit a fire. And the adventure

crops that are native to Northwesten India. Herbs

began.

and spices were spilling over baskets as merchants

I hopped online and quickly purchased my flight. I

waited for shoppers to select their best harvest.

am extremly spontaneous but hate wasting money

Saris and chickens shared stalls. Kids laughed as

so this was my insurance to act on my fears. I

thier parent traded ruppies for goods. Sounds of

purchased a ticket that gave me enough time to

their native tounge filled the spaces in between and

plan the trip but little room to change my mind.

I felt alive. My feet were in India. I didn't have

And just like that, I was headed to my unplanned

enough eyes to take it all in.

planned trip to see tea fields in India.

of tea fields on either side of the road. Nirvanna.

I sat at a 90 degree angle for every single mile. As the fields zipped past me, I studied every formation, every terrain, and every shade of green that the leaves created from the bush. I rolled down the window to try to savor the smell of fresh tea fields.

We visited family owned farms and large vast fields.

From 25 to 60 thousands acres, each field looked and felt different. My driver asked each time we stopped, "You want to see this one too?" Yes, my friend. I want to see each and every field.

On one pit stop, we met to beautiful brown women, laboring in the fields. My American skin felt warm in the open Indian air while these women were fully coved and protected their porcelain bronze skin from the sun and tea field elements.

As they nodded, I smiled. They work with me.

Without them, my business doesn't exist. I felt full.

I felt a wave of gratitude. I allowed a tear to roll down my cheek and smiled wider. They smiled in return and invited me to learn how to harvest tea I slipped in and out of small tea rooms while I

leaves. I had to slow down my breath to stop my

people watched daily life in Mumbai. After two days

heart from exploding. Yes please.

of wander, I flew to Kerla to met my driver that

They walked me through the process. One of the

would take me to Instagramable tea fields of

ladies held my hands while I cut the two leaves and

Southern India.

a bud. We smiled. We laughed. They didn't speak

He was a sweet gentleman who shared interesting

English and I couldn't understand their native

information about the towns we traveled through

tongue, but in that moment we spoke the language

but gave me quiet when the hum of the car lulled

of tea. It was a movement in the fields that felt

me to sleep.

familiar; like family.

We chatted over chai at tea stands along the side of

Everything about the visit to India was delightful. I

the road. We sipped a beer at an American hotel. I

learned more about the leaves, process, and leaf to

learned how to pray in a mosque. This was all

cup experience. I spent a day exploring herbs and

before I saw one tea leaf. I was full. My heart was

spices. I ate cinnamon bark off of a tree. I plucked

happy.

cardamon pods from its blooming flower. I pulled

On our next day, as we drove through towns, I

ginger out of the dirt.

drifted in and out of my usual nap. I woke to rows

Every meal and every day life warmed my heart.

The experience was magical. It is like time stood still

While people went about their daily activities, I

long enough for me to take each second in.

felt full from sounds that became familiar like

From snapping a selfie in every inch of the tea fields to

prayer blaring from the neighborhood speakers. I

each and every sip. From a young leaf to aged fields

loved getting to know a merchanct and enjoying a

older than myself, the uniqueness of the leaves are

roadside cup of chai and a greasy savory snack.

tattooed on my heart .

During one tea field stop, I had a formal tasting that allowed me to sample every cut of the tea leaf.

Classified by grade, the same leaf offered a different taste with every cut. Flowery dust, golden orange pekoe, and textures in between, like fine wine, the tea leaves gave a new flavor with each sip.

I loved being up close and personal with the leaf that feeds my family {immediate and staff}, warms our hearts, and quenches our thirst grow so plentiful and beautifully along the countryside.

It's bright and vibrant leaves have provided so much more than a cup. It is a commodity that I never took for granted but created a more intimate relationship with during this trip.

how we sip

ies r o Mem a ndi I m fro lton di She ran by :: B n e t t i wr

artwork by :: Tia Haynes

HOW WE SIP

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