Brewing your own tea blend can make for a more interesting concoction than store-bought brands; and with the right herbs and spices in your cupboard, you can adapt a recipe depending on your needs that day. See what herbs and spices are best for digestion, relaxation, or whatever ailment needs love at the moment.
Common herbs and spices
You can choose to buy these herbs or grow them, or use what you already have in the spice cabinet. Naturopaths and even some practitioners of Western medicine believe many herbs can have healing properties. Here are the most common herbs and the remedies herbalists believe they can assist in.
- Basil: Anti-inflammatory
- Cardamom: Reduce heartburn
- Chamomile: Relaxation
- Cinnamon: Balance blood sugar and boost metabolism
- Ginger: Alleviate nausea
- Lemongrass: Ease menstrual cramps
- Mint: Digestive aid
- Peppermint: Debloat and soothe upset stomach
- Rosemary: Improve circulation
- Sage: Improve brain function
- Thyme: Antioxidant, antimicrobial
Although there may not be scientific evidence for each treatment, they might inch you closer to a cure. Check with your medical professional before digesting large quantities of any herb. Rare side effects to herbs like ginger include gas, bloating, heartburn, and nausea. These effects are most often linked to the powdered form of herbs and not the solid, natural root of them. Read the side effects of each herb before choosing one herb as your default spice.
See some popular tea combos and the supplies you'll need after the break!
Steeping ginger tea at home is a practically effortless process, since it only calls for two ingredients: sliced ginger root and hot water. There's no need to buy prepackaged, dry ginger tea when you can make the fresh, fuss-free version. While you can scrape the skin off the ginger with a spoon if you'd like, I leave the root as is and rely on a fine mesh tea filter to prevent the papery ginger skins from getting into the tea. Talk about easy!
Here's a quick tip in terms of buying ginger: if you have access to Asian markets, then buy your ginger there. The ginger will be plump and fresh from the high turnaround, and it will be sold at a fraction of the price. This large piece would have cost me upward of $10 at an organic supermarket, but it only cost me 50 cents at my local Chinese grocer. 
I'm going to be blunt: if you're a tea lover and the bulk of your tea purchases are tea bags, then you're doing it wrong. With the exception of some varieties that are only available by the bag, or transporting tea when traveling (tea bags are more convenient and less messy than their loose counterparts), loose-leaf is the way to go. Not only is the quality of tea leaves generally higher — most companies reserve their finest, intact leaves for loose-leaf versus crumbly dregs that can be concealed in a tea bag — but also, ounce for ounce, loose-leaf tea is often more economical. Consider the Republic of Tea's ginger peach black tea: for an extra 50 cents, you can have 
Brewing a cup of tea seems like a no-brainer proposition on the outset, but as anyone who has suffered through a bitter over-steeped cup can tell you, to do it well requires a pinch of know-how. If you have the packaging for a particular variety of tea reference that first to determine its ideal brew time and temperature, otherwise try our handy reference guide below.
Sweet-tart and lush in texture, lemon curd (or any curd for that matter) is one of my all time favorite foods. Thankfully, it's extremely easy and surprisingly quick to make at home, particularly if you have a slight taste for danger. 
While giving any edible gift shows thoughtfulness, care, and the foresight to plan ahead, those that are destined for the breakfast table are my favorite type to give. While they may not be as flashy or festive as most, I'm particularly fond of giving comforting and practical gifts like jams, jellies, and marmalades as a hostess gift, as the next day's breakfast is likely the last thing your host is considering in the rush to prepare for a soiree.
Less bitter than classic orange marmalade (and thus more of a universal crowd-pleaser), this tangy and slightly floral kumquat and Earl Grey marmalade would make for an exceptional gift when paired with a loaf of artisanal (or even better) 
