Always a Time to Celebrate!

It's true. We tea lovers are not content with January's National Hot Tea Month. We needed a second month in which to celebrate the glories of our brew. Hence, June's National Iced Tea Month. 

Two Leaves Tea Company have also suggested a Get Out of Your Rut and Try a New Tea Month and Increase Your Mental Flexibility by Sipping Your Tea While Using your Non-Dominant Hand to Hoist Your Mug Month. I'm not sure, however, we can claim more than two months of the year without appearing grasping.

While May is a bit slow as celebratory months go - with Artisan Gelato Lovers perhaps leading the pack - June is a celebratory month for many. Tea lovers share June with Turkey Lovers (now there's a mystery), Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Lovers and Soul Food Lovers.

Anyway, Happy Iced Tea Month! Although I've lately been light in mentioning anything tea-ish (mentions of Steeped aside), look for much tea-talk this month.

For starters, allow me to suggest a few ways to celebrate the next 30 days...

1.  Plant a herbal tea garden -  mint, chamomile, basil and lemon balm - in a container of your choice either for yourself or a friend.
 
2.  Make ice cubes of rose petals or lemon and peppermint. Or, make them from tea so your iced tea remains undiluted.

3.  Master true southern sweet tea: Steep six teabags, 3/4 cup sugar and a pinch of baking soda in two cups boiling water. Let steep for 8-10 minutes. Add six cups cold water. 

4. Invest in a popsicle mold and make tea popsicles by doubling both the amount of loose leaf tea and the steeping time. Add sweetner and any other ingredients your heart desires. Use within a week for the best flavor.

5. Stitch a tea cup and saucer travel caddy from the free pattern found at GLily.com. 

6. Embrace adventure and taste one tea each week you've never before tried.

7. Cook one dish each week using tea as an ingredient. Hint: Use tea instead of water for noodles or gravy. Or, place 1-3 tablespoons of tea in the water when steaming vegetables, fish or rice. 

8. Host a unique tea for an intimate friend: Tea by the Light of the Moon or A Midnight Jammied Garden Tea.

9. Write a tea haiku. I heard a few snickers....it's not hard once you decide there's a haiku waiting to pour from your soul. If you believe, at least part of the three-line and 5-7-5 syllables will come to you. The rest you'll have to work at.

10. Purchase Steeped: The Wanderings & Delights of a Tea Adventurer or And Then It Was Teatime for yourself or a friend. You must have seen this coming.

I was going to add scrub tea stains from grout of kitchen tile but upon reflection, that's clearly a post National Iced Tea Month activity. Hopefully one not cutting too deeply into July's Lasagna Awareness Month.

I've just re-read the above list and it occurs to me it's quite pro-active, brimming with verbs, much doing and the assumption you've taken the month off.  Follow my suggestions and you may well bid June adeiu with feelings of intense accomplishment.

But know this. It is indeed fine to simply be...and think tea.