Roasted Dandelion Root Tea Recipes

I used to hate coffee. It smelled amazing but tasted awful. The bitterness made me grimace and I couldn’t fathom why people actually drank it.

Enter the Caribou Caramel Cooler. My Mom drank them often and despite my aversion to coffee, I fell in love with it. Granted, all of the caramel, whipped cream and sugar probably helped a bit.

Once I developed corn allergies, I was greatly disappointed that I could no longer drink Caribou. Determined to still have a bit of my former life, I made my own at home. Although the ones I made were delicious and also healthier than the ones from caribou, I was still having health problems.

In addition to the homemade coolers, I had also experimented with making lattes for those cold winter days we get up here in Minnesota. If I ever got too busy and my latte cooled, I would add a few ice cubes for an iced coffee.

After reading about the health benefits of dandelions, specifically, dandelion roots, I decided to give roasted dandelion root a try. I had no idea what to expect. I was drinking the roasted root of something I’d been taught my whole life was a weed. With my first sip, I grimaced. Yuck!

It was very bitter! How was I going to finish off this cup? I loaded it with honey, my usual go-to for tea. It made it only slightly more palatable.

I continued to drink coffee every day. I decided to try the organic coffee and I noticed immediately the increase of my health problems I determined that coffee was the culprit behind my eczema flare-ups on my hand, the panic attacks and a general feeling of malaise. I decided to kick the habit. I quit cold turkey.

I’m not going to lie, the first day was brutal. I was desperate. I wanted coffee and I wanted it now! Who cares about eczema when coffee was so delicious! Realizing I sounded like an addict, I was even more determined to give it up. Standing at the cupboard, staring longingly at my coffee, I bypassed it for my basket of tea. That’s when I spotted the roasted dandelion root. A lightbulb went off over my head!

Dandelion root tea was bitter, just like coffee! Surely I could treat my tea like coffee and make a latte! I did just that. It wasn’t quite as strong as regular coffee but it was a great substitute!

I began drinking it every day and I no longer felt desperate for coffee. The eczema on my hand went away. My panic attacks became less frequent. I didn’t feel as tired. I felt better!

I experimented with different ways to make dandelion root into different versions of fun coffee-like beverages. My favorite is the mock Caribou Cooler.

Are you trying to kick the coffee habit? Have you tried using Roasted Dandelion Root as an alternative?

Dandelion Latte

1 tea bag (this is what I use!)
mug
boiling water
1 TBSP organic heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP pure maple syrup

Loop tea bag around mug handle. Fill cup 3/4 full with boiling water. Let steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove tea bag and squeeze out remaining liquid. Stir in cream and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Iced Dandelion Latte

1 tea bag
mug
boiling water
1 TBSP organic heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP pure maple syrup
3-4 ice cubes

Iced Cubed Dandelion Latte

1 tea bag
mug
boiling water
1 TBSP organic heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP pure maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut milk

Loop tea bag around mug handle. Fill cup 3/4 full with boiling water. Let steep for 10-15 minutes. Allow tea to cool. Remove tea bag and squeeze out the remaining liquid. Stir in cream and maple syrup. Pour into ice cube tray and allow to freeze completely. Add ice cubes to the brim of a glass. Pour coconut milk over the ice cubes. Enjoy!

Blended Dandelion Latte/Mock Caribou Cooler

Blended Tea

1 tea bag
extra large mug
boiling water
1 TBSP organic heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP pure maple syrup
4-6 ice cubes

Whipped Cream

1/3 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1/2 tbsp maple syrup

Loop tea bag around mug handle. Fill cup 1/2 full with boiling water. Let steep for 10-15 minutes. Allow tea to cool. Remove tea bag and squeeze out the remaining liquid. Pour in blender or ninja single serve cup. Add in cream, maple syrup, and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into mug.

Put whipped cream ingredients in the blender. Blend until just whipped. Do not over whip or you’ll have butter. Spoon whipping cream onto the tea. Enjoy!

I hope you love these recipes as much as I do! You’ll have to let me know if you give them a try!

[enjoyinstagram_mb]

February 2, 2017July 1, 2018

52 Project, Week 4: Socks

This week was a bit more challenging than my other ones. Last week, Mr. Awesome had some stomach problems due to allergies. My poor little buddy was not able to make it to the bathroom fast enough, resulting in a lot of laundry and towels that needed washing. I picked up some probiotics from our local health food store and he is doing much better, thankfully.

In addition, photographing socks was a lot harder than I thought it would be! I had a hard time choosing exactly which socks I would wear. I love socks! I have so many favorites. I have them in all sorts of colors and styles. I ended up trying on 7 different pairs!

My original idea was to photograph my feet on my bed with the TV fireplace screensaver in the background. Oh, how I wish I had a real fireplace! This plan did not work as I had hoped. My feet were too low. I raised up the end up my bed, and thankfully that worked great! However, the screen of the TV does not photograph well.

Scrapping that, I decided to shoot from above, but I was not able to look through my viewfinder and I was guessing at where my feet would be. Princess was jumping around me, gleefully and kept messing up the comforter. She kept jumping on me for hugs too. I can’t resist a good cuddle, so it took a bit longer than I had intended.

Thankfully, the sun was shining and our bedroom was full of bright, natural light. I’m wearing my favorite socks here. They’re cream with tiny, multi-color specks that remind me of sprinkles. I’ve got my favorite bedspread and my favorite tea, roasted dandelion root.

I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining and you have a nice warm pair of socks on your feet if it’s cold out. Do you have a favorite pair of socks?

Previous Week:52 Project, Week 3: Silence
Next Week:52 Project, Week 5, Warmth
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December 22, 2016February 4, 2020

Traditional Medicinal Teas

I love Traditional Medicinal teas for so many reasons. They’re allergy friendly, organic, high quality, formulated by herbalists, they go through 9 levels of quality control testing and they’re delicious! I am not getting paid to say any of this, I simply love them. They contribute to the good health of my family and that is worth sharing.

Almost all of the Traditional Medicinal teas are corn free. This is rare and wonderful. Every other brand I’ve ever tried has been corn-taminated in some way. Having safe, guilt-free, pain-free beverages is such a blessing. Some days, post allergy exposure, I live on nothing but tea. Without them, I would be left with only water, which is good, but it doesn’t fill my appetite. Plus, the tea helps my body heal and recover.

I’ve read some articles about the large amount of teas on the market being heavily sprayed with pesticides. In addition to that, the tea bags themselves are also highly toxic! In response, some companies have gone organic (but not corn free) or have tried using less toxic bags (made from corn). Thankfully, Traditional Medicinals are the best quality I’ve found. They are both corn free and non-toxic.

I’ll run you through a few of my favorites and how I use them. Some teas we drink daily and some are once a week or seasonally. Some we drink for pure enjoyment and others are for specific health reasons. You don’t have to only drink them for their medicinal properties, you can simply have them for the joy of it!

Gypsy Cold Care

This is one of my favorites. I’ve listed it first because this one not only tastes good, but the health benefits are amazing. I started drinking this after my mother gave me the Seasonal Sampler box when I was sick. It really helps kick the cold out. Whenever I’m afraid one of the kids or I’m coming down with something, I brew up a cup to chase away the illness. I like it plain and sometimes with honey. I find it doesn’t need honey and I almost never use it with this tea anymore.

Breathe Easy

I’m listing this one second because I feel it’s incredibly important. With my asthma and my earlier in life penchant for coming down with pneumonia at the drop of a hat, breathing is very important. If I get a cold with a cough or I have allergy exposure that makes it difficult to breathe, this tea is a lifesaver. I’ll make a nice steamy cup, cradle it in my hands, bend over the cup and breathe in the steam. After it cools I’ll sip it slowly to try and prolong my exposure. I do enjoy honey in this one. Honey is great for breathing problems too.

Roasted Dandelion Root

This is my current favorite. I haven’t been able to find corn-free coffee. I love coffee, but if I cheat and drink some, I get incredibly sick. I actually bought this tea because it was on sale and I had been meaning to try it for its health properties. Dandelion root is amazing for detoxifying the liver. Once I tasted it plain, a light bulb went off over my head, it tasted like coffee! Since then, I have not had a single drop of coffee. I drink roasted dandelion root “coffee” every day, it’s so good. I add a little local 100% pure maple syrup and local organic grass fed heavy whipping cream. I have made it for my kids, my family and friends and they all agree with me that it’s amazing.

Throat Coat

This tea is fantastic for sore throats. I think it tastes great, especially with honey. However, my kids are not big fans. They usually complain when I make them a cup. I add extra honey so they’ll drink it. I don’t feel guilty about extra sugar, honey helps to soothe and heal sore throats. Thankfully, this one is part of the seasonal sampler, if you’d like to try a variety of their teas.

Echinacea Plus

If you don’t already know, echinacea is amazing for immune system support.

Lavender Chamomile

When I first saw this tea, I was really excited to try it. I love lavender. I had been looking for a good chamomile to help me relax before bed or when I feel stressed out. This one is soothing and perfect for both of those.

Hibiscus Green Tea

I have read great things about using hibiscus for a healthy heart and also as a vitamin C source. I needed a safe, corn free green tea and went searching for one that was allergy friendly, non-toxic, and affordable. When I stumbled across hibiscus green tea, from traditional medicinals, I was excited to give it a try. It’s a bit more tart than I expected. I use honey and cream to sweeten it. I’m going to make my next batch of Kombucha with it for a little variety.

There are many other great blends made by Traditional Medicinals. I hope that this inspires you to give them a try! Do you drink Traditional Medicinals? What is your favorite? Have you tried any of my favorites for yourself after reading this? Let me know! 🙂