Simpler's Red; Vol. 1

Stave off a cold, boost your immune system, and fight joint pain and inflammation. It doesn’t sound as simple as the title implies, right? Oh but it is.

A ‘simple’ in herb speak is a remedy that consists of one single herb. I always thought of it as a remedy that didn’t complicate things, just short and sweet. --Ah, got a nice sword wound, eh? Meh, throw some yarrow on it. You’ll be alright.

A ‘Simpler’ then, you would think, would be a herbalist that uses one herb at a time, but I have come to know it more to mean a person that just doesn’t complicate things with fancy gadgets and exact measurements to the micro-gram. Formulas are something we have practiced and practiced as we got to know our Materia Medica from the inside out. So, I’m a Simpler. I like it. I own it. I rock it.

The Simpler's Series is something I started about two years ago when I wanted a tea that was as enjoyable to watch steep as it was medicinal and actually tasty. There’s an element of magic in that process alone and this tea makes it that much more fun. That being said, you should start your water on the stove to the point just before boiling. We don't want scalding hot water to damage the fragile good stuff. Collect your Hibiscus Flower, Elderberries, Rose Hips, Orange Peel, and Cinnamon Chips and lets get started.

Hibiscus flower is glorious to watch as it turns your tea water a beautiful shade of red. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, aids in digestion and helps in reducing stress. It tastes a lot like cranberries and has some serious vitamin C power, 43.6 mg per 8 oz cup compared to the 51.1 mg in a small orange. That’s pretty impressive! Toss four parts in a ceramic or glass bowl.

When I say ‘parts’ what I mean is, grab a measuring device. A stainless steel measuring spoon will do. We’re keeping it simple, remember? Now fill it and throw that into your bowl as many times as there are ‘parts’.

Elderberries are next. What awesome little things they are too. Did you know that they have components that can actually stop flu virus from infecting cells and inhibit multiplication from the cells that had already been infected? Amazing. Along with anti-viral, they are also anti inflammatory, antioxidant and aid in stress reduction. Throw two parts in with your hibiscus flower.

Rose Hips! If you’ve never made rose hip jam you totally should. I’ll tell you how soon. It’s great stuff and has a little bit of a cranberry flavor to it. Super high in vitamin C but you’re getting a lower dose of it by using dried hips. That’s ok. In this tea you’re getting a ton in the hibiscus. They’re also high in vitamin E and other antioxidants that hibiscus doesn’t have so don’t count the dried hips out. They also aid in digestion, which might be why they are so freaking awesome at breakfast time on an english muffin, and definitely one of the reasons I included it in this formula. Put two parts in your blend.

Orange Peel is next. I wanted the peel because it’s pretty tart and goes so well with the cranberry flavor we have going on. The peel prevents and helps relieve preexisting heartburn and it doesn't have the sugars that you get with orange juice. I count that as a win. Orange peel also aids in circulation. When you have an infection like the flu or a cold it can stress the heart and raise blood pressure and we just don’t need or really want more complications when we are trying to stay healthy. Put one part of dried orange peel in your blend.

Cinnamon chips tie this all together. It’s the stimulant that gets all the other herbal constituents motivated to get in there and do their stuff, and it ties all the flavors together so they just flow smoothly. If you don't have chips, break sticks into little ¼ inch pieces and it will do the same thing. Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory. Throw one part into your mix.

There are times that we catch warding off the cold or flu a little too late. If it’s already present hopefully the Elderberries will prevent it all from growing and migrating around our systems and the four powerhouse anti-inflammatories can help keep the pain at bay. I strongly recommend that only two or three cups of this tea be drunk in a 24 hour period until you know how you respond to hibiscus as well as elderberries. Both, if taken in excess have caused me a bit of loose stool which makes me sad because I love this tea so much, however it makes that third and final cup for the day in my self-imposed limit that much more special.

If you have a glass teapot, please use that. It’s not a health thing, it’s really just so you can watch the water turn color in little red ribbons. It’s so pretty. I will sit there and watch it steep like I watched the first lava lamp blub about when I was a little girl. My daughter’s cat got a little sassy one day and pushed my glass teapot off the shelf I had it displayed on, so now I actually use the second french press I bought because one pot for coffee just didn't seem like enough for three coffee drinkers. Pour your almost boiling water in. Add your herbs to that and cover for about fifteen minutes. Now strain out your herbs (or just push down the plunger on your french press) and pour yourself a cup. I use local honey to sweeten, but any sweetener will do if you’re adverse to honey.

To make your life easier, here is the recipe without all the words in the way:

The Simpler’s Series, Simpler’s Red; Vol. 1

• 4 parts Hibiscus Flower
• 2 parts Elderberries
• 2 parts Rose Hips
• 1 part Orange Peel
• 1 part Cinnamon Chips (or break sticks into little chunks)