A Children's Tea

" 'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

- John Howard Payne, "The Maid of Milan" 

One of my favorite parts of our homeschool day is our afternoon quiet hour.

Usually our formal 'school work' is complete by this time, and with no noise coming from music or the TV, we can spend the hour silently reading and resting.

It's been abnormally cold here lately, so on days where we go out for a walk, or have to drive to town for an appointment, it feels wonderful to come back and have a quiet hour. 

"Listen! the wind is rising,

and the air is wild with leaves,

We have had our summer evenings,

now for October eves!"

- Humbert Wolfe, "Autumn"

The other day we came home from running an errand out in the cold. We were chilled and happy to be home. A warm drink sounded restorative, and like it just might hit the spot.

I don't like for my children to have caffeine, and I didn't have any hot cocoa on hand, so we thought we'd try an experiment.

A homemade children's tea...

???

I didn't have a recipe, or a real clear idea of what the outcome would be...

But we assembled a few ingredients.

I cut up a few apples and pears that I had in the fridge...

And decided to simmer them in a pot of water along with a fresh cinnamon stick.

I figured I'd just scoop the fruit out at the end and we'd drink the warm juice.

But when I came back to check on it, (after about 30 minutes) it looked like this!...

Oh no!!!

The apples were disintegrating!

I should have known better. I used mackintosh apples because that's what I had on hand. But they were too soft of an apple for this.

We worked together to fish everything out with a strainer...

Yep, this is an experiment alright. Our own little concoction...

The pears stayed perfectly intact though, so we thought we'd let them simmer a little longer.

One of the children remarked how we should plop in a few strawberries, since our apples didn't work out.

"Why not?" I said. "We're in this together!" Haha.

So into the pot went a few strawberries...

(It was a good idea because it turned the liquid a more attractive shade of pinkish-red.)

"What everyone needs after a long day is time to decompress. The kitchen is the ideal place, especially during fall and winter when it can be bitterly cold outside. The warmth from the stove is a welcome relief."

- Diana Rosen, "Taking Time for Tea"

After a little more simmer time, we scooped out the rest of the fruit. Then mixed in 1/3 c. of sugar...

We were ready to try it!

Cheers!

"This, then, is what tea time means to me: the embrace of friendship, quiet contemplation, and the sustenance that can bring inner serenity and peace."

- Diana Rosen, "Taking Time for Tea"

We thought we'd treat ourselves to a real tea time, complete with a bite of something sweet...

"We need time to dream,

Time to remember,

Time to reach for the infinite.

Time to be."

- Gladys Taber

What do you think, Soren?...

Our tea turned out rather delicious!

I was pleasantly surprised!

Of course, this wasn't a true tea made from actual tea leaves. It was more of an infusion of sorts.

But the children felt very proud and grown-up to call it "tea".

It tasted fruity and sweet.

I would definitely make it again, only next time I will remember to use a sturdier apple! *eye roll

While we had our tea time, I encouraged the children to contemplate our blessings.

I remind my children regularly that we do not deserve any of the good things we enjoy in life.

They are gifts from the Lord.

"Every good and perfect gift comes down from above."

- James 1:17

I wish to foster a sense of gratitude in my children (and myself!) rather than entitlement.

So we talk about this often.

I will ask them, "What are some of the blessings in your life? Isn't it wonderful that you can see, taste, and hear? Did you do anything to deserve a loving family or this safe home? No. The Lord has blessed us with these gifts. What other blessings can you think of?"

After our little talk I cleaned the kitchen and poured the rest of our experiment into a container to save for a future time.

Have your ever made anything like this, friends?

What can you tell me that might help us the next time we try to make it?

What are the best kinds of fruits to use?

Do you sweeten it with sugar, or is honey better?

I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

Until next time...

xo,

~ Courtney ~