Monday, November 7, 2016

T Stands For Tisanes


For the past two years I've featured tisanes during T Stands For Tuesday.  Some of you know what tisanes are, and some may never have heard of them.

Tisanes are any herbal tea concoction that is non-caffeinated.  Coffee, along with black, green, yellow, white, and oolong tea all have caffeine (my one vice), but herbal teas do not.  So off I went to my garden to cut my tisanes.  This is orange mint.

Of course, I had to wait until my little new friend left before I cut these leaves and stems away from the parent plant.

Another tisane is my lemon mint.

Soon both were cut back ready for winter.

My chocolate mint was shaded under my blackberries, but I still got a substantial amount.  Enough for many cups of tisane ( herbal tea).

My tisanes are typically lighter than most teas I brew.

The fresh mint even makes a great accompaniment/garnish.

It's a good thing I had this wonderful herbal concoction because I bought some candy corn cupcakes that were much cuter looking than they tasted.

If you want to see where I discuss how to brew tisanes in 2014, go here.  For my 2015 tisanes post go here.

Now it's your turn to share your drink related post.   Any post is acceptable as long as you can relate it, in some way, back to a drink.  Think postcard, movie, fine art, poster art, sketches, digital, hybrid or traditional art, unique teapots, or you might share your garden, or take us with you as you go out and about.   Photos do not have to be taken on Tuesday, but you must link below (direct links only, please) to ensure Bleubeard, the "T" gang, and I visit.  Or drop by to say hello and consider joining us for this weekly event in the future.  We'd love to have you.




 This is Day 8 of AEDM.

24 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

I am sure your freshly brewed teas from your own herbs are a lot tastier than the usual packets we can buy in the shops. Your cup cakes look lovely, pity they didn't taste so goo. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

Let's Art Journal said...

Your herbal concoction tea looks wonderful and although I have heard of tisane tea before I didn't know what it was so thank you! I love your new little friend too :-). Wishing you a Happy T Day! J :-)

Lisca said...

Oh lovely! That's the way I drink my tea (I still call my tisane: tea. but I don't drink real tea). I have potted mint too and a few leaves in the teapot make a wonderful drink. Here in Spain they call it 'infusion' and they pick anything from the garden: majoram, thyme, verbena (here called hierba luisa) etc and put it in the teapot.
Your cupcakes look nice. I don't know what candycorn is but it looks like a cupcake with a meringue on top.
Thank you for the lovely tisane,
Happy T-Day,
Lisca

Anonymous said...

Lovely mints, one of those plants we can always count on. Cute cupcakes. xox

Cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.com said...

I love tisanes too..........I may go have a cup now.....too bad the cupcakes weren't so good because they are very cute.

Linda Kunsman said...

Your tisane plants look so lovely as does your tea. My only caffeine is my coffee in the AM and then it's the herbal(decafe) teas for me, besides water. The cupcakes do look good but not being a fan of sweets-and particularly candy corn I would have passed! Happy T day!

My name is Erika. said...

I had heard the word tisanes but didn't know what it was. I will say I love herbal tea made with tisanes. I bet yours was wonderful. There's nothing better than fresh mint tea or fresh lemon grass tea is great too. Happy T day and happy Tuesday! Hugs-Erika

Karla B said...

We drink tisane tea a lot here and if a baby has got any kind of colic, he's given tisane. Herbal tea as well as coffee is part of our lives. It's a sor of tradition.

Helen said...

I am a traditionalist with tea, it has to be "proper" tea with milk and sugar; I don't like flavoured teas, be they herb or fruit.. but I am glad you enjoyed yours with your disappointing cake.

Divers and Sundry said...

Your mint looks good! Every time I hear the word "tisane" I think of the David Suchet Poirot character :)

johanna said...

i do commit i prefer coffee over tea. and herbal Teas are my choice mostly when i´m Feeling ill or not well. but it is good you can grow your tisane yourself, so you know what you get - organic!
happy t-day!

froebelsternchen said...

Lucky Lady that you grow your own teas !
I try for my very first time to overwinter the lemon-basil plant, which I bought this year.
We will see if it makes it. I brewed it's fresh leaves as well some time ago - we call it Aufguss or Infuso in German.Tasted good - and even a cold brew was fine. Just put it in cold water with some lemon slices in summer - and let it in the fridge for some hours - so refreshing to drink.
I don't know candy corn cupcakes - they look nice - but's for sure the same as it is with people-- not all who look nice and beautiful taste nice and beautiful ....lol.

Happy T-Day dear Elizabeth!
oxo Susi

Bridget Larsen said...

I saw a chocolate mint plant and wondered what I could,use it for, now I know

Meggymay said...

Your herbal teas look really inviting. I would love to taste that chocolate mint. Its good that you can over winter your mother plants.
Traditional tea is first on my list of teas, but I do like the herb teas especially on a hot day in summer.
Happy T day
Yvonne xx

Lorraine said...

how delicious

Claudia W | ImagesByCW said...

Mmmhmm, those tisanes sound very enticing. I always wanted to make my own 'flavored water' as in cold drink. Maybe I should look up a how-to. Then again, it is getting cold now, so tisanes should be better.
I probably have a drink recipe on my blog, but it most likely is an alcoholic one, hope that is o.k. too for the link up.

Jeanie said...

I prefer tisane to more intense tea but I don't think I've ever made my own. Very nice post -- your herbs look great!

Halle said...

That mint looks so refreshing....what a great shot of the lady bug too! I'm skipping tea today but will be back next week!
Happy T day to you!

Dianne said...

This sounds and looks heavenly...I love herbal tea. Interested to know if the chocolate mint has much of a chocolate taste? Love the tea cup too...it looks vintage. Sadly I must admit I haven't accomplished much with my flower pots this year. they are still in a bedraggled state. have been picking up LOTS of cottonwood twigs and dealing with leaves! Happy T day dear ♥

Krisha said...

Interesting post, as usual E.
Happy T-day

Rita said...

I love the sound of the first two, but I have tried chocolate mint and didn't care for it. Love that you grow and make your own! :)

NatureFootstep said...

I recognize those leaves but I can´t figure out what it is. :)

Cazzy said...

Hi Elizabeth and Bleubeard,

I love tissanes too, but a lot of my different mint plants died last winter and I haven't been anywhere to replace them this year.

Those cakes are so cute, I can't eat cakes thank goodness because I eat too much other stuff that makes me fat!

Carol

Gatepost productions said...

Tissanes is a new word to me! I never knew they were called that.

We grow a Tashkent Mint which we chop up tiny, mix with a tiny drop of boiled water, that dissolves the white sugar we add, before putting it into malt vinegar; served with lamb.

My wife drinks various 'fruit tea' - cranberry and orange, lemon and ginger etc.

I drink Assam tea (Indian) - made with boiling filtered water, brewed until the spoon almost dissolves in it. Then drunk scalding hot with a dash of skimmed (fat-less) milk. Caffeine rich!!