Aug-tember: Our favorite month(s)!
Ahh, August and September! This time of the year is beloved by farmers for many reasons. Both months bring such bounty and beauty! Here at Light of Day, we are in full-swing, all hand on deck, "matcha overload mode" during August, and as Labor Day weekend comes as goes, we smoothly downshift into a comforting fall season. We hope you were able to spend quality time with loved ones over the holiday.
Within our Tea Shop, we have had some of our best sales days in August, but more importantly, we reflect back onto some of the most nourishing and connected interactions with our loving clientele. We hope that our client base (that's you!) understands how we, our staff, truly cherish the time we spend with you. Time spent learning and slurping tea at the tea bar, sniffing tins at the smell bar, and sharing our stories while walking the grounds together-that's our passion. After the hustle & bustle of August, September often provides a much-needed pause for reflection and gratitude. For us, there is no better feeling than chatting with our clients, learning their stories, sharing tea, and building relationships.
So, Aug-tember, we salute you, you bountiful, beautiful dichotomy!
Within our Tea Shop, we have had some of our best sales days in August, but more importantly, we reflect back onto some of the most nourishing and connected interactions with our loving clientele. We hope that our client base (that's you!) understands how we, our staff, truly cherish the time we spend with you. Time spent learning and slurping tea at the tea bar, sniffing tins at the smell bar, and sharing our stories while walking the grounds together-that's our passion. After the hustle & bustle of August, September often provides a much-needed pause for reflection and gratitude. For us, there is no better feeling than chatting with our clients, learning their stories, sharing tea, and building relationships.
So, Aug-tember, we salute you, you bountiful, beautiful dichotomy!
Our Aug-tember issue includes:
~Tea of the Month Feature
~Tea of the Month Staff Recipe (plus a bonus client recipe!)
~Tea Farm events lineup
~Special Light of Day Organics feature video
~What's in Bloom?
Featured Tea of the Month:
*Bumble Blossom Oolong*
(...an Oolong tea offering)
Previously known as our Almond Oolong, we removed the almonds to allow our facility to become a nut-free facility, while keeping the lovely fruity notes of tea plants grown in close proximity to a peach orchard! One of the many reasons we love our pollinators!
100% Certified Organic Ingredients: Oolong tea leaves, Biodynamic red top clover
Blender’s Notes: Peachy-notes. A deeply oxidized wirely Oolong Tea that is naturally caffeinated. Blended with our certified Demeter Biodynamic Red Top Clover Blossoms. This is one of our favorite teas for summertime iced tea.
*Remember when ordering loose teas, that there are approximately 200 servings per pound (or that 1 oz. of loose leaf tea or tisane makes 15-25 servings)*
*Click here to order Bumble Blossom Oolong today!
Featured Tea of the Month: Staff Recipe!
Bumble Blossom Oolong-Infused Butter!
This was a truly fun and adventurous endeavor! Use this infused tea butter in baking recipes when regular butter is called for, or top baked goods with this rich and smooth treat! The uses are endless, and other teas can be used to suit a particular dish! This butter was used to make lucious peach pancakes and was used within the recipe, as well as on top of the cakes (that were paired with local elderberry syrup)! Another idea: infuse butter with a citrus tea, like our Tulsi Citrus Soother, and pair the citrus tea butter with a flaky whitefish entree.
Get creative and pair away!
*This recipe was featured by Stephani Pollack on her website, "The Cupcake Project", and was originally developed by Robert Wemischner, author of "Cooking with Tea".
His article, "A Bit of Tea Alchemy", can be found here :)
Directions (with pictures when necessary):
1) Measure out ingredients (one Tbsp of organic, unsalted butter for every tsp of tea, noting that the tea leaves will absorb some butter and you will lose some butter volume)
2) Place butter in saucepan, slowly melting on the lowest heat
3) Just as butter is completely melted, add tea and stir to combine
4) Let simmer on lowest heat for about five minutes, watching for infusion/color
5) Turn heat off and let cool in saucepan, maybe another five minutes (do not let harden in pan)
6) Pour mixture into a fine sieve (with catch vessel below) to drain, pressing down hard onto the leaves
7) Here is the beautifully infused golden tea butter in liquid form!
8) Allow to harden in fridge, then cover with parchment paper and refrigerate!
9) Add to any recipe that calls for butter, or use as a spread topping. The results were silky, aromatic, and delicious. Enjoy!
Recipe lovingly contributed by LOD staff member, Kristen!
Light of Day Organics Farm & Tea Shop Upcoming Events
We have several classes that are held at the farm, right in our on-site classroom yurt! We are excited to offer tea wellness classes every other Saturday thru October!
Click here to read more in-depth class descriptions and register online for any of the following classes:
September Offerings:
-September 9th, 2-4pm: OOLONG TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
-September 23rd, 2-4pm: BLACK TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
October Offerings:
-October 7th, 2-4pm: PU-ERH TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
-October 21st, 1-4pm: BIODYNAMICS Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
Our class offerings are a wonderful way to gather friends & family and spend a day together at the farm, reconnecting, replenishing, and sharing!
Register online today by clicking here!
Special Release: Light of Day Organics to be
advertised on all American Airlines flights THIS fall!
Click here to watch a short video
that will be featured on every
American Airlines flight in October and November 2017!
Be on the lookout!
What's in Bloom?
This was a truly fun and adventurous endeavor! Use this infused tea butter in baking recipes when regular butter is called for, or top baked goods with this rich and smooth treat! The uses are endless, and other teas can be used to suit a particular dish! This butter was used to make lucious peach pancakes and was used within the recipe, as well as on top of the cakes (that were paired with local elderberry syrup)! Another idea: infuse butter with a citrus tea, like our Tulsi Citrus Soother, and pair the citrus tea butter with a flaky whitefish entree.
Get creative and pair away!
*This recipe was featured by Stephani Pollack on her website, "The Cupcake Project", and was originally developed by Robert Wemischner, author of "Cooking with Tea".
His article, "A Bit of Tea Alchemy", can be found here :)
Directions (with pictures when necessary):
1) Measure out ingredients (one Tbsp of organic, unsalted butter for every tsp of tea, noting that the tea leaves will absorb some butter and you will lose some butter volume)
2) Place butter in saucepan, slowly melting on the lowest heat
3) Just as butter is completely melted, add tea and stir to combine
4) Let simmer on lowest heat for about five minutes, watching for infusion/color
5) Turn heat off and let cool in saucepan, maybe another five minutes (do not let harden in pan)
6) Pour mixture into a fine sieve (with catch vessel below) to drain, pressing down hard onto the leaves
7) Here is the beautifully infused golden tea butter in liquid form!
8) Allow to harden in fridge, then cover with parchment paper and refrigerate!
9) Add to any recipe that calls for butter, or use as a spread topping. The results were silky, aromatic, and delicious. Enjoy!
Recipe lovingly contributed by LOD staff member, Kristen!
**Bonus**
Aug-tember Client Recipe!
Bumble Blossom Oolong Lavendar Peach Kombucha!
We truly love and appreciate our clients! We especially love when they circle back and let us know the fun, innovative ways our tea is woven into their lives.
One such client is Leelanau local, Katie Nehil! She is a yoga instructor and herbalist, and recently shared how she uses Light of Day Organics' Bumble Blossom Oolong to create her homebrew Kombucha! Read below for her peaceful peachy recipe!
"I am fairly new to the process of home Kombucha, so I am eager to try new recipes and combinations. I enjoy using Light of Day Teas in my blends because I know that the teas are grown with organic loving kindness. I know that Angela Macke, and the staff at Light of Day, work very hard to ensure a quality product, and it makes me feel good to support local, organic, biodynamic agriculture.
I have successfully brewed Kombucha with Light of Days' Coffee Convert and Namaste from Nepal. This blend utilizes Bumble Blossom Oolong. I love the soft stone fruit aroma of the Bumble Blossom that comes through without added oils or resins (teas that contain added oils should be avoided...they will suffocate and kill your SCOBY...see below for SCOBY info).
-To begin, I brewed a large pot of Bumble Blossom Oolong- approximately 1/2-3/4 of a gallon. This required about 3-4 TBS of loose tea. Once the tea was strong and flavored, I removed the tea bags and added 1 cup of Organic White Cane Sugar and stirred to dissolve.
Allow to fully cool.
-Hours later, in another pan, I sterilized one half gallon, and one quart size glass mason jar by boiling water method (place jars in pan and cover with water, bring to rolling boil,
boil for a minimum of 10 minutes).
-Add cooled, sweetened tea to these sterilized jars
-Gently place SCOBY in jars. For the larger jar, I added two smaller SCOBYs
(what's a SCOBY? You can ask a friend for one, or watch here).
-Cover jars with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. I allow these jars to sit on a pantry shelf, away from draft, excess heat, and sunlight.
-After one week to 10 days, remove the SCOBYs (there will be a new baby SCOBY on the surface of your brew).
-Clean 3-4 750 ml glass flip top bottles and allow to thoroughly dry (similar to these)
-Here comes the point of creativity!
This is called a second fermentation and this is how Kombucha becomes flavored.
By adding fruit, or fruit juice, to the blend we give the microorganisms in the SCOBY more food. As they eat it, gas is released, and the Kombucha becomes increasingly carbonated.
-For this batch, my favorite flavoring blend was:
To flip top jar add:
1/2- 1 medium, organic fresh peach- pitted, pealed, and chopped small
1/2-1 tsp- Organic, dried lavender buds
-Pour Kombucha over fruit and flowers, and secure flip top lid. Allow to sit at room temperature for 4 days to one week. It will help to occasionally "burp" the jars by quickly opening and closing the flip top. The Kombucha is ready to strain when there is lovely "fizz".
Strain out fruit and flower blend into clean 4 cup measuring cup.
Clean 750ml flip top jar with soap and water- dry
Add finished Kombucha to clean 750 ml flip top jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!! -Katie
Thank you, Katie! We appreciate you and are thankful for your support!
We truly love and appreciate our clients! We especially love when they circle back and let us know the fun, innovative ways our tea is woven into their lives.
One such client is Leelanau local, Katie Nehil! She is a yoga instructor and herbalist, and recently shared how she uses Light of Day Organics' Bumble Blossom Oolong to create her homebrew Kombucha! Read below for her peaceful peachy recipe!
"I am fairly new to the process of home Kombucha, so I am eager to try new recipes and combinations. I enjoy using Light of Day Teas in my blends because I know that the teas are grown with organic loving kindness. I know that Angela Macke, and the staff at Light of Day, work very hard to ensure a quality product, and it makes me feel good to support local, organic, biodynamic agriculture.
I have successfully brewed Kombucha with Light of Days' Coffee Convert and Namaste from Nepal. This blend utilizes Bumble Blossom Oolong. I love the soft stone fruit aroma of the Bumble Blossom that comes through without added oils or resins (teas that contain added oils should be avoided...they will suffocate and kill your SCOBY...see below for SCOBY info).
-To begin, I brewed a large pot of Bumble Blossom Oolong- approximately 1/2-3/4 of a gallon. This required about 3-4 TBS of loose tea. Once the tea was strong and flavored, I removed the tea bags and added 1 cup of Organic White Cane Sugar and stirred to dissolve.
Allow to fully cool.
-Hours later, in another pan, I sterilized one half gallon, and one quart size glass mason jar by boiling water method (place jars in pan and cover with water, bring to rolling boil,
boil for a minimum of 10 minutes).
-Add cooled, sweetened tea to these sterilized jars
-Gently place SCOBY in jars. For the larger jar, I added two smaller SCOBYs
(what's a SCOBY? You can ask a friend for one, or watch here).
-Cover jars with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. I allow these jars to sit on a pantry shelf, away from draft, excess heat, and sunlight.
-After one week to 10 days, remove the SCOBYs (there will be a new baby SCOBY on the surface of your brew).
-Clean 3-4 750 ml glass flip top bottles and allow to thoroughly dry (similar to these)
-Here comes the point of creativity!
This is called a second fermentation and this is how Kombucha becomes flavored.
By adding fruit, or fruit juice, to the blend we give the microorganisms in the SCOBY more food. As they eat it, gas is released, and the Kombucha becomes increasingly carbonated.
-For this batch, my favorite flavoring blend was:
To flip top jar add:
1/2- 1 medium, organic fresh peach- pitted, pealed, and chopped small
1/2-1 tsp- Organic, dried lavender buds
-Pour Kombucha over fruit and flowers, and secure flip top lid. Allow to sit at room temperature for 4 days to one week. It will help to occasionally "burp" the jars by quickly opening and closing the flip top. The Kombucha is ready to strain when there is lovely "fizz".
Strain out fruit and flower blend into clean 4 cup measuring cup.
Clean 750ml flip top jar with soap and water- dry
Add finished Kombucha to clean 750 ml flip top jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!! -Katie
Thank you, Katie! We appreciate you and are thankful for your support!
Light of Day Organics Farm & Tea Shop Upcoming Events
We have several classes that are held at the farm, right in our on-site classroom yurt! We are excited to offer tea wellness classes every other Saturday thru October!
Click here to read more in-depth class descriptions and register online for any of the following classes:
September Offerings:
-September 9th, 2-4pm: OOLONG TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
-September 23rd, 2-4pm: BLACK TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
October Offerings:
-October 7th, 2-4pm: PU-ERH TEAS Tea Wellness Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
-October 21st, 1-4pm: BIODYNAMICS Class with Light of Day founder, Angela Macke
Our class offerings are a wonderful way to gather friends & family and spend a day together at the farm, reconnecting, replenishing, and sharing!
Register online today by clicking here!
Special Release: Light of Day Organics to be
advertised on all American Airlines flights THIS fall!
Click here to watch a short video
that will be featured on every
American Airlines flight in October and November 2017!
Be on the lookout!
What's in Bloom?
Each month, you'll see a few posts on our social media sites, featuring our blooms from around the farm. Our featured bloom for Aug-tember is aromatherapy to our hearts...Lemon Balm! This heart-shaped perennial herb is easily culivated and produces a sweet white flower. Add it to salads for a citrus burst, or as an herb blend to fish or chicken entrees. It is known to uplift our spirits while calming our senses, aid in digestion, and promote relaxation and sleep. It is an absolute joy to harvest and is included in some of our most beloved citrus teas and tisanes!
Below, we've included pictures of our Lemon Balm, as well as other blooming beauts, including Echinacea, St. Johns Wort, Calendula, Native Cupflower, and our Angelica seed harvest! Also included is our parsley harvest for our Mother's Blend tisane, and our eclipse harvest of aronia berries!
Enjoy the photos, or even better, come see these beauts for yourself and visit our farm today! Monday-Saturday 10-5pm.
Be sure to find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to view upcoming bloom features, tea information, and farm updates!
It's been a wonderful year at the farm, and we hope to see you at the farm soon!
~Light of Day Tea Family
Light of Day Mission Statement: "To grow and produce the healthiest and highest quality teas and tisanes which nurture and balance hearts, minds, and bodies through the practice of Biodynamic agriculture.At our core is the absolute reverence for, and wonder of, all Creation. Light of Day Organics is dedicated to enlivening, renewing, and revitalizing the Earth by respecting its natural resources, cycles, and life-carrying rhythms.”