From the Blue Sun Tea Garden…
By Crea Sirene Romanelli Egan
Recipes, Proprietary Tea Blends, Contemplation and Ritual
From the Blue Sun Tea Garden :
Food Grace
Recipes for living and dying with dignity; my first recipe book in the making.
Exploration 1: Food Grace
Five Contemplations; from one of my dear teachers Thich Nhat Hanh practiced before eating in Theravada Buddhism.
This version practiced by monks at Plum Village.
Five Reflections
1. This food is a gift of the whole universe, the earth, the sky, and much loving work.
2. May I eat with mindfulness and gratitude.
3. May I take only what I need, and be free from greed and waste.
4. May I eat to nurture body and mind, so that I may be of service to all beings.
5. May this meal strengthen my compassion and wisdom, for the benefit of the world.
We will have a conscious eating potluck and exploration of the reflections in a practice. Stay tuned!
Recipe 1
Spiritual, Emotional, Lawful
Begin with belonging. Know that you are part of something larger than yourself—the Earth, the seasons, the web of life, the people and creatures whose paths cross yours.
Add curiosity.
Stay willing to be surprised. Keep learning. Wander. Make things. Ask questions. Let life change your mind.
Nourish what is alive.
Tend your body, your relationships, your home, your creative life, and the places you inhabit. Feed what you want to grow.
Add beauty.
Not because beauty fixes everything, but because making beauty is one way of saying “yes” to being here.
Add peace where you can.
Apologize. Forgive. Tell the truth. Mend what can be mended. Accept what cannot.
Love generously as you mix other ingredients…Give affection freely. Receive it when it comes. Say the things that need saying while there is still time.
Know when to let go, set the dish aside and let it settle
Everything has seasons. Some relationships, identities, places, dreams, and ways of being are meant to change or end. Dignity includes knowing when not to hold on.
Leave something tended.
A garden, a song, a meal, a story, a friendship, a child, a community, a patch of Earth. Let your passage through this world leave nourishment behind.
When the time comes, receive rather than resist.
Dying with dignity can mean being surrounded by love, having your wishes known and respected, being free from unnecessary suffering when possible, and having the freedom to say goodbye in your own way.
And perhaps the final ingredient is the simplest:
Be here now.
Stay awake and alert.
Be here for the ordinary mornings, the difficult transitions, the unexpected laughter, the grief, the meals, the music, the birdsong, the people you love, and the mystery of it all.
We don’t get to choose every circumstance of our living or our dying. But we can participate in how we meet them—with presence, courage, tenderness, curiosity, and grace.
Now It’s Time for Tea
Not just a tea, but a blend with a story and a small ritual attached to it.
This along with Palo Azul is our signature tea at Blue Sun Tea Garden.
Recipe 1
Phyisical
The Dignity Tea
A tea for living fully, letting go gracefully, and staying connected to what matters.
For about 10 cups of loose blend:
2 Tbsp nettle leaf — Belonging & Earth
Deep green, mineral-rich, rooted. A reminder that we are part of the living world.
2 Tbsp oat tops / oatstraw — Nourishment
Gentle and comforting; symbolizes tending ourselves and one another.
1½ Tbsp rose petals — Love generously
The heart of the blend. Beauty, tenderness, affection, and the courage to remain open.
1½ Tbsp lemon balm — Curiosity & Joy
Bright, lemony, and uplifting—a little invitation to stay receptive to life.
1 Tbsp calendula petals — Make beauty
Golden sunlight in the cup; a symbol of creativity, warmth, and the beauty we leave behind.
1 Tbsp lavender — Peace & Letting Go
A quieting presence for the moments when we loosen our grip.
1 Tbsp elderflower — Transformation
Delicate and fragrant, representing thresholds, seasons, and the mysterious passage from one state of being into another.
½–1 Tbsp ginger pieces — Courage & Aliveness
A little heat. The willingness to be fully here—to feel, act, speak, and participate.
To brew:
Use approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of the blend per 12 oz of just-boiled water. Cover and steep for 8–10 minutes. Strain and drink slowly.
You could serve it with a little honey if desired.
And the ritual that is part of the recipe.
Before drinking, take one breath and ask:
What am I nourishing?
What am I creating?
What am I ready to release?
What love can I leave behind?
Be and live well.
Love and Peace,
Crea
One practical note: herbs can interact with allopathic medications and aren’t appropriate for everyone…use intuition, ask your medical advisor if need be.