Friday Knows Tea

Halloween is almost here, which provides a fabulous excuse for being super extra about baked goods. I have def been getting carried away with my baking and other craft projects, and to be honest this recipe was mostly created so we all have an excuse to say “rooiBOOS” while making spooky ghost gestures at one another. Hence the cute little ghosts piped in chocolate on top. You’re welcome. Teacup (our teenager) referred to these as “pumpkin spice lattes in cupcake form,” which I think just about sums it up. Let me know if you tried these, if you made any substitutions, and what you thought of the results! Punkin Pie RooiBOOS Cupcakes 1 tbsp Punkin Pie Rooibos 1/2 cup whole milk 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (we used Pamela’s gluten-free, but wheat flour works too! You can swap them out cup for cup.) 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) softened butter 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla Combine whole milk and Pun...

Pacific Northwest local red-barked beauty Pacific Madrone, aka Arbutus Menziesii , is a sight to behold for sure. The rich hue and dramatically peeling bark, the curve of its sturdy branches and sheen of its verdant waxy leaves are all peak hiking aesthetic, but did you know this tree has long been a multipurpose source of healing tincture and tea? Various tribes of the west coast, ranging from California up through British Columbia, make use of Madrone bark and berries. Extracted as a tincture or bundled and bruised for a poultice, this plant can be used topically to treat minor wounds and sores. Brewed as a tea, the light-bodied brew has notes of cinnamon, foresty fungus and wood smoke and is used to help a stomachache or as a cold medicine. This tree serves as a very renewable source of bark, leaf and berry and can be harvested without damaging the tree. Madrones will naturally shed their leaf every two years and their bark each summer. When you approach a Madrone in midsumme...