One day I was in Goodwill looking through the kitchen supplies area when I saw a kitchen gadget I’d been wanting to buy for a long time—a tea press! I couldn’t believe it. I breathed a prayer of thanks to God and picked it up. It was a Bodum, a great brand. I had already purchased two glass Bodum teacups several years ago and loved them. I knew the quality of this would match the teacups.

Is a Tea Press and a French Coffee Press the Same Thing?

It may be that you are wondering how to use a tea press too. I recorded this short video to show you how simple it is. Incidentally, a tea press and a French coffee press do the same thing with one difference, so if you have a coffee press, you can use it to make your herb tea. The difference is that when you push the plunger down on the tea press, it stops the tea from steeping any longer. From what I understand, a French coffee press will allow the tea leaves to continue steeping, so you need to pour all of your tea out of the press at that point if you don’t want it any stronger. Also if you have already used your French press for coffee, be sure you wash it thoroughly so that the tea doesn’t taste like coffee.

In the video I mention nettles tea. Yes, this is the same plant that is known as stinging nettle (Urtica spp.). It is a nutritive herb and contains calcium, magnesium, and chlorophyll. It has a green, veggie flavor, but it’s an excellent base tea. You can blend it with other nutritive teas like oat straw, the mints, chamomile, rose, hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon, and so on. In the video, I also mention that it is excellent to add to soup bases. You can either make the tea ahead of time like I do in the video and use that as part of your broth base, or put a few teaspoons of dried nettle in a tea bag and let it steep in the soup while it’s cooking. Just remember to remove it when it’s done.

Let me know if you use a tea press and what type of tea you like to make in it. Have fun experimenting!

Enjoy!

Botanically me,

How To Use a Tea Press from Jane VanOsdol on Vimeo.

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You have successfully joined our online Bible study! Thank you for investing this time in your relationship with Jesus. Our study begins on Wednesday, February 19. In the meantime, remember to order your book if you haven’t already done so. You may also begin to post on our private Facebook page once we have invited you to the page.

Here is the introductory video to our Wounded Lives Healed Hearts study, Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women by Sue Edwards. Please listen to this short video before we meet for the first time on the 19th.

We are praying that God will do big things in your life through this study. “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Blessings,

Mary Kane and Jane VanOsdol

Have you ever wanted to stop praying for a person or situation because it seemed futile?

I’ve been there and was actually feeling a bit discouraged today when I stumbled across this video on intercession. I was so inspired by its message that I had to share it with you.

This video uses the scripture from Ezekiel 22:30  as a basis for its message: “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

When we pray for others or for a situation, we are standing in the gap between that person or that situation and God. Can you see the importance of plugging that gap with your prayers? It is of such importance that God was going to use the prayers of ONE man to not destroy a land, but he could find no one praying. How sad is that!

What gaps are you plugging today? Who are you holding up in mercy before Jesus? What situation are you interceding for in your family, your neighborhood, your country, the world?

After watching this, I am encouraged to keep on praying for those people and situations that seem hopeless. I see how the prayers of one man, woman, or child can make a difference. Watch the video. Keep on praying.

Pray on!

This is an amazing video by seven-year-old gospel singer Rhema Marvanne. God has blessed her with a voice to praise Him. I hope you enjoy it!