I am enjoying this week long celebration already. It has reinstated a custom I love, having afternoon tea. Creating a plant based tea time, rather than one featuring sweets and sandwiches, engages my imagination and allows me to try out healthy recipes. And taking time out late in the afternoon, to prepare my herbal tea and nutritious snack, and then sit and savor it, is a wonderful self care practice.
My goals are simple: During this Afternoon Tea Week, enjoy a different herbal tea and healthy treat every day. And have fun.
Today I chose thyme for my cup of hot tea, picking a sprig out of the garden. For my treat, I prepared a recipe from Life Changing Foods, by Anthony William. This simple, wholesome treat is easy to make, using only four ingredients.
Cinnamon Baked Pears with Toasted Walnuts
4 pears, any variety
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice pears in half length wise and remove seeds. Arrange pear halves face up on baking tray. (I lined with parchment paper). Drizzle each pear half with maple syrup, brushing over the face of the pear, and leaving some inside the center. Divide the walnuts evenly into the centers of the pears and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 20-30 minutes until pears are tender and cooked through. Serve warm from the oven.
With blustery clouds filling the sky, I moved tea time indoors, setting up the cup and saucer and the food plate on one of my vintage metal tray. What bliss, to quiet my body and my mind and sip healing tea.
I added slivers of celery. The crunchy, salty tasting celery complemented the pears beautifully. And those pears? Delicious! They smelled wonderful as they baked and tasted as good as they smelled.
Tomorrow I am trying something new, involving rosemary flavored brown rice, lentils and mushrooms. Conventional tea time fare? Not hardly. Comforting, creative, healthy and delicious? Absolutely!
I am loving my unconventional afternoon teas.
