Matcha Tea

 

  
The Sugar Tree offers matcha tea powder for sale, in various flavors, as well as accessories for preparing it. Many folks are still new to it, so, just what is matcha?

• Matcha originates from Japan and is the finest green tea.

  • To create matcha, tea plants are covered with shade cloths before they’re harvested. This triggers the growth of leaves with better flavor and texture. Leaves are hand-plucked, steamed briefly, then dried and aged in cold storage. The dried leaves are then stone-ground into fine powder.

  • With most tea, the leaves get infused into hot water, then discarded. With matcha, you’re drinking the actual leaves.

 • Because the whole leaves are ingested, matcha is a potent source of nutrients.

 • Matcha is rich in antioxidants and detoxification properties.

• Matcha is high in caffeine and gives us an energy boost, and a calm alertness without the crash.

The Sugar Tree... two...or too...

The search is on! Who will build me a simple little building to do a little Sugar Tree business out of this summer? So many companies and builders to choose from! And, I like them all.  Ideally, I want it to run on solar power. And have plenty of windows. And be...portable, so that after it finishes it's summer in the Madison/Skowhegan area it can come home again to Freedom.    (seriously, if you know anyone interested, and they can pitch best, they can drop me a line  sugartreecafe@gmail.com )

Bluebird of Happiness

Though a large part of my mantra is to be eco-friendly, I still enjoy the feel of paper, and crafting. [use recycled materials whenever possible!] So today, for the new calendar year, I am sharing my very favorite resource for paper projects with you, thetoymaker.com

Marylin Scott-Walker is an amazing artist and paper craft maker, and she is oh so very kind to share quite a number of her paper projects with her adoring public, for free. Any cold & snowy or rainy day can be brightened by her creations, and they are wonderful activities to share. The Bluebird of Happiness template and directions can be downloaded (for free) through the following link. And you'll find so many other fun projects on her site!

Enjoy!
 
http://www.thetoymaker.com/Toypages/73Birds/73BluebirdsofHappiness.html

Rose Hip Jam

I love gathering wild rosehips for tea, and for jams! There are a lot of recipes out there for Rosehip Jam (which differs from Rosehip Jelly) but I like this rather simple one

Ingredients

• rosehips  (I recommend at least two cups)
• equal amount of clean filtered water
• half as much organic cane sugar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh squeezed organic lemon juice

Directions

1. Cut black tips off rosehips, slice a scrape out seeds. Also be sure not including any green leaf remnants.
2. Combine rosehips and water in a pot and cook on medium heat.
3. Allow to simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes and then remove from heat.
4. Add sugar and continue stirring until rosehips are completely soft and sugar is fully incorporated.
5. Remove from heat and use an immersion or standard blender to mix into an even texture.
6. Add lemon juice and mix well.
7. Use the typical canning process: Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of room on the top.
8. Wipe rims and place new sterilized lids on, being sure not to tighten the ring too much.
9. Water bath jars.
10. Remove from water and let sit undisturbed overnight.
11. Check each jar to ensure proper seal. If sealed, store jars in a cold, dry space. If not sealed, your jar is considered open and should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks. 

Infuser

I love this little infuser. Usually I steep my tea by the pot, and it's not often that I do just a single cup...but now I might more often. It's an easy scoop and slide, then swirl and steep. And an easy clean after. And yes, I sell them. $12 each

Blended Loose Leaf Tea

I have been offering herbal tea blends as longer than The Sugar Tree has been in business, but have sought out other companies to provide black, green, and rooibos tea blends to my customers as well as for my own enjoyment. So it's about time I learn to do some blending of my own! This will require lots of research and experimentation... and I'm thinking it may become a serious focus for the Sugar Tree.  Indeed. Look for Sugar Tree Blended Teas in the near future... alongside the wooden kitchen tools, felted art, and everything else.

Apples

Our apple tree!

It has long been debated, where the name "Sugar Tree" came from...is it for the Sugar Maple trees that surround our property on Freedom Pond? Much of the wooden items I craft come from it's wood, and if we ever get more trees tapped I'd use much more Maple Syrup in the cooking! In fact, the sugar in our Sugar Tree is the thought of the sweetness of apples, and a symbol of my favorite time of year.

HOPE Festival: 2015

The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine holds its annual organizational fair upon the University of Maine campus each April, with more than sixty organizations showcasing their work for a better world, an interactive children’s space, and delicious food - if I do say so myself! - from local vendors.

Kids Kitchen

Kids' Kitchen Activity with Sugar Tree Felted Veggies, and Bamboo Cheese Board

When you can't catch The Sugar Tree on the road, the Kids' Kitchen Activity Card Deck is available to purchase online through  The Storyteller's Books, the felt veggies & the cheese board* online through the  Sugar Tree Cafe etsy shop

*Bamboo cheeseboards are available by special order, wooden ones are usually in stock

Maine Artisan Bread Fair: 2014

Booth

Small table of goods

Table

Lemonade

Skowhegan River Fest: 2014

Kids' Garden Program

Potato Friend made during Carver Memorial Library Summer Gardening Program

 

The Sugar Tree  very proudly supports the Kids’ Garden program for schools, libraries, and communities. The program in its entirety is a forty weeks, but is also available in seasonal sections, or individualized classes.  Other supporting activities are also available upon request, including an entire companion program, Kids’ Kitchen  which is based upon fun and healthy recipes (all suitable for vegetarian diets, and none with added salt) Session topics include: Exploring the Garden; Planting and Growing; Fun with Plants; Discovering Creatures; Creating Garden Art.  For more information, please contact me at sugartreecafe@gmail.com