savour summer with tea-time in a park

I like to go for coffee with friends a couple times a week. ?áThese are always important times for me where I am able to relax and unwind and just be with my buds. ?á When you live in a city and you have such a small apartment that your living room is also your dining room, entertainment centre, arts and crafts room, library and home office, it feels good to get out and embrace the perks of living in a city by going to a favourite coffee shop.

Last week, I was at a famously ubiquitous coffee shop with my friend. ?áShe wanted neither coffee nor tea; she wanted a smoothie. ?áThe problem was that the smoothie cost over $5 once the taxes were included! And that was the ‘prepared’ smoothie; the ‘fresh’ deluxe one was upwards of seven. Yikes. My friend and I go for coffee a couple times a week. ?á$5 per occasion makes for $10 a week. ?áDo this around ?á40 weeks a year, and it all adds up to about $400. ?áThis is a lot of mooola for a few leaves infused in water, a couple percolated beans or a cup of juice and blended fruits. ?áThis calculation is not something new to me. I read about the Latte Factor a couple years ago in a book by David Bach; it still shocks me to figure out the annual expenses for some things.

After feeling a little soured over the high cost of smoothies, my friend suggested that we bring a snack and a thermos containing some sort of drink to a park. ?áI think this is a great idea, particularly in the summer when Montreal’s parks are so beautiful.

So, this week we are going to try it. ?áWe will enjoy an hour in the park instead of going to the coffee shop. ?áI can’t rule out coffee shops all together, because they are weather-proof places for me to expand my space. ?áThat said, parks are apart of my space too. I can enjoy fine company in an equally pleasant park as many times as my friends and I wish to do so throughout the summer and into the fall.

To accompany this economical twist to our tradition, here is the recipe for what I am going to bring to our tea-time in the park. It is practically free!

Almost Free Tea

Go to the garden and fill a 1 litre jar with several handfuls of lemon balm, mint and other leaves you can identify as leaves suitable for tea (don’t be a hero and pick something you sort of, kind of recognize… only pick the ones you really know! ?á:)?á. ?áPour a litre of boiling water over the leaves and allow to steep for 15 minutes. ?áStrain the leaves and allow the tea to cool. ?áAdd a little honey and/or a squeeze of lemon to the tea. ?áPour into a thermos filled with ice. ?áBring the thermos to a park and enjoy with friends.

*If you do not have a garden or cannot identify plants, then choose a pre-packaged dried tea that you enjoy. I suggest a tangy one made with hibiscus.

Tammy Schmidt, Montreal.