#FamilyTeaTime has been very important in our family for quite a number of years now. It began after my daughter and I were in a car accident. I wanted to find a way to add a little boost of fun and of family bonding to her day. She was having trouble communicating her feelings about the accident or in fact, anything that was troubling her because I was injured quite badly and she didn’t want to add any worry onto my load. So #FamilyTeaTime became the key to solving all those issues.
I’d have it all set up for her when she arrived home from school. We’d sip tea and have a snack while we chatted about our days. The conversation would start off at a surface level but eventually, she’d begin to open up about her day at school and about the accident. Once we had finished chatting up a storm, she’d pull out her homework and I’d work on some paperwork so that I was handy in case she needed any help. It became not only a painless way of getting her to talk about her day at school and her feelings and of getting her to do her homework without complaint but also a fun time and treasured memory for both of us!
Now my daughter is 24 and away at university but still, we have our #FamilyTeaTime. Sometimes we head out to our favourite little tea room in a nearby small, artsy town but often, we have it here at home, snuggled up together, talking non-stop and giggling like teenagers. In recent years, we’ve both become more conscious of making healthy food choices so I’m always looking for new ideas to keep the fun and yumminess in our #FamilyTeaTime while boosting the health factor as well.
That’s what led me to Walmart in search of Lipton Tea and Honey Pitcher Packets. You can see my full shopping experience here in my Google+ photo album. For one 8 oz. serving of these teas, it’s only 5 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 60 mg tea flavonoids. They are made from real fruit and tea leaves and are sweetened with honey. We love our Southern sweet tea in my family but these teas are ones that not only taste great but make me feel better about what I’m drinking and what I’m serving to my family and friends. We drink far too much pop with our meals but now, I can replace that with these yummy Lipton Tea and Honey Pitcher Packets for an option that is not only healthier but much more economical too! They’re quick and easy to make – no brewing required – simply add water and stir well!
To go along with the tea, I made these yummy lemon cranberry muffins. Lemon muffins have been a long-time favourite for both of us but I’ve increased the nutritional value of these by adding in some whole wheat flour, yogurt, cranberries, wheat germ, and chopped walnuts or pecans. Here’s the recipe:
Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients:
flour – 3/4 cup white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup yogurt (I used a fat free lemon yogurt but you can use plain and then just add in some grated lemon zest instead)
1/2 cup milk (skim)
1 1/2 cups whole or chopped cranberries (you could use dried instead or even plump up some dried ones by soaking them in some hot water first if you don’t have any fresh on hand)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions: Mix together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the yogurt and milk until just moist. Add in the cranberries and nuts. Scoop into a muffin tin lined with baking cups and bake at 400 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes. Makes 1 dozen. These freeze well so you can make some ahead of time and keep them in the freezer so you’re ready for #FamilyTeaTime anytime!
I made up a batch of these muffins and a pitcher of tea and it’s all ready and waiting for my daughter to arrive home from university tomorrow morning! I can’t wait to share #FamilyTeaTime with her. I even put together a little goodie pack for her to take back with her – a special new cup, some packets of the Lipton Tea and Honey Pitcher Packets, and even put some extra muffins in the freezer for her to take home. Now we can even share #FamilyTeaTime over Skype when we just can’t be together in person!
Be sure to connect with LIpton and learn more about their products here:
“I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Lipton #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions and ideas are my own.”
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