Tea for Two, Bible Wheel October 25, 2015

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I'm updating my former matcha tea gelatin recipe with two new tea flavors.  I make tea gelatin because I have an intolerance for most fruit, and also want to have a sugar-free diet as much as possible for the health benefits.

Rooibos tea makes an excellent-flavored tea gelatin.  If the tea is high quality it makes a slight tingle on my tongue.  Rooibos tea is also a very healthful tea.  Organic Facts says it cures- "nagging headaches, insomnia, asthma, eczema, bone weakness, hypertension, allergies, and premature aging."  This site also lists health conditions tfor which Rooibos tea would not would not be beneficial.

Recipe Rooibos Tea Gelatin

*Boil 1.5 quarts / ~1.5 liters water
*Add ~10 tsp. / ~50cc of Rooibos tea
*Optional- add 1 tsp. whole cloves
Brew for 10 minutes.   I like to intensify the flavor myself by putting the pot on a low simmer for the 10 minutes, and keeps it hot to make the gelatin dissolve.

Make Gelatin-
*In a 3 quart / ~3 liter bowl, put 6-7 Tablespoons / ~100 cc ( I use 1.5 scoops with a 70 cc scoop from a whey drink) Beef Gelatin
*Add sufficient cold water to liquify the gelatin, stirring rapidly, then immediately pour the hot tea into the bowl, so that the gelatin completely dissolves and leaves no lumps.
*Add the amount of Stevia that you desire for almost 3 quarts of liquid.
*Add 1 tsp. of citric acid.  (I had a lot of citric acid on hand and looked up uses and one is to make gelatin, it adds a little acidity that is really beneficial especially when making fruit gelatin from scratch.  Sometimes gelatin reacts with fruit to make a greyish color.  The addition of citric acid will miraculously turn the gelatin a lovely color of red instead.

Hint: To shorten the chilling time, I usually put 4-5 handfuls of ice cubes in at this point and stir until they are all melted.   Then I add water to bring it up to a suitable level in the bowl.  Stir well.

Refrigerate until firm.  When I want a little sooner, I put some in a small glass bowl and put it in the freezer, then wait ~20 minutes until it is firm.

My second tea is to make Holy Basil Gelatin.  Here is one among many articles about health benefits of Holy Basil,.  The recipe is the same as for Rooisbos tea, amount of tea is the same but brewing time would be shorter, 5-10 minutes without the simmering, though it also needs to be very hot to make the gelatin dissolve.  Optional additional flavoring would be to add some lemon extract at the end.  Here's the tea after adding the hot water-

It is a brownish tea, but after adding the citric acid, it changes to a pretty pink color-

To make it look really impressive, you can put it in a goblet to chill-

Gelatin would have a range of firmness according to the proportions of beef gelatin and water, so you can alter the firmness to whatever you desire.  I hope you like the gelatin and there are plenty of other teas that could be used as well, along with added extracts like almond or peppermint.

For the devotional part of my post, I'm exploring more of the concepts from

http://www.fivedoves.com/shaddai/pi_8.htm

This time about the organization of the book of the Bible.  Some people think the books of the Bible may have been selected by men, and therefore maybe some book should have been included or excluded.  I admire someone who can see patterns in the Bible that are amazing, the original source is
http://www.biblewheel.com/Wheel/symmetries.asp  The Bible makes a pattern with the Hebrew alphabet that is amazing.



If you have doubts about God and His plan for your life, it may help to see how incredibly He planned and organized His Word.  He inspired the structure of the languages of the Bible.  He breathed the scriptures into the writers word by word.  He caused the choices that resulted in our present canon of books to include in the Bible and even their order.  If you have doubts about whether He will answer your deepest desires, consider the things He has done, and His promises.  A favorite chapter of mine is Psalm 21 about "the king".  Jesus is the King of Kings, so it can be about Him, but He also has made His redeemed ones kings and priests according to Revelation 5:9-10, so it is also about us.

Psalm 21:1-7 (Interlinear Bible)-
1. The king rejoices in Your strength, O Jehovah (Yahweh);
     and how greatly does he rejoice in Your salvation (yeshua, Jesus' name that means salvation).
2. You have given him his heart's desire,
    and have not withheld the prayer of his lips.
3. For You will precede him with the blessings of goodness;
    You set a crown of pure gold on his head.
4. He asked life from You;
    You gave to him length of days forever and ever.
5. His glory is great in Your salvation (Yeshua);
   You have laid honor and majesty on him.
6. For You have set him blessings forever;
   You have rejoiced him in the joy of Your face.
7. For the king trusts in Jehovah (Yahweh);
   he shall not be moved.

What can we do to receive His promises?  Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."   John 15:7

So stay in His Word, the marvelous Bible, and trust in Him.  I look at the stars, the wonders of what He has made, and know that He is able also to do the things I ask.  Another comforting, and totally mind-blowing scripture, is Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)-
20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I say these words to myself every night as I go to sleep.  What wonderful promises, they make my faith "gel".   Meditate on His word and relax.    Hannah

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