Comfort

This tea has gotten me through some times that otherwise could have gotten a lot worse. It acts as an anti-depressant, a stress-reliever, and just a basic comfort. It's a great thing to make when someone's sitting at your kitchen table at 1am because they can't sleep or don't want to be alone.
It's strong, in the proportions I've given, and has a grassy flavor sometimes. It also has different effects on different people. Ingredients should be rearranged and adjusted for each person.


Ingredients:

5 parts Mint - Who doesn't love mint? Mint is here as the tea base, mainly for its sweetness and familiarity. If you're handed a cup of something weird-tasting, that defeats the point of it being comforting. Mint is also good for the digestive system, and does a little for appetite. Which is someone hasn't been eating properly.

3 parts St. John's Wort - St. Johns is an intense anti-depressant, not to be messed around with. (See warning at the bottom.)

2 parts Catnip - Cats like Catnip for a reason. It has a more powerful effect on them, maybe just because they're smaller, but it makes people feel as contented as cats normally seem to be. It's a relaxant, but it doesn't make you sleepy unless you haven't had as much sleep as you should.

Honey to taste - Honey isn't strictly necessary, since the tea isn't very bitter to start with. As far as I know it's better used to kill bacteria than to help sort out your head, but a cup of tea with honey has a great appeal to it that can't be substituted for.

Simmer 1T tea mixture in 1c water with honey until liquid is medium brown/green and slightly cloudy. Strain, and add an ice cube if tea is too hot.


Warning: Many people are allergic to St. John's Wort. It can have some weird side effects and should be used with caution. If you don't know how you'll react, a cup of tea won't kill you, but if you start to feel your heartbeat in every vein (high blood pressure), light-headed, sensitive to light, or like you have a migraine coming on, stop drinking it. Also, don't take St. John's Wort with anything fermented or concerning yeast (alcohol, most soy, good cheeses, yogurt); this might induce a similar reaction as an allergy.
Rule of thumb: If you feel bad-weird, don't do whatever made you feel that way again.


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