In the 1930s in England a very popular song started "I like a nice cup of Tea in the morning” and went on to list all the times of day a Nice Cup of Tea was indispensable.

It became a patriotic song during WW2 and bolstered the British populace though out the raids and bombings. I am convinced Britain won the War with the help of A nice Cup of Tea.

It was my Mother’s go to ‘excuse for ANY occasion – happy – or sad:

• When her babies were born – the first order of business after she had inspected her offspring – was a Nice Cup of Tea
• When the diamond dropped out of her ring in the chicken run – necessitating Slaughter until the diamond was found !– solace was found in a Nice Cup of Tea
• When family arrived to visit– before the happy hugs and the unpacking - “it was a Nice Cup of Tea”
• When the dogs got amongst and slaughtered the sheep on the farm, before attending to the unexpected ‘bounty of lamb’ it was a Nice Cup of Tea
• When an important decision had to be made – first . . . a Nice Cup of Tea

My mother had a Nice Cup of Tea sitting on a little table next to her like a talisman, until she died at 100.

Today I have not only followed her lead with a kettle on the ready for any occasion or guest – but I have also discovered Tea’s healthy antioxidant properties! So, whenever a recipe calls for water I try to substitute tea discovering it also adds a new dimension of flavor when poaching fruit or fish, when added to smoothies and when cooking pasta and rice I use tea instead of water.

By Kyra Effren