Homemade Tea Bag

I have some loose teas that I love and wanted a way to have them on the go. So instead of toting a tea ball around, I thought I would make my own tea bags. Throw some into a Ziploc and into your bag and you've got loose tea on the go!

Materials:

• Cheese Cloth
• Kitchen Twine
• Sewing Needle
• Optional: sticker paper for tea tags
  

{Step 1}.........................{Step 2}

Step 1: Cut out a 4-layer square of cheese cloth and place 1 tsp. of loose tea leaves in the middle.
Step 2: Using kitchen twine (separated in 1/2 so its easier to thread onto the needle) and a
needle, thread twine through side closest to you, then the side farthest away.
Step 3: Thread twine through right side, then through left side. It should look something like
this:

{after step 3}

Step 4: Now thread through the corners the same way going across from each corner until all 4 corners have been threaded. The bag will now look like this:

Step 5: Tie around the top and knot to secure. The top can then be trimmed.
Step 6: Trim remaining string. Attach a tag if desired. I made my tags on MS Word and printed
them off onto sticker paper. I then stuck two together to create a double sided tea tag.

{Finished Tea Bag}

I find this way to be most secure, but if it seems too complicated you can use the following alternate method.

Alternate Method: Thread in and out in a circle around the 4-layer square of cheese cloth. Put 1 tsp. of loose tea leaves into middle. Pull the two ends of the string together and knot. Continue with step 5 above and you're done!

We Go Together...Like PB & J [Cookies!]

While my boyfriend was off at school, I sent him his favourite: peanut butter cookies! This recipe was my Grandma's and is sooo yummy! The outside has a bit of crunch because of the sugar, while the inside is soft and chewy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, vanilla, and peanut butter.
   
3. In another smaller bowl, combine salt, baking soda, and flour. Gradually add to butter mixture.
4. If using, add chocolate chips and mix well.
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls then roll in white sugar (or decorative sugar) and press with a fork.
   
6. Bake for 10-12 mins or until lightly brown. Cool and enjoy!

You can also make a PB & J card if you are sending these to someone special. These cookies mail well too. I wrapped them in an old paper towel tube and foil and they were still moist after 3 days in the mail. Happy baking!