Everyday Teapot

The Polish pottery teapot that I use every day is cracked (surprisingly not leaking) and getting close to retirement.  Even though I have dozens of teapots in my collection, it is easier to have a utilitarian pot ready and waiting on a kitchen counter.

I like to use favorites from my collection for guests and special occasions, but since they are on display for long periods, these pots need to have a thorough washing before use.  This just isn’t practical for the several times during the day when a pot of tea is called for.  

This is the cute teapot that I saw at my local TJ Maxx store recently.  What do you think?  It also comes in black, which might be a wiser choice to camouflage all those black tea stains.

Read this my dears, and you will see
how to make a nice cup of tea
take teapot to kettle, not t’other way round
and when you hear that whistling sound
pour a little in the pot
just make it nice and hot.
Pour that out and put in the tea,
loose or in bags, your choice, you see.
One bag for each two cups will do
with one extra bag to make a fine brew.
Steep 3-5 minutes then pour a cup.
Then sit right down and drink it up!

-Afternoon Teas by Patricia Winchester

Potato Chip Cookies

Here’s a teatime treat that I’ve never come across before.  I found this recipe for Potato Chip Cookies in the July 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

“Crunchy, chewy, buttery, salty and sweet” sounded good to me.  I found that I didn’t have light brown sugar, so I used dark instead.  My version didn’t contain pecans either, since my grandson doesn’t like nuts.

The dough was easy to work with and in no time I had the two inch balls ready to bake.  I would use two cookie sheets next time since overcrowding caused them to bake up square and needed the extra step of separating the cookies.

I liked the taste of the soft cakelike cookie and the contrast of the crunchy, salty potato chip bits.

So next time you’re looking for something a little different to enjoy with your afternoon cuppa, give these easy to bake cookies a try. 

If you don’t have a copy of Martha Stewart Living magazine, you can always choose one of the many potato chip cookie recipes on line.  Emeril Lagasse’s recipe with chocolate dip really appealed to me too.

I had no idea that this type of cookie was so popular, did you?   

 

Tea Consumption

According to Traditional Home magazine “most Brits prefer PG Tips packed in pyramid shaped teabags.  Although I’m not British, I enjoy PG Tips most mornings (that and London Cuppa).  Americans reach for the smoother, more subtle flavor of Lipton, the best-selling tea in the States”.  I grew up in Canada where Red Rose and Tetley tea were favorites.   

It was also mentioned that Brits average three cups of tea per day, as compared to three cups a week for Americans.  What!  That was a surprise to me – I drink an average of 4-5 cups a day.  Of course, there are many (like hubby) who drink coffee exclusively.

If you look at some of the stats on tea consumption on sites such as Wikipedia (2009) you’ll see United Arab Emirates as #1, Ireland #3, United Kingdom #7 and Canada and United States way down the list at #62 and #69.  China didn’t even make the top twenty (#33). 

Now I’m curious to know how many cups of tea you drink each day.  Please see the poll on my sidebar.

Beach Wedding

We returned from Panama City Beach on Sunday night to a whirlwind of activities.  This is the last week of school for my grandsons and my hubby is trying to plan another trip due to family illness. 

The Shores of Panama Resort was a fun place to stay and convenient with its own banquet room for the reception.  The white sand beach was outstanding and Pineapple Willy's restaurant was right there with a pier extending onto the beach for beautiful views.  I enjoyed their grouper “fish and chips” so much that I ate it for lunch twice (well, it was vacation after all).  

My beautiful daughter and her soon to be husband were able to enjoy a couple of days relaxing by the pool, before they were caught up in a frenzy of wedding activities.   All of us had a wonderful surprise when my eldest brother and sister-in-law arrived unexpectedly all the way from Canada.

I can’t wait to see the photos of the wedding and I’ll be sure to post a formal pic of the bride and groom soon.  Cynthia’s dress was gorgeous, with a ruched waist, tiered skirt and lovely ribbon lacing design on the back. 

I’m still wading through emails and catching up on household chores, but hope to visit all my favorite bloggers soon.

 

Florida Wedding

I’m off again, this time to Panama City, FL for my daughter’s wedding.

There will be time to relax on the beach for a few days before  preparations begin for this joyful event.

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.

-Karen Sunde 

 

The Persimmon Tree

This is my new favorite Earl Grey tea.  I received a tin of this Earl Grey Crème blend from The Persimmon Tree Tea Company this week.  The tin itself is slim and attractive with a tight fitting lid.  When I opened the lid, I was immediately met with a heavenly aroma – I found myself opening the tin several times that day just to enjoy the fragrance.

It’s a pretty looking blend of organic tea with oil of bergamot and French vanilla - you can see the pieces of blue cornflower too.

  

The tea is delicious with just the right amount of bergamot flavor and a hint of vanilla and citrus.  I enjoyed it with and without milk.

 

Check out the well organized Persimmon Tree website and also their interesting blog.

All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes.

- George Orwell, “A Nice Cup of Tea”

Green Tea & Lemongrass Soap

I’m always happy to find another toiletry product that contains tea.  Lately my hand soap of choice is Burt’s Bees Green Tea & Lemongrass Hand Soap.

This soap has the smooth texture and thickness of honey, without the stickiness of course.  The green tea extract acts as a natural antioxidant and the lemongrass oil gets rid of odors – great if you’ve been chopping onions, etc. 

With the addition of grapefruit seed extract, lemon peel oil, peppermint oil, plus lavender and basil oil, it really leaves a nice fresh scent behind too.  You can find this and other Burt’s Bees items here.