Tea and Beer

 “There are those who love to get dirty and fix things. They drink coffee at dawn, beer after work. And those who stay clean, just appreciate things. At breakfast they have milk and juice at night. There are those who do both, they drink tea.” – Gary Snyder

Or maybe they drink tea and beer at the same time.  An Earl Grey tea sour ale from Three Taverns Craft Beers.  I thought it was quite good. 

Macaron Surprise Gift

These are such strange times, aren't they?  I feel like life has become an endless science fiction novel.  Being my age, which is considered high risk for the virus, I've been hunkered down in my home for several weeks now.

Like many of you, I am sorely missing my children and grandchildren.  In some ways we are truly blessed with technology and I enjoy my Facetime and Messenger visits,  but on the other hand, the creeping censorship of the online platforms has made our situation so much more difficult.

Back when things were the NORMAL normal, instead of the NEW normal (which is very abnormal), we went ahead and planned a family cruise to celebrate my 70th birthday in early April.  Well, of course, that trip was cancelled and by then I had become a shut-in.   All my brothers and my sister live in Canada.  My sister said that the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she really wanted to acknowledge my milestone birthday in some way.

 So one day FedEx arrived at my door with a package.  I was so happy when I opened this lovely box of macarons from the Macaron Queen.  I remember visiting their shop in Savannah, but I haven't had any of their delicious treats for quite a long time.

Wasn't that such a thoughtful gesture?  Of course I immediately made myself a cup of tea and sampled the French strawberry and the double dark chocolate flavors.  This is a gift that will keep on giving as I enjoy a couple with my tea each afternoon.  A few of the flavors are shown below.

  I hope it won't be too long before the Canadian borders are opened and I can visit my sister.  It will be wonderful to give her a big hug once again and enjoy each others company.

Oolong Tea

The Dr. Mercola website has an interesting article on the benefits of Oolong tea, which may be one of the healthiest types of tea.

Read the report here.

Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

I just saw an older article from Real Simple written in 2015.  I really needed this reminder to start drinking more green tea, in place of my favorite black tea.

Find the article here. 

Ladies Afternoon Tea

This was the first afternoon tea that I have attended for quite some time.  It was such a lovely and traditional event.  There were pretty table settings, cucumber sandwiches, scones with lemon curd and cream and much more.  

Since I arrived early as usual (it's a curse, lol), some of the tea food was not yet plated.  The three tier tray later held an assortment of mini cheesecakes.  The chicken salad sandwiches were delicious, as was the pimento cheese.  There were digestive biscuits, which I haven't had in years, and an assortment of scones and cookies. 

This was my place setting.  One of the ladies had an extensive collection of teacups that she had inherited, so each setting was different.  There was a fresh flower at each place and a scroll with the teacup story.  Each one had a teabag and a tiny cup and saucer tied on with ribbon.  

The tea selection included chai with cardamom and ginger, blueberry tea, and peach tea, as well as lemonade and other cold drinks for the non tea drinkers. 

The video presentation by Joyce Meyer was on overcoming fear and anxiety.  Seemed like it was just what I needed to hear, since I struggle with a driving phobia.  

It was certainly a pleasant way to spend an afternoon with some lovely ladies.  

 

  

Macaron Pillows

Macarons are one of my favorite teatime treats and I couldn't resist showing you these adorable macaron pillows.  I'm not sure my sewing skills are up to this project, but perhaps some of you would like to give it a go.  If you do, please let me know how this project turned out for you.

You can find the directions HERE on the JoAnn website.

Pesticides in Tea

I've been finding a lot of information lately on chemicals in tea. This video was published in August 2014.  It will be interesting to see what strides have been made with regard to the quality and purity of these brands.

I grew up drinking Red Rose tea in Canada.  For many years now the brands of tea bags that I buy have varied from Salada to Tetley and also many brands of loose teas.

I was happy to hear that Red Rose was the only tea mentioned in this video that is pesticide free.  Until I have done more research on the subject, I'll be switching back to Red Rose tea.  A nice perk is the little Wade figurines included in some boxes.

Some of the figurine series have become quite collectible.

The last box of Red Rose tea I purchased had this Wade figurine from the American Heritage Series  called Tea Crates.

Japanese Green Tea

These flavored green teas were developed with a year of research and collaboration with Japanese high school students from Shizuoka Commercial High School.  They are 100% made in Japan.

I tried the green tea with Japanese orange Mikan (also known as Citrus unshiu, Japanese Citrus or satsuma mandarin.  

This tea is grown by the ancient Chagusaba method.  It's a method where grasslands are grown around the tea field and supply mulch for the shrubs.

It is easy to prepare with no teapot required.  You simply add the powder into hot or cold water.  It was delicious hot and I think that it will also be great added to cold water in a thermos bottle to take to Zumba class.

You can order some for yourself here.  

Zhena's Fig & Flower green tea

At my local Publix recently, I noticed some teas on the clearance table.  I saw the Zhena's tea in the little glass jar with an attached wooden spoon.  I'm usually drawn more to black teas, but I thought the Fig & Flower blend sounded interesting and the price was right ($4.50 for 2 ounces or 25 servings). 

I was happy to see that this tea is organic and fair trade. 

The green tea is blended with green apple, figs and cornflowers.  It has a lovely fragrance and appearance.

It was odd that the jar said use two teaspoons of tea in 8 ounces of boiling water.  I'd always thought that you brewed green tea at temperatures between 165-185 degrees.  I steeped it at 165 for about two and a half minutes. 

I found the tea to have a faintly fruity, subtly sweet flavor that was pleasantly soothing.  This tea has low caffeine (20mg) and will be nice to have on hand for a late afternoon cuppa, when I don't need the high caffeine in the robust black tea that I drink in the morning.

Have any of you tried one of the many flavors of Zhena's Gypsy Teas. 

Calla Lilly cake

It is taking me a long time to go through my massive book and magazine collection and decide which titles to sell and which to keep.  The problem is that something on the cover will catch my eye and then I just have to take a peek inside.  That's what happened with this Hoffman magazine from 2012 "Celebrating Cakes". 

Calla lilies have always been my favorite flower, so I found this bridal cake to be quite lovely.  Maybe I'll pass the magazine along to my younger daughter who is a talented baker.  One never knows, she might bake it for one of my birthday or anniversary celebrations. 

At this rate it could take a while to finish the sorting.   ;-)

Tiffany Taste

They dressed superbly and conversed brilliantly as they sipped tea or chocolate from flowered porcelains in the most sybaritic interiors imaginable.

This is taken from a lavish and elegant book by John Loring titled Tiffany Taste.  I love the way it is divided into events, such as Clippers and Caviar, Lunch in the Rana Palace Garden, Tiffany's Tea, etc.  It's just how I imagined the "rich and famous" lifestyle.  👌 

If you'd like a copy, try Alibris.

Afternoon Tea quote

Another novelty is the tea party, an extraordinary meal in that, being offered to persons that have already dined well, it supposes neither appetite nor thirst, and has no object but distraction, no basis but delicate enjoyment.

- Brillat-Savarin, French Epicure and Gastronome

Came across this quote in the book "Tea & Crumpets" by Margaret M. Johnson.

I have a very large collection of books in my tea library and will probably need to catalogue them all soon.  We will be going through the dreaded downsizing of our household in the next few months and sadly hundreds of books will have to go. 

If anyone has any hints or suggestions to make this process easier, I'd love to hear them.

Darjeeling Sungma Summer black tea

I recently received an order from Adagio Teas and wanted to share a little about this tea.  Darjeeling teas are grown in the foothills of the Himalayas in India at heights of up to 6000 feet.  The cool, moist climate and sloping terrain is ideal. 

Sungma Summer Darjeeling is a second flush black tea from the Sungma Estate in India.

I've heard Darjeeling referred to as "the Champagne of Teas" and this one fits the bill.  The tea has a muscatel (grape) flavor and a lovely golden liquor. 

What really pleased me is the low astringency and the smoothness of this Darjeeling.  There are brewing directions on the package and I brewed mine with water at 212 degrees for three minutes  I usually take my black tea with milk, and sometimes honey, to counteract the astringency, but this tea is very smooth and tastes lovely without the addition of milk.  This is perfect for me, since lately I've been cutting down on dairy products. 

If you would like to sample this excellent tea yourself, you can find it at Adagio Teas online here.

Next, I'll be enjoying some Masala Chai, cocoa nibs and Cloister bourbon infused honey, also available at Adagio Teas.

 

Downton Abbey ornament

I've been moving a little slower since mid December due to back trouble, so I am just now getting around to taking down our Christmas tree.  It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone so quickly and a new year has commenced. 

I thought I'd show you my favorite new ornament before it is packed away for another year.  My younger daughter gave it to me and I love it!

There is so much detail on the tea tray with its lovely silver teapot and two cups of tea with spoons.

The back side shows a couple of tea sandwiches (egg salad?), as well as scones with clotted cream and jam. 

This is a Kurt Adler, officially licensed Downton Abbey ornament.  The set measures 4.13 inches.  It was purchased at Amazon.

Wishing you all the best in 2017.

Matcha Green Tea With Ginger Seasoning

I recently received a package in the mail from my sister in Canada.  She must have known that I could use a little pick-me-up.

This spice smells great and I'm looking forward to adding it to smoothies and baked goods.  And isn't that tiny teapot cookie cutter sweet.  Maybe I'll use it for Christmas shortbread cookies. 

Thanks Donna!

 

National Iced Tea Month

As many of you know, I'm not a big iced tea drinker (must be my Canadian roots) and prefer to drink hot tea year round.  Lately I have been trying a few, perhaps because I've been hearing so much about National Iced Tea Month celebrated this month.

Here in Georgia a lot of people drink "sweet tea" and it is served iced and very sweet.  I've been trying to find tea that tastes good over ice, without sweetener. The coconut mango wuyi oolong from Stash was good.

My most favorite black tea for serving iced is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea.  It has a wonderfully sweet taste without adding sugar to the brew.  I actually called the company the first time I tried it since it was hard to believe that it wasn't sweetened.  It contains three types of cinnamon, orange peel and sweet cloves, but no sugar added.  You can find it loose, in sachets or tea bags here.

What type of iced tea are you are drinking this month? 

  

Alice in Wonderland teapot dress

I came across this lovely sundress in a recent Kohl's sale flyer.  It has ruffles down the front and dainty crisscross straps in the back.  It is from the new Lauren Conrad Disney collection.  

Wouldn't it be cute to wear for afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian on an upcoming trip.  You can find it here.

Do you like to wear tea themed clothes?  My collection includes tees, purses and pajamas.   

One Happy Island

We just returned from our second trip to Aruba, a small southern Caribbean island 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela.  We stayed at La Cabana Resort and Spa again.

Aruba has so much to offer.  The weather is fabulous with a year round average temperature of 82 degrees and constant trade winds to keep things comfortable. The beaches are some of the best in the world. English is spoken everywhere, US dollars are always welcome, people are friendly, crime rate is low and the island is outside the hurricane belt.  What more could you ask for?

Our first of several great dinners was enjoyed at Las Ramblas, one of our resort restaurants.  What a treat to have a terrific view of Eagle Beach, the beautiful sunset and live guitar music while we ate a delicious meal.  

I had a surf and turf plate with extra large bacon wrapped scallops, shrimp and a juicy cut of beef with chimichurri sauce. 

We also enjoyed Cuba's Cooking, Taste of Belgium, La Granga and lunch on the Mi Dushi snorkel cruise.  I loved that our resort was within walking distance of Super Foods, a superb market with an amazing selection of Dutch and American foods, a great bakery, deli and produce section.  One of the young workers in the produce department offered to cut up a minneola for me (a cross between a tangerine and grapefruit).  It was so yummy - hope they will be available at Publix.

     

If you love the beach, Aruba is a must.  Eagle Beach is rated by Porthole Cruise magazine and TripAdvisor as one of the world's most beautiful beaches.  Our hotel is shown in the background and our favorite palapa on the beach was in front, beside the volleyball net.  

Can you tell from my hair how windy it was on deck? Next time I'm packing a hat with a chin strap.  There is excellent snorkel and scuba diving here.  You can easily see many types of colorful fish, eels, starfish, etc., as well as some interesting shipwrecks.  The sunset cocktail cruise we did was fun too.

Are you convinced yet that this is indeed "One Happy Island" place to be?  I'll be making this a yearly trip, if I can convince hubby.  He says he likes to try new places each year.

Assam 1860

"Tea As It Should Be"

I like my morning tea to be full-bodied and refreshing with an appealing fragrance and have found Assam 1860 to be a great tea to start my day with.

My sample box of tea immediately caught my attention with the colorful scenes of tea gardens, delivery trucks, etc. and "Hello, Fancy A Cup Of Quality Tea?" written on the lid. 

The individually wrapped silken tea bags have cute graphics on the front and the back. They brew quickly to a beautiful dark liquor. 

You can explore the 150-year-old James Warren Tea Estate teas on the Assam 1860 website.  Here you will find lots of interesting information about the history of Assam, world tea tradition, great photos and lots more.  

NAMASTEA!