Christmas Tea Poem

Christmas Tea Poem 

On Christmas Day, at half past three,

brew yourself a cup of tea.

I'll think of you and you'll think of me.

While sitting around your Christmas tree.

Mulled Tea Bag

Mulled Tea Bag

• 2 1/2 tsp. loose tea leaves
• 1 tsp. coarsely crushed cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp. dried orange peel
• 1/4 tsp. dried lemon peel
• 3 whole allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• 5-inch square of fine-mesh cheesecloth
• Cotton string

Blend together tea leaves, cinnamon pieces, lemon and orange peel, allspice, and cloves. Place in a cheesecloth square. Tie with a string to form a bag. 

To brew tea, place the bag in a mug and add boiling water. Steep for 4 - 5 minutes and enjoy.

Serves 1

Candy Cane Lane in a Cup

It's the week of Christmas! The tree is decorated, the groceries are bought, and the presents are wrapped. How are things at your house? Is the tea kettle on? Do you have a moment to sit and savor the season with a nice hot cup of Candy Cane Lane tisane? It is enjoyed by so many as a favorite this time of year. Thank you, Celestial Seasonings. 

A Cup of Tea

A Cup of Tea

When the world is all at odds

And the mind is all at sea

Then cease the useless tedium

And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its' fragrance,

There is solace in its' taste;

And laden moments vanish

Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!

There's beauty as you'll see;

All because you briefly stopped

To brew a cup of tea.

Author Unknown

~

Teacup and saucer: Old Country Roses, Peppermint Damask

2002 Royal Albert, Ltd.

Cranberry Tea

 

Cranberry tea is tart and such a great morning wake up call! Not only does it attract the attention of your taste buds, but the health benefits of cranberry abound. Cranberry contains multiple vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. The nutrients cranberry contains are especially helpful in protecting you against heart disease and cancer. Additionally, the acids and other components in cranberry juice are helpful in treating or preventing urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and peptic ulcers. It also helps prevent the formation of oral bacteria that can lead to gum diseases and plaque. It is a great natural defense for the body!

Taken alone, cranberry juice can sometimes be difficult to take in any quantity, so it can be helpful to mix it with other tasty ingredients to make it go down just a bit better. What better ingredient to pair with cranberry juice than tea! Try this recipe and see what you think!

Cranberry Tea

• 1 quart brewed tea of choice
• 4 cloves, whole
• 4 cardamom seeds
• cinnamon to taste
• 1 tsp. stevia
• 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice

While brewed tea is hot, add cloves, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon. Then add stevia. Stir. Allow tea to cool to room temperature. Then strain.  Add cranberry juice and orange juice. Warm to a comfortable drinking temperature (do not boil). Serve and enjoy! For garnish, add 2 or 3 cranberries to each cup. They will look beautiful as they float.

*More stevia can be added for a sweeter tea.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 3 cups carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup oil
• 1/4 cup cranberries, dried OR craisins
• 3 egg substitutions*

Mix together using a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer. When well blended, pour into an oiled and floured pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes.

*Powdered egg replacer, flax gel slurry, or gar/fava slurry - OR - use eggs.

Delicious with a cup of YOUR favorite tea.
*This recipe gets rave reviews; people won't even know it is gluten-free or vegan. Nice and moist. Make into cupcakes and decorate with a theme you like.

The Tea Kettle Sings

When the tea kettle sings with happiness...

...that is home.

*Appreciating the tea kettle and stovetop at our local grange.

Pumpkin Butter

Do you enjoy toast and tea? This delicious topping is perfect for toast, pancakes, or waffles. 

It is a great source of Vitamin A and the flavor is enhanced by the sweetness of apple cider and spices.


Pumpkin Butter

• 
  
• 1 - 29 oz. can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup apple juice or cider
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar*
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.

Spoon hot pumpkin mixture into hot jars. Cover and refrigerate until used. 

Makes five 8 oz jars.

*Natural sweeteners may be used such as: date sugar, agave syrup, Sucanat, etc.

(USDA does not recommend canning pumpkin butter)

When the Tea is Brought

When the tea is brought at five o'clock
And all the neat curtains are drawn with care,
The little black cat with bright green eyes
Is suddenly purring there.

Harold Monro

Tea time is for everyone! 

An Apple-a-Day Pesto

The neighborhood is busy with apple harvest. Pickers are filling bins with juicy, red, Fuji apples. The bins fill the back of semi-trucks who haul them to a nearby packing plant. There's nothing like a tree ripened Fuji apple! Its juicy water-core indicates a sweet and ripe apple. Our friendly neighbors are generous with their apples, so it is a perfect time of year to prepare foods with this delicious fruit!

An Apple-a-Day Pesto

• 1 1/2 cups basil leaves, fresh
• 1 cup parsley, fresh
• 1 cup Fuji apple, cored and quartered
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate
• 1 tsp. lemon juice, fresh
• 1 tsp. lemon zest, fresh
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Place basil, parsley, apple, almonds, and salt in food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Stop pulsing and add apple juice concentrate, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pulse food processor and then slowly drizzle olive oil into mixture. When blended, place pesto in a serving bowl.

Serve with apple slices, crusty slices of bread, and crackers. If you like to double-dip, add a bowl of peanut butter! Enjoy with tea!

The Festival. . .of Afternoon Tea

In nothing is the English genius for domesticity more notably declared than in the institution of this festival—almost one may call it so—of afternoon tea. Beneath simple roofs, the hour of tea has something in it of sacred; for it marks the end of domestic work and worry, the beginning of restful, sociable evening. The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose. 

George Gissing
The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

What Counts

Not everything that
can be counted counts,
and not everything that
counts can be counted.

Albert Einstein

I'm thankful for the little ones in my life (some now grown up) and all the tea experiences they've so willingly shared with me!

Celebrations Tea & Card Exchange

I participated in a greeting card exchange conducted by Afternoon Tea Across America. It was so fun to check the mail as the cards started arriving. 

Such talented participants! Cards ranged from handcrafted to photo covers or pretty themed stationary.

Tea samples were tucked into each envelope.

And pretty tuck-in gifts. 

Lots of recipes, too!

How fun to have tea friends to share with.

Australian Tea & Friendship

Relationships and connections are important to me. I think that's one reason that I enjoy the practice of taking tea. Afternoon tea with a friend provides opportunity to connect, communicate, and share. Research shows that relationships are extremely important in health and longevity. I'm glad for teatime moments with friends. These times are a special blessing.

And how fun is it to help connect your friends from different parts of your life! The story goes like this. My friend, Hazel, has been my buddy since we met in a religion class when we were freshmen in college. The class met at 7:30 am and our professor was a New Testament theologian. Somehow Hazel and I became friends in those early-daytime hours of deep thought. That friendship has remained over many years. She is one of those forever friends. The kind that you know will love you until the day you die. Recently she told me that she was going on a humanitarian mission to the Solomon Islands. On the way home, she was going to visit Australia and New Zealand. 

This reminded me of my friend, Susanna.

Susanna is a more recent friend. We met online through a group interested in educating kids. She is super friendly and most interesting to visit with. And, Susanna lives in Australia! So, I thought it would be fun to hook Hazel and Susanna up. Hazel contacted Susanna, saying she was a friend of mine. And things took off from there. In the end, Susanna and her family hosted Hazel and her travel companions for four adventurous days! Susanna is a tour hostess of excellence! From her heart, and because of friendship, she provided beds, breakfasts (and lunches and dinners), and tours of Sydney and surrounding areas. Train travel, ferry rides, foot travel, museums, aquariums, China town, gardens, and so much more were crammed into a few short days. Amazing energy, instant friendship (Hazel and Susanna), and fun times were had. Too soon (for them), the journey ended and Hazel's group returned home.

Yesterday Hazel and I met for a four-hour lunch and tea, because we had a lot to talk about and catch up on!

Hazel is my friend who does not like tea. Susanna made it her mission to get Hazel to try some while in Sydney. So, over lunch in China town, she made sure to provide Hazel with a cup of Jasmine Green Tea. She documented it with photo and sent it out by Facebook immediately! Hazel is such a good sport!

We met for lunch at a restaurant whose theme centers around farm and western decor and food. I was quite sure they wouldn't offer Jasmine Green tea, so I brought my own! Stash Jasmine Blossom Green Tea in convenient tea bags were produced from my purse; the waitress kindly brought us mugs and hot water. Instructions were given to Hazel to steep it "only one minute" because I thought she might actually enjoy it if it was gentle and weak. And she did! We visited. I listened to stories of Hazel's travel adventures. We talked about Susanna (who is coming to American next year, so we have some planning to do!). The hours flew by quickly!

And Hazel brought gifts from Australia. Beautifully wrapped, she presented me with a lovely tea kit from Susanna. It's paired with an Australian tea towel from Hazel. The tea is by Tea Tonic and is named Australiana Tea. The tin says that it is cool, dry, vast and a whole lot of soul. It contains lemon myrtle, sage, and eucalyptus leaf.

This morning, tea was taken on the porch. I paired my Australiana Tea from Susanna with the tea towel from Hazel. In my cupboard was a mug of Australian Roadsigns (featuring Australian animals like wombats, crocodiles, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, emus and camels) that was brought home to me by Dad and Alma on a trip they took to Australia in the past. The tea was delicious! The sage, very evident, giving it a surprisingly nutty taste. With notes of eucalyptus in the background, the cup is accented by lemon myrtle. This was a wonderful way to wake up and take on the day!

Thank you for the lovely gifts, Hazel and Susanna!

A Little Kingdom...

"A little kingdom I possess, 

where thoughts and feelings dwell; 

And very hard the task 

I find of governing it well."

Louisa May Alcott

An Imaginary Voyage

Each cup of tea

represents an

imaginary

voyage.

Catherine Douzel

Visual Tea Appreciation

Floating tea leaves. . .

Oriental Beauty

No need for prose. Just visual tea appreciation. Enjoy a wonderful day!

The Leaf, Sip by Sip

There is the size of the leaf:

Its unique shape,

Its unique color,

Its unique fragrance,

A taste all its own,

And it changes...sip by sip.

Ron Rubin, Tea Chings

A Tea Table & a Chair

"One should clean out a room in one's home

and place only a tea table and a chair in the room

with some boiled water and fragrant tea.

Afterwards, sit salutarily and allow one's spirit

to become tranquil, light, and natural." 

-Li Ri Hau, A Ming Dynasty Scholar

Crown Kensington Teal Chintz

What's in your teacup today? I'd love to know. Is it something you enjoy on an everyday basis? Or did you have something in your teacup that was unique and special to the day?

My teacup this morning is a Crown Kensington called Teal Chintz. It's fine bone china from Staffordshire, England. It was a gift from a sweet friend and is one of my favorite cup and saucer sets. The cheerful colors help start my day on a positive note! Today it contains a classic Ceylon tea from the Kenilworth Estate. Called Sonata, it is a fresh with citrusy tones. A bit of milk and stevia accompany this tea to create a cup of perfection.

"Peasant and King are equals over the teacups...".

As Pleasurable as Tea

"Should another addiction as pleasurable as tea be found, it would simply never satisfy."

Earlene Grey

More Than Mere Drink

"Tea is much more than a mere drink in Britain. It is a solace, a mystique, an art, a way of life, almost a religion. It is more deeply traditional than the roast beef of old England....This khaki-colored concoction, brewed through an accident of history from an exotic plant grown thousands of miles from fog, cricket and left-handed driving, has become the life-blood of the nation."

Cecil Porter of Gemini News Service

Falling Tea Leaves: Oriental Beauty Oolong

Afternoon Tea is a Living Room Occasion

You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in on a tray or a cart.
Angela Hynes
The Pleasures of Afternoon Tea