Loose Leaf Tea Anyone?

Last night my Cousin and his fiancee came over for dinner, and he very kindly brought some loose leaf tea for me to try. (He insisted that it was better then bagged tea, and being a tea lover, I had to try it! :-)).

First we picked what kind of tea we were going to brew, and settled on Irish Breakfast. We placed two teaspoons (enough for two cups of tea) into his loose leaf tea steeper
and poured in the hot water. (Note - after boiling the water we let it sit for a moment so it wouldn't be QUITE as hot, but only let it sit for like a minute or two.).
We let the tea sit for 3 minutes, and then he poured it into the cups. (The tea steeper was pretty cool, you just place it on top of the cup, and press slightly, and the tea comes out! Hehe! :-)).
I added some milk to mine, (because that's how I like my black tea), and tasted it! It was really good! I've had Irish Breakfast tea in the past, but I think I prefer the loose leaf! :-)
Now I want to go to the tea store and get others to try! :-) (I'd like to do a taste test - one cup of loose leaf and one cup on bagged tea, just to see how they taste different. :-)).

So, I'd like to know, which kind do YOU prefer? Loose Leaf or Bagged? :-)

Thanks for sharing Zach! :-)

*Cough Cough*

As we get into Fall and Winter colds and sicknesses start going around more, and you can hear more coughing and sniffing.

When I have a cold, a nice cup of tea often helps me feel better!!
My favorite is just plain black tea with honey and lemon!!! :-) (And milk ;-)). A lady at the bank today told me I should try green tea with honey, which I will have to do (as I have a cold at the moment!)! :-)
However, any kind of tea can help! So, go make yourself a lovely cup of hot tea, and make sure to rest as much as you can!

Sun Tea - Perfect for those hot summer days!

Ever long for a nice cool drink on a hot summer day, something other then water, but find the only thing you have in the refrigerator is milk?? Well, I have the perfect solution for you! :-) Sun Tea!!! :-) And if summers where you live is anything like New England, you'll have plenty of sun to do this simple, yet refreshing drink! :-)

First, pick out your very favorite kind of tea! I find that with Sun Tea a flavor is best, but if you prefer plain, that's great too! :-) I like Peach Herbal Tea best so far! :-)
Next place 3 tea bags in a half gallon jug (more or less depending on how much you want! :-)).
Next fill jug with room temperature water (just out of the faucet is good! :-)).
Next place jug in the sun and let set for several hours - it's best if you put it out in the morning, and then it should be ready in late afternoon! :-)

When it is done, either serve right away over plenty of ice, or place in refrigerator until cold! :-)
You can add sweetener, but personally I prefer it plain! :-) The herbal tea's don't taste bitter at all! :-)

Enjoy!! :-)

My Church's Tea Party

Yesterday I hosted an Afternoon Tea for our church ladies! :-) I thought you might enjoy hearing about it, and seeing some pictures! :-)




This was our table! :-) We used three different tea sets, complete with dish, saucer, and tea cup, which I simply stacked on top of each other at people's places. When it came time to begin, people just lifted the tea cup and saucer off their plates. It looked elegant, and didn't clutter things too much. :-)

Here are a couple more pictures of the table -







Our wonderful guests all looked so lovely in their tea party clothes! :-)

















This is me at the Tea Party. :-)

What we had to eat -

For sandwiches we had Egg salad, and chicken salad. Peanut butter and jelly, which I made some with Apricot, and also some with our homemade Strawberry! :-) And Turkey, made with lettuce, and American cheese, and some with mustard and some with mayonnaise, (and some just plain).

We had Scottish Oat Scones, with raisins! :-) Sugar cookies, Ginger Snaps, and Lemon Bread (which I think was the best part! ;-)).
We also had a bowl of Gala apple slices and a bowl of read and green grapes! :-)

To drink -
We had Peach and Regular Sun Ice Tea! :-)
For sun tea you simply put the tea bags in room temperature water, and place in the sun for a full day. (If you remember too late, you can put some hot water to help it along! ;-)). To make it iced we simply placed bowls of ice on the table, and put the room temperate in the tea pots (since it was too hot for hot tea), and let people ice it themselves. :-)

We also had lemonade, which I cheated with and bought the frozen lemonade from the store, however, I did buy lemons to squeeze into it to make it better!! :-) I also had my sister (who made it) slice lemon's to float in it with the ice to make it look lovely! :-)

What we did -

Before the tea party began, after everyone sat down I read Psalm 100 aloud to everyone, and then my Mom asked the blessing.

For games during the party we played Tea Party Bingo, as explained in in my Spring Tea Party Part Two post. :-) http://teatimewithamy.blogspot.com/2009/07/spring-tea-party-part-two-party-games.html

After the Tea Party we played Change Seats, which is also suggested in that post. However, instead of saying "Do you love your neighbor" we said "Do you like your neighbor's seat better", which made it more comfortable! :-)
Even the mother's played, and everyone enjoyed it. (We had ages three and up playing, and everyone was able to do it. :-) The three-year-old had lots of fun, and was so cute! :-)).

As a finishing touch, my friend showed us a little film she had made, which she did a lovely job on! :-)

Well, I hope you have enjoyed hearing about our church's tea party!

God bless!

Summer Tea Party - A Picnic for Two

For your summer tea party, invite your sister, daughter, mother, best friend, etc for a special picnic lunch/tea for two! :-)

First pick the spot to have the tea party - a nice quiet spot is best - perhaps by a river, in a field, or even just in your back yard! :-)
Spread out a nice large, pretty blanket on the ground (If your friend prefers not to sit on the ground, simply set up a small table, like a card table, with chairs, or use a picnic table at your local park. :-)).

Use pretty paper plates and cups for lunch, and

What to eat -

Egg Salad Sandwiches -
Boil the eggs (generally two to three for each sandwich), then peel and mash them with a potato masher or a fork. Add Mayonnaise or Miracle whip to taste.

Some other ideas to make your sandwiches different -
Add celery, or green onions.
Add a little mustard.
Add some salt and/or pepper.

(I prefer just plain egg salad with miracle whip myself, but make it the way you like it, and ask your friend how she would like it! :-)).

Note - If your friend dislikes Egg Salad, try making either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or turkey sandwiches. :-)

What to Drink -

Make iced tea using peach herbal tea bags. :-) Make sure to keep it chilled, and have some ice ready. :-)

(Note - it'd also be a good idea to have some water handy. :-) Just bring along two water bottles, or a small pitcher. :-)).

For Dessert -
(For tea just have the iced tea. :-)).

Tea Cookies
(Taken from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tea-Cookies-I/Detail.aspx ).

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting


DIRECTIONS

1. Beat together the butter and confectioners' sugar till creamy. Add vanilla.
2. Mix the dry ingredients, stir into creamy mixture. Blend well.
3. Add the nuts, mix well, roll the dough out into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Flatten dough out and cut into 15 or 20 equal size pieces, shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes till firm but not brown. While still warm roll into confectioners' sugar, let cool and roll again.


At this tea party you probably won't want to play any games, so just go prepared to chat. :-)
Enjoy your picnic tea! :-)

Sippen - A blog review

Although we are a tea blog, at tea parties, and on hot summer days, some of your guests, or yourself, might enjoy a refreshing drink other then tea.
The ladies at Sippen www.sippen.blogspot.com offer some drink options that sound just perfect! Please do stop by and visit their lovely blog!! :-)

Spring Tea Party - Part Two - Party Games

At your Spring Tea Party you should play at least two games, to make things more interesting for the guests.

Here are some ideas for you -

Tea Party Bingo (Taken from http://www.theteahousetimes.com/).

Take a piece of paper and put five boxes down and five boxes across, and mark the middle one "Free". Then have the guests write words like - one in each box - "Tea" "Tea pot" "Sugar" "Milk" "Scones" "Jam", etc (ideas at the web site :-) Just list the words you want them to use at the bottom of the paper and have them write it in themselves. :-)). Then throughout the party use the words in different stories, or just randomly call one of them out. The first person to mark down five of the words in a row (Horizontal, Vertical, or Diagonal) calls out "Bingo!" and wins. (If you want too you can have small prizes for the winners - a tea cup, a little knit bag full of different kinds of tea bags, etc.).

Game number two is called Change Seats - (Taken from http://oldfashionedliving.com/parlour-games.html).

Change Seats -
This is a variation on a Victorian game, but a warning to those attempting this one, clear the room of precious little decorations, it can get a little wild! All but one person sits in a chair. The person in the middle asks someone in the circle "Do you love your neighbor?" The person selected then has to state either "No." at which point the people in the chairs on each side of him/her have to change seats QUICKLY. If they aren't quick enough, the person in the middle may slip into one of the vacated seats, making the unseated neighbor it. The chosen person may instead answer, "Yes, I love my neighbor, except those who (fill in the blank....are wearing blue, or have brown hair, or play tennis, etc) Everyone who fits the description (ie is wearing blue for example) has to jump up and change seats, while the person in the middle tries to steal one. The person left standing has to ask another person if he/she loves his/her neighbor, beginning a new round.

(Note - If your guests don't feel comfortable saying "No" when asked if they love their neighbor, just make up another saying for them! :-)).

I hope your Spring Tea Party is fun! (And sorry again for getting this post up so late!!).

God bless!

Thank you Joy!

Many thanks to Joy at http://practicalpurity.blogspot.com/ for this award!! You have a beautiful blog yourself Joy!!! (BTW, if you haven't stopped by her blog, you should!! :-)).

I'd like to award Kate at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wautoma/ !! She always has beautiful templates (and sells them cheap BTW!! :-)). She also is a wonderful young lady!!! :-)

Also the four girls from http://pattysplace.wordpress.com/ ! Wonderful young ladies!! :-)

Also Susan and Rebecca at Sippen sippen.blogspot.com . Beautiful blog with wonderful ideas!! (And two wonderful young ladies running it! :-)).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd also like to apologize for never getting the 2nd post of the Spring Tea Party up!!! I shall try to do that soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks again Joy! :-)

A Mad Hatter's Tea Party

A Mad Hatter's Tea Party
Everything you need to know about throwing your own


Recipes
Cucumber-mint tea sandwiches

Ingredients
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and white pepper
16 thin slices white bread
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
16 fresh mint leaves

Directions
Sprinkle the cucumber slices with salt and pepper and set aside in a colander for 10 minutes so any excess liquid can drain out. Pat dry with paper towels.
Using a cookie cuter, cut two 2-inch rounds from each slice of white bread. Coat each circle on one side with a very thin layer of butter.
Layer cucumber slices on top of the buttered side of 16 bread rounds.
Add a tiny dab of butter and top with a mint leaf. Place another bread round on top, butter side down, and press the sandwiches together gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate, wrapped in plastic.


Cream cheese, rooibos tea, and edible flower tea sandwiches

Ingredients
1 cup cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons brewed and chopped rooibos (or other herbal) tea leaves (excess water squeezed out)
12 thin slices white bread
20 edible flower petals (such as from roses or nasturtiums), chopped

Directions
Mix together the cream cheese and brewed tea leaves. Set aside.
Using a 2-inch round or flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut 2 pieces of each slice of bread. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on 12 of the bread rounds and sprinkle with the chopped floewrs. Cut a small circle out of the middle of the 12 remaining bread rounds and place on top of each sandwich. Press each sandwich together gently and serve immediately or refrigerate, wrapped tightly in plastic.

"Eat Me" Cupcakes

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Add eggs to mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
Fill paper liners with batter until 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Once cupcakes are cool, frost with frosting. Using colored decorator icing (can be bought at the store) write "Eat Me" on your cupcakes. Enjoy!

Other food ideas
-Serve iced tea (or hot tea, whatever you prefer) in wild flavors
-Make cookies in the shapes of hearts and spades
-Make a cake in the shape of a mushroom or a tea pot

Decorating Ideas
-Use wild tea pots and tea cups of mix and matching styles and colors
-Create paper labels that say "Eat Me" or "Drink Me" and attach them to food and drink
-Have a stuffed mouse like the Dormouse in one of the tea pots
-Use a mixture of chairs with varying size, shape, height, and color
-Hang colorful lanterns and streamers above the table
-Scatter playing cards and chess pieces around the room.
-Make rabbit paw tracks that lead throughout different places in the house/garden
-Put clocks all over the room that are stopped at tea time
-Hang a branch from the ceiling with the Cheshire cat's grin attached to it
-Use a mix of colorful flowers on the table and in vases around the room

Games
-Lawn croquet
-Pin the grin on the Cheshire cat
-Chess
-Buy basic hats and let the guests decorate them with odd supplies and things (buttons, ribbons, stuffed mice, checker pieces, clocks, etc.)

Spring Tea Party - Part One

Spring is such a lovely time of year! When all the flowers start to come out, and it's often sunny and beautifully breezy! :-) (And mixed in are colder, wetter days, but that makes the nicer days all the better! :OD). I think Spring is the perfect time for a TEA PARTY!!! :-)

For the spring tea party, if it is warm enough, having it outside would be lovely, but also the breeze might be too cool for your guests, so I would suggest having it inside, and opening some windows if weather permits that.

Use a table cloth that will generally match, or compliment, your tea set (preferably a lacy or plain white, or another light color. Flowers are nice too, just don't let it look too "busy".).

Use matching, or complementing, cloth napkins. And set the table so it is all ready for your guests.
On the table place the food, and also place flowers around in vases - this will make things feel more spring like. :-) (And, if you can, have pretty curtains on the windows - this can brighten up the room! :-)).

For tea, serve Raspberry herbal tea. But also have another kind handy in case one of your guests doesn't prefer this kind. :-) Make sure to have sugar out, and honey available. (No milk is needed since it is an herbal tea, but both honey and sugar go nice with it. But you can have only sugar if that works better for you. :-)).

Also, have another fancy drink handy (besides just water) for those guests who don't prefer tea. I love when they have fruit punch at a tea party, so here is a recipe! :-) ( http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fruity-Sherbet-Punch/Detail.aspx ).

Fruity Sherbet Punch
INGREDIENTS

* 4 cups apple juice, chilled
* 4 cups pineapple juice, chilled
* 4 cups orange juice, chilled
* 2 liters ginger ale, chilled
* 2 quarts orange or pineapple sherbet

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine juices in a punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale. Top with sherbet. Serve immediately.


(You can either set a bowl of this out with the glasses set around it, or you can set out a glass for each person along with their tea cup.).

For sandwiches it's nice to have a couple different kinds as well. (Make sure to have a "normal" type sandwich among the others, such as peanut butter and jelly.).

For this tea party have CUCUMBER TEA SANDWICHES ( http://home.att.net/~dfaglon/tearecipe.html#cucumber2 ).

CUCUMBER TEA SANDWICHES

1-2 European cucumbers
Salt and black pepper
White wine vinegar
Pumpernickel or wheat bread very thinly sliced
Butter at room temperature

Peel a European cucumber and slice it into transparent slices
with a mandolin or very thin slicer (a potato peeler works well too).
Sprinkle these thin slices with a little of white wine vinegar
and salt and let drain in a sieve for about 1/2 hour. Drain
away any excess water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cover a
slice of lightly buttered thin brown bread with 2 layers of cucumber
and a bit of black pepper and top with another slice of buttered
bread. Press firmly with the palm of your hand. Cut off the crusts.
Cut into small rectangles or triangles. Cover with plastic wrap
until served.

And ( http://home.att.net/~dfaglon/tearecipe.html#chicken ).

CHICKEN SALAD TEA SANDWICHES WITH SMOKED ALMONDS
Makes 24 tea sandwiches

3 cups chicken broth or water
2 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 1
1/2pounds) halved
I cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
24 very thin slices homemade-type white bread
1/2 cup finely chopped smoked almonds (about 2 ounces)

In a deep 12-inch skillet bring broth or water to a boil
and add chicken breasts in one layer. Reduce heat and
poach chicken at a bare simmer, turning once, 7 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and cool chicken in cooking
liquid 20 minutes. Discard skin and shred chicken fine.
In a bowl stir together chicken, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise,
shallot, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Make
12 sandwiches with chicken salad and bread, pressing
together gently. With 2 inch round cutter cut 2
rounds from each sandwich. Put almonds on a small
plate and spread edges of rounds with remaining 1/2
cup mayonnaise to coat well. Roll edges in almonds.
Sandwiches may be made 2 hour ahead, wrapped in plastic
wrap, and chilled.

And also peanut butter and jelly. (Made with your choices of jelly. :-)).

For some sweeter treats (which you would set out right away with the sandwiches), have LEMON CRANBERRY SCONES ( http://home.att.net/~dfaglon/tearecipe.html#lemon ) -

LEMON CRANBERRY SCONES
Makes about 16 scones with Lemon Curd, Jam and Double Devon or
Clotted Cream


2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 3
lemons
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons additional if using
fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut
into bits
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse, or 1
1/4 cups dried cranberries or dried cherries
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 F. and line a large baking sheet
with parchment paper. With a vegetable peeler remove
the zest from lemons and chop fine, reserving lemons
for another use. In a food processor pulse flour, 1/2
cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and zest until
mixture resembles coarse meal and transfer to a large
bowl. In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries
and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture.
If using dried fruit, add to flour mixture. In another
small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just
combined. On a well-floured surface with floured hands
pat dough into a I-inch thick round (about 8 inches in
diameter) and with a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a
glass dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as
possible rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange
rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in
middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden.
Serve scones with crème fraiche or whipped cream.
Scones keep individually in plastic wrap and foil,
chilled, 1 day or frozen I week.

And - Banana Streusel Bread ( http://joyofbaking.com/breakfast/BananaStreuselBread.html ). (Go to this site for more tips for when making it. :-)).

Recipe: Banana Streusel Bread

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (100 grams) pecans, coarsely chopped

1 - 5.5 ounce (155 gram) package of Werther's Original Chewy Caramels, coarsely chopped

2 very ripe large bananas, mashed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup coffee flavored yogurt (can also use plain, vanilla, or caramel flavored yogurt)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm). Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2/3 cup of pecans, and half of the chopped caramels. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will yield a tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup of pecans and chopped caramels over the top of the batter. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 - 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes one - 9 inch loaf.


And Shortbread Cookies ( http://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html ) -
Shortbreads:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Shortbreads: In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack.

Shortbread with keep in an airtight container for about a week or frozen for several months.

Makes about 20 shortbread cookies.




Part two coming soon with tea party game ideas and more! :-)

Recycling Tea Boxes

Spring is here, and spring means planting seeds and hoping that they sprout into cute little plants! But here is an eco-friendly (and fun) idea for planting seeds.

Once you've finished enjoying a box of your favorite Celestial Seasonings tea, tear off the top and the two inside flaps. Keep the white paper liner inside the box - it will keep your seedling starter from leaking. Cover the bottom of the lined box with ½ inch of sand to ensure proper drainage, then fill the rest of the box with a seedling-specific planting mix. That's it—you've made a seedling starter! Select a favorite flower, herb or veggie and plant seeds in your starter according to the seed packet's instructions.

Decorating With Tea Time Things

I like to decorate with tea pots, and tea cups and things! It can sure cheer up a room to place such things around! :-)
Why not try putting your tea things around the house, or a certain room? Maybe up on the mantle piece, or on the top of a book case, or on and end table! :-) It's fun to do little arrangements with them too, and when you have a tea party, you can simply take them down! :-)

Lavender

I found these two neat recipes here - http://oldfashionedliving.com/lavender2.html
They look really neat! :-)


Lavender Tea Blend
Ingredients:

1 teaspoon fresh lavender flowers

2 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoon fresh lemon balm

2 cups boiling water

In a teapot, combine the herbs. Add boiling water to the pot and steep 5 minutes. Serve with honey. Makes two cups of tea. If you want to add a black tea bag or loose tea of your choice you can add another cup of boiling water and make 3 cups of a stronger tea.


Charming Lavender Tea Gift
You will need:

1/3 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

4 teaspoons orange pekoe tea

New or vintage tea cup and saucer

small plastic bag, or plastic wrap

Tea Ball

Ribbon

Mix the herbs and tea then place in a piece of plastic wrap or a small bag and tie tightly with a ribbon. Place in the clean dry tea cup, with the tea ball (they are very inexpensive and can be found in most store kitchen sections) Include a note that this should steep for five minutes in boiled water. Wrap in tissue paper and place in a gift bag for a great gift for teachers and co-workers.

(Or anyone! :-)).

A Mad Tea-Party

`Take some more tea,' the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

`I've had nothing yet,' Alice replied in an offended tone, `so I can't take more.'

`You mean you can't take LESS,' said the Hatter: `it's very easy to take MORE than nothing.'

`Nobody asked YOUR opinion,' said Alice.

`Who's making personal remarks now?' the Hatter asked triumphantly.

Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself to some tea and bread-and-butter...

`I want a clean cup,' interrupted the Hatter: `let's all move one place on.'

He moved on as he spoke, and the Dormouse followed him: the March Hare moved into the Dormouse's place, and Alice rather unwillingly took the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any advantage from the change: and Alice was a good deal worse off than before, as the March Hare had just upset the milk-jug into his plate.

Taken from "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

How to host your own Mad-Hatter tea party, coming soon...

My Tea Set!

Earlier this week I received my very own tea set in the mail! (Bought from http://www.teacupgallery.com/category// ).
That is it in the picture above! :-) I'm quite excited, and can't wait to give a tea party with it!!! :-)

Tea sets are lovely when they are matching, but they are also very lovely if they are made up of lots of different styles of tea cups! It makes it neat to look at how they are all different! :-) Either way, they are elegant! :-)

Spring Time!

Don't you just love spring time? The fresh air, the beautiful sunshine, the flowers coming out, and new life all around! :-)

And, of course, there is nothing like beautiful, light colored, flowery curtains in all the windows to give the house an extra cheery look!
Why not start taking out your spring curtains! It'll make the house seem brighter, and if you have a tea party, it will add to the beautiful decorating!

Brew the perfect cup (or pot) of tea

Have you ever been to someone's home, been offered some tea, then nearly gagged on the watery concoction they put in front of you? I find that many people who drink tea do not know how to brew a proper cup of tea. It's a matter of the amount of time you brew the tea for--if you brew black tea too long, the flavor is lost and becomes muggy, bitter, or dulled. But if you don't brew it long enough, you don't have enough flavor. Here are the simple brewing directions for each basic type of tea:

Black ~ brew for 3-5 minutes, depending on if you like stronger or weaker tea

Herbal ~ brew for 3-5 minutes, just like with black (keep in mind that herbal tea does not lose its flavor if brewed for longer than 5 minutes)

White ~ brew 1-3 minutes unless directed otherwise

Green ~ brew 1-3 minutes (generally 2 minutes) or else the flavor will be bitter

Tips:
-Fill your mug or pot with hot tap water before you pour in boiling water to brew tea. This will increase the cup's (or pot's) warmth and preserve the heat of your tea
-Sweeten tea with sugar or honey if desired. Cream goes well in black teas (which include assam and oolong teas)

Welcome new writer!

I would like to welcome Olivia Joy to Tea Time as a writer! :-)
Thank you for joining me Livy!!! :-)

Tea and Biscuits - Breakfast Tea for one

Side note - If you are anything like me, you generally eat breakfast either alone, or in the mists of everyone else rushing around. While this post is entitled, "Breakfast Tea for One", it can easily be transformed into tea for two or more! Just bring out a few more tea cups, and make a bigger pot of tea!! :-)

Breakfast for one - Tea and Biscuits.




Breakfast with homemade biscuits sounds so delightful to me!
Simply make the biscuits, and add the topping of your choice. (These biscuits look like they have vanilla pudding, with strawberry jam on top! Yum! :-)).
Rolled out biscuits, as apposed to drop biscuits, tend to be more elegant, and personally I like them better. :-)
After making your biscuits, make sure to choose a beautiful plate to put them on! Just because you are eating alone, doesn't mean you can't have beauty! Seeing a yummy breakfast placed on a beautiful plate can cheer the whole morning up! :-)

Note - For a healthier choice use whole-wheat flour in your biscuits, and all-fruit jam or jelly! :-)
Although I have never tried this recipe, these biscuits look delicious!! ( http://www.joyofbaking.com/Biscuits.html ). Let me know if you try them and like them!
Make sure not to make too many if you are just baking for you! But, I'm sure your family would love some fresh biscuits, so don't make to few in that case! ;-)

And, of course, the day wouldn't be perfect unless you started it out with a cup of breakfast tea! Today, try English Breakfast Tea! :-)

If it is just you having tea, try using one of these pretty tea-for-one sets!





Enjoy your day! :-)

"My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up." Psalm 5:3

Tea Time

Welcome to Tea Time With Amy! :-)
My hope in this blog is that tea lovers will find this a cozy place with lots of ideas, pictures, recipes, and all things tea! :-)
Have a lovely day! :-)