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! :-)