teaspoons & petals

tea blossoms

green leaves tightly bound

slowly sway as steam rises

petals blossoming

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photo credit: austin.happel

tea party in style

When planning a tea party, I tend to focus on the delicate leaves and dainty cups, and unfortunately forget to give much thought to my outfit.  although while planning ahead for a few summer tea parties, I want to ensure that I will be serving in style.

While window shopping online (my favorite form of retail therapy), I came across the Floral Halter Layer Dress from Forever 21, that combined my love of the vintage,  floral look with a modern twist (pictured above). I adore each detail of this feminine frock, from the floral print, to the pintucking, vertical pleat and layered hem. And at only $22.80, I can splurge on floral centerpieces for the table.

This dress would pair perfectly with a menu of lavender scones and jasmine oolong tea...or maybe even a white peony.

What is your favorite tea party outfit?

Tea Today: Davids Tea's White Tiger

 

White Tiger One powerful tea Look out for white fur, black stripes and ice-blue eyes. White tigers tend to be bigger and stronger than their orange cousins. This blend is just as powerful. It’s got the smooth, immune-building strength of organic white peony tea. Plus the additional antioxidants of pomegranate essence and whole blueberries. A real fighter! It’ll scare off every free radical in the area.

As I shuffled through my bags and containers of loose tea, I was instantly drawn to its fierce and enticing name, White Tiger. As soon as I broke the seal of the bag, the dry aroma of the sweet pomegranates and blueberries instantly brought me to a sweeter state of mind.

As I poured the almost boiling water over the leaves, the hot aroma of the pomegranates and blueberries was sweet, fruity and slightly tangy, and was followed by the light floral notes of the white peony.

First sip: smooth white peony with slight floral notes and subtle grassy undertones builds into the flavor of the tangy pomegranate and finishes with the sweetness of blueberries. Although delicate, the white peony tea is the perfect canvas for the sweet fruity notes. The white peony, although floral, is more refreshing and clean than perfumy like that jasmine tea. The natural floral notes take turns with the sweet fruity elements, a seesaw of flavors, until the final flavor combination blooms.

After a few more sips, the white peony presence intensifies, although the blueberry and pomegranate still maintain a delightful flavor presence.

I would imagine that this would be a fabulous beverage companion to a dessert, like a blueberry pie. It would also freeze into amazing White Tiger popsicles, perfect for your next BBQ. Or if you’re looking to spice things up a bit, White Tiger would be a wonderful addition to your favorite martini, especially if you opt for blueberry vodka. The name does lend itself to a drink menu.

Overall, a lovely, clean, refreshing and sweet tea that I will continue to enjoy all Summer long.

celebrate national iced tea month

 

For the past ten days I have been gleefully celebrating National Iced Tea Month! After stocking my freezer with ice, I reached into my cabinet to happily retrieve my Bodum iced tea pitcher tucked away during the chillier months.  This iced tea pitcher (purchased from Mighty Leaf's site) is probably one of my favorite pieces of teaware, as it holds 50oz of tea, has a built in infuser that you can remove after steeping, along with a ridged spout that catches any tea leaves that escape into the pitcher while brewing.

As I set the pot of water on the stove, I reached for the stalks fresh mint just picked from the garden and filled the pitcher with the vibrant green herb.  I knew that a black tea would compliment the intense mint flavor, so I chose Tavalon’s Ceylon King (sent to me the month before from their sommelier’s choice tea of the month club- a Christmas gift I am still enjoying!).

Ceylon King:  A smooth, pure black tea with bright notes of honey and fruit.

I gently placed 6 teaspoons (1tsp per 8oz of water) of the beautiful deep brown and delicately rolled whole Ceylon leaves into the infuser. The grand tea leaves truly live up to their majestic name, Ceylon King. I poured the boiling water over the leaves and steeped the tea for 5minutes. The tealeaves bounced about as they painted the water a deep golden brown shade.

After removing the infuser, I added two teaspoons of honey before allowing the tea to cool to room temperature. After speaking with many tea experts, I’ve learned that it’s best to let the tea cool before adding any ice, as the ice will instantly melt in the hot water, dilute the tea and shock it to a state of bitterness.

The heat of the tea released the intense aroma of the mint in my kitchen as it cooled. I impatiently waited for the heat to rise and escape before filling the pitcher with ice.

I poured myself a tall glass. First sip: The strength of the Ceylon King is complimented by the refreshing dose of mint. The bit of honey cut any bitterness that the Ceylon, when iced brewed, might have had. The mint sensation offers a naturally sweet and incredibly refreshing flavor, and continues to linger on your palette after every sip.

The intense mint flavor is followed by the crisp and hearty taste of the smooth Ceylon. The bright notes of Ceylon’s honey are subtle but beautiful in this brew, as the taste of mint dominates the sweet sensory experience.  Although, the addition of honey along with Ceylon’s natural notes of honey provide a sweet foundation to this bold tea. My taste buds also pick up on Ceylon’s fruity element, which tastes very citrusy in this particular brew.

Ceylon King is a wonderful companion to the refreshing mint addition, and a fabulous tea for icing. I’m looking forward to replacing the mint with a nice dose of milk and a bit more honey during the next brew, as I create an icy, sweet treat. Happy Iced Tea Month! Cheers!

Steep It "The Simplest Internet Tea Timer Ever"

Steep It-the simplest internet tea timer ever."

Just type the time in the box, click "go" and you'll be redirected to a new page displaying the diminishing time. The screen's color changes mimicking the transformation of your steeped water. And finally, a pleasant bell rings, which lets you know that it's time to take your infuser or tea sachet out of the water. And if you're unsure about proper brewing time, Steep It has a tea time cheat sheet to calm your over-brewed fears. Happy Brewing! for more info, follow them on twitter and read their blog

I often steep my tea in the comfort of my own home, experiencing the peaceful moments as I watch the minutes dwindle and tea leaves unfurl. Although when I step outside my four walls and into a nearby cafe, I normally can't replicate that experience and instead attempt to check the time on my computer as I skate through emails. I inevitably lose track and sometimes over-brew a cup, which is my tea-loving heart skipped a beat when I stumbled across the web tea timer "

tea on etsy

on lazy Sunday afternoons I can often be found peeking at etsy's tea accessories. here are a few gems that sparkled during my last search....

tea party-tea towel from stitchado

100% cotton tea towel, measures approximately 25" x 25". 100% handmade embroidery from a vintage pattern :)

silkscreen art print poster from BluLima

"I have designed and hand screen printed these lovely posters on Rives Heavyweight printmaking paper. It is just off-white and oh so tough-but-tender in character. Natural and torn deckle edges, each print is signed and dated on the verso. Image size is 9"x12", easily framed with pre-cut mattes. Open edition in multiple colors, check out my other listings and look for more to be added!"

tea-time small stamp set from CraftChi

"Tea Time stamp set includes 5 charming tea friends: April Apron, Tizzy Teapot, Tilly Teacup, Tom Teaball, and Teeny/Tiny Teabag. All stamps are 1x1inch except for Apron (1x1.5inch) and Tea ball (1x1.25inch)."