teaspoons & petals

tavalon ' s anTEAoxidant treat: green tea latte almonds

At the moment, I am sitting by my tree sipping on some new blends (thanks to fabulous friends & family) and reminiscing about the past few lovely days. The countless hours were filled with family gatherings, meals (some consisting mainly of cookies and tea), decorating, etc. Above all, I truly enjoyed giving gifts to loved ones. During the months leading up to the holidays, I sought out the perfect gifts that would hopefully bring a smile to their faces after they ripped through the (poorly) wrapped gift (I have yet to master the proper fold and tape). I like to think of myself as a gift detective. However, this year my loved ones were the ones that did their research, as I was overwhelmed with tea goodness! Even though I am never one to brag about gifts, I cannot contain my excitement about the new blends and tea accessories that I found under a few trees this year.  One of my favorite tea gifts was tucked in the very bottom of my stocking: Tavalon's green tea latte almonds. The tiny tin was filled with a few handfuls of almonds covered in decadent milk chocolate and dusted with just enough matcha green tea powder. The sweetness of the rich milk chocolate was perfectly balanced by the vegetal yet slightly sweet taste of the matcha powder. Two words to describe the taste: absolute perfection.  I must admit they are rather addicting. The tin grew lighter and lighter within moments after sharing it with friends (and now that tin is empty). In an effort to keep a firm grip on the tasty memory that lingers on my taste buds, I am sharing my experience with you. These tasty treats would be a delightful snack to serve at your next tea party. I would even recommend placing a few almonds on individual tea bag dishes. And if you're having a cocktail tea party, why not fill a few elegant bowls with the green tea latte almonds (quite an upgrade from traditional happy hour nuts). Until I buy a few more tins to snack on, I'll just nestle all snug in my bed as visions on green tea latte almonds dance in my head!

tea in philadelphia

A few weeks ago, I was sipping on some black jasmine cream tea while walking through philadelphia and soaking in the city scenes. At that very moment, I was inspired to write haiku about tea in philadelphia (like the one shown above). I was truly captivated by the warm, glowing lights, and the thought of enjoying a cup of tea with Ben Franklin (he did state that "destroyed tea" from the Boston Tea party should be repaid-good man!). The caffeine in my cup mirrored the bustling city energy. The thought of "brotherly love" paired nicely with the warming cup in my cold hands (it was a chilly night).   After my city walk came to an end, I ran inside to capture some haiku about my love for philadelphia and tea. Until I post images of the other cups, I thought I would share a few more haiku created that night:

Sip for a second

As the bright lights are flashing

Brotherly love warms

 

Sitting with Franklin

Sipping on brotherly love

This is tea for two

  looking forward to hearing your thoughts! what's your favorite blend to sip on while you take a walk on a chilly night?

dress your tree with tea

As I sipped on a warming chai blend while decorating my Christmas tree, I stepped back for a second to find the perfect spot for my teacup ornament (picture coming soon in another post). While I surveyed the green branches, I imagined an entire tree covered in tea decor. Even though I had finished decorating my tree for Christmas this year, I plan on searching for enough tea related ornaments to cover a tiny tree for next year's holiday celebration (imagine, an entire tree devoted to celebrating tea-so wonderful).   While I searched for caffeinated baubles, I came across these lovely ornaments from Anthropologie. The knit teacup and teapot are absolutely fabulous and have a certain handmade quality, that would make your tree feel very warm and homey. The embroidered details remind me of the art and craft that I experience in each cup of my favorite blend. The dainty teapot with dangling cups is a standout piece sure to steal the spotlight from other holiday decor.  Do you have any tea related ornaments on your tree this year? If so, please comment below and share. If you share links to pictures of these ornaments, I will be sure include them in a follow up post about celebrating tea this holiday season.

i ' m a little teacup: my haiku teacups

My desire to share my love for tea with others has evolved over the years. What started out as simple recommendations to friends and detailed emails describing blends, quickly transformed into this very tea blog. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on tea and combine my (healthy) obsession for this special beverage with my love of writing. Tea has truly inspired countless creative moments, one of which I had yet to share until recently. Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the beauty and peaceful moments while enjoying a cup of tea. During those stolen minutes, I have written countless tea haiku (sonnets were out the question, unless I was brewing an entire pot for myself). In fact, the art of haiku inspired a business idea that I shared with a client (a tea company). I suggested that this tea company create teacups adorned with original tea haikus to sell along with their tea, and I began writing tea haikus for them. A few months later, I realized how passionate I was about this idea and decided to pursue it myself. I gathered my haikus about tea, searched for the perfect cups, wrote the haikus on the cup, added bits and pieces of design to each cup/saucer, and created a shop on etsy (an online handmade marketplace).

So I thought I would share these tea inspired haiku cups with you.

 

A bit of info (that is noted on my etsy store):

There are those few precious moments while drinking tea, when you can just stop, breathe and imagine. Each handwritten haiku cup is a reminder of those moments, when you can read a few lines and enjoy your cup of tea.

I was inspired to write each haiku while sipping on a favorite blend. Each cup has a handwritten, original haiku that celebrates tea. Notice the small details, such as the tealeaves that adorn the plate and the word that reveals itself when you finish your favorite blend ("tea").

steep. breathe. read. enjoy.