Favorite Teas

The White, Green, Black, and Herb of Tea

Tell about your favorite tea. How do you prepare it and serve it? Milk and sugar? . Plain? What are some of your best memories of serving or sipping on this tea? Tell the health benefits of the tea(s) you prefer. Where do you purchase your tea? Is there someplace you enjoying purchasing tea from? Who from and where?

It’s hard to select a favorite tea, but I do prefer black teas. I didn’t grow up drinking hot tea, as a teenager I drank coffee for breakfast, but when I was age 22 and pregnant with my first child, I got sick on coffee, and to this day I do not like coffee!! I can’t drink a gourmet type flavored tea for breakfast I just drink plain ole Lipton’s tea (decaf) every morning. Other times I enjoy black tea blends, and purchase them often, when we travel I always look for unique tea blends. I also prefer loose teas over tea bags.

The above teas were purchased when we were vacationing. L to R: Orange Spice Tea from the Gryphon Tea Room, in Savannah, GA. Vanilla Tea, from Hawaii. My husband bought the licorice flavored tea from Taste Tea Room in Williamsburg, VA, he loves it!

I don’t use milk or cream in my tea, (I don’t drink any milk!) I prefer lemon in plain tea, but not in a flavored tea! Sugar is a must! If you don’t like tea, it may be because you don’t add sugar! Lately I have started using stevia to sweeten and like it as well. I also don’t care for strong tea, I never brew it more than three minutes.

I don’t care for green teas, but have been trying to get used to them because of health reasons. I don’t really care for herb “teas” that much, because they are not really tea! And the real kicker – I don’t like chamomile tea at all! Most people love it!

I have tried White Teas and they are okay, but the clear look makes me think I’m just drinking hot water! They are fun loose teas, especially the blends, like the White Christmas blend below:

Above: White Christmas Blend from The Tea Room in Savannah, GA. Emperor's Bride loose tea is in the tin, it is one of my favorites!

For tea parties and tea rooms I want things to be extra-special, and homemade! I want things to be different, not just a usual lunch! I like a variety of teas offered, and sugar lumps and/or natural sugar offered! I guess I can be a tea snob about this! LOL!

I’m not supposed to have caffeine so I have to decafeinate teas I have that have caffeine. To be honest I do prefer regular tea over decaf!

I have tried many brands, one of my very favorites is Harney and Sons: Queen Catherine, Paris Blend, Hot Cinnamon, Holiday, Wedding, any of their teas are delicious!

Teavana is a good brand. This store is found in some malls. Casablanca is a favorite, it has chocolate and tiny cardamom pods in it! I think they have discontinued this one :-(

Last week I mentioned Magnolia and Ivy Tea Room, Sandestin, FL. Their blends were wonderful, I bought several of them. See below:

All of the flavors are very nice, definitely some of my favorites!

Some teas I have received as gifts. Some of my friends bring tea to me when they travel:

Top left, Special Blend from Harrod's in London. Top, right - from Paris. Bottom left, Monks Blend, from Nova Scotia. Bottom right: Rose Congou Loose Tea from Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada.

For those of you who did not see it before, here's a photo of my collection of teas on the inside of the pantry door:

Katherine

Tea Blog-a-thon Week 4 - Tea Linens

I'm joining in LaTeaDah's Tea-Blog-a-Thon with sharing a few tea time linens. I don't do the beautiful needlework some of you do, so I'm sharing what my friends made!
A friend made this beautiful tea cozy from vintage linens. Another friend bought it and gave it to me! Above is the front side.
This (above) is the back of the tea cozy. It also has a thick vellum lining to keep the tea pot hot!
My friend Jan made this pretty tea cozy for me as a gift! It is the same front and back. It is made of quilted fabric, with the tea cup appliqued on.
Above: I like the name tag she sewed inside with her name on it!
I'm cheating a little here with the Sandy L. Clough tea towel, it isn't handmade, but is very pretty!
This is where it is displayed. You saw the shelf above recently.

I have some bun warmer linens, but couldn't find the one that ties all over making little spaces for buns (scones) Oh well, it isn't handmade anyway, but is so cute. I hope y'all know what I'm talking about, it's hard to describe!

Isn't this Tea Blog-a-Thon fun!

Katherine

P.S. - On ABC tonight at 10 EDST (after American Idol) watch The Last Lecture, A Love Story For Your Life (on Diane Sawyer's show) You'll be glad you watched it!
(Thursday's note: If you missed the Primetime show go to www.ABC.com and they have some videos there you can see.) Or, go to YouTube and see the original video, type in Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture.

Decor-a-Tea - Breakfast Nook, Family Room

I'll finish showing tea related items in the Great Room. This very large painting is in the breakfast nook. I have placemats that are similar to the scene above. I have the violets tea set displayed on the gateleg table. I usually have a small square lace doily on the table.
The bookshelf above is also in the breakfast nook, it holds my cookbooks (and is a little messy looking here!) The tea pot on the top shelf is a Sandy Clough. The one on the middle shelf is a tea for one.
I have two child sized tea sets in the curio cabinet (above) where my doll collection is displayed. This curio is in the family room.

This bookshelf, above, is also in the family room. The book end is by Mary Englebreit. I bought it several years ago, it was a ridiculous price ($30 for just one) but it was.....yellow!! It holds my tea books.

The tea caddy, above, was handpainted by a friend. It holds tea bags. The colors are brighter than it looks here. The caddy is on a small wall on the pantry (between the kitchen and family room) I think it shows up on the pantry photo in yesterday's post.

Next, I will show tea decor in the master bedroom, dining room, and living room. Please return! A cup of tea is waiting for you!

Katherine