'TEA CHAT' with Tea-and-Roses
www.tea-and-roses.com
Tea Chat with Tea-and-Roses
Tea and Knitting
Yesterday was a cool and blustery Autumn day, perfect for sipping tea and knitting...which is exactly what I did at my very favorite tearooms...Teaberry's in Flemington, NJ. I was leading a Teapot Cozy Workshop there for fourteen ladies. Most of the participants were new to knitting, so I did a lot of teaching...cast-on and knit stitch techniques... and they were all suprised how they were able to pick up the rhythm of knitting so easily. We used a TnR adaptation of the classic pleated teapot cozy pattern that many of you may remember seeing on your grandmother's teapot and many of the ladies had purchased TnR's Teapot Cozy Kit. So after a little bit of cozy (cosy) history, we got to knitting. All the while the gracious and knowledgable staff at Teaberry's was serving perfectly brewed teas, seed cake, sticky pudding cakes and an incredible white chocolate and raspberry trifle. As the sky darkened outside, the warmth of tea and knitting spread inside this lovely tearoom.It feels like Summer again!
It may say Autumn on the calendar but somebody forgot to tell the weather people because it feels like Summer at Davenport Pines. The temperature has been, and will be for days, in the 80's and the humidity is up again. More a day for iced tea than hot, so I brewed a pot of 'Tea-and-Roses' own Summerhouse tea blend (black teas with a touch of organic peppermint) and sat down to finish my Pumpkin Teapot Cosy! It really is cute sitting on my 2-cup Brown Betty pot and is a welcome addition to the rest of my Autumn decorations...anyone can tell that this is my absolute favorite time of year. I just finished reading a very informative and well-written book by award-winning food writer Brian Glover that celebrates the story of tea, from its origins in Ancient China to its place in our lives today. A Taste of Tea explores tea's cultural significance, from the arcane symbolism of the Japanese tea ceremony to the social niceties of the English afternoon tea. Evocative photography by outstading photographer Diana Miller accompanies the text. This book has just been published in September 2007.
Another beautiful early Autumn day
The sky is deep blue, the air is crisp, the temperatures are in the mid-60's, the sun is shining but the angle of the light looks different...it is definately time for a cup of tea that tastes and smells of Autumn. Harney and Sons "Cranberry Autumn" is a blend with rich flavors of cranberry and orange mixed with a solid black tea base. The first thing you notice when you open the tin is a rather sweet cranberry aroma and the pieces of orange and dried cranberries. While steeping the tea the sweetness is not as apparent and the scent of the black teas comes forward. The brewed liquid has a tangy-sweet, citrusy taste which becomes stronger as the tea cools (this tea is also delicious over ice when Indian Summer comes in). This is not a tea that holds up well to the addition of milk, sugar or lemon as that destroys the flavor nuances and it also is not a tea to keep for a long period of time as it seems to 'get tired' so I buy a new tin each fall. One of the pleasant Autumn rituals...like putting out the mums and pumpkins and lighting the harvest spice scented candles that make this season so special. Please share an Autumn tea experience you have had.
Welcome to TEA CHAT
Welcome to the first entry in the Tea-and-Roses Tea Chat blog. At TEA CHAT you will find information about tea, roses and tea-related topics. Suggestions for tea tastings, tea-room recommendations and book reviews are among other topics that will be discussed. In the book Tea: Addiction, Exploitation and Empire, Roy Moxham tells the story of how Britain's thirst for tea meshed with its thirst for empire, with devastating repercussions throughout the world. Click on the link for a review of this book.Did you know that leftover tea can be used alone, or diluted with pure water to refresh cups, glasses, pots, and straw mats. Garbage cans and waste receptacle's can be kept fresh by placing a few leaves in it. Instead of baking soda to absorb odors, used leaves can be placed on a saucer in the refrigerator. Brand new furniture often comes with a lacquer coating to protect it during shipping and purchase. To get rid of the coating, steep five black tea bags in two quarts of pure water for 20 minutes. Then dampen a soft, clean cloth in the tea bath, squeeze out the excess, and wash down the furniture. With a second soft, clean cloth wipe it dry. If you own black lacquer pieces you can use the same recipe. Create rich compost for your garden. Place spent leaves in your compost bin, worms love tea and it will help your compost be rich in nitrogen and other nutrients.
Vist the Tea-and-Roses website at www.tea-and-roses.com for more tea-related information, to shop for our own Signature and Special blends of tea as well as tea-accoutrements and to subscribe to the Tea-and-Roses E-Newsletter.
We look forward to hearing from you with some of your tea-drinking experiences. Tell us about your favorite tea, a great tea book you have read, a recipe you want to share or anything else related to the topic of Tea-and-Roses.