Peet’s Coffee, Wild Berry Hibiscus, San Francisco

After over 24 hours of traveling from Penang, Malaysia I was in San Francisco and ready to head to Cleveland.  I had a few minutes before my flight to find some tea.  I was pleased to see Peets.  I only get to enjoy Peets when I am on the West Coast....I have yet to find one in Ohio.

I wish I would have remembered to order the hibiscus fog- I had that once there and it was terrific.  Instead I went with the Iced Wild Berry Hibiscus.  

It was okay, I could tell it has chamomile in it and I am not a fan of chamomile.  But, it was refreshing and quenched my thirst. 

Headed to CLE 

Tealightful Passion Iced Tea

It's a hot one!!!  Best way to cool off- if you can't jump in water, is to drink a cold glass of iced tea.

https://www.tealightfultea.com/

I sold Tealightful tea for awhile.  I really liked the tea, but I never no one ever wanted to buy the tea, so I stopped selling the tea.  But, I do really like their tea.

Their iced teas are great.  They are all set to go - you just add them to water.

Makes a perfect pitcher of tea.

Tropical Spice Garden, Tea- Cat Whiskers Tea, Penang Malaysia

With an afternoon off in Penang, my friends and I decided to go to the spice gardens, just a few miles from where we were staying.

Yeng and I were going to rent motorcycles and ride there, but it did not work out.  We took a Grab there, like the Uber in the states.

We wanted to check out the spices and see the Tea area, but it was like 600 degrees out.  I only did a 1/4 of the garden.

There was this little hill we walked up and to try some tea.   I decided after walking up this hill I was done.  I would wait for my friends in the Air Conditioned gift shop!

This was the most beautiful site!  Running cool water and shade.  Here is where the tea was to try.

The tea on tap was Cat's Whiskers.  It was nothing great.  But, glad I walked up the hill to try it.

While I was in the gift shop with AC- I was able to try their chai. Now, that was good. I purchased some of the chai mix to take home.

I also purchased this Kacip Fatimah tea as a joke too.

My friends went to the tea section of the spice garden and took these photos for me.

As were leaving we were standing on a hill looking down at the water.  We saw this man in a boat.  He was waving at us to come take a ride.  Yeng and I were in!!  My cousin was not so sure, but we talked her into it.

This was a boat taxi, so instead of taking a car back to the hotel, we took a boat!!  It was completely fun and spontaneous.  My cousin did not think it was safe...I said like he will kidnap us not safe, or we will drown not safe, lol!
I think it was like $5 US for each of us and a wonderful memory of wading into the water and climbing in the boat...and then jumping out of the boat into the water at our hotel.
BE ADVENTEROUS!!

Park Royal Hotel, Batu Afternoon Western Tea

I love the people I get to work with on these mission trips.  They all have such heart for the Lord and to serve Him.   And that what life is all about, serving the Lord!!! I have a joy that comes from the Lord.  I have a good life and I have been very blessed, and I know that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.  I enjoy travel, tea, and having fun- but I want everyone to know it is nothing without Jesus being first in my life.  I do what I do in life to draw others to knowing Jesus.

 Yeng and I have been to Thailand, Spain, and now Malaysia together.  Carrie and I have been to Thailand and now Malaysia.  Andrew and I have worked together in Spain and now Malaysia.  My cousin, Sandi, and I are working together for the first time.

While in Penang for a mission trip I had most afternoons off.  My friend, Yeng, and I were always up for a fun adventure and we both love tea, so we decided to have Afternoon Western Tea.  They also had a Penang Nyonya Tea, but we went with the one we knew what we would be getting.

This was the Nyonya Tea. 

https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-penang/offers/t-time.html

We each got a pot of tea - they had 4 or 5 teas to choose from.

We ordered and then it took almost an hour to get our food, but it was worth the wait.  We then got this delicious assortments of sweet and savory treats.  I love afternoon tea!

We got all these treats for 58 Ringitt for two people, that is about 30 Ringitt each, which is less than $8 US  each!!!

How wonderful does this assortment look?!!!  It was pretty great to eat too :)

Savory treats- these were my favorite.  There was a salmon sandwich, chicken salad, tuna with cucumber, and cold meat sandwich...if I remember correctly.  I forgot to write down all we had.

scones with clotted cream and jam. 

Sweet treats!!!

This hotel is goregous!!  I did not mind spending a week here.  It was unbearably humid, but it was a beautiful place to stay. 

Less than $10 US a person.  Sandi's one tiny cup of coffee was $5 US, she should have just gotten the treats with us.  WOW!!

tea pot garden

I went to thrift stores on my day off and found tea pots for a $2 and $3 dollars.  I wanted to put these in my garden....I had seen this done at Dragonfly Tea House in Canal Fulton.

I had shepherd hooks already from when I had hung candle tea lights in my garden a few years ago.  

I love that it looks like the tea cups are watering my flowers now.

I did super glue the lids on the pots, so I wanted to find pots that were not special to me.  Goodwill and thrift shops are great places to find inexpensive tea pots.  

Can't wait for my plants to start blooming!!

National Iced Tea Day, June 10- enjoying cold brew

It was National Iced Tea and I made myself some cold brew tea for work.  This is nothing new, I am always making tea for work.  But, I wanted to bring attention to the National Day.

To make a cold brew I add tea bags (or loose leaf tea in a empty tea bag) to cold water.  It is a great way to enjoy your tea and there is NO work involved.  1 tea bag per 8 oz of cold water.  With cold brewing you don't have any bitterness and tannins being released.  You can add water several times to the bag in your cup...or pitcher. 

I never add sugar to my cold brew either.  I think it is perfect without the sugar.

The tea can be ready in minutes.  You don't have the steeping time of sun tea.  You can put it in the frig to speed up the time too.  I find if my water is cold enough that within 6-10 minutes the tea is ready to drink.

Ever been to a fancy restaurant and they had mint or cucumbers in your water?  It is the same concept with tea bags.  Let the cold water bring out the flavor of your tea.  And you can add fresh mint or fruit to it as well.  Play with your tea!!