Tea with friends

Getting friends together for tea!  It is near Valentine's Day, so I did a little decorating.

I also gathered some fun treats, so let the good times roll.

For those who wanted a little sugar, I had cubed sugar and also valentine sugar candy.

These beautiful ladies from my church came over for tea.  I prepared, bubble tea, butterfly pea tea, iced chai latte, hot chai, and several other teas.

There was lots of fun, laughter and tea flowing.

Take the time to gather with friends.  It's so important to be social and get out, but if you still aren't comfortable with that do zoom calls, phone calls, Skype calls or something to stay in touch with people.  Getting together, encouraging friends, and staying in touch does your heart good.

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 

One of my friends even did a little trick with fire and an empty tea bag.

Bernie even stopped in for a spot of tea.

When you have bubble tea, it is fun to try to get all the bubbles sucked up the straw.

My friend sent me this meme below, it cracked me up!!!!

So, I invited Bernie in for tea.

ESP Emporium Oolong Lemon Basil

Ingredients: half-fermented tea (86%), basil, lemon granules (fruit (lemon juice), malt dextrin, natural lemon oil, gelling agent: sodium alginate), flavoring, marigold blossoms. 

http://www.espemporium.com/p-357-oolong-tea-lemon-basil.aspx

When I make tea in the french press, I put the tea above the press so that I can lift the press when the tea is done steeping, that way I don't over steep it.  Or I put the loose leaf tea a tea bag to steep.

As an oolong tea you don't want to burn the tea leaves.  Your water should be around 180 degrees.  You also want to steep for 3 minutes.

I know people want to know how long tea lasts....well, if you keep it in a dark, air tight container it will last longer.  This tea is about 4 years old, some people might have already tossed it, but I think it is still good  The trick I think is adding more tea and steeping a little longer.

This tea has great lemon notes.  The notes of basil are light, but I taste them.  I also get the oolong flavor.  I like this tea a lot.

 

Keeppley Tea building bocks

Super cute and fun Coffee House, or as I like to think, Tea House.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001784477824.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4a3c4eb2rHJDDR&algo_pvid=01d61d31-4a9d-4d45-b716-d2cfc0246731&algo_expid=01d61d31-4a9d-4d45-b716-d2cfc0246731-14&btsid=0bb0622d16145680766641594ef71e&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

There are lots of fun details inside the shop.

My little collection has come together nicely.

These are so fun!!  I just love putting them together.

These little tea houses are really inexpensive.  A great way to play with building blocks without the typical expensive of Legos.