Pepperidge Farms Milano Cookie, the downfall of my healthy eating - The London Fog Milano

I had heard that Milano was coming out with a new cookie, and not just any cookie but a London Fog cookie!!  I made it my mission on my day off to fine them.

I not only found them, but they were on sale!!

                        Before                                                        After

Yes, I tried them in the store to be sure I liked them.  And yes, I ended up buying all they had.

...but I did share and I gave 3 bags away to friends who were also looking for them.

These London Fog are so yummy.  There is just the hint of Earl Grey in the cookie.  It is not at all an overwhelming or flowery taste.  It is subtle and so nice.

                                           

                                    I love these cookies so much that they made it into my new book!  T is for Tea Cookie.  My favorite tea cookie is a macaron and a MILANO!   You can find my new ABCs of Tea Book on Amazon.

https://a.co/d/ixFDTbU

                                                        These are my other favorites!!

I believe I got fortunate to find the Peppermint and the coconut cookies, I have never seen them since the time I got them about two years ago.  Way to keep us wanting more Pepperidge Farms!! 

https://www.pepperidgefarm.com/where-to-buy/?MM=panel2&PROD=00014100098676

 

Mexican Horchata

While working on my new book, ABCs of Tea, I wanted to make the tea of Mexico, Horchata. 

Horchata is a Latin American and Spanish drink that has found its way to Mexico in the 16th century when Mexico was colonized by Spain.

This is an herbal drink, since there is no actual tea in the drink.

I have had Horchata, but I have never made it. Reading the recipe it seemed easy enough- Rice, Cinnamon, water, and some toasted nuts.

I read that you can add hibiscus for color, I loved that idea.  The pink color is beautiful too.

I soaked the rice, cinnamon, and hibiscus for 6 hours.

I toasted pistachios and almonds and then crushed them up.

I then blended the rice mixture with the nuts.

It took some time to find the right thing to use as a strainer.  They use a cheese cloth, but I did not have that to use.

Add ice and drink. For my first time it was not too bad, but I realized afterwards that I never added sugar or honey.  I think that would have helped.  But, then I also figured this was healthier without.

The main think I need to do it work on the straining of the Horchata.

Biscottea Matcha Shortbread cookies

My friend gave me some of my favorite cookies-  Matcha  Shortbread and Milano Dark Cookies.

I love Milano cookies, but the matcha shortbreads were a new treat...a great new treat!!!  I received a box for my birthday from one person and then another box from another friend, (people know me well).

                                               

                                                          https://biscottea.com/our-shortbread/

                          On St Patrick's Day I had green cookies- macarons and matcha shortbreads.

I enjoyed the cookies with turmeric latte.

The shortbread cookies were delicious, there was the slightest bit of matcha.  You could taste the matcha, but it wasn't earthy and dry tasting.  They were soft and really good!!

It's my understanding these cookies are at TJ Maxx, at least that is where the two boxes that were purchased for me where from.

Dying Easter Eggs with tea and herbs

I purchased a dozen eggs and some vinegar and decided I would color eggs with tea.  I had seen others do it on line and I wanted to give it a try.  

I picked out 12 teas/herbs that I thought might make for fun colors.  I then marked the paper below each cup with that was in the cup- and I am glad I did that I would have never remembered what was in each cup.  And once the vinegar was added, it wasn't like I could smell the tea to determine what was added.

I have to say that some of the eggs looked better in the cups than when I pulled them out.  I let them steep for 45 minutes...and I would have let them steep longer, but my cats kept trying to jump up on the table and see what was going on.  I didn't want to hang out in the kitchen all night trying to keep them off the table I had set up.  And I didn't feel like moving all the cups to the kitchen table- which they don't get up on.  I compromised and took the eggs out at the 45 minute mark.

I wanted to dye one egg in this cup, it is like what we used when I was a kid.  But the dye didn't cover up the egg, so I ended up putting into another cup.

I am glad I used clear cups so I could see the colors. 

The hibiscus is the one that surprised me the most.  It was this beautiful dark red in the cup and then it came out a dark bluish purple.

All three of these teas/herbs came out nicely.

The mint teas were both kind of duds.  I would not do those herbal teas again.

I really liked the Ceylon tea color.

How fun did these turn out??  Play around with the tea in your cupboard and see what you come up with.

They do say you need the vinegar- it helps the colors adhere to the egg.

I Corinthians 15: 4

"He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said."

Free Crate, I turned into a tea crate

I was at an antique store and they had a pile of "FREE" things.  I got this crate.  I was super excited because I have always wanted to have a tea crate and this was going to be a perfect crate to turn into a tea crate.

                    Before                                                        After

This was my inspiration crate.

I got some stencils and created this...

Wulong is an older word for oolong.  Oolong is my favorite kind of tea.

I free handed the Chinese letter for Tea on the crate.

I loved the fact it still had some shipping labels still glued and attached the crate.

Cha is the Chinese word for Tea.  1726 is just a number I liked, there is no significance there.

I then stained the crate.  I think it added a lot of character to the old crate.

I think it turned out pretty good.  

Some day my crate will sit in my tea shop like this one does...

This crate is at Ohio Tea Company in Canton, OH.