Four Stages Tea & Herbals, Spicebush Masala Chai

My friends and I were at the Medina Farmers Market  (https://www.mainstreetmedina.com/medina-square-farmers-market.html ) and I discovered a new tea that I was not familiar with- Four Stages Tea & Herbals.

October 5, 2024 is their last farmers market of 2024.  It starts at 9am and goes until 1pm.

https://fourstagestea.com/

Well, you know I had to try it!!  Locally made tea is something I love to discover and support.

The teas were displayed so cleverly.  I loved being able to pick up the jars and see and smell the tea.  There was also a nice description of the teas.

I did the 3 for $30 and tried the Spicebush Chai, Nectar, and Lady Lavender.

With my purchase I also received milk weed seeds.  I love the support of the butterfly.  

***On a side note- from me, I think the butterfly is a great example of God's creation! The Monarch travels every year from Eastern North America to Mexico and back. The butterfly travels over 3,000 miles.  Does this not display the mighty power of God? He has put that path in the butterfly.  They know when to go and where to go.  I also love the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

We humans are born sinners (the caterpillar), but when we accept Christ we are transformed into new creations (the butterfly).

II Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, and the new is here!

My friends and I really enjoyed the farmers market, I wish my town had one like this.  I think it is great.

My first tea to try is the Spicebush Masala Chai.

Tea ingredients- Organic and fair-trade Darjeeling, organic allspice, organic cinnamon chips, organic cardamom pods, organic ginger root, organic clove, organic fennel

The bag does a great job of telling you how to make the tea- that is a plus!

Look at all the great spices!!

 I took two scoops of tea and steeped in a about a cup of boiling water for 6 minutes.  Then I added oat milk and I let it steep another few minutes.

I then let my tea steeper strain the tea into my travel mug.

I am giving the chai tea five tea cups out of five.  I thought the flavors were spot on for a chai.  The spices blended so nicely and it was a fantastic cup of chai.

I get great cinnamon and cardamon flavors.  I did not get much fennel, but that could have been the oat milk over powering it.  And I am not a huge fennel fan, so I was okay that those notes were light.  This is a great tea and I can not wait to try the other two teas.

Meeting the owner at the famers market was fun and she was kind and super helpful in picking out a tea. The teas are reasonable priced and I would recommend people check them out.

 

Iced London Cloud

I am a big fan of Earl Grey iced tea!!  

And when mixed with milk or cream it becomes an iced London Cloud.  It's so delicious and so easy to make.  And when I have lavender syrup on hand I froth that into the milk or cream for extra fun flavor.

The photo below is of the whipping cream not whipped as much as sometimes, because I like the cream mixed into the tea.  You can see a bit of a cloud on top, but there is not the difference you can see when I whip so much that the tea and cream are completely separated.

I was thrilled when I found tins of  Twinings  Earl Grey at Everything Surplus in Wooster.  I picked up 6 tins- and almost wish I had bought more.  I make at least 3 or gallons of Earl Grey a week.

I got these adorable cat ice cube trays I purchased at Meijer's Grocery.   The cats seem to be frowning, but they make me smile every time I use them in my tea.

Cold foam with heavy whipping cream is completely cheating- but holy cow it is amazing!!!! It becomes like whip cream and then with the lavender syrup in there- wow!  Just WOW!!

                    

               Scooping out the whipped heavy cream is so delicious.  I try not to think about the calories.

  

                   

You can see the difference if I whip the heavy whipping cream a little or a lot.  If I whip until I can't whip it any more than it sits right on top of the iced tea...but then the flavor doesn't get into the tea as much.  I love the look of the cloud on top, but I prefer to have it a little less whipped and have it mix into my tea more.

Also, when it is really whipped it is hard to get out a big cup...even with the straw.