Steve Smith Teamaker

Last April I visited my sitter in Vancouver and we visited Steve Smith Teamaker and I fell in love!!!  So, when I came back again this year from Ohio, I asked to go again.

The building and the area is to quaint, I just love it!!  Last year we met Steve, not so this year, but it was still a great experience.

While looking around and drinking our tea, we could watch them make the tea, that was fun to see.

I did a Tea Flight for $8.00.  That is s sampling of 4 teas.    Jasmine Pearl, Meadow, Hibiscus Flower, and Masala Chai

I love how they serve their Flight.  They give you a card about each tea telling you about the region and the ingredients.  They also show you the dry tea.

My favorite was the Masala Chai- they make it in latte form with milk and sugar.  I got soy milk.  My next favorite was the Jasmine Pearls.  It was really good and light.  I bought some loose to take home.  They recommended "soaking" the tea for a little bit to let the pearls open up, before you make your first cup.  Then when you drink your first cup you get more flavor.  Next I liked the Meadow tea.  It had a stronger taste of Chamomile then of any other flowers in it, but I still liked it.  My least favorite was the "Hibiscus Flowers- just to tart.

My sister got a single pot of tea for $3.00. She tried Brahmin.  She thought it was very good.  She likes her teas black with milk.

The Hibiscus Flower was VERY tart.  I think I will stick with Big Hibiscus, it does not seem as tart.



 

You can purchase teas, t-shirts, tea pots, tea cups, etc.

 

http://www.smithtea.com/

 

 

So much fun!!!!!

TEA shampoo and conditioner

Is this a sign I am too into teas??

Tea shampoo and conditioner - love the Trade Joe brand!

http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1241

A product of the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia tree that's native to Australia, tea tree oil has long been used as a medicine to treat everything from coughs and colds to wounds and skin ailments. It's also known for its fresh scent that falls somewhere between eucalyptus and mint. At Trader Joe's, we've highlighted this essential oil in our line of Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle bath & body products: Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash.
All of these refreshing products are made for us with organic botanicals, including tea tree oil, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and thyme. Their scent is energizing, and their effect on your hair and skin is rejuvenating. The Body Wash will impart a fresh, clean feeling to your skin; the Shampoo adeptly cleans away residue from styling products; and the Conditioner smoothes your hair and helps repair damage from sun and heat. These are salon-caliber formulas that sell for significantly more in other labels. At Trader Joe's, each of our Tea Tree Tingle bath & body products comes in a 16 ounce bottle for the excellent everyday value of $3.99. Makes us feel all tingly…

 

work out drink....wht tea of course!!!

 I lost 50 pounds over the past 3 years, but I have put 20 of that back on....so I am trying to loose that 20 and another 10.  So, I decided to join a local gym.  It is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I am loving it.  Never thought I would say that about a gym!!!  I still hate running, but I do like the gym.

http://www.zephyrs24.com/

What does the gym have to do with tea????  Keep reading.....

What do I take with me everyday to the gym???? ...ICED TEA!!!!!

 

 

As you can tell I do dress to find a man here- haha   That is the nice thing about this gym it is not a "Meet Market".  Everyone does their own thing.

tea bracelet

 

my friend Marci made me this AMAZING tea bracelet!!!!  I completely adore it!!

TEALIGHTFUL Lemon Chiffon Pie -Rooibos

Product # T21434
Lemon Chiffon Pie Rooibos - 4 oz
4oz. Bag - Makes 60 cups!
Just like the name says, it's like having lemon chiffon pie in a teacup! This blend features luxury rooibos, lemongrass, lemon flavoring and marigold petals.
Price: $14.00

http://www.tealightfultea.net/shop/productdetail.aspx?prod=T21434

Rooibos teas like green teas can be hit or miss for me.  This one was a miss.  It has too much of a "medicine" taste.  Reminds me of the old time Listerine that my Uncle Rog used to use!  (Sorry Rog)

You can see that this tea has a red tint to it.  Rooibos teas often had that red look.  I passed this tea on to my friend Marci.  I thought maybe she might like it.  You never know, since we all have different taste buds.

tea auction item- win this on May 24, 2014 at Beulah Beach Camp in Vermillion

Want to win this GIANT tea cup filled with tea items, valued over $50.00???? Come to the Beulah Beach auction and bid on it!!!!!  See details below

includes:
Tealightful Blackberry Jazzmint Loose Leaf Tea
Teavana Perfect Measuring Spoon
Tea Timer
One cup tea strainer
tea note book
tea mints
HUGE variety of bagged tea

https://www.beulahbeach.org/benefitauction

 

Beulah Beach Camp & Retreat Center • 6101 W. Lake Rd.• Vermilion, OH 44089

Voice 440-967-4861 • Fax 440-967-4783

Get ready for Spring.....

Looking for a place to enjoy a cup of tea....think about an old claw foot tub.  I would love to have a real one in my house, but I would eve settle for this kind of tub in my yard!!  Relaxing while enjoying a cup of tea!!!

I love this idea for old tea cups.  I am even learning to make the stamped spoons.  Very clever.

Stash Chai

The other night I made a wonderful Indian meatball dish. I used turkey meatballs and an Indian Tikka Masala sauce.  They were so good!!!  But, when having Indian food I love to have Chai with it.  So I made some Chai tea that was also very very good!

When making Chai I use milk and sugar.  Chai is the only tea that I add sugar too.  I went on the Stash website to find something out about this tea and they did not have this particular tea on the website.  I found it at the Discount Outlet in Massillon.  It has a wonderful flavor to it.  Spicy and delicious.  I also did an almond milk instead of a straight milk, I rather enjoyed it!

http://www.stashtea.com/chai-Shop-by-Flavor-Tea/b/2858810011?class=tier3

ARGO CINNAMON ORANGE GREEN TEA

http://www.argoteastore.com/Green-Tea-Cinnamon-Orange-Loose/dp/B00494ARG0

Green tea and orange peel infused with cinnamon

This tea Dawn picked up when she was in Chicago at the store.  It was good, but I am not a huge cinnamon fan, so it is not a tea I would really want to drink again.  I think if you liked cinnamon you would probably like this tea though.  There was a nice hint of orange as well.

Trader Joe's Spiced Chai Tea

At work we are given the day off for our birthdays.  The past few years I have been spending it with my sister Jill.  I joked this year I was going to wear this crown.  I then decided to leave it behind, and go crown less.  I think Jill was glad.  The weather was supposed to be nice, but it was really snowy.  Thankfully Jill is the brave driver of the two of us.  And bless her she drove us all around in the snow.  We went to one of my absolutely favorite places- TRADER JOES!!!  We need a Trader Joe closer to us.  It takes us an hour to get there.

http://www.traderjoes.com/

This is the closest store to me:

Trader Joe's Westlake (677)

175 Market St
Westlake, OH 44145
440-250-1592

Trader Joe's Spiced Chai takes its cue from masala chai, a lively blend of black tea and warm spices. It's a carefully crafted combination of strong black tea from India's Assam valley, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, star anise, black pepper, nutmeg, roasted chicory and vanilla bean. The blend is folded into tea bags, making chai prep simpler than ever. Carefully pour boiling water over one tea bag and steep for three to five minutes - we've found this to be the ideal time to achieve the perfect balance of tea-to-spice flavors, but you may want to adjust your steeping time to suit your tastes. Keep it simple and drink it straight, or go for a traditional Masala Chai profile by adding milk and a bit of sugar to your brewed tea.

I enjoyed this Chai with almond milk and sugar.  Again Chai is the only tea I add sugar too.  I think it is a requirement to add sugar and milk to chai.  This chai was very good.

We're selling Spiced Chai in a box of 20 tea bags for $1.99 - that's only about 20 cents a cup! You'll find it in our coffee & tea section.

This bottled tea was very good too.

tea candle

A fun find at Audrey's Attic.  I think it is to be coffee, but I like to think of it as Chai!   It is so cute I hate to burn it. 

https://www.shopaudreysattic.com/

147 N Main St, Orrville, OH 44667
(330) 683-3384

Lipton Peach Iced Tea...in the states

Lipton® Peach Iced Tea is perfectly infused with our unique blend of real tea and just the right amount of sweetness for a delicious taste that refreshes your body and mind. Enjoy the taste of sunshine from Lipton® Iced Tea!

Disappointed in this tea...it DOES NOT taste like the Lipton peach tea that is in Europe.  I first discovered Lipton peach tea in Europe in 1997.  Then when I was in Munich in 2012 I had it again and it was still just as wonderful as I remembered it.  Then this past year, November 2013, I had Lipton peach tea in the Paris airport and again I wished I could find it in the states...you may even remember the blog I did about wanting the same tea here in the states.

Well, I was shopping the other day and I ran across this Lipton peach tea for $2.99.  I knew I had to try it.  Bud sadly it was not the same.  It was too arftifiical tasting.  I found I did like it better when I did 1/2 to 3/4 of tea to water.  I will keep waiting for the USA to carry the European Lipton peach ice tea...because there is a difference!

http://www.liptontea.com/?gclid=CI7A17_zo70CFfFFMgodPUwA7Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

my desk...

 

 

This is the way my desk looks most days...a glass of water, glass of  iced tea, cup of hot tea, and 2-3 other tea choices for later on in the day.

A like variety!!!!

MIGHTY LEAF Rooibos Renewal



I purchased these tea in a sampler pack- a nice way to try a variety of teas without committing to a large amount of tea.  I liked this tea.  The Rooibos flavor was very subtle.  I would recommend this tea.

Ingredients
Green rooibos, flavors, orange peels, rose petals, blue mallow flowers

Character

Leaves
Green Rooibos, natural flavors, blue mallow flowers, rose petals, orange peel

Aroma
Fruity with honey tones

Color
Amber

Taste
Fruity with honey tones

Rooibos Renewal rooibos tea is a mineral rich herbal tea blend comprised of Rooibos, also known as Red Tea, from South Africa. Rooibos combined with Vitamin C-rich orange peels and flowers yields a calming, nurturing blend culminating in a gentle mélange of citrus and honey tones.  Rooibos is naturally caffeine free

http://www.mightyleaf.com/

Brew
Preparing the perfect cup of tea is a process to be savored. Watch how the traditional elements harmoniously come together to make the perfect cup and enjoy the liberation of pure tea goodness.

This is what we call the Mighty Leaf signature multi-sensory ("sensory melange") tea experience. Come share with us and learn how to get infused.

Hot and iced tea brewing instructions are listed below.

Hot Tea ::

Water
The quality of tea is affected by the quality of water used to prepare it. Using filtered or bottled water is best. If possible, avoid brewing tea with tap, distilled or mineral water. Never over-boil water, as it results in flat-tasting tea.

Fire
1) Heat filtered or bottled water to a rolling boil or to 205 F. 2) While the water is heating pour hot water into your teapot and cups, let sit and then drain completely. A warm teapot will maintain the requisite temperature for superior tasting tea.

Whole Leaf Tea
Prepare Mighty Leaf teas using a teapot, paper tea sachet, infuser or traditional brewing methods. Use one rounded tablespoon of loose herbs and fruit per 12 ounces or cup of water.

Infusion Time
Pour boiling water over tea leaves. Keep teapot covered to retain heat. Time steeping carefully and infuse for 5 - 7 minutes.

Savor the Leaf
Sip your cup and rediscover the pleasure of the way tea was naturally meant to be. This is the magic of Mighty Leaf.


Iced Tea ::

A stronger brew is required for iced tea than for hot tea because of ice's dilution action. Prepare a tea concetrate as follows:

Single Serving
For a single serving, prepare as for hot tea, use one rounded tablespoon of loose tea per 12 ounces of water and after brewing pour over ice.

Large Serving
1. For a larger serving, prepare a iced tea concentrate by bringing one quart of cold water to a rolling boil in a tea kettle.

2. Remove from heat and add 8-10 teaspoons per quart of brewed tea.

3. Steep 5 - 7 minutes or to desired strength.

4. To serve immediately, pour over ice in a tall glass, or add another quart of cold water to the concentrate and chill in refrigerator.