Heartland, chai latte

 Loving the gift cards!!!!!  FREE IS ALWAYS GOOD!

 

I got gift cards from my mom and dad in my Christmas stockings.  I got a chai latte from Heartland Point.  It is unfortunately the only drive thru place in Orrville to get a chai.  Heartland Points teas are sub par. Orrville is in need of a place to get good tea.  But, in a pinch when I get a breakfast sandwich I get a chai too.

Purple tea things

all good things come in purple!

I'd love to vacation here and work on my sixth book...

Even the Queen loves her purple-and we know she loves her tea

Teaopoly

who can find me this game??  I so want to play this game

Smith, Fez

Spring harvested full leaf Mao Feng China green tea, Pacific Northwest spearmint leaves and Australian lemon myrtle.

 

This tea is incredible cold brewed!!!  I drank this tea in Portland with Steve Smith a few years ago. I like this green tea warm, but its a completely different taste cold. The spearmint in the tea is strong and brisk... so refreshing.  cold brewed is like an iced tea-only better, more unique flavors..

 

https://www.smithtea.com/products/fez

Tea Valentines

I love these vintage tea cards 

 

vintage Tea Valentine

Ohio Tea Co, Black Currant

 

I love love love this tea cold brewed!!!  There is so much flavor.  I drank a gallon of it in eight hours at work... filling up my half gallon Mason jar twice.  Black Currant is also known as Cassis-a berry originated from France. I recommend this tea-I give it top props!  

 

http://www.ohioteaco.com/Currant-Black-Tea--Organic_p_445.html

 

 

I also enjoyed using my Shutterfly glass, when they had a 50% off sale I purchased it.

https://www.shutterfly.com/

 

I am a huge fan of the Ohio Tea Co. I wish I lived closer.  Maybe I could get them to open a branch in Orville and let me run it.

Tea of Life, White Tea Lavender

 

My uncle passed away and my sweet friend/co-worker got me some tea.  She thought I could use the warm comfort.  Tea is always warm comfort.  So many fun flavors.

 

http://www.theteaoflife.com/- this is not the website. I could not find it on line.  But I did find that you could buy them on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Life-Collection-Organic-Ounce/dp/B00C7J5FOI/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1486560723&sr=8-1&keywords=tea%2Bof%2Blife%2Bpyramids&th=1

White Tea Lavender, was the first I tried it was really good.  My only thing is I wish it had more lavender flavor that came through.  But it is a nice taste.   Remember though with white tea you do not boil the water.  If you let the water get too hot you bruise the leaves.  You also do not want to steep it for more than. 

Christmas tea cup

Thirsty Thursday - I got this adorable cat cup for a Christmas gift.  I am enjoying a cup of jasmine pearl tea...what about you???

Iced Tea

Making iced tea in my Teavana tea maker.  I even found on the second round I could put it in my big tervus tumbler and it makes a perfect cup tea in there too. I just add ice.

 

For the first cup, I put the tea in the hot water in the pitcher, and then let it steep for whatever the tea container recommends.  Each tea is different, so be sure to check the time and water temp.  You can over or under steep your tea and it completely changes the flavor.  Also, you can make the water too hot and it can burn the tea leaves if it is a white, green, or yellow tea for example.  I then put the pitcher in the frig for later, I don't bother adding ice, I let it cool naturally in the frig.

 

The second cup I put boiler water in the tumbler, since it is a herbal tea.  Then I steep the tea right in the cup- it's nice that the tea container can be moved from pitcher to tumbler.  If I wanted it sweetened, then I would add sugar while it was hot- before I add the ice to it.

Hibiscus Iced Tea for your Iced Tea maker

I am a huge fan of Hibiscus Flower Iced Tea.  My friend got me some flowers in West Africa last year.  Then this fall I found bulk flowers at Chuck's Grocery, while visiting my sister in Vancouver WA.
I worked on a recipe.  And this is what I came up with-  I love it!!!!  And you can run the flowers through your iced tea maker twice and the first batch is as good as the second.

My family thought it was still bitter and added more sugar, but I thought 1/3 C was the perfect amount

This tea batch is still steeping, when I release the steeped tea from the top it adds even more tea and more flavor.  I then pour this tea into another pitcher. I then make another batch