Alma - Earl Grey Blue flower

In 2013 I was in Spain on a mission trip and I was introduced to Alma Tea.  I am a fan of the flavors- and the name....my grandma's name was Alma.

This was a nice little cafe in Malaga Spain.

2013

Now 6 years later, I found some tea  in my tea caddy and I enjoyed it.  Even 6 years later this tea is still good.  So, sealed bagged is still good after 6 years- who knew, lol!

https://www.almahome.es/en/8519/earl-grey-blue-flower-black-tea-bio-15-pyramids-tea-bags.html

Ingredients: black tea with cornflower and bergamot aroma.

 I love Milano Slices peppermint cookies, which are only available at Christmas.   These cookies are really great with Earl Grey Blue Flower tea!!  The mint plays really nice with the black tea and bergamont in the Earl Grey.

The fun surprise in this cup, is this cute cat!!!

This tea is really good.  Not overly strong with the bergamont.  It is nice and mellow.  I did not even add milk to this tea and it was delicious. 

Earl Grey the cat with my cup of Earl Grey

Cusa Tea, Mango Green Tea

https://cusatea.com/collections/cusa-tea-premium-instant-tea/products/mango-green-tea

I like the story of how Cusa was discovered/created. A man who wanted instant tea, good instant tea that he could take with him.  This is good tea, I am very impressed with this instant tea. And what I love most is there is no sugar added!!  This is real tea that is instant!

This mango tea is very nice.  The mango flavor really comes through.  It is so nice and easy to make this tea.  Heat your water and pour in the tea, stir and drink.

I can't remember how I stumbled on this tea, but I glad I found it.  I hope you get a chance to try it.

Ohio Tea Company, Maple Roasted Almond

Chinese black tea, roasted mate, hojicha, almond slices, natural flavors

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Maple-Roasted-Almond_p_698.html

This might be my new favorite.  For sure it is my favorite Mate tea!!!  Mate tea gives you a great boost of caffeine, it has more than black tea.  Mate is a traditional South American tea- they drink it out of a hollowed gourd with a straw called a bombilla. 

They leave the teas in the hot water and drink with the straw and it strains out the leaves. I prefer the easy way of steeping it in a tea bag.  

This tea has great "fall" soothing flavors.  It has a nutty and maple flavor that come through really nicely.  I like it a lot and I have tried it with milk and I like it that way too.

Making Iced Tea without an Iced Tea Maker

If you don't have an iced tea maker, you can still make really great iced tea.

If you have an electric kettle, fill with water and heat to 205 degrees.   If you don't have an electric kettle, you can heat water on the stove or the microwave.

Pour the hot water into an empty tea pitcher, add 1/3 C of Sugar and the tea bag/pouch.

Let the tea steep on the counter for 5-10 minutes.

Take the tea bag out, add cold water to the rest of the pitcher.

Put in the fridge and you are good to go!!!

It's an easy way to make great iced tea.  You can make iced tea with tea bags or put loose tea into tea bags.

Some of my favorite pre-portioned tea bags for making iced tea are:  Stash, Republic of Tea, and Tazo

https://www.stashtea.com/collections/iced-tea

https://www.republicoftea.com/iced-tea-pouches/c/29/

https://www.tazo.com/us/en/products/tea-bags/iced-passion-6ct.html

Ohio Tea Company- Creamy Toasted Coconut and organic Lavender Flower

I am took two of my favorite teas and mixed them together to make MY blend!!  I call it Kerrie's Cuppa, it's me in a cup.  

I love the flavor of the lavender and coconut with the Oolong tea.

I took a regular teaspoon with the Coconut Oolong tea with a 1/4 teaspoon the lavender.  It was perfect!!!  It is sweet with a little bit of floral, but not too much of either.

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Creamy-Toasted-Coconut-_p_642.html

and

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Lavender-Flower-Organic_p_449.html

Add the tea to my steeper and then the water.

When mixing two teas together, you want to heat the water based on the lightest tea.  An herbal tea is heated over 212 degrees and Oolong tea is heated to 185 degrees.  So, when making this tea, I heat the water to 185 as not to bruise the Oolong leaves.

You also steep the tea according to the shortest time of the two teas.  When making an herbal tea I steep around 5 minutes and when I make an Oolong I steep for 3 minutes.  So, I will be steeping this tea for 3 minutes.

The perfect cup of tea right here!!!

I would love to have an Ohio Tea tea...Kerrie's  Cuppa- a coconut, lavender Oolong would be me in a cup. 

I would want one of these fun pics on my label:

copy of an original painting by Maria Raczynska

or something like this:

or this:

Ginger House Coffee, Berlin- Pumpkin London Fog

I'm a little teapot, short and stout....

It's Halloween and I went out all day dressed as a tea bag!!  My friend was staying with me, so she, Barb and I did the tourist thing and went to Amish Country.

We went to Heini's Cheese in Berlin.  I love the cheese there!  We sampled over 20 different kinds of cheese.  It was so fun.  I just love cheese.

https://heinis.com/

We then headed to Ginger House for lunch.  I had a chicken sandwich and a fun Pumpkin London Fog Latte.

https://www.facebook.com/GingerHouseCoffee/

It was so fun to spend the day off with friends.  I enjoyed lunch at Ginger House and the Pumpkin London Fog was fun and different. I am not sure I have had anything like it.  It was a little sweeter then I usually like, but I enjoyed it none the less.

https://www.lehmans.com/category/o

We then picked up pumpkins at Lehman's Hardware.

 Happy Halloween all!

Laser Printing on my kombucha bottles

https://blogs.uakron.edu/waynec3/

I went to Wayne College to use their laser printer to help with my Christmas gifts.  I took these glass bottles with the hopes of making some Kombucha bottles as well.  It went so well!  The longest thing was setting up the computer.  It only took 2 1/2 minutes to laser etch the bottles.

The folks at the college are so helpful.  It will be fun to give these bottles away with my kombucha in them.

Bottles were super easy to etch.  You can be as clever or creative as you want.  You are only limited by your imagination.