This afternoon we stumbled upon a wonderful treat! A brand new retail tea shop and bistro... we were thrilled. A lovely pot of mango/apricot tea and some fabulous lunch items that were to die for. Unfortunately we were too full to try the lucious desserts on the dessert tray. Next visit we'll have those FIRST!Here's a little snippet from their website. You can order online there too! Enjoy:
Our tea shops are staffed with tea enthusiasts dedicated to exploring the world of loose leaf tea with our customers. Each shop carries a selection of more than 300 varieties including Black, Green, Oolong, White, Rooibush, Herbal and Fruit, and ranging in price from just a few cents per cup all the way up the rarest teas grown exclusively for TeaGschwendner by some of the world’s finest estates.
On top of that we offer an extensive range of tea-related products: glass, ceramic, and porcelain teapots; fine tableware from around the world; teapot warmers; tea candles; filter systems; tea literature; and customized gifts for any occasion.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
A wonderful tea store
Friday, July 07, 2006
Brewing the perfect pot of tea
Today let's make the perfect pot of tea!
1. Fill the kettle with fresh cold filtered water and set on the stove to boil (tap water is fine too but filtered or bottled water makes your tea extra special!)
2. While the water is boiling, fill your teapot with very hot water and put the lid on so that the teapot can get warm.
3. Right before the water gets to a rolling boil, empty out the warming water and add or 1 teaspoon of loose tea per person into the pot.
4. When the water reaches a rolling boil, take the teapot to the kettle and immediately pour the boiling water into the pot and cover the teapot with the lid.
5. Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes. The larger the leaf of the tea, the longer it will take.
6. Stir the tea slightly before you pour it in the cups.
7. Use a tea strainer and pour.
If you're using tea bags, techincally you're supposed to use 1 bag per person. I personally think that's too strong ... 1-2 bags per pot are plenty with a 5 minute steep time.
1. Fill the kettle with fresh cold filtered water and set on the stove to boil (tap water is fine too but filtered or bottled water makes your tea extra special!)
2. While the water is boiling, fill your teapot with very hot water and put the lid on so that the teapot can get warm.
3. Right before the water gets to a rolling boil, empty out the warming water and add or 1 teaspoon of loose tea per person into the pot.
4. When the water reaches a rolling boil, take the teapot to the kettle and immediately pour the boiling water into the pot and cover the teapot with the lid.
5. Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes. The larger the leaf of the tea, the longer it will take.
6. Stir the tea slightly before you pour it in the cups.
7. Use a tea strainer and pour.
If you're using tea bags, techincally you're supposed to use 1 bag per person. I personally think that's too strong ... 1-2 bags per pot are plenty with a 5 minute steep time.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
My Very First Tea Party Book
Here's a delightful book for your first tea party with your young ones:
Have A Teddy Bear tea for your next playgroup meeting
What a fabulous way to keep the children busy while the moms talk over tea themselves.
Set a separate spot (in the same room and with child sized table and chairs if possible) for tea for the young ones. Use a decorative plastic table cloth and sippy cups for "tea" (cooled hot chocolate, juice or decaf tea with LOTS of cream) and make finger peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for them to enjoy. Each child brings her favorite bear to enjoy the event with you. Play some kids music quietly in the background and relax with your own cup and enjoy. They'll love it!
Set a separate spot (in the same room and with child sized table and chairs if possible) for tea for the young ones. Use a decorative plastic table cloth and sippy cups for "tea" (cooled hot chocolate, juice or decaf tea with LOTS of cream) and make finger peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for them to enjoy. Each child brings her favorite bear to enjoy the event with you. Play some kids music quietly in the background and relax with your own cup and enjoy. They'll love it!
Create the Tradition
Teddy Bear Tea Party - Start the Tradition Now!
By Annette Yen
Children of all ages love stuffed teddy bears and for good reason! They're cuddly, warm, and cute and they don't make a mess on your living room floor before guests arrive! The joy a stuffed animal can bring to a child is a wonderful and amazing thing and I believe every child should have at least one favorite bear in her lifetime.
Now, combine this great love of all things fluffy with a little girl's tea party and you have the makings of the grandest event of the year for your daughter. The Teddy Bear Tea Party!
There are several ways you can create this memory-filled event for your little one. Obviously the two main elements must be accounted for... the tea and the teddy bears. So let's look at both in just a little more detail.
1. The tea. Assuming you're planning your party for the younger of the young ladies, you'll want to keep the tea simple and SWEET! Not too much scrimping on the sugar here, mom...this is the event of the year remember? Choose a tea with some added flavor. Blackberry, apple or vanilla are a few of our favorites. You can go with the varieties from the tea aisle in the grocery store or find some fine lovely teas at various upscale tea shops or even online. Don't make the tea too strong and remember to have plenty of sugar (get the cubes...little girls LOVE the cubes) and cream for those who have not yet acquired the taste for afternoon tea yet. More sugar is required in the form of cookies, little chocolates and other tea fancies to
complete the tea table. Remember mom; all the little ones will probably have a good toothbrush at home anyway!
2. The Teddy Bears. As you know, not all children choose a bear as their favorite stuffed animal so you might want to offer some flexibility here! The most economical way to include the animals is to ask each child to bring their own favorite teddy or other animal along for the event. Providing a simple craft for the girls to make a teddy tea shawl (an inexpensive cloth napkin and some fabric makers or rubber stamps will do nicely) will help to make the stuffed animals more at ease at the tea table. Or, if you want to get even more elaborate, have a make your own stuffed animal event as part of your party, where each guests can build a bear or other stuffed animal to take home.
Keep the entire party short and simple for maximum memory making and remember your camera and film. You'll want to take plenty of pictures of the little ones, pinkies high sipping their tea while enjoying their tea dainties. Finally, remember to take a photo of each guest with the guest of honor and their bears. Include the picture with your thank you notes so each will have a grand remembrance of the day as well.
Teddy Bear tea parties don't need to be just for birthday parties either. Make this an annual event for your girls. Celebrate the start of the school year or celebrate the first day of spring. I bet you'll find that the tradition you start when your girls are
young will continue on into their teen years and beyond... and each year you can guarantee the teddy bears will come along too. One is never too old to love a stuffed teddy bear! At the end of each year's celebration, create a special page for a
scrapbook so your girls will have something wonderful to pass on to their daughters along with the annual tradition!
Annette Yen and her two beautiful daughters love tea and adore stuffed animals. You can learn more about their stuffed animal parties and sign up for their free birthday club by visiting their website at http://www.FunOnTheArk.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Yen
By Annette Yen
Children of all ages love stuffed teddy bears and for good reason! They're cuddly, warm, and cute and they don't make a mess on your living room floor before guests arrive! The joy a stuffed animal can bring to a child is a wonderful and amazing thing and I believe every child should have at least one favorite bear in her lifetime.
Now, combine this great love of all things fluffy with a little girl's tea party and you have the makings of the grandest event of the year for your daughter. The Teddy Bear Tea Party!
There are several ways you can create this memory-filled event for your little one. Obviously the two main elements must be accounted for... the tea and the teddy bears. So let's look at both in just a little more detail.
1. The tea. Assuming you're planning your party for the younger of the young ladies, you'll want to keep the tea simple and SWEET! Not too much scrimping on the sugar here, mom...this is the event of the year remember? Choose a tea with some added flavor. Blackberry, apple or vanilla are a few of our favorites. You can go with the varieties from the tea aisle in the grocery store or find some fine lovely teas at various upscale tea shops or even online. Don't make the tea too strong and remember to have plenty of sugar (get the cubes...little girls LOVE the cubes) and cream for those who have not yet acquired the taste for afternoon tea yet. More sugar is required in the form of cookies, little chocolates and other tea fancies to
complete the tea table. Remember mom; all the little ones will probably have a good toothbrush at home anyway!
2. The Teddy Bears. As you know, not all children choose a bear as their favorite stuffed animal so you might want to offer some flexibility here! The most economical way to include the animals is to ask each child to bring their own favorite teddy or other animal along for the event. Providing a simple craft for the girls to make a teddy tea shawl (an inexpensive cloth napkin and some fabric makers or rubber stamps will do nicely) will help to make the stuffed animals more at ease at the tea table. Or, if you want to get even more elaborate, have a make your own stuffed animal event as part of your party, where each guests can build a bear or other stuffed animal to take home.
Keep the entire party short and simple for maximum memory making and remember your camera and film. You'll want to take plenty of pictures of the little ones, pinkies high sipping their tea while enjoying their tea dainties. Finally, remember to take a photo of each guest with the guest of honor and their bears. Include the picture with your thank you notes so each will have a grand remembrance of the day as well.
Teddy Bear tea parties don't need to be just for birthday parties either. Make this an annual event for your girls. Celebrate the start of the school year or celebrate the first day of spring. I bet you'll find that the tradition you start when your girls are
young will continue on into their teen years and beyond... and each year you can guarantee the teddy bears will come along too. One is never too old to love a stuffed teddy bear! At the end of each year's celebration, create a special page for a
scrapbook so your girls will have something wonderful to pass on to their daughters along with the annual tradition!
Annette Yen and her two beautiful daughters love tea and adore stuffed animals. You can learn more about their stuffed animal parties and sign up for their free birthday club by visiting their website at http://www.FunOnTheArk.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Yen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)