New Year’s Tea Time Resolutions

A strong cuppa Assam, a pen with plenty of ink, a piece of paper and – voilà! – my list of New Year’s tea time resolutions is ready. Read all about it on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Holiday Tea Time — New Year’s Eve

Out with the old and in with the new — year, that is! Try something different to toast in that new year: the champagne of teas — Darjeeling. Don’t forget the feast to go with it. Get the details on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Tea for Christmas Dinner

We had a great but simple Christmas dinner, accompanied by chilled Adagio Cranberry Black Tea (the number one pick in my very unscientific poll). Everything was so yummy, that it inspired the poet within me:

A bite of yam
A slice of ham
And sauce of cranberry,
Some green beans, too,
And tea a-brew
Make season so merry.

Mince pie so nice,
Whipped cream on slice,
Each forkful a delight.
The music plays
For holidays
And candle flames burn bright!

Hope everyone had as peaceful and comfy a Christmas Day as we did. Cheers!

Tea Moments — The Christmas Tree

Lights, ornaments, garland! The tree is ready, and I’m ready for a good cuppa tea. Which one will it be? Find out on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

See that little kitty under the tree? That was “T.C.” – our teatime kitty, now gone but not forgotten.

Tea with Mrs. Claus

Tea with Mrs. Claus — was it just a dream? Find out on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Can you imagine Mrs. Claus serving up a platter like this? And weak tea? Maybe it wasn’t a dream. Maybe it was a nightmare!

That little Santa ornament sure looks cute, though. Hmm...that reminds me...time for more tea and cookies!

Holiday Tea Time — Winter Solstice

The calendar says it’s almost Winter Solstice, the first day of Winter. Many of you already got a taste of that with a Wintry storm that spread across the northern US. You can still celebrate the day with a special teatime. See what I mean on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

What Tea Should I Serve with Christmas Dinner?

There’s a debate going on at our house: what tea to serve with Christmas dinner. You may chuckle, but the decision is more difficult than you’d think. We’ve been assisting the Little Yellow Teapot in his labors of reviewing various teas and now have so many choice that we aren’t sure what to pick. We hope you’ll vote in our poll and help us out.

Our menu is pretty standard, so whatever tea you pick needs to go with those food flavors. You may note the stemmed glasses in the photo. That’s because we are hoping to have a chilled tea. Please keep both of these thoughts in mind when voting. (Not all teas taste good chilled.) Thanks for your time. We promise you’ll have an IOU in your Christmas stocking for “one great big warm fuzzy feeling”!

Dinner Menu:

Glazed ham

Yams casserole

Steamed broccoli

Cranberry sauce

Rolls

Nothing Beats that “Golden Pour” of Tea

Tea brings out the poet in me:

Nothing beats the “golden pour”

That is the best of tea “liquor”

With tea leaves steeped to point divine

In water heated up so fine

Then added to the teapot warmed

For tastedbuds to be then so charmed!

More about the “golden pour” on The Taste of English Tea Blog. (A special thanks to my hubby for helping set up the photo that appears on that blog, including steeping the teas just right.)

Tea Moments — Enjoying the Christmas Sparkle

This time of year, we’re surrounded by things that sparkle, from ornaments, to candle flames, to the tea in our teacup. Let me expound on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Another Great Tea Review by the Little Yellow Teapot

The Little Yellow Teapot just tried another tea: Indian Spiced Chai from The English Tea Store.

See his take on this version of this ever-popular tea version.

See the full review on the English Tea Blog.

Tea Adventure — Exotic Flowering Tea

My tea adventure at Heron’s for Afternoon Tea included trying, for the first time ever, a wonderful flowering tea. Read all about it on the English Tea Blog.

Little Yellow Teapot Just Reviewed Another Tea

The Little Yellow Teapot is all aglow about the latest tea he tried.

A Cup of Tea in a Pear Tree

I’ve totally fractured “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Not my fault. They should have included tea in the lyrics from the beginning! See what I mean on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

This year, leave something healthier for Santa than cookies and milk, like a nice pear and a cup or two of tea.

Herons at The Umstead Hotel and Spa — Cary, NC

Tea at a luxury hotel restaurant is a tea lover’s dream come true, especially when the atmosphere is warm and cozy and the tea service is truly knowledgeable. After all, if I wanted amateur tea, I could get that at some chain restaurant, like Denny’s, where tea is a low-quality bag (not like Mighty Leaf or Harney & Sons) in a warmish cup of water. Read how it all went in the December 2009 issue of TeaMuse, the tea newsletter from Adagio Teas.

I just had to try the flowering tea. Watching this drama unfold, literally, was worth every penny of the pricey per person charge.