Tea and Herbs Together

Today's Fall weather -- cool, damp, and the forecast of a possible "NorEasterner" created the desire for comfort in both drink and food. My first reaction was a comfort drink so -- off to the tea closet I went. Several minutes later I walked away with an Herbal/Tea blend. "Eight Treasures" from the Red Blossom Tea Company (San Francisco) (www.redblossomtea.com) filled my tea-desire

The tea/herbal blend combined White Peony Tea with lycium berries,  wolfberries (goji), longan berries, candied melon, rosebuds, red and black dates and chrysanthemum flowers. The blended berries, herbs, and tea liquor left one experiencing the lingering notes from the fig, goji berry, and a hint of melon with the after mouth feel of white tea. The liquor was a warm comfort in the morning and an iced delight for late afternoon/evening. I enjoyed the tea knowing that I was loading up with extra antioxidants  to see me through whatever Mother Nature sent my way the next couple days.

With the onset of a possible hurricane/NorEasterner snowstorm I am sure tomorrow's tea choice will be a robust black tea strong enough to stand up to milk and sugar if so needed to meet the needs of the day.

A cuppa of the steeped beverage. 

My tea choices being satisfied it was time to seek "comfort" food. When considering comfort food I went to the King of Comfort Food -- my husband. Our late lunch, early dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas (for me), applesauce (for him). Now, how much more comfort could one want from a meal, except if maybe the selection had been Mac and Cheese.

Now it is off to bed with anticipation for tomorrow's tea!

Here's to a tea that will bring you warmth and joy throughout the Fall,

The Tea And Hat Lady

Some of My Favorite Tea Things!

At a Red Hat event last week, I was asked about the Tea cozy basket that had appeared on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/theteaandhatlad) several months ago. Of course, given the opportunity, I was more than happy to provide Karen (and anyone else that would listen) with all the details about my Taiwan Tea Cozy Basket. Then I thought perhaps this would be a good topic to revisit on my "Tea Blog." Thanks, Karen for providing me with a topic.

Here we go . . . While at the World Tea East in Philadelphia in September, I saw this magnificent Tea Cozy at ABC Tea's  exhibit (http://www.abctea.com). I just knew it would be an excellent addition to my collection -- a "Tea Accessory" that would open many tea discussions among my guests. So I made an iPhone note -- my version a "to do" list -- to contact ABC Teas. Fortunately, my tea travels has provided me the pleasure of having met Thomas and Josephine Shu, the owners of ABC Teas as well as gracious ambassadors of Taiwan tea. People, like Thomas and Josephine, are among the very best of the Tea World. Tea people are the very best!!

The Cozy is a piece of handcrafted art that is admired by all. It is made of hand woven straw with a colorful design throughout the weaving. The cushioned lining is a brilliant red background with white flowers that does keep my tea warm. I have found the Cozy especially appropriate to use while enjoying ABC Tea's Ruby 18 -- a phenomenal Oolong Tea. Ruby 18 is my Oolong Tea of choice for very special occasions.

Thursday (January 12, 2012) will be an outstanding Tea day!! I am meeting two of my favorite Tea "aficionados" in San Francisco to discover the city's Tea -- we all know that you cannot find another American city that has more Tea history than San Francisco. Darlene (http://www.theteaenthusiastsscrapbook.com), Julia (http://bingleysteas.com), and I began our tea journey to becoming "Certified Tea Specialists" in Charleston, SC, several years ago. Since then, we have completed Level I, Level II, and Level III of the STI classes. Level IV is what brings us back to San Francisco in 2012. Well, that and wanting a reason for us to meet in San Francisco -- do we really need a reason? I don't think so since our Tea journey has taken us to visit New York, Vegas, and Charleston -- most of these cities several times. So to quote Darlene, "San Francisco, here we come!" If we just didn't have two days of classes as well. Instead of leaving our hearts in San Francisco, we will Leave our Teacups in San Francisco -- to initiate a return visit.

Until we share a cuppa again . . . Love, Laugh, Live, and drink lots of tea!

The Tea and Hat Lady