Matcha Tea Connection

For all those wonderful ladies I met last Saturday (February 23, 2013) at the First United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, PA, with an interest on the wonders of Matcha Tea. I am so very happy to share my Matcha connection with you --- http://www.aiya-america.com . These tea people are very knowledgeable and open to working with anyone with a genuine interest in their teas. 

These Methodist Women spent many hours planning, baking, gathering precious china and teacups to honor those among our community who are 24/7 caregivers to a family member. They gathered local professionals to offer these caregivers a day of hair styling, make-up, nail care, eyebrow waxing, hand waxing, massage therapy, reflexology, relaxation techniques, and wellness workshops. I was thrilled to be part of their Tea Room by offering a tasting of three different specialty teas -- a familiar Earl Gray, a white tea blend, and a white/green tea blend. 

Let me extend my special thank you to all those responsible for organizing an outstanding event for the betterment of our small community. 

Think about the many ways you might add to your community through tea,

The Tea and Hat Lady

New Tea Accessory Finds . . .

My being a tea lover/aficionado for many years has created a challenge for my family and friends when it comes to gifts for me. Although tea cups, strainers, and tea are always appreciated gifts, my family seems to willing accept the challenge to find "something" for or about tea that I do not already own -- better yet is when they find something that I haven't seen or tasted. 

This past Holiday Season was no exception for them but they willingly accepted the challenge and were very successful. The different tea item this year was a custom designed and handmade "Tea Book Handbag/Purse" from Novel Idea Book Purses by Lynette Cornwell (www.novelideabookpurses.com). Lynette can take your favorite book or a book about your favorite subject -- as she did in my case -- for you to use as a special "purse." I might add that no printed material is destroyed in the process. The "meat" of the book is included with the handbag/purse for your enjoyment and reading. 

An extra neat feature of this novel handbag/purse is that I do have "The Book of Tea" and use it frequently as an excellent tea reference. My Novel Tea Book Handbag/Purse will accompany me to all major tea events/presentations as a "T E A opic" for discussion while cupping many exceptional teas.

 

I am raising my cuppa to Lynette for a very clever "Novel Book handbag/Purse" and my daughter for being a very thoughtful person. BTW, my cuppa is filled today with a Dragonwell green tea. 

The Tea And Hat Lady

Learning From Those "In the Know" of Tea

The Tea Industry is one of the few -- that I know of -- where the "authorities" are open, approachable, friendly, and wiling to continue teaching the industry novices. I have found the norm to be that the authorities are too busy "resting on the laurels" they have built to take time to educate the masses. Not so with tea people. It is almost an unwritten rule that one must continue to share the tea wisdom, knowledge, and experiences that have been shared with you with others. It is this philosophy I experience each time I read the new issue of Tea Time Magazine. 

Take the most recent issue (Tea Time July/August 2012) I not only discovered Barry W. CooperThe Tea And Hat Lady with Norwood James Pratt -- World Tea Expo, Vegas 2012 an International Tea Master through an article by one of my absolute favorite Tea authorities on tea and tea lore, James Norwood Pratt but one of my "Tea Sisters" was featured in an article. Julia Matson is one intelligent lady who just happens to also be beautiful. What an outstanding combination. Here is a magazine that has the how-to's for tea ideas, recipes, and pairings as well as providing their subscribers with a schedule of upcoming tea events and tea spots to visit while traveling.

Ok, let's get back to the reason for this blog -- Silver Spoons, Mad Baboons, and Other Tales of Tea by Barry W. Cooper. I found this book to provide a realistic reflection from the history of tea while being extremely entertaining. So entertaining that I found myself hiding away with a cuppa and the book for two days to go from cover to cover. At times laughing out loud while reading Cooper's Tea Tales. This book is absolutely a "must read" for any tea fan but more so it should be read by all -- I promise that once you read this book you will give a cuppa tea a try. If for no other reason than to lift you cuppa to B.W. Cooper with a "Job Well Done" salute. 

Thank you Tea Time Magazine, Norwood James Pratt, and Barry W. Cooper for continuing to share your tea knowledge and experiences with us.

Until we once again gather for a cuppa, I am. . . 

The Tea And Hat LadyMy personal Camellia sinensis getting ready to bloom.

Wellness Way of Tea

Greetings Tea Enthusiast,

Wow! what a tea-riffic couple of weeks I have had . . . experienced my first official Japanese Tea Ceremony at Boukakuan Japanese Tea House in New Jersey. This was absolutely a life-enhancing experience and one that I hope to repeat. Boukakuan Tea House and Gardens are enchanting with a Japanese calming environment that sets the mood for tea. Even the coolness of Winter couldn't lessen my feeling of peace and this was even before we had entered the Tea House. The beauty of Japanese simplicity is amplified throughout the Tea House and Ceremony. From the essence of the hand-rolled incense to the sweetness of the tea, harmony and serenity surrounded us.

From this day of absolute peace I returned to The Tea and Hat Lady's facility to weigh and package 12 pounds of tea. Fortunately, my state of tranquility carried me through the eight hours needed to finish the task at hand. Now all new teas for 2012 are ready for your enjoyment. I have found the White Ginger Peach and Champagne Raspberry very refreshing while the Burgundy Oolong, Keemun Mao Feng, and Golden Yunan are reflective of bold, dark teas.

Yesterday I had the absolutely pleasure of talking with the students of the Culinary Arts Program at the Carlisle Area High School, Carlisle, PA. For a high school environment their food preparation facility is extremely professional and well maintained by the students and staff. I introduced them to true tea, it's origin, processing, as well as its potential as an ingredient, spice, or garnish. The students were enthusiastically looking forward to exploring the world of culinary teas! I am looking forward to sample their creations.

 And now, it is preparation time again for the program "The Wellness Way of Tea." This program is a collaboration between me and Linda D'Agostina, Pinnacle Health licensed acupuncturist. Linda's treatment of my lower back has successfully provided me lasting relief. It seems so perfect that we should partner to provide a program combining my tea knowledge with Linda's Chinese Medicine education and skills. Along with a detailed introduction to "true" tea attendees will have an opportunity to sample several varieties of specialty tea. [To Register for The Wellness Way of Tea call 717-231-8900.]

Preparation for these programs provides me a wonderful opportunity to read more "tea" books, sample new teas, and a chance to share my tea information.

Until we once again share a cuppa,

The Tea And Hat Lady.

 

Mid Atlantic Tea Business Association

This afternoon found me on a conference call with fellow tea professionals operating tea businesses in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Mid Atlantic Tea Business Association is a very valuable tool for any tea business operating in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, or Delaware.

We had a very interesting discussion on how to maximize our marketing dollars for the best results. With today's multi-media options available one has to be very careful where to place our limited marketing dollars. The majority of our members are small businesses operating on "shoe-string" budgets so each dollar invested must generate a return. Granted not all returns are in the form of money, some are in the form of new business contacts or customers -- each of which are as valuable as the dollar, if not more so.

One quick decision made by the majority is that the Internet provides many options for "free" marketing. "Free" in terms of dollars but extremely expensive in terms of time and hard work. Although not particularly physical hard work but definitely "hard work" in terms of time, creativity, planning, and the most demanding of them all -- consistency. Web sites and blogs must be continuously updated to be of any value to your business.

So here goes my commitment to being more consistent with my blogs to you regarding "tea."

Until we share our next cuppa,

The Tea And Hat Lady