May/June 2009 Tea Time Magazine

A month or so ago, I was in a store and *almost* bought this neat-looking "brownie pan" with individual squares so your brownies would all have lovely, rounded corners. Tempting though it was, I resisted, thinking, "Now why do I really need that when I can just cut them into squares myself?" Why? I'll tell you why. Have you seen the cover of the new Tea Time? What is featured but White Silk Tartlets made using square tartlet pans, and that brownie pan would have been perfect for these! Sigh.

I'm intrigued that Tea Time's cover calls these tartlets "Our Best Dessert Ever!" That's a pretty bold statement to make for a magazine that's been dishing up all manner of desserts for quite a few years now. These tartlets are made with white chocolate and heavy cream, which sounds yummy, so I'll have to make them and see if I agree.

The most interesting feature in this issue is one that's particularly timely, recipes for a Kentucky Derby Tea. The big race is coming up Saturday, and yesterday our magazine's customer service rep in Kentucky told me everyone is excited and a bit worried about rain on race day. Oh, to be there myself! If you're into the Derby Day festivities, do not miss this issue of Tea Time. There are recipes for Herbed Shrimp on Grits Cakes, Mint Julep Profiteroles served in tiny little silver cups, and my favorite item on this menu, horseshoe-shaped tea sandwiches. Clever!

"The True History of Tea"

Last night I finally finished a new book I've been reading for the past few weeks, "The True History of Tea" by Victor H. Mair and Erling Hoh. I must confess I nearly quit at several points along the way. This was at times such dense reading I felt I was stuck reading a college textbook. I'm glad I finished it, however, because I learned a lot about tea's rich history, including the parts I really wasn't that interested in (pretty much everything that occurred before the discovery of English Afternoon Tea).

That said, here is some of the noteworthy tea trivia I gleaned along the way:

-- "Tsiology = the art and science of tea." (I've never come across that word before. Have you?)

-- A chapter on "The Tea and Horse Trade" says that "in 1078, one Tibetan horse cost 100 catties of Sichuan tea."

-- John Wesley, founder of Methodism, debated what he thought was the "sinfulness of tea-drinking" and for 12 years gave up the habit, but later resumed tea drinking "on the advice of his physician" and had a half-gallon teapot made just for him by Josiah Wedgwood.

-- After the war, George Washington ordinarily had tea at both breakfast and supper at Mount Vernon.

-- Mao Zedong rinsed with green tea rather than brushing his teeth.

The book also has some great photos I've not seen before, including the first English silver teapot and a photograph from 1840 said to be the first-ever photograph of a tea party. So while this book is not exactly light reading, I still find it valuable as a reference book (there's a nice index) and will no doubt turn to it again in the future.

We're sending the socks to ...

... Loretta J! If you'll send your snail mail address to angela@newnan.com, I'll get these in the mail to you. Congrats!

Displaying vintage teapot earrings

Recently my costume jewelry has become a bit of a jumble, so I decided it was time to get organized. I really like to display and store things in non-traditional ways, so I am organizing my vintage teapot earrings (and a couple of vintage bracelets) by attaching them to the edge of an old pink ruffled vase, and I rather like the effect. The interesting thing I wanted to mention about these pieces (some of which were just 99 cents and a dollar or so for shipping on eBay) is that they all feature the exact same teapot design. Some of these I've shown before, but I hope at least a few of the designs will be new to you.


Here are some rhinestone ruby earrings I wore last Christmas.


These pearl ones are a tad on the gaudy side, and the gold is brassy and discolored, but I like them anyway.


I have sometimes worn these plain silver teapot earrings as my "everyday earrings."


And though I normally prefer silver and white gold, I needed a pair of gold earrings last year and these fit the bill.


This bracelet is signed Monet, and inside the circle is that same old teapot design that's on all these earrings.

Finally, this gold charm bracelet is a bit discolored, but I liked that it had both a teacup and teapot with pearls on them. Do you happen to have any pieces featuring this ever-present teapot design?

Sock it to me!

The other night I was driving home from a trip to the Jo-Ann store in Fayetteville when I got behind a car with this license plate: "6FT2GAL." Now I dearly love a good license plate, so I told my husband about it, and he very practically pointed out, "You know, that's not the kind of thing you really have to announce." Indeed! So I guess you could say "feet" were on my mind that evening because when I was at the Jo-Ann store I came across some great little footie socks in their $1 bins. (Technically they are now the $2.50 bins, but I first knew them as the $1 bins, so that's what I call them.) There were several footie designs featuring coffee mugs and teacups. They were marked two pair for $2.50, but they were on sale and rang up 97 cents for two pair if any of you have a Jo-Ann nearby and want to look for these.

Also on the theme of coffee/tea/chocolate, I found this adorable tin of mints the other day at Hastings. Even though it's mochaccino flavor, I believe this can qualify as a "tea lover's treat" because the tin is clearly teacup-shaped.

And guess what? I'm giving away the above socks and mints today, along with some brand new samples of Mighty Leaf Tea, to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment between now and 7 a.m. EST Tuesday and you'll be entered to win. Good luck!

(P.S. Here are the socks I got for myself, in case you want to look for them when you visit Jo-Ann. The bottom pair was an orphaned set, so I imagine there's at least one more cute design out there!)

Tea Tasting Saturday #17 - GenMaiCha

When I opened this week's tea sample, I thought just one word: Granola! But the tea didn't *taste* like granola ...

Category: Japanese Green Tea

Purveyor: Harney & Sons

When purchased: March 2009

Dry leaf appearance: I knew this tea was supposed to have rice in it, but I wasn't expecting the mini-kernels of popcorn! (And yes, out of curiosity I did eat one of the pieces of toasted rice popcorn, which tasted just like stale regular popcorn.)

Wet leaf appearance: Like you accidentally mixed a spoonful of leftover rice from the previous night's dinner with your green tea.

Steeping temperature and time: 1 teaspoon of tea, 190 degrees, 2 minutes.

Scent: I have liked so many of the teas I've tried this year, it was high time I found one I didn't much care for! And I didn't much care for this one. I wasn't even *thinking* about the rice in the tea, but as soon as the hot water hit the tea leaves I caught a strong scent of rice cakes. I'd just as soon eat styrofoam, so having this scent in my tea was not something I enjoyed.

Color: A pale green.

Flavor: I like rice, a lot, so I was surprised at how very much I disliked this tea. Apparently my palate can live with last week's "fish tea" but not with this week's "rice tea."

Additional notes: According to the book, "Once considered a cheap peasant beverage, GenMaiCha has recently come into vogue among Japanese urban elite and in the United States as a health drink." (But I'll be sticking with some of the other Chinese and Japanese greens as my "health drink.")

Next week's tea: Hojicha

The roses are in bloom ...

... and I think that embroidered flowers are almost as pretty as live ones! I also think I've been a bit long-winded with some of my posts this week, so I'm going to leave you with this simple photo and a wish for a wonderful weekend!

"Knitting and Tea" by Jane Gottelier

What a brilliant idea! That's all I could think when I learned of the book "Knitting and Tea," written by Jane Gottelier and photographed by her husband, Patrick Gottelier. The husband and wife fashion designers, who teach in Cornwall, have a unique perspective on combining the twin loves of tea and knitting. She grew up going to English tea rooms with her parents and sister, and he was raised on a tea plantation in Sri Lanka by his English tea planter father. Cool!

I am hard pressed to say whether I liked the tea information or the knitting designs best in this book, so I'll just say this: Even if I did not knit (and I am still a newbie knitter), I would enjoy reading this book. Its various chapters were inspired by tea plantations and tea rooms. This gorgeous Garden Jacket, for instance, is one of my favorite projects in the book (I love the garden fork and trowel) and appears in the chapter titled "Green Tea." It is inspired by the Tregothnan Tea Plantation, which grows the only black and green tea produced in England. I was especially interested in this chapter because a generous tea friend recently shared some Tregothnan tea with me (and it was delicious)!

In addition to the garments, which are lovely, there are quite a few cozies, my favorite being this Cupcake Tea Cozy from the chapter "Afternoon Tea." The book includes recipes from several tea rooms, and I also enjoyed reading about "Strawberry Teas" (tea is served along with strawberries and ice cream at a cricket club in Dimbula) and the "Builder's Tea" (a cheap, stout tea preferred by British construction workers). And thanks to this book, I now have a new destination for my bucket list, The Tea Factory in Sri Lanka. This is a tea factory that's been converted to an award-winning hotel, and you can pluck your own tea which will then be processed and packaged for you. All this AND a book filled with terrific knitting designs? I'm impressed!

Tea & Azaleas

About a year ago, I visited an old friend who had invited me over to see her azaleas and rhododendrons (which she grows and sells) and really grew to appreciate the flowers more than ever. That afternoon, I stopped by Hastings and found on the clearance rack a wonderful British book by Jane Brown titled "Tales of the Rose Tree: Ravishing Rhododendrons and Their Travels Around the World." I can't explain quite why I was so drawn to this book, I just knew I had to read it, if for no other reason to help me understand the difference between rhododendrons and azaleas. From the book: "All azaleas are rhododendrons." (So what's the difference? The UGA Extension Service explains, "All azaleas are rhododendrons, and both are in the genus Rhododendron. The term 'rhododendron,' however, is commonly used to refer to the group of plants usually with large, leathery, evergreen foliage, while 'azalea' refers to those with smaller, thinner leaves.")

I began to have an "aha" moment when I read this: "Old as they are, rhododendrons are descended from the more ancient magnolia (Magnoliaceae) and tea (Theaceae) families and so have ancestral connections to the tulip trees (linodendron), camellias, stewartias and the franklinia." Now isn't that a new reason to appreciate our southern azaleas! Writing about the early plant collectors, Brown mentions the famous "Wardian case" that came into use in the 1830s and "revolutionized the transport of plants." Brown says that "all this was not, of course, for the Chinese azaleas, but for serious economic crops such as tea and cotton. John Reeves, as keen a gardener as he was a progressive tea inspector, suggested to his friends in the Horticultural Society that a collector should be sent to China, ostensibly to look into tea planting but also one with a good eye for garden plants." So I don't think it's a stretch to say we can at least partly thank tea for our enjoyment of azaleas in springtime! These soft red ones are in bloom at my house.

I was so in love with azaleas and rhododendrons last spring, I used an eBay gift card from DH to buy this cup and saucer bearing their likeness. Roses are normally my favorite flower on teawares, but once I learned the connection between tea and azaleas, I thought it needed to be honored with a teacup!

A postlet about wristlets

Steph recently celebrated a birthday and shared on her blog a particularly wonderful gift she had received, a Teacup Wristlet from her friend Sweetcakes. If you're a regular reader of Steph, as I am, you know that Sweetcakes is rather legendary as a friend, seamstress and baker extraordinaire. I commented on Steph's blog about how wonderful the wristlet would be for storing my iPod, and lo and behold, Sweetcakes was kind enough to make one for me. And here it is!

Is this not just about the prettiest thing you've ever seen? It's not just stitched, quilted, embellished and be-handled, it's also ... be-zippered. I officially don't do zippers. I stand in awe of people who do zippers. To say I am thrilled with my new wristlet would be quite an understatement!

A few weeks ago, I thought I had lost my iPod. I've been having issues with leaving either the earphones or the USB port at the office, greatly affecting my ability to keep up with the Barnes and Noble "Meet the Writers" podcasts (which are excellent, by the way). Now I have a solution for keeping all those pieces together, and it couldn't be a more stylish one. Thank you so much, Sweetcakes!

A vintage tablecloth & "mats"

Since several of you happened to notice and comment on that vintage tablecloth from the traveling tea party last Thursday, I thought I'd tell you about it. This was one of my more unique vintage finds, and it's a 22-inch-square tablecloth with corners featuring appliqued teacups, plates, a teapot, and a creamer and sugar.

The curious thing to me, though, was that this cloth came with four more matching applique pieces that were described as "mats," but they are just about 7-8 inches wide, so these would be nearly hidden by the average cup and saucer set. They are exact duplicates of the corner appliques on the tablecloth.

Want to know my theory? Since I have so many UFO's myself ("unfinished objects," in crafter jargon), I can't help wondering if the needleworker was supposed to make *two* of these little tablecloths but never got around to sewing the four appliques onto the second cloth. The only kink in that theory is that the top edges of these pieces are finished off, and had I been making the tablecloth I'd have attached them directly to the fabric. (I think.) At any rate, whoever found these pieces kept them together (fortunately for me), and thus the story of the unfinished pieces being "mats." What do you think?

Tea Tasting Saturday #16 - Bancha

Just when I thought perhaps the teas were going to start looking and tasting alike, this week's sample was a surprise in just about every respect!

Purveyor: Harney & Sons

When purchased: March 2009

Dry leaf appearance: After the fine, almost spice-like appearance of some of the recent Japanese greens, I was surprised to see thicker dark green leaves once again.

Wet leaf appearance: This tea turned a dark green and had the "chopped spinach" appearance I've come to expect from some of the green teas.

Steeping temperature and time: 1 teaspoon of tea, 175 degrees, 2 minutes

Scent: As I believe I've mentioned before, I try very hard to only consult the Harney book for the tea's time and temperature prior to my tea tasting, but I must confess I read the word "walnuts" as I was flipping through the Bancha pages. It bugs me if this ever happens, because when I am tasting a new tea I don't want to be influenced by what even so great a "tea mind" as Michael Harney thinks about it. I don't really worry about "getting it wrong" because my opinion is my opinion. So although I found myself wondering if I would detect something akin to a "walnut" smell, I most assuredly did not. I smelled ... fish! It wasn't a bad fish smell -- it was sort of like broiled shrimp or scallops -- but it was definitely fish I was detecting. Once my tasting was complete, and firmly convinced of what *I* thought this tea smelled like, I consulted the Harney book, intentionally this time, and it spoke of "subtle green tea base notes of spinach and nori, along with faint hints of toasted walnuts." OK, but I smelled fish! So I started googling references to Bancha and learned I am not the only one who thinks it tastes like fish. Nori, it turns out, is an edible seaweed, and if I'd known that I might not have found it so odd that my tea smelled like fish!

Color: A bright yellow.

Flavor: If you had the prettiest tin of tea the world has ever seen but labeled it "Smells and Tastes Like Fish!" you couldn't have interested me. So, I was shocked that I actually liked this tea pretty well. It had a pleasant and smooth (and slightly brothy) taste I enjoyed. I really think everyone ought to sample this tea at least once just for the curiosity factor if nothing else!

Additional notes: The Harney book notes that "Bancha is made of the larger, tougher leaves that emerge just fifteen to twenty days after the younger Sencha shoots have been harvested." But for me, this one will always be "The Fish Tea."

Next week's tea: Genmaicha

Cari's "Turning 10" Tea Party

My favorite 10-year-old, my sweet niece Cari (short for "Carolyn Hope"), celebrated her birthday today with a party with family and a few friends at my mom's house, so I thought I'd share some photos in honor of the day.

My parents are actually selling this house and moving into an old farmhouse they've spent the last few years renovating, so mom bought these two table-and-chair sets to set up a "tea room" just for today. The two candelabra she bought for $5 (the set) yesterday. That's my mom!

Cari requested my mom make a Red Velvet Cake, so she did. My sister made Red Velvet Cupcakes with decorative icing, but I took all the food photos early and forgot to get a picture of the cupcakes when they arrived. They were yummy, though!


Cari had told me she wanted something made with raspberries, so I made this berry tart, my first ever, which turned out quite well, I thought! You can find the recipe here.

Here's a note on finger sandwiches and savories: I made our old favorite finger sandwiches (Olive-Egg Salad and Cucumber Cream, recipes I've shared before), but to save time I "cheated" on the Chicken Salad in Phyllo Cups. Publix makes a great chunky chicken salad, and I was surprised to find that one small 8-ounce container (I had gotten two) filled 26 of the 30 phyllo cups. Although I do like to make some things for all my tea parties, I have gotten over thinking I have to make every single item from scratch.

Here's the birthday girl opening her Little House on the Prairie DVD's (Season 2), which seemed to be a real hit.

Here's something I brought for the gift table, a honeycomb crepe paper teapot I found on eBay a few months ago. (I believe it cost $4.50 or so.)

And finally, here's my sister Rhonda with the birthday girl. (And in case she checks this blog tonight: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARI! WE LOVE YOU!!!)

My traveling tea party

Some weeks ago, I was asked if I would be interested in participating in a "traveling tea party" in which certain teapots are being passed around the country this year with the stories to be preserved in journals and collected by the tea lover who organized the event. I thought it sounded like a fun idea and signed on, and my tea party, held last night, was a simple tea for two.

You see, my friend Kathy from Savannah has been in Newnan house-sitting for her daughter and son-in-law, who are traveling in Europe for a few weeks. So to me it made perfect sense to host a traveling tea party with a friend who traveled to my town to house-sit for some travelers. How much more travel-ly can you get?

I was going over to Kathy's last night (or Kathy's daughter's house) to knit and quilt. Not too surprisingly, we never actually got around to crafting, but we did enjoy the beautiful spring weather out on the patio with my super easy, packed-in-a-picnic-basket tea party. Our "twilight tea" consisted of Ham, Asparagus and Cheese Frittata, Fresh Fruit, Heart-shaped Cucumber Sandwiches and Dark Chocolate Madeleines. We enjoyed two different types of tea, the Chocolate Spice Kusmi Tea I received earlier this week and some Mango Tango tea. This simple tea party was a perfect way to enjoy spring and the all-too-rare treat of time with a dear (and normally 300 miles away) friend. I hope the next recipients of this traveling teapot enjoy their "tea and conversation" as much as my friend and I did!

Those "Tax Day Tea Parties"

Today is April 15, or Tax Day, and by now I'm sure everyone has heard of the "Tax Day Tea Parties" being planned all over the country to protest government spending. My newspaper ran a story on Monday about some local protests being planned. Now I think it's a good thing when anyone takes the time to get up off their duff and take a stand on an issue they care about, but I'm a bit conflicted about these "tea parties" being held today. Why? Here's my list of pros and cons:

PRO

-- Citizen activism is a good thing.
-- Grassroots movements can sometimes get a politician's attention when a single voice will not.
-- Underperforming businesses may see even more evidence that many of us in America are tired of a "bailout culture" and ready for that mindset to end. I don't think I've heard anyone, from the President on down, who is excited about pumping more money into failing businesses.

CON

-- It's easy to show up at a rally and feel like you you've done something. It's not so easy to write a letter to the editor, or your congressman. Or to help recruit a good candidate to run for office. Or to volunteer to work on a campaign.
-- The Boston Tea Party actually had something to do with the tax on tea! I realize this year's "tea parties" are so named because of that historic event, but lots of folks just don't get it. I saw a photo of a woman pouring a jug of Arizona Tea into her local lake as an act of "protest." Now, how does wasting money AND tea send a message? (A friend of mine said the fish get to enjoy the tea.)
-- Radio money guy Dave Ramsey yesterday afternoon talked about how he once lived in a place where a politician's office received so many teabags as an act of protest, the people in that office said they've never gotten over the sickening smell of all that tea. I don't want tea to become politicized!

So I confess my fondness for tea has totally clouded my judgment on this issue. Since I've gone all wobbly on the matter, any of you care to comment? My experience has been that tea lovers know how to disagree without being disagreeable!

Spicy Chocolate Kusmi Tea

My friend Deberah was in Philadelphia with family last week, and despite what I know was an extraordinarily busy time for her she somehow managed to return with a gift for me: this beautiful tin of Spicy Chocolate Kusmi Tea! I was glad I had a mug infuser at work so I could have some for a morning treat, and just as I hoped, it was delicious.

Here's what it says on top of the tin: "Founded in 1867 in St. Petersburg, the tea house Kousmichoff has been carrying on the same activity to offer connoisseurs and gourmets subtle flavourings as well as the highest quality blends. Distributed all over the world, Kusmi Tea blends are well known for their pleasant tastes and the smoothness of their flavours."

It may have been founded in St. Petersburg, but the label says this tea is now made in France, which may account for the beautiful design of the tin. And on a cold, rainy and stormy Monday, a surprise chocolate tea treat was not a bad way to start the week!

Tea towels: To use or not to use?

Last week while reading the comments on Linda's blog, I learned that she and Steph deal with one of the same questions I do: Do you use those pretty tea towels or not? I've ruined a few by mopping up spaghetti sauce and kitchen spills, so I began storing my "good" tea towels and using only the ones I don't mind soiling. Then I read "The Kitchen Linens Book" by EllynAnne Geisel last week, and she had a solution to this problem which I have already put into use. "Any towel that's embellished -- embroidered, or edged, or painted -- I'll put out in the powder room, where I can be fairly certain they'll be spared of hands greasy from food prep or dirty from tinkering with the mower," she says. So these two tea towels don't necessarily match this corner of my yellow bathroom next to the linen closet, but I like the idea of displaying them on this dear lady, a towel butler(ette) that was a Christmas gift from my mom.

The cross-stitch tea towel was actually a gift from my friend Ann, who had recently acquired one of those fancy embroidery sewing machines which does about 5,000 stitches and even cooks supper for you. Since not all of us were blessed with husbands who know how to cross-stitch, like ParTea Lady, I was quite happy to receive this tea towel!


This pink towel was a recent find at an online boutique called Grandma G's. She has gorgeous vintage linens, impeccable customer service, and I was floored at all the "gifts with purchase" that arrived with my dinky little order of a single tea towel. She sent ...

... the carefully packaged tea towel tied with pink ribbon I have tucked away for a future craft ...


... an egg-shaped goodie bag containing Hershey's kisses and a bookmark and some TEA ...

... and finally, she included a little quilted coaster/mug mat made out of beautiful floral fabric! I'm not sure she made anything off my purchase, but I certainly enjoyed shopping with her!

HAPPY EASTER!

"He is not here, but is risen." -- Luke 24:6

Tea Tasting Saturday #15 - Kagoshima Sencha

Category: Japanese Green Tea

Purveyor: Harney & Sons

When purchased: March 2009

Dry leaf appearance: Spice! That's the first thing I thought of when I opened this week's tea. There were a few stalky things, but for the most part this looked like a finely ground dark green spice.

Wet leaf appearance: This Sencha quickly turned bright green when water was added. As with last week's variety, the fine bits of tea leaf had the look of having been chopped or put through a food processor.

Steeping temperature and time: 1 teaspoon of tea, 175 degrees, 1 minute

Scent: I didn't find anything particularly distinctive about the scent of this tea. Vegetal, like steamed asparagus, but I didn't detect any other "notes" like I usually do.

Color: A pale green. Surprised to find this didn't have that thick, brothy appearance like last week's Sencha.

Flavor: This tea was enjoyable from the first sip! I am so accustomed to having to adjust the steeping time that I was already telling myself, "It's not the tea's fault if YOU don't get it right the first time." But the 1 minute steeping time suited me just fine. This Sencha had such a smooth taste, after I drank the first cup I actually felt it had a finish I can only describe as "buttery" and with no astringency at all. Perfect!

Additional notes: Hmmm. Michael Harney describes this one as "a lemony Sencha with some of the rich, vegetal brothiness of a Gyokuro." I didn't find this one to be lemony and only slightly brothy tasting, but since I liked it so well I don't guess I'll worry about it!

Next week's tea: Bancha

Fond Easter Greetings

Now if you're a tea lover, you have simply got to love these hundred-year-old postcards of chicks hatching out of a teapot! It's the same image on all three, and my favorite is the first one. The postal stamp on back of the first postcard is blurry but I believe it says 1909. The second postcard's back is blank, and the third one's postmark is from 1910. If you have the time, you might enjoy double-clicking and reading the back of the first postcard, written by a Sunday School teacher named Emma to her pupil, Miss Edna Ames in South Windham, Maine. (And I can't quite make out that last name. Clardman? Or is it Emma C. Pendman? I did chop off a bit of the final "n" during scanning - sorry!) I have one more vintage image, an old trade card, I will actually be posting on Easter day. I couldn't imagine there would be any tea-related art appropriate for the day, but apparently there is!

An intriguing new tea tin

Recently I wrote about the "winged" teabags I found at the new Vitamin Shoppe in Newnan. What I also found on that initial visit was a very cool tin of Fancy Magnolia Blossoms Oolong Tea from the Chaa Tea company.


You take the lid off and it looks like this. But it turns out the lid is still attached to a container ...

... that opens to this.

Inside is this metal tea strainer which, very efficiently, I think, tucks back inside for storage.

The strainer is a tad small, though, and I had to finagle it a bit so it would perch inside my very average-sized teacup. The strainer or the handles need to be just a wee bit larger. And the tea? Delicious! It had a great floral scent reminiscent of jasmine tea, and it had almost a sweet finish to it, which made this a great dessert tea following some tasty turkeyburgers made by my sweetie!

A Peeps Easter Tea Party

This is Matilda Peep.
This is Emma Peep.

* * *

Setting: A sunny garden in west Georgia

The occasion: Sisters Matilda and Emma Peep are having tea

The reason: Easter preparations

* * *

Matilda: I love this tea, Emma. What kind did you say it was again?

Emma: It's called "Chocolate Easter Egg Rooibos."

Matilda: Yummo, as Rachael Ray would say. I just love that show. Say, have you got a new Easter dress this year?

Emma: Well certainly I have. You don't think I'd let March go by without finding my dress, do you? Pass the sugar bowl, please.

Matilda: Aren't you supposed to be on that low sugar diet? And yes, there was that one time you wore the same old pink dress two years in a row.

Emma: This, from a woman who's still carrying a black pocketbook in April. And are you saying this outfit makes my butt look big?

Matilda: You're the one who was giving up sugar for Lent, not me. And Emma Peep, you know full well I can't begin using my new white pocketbook until Sunday. That would be tacky.

Emma: Speaking of tacky, where did you get that new hat?

Matilda: Excuse me?

Emma: You have to admit, it looks rather like there was an explosion at the ruffle factory, sister dear!

Matilda: Said the woman who thinks it's OK to wear beads on a hat before noon. Honestly, if the pastor falls into the altar flowers on Sunday morning, it's probably because he got blinded by all the bling on that hat.

Emma: You're just jealous that I found such a fashionable hat on my trip to Paris last month.

Matilda: Am not!

Emma: Are too! (Furiously, she pushes her teacup toward her sister, who is serving today.) More tea, PLEASE.

(SILENCE. The women sip tea for a few minutes without saying a word.)

Matilda: I'm sorry I made fun of your new hat, Sis. I'm sure it will be just lovely on Easter morning.

Emma: That's all right, dear. I'm sorry I made fun of your ruffles.

Matilda: Let's just let bygones be bygones. Let's not speak of this unpleasantness ever again.

Emma: No, never again! Not a Peep!

THE END

"The Kitchen Linens Book" by EllynAnne Geisel

Textiles collector EllynAnne Geisel, author of "The Apron Book," has a wonderful new book out, "The Kitchen Linens Book," that was just a joy to read. I know many of us are fans of vintage linens, and I have to say this lovely book is everything I'd hoped it would be and more. (I'll tell you about the "and more" shortly.) The cover alone was a good indicator that I would like what's inside.

Geisel says a lot of her towels from the thirties and forties (like the ones in this great tea-themed spread) are towels she uses for drying dishes, with the towels made of linen or a linen and cotton blend. "Drying towels like this were once called 'tea towels,' not because they were used for tea, but because the mistress of the house used them to dry her fine bone china tea service," she says. You'll also find great tips like this one: "If you must use fabric softener on your bath towels, leave your kitchen towels out of that load. Linen fibers coated with softener will wind up leaving smears on your glassware." She also writes about enjoying afternoon tea and tells how to brew a proper pot, accompanied by a photo of a teapot I've never seen before, a yellow one with the word "BREW" and three cups embossed on it. Guess what I'll be looking for now?

With kitchen linens so often relegated to the junk heap in antique malls and thrift stores, it's gratifying to see Geisel giving these vintage treasures the respect they deserve. And if you finish this book itching for more kitchen linens of your own, never fear. Geisel concludes with a gift for her readers tucked right inside the back cover, a reproduction of a 1945 Butterick transfer pattern featuring teacups and teapots!

Tea-themed Easter eggs

If you're a reader of Martha Stewart Living magazine, or even if you just saw one while standing in the grocery store checkout line, you probably noticed the cover of the April 2009 issue with some lovely silhouette design Easter eggs. Inside are directions on making those eggs as well as others made with decorative paper napkins, so I spent part of a rainy afternoon yesterday making one of each, with results I didn't think were too bad for my first attempt.


The great thing about making these eggs was that I already had all the supplies I needed. In addition to some wooden eggs I've had forever (and you can use real eggs, blown out), I had paints, Mod Podge, embroidery scissors, a tea-themed punch and some pretty paper napkins.

Punching and painting was easy. The hardest part of making my blue and white egg was cutting out the individual motifs and then separating the top layer of the three-ply napkin. Once that was done, it was super easy to apply the decoupage medium and affix the napkin design to the egg. The punched teapots were a little harder, because the scrapbooking paper I used was thicker, so I had to use the Mod Podge both to affix it and to seal it. If you want to see how the pros do it, be sure to check out the latest issue of Martha!

Tea Tasting Saturday #14 - Kakegawa Ichiban Sencha

One of the earliest newspaper features I remember writing was about some local folks doing something called "ichibana" Japanese style flower arranging, so I should warn you right now that my fingers desperately want to type "ichibana" instead of "ichiban." Out of curiosity I googled the meaning of "ichiban," and it turns out it's Japanese for "number one" or "best." I also have to report that for the first time in my life, I was pondering which tea to have the other day and my mind did not immediately go to some fruity or chocolatey number but instead to the Taiping HouKui, a Chinese green from a few weeks back. I could not have *imagined* I would ever prefer a "pure" tea, and certainly not a green tea, to one of the flavored ones, but I did.

Name of tea: Kakegawa Ichiban Sencha

Category: Japanese Green Tea

Purveyor: Harney & Sons

When purchased: March 2009

Dry leaf appearance: There were a few very thin, dark green leaves like last week's Matsuda's Sencha, but I was surprised at the small particles that made this seem almost like a powdered tea!

Wet leaf appearance: As with last week's Sencha, this tea changed color and turned a much brighter green very quickly. Because of the small leaf size, it ended up looking sort of like pureed baby food.

Steeping temperature and time: 1 teaspoon of tea, 175 degrees, 2 minutes. And then 1 minute. And then 30 seconds. I'll explain ...

Scent: You know how I'm always writing "this tea had a nice vegetal scent"? Well, this tea had a nice "vegetable" scent. Not merely reminiscent of veggies, this one smelled exactly like a vegetable (think asparagus, spinach, something very green) only with a very fruity finish, like it had a nice heavy douse of lemon juice. Later, I was also reminded of the scent of the collard greens I cook with white grape juice for a New Year's dish I'm fond of making.

Color: An opaque yellow green. This looked almost the color and consistency of the broth in chicken noodle soup.

Flavor: This one was a challenge! Since the Harney book recommended 1-3 minutes for steeping, I decided to aim for the middle and go for a minute and a half. I got busy trying to get a photograph, however, and it ended up steeping for 2 minutes while I got my shot. No problem, right? Because the scent was one I really liked, I expected to love this tea from the get-go. I took a nice slurp and nearly choked! Good grief, was this stuff bitter! So, I tried again for exactly one minute. Not nearly as bitter, but not nearly as enjoyable as those other greens I've been trying. Humph. Like I'm gonna settle for that! Could it be possible this would work at just 30 seconds? Let's see ... and I am oh-so-happy to report that 30 seconds did the trick! I got a nice green taste, no bitterness, and a little astringency afterward, which is fine. Aesthetically, I have to say I've enjoyed watching those pretty leaves of the other teas unfurl through subsequent steepings. So while I'm not fond of the appearance of this one, taste-wise, once I (finally) got it right, I liked this tea just fine.

Additional notes: From the Harney book: "The hills surrounding Kakegawa are covered with tea plants, perfectly manicured rows of green. The area is so dominated by tea production that one hill has a tea bush topiary trimmed in the shape of the Japanese character for tea." Wouldn't you love to see that!

Next week's tea: Kagoshima Sencha

Happiness is some new tea fabric!

Maybe all crafters are this way, but my approach to crafts is seasonal. I work on afghans and anything requiring thick, heavy yarn in the cold weather months. When the weather turns warmer I turn to crocheting with thread instead of yarn, and in recent years, to making fabric yo-yos and small quilted or appliqued blocks. Searching online, I found three new tea-themed designs I just love at Hancock's of Paducah. This print is called Timeless Treasures Tea Pots Sage. Don't you love that it even has tea infusers and sugar cubes on it!

There are also some coordinating fabrics, including Timeless Treasures Tea Cups Hanging (which is bluer than my photo shows) ...

and Timeless Treasures Tea Types Writing. I haven't decided if these will be used for quilts or things like potholders, but I do know I'm now well-stocked for sewing this spring. Have you fellow crafters come across any new tea-themed fabrics lately? If so, please share!

Miscellaneous tea samplings

Although I write about my "formal" tea samplings each Saturday, I've actually tried a number of new teas lately I thought I'd quickly review. Some were teabags, some were RTD (ready to drink) teas, but all were interesting. First, this Vanilla Chai Tea from Bolthouse Farms was something I'd seen at the grocery store and been meaning to try. It was OK, but I learned I really prefer my chai hot. I did, however, make a mental note that this RTD vanilla chai might work as an ingredient in chai ice cream!

Thanks to pay-at-the-pump I almost never go in a convenience store any more unless I'm on vacation, but recently I stopped at a corner store and had to go inside. This Earl Grey Snapple they had was new to me (I have no idea how long it's been out), and it was quite tasty. I wasn't sure I'd like cold Earl Grey, but somehow this worked for me.

A tea friend recently shared some of her stash with me, and one of the teas I enjoyed most was this Premium Sencha Green Tea from Tea Co. After tasting so many loose leaf greens lately, I was pleased with the crisp, fresh taste of this silken teabag. May have to order some of this for the office.

This Golden Monkey tea from Adagio, in a nice, fat silk sachet, was just delicious. It kept me awake through the latest episode of "24" on Monday night, which is saying something. The tea was far more interesting than the show!

The friend had warned me, with a gleam in her eye, that this teabag from Japan would be "different." Since neither of us knows what this really says, I decided, in honor of its unique and distinctive flavor, to name it "Japanese Landfill Blend." (Don't think I'm being ugly here; she didn't care for it either!)

My recent orders from Harney & Sons have included free sample tea bags, and I enjoyed both the taste and the elegant packaging of the two I've tried lately: Organic Green Tea with Citrus and Gingko is my favorite ...

but the Harney & Sons Organic Green Tea with Mint was also quite good. It has the prettiest packaging and even matches the dining room walls!

Tea bloggers to purchase Spelling Manor!

Los Angeles (Not AP) — Los Angeles real estate agents today announced that despite the bad economy, Candy Spelling, widow of TV icon Aaron Spelling, has managed to sell her $150 million home, The Spelling Manor, in under a week—and to a surprise buyer, a group of American tea bloggers!

A tea blogger in Georgia, Angela McRae, said it was her idea to drum up financing for the group to purchase the 56,500-square-foot, French chateau-style property. “I’d always dreamed of opening a tea room,” said McRae, “and then it hit me: why not the country’s first tea ‘mansion’ as a little different twist on the idea?”

McRae said she immediately contacted a tea blogger friend up north, Steph, who was initially concerned about the massive price tag but soon got on board with the project. “Angela pointed out that if she gave up eBay for a month, we’d have the downpayment covered,” Steph said. “What really got me excited, though, was the idea of overseeing the organic garden for our tea mansion. We’re going to grow all our own produce and bake our own breads! And of course the waterfall, pool and spa didn’t hurt.”

Also on board with the project is a Charleston woman who goes by the name Tea Lover Denise, a Certified London Destination Specialist who has previously led tea tours to London. “Now I’m moving to California where I’ll lead tours of the tea mansion instead!” Denise said. “I’m going to offer five-, seven- and ten-day packages, depending on how many of the rooms a traveler wants to see.”

Two of the tea bloggers — ParTea Lady and Marilyn — are quilting aficionados, so they have agreed to head up the new “Make a Teapot Quilt in a Week” program at the tea mansion, which plans to offer retreats by early summer. Someone who goes by the name “Frivolitea” will expand the artistic offerings with classes in tea-themed jewelry making, beading and collage, while a woman with a blog titled “The Sewing Room” will add to the mansion’s needlework offerings by hosting knitting retreats where visitors learn to make teapot and cup cozies.

Marilyn, it turns out, is also a whiz at making tea-flavored jams and will be the sole supplier of jams and marmalades at the tea mansion, all under the exclusive Marmalady’s label. “It’s going to be a challenge to balance all that quilting and jam-making, but I’m going to give it my best shot!” she said. She will be aided in this enterprise by Teresa of Southern Touch Catering, who has agreed to serve as chef and head of food services at the tea mansion.

Tea blogger Bernideen, newly-named head of retail development at the tea mansion, was initially concerned about leaving her beloved tea shop in Colorado Springs, Colo., but it seems engineers have figured out a way to move the entire shop, intact, to California. Tentative plans call for it to be housed in the mansion’s humidity-controlled silver room. “I have lots of pretty silver pieces anyway, so this is really a perfect fit for me!” Bernideen said.

The group seems to have thought of everything. Linda, a young grandmother in Kentucky who has a blog called Friendship Tea, will be in charge of children’s programming at the tea mansion, and her entire extended family will be moving into one wing of the mansion. “I knew all those trips to Walt Disney World were going to come in handy one day!” Linda said. “In fact, I’ve already spoken with Steph about making sure the topiaries on the property include a giant teapot for the kids to enjoy. We’re also talking about refurbishing the pool and fountains with giant cup and saucer sprinklers, and I’m trying to find out if it’s practical to turn the tennis court into a teapot shape.”

While the new staff of the tea mansion isn't quite ready to accept employment applications just yet, McRae said interested parties may send their resumes to angela@newnan.com, with the subject heading “HAPPY APRIL FOOL’S DAY!!!”

(Photo courtesy of Atwater Village Newbie on Flickr)