Tea for Tuesday

It's funny how you never really move out of your parents' house. For years and years (14 in my case) boxes and bits flow and trickle into your house. So it was when Mom found one of my four childhood tea sets. I had three plastic ones - avocado green, white and ornate, blue and modern - and the real china one I am writing about today.

I think Mom secretly liked this one best because it is the only one I still have. It lived in her china cabinet, which is probably why it survived with the box and all the pieces. I don't know what happened to the plastic ones - perhaps like so many toys they went "missing" while at school.

Holding the pieces of this set makes me feel five years old again. Mom would sometimes fill the teapot with real tea but most of the time I used juice or water on my own. My parents were really not playful parents, so teatime was a solo endeavour for me plus or minus some stuffed animals.

Mom was curious to know if the tea set was worth anything, but a quick Google revealed, no. These sets by Summco are quite common and probably worth as much as what they sold for in 1981!

Tea for Tuesday

Every tea lover loves a little something something with their tea and I was challenged last year as my daily croissant habit started to add up. Even a pack from the grocery store didn't put much of a dent in the cost and don't forget how deliciously calorific a croissant can be.

I discovered the solution by accident when I had to run out and get a garlic bulb for dinner. I didn't want to go all the way to a supermarket for just one thing. An Indian import store opened up near us and since it was within walking distance, now was the time to check it out!

All good import stores will carry a taste of home and my eye was drawn to the colourful packages near the till. So many cookies, cakes and confections! On a whim I grabbed a green bag of rusk cakes and I was instantly in love. They don't turn to instant mush like vanilla biscuits and there was just a hint of sweetness. They look about as flavourful as a rice cake, but trust me - there's a pleasant mellow flavour that isn't sweet or salty. Rusks hold the tea's flavour and melt in the mouth! Any tea will do - but chai and black tea do very well. Now when I go to the import store I get two bags at a time.

Now, the funny thing is that you would think all rusks would be alike. Nope! I tried a few different brands and kept going back to the green package, made by TWI Foods here in Canada. There are subtle differences in flavour from brand to brand, but at least the cakes are so inexpensive that it's not a huge loss to try a bunch! My wallet and my waistline loves them.

Picture by moi! It took 18 shots to get the perfect one.

Tea for Tuesday

I was disappointed when the Tea Lovers community on G+ didn't recommend a Southern sweet tea recipe to me. I didn't need to worry, though, as all the recipes are pretty similar. Black tea, water, a little baking soda, and depending on your preference, a whole lot of sugar!

I will back up a bit as Southern sweet tea is a bit of a mystery to Canadians who haven't travelled to the Southern United States. My first trip ever to the US was to Kentucky. It was a hideously long journey that consisted of three flights and a thunderstorm. By the time my friend and I hit the hotel, it was pitch black and raining buckets. The hotel didn't have a restaurant, but fortunately the bright yellow sign of a Waffle House beckoned.

Hungry and tired, all we wanted was a good cup of hot tea and some toast. The waitress looked at us like we were from another planet when we ordered tea.

"Sweet tea?" she said.

"Just tea."

"Sweet tea?" she said.

"No, just regular tea."

"Sweet tea?" she said.

We were so confused. I didn't understand what the problem was. "No...just tea like with hot water and a tea bag?"

My friend was mortified, but I didn't know how else to explain what we wanted (oh Canadians, so polite :-)). In that grand moment of embarrassment we learned the difference between hot tea, iced tea and sweet tea. Canadians are used to drinking powedered mixes like Goodhost iced tea or Lipton Brisk. Sweet tea turned out to be a delicious treat, when we finally tried it later on in the trip.

So, for our latest potluck at work, I endeavoured to make sweet tea. No one really thinks to bring drinks to a party. It was ridiculously easy. I made it the night before at work since trying to carry one of those giant Tupperware pitchers would surely be a disaster. Everyone asked what I was doing and some people raised an eyebrow at the two cups of sugar. I claimed a spot in the fridge and felt proud of myself for being a smartypants.

The next day, however, anxiety set in. What if the concoction was too sweet? What if no one liked it? I gamely set it on the table with some plastic cups, and took a big glass for myself to get the ball rolling. I noticed that others were taking cups too. Whew! But this is the devil of anxiety - what if there were dozens of half empty cups left all around the meeting room? Again, I didn't have to worry. When I circled back later in the afternoon, the pitcher was empty. It was a hit, not a miss!

The 4 Quart Tupperware always seems like a foolish purchase until you really need it!

Tea for Tuesday

Oh, the German import store. A large, yet cozy shop where you can even find a little bit of the Netherlands nestled in a bay window. It's the place to be at Christmas, and anytime you want a big helping of red cabbage and schnitzel or an armful of real black licorice and Haribo gummies.

It's also the place to go when you want really unique kitchen gadgets, and as a Canadian, I couldn't resist this adorable moose tea infuser made by Koziol. I almost didn't see it - I saw an orange rabbit and a green frog first! Later I found that "Rudolf" was not a moose, but a reindeer, and comes in a herd of colours.

One of the disappointing things about being a tea lover is that there are only so many accessories that you can buy - which may be a good thing or a bad thing. Then I cheerfully realized that I needed a tea infuser for work!

Product testing began immediately. It fit most of my mugs (no hope for the ugly mug, however). Right away it was apparent that fine teas would not filter very well, so I tried some whole leaf teas, like Idle Tea's Cream of Earl Grey. The only problem with the strainer is that the water stops flowing through it once the leaves expand - but, no problem, just pour hot water into the cup instead at that point. These strainers are the perfect stocking stuffer - and I can't wait to go back to the import store when it's a Christmas wonderland!

Tea for Tuesday

David's Tea shops are popping up all over town - I think there are four or five now, including one not too far from where I work. It's so easy to get flavoured out with tea, and after going on a peppermint binge, I just wasn't finding inspiration in the cupboard. Orange? Licorice? Lemon? Boring. My yearning for a new taste sensation eventually filed itself away, and I actually walked by a David's Tea, only to backtrack moments later. Oh right!

I remembered a sample that I instantly had to have more of. The Oh Canada blend is a smooth red rooibos with maple syrup, toffee and caramel. It smells a-m-a-z-i-n-g, plus I love the sugar maple leaves that add a bit of colour. I bet it would make a great latte.

Now here's some bonus Canadiana - the featured saucer is one of several pieces that Mom gave me a few years ago, from one china cabinet to another. The saucer is made in Japan and branded with Woodward's on the back. Woodward's was a great Western Canadian department store that is proof that good things don't last forever. After 100 years in operation, the chain was sold in 1993. It's just a bit of nostalgia that makes it precious - and just watch me dash across the kitchen every time my husband tries to put in the dishwasher!

Tea for Tuesday

I don't know if it's the weather, but I have been so lacking in energy lately. Living in a Northern country, one does get a lack of Vitamin D. But I'm not also getting the quiet time I need to recharge as an introvert, and I broke open one of these babies!

Specifically, the tea pot one. I had bought a puzzle back at the beginning of December featuring balls of yarn. I'm not a big puzzle person, but for some reason, I really enjoyed putting together that first puzzle. Let me remind you that 1000 pieces is a lot of pieces though, especially when they are all black, red, purple, green and blue!. The teapots and teacups should be more straightforward.

I went back to the store during their Boxing Day sale and just couldn't decide which one to buy, so I bought both! By the time spring comes around, I should have both of them done :-)

Tea for Tuesday

So when I went back to school, I took a class on material culture without really knowing what it was about - I just needed to fill three credits somewhere. In a nutshell, it's the relationships between people and objects. There's some objects that are universal...such as cups, and I added yet another one to my collection. I had no willpower when it came to purchasing a Keep Cup from the indie coffee kiosk at the farmers market. I had been wanting one for some time, but the colours were just horrible, mostly grey, peach, blue and green. Nothing bright and vibrant that shouted to the world "This is Jill's cup, hands off!" (see, material culture, right there!).

As it happened, the coffee kiosk had just gotten a new shipment of cups and I went nuts digging through a box that the supplier left. "He said that all these colours sold well in Australia, but Australians have terrible taste, because none of these are selling," the clerk said as she helped me.

I nodded as I mixed and matched the cups and lids. I loved a dark purple and green combo, but realized it looked a little too much like it belonged to kid. Ahem! Navy blue definitely had a more grown up flair. And speaking of kids, the Keep Cup was inspired by the sippy cup the inventor gave to her daughter. You can be forgiven for thinking that it does indeed look like an adult sippy cup.

The best part is the well designed lid and the plug for the sippy hole. Many a reusable mug has left me splashed and disappointed. It's not rocket science - maybe it's just that most cups are not designed and tested by actual coffee lovers. Oh, and if drinking out of a plastic cup leaves you aghast, your drink will not taste like plastic in this cup at all either.

Tea for Tuesday

Yup, definitely a snow day today! And what better way to spend a snow day than with 24 ounces of hot tea. I bought this fabulous mug last week from David's Tea while waiting out the weather at a mall near Mr. Potenti's workplace. It's far more fun to hang around the mall for a couple of hours than being crammed on a bus.

Love love love the pattern and colour - it will look great any time of year. Let me tell you too, 24 ounces of tea is a lot - you could eat cereal out of this thing :-D

Tea for Tuesday

It's so strange - for the past ten years or so a big fall cold strikes me down. Cools my jets! Relegates me to the couch to watch daytime TV! It happens so predictably that there's no avoiding it. But, I'll settle for this little fall cold. Besides the modern miracle that is Nyquil, I'm thankful for Cold 911 made by the good people at David's Tea. It's not just peppermint tea, it's peppermint tea with juniper berries, eucalyptus and orange peels. It is so delicious and satisfying. Time to make another pot!

Tea for Tuesday

Much like the several farmer's markets around town, we are total suckers for import stores. We always end up spending too much, but it always seems like money well spent for the pleasures they bring. Whether it's the big Asian supermarket or the quaint German store with schnitzel to die for, we can't resist. A couple of weeks ago we paid our first visit to a long running Italian store called Lina's, which has a cozy cafeteria. It was hopping and all the tables were covered in crumbs from crusty buns. We had homemade lasagna and Oraginas, and after that, a giant focaccia, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and jam found their way into the cart.Then I found heaven- the smart people at Lina's stocked the tea and biscuits next to each other!

Tea time isn't complete without a little something something. Most mass made cookies are pretty pathetic these days. Peek Freans haven't tasted good since Kraft took over and cheapened them. But these Trancetto cakes I found at Lina's were lovely, just perfect and not overly sweet. Clipper's Earl Grey tea by Clipper is a bit too citrus for my taste, but still pleasant. I just add a bit of Yorkshire Gold to give it more body.

These new treats required the most special tea cup in my collection. It was part of a set that was a gift to my granny from her first husband - apparently he walked miles to get it for her. The set has blue, green and yellow siblings; all four now belong to a granddaughter. It's so dainty and probably stronger than it looks, but I still have to be careful that it doesn't end up in the dishwasher by accident!

Tea for Tuesday

Do you like things that are cold, delicious and quick to make? Do you think that you'll have to pick two? As I discovered on the Tea Lovers G+ community, you can have all three with this lovely chai drink from Willow Arlen. It didn't take much detective work to track Willow down, and she kindly gave me permission to use her photo.

I made my ice cubes with Teavana's Samurai Chai Mate, which has a nice cinnamon kick to it. August has been horribly hot, especially as our house is so good at trapping heat. Despite this, my ice cubes didn't melt as fast as one would have thought, and I finally got the full effect on the second glass of milk. Thank you Willow for sharing your idea!

Tea for Tuesday

The best thing about working downtown in summer are all the free samples. Well, maybe not for the poor university students hauling giant bags of potato chips, dispensing coffee from giant backpacks, or, as I saw today, dressed in zentai suits to promote a radio station. Somehow a group of people in a human rainbow reminded me that I had samples of Four O'Clock tea from back in May. Silly brain!

It's always four o'clock somewhere!

Even though it was 32 C in our house tonight, it's never too hot for tea. I ripped open the licorice spice and the scent of it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I boiled some water and hoped it would be just as delicious. Licorice tea has always been somewhat of a turnoff. The Ten Ren brand from the Asian supermarket has very little body, and Stash's version has an odd, glue like taste (although, trust me, I don't know what glue tastes like). If the Stash brand sits too long, it develops a sharp, nasty taste.

Four O'Clock did not disappoint. Apparently all the ingredients are fair trade and organic, and maybe this is why it was so rich and tasty. So smooth, not bitter at all, and it really was a rare treat for the taste to match the fragrance. Four O'Clock only seems to be sold in health food stores, so I'll need to make a special trip to find some. I'm sure the rooibos chai will be just as flavourful and fantastic.

Tea For Tuesday

I suppose I should have saved this for Wordless Wednesday, but my inner punster can't be denied. I have a secret, and now it's out - I like to collect tea cups, such as this dainty Turkish tea glass. The secret, when collecting anything, is to not let others know you collect it. Otherwise you end up with loads of things be they tea cups, salt and pepper shakers, or everything and anything that has been stamped with a wolf or horse on it. Trust me on that last one.