Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea. ~Henry Fielding, “Love in Several Masques”

Dear Nymphaeas,

I want to gloat about my fine and fabulous deliciously alluring tea blend. Oh yes, It’s a fairy special conconction indeed. Early this spring, I will be growing beautiful blooms of tea plants and pursue this deliciously crafted brew that I’ve been keeping secret in my little faery knoll. And will be gifting you the pleasure of tasting the divinity yourselves. The magical and beautiful aurora of colors will make your veins pump glitter and grow out that unicorn you’ve always dreamt of!

A few secrets sprinkled within the special pinches and smidgens are red tea leaves, rose petals, dried grapes, cranberries, blueberries,  and thistle milk, too name a few. Red tea is known for being beneficial towards heart health, arthritis, digestive system, cholesteral, and tooth health, Yes! the tooth fairy won’t be spooking through your window at night no more my flutterbugs!!

Try and come up with your own fairy special tea concontion! The taste, ideas, and creativity are endless with possibilities!!

If you are stuck in an apartment and you really want to grow your own tea garden yourself than I suggest this little girly, she is a great start in your journey towards a fruitea fulfilled  life!

Last Sunday, I was given a Christmas hamper. In it was a bottle of Real Organic Iced Tea, Rapple flavour, which is apple, rooibos and hibiscus. It is a hand brewed tea using organic loose leaf.

I’ve never really been an iced tea drinker. I have often wondered what I am missing and decided it would be a great new experience for me.

The results were excellent. It had a lovely flavour. Refreshingly sweet, but not overpowering. The taste had a thickness to it and the apple flavour was rustic. It was simply lovely.

What new experiences have you had this week? To find out more about my challenge, click here.

Related articles

• Why Iced Tea is Killing Your Kidneys (belmarrahealth.com)
• Thai Iced Tea (321irony.wordpress.com)
• Rishi Tea Debuts Organic & Fair Trade CertifiedTM Tea Bags, Featuring the Latest Innovation in Specialty Tea (prweb.com)

And tomorrow is a rather special day, because on December 11th its our Birthday. We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of you for making The Gilded Teapot what it is – it’s all thanks to you, you wonderful tea and coffee lovers, that we can be here celebrating our birthday and looking forward to another year.

And so, to Christmas…

We’re open every day until 4pm on Christmas Eve, and for late night shopping on Thursday evenings until 8pm. You can also order all your winter warmers and Christmas tea and coffee gifts on our website – remember to order before December 20th for UK delivery.

And because its our birthday, between December 11th – 20th, for every order over £30 we’ll include a complimentary packet of Dorset Brew tea

Now let’s wrap up those presents, eat, drink, and be merry!

]]> http://2cor12910.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/tea-ology/ Sat, 08 Dec 2012 14:20:54 +0000 Kathryn Lewis http://2cor12910.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/tea-ology/ Anybody who knows me knows that I love tea.  I have an embarrassing amount of it in the house and at work, where I just make it all day.  And I really like loose leaf tea, which makes this somewhat of an expensive joy of mine…. but oh well.  There’s a small tea shop near me, which I’ve started to frequent more and more often the the big store Teavana because it’s sometimes a little more reasonably priced, you can get tea in one oz, not 2 oz only to try it, and they know my name.  I’m in there probably more than I should be.  Anyway, one thing they do is a Chinese tea ceremony.  The owner, Ting, grew up in China, and you can go and she will serve you 3 different kinds of tea and talk about what the tea ceremony is and the traditions around it, as well as the kinds of tea you are drinking.  I’ve done this twice, once with a pretty big group from our church, and another time with just 3 other people my age from my training program at work.

Why am I bothering about all this on my religion blog you may ask?  Well, one of things that’s done at the Chinese tea ceremony is to fill up one very small cup at a time, and then take small sips and swirl it around in your mouth to really let the smell and flavor sink in.  You savor every sip, and then you sit and talk, and then you savor some more sips.  You keep making tea as a group, re-steepting the same leaves several times; a Chinese tea time can take hours.  And it just hit me the other day that this is how we should approach our reading of scripture.  Call me crazy, but I think we need to slow down a whole lot.

Before I went to this ceremony, and let’s be honest, still a lot of times after, I would just glup down my tea, not savor it.  We crave instant satisfaction in today’s world.  We want Bible verses and passages that tell us what to do, that give us comfort, that teach us.  Let’s read the verse, say that’s great, and move on.  But I don’t think God wants us to do that.  The Bible isn’t easy.  Not everything makes sense, we can’t just pick out passages and use them as motivators.  We’ve got to sit, read slowly, and think, really think, about what that passage is saying to us.  I think we’ve got to savor the Word of God.  Regardless of if you think it’s the literal word of God or the way God is working though us, slow down, take small sips, and really savor what the Bible has to say.  Maybe this batch is over steeped, a little bitter.  The Bible doesn’t always have to make sense.  I think I’m starting to take this metaphor a little too far, but I would challenge you all and am challenging my self to approach the Bible like I approach my tea.

The free bags at my office are pretty poor quality, so a girl’s got to find options! Hee are my three favorite bagged teas:

Vanilla Bean – Mighty Leaf Tea Company

This black tea has a rich vanilla flavor. The silken tea pouches allow for enough room for the tea to expand, which I believe accounts for the full-bodied flavor. Many bagged teas taste stale but this one is perfect. I have found fewer vanilla teas that are as decadent. If you’ve ever searched for a vanilla-flavored tea, your search stops here.

Where to buy: You can buy tea pouches and loose leaf tea at their website. Their site provides an option to find where to buy their teas in stores, and it seems like they are available at specialty grocery stores and Super Targets.

Blueberry Green – The Republic of Tea

Green tea is not ideal for work because the water is usually boiling hot, but this tea is a perfect mid-afternoon pick-up. I have mentioned before that I love peach teas, and I have a similar fondness for blueberry. Green teas vary when it comes to subtlety. This tea has a strong blueberry flavor that isn’t too tart. Delicious for your 2:30 slump!

Where to buy: This tea can be found in specialty grocery stores and some variety book stores, and they sell it online in circular pouches and loose leaf.

Sleepytime – Celestial Seasonings

Ok, so I don’t drink this at work. This tea is a favorite when math and sheep aren’t cutting it. Celestial Seasonings teas are typically not my thing because the flavors are weak, but I enjoy the refreshing spearmint flavor. And it works! You feel much more relaxed after the cup is empty, and you’re ready to catch a whole net full of Z’s.

Don’t judge me.

Where to buy: Like every grocery store ever.

What are some of your favorite bagged teas?