Murchie's Vanilla Black Tea

This past Saturday I treated myself to 2 ounces of Murchie's Vanilla Black tea. I love a creamy black tea and part of what I find makes a creamy tea best is the flavor of vanilla. I do not add cream or sugar to my tea and prefer to enjoy it on it's own. I was very pleased with this full and well rounded Ceylon tea. This tea did not feel like a dessert tea as some vanilla teas do this tea was like a warm hug in a cup! Paired great with my strawberry rhubarb pie as well!

I am thrilled to have found a tea I can add to my list of favorites and one that I can find locally too! Murchie's is a tea company I have come to trust over the years and I love to go into the store. If you can not make it in store you can find Murchie's on line by clicking here. 

I would love to have you over for a cup of tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com

Afternoon Tea At The Secret Garden Tea Room

Karen here. Yesterday my friend Daniela took me for high tea at The Secret Garden Tea Room in Vancouver, B.C's,  Kerrisdale neighborhood. I have never been to this tea room and it was a complete treat.
We had the most delicious savories and sweets as well as two types of tea.

I loved my Paragon Tea Cup, it was a lovely shade of blue and my friend's cup was a Royal Albert that is a favorite.

Both teas we chose were black teas, their Avalon blend was a very floral black tea with rose, bergmot and vanilla. The other was a peach black tea that was very good.

The sandwiches we enjoyed were a croissant with tuna, avocado and black olive tapenade, very different flavors but the sandwich we enjoyed the most. The small bite sized chicken and pea sandwiches on baking powder biscuts were also very good. In the middle of the sandwich plate was fancy rolled grainy dijion mustard egg sandwich.
Layer two had scones with clotted cream and jam along with the most moist chocolate zucchini bread with a hint of espresso, this was a lovely course! Our top tear held a lemon tart, a cream brule and a chocolate pumpkin pie. I was very impressed with this tea room. My friend who had been to The Secret Garden before said that the previous tea room had been located a few blocks away but it was much smaller and more cozy. This tea room has very high ceilings and was very loud, it was also very busy.  I would say that this high tea has a particularly great menu and is priced very competitively to other tea rooms in Vancouver. While it is not a cozy spot, it was a delightful place to spend time with a wonderful friend. If you are ever in Vancouver BC, I hope you will consider trying this or one of our other fine tearooms.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Walkers Shortbread Cookies My Favorite Tea Time Treat!

Karen here and this week the young royal family came to visit the West Coast of Canada where I live. The Royal's arrived here in Vancouver on Sunday and were only about 15 minutes from my home. Such a treat to have them visit, I am a very large fan of the Royal Family and in honor of their visit I am going to talk about some of my favorite tea time cookies.

On my table this week thanks to a friend of my mother in law, were the Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread cookies embossed with the Union Jack. These are my most favorite tea time cookie!

Call them a shortbread, biscuit or sable it really doesn't matter but the all butter shortbread Walkers cookies truly enhance the flavor of my Earl Gray Tea's. Don't believe me? I challenge everyone of you to try! These are the best cookies for dunking in your tea, they don't fall apart and the butter cookies dipped in tea take on the most wonderful black tea and floral notes.  You can find Walkers Shortbread Cookies almost everywhere here in Canada but I swear the ones that are brought back to me directly from England always taste better!
You can order on line directly from Walkers and learn more about their delightful cookies by clicking here.
You can also order them on Amazon by clicking here.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

For Tea's Sake Teas

Karen here and this weekend I was in my local Halmark Card Store and found a display of loose leaf teas called For Teas Sake. This line of loose leaf teas was priced around $10 Canadian and had quite a large selection. I was very pleased when I was given a sample to take home and try from their line. I chose the Classic Black Shades of Earl Grey.

I was very excited to not only see the teas with their eye catching tins but to smell the testers as well.

I loved the names and two of my favorites were the afternoon escape which was a black tea with hints of black berrry. The let's get cozy tea is also on my list! This black tea contains cinnamon, orange, lemon balm, lime leaves, star anise and cardamom.

Getting back to the Shades of Earl Grey Black tea I sampled, this was a very clean tasting and not a citrus flavored Earl Grey. It was a full flavored black tea with out a strong bergmot after taste. I think this tea is priced competitively and I like that I can find it locally at my Halmark Store, you can also find it on line by clicking here.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com

Thay Tea A Beautiful Tea Lovers Oaisis In Ucluete BC, Canada

This past weekend I found myself several hours and miles from home on Vancouver Island and staying in a tiny oasis on the West Coast of Canada called Ucluelet (You-Q-Let) or Ukee (You-Key) to the locals. We went for an amazing family surfing weekend in near by Tofino, put on by SUPA (Surfs Up  For Autism) and Rip Curl   we had a blast. While we were staying in and exploring Ucluelet I came across a wonderful tea shop called Thay Tea. 

This small but impressive tea shop carries pure, organic and ethically sourced loose leaf teas as well as tea wares and hosts a small tea bar area. As black tea and creamy Earl Grey Teas are amoung my current teas of choice I brought home 50 grams of their  Organic Double Cream Earl Grey. This tea has a very smooth and has a subtle bergamot flavor. It is a full, rich creamy vanilla black tea that I truly have enjoyed.  I drink my tea black and this tea has a lovely balance and perfect for afternoon tea.

While visiting the store I asked about ordering and was pleased to know they have a wonderful website and that they even split the shipping costs on their tea for their customers. So even if you can not get to the Vancouver Island Oasis known as Ukee, you can bring some of Ukee home for your afternoon teas. Learn more about Thay Tea by clicking here to visit their website.
If you happen to find yourself on Vancouver Island or are planing a trip to visit Tofino or Ucluete make sure you stop at Thay Tea. 

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Afternoon Pick Me Up With Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey

September is a week old and the rain has returned here to the wet west coast making for perfect tea and reading weather for me. My neighbor and her son stopped over and brought me tea on September 2nd and today I am sharing my review of Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey Tea.

This fairtrade tea is new to me and it was such a delight to dive into!
The packaging and the name of this tea do it justice. First few sips I was impressed with the clean and almost velvety taste of Earl Grey. It is delicate and only a hint of equally balanced flavors of the Dunsandle and Darjelling black teas.

Cup after cup of this delicious tea was a delight and the perfect lift in my afternoon spirits. Learn more about the Pukka Brand and their Gorgeous Earl Grey by clicking here. I will be tucking a few bags of this tea in to my tea wallet and taking them with me where ever I go, that way I am never with out a truly perfect tea.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Life By The Cup, A Book Review

Karen here and my friend Lisa sent me Zhena Muzyka's Insperational book Life By The Cup. Zhena is the founder of the Zhena's Gypsy Tea line.  This book is part memoir, part inspirational and motivational self-help book. I was beyond thrilled with the book. The messages and the struggles that Zhena received and went through made this book a truly fascinating read.  As a tea lover, woman and mother this book truly spoke to me. It was the type of book you could pick up and read a chapter at a time or one you could truly dive into and read cover to cover. I believe that this book should be on every tea lover's shelf and is a great guide to life.

"[Zhena] Muzyka's charisma leaps off the pages of this unconventional, touching, and personal guide to success" ("Publishers Weekly"), featuring seventeen soulful lessons and simple rituals for finding your life's purpose, improving your relationships, and becoming healthier--all in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Drawing on lessons she's learned throughout her amazing and sometimes difficult life journey, the social entrepreneur and founder of Zhena's Gypsy Tea shares seventeen soulful lessons to help you overcome obstacles, clarify your purpose, and bring awareness to each moment of your life. An inspiring roadmap for discovering the secrets of happiness and success for yourself at any stage in life, "Life By the Cup"'s message is that, no matter where you are, you can change your circumstances and live your dreams. As a twenty-four-year-old single mom, Zhena had an infant in need of life-saving surgery and only six dollars in her wallet. She also had two other powerful motivators: hope and a passion to share her unique tea blends with the world. Combining her kitchen hobby of blending tea, her knowledge of herbs and aromatherapy, and her gypsy grandmother's wisdom, Zhena started selling custom teas from a cart on California street corners. Now, over a decade later, her son is healthy and Zhena's Gypsy Tea is a multimillion-dollar brand. Zhena's insights and gentle guidance will inspire you to increase your compassion toward others as well as yourself. You'll also gain wisdom on how to hone your intuition, ask for help, and live out your true purpose without drastically changing the way you live. Discover your calling, bolster your courage, develop your own flavor of success, and you'll see your own passion make a meaningful difference in the world.

Last fall I went to camp with one of my sons and the camp mess hall offered guests this wonderful line of teas. I was thrilled to be able to find it here in Canada at Whole Foods, and when I was traveling in the USA I found it at World Market. You can also find it on line by clicking here. My favorite was the Raspberry Earl and one I highly recommend. These are organic and ethically sourced teas. You can learn more about these teas by visiting Zhena's website by clicking here.
If you are in Canada you can order a copy of her book Life By The Cup with free shipping from The Book Depository by clicking here
In the USA you can order it on Amazon by clicking here. 

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

A Visit To The Stash Tea Store In Oregon

Karen here. This passed week I have been in the state of Oregon. My husband and I took a week away and indulged in the many amazing and wonderful book stores, record stores and tea offerings in and around the Portland Area. I was thrilled to be able to stop at the Stash Tea retail store and pick up some teas I can not get at home.

Stash has two stores in Oregon, we stopped at the store on Durham, it was on the smaller side of what I expected having been at the Celestial Seasonings Store last year, but this store has so much to offer. I tasted three of the teas they were offering that day and filled my basket with some delightful new to me flavors I can not wait to try when I get home. Some I bought loose leaf while others I bought in the pre packaged sachets.

I am anxious to try each of these teas and share the review with you. I am on a lavender kick right now and found that each of the three boxed teas have lavender in them and I have already had a few bags of each. I feel that the Breakfast in Paris tea is my favorite so far. A very calming yet strong black tea is perfect for morning tea and reads!

The staff at the Stash tea store were helpful and very knowledgeable it was a delight to be in the store in person and you can order on line in loose leaf or boxed teas at very reasonable prices. Click here to learn more about Stash Tea's on line Store and the store fronts here in Oregon. 
If you find yourself in Oregon, this is a store you will want to go out of your way to visit!

I would love to have you join me for tea daily over at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

A December Release You Wont Want To Miss! Healing Herbal Teas by Sarah Farr

Karen here and I was so excited to get an advanced reading copy of Healing Herbal Teas from Sarah Farr. This book is out this December 27th an a book I can not wait to hit the market!

This book is the perfect blend of text book, cook book and visual delight. I have already ordered a copy to hold in my hand. From the preview I have seen of this book it is going to be a vital part of my tea time journeys. I have for a long time now wanted to learn the art of blending herbal teas and this book is exactly what I have been waiting for. 101 recipes to keep me busy for all of 2017!

There are more then 270 pages of blends and information you will find invaluable. I know that the Peace tea blend and the Sleep Tea blend are recipes I will try for sure. There are tea recipes for each season and inspiring blends to create for just about every occasion. There is also a great section with tips on how to plan, plant and grow your own tea ingredients!  I am very excited to receive this book order in late December early January of 2017. I have ordered mine from The Book Depository because they have free worldwide shipping.

Freshly blended herbal teas offer more healing power than do pre-packaged tea bags. In Healing Herbal Teas, master herbalist and author Sarah Farr serves up 101 original recipes that not only offer health advantages but also taste great. Formulations to benefit each body system and promote well-being include Daily Adrenal Support, Inflammation Reduction, and Digestive Tonic. Additional recipes that address seasonal needs such as allergy relief or immune support will attune you to the cycles of nature, while instruction on the art of tea blending will teach you how to develop your own signature mixtures to give your body exactly what it needs. This book is an enchanting and delectable guide to blending and brewing power-packed herbal teas at home.

To pre order your own copy of Healing Herbal Teas by Sarah Farr from The Book Depository please click here.
To pre order your own copy from Amazon please click here.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Davids Cotton Candy Tea & A Sweet Silicone Tea Infuser!

Karen here and today I am sharing a fun flavored rooibos tea called Cotton Candy from Davids Tea and a lolly-pop tea infuser I found and bought on Ebay. Together these make a very sweet summer treat!

These little infusers are very inexpensive and would make a wonderful shower or tea party favor! Click here to view the ebay listing for these inexpensive  I paid just under $1 for mine.

The top of the lolly pop easily removes for you to put your 1 tsp of loose leaf tea in, then top with the stick and it is ready to steep in the cup or mug of your choice.

I discovered Cotton Candy tea last summer at Davids Tea. This is really a tisane made up of Rooibos, sprinkles  of cotton candy and hazelnuts.

It is lovely hot but even better cool and very sweet. It is the most favorite tea of a few of my nieces from our tea parties last summer. 

A wonderful treat for an adult and a great tea to serve at a children's tea party!
This is one of Davids Teas summer teas so if you think you might want to try it I would recommend ordering it sooner rather then later to avoid missing out!
Click here for the Davids Tea Website.

Thank you for joining me today, I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

A Visit To Murchie's Tea New Store Front, Classic Canadian Tea Company Since 1894

Karen here and the new Murchie's tea store recently opened in the mall near my home. I have been a customer of Murchie's for years. While I am not a coffee drinker, if I was to start to drink coffee it would be Murchie's. Theirs smells heavenly and is a blend we often by for special occasions and Christmas it is a must. I do however often drink their tea. Murchie's Tea has been in business in Canada since 1894. Their blends are known world wide. The Murchie's afternoon blend is a favorite of mine and used to be the tea of choice at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, it was called Empress Afternoon Blend, that was however before it changed ownership.  I popped in to see the new store and refill some of my favorite blends.

As I write this post I am enjoying the Lavender Black Tea Blend. This is a calming blend of black tea lavender and a hint of bergamot. Truly delightful and pairs nicely with sables, of which I just ate two.

This tea is perfectly balanced despite not having a lot of lavender blooms, it is very well rounded and a lovely afternoon tea.

 While in store I tried the Sugar Maple tea iced. It was really different, it had all the flavors of a black iced tea with a hint of maple sugar, almost as if I was sipping tea and indulging in Maple Fudge. I am kicking myself for not picking some up now that I am home. Next trip in this one I need to grab for sure!

Murchie's caters to every taste. I am so thrilled with the options for both loose leaf and their bagged and boxed teas. These make shipping so much easier and sampling very fun. I picked up a box of Golden Jubilee teas as well, it is such a nice blend of Darjeeling, Keemun and Ceylon tea that was originally blended for her silver Jubilee in 1977!  There was so many to choose from and I love going into this store.

If you find your way here to the West Coast of Canada I encourage you to step into one of the Murchie's Stores on your trip. If you are an armchair traveler I invite you to shop on line at www.murchies.com

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com