Summer? Yes, please.

I live in the northeast US. We see snow. Lots of snow. We are legendary for snow. So when warm weather finally arrives, we make the most of it.

As much as I love hot tea of all kinds, I’m not exactly enthusiastic about a steaming cup of Constant Comment on a 90-degree day. Call me picky; I don’t mind.

Fortunately, there is a lovely concoction called sun tea. 

Plain tea will always be my favorite. Look at that deep, rich color. Nothing beats the tinkling of ice cubes in a tall glass as tea is poured over them. Add a sprig of mint or a lemon slice and you have heaven. Okay, half of heaven. For the other half, I recommend cookies. Or pie. Or Ice cream. 

Ice cream and summer. Mmm.

Where was I? *looks up at masthead* Oh, yes. Tea.

Now sometimes I want a drink with more substance than regular iced tea. Hello, blender! Because I’m all about the cooking, here are a few of my go-to tea smoothies.

First, brew a cup of tea the night before: black, green, peppermint, whatever you like, and let it cool in the fridge.

When you’re ready to kick back on the porch or deck or lawn, assemble your ingredients. I use vanilla ice cream because I don’t touch yogurt no way no how. But if you’re a yogurt fan, substitute it for the ice cream below and add a few ice cubes for heft.  

Morning tea smoothie:

Black tea

Vanilla ice cream

Peach or banana

A dash of ginger

1/3 cup milk

Sugar to taste

Anytime tea smoothie:

Green or black tea

Vanilla ice cream

Strawberries, raspberries, a peach, a mango, a plum—use blueberries for the healthiest choice!

1/3 cup milk

Sugar to taste

The Marriage of Tea and Orange Julius for the Sophisticated Palate:

Constant Comment tea

Vanilla ice cream

Orange sherbet

1/3 cup milk

Sugar to taste

Mojito tea smoothie for hot summer nights:

White tea

Vanilla ice cream

Fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp lime juice plus a bit of grated peel

1/2 oz of rum (or to taste)

Bonus tea anecdote: People often ask me how much my ex-nun sleuth is like me, her creator. I can tell you one way she is definitely not like me: Now that she’s pregnant and her coffee intake is limited, she’s trying herbal tea as a substitute. She hates every flavor she’s tried. I don’t understand that woman.

Revisiting a previously reviewed tea...

So yours truly, the Red Rose addict, looked in her tea canister the other day and realized she had fewer than thirty tea bags left.  Usually there is at least one more box of the highly favored plain old tea in the pantry.  OH MY GOODNESS!  NO RED ROSE!  As pay day is June 17, the panic of how many tea bags did that leave per day began to set in.  Rather than become any more agitated, the Red Rose addict decided a slow withdrawal may be better - try another tea this time.

She knew that caffeine was needed and quickly glanced at labels...peppermint,no...herbal, no...caffeine, YES.  The tea was:

In her need for caffeine state of mind, she had no memory of whether or not she liked this tea; although remembered reviewing it along with other chocolate teas.  Water boiled, tea steeped five minutes, skim milk splashed in automatically as done with the highly favored Red Rose, and carried into the living room to be enjoyed with a good book.  "Wow!" She said to herself. "This is good.  What kind was this again?  There is a chocolate taste.  The other spices are lovely.  And the aroma is to die for."  Yes, she decided this could do in a pinch.  She would not want to drink this with a meal, but when only drinking a cup of tea, this one is quite nice.

Imagine my surprise when I looked back today at my chocolate tea reviews and discovered this was my favorite.  I can honestly say I had not indulged (pun intended) in this tea since the review was written.  I had no idea what I would think of that cup of desperation.  I was quite pleased to agree with my earlier review: this tea wonderful.

And having consumed 12 ounces of it, made in my favorite mug (see May 30) while writing this entry, I am going to hit save/publish and put the kettle on for another mug of Numi Organic Indulgent Tea - Chocolate Spice.

PS - I have enough Red Rose left to enjoy at least five mugs per day until payday.  Now where is that $1.00 off coupon when purchasing two boxes...

Tea Talk: An Interview with Lynn Cahoon

I'm pleased to welcome author Lynn Cahoon to the blog today. Her latest Tourist Trap Mystery is entitled Tea Cups and Carnage.

Kathy: Tea Cups and Carnage was released June 7th. What made you decide on a tea focus for this book?

Karen Owen, blogger at A Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery, and I started chatting after she started reading my books. She told me I so needed a tea shop in South Cove. Now, Jill, my main character, didn't like the idea of competition, so we adjusted Kathi's plan for Tea Hee during the writing stages.


Kathy: I love the name of the new specialty shop in South Cove. Is Tea Hee based on a real shop, or is it purely fictional?

There is a Tea Hee shop in the UK, (I just googled it) but Kathi's shop in the book is totally fictional. I love the play on humor. I was leaning toward something around the Mad Hatter's tea party since with all the tables and different sets in the shop. I love referencing my favorite fairy tales in the series. You'll see Cinderella in a few too.


Kathy: How does tea play a part in your writing?

I have to admit, I'm a big iced tea drinker in the summer. Winter, I love having a cup of tea sitting by me at night while I'm crafting a story.


Kathy: I'm partial to unsweetened iced tea and lapsang souchong. What about you? How do you like your tea?

Me too. At least the first one. I ordered an iced tea in NC last summer and about spit it out all over my son's car when I took a big drink. It was sweet tea. I learned to be more specific that week. LOL


Kathy: Do you have a favorite type of tea? Any you don't particularly care for?

My favorite hot tea is either an apple cinnamon blend or oolong. I always order tea when we're eating Asian. It's just part of the experience. And I think that's the point, tea probably more than coffee is the experience. When it's raining and cold outside, a cup of tea will warm you and your soul. Enjoying a cup of tea is different than just drinking a soda or a glass of water. It feeds a different part of your being.


Kathy: In addition to drinking tea many people collect tea cups, tea pots, and other tea things. Do you collect any tea accouterments?

I don't. I'm trying really hard not to be a collector. I did find some miniature tea sets a few years ago during one of my trips. I wish I still had them.


Kathy: Do you consider yourself a tea connoisseur, a tea neophyte, or simply a person who enjoys tea?

I'm a simple girl. I just like tea. I drink beer when I'm out, I like cotton rather than satin and lace, and I like a good cup of tea.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite tearoom, or place to enjoy tea?

I never heard of tea rooms before I moved to the St. Louis area. I have one in my new home town that I've been looking for an excuse to spend some time at. Tea Cups release just may be that excuse. :)


Kathy: What does tea mean to you?

I think I hit on this earlier. It's a different expression of life. Food is a big theme in my books, some would say too big of theme, but they are usually men and don't get it. Tea is like a good soup. It doesn't just hydrate your body, it feeds your soul. In today's fast paced world, we don't have a lot of experiences that we take time to enjoy. I'm always rushing here or there. But give me a cup of tea and my body and mind relaxes, at least for that few minutes. It's the warmth, and the smell, and the taste, they all work together to focus you.

And we all need a little time for tea.

Here are links - Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Cups-Carnage-Tourist-Trap-Mystery-ebook/dp/B015BCRWQG/

Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tea-cups-and-carnage-lynn-cahoon/1122650759?ean=9781601836311

Goodreads -http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor

website - http://lynncahoon.com/

Amazon author page - http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Wedding Shower (or Baby Shower) Umbrella Themed Silicone Tea Strainers

Karen here, it is wedding season and with that comes my favorite pre wedding activity the wedding shower. Today I am sharing these fun tea favors that would make excellent take home gifts for your guests at your wedding tea shower. I recently purchased a dozen of these little silicone umbrellas from Ebay and they are so easy to use and whimsical, they are just plain fun!

These are really easy to use and I love that the little hook handles actually hook on the side of your mug, tea pot or tea cup.

The round disk comes out of the umbrella for you to place your tea leaves and they are super easy to empty and clean. I think little umbrellas which were under $1.50 each, paired with a loose leaf blend of your choosing would make an excellent take home gift!  To find these for yourself on Ebay click here. 

Looking to get into the Wedding season spirit? Check out Alice Loweecey's book Changing Habits, you will be so glad you did! A lovely cozy mystery short story you can find from Amazon by clicking here.

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

"There is nothing new to say about tea."

So I was having a difficult time deciding what to write about this week.  I decided to Google, "There is nothing new to say about tea" and refute what I found.  To my surprise, Google found nothing.  Perhaps I have coined a phrase?  It is quite exciting to discover you may have said something that has never been said before.  For now, I am claiming it as mine:

"There is nothing new to say about tea."

Kate Stiffler

Having found no reference to this phrase through Google, I must accept that it is not true.  There is something new to say about tea.  Unfortunately, It is not rumbling through my brain today.  But I do have a few thoughts on tea that I will share.  The statements are undocumented opinion.

• Ten different people may say they enjoy the same brand and type of tea, but each person will have a different description/explanation of why.
• People who have no preference of tea or coffee are a minority.
• No caffeine or low caffeine teas are more satisfying than decaffeinated coffee.
• Flavored teas are more enjoyable than flavored coffee.

When I listen to or read what others say about tea, the explanations for liking or not liking a particular tea, while finding the right words, appears to be a challenge.  Some people have a more discerning sense of taste and are able to single out flavors or spices.  Others settle for less description.

I am equally happy with tea or coffee, but I tend to drink tea at home.  In my experience there are few people who feel this way.  Most adults have a clear preference for one over the other, and many of my friends prefer a caffeinated soda when they need caffeine.

There are so many herbal teas, which are not really tea but called tea as a simplification.  These teas are naturally caffeine free.  Coffee must be processed to remove the caffeine and still has trace amounts of caffeine.  When I drink coffee, I am drinking it because I want the buzz.  I do not enjoy drinking decaf coffee.

I prefer unflavored coffee.  Fruit flavored coffee?  No.  I do enjoy some flavors such as chocolate, caramel, or pumpkin when they are created by adding syrup to the coffee.  However, I find the preflavored coffee beans to have an artificial aftertaste that I do not notice with flavored teas.

And those are my personal beliefs; I wish I had some research to back up these opinions.

Here's to another week of happy tea drinking.

Tea Talk : An interview and Giveaway with Krista Davis

I'm delighted to welcome author Krista Davis to the blog today. Krista's newest book in her Domestic Diva series in entitled The Diva Serves High Tea. How perfect that we talk tea today, the book will be released Tuesday, June 7th.

Kathy: As followers of this blog know, I generally drink unsweetened iced tea or hot tea made gong fu style. What about you? How do you like your tea?

KD: I like unsweetened iced tea on hot days. However, my go-to tea is hot black tea with sugar and two percent milk.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite type of tea? Any you don't particularly care for?

KD: I wish I could find a green tea that I like. The last one was so awful that I gave it away to someone who likes green tea. I just can’t make friends with it. My favorite tea is Newman’s Own Organic Black Tea.

If any readers have a green tea to recommend, please leave a comment with the name and brand!

Years and years ago, one of my dear friends vacationed in England and brought me a tea by Twinings that is called Cutty Sark in honor of the British clipper ship. It was fantastic. I loved that tea and told her so. Over the years, both of us had hunted for it, but it just wasn’t available anywhere. Last Christmas, she was brimming with happiness when she handed me my Christmas gift. She remembered how much I had loved the Cutty Sark tea, and she found it online, available at Twinings in England and ordered it! It’s as delicious as I remembered!

It says it’s “a unique blend of the finest Yunnan and smooth Keemun black teas from China.”
https://www.twinings.co.uk/gifts/tea-caddies/cutty-sark-black-tea-caddy


Kathy: In addition to drinking tea many people collect tea cups, tea pots, and other tea things. Do you collect any tea accouterments?

KD: I have a bit of a piggy issue with china and crystal in general. I could be easily be one of those people who has special china for every occasion, including Halloween. I don’t collect tea items per se, but I have managed to collect a few interesting infusers and pretty tea cups.

Kathy: Do you consider yourself a tea connoisseur, a tea neophyte, or simply a person who enjoys tea?

KD: I don’t think I’m a connoisseur, but I’m certainly not a neophyte. How’s that for an evasive answer? I am a big tea drinker. I love hot hibiscus tea on a cold winter night. My favorite iced tea is black currant. That subtle fruity taste in the cold tea is delicious. I’m enough of a tea nut to make myself a relaxing cup of black tea when I can’t sleep! Yes, it’s true!

Incidentally, I wondered why tea is relaxing even though it contains caffeine. Some clever researchers have determined that black tea reduces stress. So your problems won’t go away, but you may be able to handle them better.


Kathy: How does tea play a part in your writing?

KD: This is a little bit embarrassing, but I *must* have my mug of hot tea on my desk to write. It’s as important as the keyboard. Refilling it gives me an excuse to get up and stretch my legs.

Kathy: Your new book is The Diva Serves High Tea. Does she really serve high tea in the book?

KD: I have to admit to being embarrassed when I discovered that we Americans use high tea incorrectly. At least I did. The fancy tea that we think of as high tea with cucumber sandwiches and scones is actually called afternoon tea.

High tea is named after the height of the table! Who’d have thought that? Apparently, on the days when the servants were off, the wealthy called their dinner high tea because it wasn’t the usual evening meal with an elaborate roast and all the trimmings and side dishes. It was eaten at a dinner table, thus the name high tea in comparison to afternoon tea or low tea which was served on a coffee table.

Working folks picked up the term high tea to describe their dinner after they came home from a long day at work.

Naturally, when I learned this, I alerted my editor, who chose to continue with the title The Diva Serves High Tea. In the book, Sophie serves afternoon tea in honor of Francie’s birthday.

Interestingly, some tearooms in England now advertise their afternoon tea as high tea just for the foreigners who don’t know the proper terms!

Kathy: Do you have a favorite tearoom, or place to enjoy tea?

KD: Alas, there aren’t any tearooms where I live.


Kathy: What does tea mean to you?

KD: Lifeline. I pack it when I travel!


*****************************************************************************

You are cordially invited to a tea party!

When: June 7, 2016

Time: 4-6:30 pm EDT

Where: Online

https://www.facebook.com/events/1800068960212872/1802506153302486/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity&notif_id=1464384446031878#

Isn't that picture gorgeous?! It's the grand prize at the party! There will be other prizes as well, so do try to attend.  

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Would you like your own copy of The Diva Serves High Tea? Simply enter the rafflecoptor below. If the winner has a US mailing address, the prize will be an autographed paperback. a non-US winner will receive a paperback copy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Setting The Tone Of The Day With The Choices In Your Cup And On Your Table

The first cup of tea in the morning sets the tone for my entire day, sometimes I choose the wrong tea or run out of my morning favorites and I find that my day just gets off to the wrong start when this happens. I was reminded of this last Monday the 23rd of May when I ran out of my two favorite morning blends. Both local tea companies but a 20-40 minute drive away through rush hour traffic seemed less appealing at the time and I procrastinated too much, I ran out of both with in a day of each other.

Sometimes it is not only the tea that sets the tone for the day sometimes it is the vessel.
The cup and saucer I choose, I actually go out of my way to select one of my teacups that will I hope enhance the flavor of the tea I have selected. I try to match my cup to what I am reading, how I am feeling, what I am needing that morning. I have a cup I use when I need strength, cups I use when I am thinking of certain people, cups I feel fit the right mood, season and capture the moment I wish to convey.

I have a few tea cup and saucer sets shown above that I use quite a bit, I actually have full sets and place settings of Royal Albert Old Country Roses which I have collected since I was about 13, as well in the last 3 years I have added Royal Albert's Petit Point to my treasured collection which has already out grown my china cabinet. It is a joy to use each and every one of these cups and saucers.

Over the years I have been gifted some beautiful sets which have largely never been used before being added to my collection. This one is a lovely Royal Standard set that photographs as lovely as it appears in person.

In all my treasure hunting and of all my finds, the set I fell in love with many years ago still delights me to no end when I gaze upon it, when I need strength, comfort and a reminder of life's beauty this is the set that makes my heart sing. It is important to use what you love, don't let it sit on the shelf for a special occasion that may never come, use and enjoy what you have for what it is and what it was meant for!

I have to share this particular set I was given over a year ago now from a friend who's mother had passed away and who found this treasure in her cupboard. This Royal Albert (I do love my Royal Albert sets) is a lavender color and a shape completely different from any others I had. It is delicate and beautiful, simple and charming, a favorite for sure.

You may be wondering what is in each tea cup shown here today,  the two favorite teas I should never be with out are the blend by Neverland Tea Salon called Heavenly Tea and Warm Grey an Earl Grey by The Capilano Tea company, both featured prominently in the cups above and below.

Thank you for joining me here today I would love to hear from you please feel free to leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com.

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