Just Add Tea and Cold Water

Cold Brewing

I recently discovered that I really like the simplicity of making cold water brewed iced tea.  It's so easy and the iced tea never taste bitter.  So this week, I picked up several Bodum Biasca ice tea jugs one (with a pink lid) for making floral green teas and one (with a green lid) for green teas.  I really like the sleek and slender Danish designed glass jug that fits nicely in our fridge.

It's so simple to make iced tea with the cold brew method.  And, according to Bodum, this method works well with black, green, white and herbal teas.  I plan on using my Biasca jugs exclusively for green iced teas. 

 Bodum gives easy instructions on their Biasca box on how to cold brew.  Here you go:

1) Add your favorite loose leaf tea

(I used 20 grams of tea for 1 liter of water)

2) Fill with cold spring water

3) Allow to brew for 5-6 hours in the fridge

(or less to your taste preference)

4) Serve and Enjoy!

Today I'm enjoying a pitcher of Fleur De Geisha green tea which was drinkable in, as fast as, 20 minutes.  Tonight I plan on starting a cold brew of my favorite Japanese green sencha to enjoy tomorrow.   And since I'm learning a lot about Chinese teas lately,  I can't wait to explore cold brewing with Chinese green teas.

Sadly I think the the Biasca tea jug may be discontinued now here in America because it is not listed on the Bodum USA site.  So if you stumble upon one while out shopping, you'd better grab it!  

Long Live the Queen!

Her Majesty The Queen Tea Party

Happy 89th Birthday to Queen Elizabeth II. I think it's a perfect day to enjoy the great British tradition of afternoon tea!

I've read that Earl Grey is the tea of preference of Buckingham Palace.  And her Royal Highness does shop at Fortnum & Mason.  So you could break out the good china today and pop over to your local Williams-Sonoma and pick up some Fortnum & Mason Earl Grey Classic tea to celebrate.  After all, they've been suppliers of tea to the royal houses for over 300 years!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack and discontinued Diamond Jubilee pattern.)

Celebrating Hanami

Fleur de Geisha tea

Celebrating the blooming of the cherry blossoms...

This is the final weekend of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown, San Francisco, California.   Since I'm not able to attend the festival, I'm celebrating spring and Hanami at home with Fleur de Geisha tea and sakuramochi.  

I've written about Fleur de Geisha tea before.  It's made by Le Palais des The`s, a French tea company that I discovered years ago in Paris.  The last time I was in Paris, I purchased the tea in this beautiful Washi paper caddy used in my photos.  It features a sakura (cherry blossom) motif that is traditionally found on geishas kimonos.  This washi tin is now discontinued and has been replaced with a more modern pink metal tin.   

 Cherry Blossom Tea Break

Fleur de Geisha tea is perfect to enjoy in spring and was actually inspired by the Japanese Hanami tradition of cherry blossom viewing.  This signature tea blend is a Japanese green tea with a very subtle cherry blossom flavor and aroma.  I've made it a tradition, to enjoy it every spring during cherry blossom season.   

 Sakuramochi 

For a Hanami tea break, I find sakuramochi are a perfect accompaniment to Fleur de Geisha tea.  

Sakuramochi are a Japanese sweet made of a sweet pink-colored mochi (rice cake) with a red bean paste center and and wrapped with a pickled cherry blossom leaf.  They are traditionally enjoyed during the spring season.  I find them every spring at Oto's Marketplace in Sacramento, California. 

La recette du the` glace

(Iced tea recipe)

This year, for the first time, I'm enjoying Fleur de Geisha iced.  Here's the recipe I used that is printed on the Fleur de Geisha box:

Fleur de Geisha Iced Tea Recipe

Infuse 20 grams of tea in 1 Liter of cold water for half an hour.  

Then keep refrigerated.  

Enjoy and be sure to take time for Hanami and the beauty of flowers. 

(In the photos:  Japanese blossom plate by Mino and washi tea tin caddy.)

The British Aisles

 60 Years a Queen!

I received a "hot tip" today that there's now 

Queen's Diamond Jubilee display

 (on this side of the Pond)

 at Cost Plus World Market.

So this afternoon, I made a mad dash and hit the 

"British aisles"

at Cost Plus World Market.  

 Long May She Reign

I spotted the Queen Elizabeth II tea mug right away.

Cost Plus did a nice job with this lovely Jubilee keepsake mug 

and it's hand finished in the UK.

 Devonshire Cream

Nothing goes better with tea and scones than Devon Cream!

I'd already stocked up on this tea party necessity 

and can't wait to see if it tastes as good as 

Devon Cream in England!

 Digestives Anyone?

It's always nice to have digestives on hand 

in case some "pops" over for a cuppa!

 Scottish Tea Cakes

I've spotted these cute little Scottish tea cakes by Tunnock's 

in Emma Bridgewater's Diamond Jubilee photo styling.
I bought them awhile back for the Jubilee Weekend...
but they didn't last a day in our house!

They are "ooey-gooey" good!

Best way I can describe them is, they're  like a chocolate, 

marshmallow covered biscuit.  

 Scottish Shortbread

Well, the Queen loves Balmoral Castle, Scotland and her Corgis 

so these little Scottie Dogs are perfect for a Jubilee Celebration!
They're not Corgis but they're sure cute!

 Spot of tea?

What's your favorite cuppa?  

There's plenty of good British brand tea 

to stock-up on in the tea aisle. 

I enjoyed visiting the

British "aisles" today but left empty handed since I'm already 

stocked up for the big Jubilee weekend.   

It was fun to see a Diamond Jubilee display though 

on this side of the pond!

All The Tea in China

The Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark is once again in ship-shape! 

Queen Elizabeth II officially re-opened the historic Cutty Sark today,
five years after the 19th century British tea clipper was ravaged by fire
during it's restoration project. 

Whenever we travel to England,
I'm always wanting to learn more about tea.
 So on our 2004 vacation,  we took a day trip to Greenwich in south London
 to see the last surviving British tea clipper ship, the Cutty Sark
and hit a few antique markets, too.

On the momentous occasion of her reopening  
I thought it would be neat to share my photos
and a few of my memories of
our visit to the Cutty Sark.

 All the Tea in China

The Cutty Sark was a working cargo ship from 1869 until 1922.

She was a great tea clipper ship during, what is called,
The China Tea Years from 1870 to 1878.

In 1870 she made her first voyage from London to Shanghai
(an 8 month round trip)
and returned with 1450 tons of tea on board!

She made a total of eight journeys on the high seas to China

as part of the tea trade 

until clipper ships were replaced by steam ships. 

Chinese Black Tea  

From my travel journal entry on May 9, 2004:

"Next stop in Greenwich is aboard The Cutty Sark.

  Built in 1869, she is the last of the great tea clipper ships. 

She  traveled to China to bring both black and green tea to England.  

Once the tea made the journey from China to England

 it was already 18 to 24 months old."

"There is an effort now to save the Cutty Sark due it's demise 

mostly from the London rain.

We enjoyed touring the ship and were most amazed at how small the merchant sailors 

bed and bunks were."

The Cutty Sark in 2004

What a wonderful day in the Cutty Sark's glorious history 

to be returned to all her former glory!

 She  re-opens to the public tomorrow and even has a cafe on board now.

If we ever travel back to Greenwich, 

I would like to visit her again
and have a tea break in the new cafe.

And leave it to Twinings...

they have a Chinese black and a green gunpowder
commemorative tea blend named  Cutty Sark 

to celebrate the re-launch of the Cutty Sark.  ...

the last of the great tea clipper ships!

The Good Earth

 Reduce

Today is Earth Day.

I believe we should all do our best to live "green" 

and be kind to the good Earth!

As a crafter, I'm always thinking of how to be creative and up-cycle.  

Recently, I ran across some Emma Bridgewater catalogs that I had saved. 

 They are filled with such beautiful photographs on nice quality paper 

that I just can't seem to throw them away.

Recycle

So now, I'm recycling Emma's catalog pages and turning them into cards,

 tags and decorations for my tea and recipe albums.

Emma's darling mug photographs with "mum" hand-painted on them,

recently inspired me to make my mother 

her birthday and Mother's Day cards this year. 

We're not British but quite proud of our family ancestry in England 

so my mom loved her "Best Mum" birthday card!

Up-cycled with Love

I even decorated the card envelopes and back of the cards 

with cut-outs (from the catalog)

and rubber-stamped hearts.

And, of course, moms save everything you make them 

so these cards will stay out of the landfill for a long time!

 Reuse

Being a tea lover and concerned about the land fill, 

I just can't seem to throw out pretty tea caddies either.
I'm always thinking of ways to re-use them like holding
pens & pencils and even straight knitting needles.

Another clever idea...

is to reuse your tea caddies as flower vases
at your tea and garden parties!

Good Earth Tea

And since it's Earth Day,

I'm drinking Good Earth tea.

Growing up a California "Bay Area" girl,

I loved the Good Earth's

"sweet and spicy" iced tea 

served at Good Earth restaurants back in the late 1970's.

Thankfully today, I can buy the tea at my local grocery store.  

So lets all be good to the earth everyday 

and think of creative ways we can all 

live "green" by following the Three R's:

reduce, reuse and recycle. 

Together 

we can make a difference!


(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Hearts Tea Cup & Saucer and
French Glass Tea Mug.)

Happy Birthday, Queen Elizabeth!

Her Royal Majesty

Great Britain's Royal Navy fired a 21-gun salute today marking
Queen Elizabeth's II 86th birthday today.

So my afternoon tea break today has a "royal-tea" theme

honoring the Queen's birthday!
I've been saving my
Highgrove Afternoon Tea 
that I purchased at The Prince of Wale's, Highgrove Shop
 last year in Tetbury in the Cotswolds
for a special occasion.
Today is that special occasion.

I'm sure Her Royal Highness would approve of
my afternoon tea blend choice...
it is after all blended, packed and imported
by R. Twining and Co. for Highgrove.
Twinings holds a Royal Warrant for tea
and I believe is the Queen's favorite tea purveyor.
I wonder which Twining blend she had for
her birthday "cuppa" today?

Happy Birthday your
Royal Majesty!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Pottery
Spode Blue Italian & Blue Room and 

vintage Midwinter Queen Elizabeth II Coronation mug.)

Cherry Blossom Tea

 Sakura Tea Party

It's Cherry Blossom Festival time!

This year 2012, 

is a special year for the National Cherry Blossom Festival,

as it marks the 100-year anniversary 

of Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to

Washington D.C..

Here in California, 

this weekend and next weekend is the 

45th Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival 

in San Francisco, CA.

Our festival is said to be the second largest festival

outside of Washington D.C. to celebrate the blooming of cherry blossoms,

a traditional custom in Japan known

as Hanami. 

 Sakuramochi

To celebrate Hanami,

I'm having a Sakura  (cherry blossom) Tea Party 

with Fleur de Geisha tea, that I purchased last year in Paris, 

along with Sakuramochi treats.

Sakuramochi is a sweet pink mochi (rice cake)

filled with a red bean paste center,
covered with a pickled sakura (cherry) leaf.  

In Japan,

they are a variety of wagashi,

which is traditional Japanese confectionery

which is often served with tea.

I did a bit of research and found out that

Sakuramochi is traditionally served on 

Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day in Japan) 

on March 3rd. 

 Fleur de Geisha

Fleur de Geisha
is one of my favorite green teas to drink in the spring.

It's a blend of Japanese green tea, 

delicately flavored with cherry blossom.  

This lovley blend by Les Palais Des The`s was

inspired by the Japanese Hanami tradition 

of cherry blossom viewing. 

I've purchased this tea

before in Paris

and couldn't wait to buy it again.  

Last year in Paris,

I purchased the boxed Fleur de Geisha tea,

 that comes in a pretty keepsake caddy.

I love that the tin caddy is covered with Washi paper,

decorated with the Sakura motif

traditionally found on the geishas kimonos.

 Le Palais Des The's

I love to shop at Le Palais Des The's 

 in the Le Marais at 

64 rue Vieille du Temple

Paris, France  75003

(In the photos:  Japanese blossom plate by Mino and vintage Spode Chelsea Wicker tea cup.)

Long May She Reign!

 Diamond Jubilee Tin

The Diamond Jubilee

celebrations for 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 

are now just a few months away.

The official Jubilee Weekend Celebration is June 2nd - 5th, 2012.

I wish I could be in London for all the Diamond Jubilee celebrations!

Since I haven't figured out a way to get to London,

I've decided to celebrate here at home...

all Jubilee Weekend long.

Naturally my celebrations will include tea parties and luncheons.

I've already stocked up on tea from my favorite British tea purveyor,

Whittard of Chelsea.

I love that they have a website for American shoppers now 

with affordable postage rates from the UK.

I couldn't resist Whittard's shiny blue Diamond Jubilee Tin

especially since I have their Golden Jubilee Tin

from my trip to London in 2002.

Golden Jubilee Tin

As much as I love Whittard of Chelsea, 

I must admit, 

I wish their Diamond Jubilee Tin 

was more like their 2002 Golden Jubilee Tin.

Whittard's Golden Jubilee Tin was a larger tea caddy and 

was filled with two Golden Jubilee loose teas,

selected by Giles Hilton, Whittard Tea Master,

to commemorate that special occasion.

I am excited though to have the Diamond Jubilee Tin.

It comes filled with 40 English Breakfast teabags
which I will enjoy now and on the Jubilee Weekend.

Long May She Reign!

Now I'm excited to spend the next few months 

planning my Diamond Jubilee menu and parties.

Thanks to my knitting pen pal, Teresa in England,

my Diamond Jubilee menu will include an authentic

Coronation Chicken recipe!

I'll be sure to share ideas and tips 

over the next few months.

My first tip is...

  treat yourself to some Whittard of Chelsea tea!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Pottery and Spode Blue Italian & Blue Room.)

Just What the Doctor Ordered!

Fauchon French Treats!

My hand surgery went very well

 but I will be recovering for awhile.

To speed up my recovery

I'm enjoying Fauchon "French treats"!  

I think they are just what the doctor ordered!

     An Afternoon in Paris

Every afternoon, 

I'm enjoying my favorite Fauchon tea 

"An Afternoon in Paris"

that I picked up at the Fauchon store in Paris last year.

Fauchon
 Paris

I'm also enjoying a few extra treats 

that were an unexpected find here in the States.

I was so excited about this Fauchon find...

I just had to share it with you!

Home Goods 

currently has some Fauchon products in their food section.

(You rarely find Fauchon products in the US.)

At my local Home Goods, I spotted Biscuits, 

Chocolates, Chocolate Orange sauce 

and Cafe Choc gourmet coffee.

I believe these products are all overstock

 from the 2011 Christmas season

with expiration dates for later in the year.  

.

So now I begin my day with a gourmet latte' 

made with Fauchon's 

Cafe Choc ground coffee.   

The label on the bottom reads:

Cafe de Noel moulu saveur chocolat.

This special-blend Christmas coffee

is flavored with cocoa nibs.

I love the back and white Fauchon tin that the coffee is packaged in.

The coffee labels peel off, 

so I will be re-cycling this tin as a tea caddy,

I'm sure!

I'm also enjoying 

"les biscuits"

from Fauchon...

delicious little French cookies

stamped with Fauchon's signature letter F. 

If you have a Home Goods near you...

rush down soon

 so you can enjoy some Fauchon 

French treats,too! 

Saint-Valentin Tea!

 Happy Hearts Day!

Since it's Valentine's Day...

I'm drinking Mariage Freres Saint-Valentin tea today,

in my darling Emma Bridgewater Pink Hearts 

teacup & saucer.  

Would you care to join me?

I wish you could!

 Saint-Valentin Tea

This is the first time that I am trying Saint-Valentin tea.  

I stocked up on French teas at Mariage Freres last year 

on my trip to Paris.
I've been saving this special tea blend for today.

Mariage Freres describes their Valentin tea as:

"A romantic tea in which bergamont encounters mallow.

Exquisite flavour!"

#937 Saint-Valentin Tea

The Saint-Valentin tea has a lovely 

floral bouquet 

and makes a special cup for Saint-Valentin's Day!

If you're ever in Paris,

I highly recommend treating yourself to 

the wonderful teas at Mariage Freres,
which by the way,
there are over 500 teas to choose from!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Hearts Tea Cup & Saucer, 

Heart Sugar Cubes by Sugars by Sharon and 

Valentine Card Collection, mine.)

Christmas Tea Time

Christmas Tea

'Tis the season for Christmas tea...

For the holidays, I'm drinking

Whittard of Chelsea's

Spice Imperial that I picked up in England earlier this year. 

I love its holiday flavors of
cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and orange peel. 

I'll let you in on a secret...

Spice Imperial is the same blend that Whittard's packages

 as their Christmas Tea this time of year. 

I would love to know
what holiday tea are you drinking?

(In the photos:  Spode Blue & White china and

 Emma Bridgewater Blue Toast Mug & Joy Mince Pie Plate.)

Happy Halloween

Halloween Brew

Trick or Treat!

Here's a twist on tea for fall...

Brew up your favorite ginger or spice tea

 in "piping" hot apple cider instead of water. 

Steep for 4 minutes and serve with a cinnamon stick.

Perfect for a chilly evening or

 bring it in your thermos when you go apple picking!

Enjoy!

Pix

 Pix Patisserie

Pix Patisserie is a kitschy-cute kind of place

with a Parisian cafe vibe.

On our recent trip to Portland, after an afternoon of shopping,

we stopped into Pix for a tea break

and what I like to call "macaron research"!

 Macarons

Pix is known for macarons. 

On our visit, my husband and I tried three flavors of macarons:

Bourbon, Fleur de Sel and Coconut Rum. 

Hands down, their Fleur de Sel was the best we've ever had!

As for macaron research...

Pix is always a fun stop for unusual macaron flavors. 

Pastry Chef/Owner, Cheryl Wakerhauser (a.k.a. Pix) and her team

create traditional French macarons only...
they kick them up a notch! 

They make unique macaron flavors such as:

Tawny Port, Chestnut Whiskey, Sesame Matcha,

Peanut Butter and Jelly and Apple Pie..

just to name a few.

Market Spice Tea

As for tea at Pix,

I was impressed with the tea quality

and table service.

Pix proudly serves Townshend's Tea Co. teas.  

 I enjoyed their Market Spice delivered to our table

 in an Art Deco silver tea pot.

My tea server raved about their teas

and told me  Earl Grey is their most popular tea. 

Naturally due to popularity it was out of stock. 

Pix Patisserie

There are two Pix locations in Portland.

We always visit the original Pix location.

It's a bit off the beaten path..

not touristy

and worth the effort to get there. 

Pix Patisserie

3402 SE Division St.

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 232-4407

I can't wait to go back and have a pot of Earl Grey tea

and do some more macaron research!

Teance

The Tea Bar

I finally had tea at a tea bar...

Teance

in Berekely, California. 

Teance is located in one of my favorite shopping areas,

the Fourth Street Shops. 

On a recent trip to Berkeley, instead of shopping all day,

I treated myself to a relaxing afternoon of tea tasting

and learning more about Asian teas at Teance.

 On my visit, Co-Manager, Darius Moghaddam was tending bar.

I was so impressed with his knowledge of tea. 

Turns out,  he has been on 5 tea buying trips all over the world. 

So yes, he does know a thing or two about tea

and graciously shares his knowledge.

Darius and I decided that I should try a tea tasting of their

Flight of Three Teas. 

Flight of Three Teas

 Silver Needle Tea

My first flight was Silver Needle (Yin Zhen), a white tea. 

This prized tea is from Fuding, Fujan, China.

Waking up the Tea Leaves

To enjoy this tea,

you first must first "wake up" the tea leaves

by pouring hot water on them and removing the water immediately.

 Steeping

Next, the tea was steeped for 1 1/2 minutes in a Gaiwan. 

Darius told me "a Gaiwan is an ancient tea making tool". 

I had never seen one before.

 Tranquility

Silver Needle tea is very delicate and subtle in taste

with a pale color.  A tranquil, cup indeed.

 Flower Bouquet

My second flight was Flower Bouquet, a green tea. 

This tea is hand-tied into a heart bundle. 

It is also from Fuding, Fujan, China.

 Flowering Tea

Flower Bouquet tea is steeped in a glass tea pot. 

As it steeps, the leaves unfold and
a beautiful red hibiscus flower is revealed. 
It's magical!

It had a light Jasmin note and I enjoyed it.

 Mochi

Besides tea, Teance also has wonderful treats,

 like Japanese Mochi handmade locally.

I enjoyed a Pumpkin & Lima Bean Mochi along with my tea tasting.

It was beautiful with its edible flowers and
so much better than store bought Mochi. 

 Matcha

My third flight was Matcha.

Teance's Matcha is from Uji, Japan from Koyama En,

the most prestigious matcha company in Japan.

I was most excited to try Matcha green powdered tea

since I had never tried it before. 

 Tea Ceremony Whisk

Matcha is considered to be the healthiest of teas

because you are drinking all the leaves
 which are milled into a fine powder.

Matcha is prepared with a bamboo tea whisk.

I loved watching Darius make my cup. 

 Matcha

Matcha is like no other tea I have ever tasted. 

It is thick and frothy.  Matcha has a stronger green tea flavor and

I think one probably has to acquire a taste for it. 

I plan on doing just that so I can enjoy the health benefits of drinking Matcha.

The Great Wall of Tea

I'm so glad I took a break from shopping around Fourth Street

and enjoyed a break at the Tea Bar at Teance. 

It was a wonderful and relaxing experience. 

Thank you Darius for teaching me more about the world of tea.

I highly recommend Teance Fine Teas. 

If you can't get to Berkeley,

 they have an online store and Tea Subscriptions, too!