Tea in the Valley

Monday, March 18, 2019

Going green for St. Patrick's Day

There's still some snow and ice outside, but some greens are popping up inside!

This green corset shape teacup was made by Aynsley (circa 1939).

I celebrated St. Patrick's Day by drinking jasmine green tea by Wuyutai Tea, a famous tea house in China. My colleague had received this tea as a gift but the floral taste wasn't to her liking...so she passed it on to me!

How did you celebrate St. Paddy's Day?

Monday, March 11, 2019

Organic Fashionista Tea Blend

I'm proud to share that I've gone 70 (!!!) days without buying any new teas. YAY for willpower! I usually drink 2-3 cups of tea each day so it would take me YEARS to use up all the teas in my stash.

This month, I finally tried the Organic Fashionista Blend that's been lurking in my cupboard for ~~months~~ years.

The Fashionista blend's organic ingredients: black tea, rose petal, lavender, orange peel and natural flavor.

I'm not a fan of floral teas so my taste buds were happy to discover that orange was the dominant flavour of this pleasant tea.

The tea was slightly astringent--this was reduced with milk.

Do you drink tea with style?

Monday, March 4, 2019

A cute custom-made cosy

We kicked off the first day of March with a pop-up tea at the office. Fireside Cider green tea and maple shortbread cookies were served.

A crafty friend made this adorable firehouse dog tea cosy for me.

The dog's face and ears were made of fuzzy fabric.

It did a great job keeping the pot of tea hot!

Do you use a tea cosy?

Monday, February 25, 2019

Five on February

You know you have too many teawares when you almost forget about the seasonal tea sets lurking in the cupboard.

1. Hearts Tea Set

Fortunately, I remembered to bring out this retro Bavarian tea set just before Valentine week!

2. "Barrista" socks

I have a soft spot for funky socks and wear knee-highs (under pants) during these cold winter days. I think the saucers on these super cute socks are supposed to contain coffee, but I'm going to pretend it's tea!

3. Savoury scones

My favourite savoury scone is the bacon, cheddar and chives scones from Jax Sweet Shoppe.

4. Easter ornament

I haven't switched over to the spring/Easter decor yet, but I just couldn't resist this adorable Easter ornament.

5. Starbucks' Honey Citrus Mint Tea

Last week, I tried Starbucks' Honey Citrus Mint Tea which consisted of 2 teas (Jade Citrus Mint™ Green Tea and Peach Tranquility® Herbal Tea), a touch of honey and steamed...lemonade?!?

I guess the steamed lemonade is no different than lemon with hot water--I drink this concoction when I'm feeling under the weather. I found that the lemonade dominated the flavour of this tea which might be better as an iced tea.

Have you ever tried blending 2 different teas or teabags?

Monday, February 18, 2019

Fireside Cider Green Tea

Another winter day. Another potential snowfall warning.

These snow days have got me sipping lots of tea.

The Mad Hatter Tea Co.'s Fireside Cider: green sencha, apple, cinnamon, popcorn.

A light, pleasant tea that's perfect for a frigid February day.

What teas help you get through the winter?

Monday, February 11, 2019

A Heartfelt Tea Time

It's Valentine week!

These colourful teawares fill my heart with joy.

T by Daniel's Love Note black tea is always a hit with family and friends who love the delicious strawberry and peach flavour.

An early Valentine card from my mom.

Love the pretty red and white transferwares!

Happy Valentine's Day!

How are you celebrating Valentine's Day?

Monday, February 4, 2019

Belated Birthday Tea-Themed Gifts

When your birthday is in January and you live in Canada, there's a high probability that your birthday celebrations will get rescheduled because of inclement weather. This year, we got hit by a snowstorm that dumped 40 cm (15 inches) of snow...so I ended up celebrating my birthday in February which had more co-operative weather!