Tea Lattes and Tea-infused Hot Chocolate

I've been having fun using my Breville Milk Cafe to make tea lattes and tea-infused hot chocolate.

 

 

Coconut Matcha Latte 

 

London Fog Latte

The black tea was grounded into a fine powder so it dissolved directly into the hot water.

 

Left: Earl Gray Matcha Hot Chocolate

Right: Double Bergamot Earl Grey Latte

Organic Banana Chocolate Latte (black tea)

Hot chocolate infused with Salted Caramel matcha.

Do you make tea lattes? 

Tea-themed Christmas gifts

I was grateful to receive some fun tea-themed gifts for Christmas.

A crafty friend knitted these two purple tea cozies for me. They fit my teapots perfectly!

How cute are these "Afternoon Tea" socks?

I love this beautiful tea set by Scott Barnim Pottery.

Tea-infused gummies for my sweet tooth!

A Perfect Tea Spoon in rose gold.

The Milk Cafe will come in handy for making tea lattes and hot chocolate!

Some cool new teas to add to my stash: purple matcha (top left), purple tea (top right), and DavidsTea faves.

Now it's time to announce who won Monarch Tea Co.'s London Fog Lover's Gift Set!

And the WINNER of my 7-year blogiversary is...(DRUM ROLL):

Congratulations to GINETTE!

Please send me [teainthevalley (at) gmail.com] your mailing address by January 12th so the prize can be mailed out to you.

Teas and Trees

I've been saving pretty teabag wrappers for something crafty and was inspired by Deborah's romantic bridal shower tea post...

...to use my teabags to decorate my miniature tree!

The aqua cookie cutter came from Michaels.

Some of these teabags were gifted by family and friends.

Photo credit: Deborah H. Montgomery

"Depression knows no season." (Deborah Montgomery)

Deborah recently published a short book called "Help for Depression".

 Click here to visit Deborah's blog and learn more about the book. 

U.S. residents can order the book here. Canadian residents can order the book here.

It's a marshmallow world in the Valley!

  I've been enjoying my Advent Tea Calendar this month.

Days 1-4.

 Days 5-8

Days 9-12

In addition to my Advent Tea calendar, I've also been sipping holiday teas by local tea companies:

Home for the Holidays black tea by For Tea's Sake.

Holiday Blend herbal blend by Lemon Lily Organic Tea.

Candy Cane Crunch by Polar Tea Co.

Gingerbread black tea by Lemon Lily Organic Tea.

 A blogging friend sent me this adorable tea-themed Christmas card.

Wishing you a Safe and Joyful Holiday Season!

Note: My regular posting schedule will shift to Wednesdays for the next 2 weeks due to the holidays.

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Friends Sharing Tea

Cherry Blossoms

I've always loved how tea can transport us to far-off lands.

Cherry Blossom Organic Green Tea by Lemon Lily

"One sip and you'll be whisked away to Kyoto for the Cherry Blossom festival." 

(From: Lemon Lily)

I sipped the tea from the "Kimono" teacup that Lyn sent me at the 2016 spring teacup exchange.  I'm not usually a fan of floral teas, but I enjoyed this pleasant tea with a hint of cherry flavour.

Since I couldn't physically travel to Japan to enjoy their cherry blossoms, I went to the next best thing: Centennial Park in the Valley.

Taken in April 2017

In 2014, thirty-seven cherry trees were planted at Centennial Park in honour of Hamilton's missionary, Martha Cartnell, who overcame barriers to female education in 19th century Japan and founded Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin--the first school for girls in Japan.

Taken April 2017

The Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin School's generous gift of cherry trees symbolize the students and alumni's gratitude to Martha Cartnell for her legacy's incredible impact on generations of girls and women in Japan.

"Expressing Our Adoration and Appreciation With These Cherry Trees" 

(Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin - 130th Anniversary Year in 2014)

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Tea in the Garden