A Persian-inspired tea time

This month, I finally went to Nannaa Persian Eatery, a new restaurant that's been on my to-visit list for months. 

This is what I came for: Nannaa Tea, a tasty blend of cardamon black tea and fresh mint, and chickpea cookies.

The "melt in your mouth" chickpea cookies were smaller than expected, but were a great (and healthy!) treat to enjoy with the Nannaa tea.

Have you ever had a chickpea-based dessert?

Hello, April!

So this is what spring looks like in the Valley...

Photo taken on March 31 2019

...and why I wait until late April/early May to put away my winter attire.

I went to a book sale last weekend and purchased a copy of "Anne of Green Gables". The 1985 TV mini-series starring Megan Follows will always be my favourite big screen adaptation.

As the temperatures sloooowly warm up, I've started drinking more cold beverages. This is a cream-base frappuccino version of the black sesame tea latte. Very tasty!

How's spring looking in your corner of the world?

Easter Egg Oreos for Tea Time

Last week, we celebrated the arrival of spring with a pop-up tea social at the office. Pop-up teas are super easy because the preparation is minimal: I brew a pot of tea and people bring their own cups and lunch.

One of my colleagues brought Oreo Easter egg limited edition cookies which we enjoyed with Organic Fashionista black tea.

The Oreo cookies were egg-shaped with cute Easter designs. The purple filling tasted like the white filling. Can you see the little chick wearing bunny ears?

Have you tried any interesting Easter-themed treats?

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?

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?

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?

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?