Tea Talk

Those of you following me for a while know I’m a huge fan of my basket strainers. I use mine daily and, most days, more than once. But when I’m not home or traveling, I reach for my disposable tea bags. Why? What’s the difference? The biggest pro for disposable tea bags is the convenience. They’re small, flat, and easily tossed into your suitcase. They weigh almost nothing if you’re flying. You could also pre-fill them with your favorite teas so you’re ready to brew a cup whenever the desire strikes. However, if you have multiple kinds of tea, you...

The answer to what tea is may surprise you. A lot of people lump pretty much anything that is brewed and isn't coffee into the "tea" category. But what exactly is "tea"? The correct definition of tea is a drink enjoyed either hot or cold and made from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Did you know all "true" tea comes from just one plant - Camellia Sinensis? One of the biggest misunderstandings people have is that they think different teas come from different plants. Not so. Black, green, white, oolong, puerh, and rare yellow and purple teas come from the same...

Now that it is officially the second week in September, I feel I can start talking about my fall teas without feeling like I'm rushing myself and you through the seasons. When my kids were little, we always went apple picking, an event my kids looked forward to each year. We loved the fresh apple cider and donuts with cinnamon and sugar...yum! Then the big question was, what should we do with all those apples we picked besides eating them? I would make applesauce, apple cake, and my famous apple pie. Now that my kids are grown, we're continuing the...

A rock-solid morning routine can make the difference between having a great day or struggling just to get through. Hint...tea plays an integral part in mine. What is your morning like? Are you heading to the office and on the morning commute? Do you have kids going back to school, or do you still get to work from home? My morning routine is definitely different today than when I had kids at home. Now, I only have my husband and my dogs to claim my morning attention. What is the same is that I’m a “slow starter.” I prefer not...

How you store your tea is actually quite important. Proper tea storage will allow you to keep your tea fresher longer, something we all want. Here are a few ideas for you. I actually call them my rules because I think they're that important. Tea rule #1: Everything that touches your tea needs to be clean and dry. Moisture is not your tea's friend until you brew your tea. Tea leaves absorb moisture from the air. So, you want to keep water and moisture away from your leaves until you are ready to steep your tea. A common mistake people...