From the book Taking time for tea

Just sitting down to read some more of my new tea book and already have to share something from the book. When we give tea the time and care it deserves, it returns to us all it's infinite gifts. Each cup is a rapturous prayer no words can describe.
Everyone should have a quiet place to relax with their cup of tea. Mine would be in a room filled with books, teapots and teacups. It would have lots of light or sunshine flowing in the room and overlooking a lake.
Give yourself 10 minutes a day with tea. Tea and ten. Doing this is essential to your well being and health. Include a devotion during that time. I have to say I can't do without my tea each day. It is a ritual for me. Yes, I have a passion for tea and it has been good to me.
Ancient proverb- The path to heaven passes through a teapot.
In good times, tea is celebratory; in bad times it is amazingly comforting. When we are surrounded by friends and enjoying a hot pot of tea it all seems more special. That is why I would so love to have a tea retreat home. It would be very inviting and loving to others.
Enjoy your tea and ten each day. Blessings.

Fill my cup, Lord

After reading a couple of devotions from this book along with a cup or two of tea I thought it would be a great book to pass along to my fellow tea drinkers.
Some bits of the devotion entitled A cup of Service. The Lord's blessings flow freely along with two important acts on my part.
Surrender and Serve. We need to surrender our lives to Jesus. We develop a taste of service only as we develop a taste of Jesus. We learn from him and find out what it is like to have our cup filled with His blessings. When we come to the Lord in prayer we are growing in compassion, understanding and willing to serve. True service is when we don't respond because of guilt or pressure but out of love and caring. We see the need and we act upon it.
Fill my cup, Lord
I hold it up to you with outstretched hands,
My heart parched and thirsty for your living water.
Fill my cup with your love, Lord.
Help me to feel your hands holding mine,
feel your arms around me, feel your love empowering me.
Fill me with quietness and encouragement and trust.
Help me to live for you when trials, difficulties, and storms hit me and those I love so deeply.
Help me not to give up when giving up seems easier.
Help me to trust you when I don't feel like trusting anymore.
When I know pain, fill my cup with prayer.
Teach me the secrets of service and surrender.
Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up to you.
Lift me up to do your will with love and sacrifice,
Never forgetting what you sacrificed for me Your Son, My Messiah, My Lord Jesus Christ.
Help me , Lord, to accept where I am now.
Help me to know I'm not stuck forever in my circumstances.
Help me remember that the windows do open and that fresh breezes do blow in and that living water forever flows and that those who ask receive.
I'm asking now, Lord.
I'm holding my cup in my hands, and I'm asking you to fill it ... with you.
Fill my cup with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
And when my cup springs a leak, as earthen vessels are prone to do, Then I'll just have to ask again, Trusting in your love To fill me again.... and thanking you! Amen

Good Friends Sip Together Book

Such a cute book! Here is a sampling of the book.
Pekoe's Tea Blessing- Dear Lord,I thank you for your grace and for this lovely day. I thank you for each special friend- Lord, bless each one, I pray. And Lord, I ask You'd bless our time, and bless our sharing, too- Please bless our food and bless our tea-Bless all we say and do. Amen

Country Tea Parties

From the book-  Did you know that Orange pekoe, is not a variety or a blend but a term that designates size of the tea leaf?
Tea leaves release their flavor in water- the hotter the water, the faster the tea steeps.  Brewing with boiling water takes 5 minutes , sun tea can take an hour, and refrigerator tea takes several hours. 
Remember green and white tea you do not use boiling water but about 175 degree water and steep for about 2-3 minutes.  If longer tea can become bitter.  Black tea you boil water and steep for 4-5 minutes.
When using a screw-together tea ball, fill it only halfway, loose tea expands severalfold when it steeps.
Store sugar cubes for tea in a jar with whole cloves or cinnamon sticks.  They will absorb the spicy fragrance.

For large tea parties, prepare a strong tea concentrate ahead of time; Use 4 teabags or 4 tsp. loose tea per one cup of boiling water; steep 2 minutes, then strain; leave at room temperature.  During the party keep a large kettle of water simmering on the stove.  For each serving, add 1/2 cup hot water to 1/8 cup concentrate.

Fennel Tea

A cup of fennel tea as your first drink in the morning and last drink at night is a time-honored treatment to help to reduce fat.  Fennel was used by Greek marathon runners for strength, vigor and leanness.  It contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, vitamins A, C, and E and zinc. Moderate use recommended and also if prone to blood clots avoid fennel.
Fennel tea can be used as a mouth wash and good for gum disorders, laryngitis and sore throats.

A Laura Ashley Tea at Home

From the book Tea-Time at the Inn

If you have a chiming clock, place it where your guests can hear it easily and begin tea-time on the hour.
Create an English garden atmosphere with lots of mini-pring tablecloths and napkins.
Serve tea from a pretty ceramic watering can.
Add a fresh flower arrangement to every tea table.
Leave coffee table books about England in view.
Place scones into a pottery flower pot lined with small-print fabric.

Enjoy your tea with friends and Jesus!  Stir a tablespoon of a favorite fruit preserve into a cup of hot brewed tea.
Traveling TEA with Jesus

Almond Iced Tea

Yes, after doing some teas in Texas thinking about summer with all this snow in Minnesota right now.  This is a good one for a hot summer day.
Great thirst quencher.
From Treasuring the Gift of Tea time by Julie Laree Peterson
2 cups water
6 tsp Tealightful Treasures English Breakfast tea
1/2 cup sugar
1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonage, prepared
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 liters ginger ale.

Boil water, pour over tea and steep for 5 minutes.  Add sugar to tea and stir until dissolved.  Pour into serving container, add the remaining ingredients and serve over ice. 

Enjoy!

Tangerine Tea Recipe

7-8 tsp. Orange Pekoe tea leaves
8 cups boiling water
2 tangerines, washed, dried, and cut intoe 1/4- 1/2 " slices
Whole cloves

After first warming the teapot with hot water, empty it, and dry it off. Add the tea leaves to the pot.  Pour the boiling water over the leaves and steep for 5 minutes.  Use a tea cozy, if possible, to retain heat.  Cut the tangerine slices in half, stick a few cloves in the rind of tangerine rinds and place one slice in each teacup before pouring strained tea into cup. 

Enjoy your cup of tea with others and be in His word!

Exotic Teas

The Chinese have produced scented teas for centures using their abundant flowers, fruits and oils.  They are best drunk without milk but can be sweetened with honey or sugar.  The spiced teas make warming winter drinks, flower teas are light and refreshing, and the fruit teas make excellent iced tea.
Earl Grey is the most famous scented tea in the West.  The original recipe was given to the second Earl Grey in 1830 by a Chinese mandarin.  It is a blend of fine black teas flavored with the oil of the bergamot orange. 

Frozen Cranberry Salad

From the book Mini Teatimes
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup sugar
2 (12 oz) cans jellied cranberry sauce
2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Combine cream cheese, mayo, and sugar .
Whip until smooth. Add cranberry sauce and continue to mix until smooth.
In separate bowl combine heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip to medium stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream mixture into cranberry mixture until fully combined.
Scoop cranberry salad into cups and put in freezer for 1 hour or until frozen.
Serve chilled with dollop of whipped cream.  Enjoy! MIght be a great one to serve for Valentine Tea.

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.  Japanese Proverb

Valentine Tea ideas

Have-A- Heart Sandwiches
Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts out of the bread.  Use white and wheat bread.  Mash strawberries into cream cheese with fork.  It's okay if berries are lumpy. 
Spread white bread heart with strawberry cream cheese.  Top ut with a wheat bread heart.
Serve with strawberry tea- try the Tealightful Treasures strawberry tea.  www.tealightfultreasures.net/tea   It is very good!
Another idea for a pink tea is fill a teapot halfway with cranberry juice and add hot water.
Make with popsicle sticks and red colored paper a Valentine Menu.  Cut hearts out with paper and glue or tape to popsicle stick.  Write on each heart what the menu will be such as A Valentine Tea- Have a -Heart Sandwich- Pink Tea
All from the book The Tea Party Book
I am looking forward to some Valentine Tea Parties in February.  If you would like to host one please let me know by email.  tea4Jesus@gmail.com

Enjoy your tea and His word!

My tea on Thursday

It was another blessed day for me as I met some new friends for tea at an assisted living in Woodbury, MN on Thursday.  They were all so delightful and so inspiring.  I had one woman who was so helpful and so precious.  I related to her as she told me she had a daughter whose name was Cindy.  She wanted to do whatever she could to help me.  We had two men attend.  One's name was Jerome and he did not like tea but wanted to play Tea Bingo.  He made sure he put his cup upside down on saucer so I would not serve him tea.  I had two men who attended.  I just so enjoy to see both men and women come to enjoy tea, tea bingo and some bits of information on tea.  I always share a devotion with them and pray that in some way it will touch their hearts and know they are special .
I shared two teas.  One was a green and white tea called Cherry Margarita.  Enjoyed by all.  The other was Lemon Chiffon Pie , which is a Rooibos tea.   It made the room smell so good!
I shared some Strawberry with Cream scones shaped like hearts with some strawberry jam.  They were yummy.  I wish I would have had some teas there for purchase but was not prepared for that and if I had they would have been purchased.  I will bring some next time just in case they ask or want.
My main purpose tho is to share tea and make new friends over tea. 
I am thankful for the assisted living homes that have wanted me to share tea with their residents.  It is a blessing to me and pray that it is a blessing to them.
Thanking God each day and for the new people  He brings into my life over tea.

Have a blessed weekend!

From the book titled 365 Things Every Tea Lover Should Know

Tea inspires hospitality.  That is why I like tea! 

What better way to suggest friendliness -and to create it-than with a cup of tea.  J. Grayson Luttrell

The hot water is to remain upon the tea no longer than whiles you can say  the Miserere Psalm very leisurely. Sir Kenelm Digby

Tea is certainly as much of a social drink as coffee, and more domestic, for the reason that the teacup hours are the family hours.  Arthur Gray

TEA

Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea

Tea inspires kindness

Tea inspires friendship

New to tea or have friends who are?  Plan a fresh kind of tea party... a tea tasting party.  Arrange to serve black, green and oolong teas along with a variety of extra flavor enhancers.

January is National Hot Tea Month!

Heard of the book The Teashop Girls?

I came across a book today titled The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaeffer.  Check it out.  Maybe a mother/daughter book to read over tea or enjoy with a mother/daughter ea bookclub?

Enjoy!

Tea drinking

Tea drinking is an activity that the whole family can enjoy!  While children should not drink caffeinated beverages, herbal teas are both yummy and good for little ones.  Lavender tea can calm cranky youngsters.  Chamomile, one of the best-loved herbal teas, is an ideal bedtime tea.  Its gentle flavor and aroma contain a completely natural sedative that helps soothe you to sleep.  If you're using loose tea leaves, simply measure two teasponns of tea leaves per four-cup pot.  Steep twenty minutes, then strain well.  Enjoy family tradition of togetherness!

National Gingerbread Day today

Chai Gingerbread Stars


Ingredients

5 tsp Tealightful Treasures Spice is Nice Chai Full Leaf Tea

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 egg white

3 Tbsp sugar

Preparation

Grind Tealightful Treasures Spice is Nice Chai Tea into a fine powder using a clean spice grinder.

Add powdered tea to dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat butter, sugar, molasses and egg until smooth and add dry ingredients. Mix until well blended and refrigerate dough 1 hour or more until firm.

Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into star shapes.

Place stars on a cookie sheet 1/2 inch apart. Brush cookie tops with egg whites and sprinkle with sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Serves: about 50 cookies

Enjoy with your cup of Christmas Morning Tealightful Treasures tea!

A word about tea

From The Twelve Teas of ChristmasRaise a cup of tea as a toast to good health!  Tea drinking is a delightful habit to cultivate.  Not only does the ceremony of teatime lift spirits, the health benefits are yours to enjoy as well!  Tea helps relieve fatigue, lift the spirits and stimulate the mind.  A cup of tea contains zero calories, yet provides you with several of the complex vitamins.  Six cups a day gives you ten percent of your daily requirements.

Enjoy your tea!

Tea Prayer Pillows

I had started  a few months ago making some prayer pillows.  Well, now I am going to bring some of those to have for Bingo prizes and to sell at our events.  They are going to be very limited but excited that God put this on my heart to include those as we travel with our tea and with Him.  Got the idea from the book
Even God Rested by Kim Thomas








Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  
He knows.  Keep Him with you and listen to what he says to you today.

Blessings!

The Four Basic Teas

The four basic teas are:

Black tea is processed using oxygen (oxidation) . When tea leaves are oxidized, they change in color and flavor.  Black tea is the strongest brew because it is oxidized the longest.

Green tea is not oxidized or fermented at all, which gives it a delicate, pungent flavor.  Green tea leaves are steamed, rolled, then dried.

Oolong tea is made from partially fermented leaves, which gives it a flavor somewhere between black and green tea.  It is processed using oxygen (oxidation). When the leaves are oxidized, they change in color and flavor. 

Wite tea is more rare than black, green or oolong, and it is thus more expensive.  White tea, made from the same plant as the others, is simply made from leaves that are harvested before they're fully open.  It has a light, sweet flavor.