January is National Tea Month - New Calendars, New Beginnings

Did you know January is National Hot Tea Month? (Amazing what tidbits a new tea calendar can provide.)

Well, dear TEA friends, it is and I was uninformed until I flipped the page this morning. But, this IS January and a time for new calendars, fresh beginnings, inspiration and motivation. And - seriously, do we even have to ask? - what better drink to accompany all this than a good cup of hot tea?

As much as I love the flurry of activity of the holidays, there is something special about the start of the new year. The possibilities are all in front of us and we no longer have the "excuses" of decorating, baking, shopping or shipping to stand in our way. I don't make formal resolutions, but I do have a rather large list of things I hope to do, or at least try, by the end of the year.
So far, things are moving right along. In just the second week of this month, I've already cleaned one large closet (the first floor coat closet that was so jam packed, some jackets didn't even have hangers!), signed up for a knitting class for beginners and booked two tea events. In less than 14 days of the New Year, I've already made entries into my new calendar and am keeping "Hoarders" at bay. I must admit, I'm feeling pretty good about this new year.

Barb's TEA Shop is also getting caught up in expanding its routine in 2010. Look for more contests, more reviews, more links and more interactive fun.

Of course, back on the personal side, there's the obvious New Year's goal of shedding a few of those holiday pounds, but do we need to address everything in January? Because I was gently persuaded to go to The Cupcake Station last week and then, indulge in a deep-fried twinkie dessert this past weekend, I think I'm going to save the weight reduction for February. Right after Valentine's Day.

So, Cheers to the New Year, New Beginnings and National Hot Tea Month.

Yours in TEA and Friendship,

Barb

No Fried Twinkies in February

Happy New Year, Y'all!

Hey Y'all Dear TEA Friends, Happy New Year!

Starting off the new year with Paula Deen's signature greeting. For those of you familiar with Food Network's delightful southern cook, who possesses as much charm and warmth as the generous portions of butter in her recipes, Paula is an inspiration to her legions of fans of which I count myself as one. Julie Powell had "her Julia" and I have "my Paula".

It's not just her delicious food I embrace, but the way she prepares it is just downright fun to watch. When she takes the finished product out of the oven, fridge, pan or bowl, I can't wait until Paula goes in for the taste and gives us a knowing smile that confirms what we can only visually speculate - - "this is sinfully good stuff!"

Not surprisingly, it was a bit of a Paula Deen Christmas for us this year. I gave my daughter, Rachel, the "Paula Deen Celebrates!" cookbook with some of our favorite recipes . (I'll save you some time, go right to page 73 for Creme de Menthe Brownies. They are fabulous and last Christmas' big hit!) This book is so authentic, you'll perfect your southern drawl just thumbing through the index.

But wait, there's more!. . . my husband, Chris, another of my favorite cooks, treated me to a Paula Deen teakettle. With its "colorful porcelain exterior" and "secure handle and lid", it is sure to be a treasured addition to my tea collection. However, it's what's on the box that says it all - Paula's note to us tea drinkers:

"I have always said that the heart of the home is in the kitchen. No kitchen would be complete without a teakettle. You can spend hours upon hours with a good cup of tea and a cherished friend."

And, so, I share with you, a scene from my own kitchen this morning: fresh baked scones from my dear Mr. Gulley, "the" teakettle, a beautiful "new" teacup, kitchen chair pulled out and the fire blazing from the family room fireplace. So take your shoes off, sit a spell, have a cup of tea and we'll look forward to the many hours we'll spend together with cherished TEA friends, with the kettle on and so much to share in 2010!

Y'all come back now, ya' hear!

Yours in TEA (and a bit of butter),

Barb

P. S. Check out the Paula Deen teakettle and other fun things on her website.

P. S. S. To my family: anything on the Paula Deen website is welcomed.

P. S. S. S. New goal - to stay in the beach house!

We Have a Winner (!) and Best Wishes for a Safe, Wonderful, COZY Holiday!

Greetings TEA Friends!

We have a winner for our tea cozy contest: Cathy E. of Michigan. She will be receiving the yellow and white tea cozy in the mail!

Thanks to all who submitted entries and keep a watch out as we will be having more contests in 2010!

We, here at Barb's TEA Shop, want to wish everyone a safe, happy, joyous, relaxing and yes, cozy holiday season. Our Christmas present to all our tea friends is a delicious ice cream recipe made with Devonshire cream (see below).

We hosted a delightful afternoon tea in a beautiful home in downtown Birmingham last month. Our amazing hostess, Pam, found a great use for some of the leftover Devonshire cream and shared this recipe with us. A big BTS thank you to Pam for sending this along. Bring in the new year with some tea (or tea toddy's!) and Devonshire (Ice) Cream!

3 egg yolks, 2 cups Devonshire cream

Whisk together the egg yolks. Set aside.
Bring the cream to a boil. Whisk it into the yolks.
Pour into a glass pyrex dish. Put into the freezer to set (minimum 2 hours).

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy, Happy New Year!

Yours in tea and friendship,

Barb

Enter to Win a One-of-Kind Tea Cozy from Barb's TEA Shop

Hello TEA Friends!

Just in time for the holidays - Barb's TEA Shop is "raffling" off one of our exclusive, hand-crafted tea cozies and YOU get to pick from one of two of our unique designs.

For more traditional tastes, we have a yellow and white cozy, accented at the top with a coordinating vintage button.

If you prefer a more contemporary look, choose the multi-color, V-design, velour-textured cozy with a black loop tie on top.

AND IT IS SO EASY TO ENTER!! Just e-mail barb@barbsteashop.com with your name, address and tea cozy choice. We will pick the winner on Wednesday, December 16th.

And, for those of you still working on your holiday list, we still have a number of beautiful cozies available. You can get these only at Barb's TEA Shop. Each is hand-crafted and all come with a separate lining that pulls out for easy wash and care.

Cozies are $24.99 with SPECIAL DECEMBER SHIPPING AND HANDLING OF ONLY $2.00.

Email barb@barbsteashop.com or call 248-840-4356 and order yours today!

A Tea Tree Grows in Michigan

Imagine a Camillia sinensis plant growing in Michigan! Light of Day Tea has made it happen - and this company truly works its magic in many other ways to delight tea drinkers everywhere.

On November 22, BTS participated in Light of Day's Tea Tasting at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City. On a beautiful sunny day on the bay, we sampled 16 different teas in rapid succession as Angela Macke, owner and educator extraordinaire, guided us through a variety of blacks, greens, oolongs, whites and tisanes. Many of the ingredients come from LOD's farm, on the outer limits of the Cherry Capital.

As we slurped (yes, slurping's encouraged, it actually improves your tasting sensibilities) our delicious hot liquids, Angela provided narrative on how best to brew each tea and what occasions they might be optimally utilized. Joined by Bob's - self-professed "Matcha-Matcha Man" - entertaining commentary, Angela kept us on track serving tea after delicious tea.

In our last blog entry featuring LOD, we noted that Angela procures Fair Trade tea only. Ingredients from her farm are organic, packaging is made in the USA and labels created locally. With all this combined, you can taste the quality and care that goes into these products. We're feeling the "love" that LOD puts in every container.

At the most recent tea tasting that BTS held for a private home in Birmingham, Creamy Earl Grey was an instant success as it is in my home. But, now I have some new favorites. Coffee Convert is a treat for those of us who sway to the "dark side" now and then, but, now we can leave the bitterness of the java behind. For those who love mint - and I do - the Mitten-time Mint is another delight. And, LOD's Green teas are not laden with that heavy grassy taste - all smooth, mild and ever so satisfying.

With so many to choose from, it will be difficult to decide which teas to put in my Christmas stocking this year. With teas like "Bun in the Oven" and "In the Mood?" you will surely find just the right blend for the tea enthusiasts on your holiday list.

Barb's TEA Shop gives another two "green thumbs" up to Light of Day Organics Tea Company.

Yours in tea and friendship,

Barb

ps - don't forget, BTS can bring a tea tasting to your home, office, church, library, museum or other fun venues. Email us at Barb@barbsteashop.com or call us at 248-840-4356 and schedule yours today!

Let Russell Hobbs Warm Your Holidays and Your Tea

Hello TEA Friends,

Russell Hobbs became my new best friend last spring when my husband, Chris, bought me the "tea tray" set for my birthday. Chris, who is always on the lookout for a new tea gadget saw this as being my new necessity - and he was so right. (It's wonderful when you are married to your own R & D Department).

Now, in my extensive research (i.e., Wikipedia), I found that Russell Hobbs, was, in fact, comprised of two different people: William Russell and Peter Hobbs. Both natives of England, they combined their talents to bring us the first electric percolator in 1952.

Previously working for the same small appliance company, they launched their own business which subsequently made other innovative products including electric kettles, food processors and microwaves. Reportedly, Russel's unorthodox method of safety testing for any new product was to pour half a pint of boiling gravy on it. (I find this bit of information both alarms me and makes me hungry.)

But, back to our purpose here. The Russell Hobbs kettle/carafe set is a convenient way to brew your loose tea. For those of you who already own an electric tea kettle, you know the speed is a "perk" you enjoy. But, this set also features a tea pot with a removable tea infuser. Just put your tea leaves in the elongated mesh basket, pour your quickly-heated hot water into the carafe and you are ready to brew. After you've steeped the leaves according to taste, remove the infuser and then flip the small button below. This sets of the warming plate below the carafe so your tea stays warm until you're ready to pour the next round.

There are a few minor negatives, however. The tea infuser's plastic handle is a bit flimsy and falls off occasionally. And, unlike a tea cozy, which is more aesthetically pleasing, and offers you warming capabilities wherever you are, with the Russell Hobbs you're confined to the kitchen counter and as far as your plug will reach.

Otherwise, this is a 2009 must have. I see they are going on sale at Macy's this week. Purchase now and you'll be ready to serve tea to your Thanksgiving guests. . . but, I recommend leaving the gravy in the serving dish.

Yours in tea and friendship,

Barb

Tea Merchandise in time for the Holidays!

Just in time for the holidays, Elmwood Inn teas and books have arrived at Barb's TEA Shop! Start (or complete!) all your shopping with BTS' great selection of fine tea gifts.

We now carry Elmwood Inn fine teas (loose and bags). How about the delightful "Christmas in a Cup" tea, warm and inviting with a touch of cinnamon to "spice" up your holidays! Nicely packaged in a red label, why not pair up with Serenity Green tea, to add a bit of traditional color to your table!

We also have a full-line of beautifully photographed books by Bruce and Shelley Richardson (see "Celebri-Teas blog entry). The pages are filled with original and tasty recipes from their years of running their successful tea room at the Inn. The Elmwood Inn book series are autographed by the Richardson's. Buy one or all three. What a special gift that would make.

For those who love to travel, consider one of Bruce Richardson's "Great Tea Rooms" books. We have "The Great Tea Rooms of America" and "The Great Tea Rooms of Britain". We also have the "Tea in the City" series which feature London, Paris and New York. The tea-lover on your list will enjoy charting their next tea excursion with these fun guides.

In addition, BTS is the exclusive carrier in the local area for "Civiltea" - a delightful black tea made specifically by Harney Tea for Tea Etiquette Consultants of the Protocol School of Washington.

BTS also offers tea steepers in fun shapes and sizes and convenient T-sacs for loose tea in-the-pot brewing.

Finally, don't forget we offer another exclusive line of unique, hand-crafted tea cozies in traditional and contemporary designs that will fit small, medium and large teapots.

While our e-store is under new construction, please contact Barb's TEA shop at barb@barbsteashop.com or call us at 248-840-4356 for ordering and pricing. Our mission is to provide you with quality products and great prices!