Teacup Tuesday ... all those lovely teas!

Once again it's Teacup Tuesday. We had a lot of "engagment" last week in the form of contest entries, recipes and opinions.  But first ... a teacup!



Thursday is the first day of spring, and other years we've had evidence of it before the actual day.  Usually in the form of daffodil points poking out of the crumbly earth.  NOT THIS YEAR. The days are getting shorter, but so far not much warmer.  There are geese honking overhead, but they're locals and flying low, not the flocks high in the sky in the regular V form.



I sometimes think spring WILL NEVER COME.

But, I digress.

I was rather amazed at how many people reported the vast array of teas they've tried and loved.  Me, I'm pretty much an orange pekoe girl. I used to like Barry's raspberry cream tea, but they went out of business and I only have TWO bags left, which I've been saving.

Debbie K. from Houston, TX said:  "My very favorite tea is one called Almond Sunset. I think it was a Celestial Seasonings tea. I'm down to three teabags of it and can't find anywhere in Houston or online that sells it now so I've been saving them. Their website called it a "dessert tea."

Guess I'm not the only one hoarding a precious few teabags. I don't know if it's still available, but it's listed online here, Debbie.

Cara D. from Daphne, AL said:  "My favorite tea is a green tea with mint!  I love this soothing tea and it is even better with honey from my own hives!"

That sounds yummy! And I'm in awe of anyone brave enough to face a hive full of bees.

Lynn H. from Rollinsville, CO said:  "Without a doubt – Lapsang Souchong. I hated it the first time I tasted it, but, like a fine Scotch, it grows on you. I love its smoky astringency; it’s perfect first thing in the morning or last thing at night."

Ronna Lord from Potomic, MD said:  "My favorite tea is Jasmine Pearls.  First reason for liking it is that it has a lovely floral aroma and flavor. It reminds me or oriental Thai restaurants which have some of my favorite foods.  The second reason is that I love to see those pearls open up into flowers when the hot water reaches them.  And I must confess that my grandchildren are impressed with those pearls to flowers, too."

Jenni Oglesby from Louisville, KY said, "My favorite tea is currently Te Mole by the Louisville Tea Company. It's a black tea with cacoa bits and chili flakes/bits. It was a perfect tea for this miserable winter we've been having.

My favorite tea experience was years ago at the now closed Elmwood Inn in historic Perryville, Kentucky. The drive to Perryville is very pretty, and the visit stands out as one of my favorite days of all time. The service was perfect; the food and teas were exquisite and the presentation quite lovely. I'm so glad to have made it there before they closed. They still have a website selling their tea blends and I believe their cookbooks. I've had the pleasure of hearing Bruce Richardson speak 2-3 times. He's very interesting -- well-traveled and I love to hear his stories."
Kaye K. from Portland, OR said:  "I love Market Spice tea that was made for and sold at Seattle’s Pike Street Market.  Now you can find it other places, but that’s the original."

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And the winners are!

Sharon S. won the bone china mug and said, "My daughter recently gave me a 24 oz teapot decorated with cherry blossoms. She also included a package of Londonderry loose tea. I love it.  Since we can't always drink tea together, I think of her when I am brewing the tea. It is a black tea and has a relaxing, floral fragrance. When I am drinking it, I can taste a hint of the strawberry and lemon. I have only tried it hot, since she gave it to me over winter, but I think I would like it iced too."

Debbie C. won the teabag holder and said:  "An old standby that I love is Earl Grey with bergamot.  I love the aroma of it and while I wait for my water to heat up, I stand there sniffing the teabag.  How sad am I?  I love the strong flavor of it too. I also have a new favorite which tastes like dessert to me is Licorice Spice.  It has a natural sweetness and tastes absolutely nothing like black licorice. All of my tea is hot.  For some reason, I detest iced tea.  I like it plain with no sugar, no dairy products of any kind in it. Yes, I'm a teaholic.  At this moment, I have 16 different flavors in my house."

And the winner of the free sample of tea from Latteda.com is Mickey S. from Louisville, KY who said:  "I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite tea blend, but I suppose White Jasmine would be it. It's hard to find and can be pricey, but it has a lovely aroma served hot, and a cool refreshing taste with a bit of bite when served cold. Green Jasmine is almost as good and a lot easier to find, so that tends to be what I drink at work."

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Next Week's Contest ...

... we'll be giving away a darling little tea-for-one pot and matching teabag holder, another teabag holder, plus the free tea sample from Betsy Bean at Latteda.com!
And we'll talk about the virtues of loose tea verses tea bags.  Do you prefer an infuser (a tea ball) or to use teabags.
To enter the contest, send your preference and perhaps a story about why you like your tea made a certain way to contest @ Lornabarrett.com (close up those spaces).  If you're not already on my mailing list and you sent your mailing address, I'll send you an envelope of my bookmarks.

Come back tomorrow for talk about The Booktown Mysteries!

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