Still on deadline. Still no brain left.
Kid 1 has a new boyfriend. New boyfriend likes to drink tea and frequently steals my teapot. The problem is that I now brew tea by the cup. It takes me awhile to drink a cup of tea and if I brew more than one, it sits and gets too strong. So I brew a cup, then go back for the second one, and now there is Jasmine White Tea in there instead of black tea I made.
In an effort to resolve this planet-stopping problem, I have purchased a new teapot. One of the reviews called it a “wee teapot” so that’s how it shall be known from now on.
How big is the wee teapot? Here it is next to the 3 cup teapot.
The wee teapot brews exactly one pretty mug worth of tea.
That’s Paris tea from Harney & Sons. I give it 4 .5 out of 5. It’s delicious and smooth, and not bitter. Good morning or afternoon tea.
Jessie Mihalik has sent me Harney & Sons holiday tea, which I liked. Except for Chai. I do not care for chai, apparently. Btw, in Russia all tea is chai. Russians got their first tea from China through the Silk Road and they stole the Chinese word.
So, I’ve ran out of the holiday tea and I ordered some more tea to try. I already have a ton of small farm Chinese tea, but Harney & Sons put little fruit bits into their tea and it smells so nice.
The tea arrived yesterday, which prompted Gordon to declare in a posh British accent that his wife will not be drinking that commoner tea and that only the best from Harney & Sons will do. ::eye roll::
Anyway, if you want your own wee teapot, I bought mine on Amazon, but it’s also available at Wal-Mart and other places. Search for the Hofu Tea Pot. They come in several sizes and this is the smallest. Get ready for pictures of various teas in the wee teapot with my snooty reviews.
Update: if you are looking for the pretty mugs Gordon bought me for Christmas, they are here. They are my favorite. They keep the tea warm and the handle doesn’t get hot. They probably should be hand-washed only, but I do occasionally put them through dishwasher on the top rack.
druther have your pretty, pretty mug. 🙂
Bought a couple of those mugs for my sister-in-law. Haven’t heard if she likes them or not. She moved to Texas (I’m in Maryland), so I don’t talk to her as much.
I have those cups, both the short and tall ones, love them!! They make me feel special everytime I use them. Bought them for my daughter s and daughters-in-law’s along with flower tea, which blooms inside glass tea pots. Went over big!
Bought them for my daughter s and daughters-in-law’s along with flower tea, which blooms inside glass tea pots. Went over big!
*image googles flower tea*
Wow, I had no idea something like this existed… So pretty and otherworldly! It makes me think of Innkeeper. 🙂
If you click on the second image here, Butterfly Pea Flower Tea also looks like it came straight out of Baha-char: https://www.lemonlily.ca/products/butterfly-pea-flower-tea
I have butterfly pea tea,too. I like the flavor😀 I like the color too
I love Paris from H &s and Earl Grey I drink it strong black and sweet. But I only leave the bag in for 1 minute so I use 2 bags to get it stronger.
Me too! Its super pretty!
Love Harney & Sons. It’s the only tea I will drink. Love the Citron Green or their Orange Pekoe. As I live relatively close to their store in upstate New York, I’ve visited a couple times but have never hit their tea room as it’s usually occupied by tour buses of tea drinkers.
Just tried their Citron Green. Will definitely be reordering!
Wow, tea tours is a thing?!
That cup with the rose is lovely.
+1
Love your new pot. We love Yorkshire Gold ourselves but yes, there are many choices out there. Not a fan of white tea though. But that is just me.
That cup is beautiful.
Harney and sons hot cinnamon spice tea is delicious. It’s sweet on it’s own and a great way to have a treat without unhealthy eating.
I find it funny that Gordon males gun of you in British accent when Russia was the country where most tea was drunk before the Revolution.
I’ll have to try H&S. My favorite is Lapsang Souchong from Twinings; it’s a smoked tea, yum!
Please, please, please tell me where you got that pretty mug if at all possible. I want one so bad, it’s so beautiful!!!
Also… that’s a great wee tea pot!
I have a honking ass huge pitcher I’ve been using, but… uhm… I think it holds just shy of a gallon, so it’s a little too big. Oops.
Amazon, link in the post above. They are not expensive at all and they are awesome.
I have a complaint for Amazon’s marketing people. Female people are not the only people who like flowers. My son loves flowers. But when he went to school, he stopped talking about them because “flowers are for girls”. We need to do something for all the non female flower lovers.
LOVE THIS. Gorgeous and functional! But I’ll need the less wee version, as I drink my tea (Lady Londonderry from English Tea Store) 20 oz at a time.
Hope your brain returns soon.
That mug’s gorgeous, where’d you get it?
See “here” link in blog!
Love the Wee Teapot 😍. I’d love to get it but I have a glass top stove and have no idea if I could heat a glass teapot on it.
You would have to heat water in a pot or kettle and then add it to the pot. If ever doubt worry about cracking an object while adding hot liquid out a metal utensil in it. That will help absorb the initial blast of heat.
If any one touched my teapot, empty or full, I’d be hiding their body somewhere.
+1 …
+1
I think you’re supposed to heat the water separately and pour the hot water into the glass teapot. I don’t think you’re supposed to heat the glass pot directly on the stove top.
We use a small pot that brews the tea and then you put it on your cup and it filters the brewed tea thru. Love it!
Excellent! Very cool!
I’ve had some delicious tea from August. I love their Low Country (I am a bourbon guy) but have never been disappointed!
The wee teapot is cute but the tea mug is gorgeous. I like a nice cup of tea too, and I am convinced it tastes better in a pretty vessel. 🙂
I am not a big fan of commercially packaged Chai either, but I actually quite like it when I mix up the spices myself to my taste. Also, I got a great recipe for Ginger Chai from Nalini Singh (it was featured in Rebel Hard and I had to have it and she was kind enough to write it down for me). So here it goes (I hope it’s ok to share):
What you need:
Milk, water, a small piece of fresh ginger cut and peeled and crushed, black tea leaves, sugar to taste
However much you decide to make, only fill the pot about halfway. Add milk and water in equal amounts. (So if you add one cup milk, add one cup water). You can use any kind of milk but I wouldn’t recommend very thin super trim milk, as you won’t get the rich taste. For your first time, use full fat milk. 😉
Heat the milk/water mixture on the stove and when it’s simmering, add black tea leaves (you can use teabags if that’s what you have). How much you add depends on how strong you like your tea.
At the same time, add your crushed ginger – it doesn’t need to be totally crushed, but enough to allow the flavor out. Don’t put in too much – fresh ginger is quite a strong taste, so for your first time, just put in one small piece (maybe about 2cm in length). You can cut it smaller to make it easier to crush and for the flavor to spread in the tea.
Then bring the pot to a boil – watch it CAREFULLY or it will boil over. As soon as it comes to a boil, bring the temperature down so it’s simmering/lightly boiling, but is not in danger of boiling over.
If you like sugar in your tea, add it here and mix it in.
Allow tea to boil until it’s at a color/strength you like. Turn off, strain tea into a cup (you don’t want the ginger bits going into the cup itself), then drink!
I am anxiously awaiting snooty reviews and photos of the wee teapot!
Aww, I’m glad you enjoyed the tea! 🙂 And that teapot is too cute! I love the square shape. Must… resist… I already have too much tea stuff. But it’s so cute!
Ooh I love that tea pot! Perfect size for me ☕😍
I’m not a tea drinker, but I LOVE your mug. So pretty!
I have added both the pot and mug to my Amazon wishlist. I’m off caffeine for a while with my new baby, but I have some wonderful herbals to drink. It’s a bummer my birthday just passed, but Mother’s Day isn’t too far away!
I bought a warming Ember mug recently too keep my daily tea habit alive at work and it is the best! Your rose mug is gorgeous, but I don’t seem to finish my tea fast enough while at work for a regular mug! As soon as I make it I get called into a meeting. Ember keeps my tea hot no matter how many people stop by my desk!
You are just too nice. I’d tell daughter 1 to tell her boyfriend to keep his hands off my tea! It’s a pretty simple program, one anyone can learn: Tell him to buy his own teapot and let him keep it at your home with his own tea in his own space. Geez! You’re WORKING, and you shouldn’t have to stop to check the teapot!
Of course, the benefit is that you now own one “wee” teapot and can brew one cup freshly for every cup you need to drink. I also hate to brew more than one cup and have it get too strong to taste good. And you can fill up that gorgeous mug and smile every time you pick it up to have a sip of stimulant! I find that having a pretty mug for my coffee helps me relax a bit when I’m tense over something. That mug seems to suit your personality. You surround yourself with pretty things and think pretty thoughts and produce books that warm our hearts. Please keep doing anything you need to do to keep that going for all of us. We all appreciate it very much!
Hi, I know similar recepie but it has also cinnamon and cardamom and I use cane sugar, it brings a caramel flavor. We call it Himalayan tea haha.
If and when you get back to Paris stop by the Mariage Freres tea store at 260 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
The store is amazing and their Bolero Black tea (“A refreshing and exotic blend of Chinese black tea with the aroma of Mediterranean fruits and flowers, Bolero offers a rich, velvety flavor and smooth finish designed to be enjoyed without milk.”) is my favorite.
The mug is lovely! Kudos to Gordon! My favorite tea is Downton Estate Blend by Republic of Tea. It has to be bought though World Market. I am so willing to try Harney & Sons but it turns out I have several other addictions: books, quilting, buying fabric, drinking tea, pretty tea cups, and standard poodles. Since I have several years worth of tea, I am trying to drink down my stash before I invest in more. Enjoy your beverage!!!
Since you enjoy tea, I thought I’d share my tea drinking routine.
Before bed, fill 12 cup coffee pot with water. Hang 1 Twinings English Breakfast Tea bag + 2 Stash Green/White Fusion Tea bags in carafe. Press start to brew. Sometimes I even remember to turn the “keep warm” off before going to sleep.
In the morning, add 2 Stevia packets and stir. Then fill my 24 ounce Tervis (with lid) and microwave on high for 1:15.
Anything left in the pot gets stored in a Tervis to be re-nuked the next morning.
Yes, I am a Savage, uncivilized monster. 👹
I’d love that teapot but I have no idea if I could use it on a glass top stove.
Love Harvey & Sons too, although I’m more of a Yorkshire Gold gal myself (like the nuttiness in their flavor). I recently had a cold and got a ginger/honey/lemon jar of goo at Costco. I dissolved it in hot water and added some spiced rum and it was delicious!!
Name of goo, plz? Need an alternative to hot Vernors.
Balance Grow ginger, honey , citron tea — on Amazon as well: https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Citron-Ginger-Tea-4-4/dp/B082XHRK1F/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=balance+grow+honey+citron+and+ginger+tea&qid=1581182173&sprefix=balance+grow&sr=8-3
Balance Grow is the brand—you can find it at Amazon too! https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Citron-Ginger-Tea-4-4/dp/B082XHRK1F/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=balance+grow+honey+citron+and+ginger+tea&qid=1581182173&sprefix=balance+grow&sr=8-3
I drink tea often too but I skip the teapot and use a Keurig to pour boiling water over a teaball in my cup.
Those mugs are so pretty! If I weren’t overrun with mugs haha…
Interesting that all Russian Tea is chai. That may explain the mysterious ‘Russian Tea’ we used to drink when I was a kid in East TN. It was not very tea and not very Russian 😀
It was a mixture of instant tea and Tang as far as I recall. Probably some other spices in the mix as well. The taste actually was a bit reminiscent of chai (which I like).
I love H&S. I drink the London fog. It’s a black. I usually add a little vanilla and cool whip to it.
I laughed when I read about Gordon’s posh British accent declaring you should only drink the best tea. Have fun with the wee tea pot. 😀
I drink tea, but I cold brew it in a 2 gallon container. I have a 32 ounce to go mug that I drink the tea out of when I’m at work. I have noticed since I stopped drinking caffeinated soda, I also stopped drinking hot tea (unless it’s absolutely necessary to get my insides warmed up). No milk and no sugar in my tea. I got goofy looks from classmates of mine from India when I drank tea in front of them. Some gave me a disgusted look when I told them that I drank my tea straight up without milk and sugar. Oh well…….
Fun fact – the word ‘chai’ originated from India. It’s a Hindi word derived from Chinese word ‘cha’.
I always find it funny when people say I would like a chai tea.
To me being an indian, it means ‘I would like a tea tea.’
^Like. 🙂
After seeing the previous post of the beautiful tea cup (and Gordon was kind enough to post the link) I added it to my Amazon Christmas list and got one from my son! Mine has purple flowers and butterflies and I love it!
Harney & Sons has a Panyang Congou which is a delicate black for simply sitting in the sunshine and drinking tea. It makes me happy!
My darlings! David’s Tea! Canadian company stunning teas all kinds fruitvteas especially delish. Incredibly clever cup pots too. My favorite is AWESUM!! Thermos mug thingie with loose tea holder FIRMLY included to brew fresh hot literally throw in my tote and gone. Hot no leaks. Expensive but cup unit built like the pyramids. On line.
David’s Tea is awesome, I agree. I still haven’t bought the thermos mug thingie but I’m sure I’ll fall down the rabbit hole someday 😉
I too only make one cup of tea at a time. But I have a mug that includes a tea infuser and a lid, so I make it right in the mug. You can see what I use here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HEFCA92/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My current favorite tea is Chocolate Chai Supreme by Harney and Sons.
Tea Comments — fun!
(1) Love Harney & Sons (especially the Earl Grey); also love me some White Jasmine teas.
(2) I bought a couple of glass teapots last year, but missed the Wee Teapot. Definitely need to add that one to the herd.
(3) I have a small (about 2-cup?) teapot with a plunger, that you can depress after the appropriate brew time. It isolates the tea leaves from the water/brewed tea, and you do not get the bitter, overbrewed flavor. Or you can remove the basket with the tea leaves. I do not mind my second cup to be cold tea, or I microwave the second cup (as tea purists shudder in horror).
(4) pretty tea mugs! I also like the double-walled handle-less tea mugs (mine are from Republic of Tea); keeps the tea hot while not burning my hand, and concave (?) shape keeps it from slipping out of my hand. Since the first thing that happens when I get a new mug is that the handle breaks, I mostly use the handle-less. Have a cool ceramic one with Viking kitties on it.
Best conversation about chai in a very special movie
https://youtu.be/CFwdasQlPrc?t=54
I have the blue version of the pretty mug! I love it. Tea has become a thing for me, since I moved to the UK.
I love Harney & Sons too. My favorite is their Victorian London Fog. I love that tea so much!
It’s so nice of you to make the bf feel welcome.
I love some of the commoner teas — PG Tips. Stash Earl Grey. Tazo Chai (original, not organic) (new packaging for 2020). Bigelow Constant Comment decaf. Twinings English Breakfast loose leaf from the tin.
Harney makes a North Sea winter tea, East Frisian, that is so black and smokey. Maybe too heavy for Austin! It can take a heavy cream and some turbinado sugar. Shovel the driveway, drink the black tea.
I’ve been cold brewing tea (I didn’t even know that this was a thing!) but I have a bottle with a tea infuser, I put the tea in in the morning, fill with filtered water, and by lunch time I have a lovely tea to drink (I’ve even heated it, and found it lovely) the rumor is that it’s less bitter than hot brewed tea. I find measure your leaves carefully.
I have that very same cup! My daughter got it for me for Christmas a year and a half ago. Cracks me up to see you have it. Don’t ask me why, it just does! LOL My favorite tea is licorice or a spicy chamomile. Loose tea is available in NOLA, so I have no clue what the brand might be.Here’s a photo of that cup with my very favorite tea cup.
What a beautiful cup!
Love the mugs Gordon gave you ❤ I’m with you on the chai, blech. I’m a black tea drinker, 6 cup Brown Betty teapot all the way. The mini teapot is super cute but I’m afraid it wouldn’t even fill my 20oz mug! Hope the brain comes back soon!
Very Not Cool that the boyfriend pours out your tea.
Pitchfork Time!!!
What a beautiful cup. Gordon has good taste. However somebody would be having my size six surgically removed…
Love the Wee tea pot. It also seems a very reasonable price. Very tempting….
Hopefully the writing goes smoothly and the weekend too 😁
+1
Oh the evilness…I went to harney and sons website. I now have 4 tins of tea on the way. Luckily the have a 20% off sale for first time buyers. Oh and the mugs are amazing. Good luck with the writing!
I got my daughter the Harney & Sons sample package for Christmas. https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Assorted-Sampler-Different/dp/B0764JLLZG
Wow that’s like cool hotness….hot tea, that is! 🙂
Me and my mass produced mongrel tea will now just go sit over here with the chocolate and beam “good writing” thought at the favored authors!
It’s true–i like the cheap swill (CAN tea be swill??) just as much as the spendy stuff, so I don’t usually bother to do more than grab that box at the market 😉
But I’m sure the “good” tea is excellent brain fuel for writing! Go House Andrews!
I thought of this ninja teacup for when you fight the fight with your deadlines. It comes with it‘s own sieve 🙂
https://www.amazon.com/TEAEVE-Little-Ninja-Tea-Gold/dp/B00CS0JH18
I love the tea cup. I went to look at them. And then, I rolled on the floor with laughter for several minutes.
How is a tea cup funny you ask?
Well, when you are looking at items on Amazon the site likes to “upsell” you by showing you other items that people who view/purchased this item also purchased.
there are 3 items on my list. #2 is another tea cup in a different style – very pretty. #3 is a spoon for a tea cup (can’t afford the entire cup – just get the spoon). It is very lovely. But #1 on the list, the #1 item that people who buy this tea cup also purchase… Cottenelle, Adult flushable wet wipes. What are you saying about tea Amazon?
We like our loose Tea as well though we tend to use a different style of teapot.
https://www.amazon.com/Rishi-Tea-Simple-Loose-Teapot/dp/B008YDOKL0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=teaiere&qid=1581159166&sr=8-3
I don’t find the diffuser styles as good. But I have to say teaiere does sound a bit pretentious. It also works for coffee though not quite as well because it does not have the compression facility that a cafetiere has.
My yeti cup keeps anything hot for a very long time.
Yes!
That very same wee tea pot has been hanging out in my watch list for over a year. Might just be time to buy it!
I have a large teapot I got myself for my birthday 3 years ago. It is pfaltzgraff winterberry design. I stuck an infuser basket from a glass teapot in the top and it works perfectly for when I have time to drink a whole pot of tea.
But just the other day, I was in Ikea and found a small one cup teapot with infuser that works really well for those one cup and done days.
Random thought, why is it appropriate to drink tea in a glass but coffee needs to be in a ceramic mug? I do this and I don’t know why I do it!
silver lining: if he stands the test of time and it comes to the point when you need to think about a birthday gift or something for him, you already have the answer without wracking your brain (or non-brain as the writing-schedule situation may be)
I find the question of whether/what to give son’s gf as a gift very taxing.
I have a small obsession with Harney and Sons teas! So glad you are enjoying them. The wee teapot looks perfect!
I love the Harney teas especially the East Frisian. It’s a great picker upper. Their chocolate peppermint tea is tasty and as a bonus it helps kill cravings for sweets. Helpful if you are on a diet.
That teapot is adorable! If I’m making loose leaf for just myself, I use a teavana perfectea – not as classy, but I like the way it drains into the cup.
You’re a much nicer person than I would be if someone were constantly stealing my teapot. Especially a new boyfriend 😀 if I didn’t murder him, I would tell him to bring his own teapot.
Love the wee teapot…as well as it’s name! I think I’m going to have to get it!
That’s fascinating about Russian tea being chai. When I first moved to Vienna in 2011, I was stunned to find that TEA is hard to find here. Almost everything called tea is actually herbal tisane. When I asked for black tea at a restaurant, the waitress didn’t understand at first, and when she did, she blurted our “wie Russisch!” (Like Russian). Even in the grocery stores, black tea is Russian tea, and it is incredibly strong. Weird that there are so many Russians here and yet the stereotype continues.
———
* although you can find earl grey and English breakfast and etc. in the more upscale grocery stores.
My husband likes the cinnamon tea and I discovered the Barney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea at Barnes and Noble. He drinks about 3 cups a day so thank goodness they sell it all year long 😃
At my house the Harney & Sons Paris tea is called “Yummy Tea.” (They also make a decaf version.)
Paris tea is one of my favorites from Harney & Sons. I also love the Victorian fog, Which has a basis in Earl Grey. Their Tower of London blend is excellent. It has a hint of honey. The hot cinnamon tea is very good, too.
I love the Paris tea. Vanilla Comoro is great too. I just wish they would make Tower of London as a decaf tea. It is similar to Paris, but more of a honey flavor to it.
Thank you so much for this info on the tea pot & tea and beautiful cup. For the last few years my two sisters & I (along with our husbands) take our parents on their anniversary (63rd this year) to the historical Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora, FL (my parents love it). I am REALLY lousy at gifts. This was perfect. I have ordered the tea, tea pot & cup for each of us girls. My mom & sisters will love it. Dad’s gift will be up to the husbands. Thank you, again.
I like spiced tea but I’m also quite funny about Masala chai. I don’t like it black and I prefer it as a latte or very milky. I also don’t like too much cardamom in it and although I love cinnamon alot of places seem to be very heavy-handed with it. There’s also a weird love of adding honey to it in some shops which is yuck. You can make your own blend with Assam leaves which is best because then you can tailor it to your own flavour profile.
The teapot is cute, but why can’t kid’s bf remember that he’s a guest, and this is an issue he’s creating. My parents wouldn’t have been quite so understanding.
You should consider Choice teas (https://shop.choiceorganicteas.com/Original-Teas/c/ChoiceOrganicTeas@OriginalTeas). I particularly like the Earl Grey, Genmaicha and Oolong flavors. Even when oversteeped these are lovely tasting and slightly less costly than the Harvey & Sons (which I adore, but sometimes also feel less sensitive and more guilt-inducing to the environment in the individual bags). Also, if you’re looking for more manly mugs (of the husband variety), I got my husband for Christmas these Hydroflask mugs (https://www.hydroflask.com/skyline-series-12-oz-coffee-mug/color,black,a,92,o,20). You don’t feel the heat from the coffee/tea and they have a top when you have a kitten or insensitive dog who knocks over things.
I love Paris by Harney and Sons. Definitely my favorite flavor by them. But my all time favorite is Scottish Breakfast by Brodie and Sons. It’s an excellent strong black tea. Yummy!
I like your update because i was going to say i have plenty of teapots, small and otherwise, but i really like the pretty mug 😁… Not to say i don’t have plenty of mugs and cups as well, pretty or otherwise 🙄
Love tea! I have a tea cupboard and tea drawer both at home and work 🙂 I highly recommend Murchies Teas (125 years of tea!) They even have Canadian Blends – Rocky Mountain Blend – made for the Queen’s visit in 2005 and Bumbleberry Rooibos
So I have a really weird question for you. Actually, maybe I should give you some background first. I am a big fan of your work, I have all of your books and novellas on my kindle and I also have them in audible (I want to be Renee Raudman when I grow up!). Unfortunately a little while ago I had to get rid of all of my paperbacks as we ran out of space and needed room for the two (yes TWO) incoming new babies. One is named Nevada Raine… anyway…I have alreadys loved looking at my favorite book series all together on my book shelf, the works of art made me feel good about life. It hit me when I was trolling through pinterest looking at mini things that it would be so cool to make replicas of your book covers in mini form to enjoy. Now I have pictures of the front covers but I’m the type to want it done right. So here comes MY question. Is there anyway you might have all of your book covers with the full front, spine and back on one page? If so then I would really like to use them for my craft
See, that’s exactly why I brew my tea in my mug. Got a nice big mug with laser cut tea strainer and a lid, it does the job beautifully and I have one less thing to wash up
Paris has been my favorite for several years, such a smooth and tasty treat!!
Love the glass and enamel tea mug and spoon – great idea for presents for friends
Thanks sharing. I infuse cup by cup too.
That wee teapot is cute but those mugs are absolutely lovely. I wonder if they would make it in one piece to Australia. Hmmmm.
Thanks FOR sharing I meant.
It’s from Amazon-guaranteed. If it doesn’t make it in one piece-you send it back! Really, I use Amazon all the time and have sent back damaged items with no problem and have received a new one.
Ilone, thank you so much for sharing the links for the little tea pot and the gorgeous tea cups! I absolutely looove the cups!
Sorry-meant to say wee tea pot!!
Two weeks ago, I got a japanese cast iron teapot I lusted over for years. The price was ridiculously low, I couldn’t pass that up! Only hardcore tea drinkers understand the joy of a perfect teapot or a favorite cup.
But I never saw fancier cup than Ilona’s.
Harney & Sons is my favorite! I’m so glad you enjoy their tea! Since you like Paris, you may also enjoy Tower of Londan and Cranberry Autumn; they are both wonderful!
I’m so glad you added the link for the tea cups. I personally don’t like tea, but, my daughter does and I think she would love the cups. I love the cups and wouldn’t mind having some. I’ll have to work on my new Christmas list.
I have a ton of teapots of all sizes and yet my morning tea is always loose leaf steeped in an IKEA measuring cup (pours without dribbling or spilling) and filtered onto my cup using one of those $2 little strainers. It’s just easier to clean. Go figure.
I love what my co-workers call “wimpy tea”… Fruit and flower teas. And I have several tea pots: a gorgeous Chinese cast iron pot, a beautiful steel pot, and a delicate little glass pot, all of which I keep in storage because I prefer my single serving Bunn My Cafe brewer. But now I am really wanting this new Bru tea brewer, which allows you to set temperature and brewing time in a glass break g chamber that is removable for cleaning. My only reservation is that my favorite 20 oz tea glass will not fit under it! 😓
I am a wuss when it comes to tea. I always find it tasteless or too bitter. But I was on a cruise with Silversea and my husband (who LOVES tea, especially herbal blends) ordered the rooibos tea and it smelled delicious. So I ordered some and I LOVED it. I have ordered more for the house and am drinking it at every opportunity this winter. So good!
Ronnefeldt Leafcup Cream Orange – I highly recommend.
They have it Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T0HYOWE
I love Harney & Son’s tea. My current obsession falls in the infusion side – Cacao Shell tea that I first came across through oliverpluff.com. I love the richness of the chocolate smell without the heaviness of drinking cocoa. My other favorite comes from a tea shop,New Century Tea Gallery, in the International District in Seattle. They sell a green tea that comes from lands that they have a family connection to that is one of the best green teas I’ve had, though I love the rose buds they sell, I often toss some in to steep with other tea. The Rose Bud tea never fails to relax me, it is definitely not a wake me up option like the Cacao Shell tea.
Harney and Sons does good stuff, they and a Winter White Earl Grey that I love.
Harney and Sons does have good tea, but my favorite brand is STASH. They’re Christmas Eve tea in particular is amazing. Enjoy your new teapot!
I am going to go to loose tea (trying to do my part for reducing waste) so I am very much looking forward to any tea reviews you wanna post.
Off to buy a wee pot 🙂
If you are brewing tea by the cup/mug simply brew it in the cup of your choice with an infuser …
https://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B003TYJSNY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=36V4Y2FT4AO0O&keywords=for%2Blife%2Btea%2Binfuser&qid=1581344925&sprefix=for%2Bl%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-4&th=1
… or perhaps purchase a ceramic FORLIFE 15 ounce tea mug w/infuser and matching lid.
As for the purchase of teas — I found a delightful shop in Highlands NC called The Spice & Tea Exchange, the owner was very helpful and assured me that she would try and find whatever I requested.
Using the store locator function on the company’s website, it seems there is a shop in San Antonio located at 849 E. Commerce Street, Suite 121.
Now, if you were to have an extra signed copy of Clean Sweep lying about doing nothing but gathering dust, I’ll bet a grateful tea shop owner would bend over backwards to meet your needs, and if she/he wasn’t already a fan for life, they soon would be
OOOOOO I love Harney & Sons Paris! It’s just my second favorite of theirs however, Victorian London Fog is amazing! (as long as you like bergamot flavor however although it’s not strong)
https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Victorian-London-Ounce/dp/B077GC6VFV
I have recently fallen in love with the Republic of Tea’s HiCaf Breakfast Black – a really nice tea that doesn’t turn bitter when you are like me and forget to fish the tea bag out…
I too have a one cup infuser pot from Amazon but it totally annoys me as you cannot easily pour it without a mess. Does anyone have the one Ilona shows? Does it pour okay or does it also drip allover as you pour?
I got it and tried it yesterday and had no problems poring from it, after I realized that I needed to push the infuser down into the pot. You just push gently down and the infuser snaps into place. It holds 10 oz. of water with the infuser in. HTH
thanks for the update, the one I have, unless you snap the top off and take out the infuser, when you pour it drips all over
In college I depended on my trusty red Hot Pot to boil water for tea. Sleepy Time herbals were my go-to before midterms and finals; always managed a good night sleep after a mug of hot tea! ☕😴📚
One of my favorite loose tea is Fortnum & Mason’s Royal Blend. Absolutely dreamy. Yorkshire Gold by Taylor’s of Harrogate is also very good. Don’t you love the names? Makes me feel very posh 😊
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the posts. I laughed until tears were running down my face reading the “oops in the kitchen “ post. I have seen that feline stare many times.
Those mugs that Gordon got you are lovely. Enjoy. Me— I buy the cheapest Walmart has since the knucklehead pup loves to drop off the porch and watch shatter on concrete below.
Enjoy your feline Pride. It is fascinating to watch how they interact with each other, their humans, and outsiders. Canine Packs are quite different but fundamentally the same.
Titan and I enjoyed the snippet. Looking forward to the book.
Thanks for using Sizzle and Burn by Jayne krentz as your teaching example. I enjoyed reading it several years ago when I read the arcane society series.
I’ve never been much of a tea drinker, but after reading your blog post I decided to give it a try and bought the Paris tea. It’s really a beautiful tea! I ended up signing up for a tea of the month program to try more. Thank you 🙂
This is my big Christmas present. Holds 5 liters, can be set to a variety of temps (holds at temp as well), and has a quick reboil feature. I swoon daily.
In Turkey also, all tea is chai.
Ohhh those are lovely! But I don’t need them. But I want them! I’m very want so want trumps need. Thank you for the links!
What they said. Great recommendation. Sitting here with my hot cinnamon sunset tea right now.
Hope deadline things are still going acceptably! Darn fun little teapot, btw.
So this is stupid expensive teapot but it is the only kitchen gadget I own and I have never regretted getting it: https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BTM800XL-One-Touch-Tea-Maker/dp/B003LNOPSG/ . It has a timer and after the tea is done brewing, it pulls the basket of tea leaves out of the water so the tea doesn’t keep seeping. Might make an awesome xmas gift for you or something! =)
Harney & Sons Paris is my favorite tea! I’ve been under the weather and my friends just sent me a shiny new tin of it to cheer me up. I need to figure out where I put my electric kettle, because I feel bad about making nice tea in the microwave.
Wait so … All tea is chai means that literally every tea in Russia contains chai? Or the word chai is synonymous with tea, regardless of whether actual chai is present?
“Chai” is the word for tea in a lot of languages, as many or more than it is some version of “teh” https://www.liveabout.com/words-for-tea-around-the-world-765841
That we use “chai” to mean spiced tea in the US is kind of like how we use “a la mode” to mean “with ice cream” even though it’s simply that with ice cream was in fashion at the time that the phrase came over from France.
Love, love ,love these cups/ mugs!
I don’t need them but I am such a huge, drooling, fan that having the same cup and reading your books…well, I have already read EVERY SINGLE ONE. and now awaiting my pre- order to drop… will just lift my spirits beyond words! Ordering mine in red today! Thanks so much for the links!
Love, love ,love these cups/ mugs!
I don’t need them but I am such a huge, drooling, fan of you guys that having the same cup and reading your books…(well, I have already read EVERY SINGLE ONE, from every series and now waiting for my pre- order to drop)… will just lift my spirits beyond words! I can honestly say that your books are among the brighter highlights
of my life!
And It’s not like I don’t have a good exciting life, either! Ordering mine in red today! Thanks so much for the links!
Off topic for Ilona. Haven’t played the game, but the description sounds like something you’d enjoy. (And what the author considered a bug wouldn’t have bothered you at all. 😉)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/reviews/th-sector-an-inspired-sci-fi-game-point-view-spark/
Harney & Sons Paris is one of my favorites too. I’m going to splurge and get the Valentine’s Day and Tower of London blends next so if you have those and give them a try, I look forward to your reviews! 😉
Love Mini teapots and loose tea. My favorite Harney & Sons tea is Black Currant. I like most of their teas. I live near Boulder CO, where Celestial Seasonings is. Good thing I like tea! Their Tension Tamer is good hot or iced.
I found a tea blend that has cocoa nibs. They make the tea taste like chocolate. It is absolutely delicious. The company that makes it is the Summit Spice and Tea Company out of Anchorage, AK. I haven’t shopped around to see if other companies make something similar.
A lot of tea companies these days are making tea out of straight cacao husks – pretty tasty, very chocolatey!
I haven’t tried from this company, but found it on Google and it’s pretty much the same from any tea place I’ve had straight cacao husks – https://www.teasource.com/products/organic-cacao-herbal-tea?variant=8788409712676
Not much of a tea drinker, myself. Reading and stalking IA blog with fellow BDH is my favorite past-time.
Meanwhile….
I am currently at the edge of my seat reading TA White Age of Deception (book 2) of her new series as I try not to count the days to Emerald Blaze….
Summit Spice and Tea has been my go-to for years. But this year I ran out of the green tea with cherry I got as a gift and tracked down Paraffine’s on-line from Washington. Ended up with a Winter Tea full of many spices, Green and Serene with lemongrass and raspberry bits and a few others. The tea cabinet overfloweth!
Hope IA team had a nice Valentine’s Day. We went out for Hibachi dinner and I asked for hot tea as I really enjoy that with that style of food… I was shocked when it arrived in a tea pot that was so grimy I could scrape cut with my finger nail! 🤨
Ugh. So much tea. I have purchased so much tea because of this thread. I can only hope to live long enough to drink it all.
If you need a retail therapy break during your mad deadline rush, the brand of purses that you like is on sale at Zulily. They’re listed under Anushka and Anna by Anushka. They have purses, wallets, and shoes. Now, if you aren’t familiar with Zulily, the prices are usually better than normal, but sometimes there’s not much difference. I thought you might need a treat after all your hard work. 😊