Need a Gift Idea?

With Christmas lea month away you are probably trying to finish your shopping quickly.

Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv has the answer. Everyone loves tea! And everyone drinks tea at some point whether hot or cold.

Check out these great gift ideas:

Under $15

- Clear Glass & Plastic Tpot 24 oz.
1 oz loose tea (makes 3 pots of tea)

- Cinnamon Apple Scone Mix
12 Vanilla Cream Teabags
Honey Sticks

- Demitasse Stick
1 oz loose tea
Tea Ball Infuser w/Charm

- Sample Bag Special (tea bags)
Pouch Mugs

Need more ideas? Contact me and I can customize a gift for you. You can even have your order gift wrapped and sent direct.


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Teacup Candle

Take that old teacup and turn it into a useful item such as a candle.

What You'll Need:

Tea Cup with Saucer
White Birthday Candle
White Candle Wax
Tacky Glue
Metal Can (coffee or soup can)
1 Crayola crayon
Tongs

1. Glue cup and saucer together with tacky glue. Let dry.

2. Fill your tea cup with hot water to warm the teacup. If you don't warm up the tea cup when the hot wax goes in it will shatter.

3. Fill a small pot with water and set it to boil.

4. Break up the wax into small pieces so that it will melt easier and place it into your clean soup can.

5. Shave a few pieces off the crayon into the wax. A pencil sharpener works well for this.

6. Once the water is boiling place the soup can into the boiling water holding it in place with tongs.

7. Empty the water from the tea cup and dry thoroughly.

8. Stir wax to ensure color is fully mixed. Can leave unmixed for an interesting marble effect. When the wax has fully melted into a liquid, slowly, and cautiously pour it into the tea cup to desired height.

8. When wax is almost completely hardened but still pliable use a skewer or nail to create a hole in the center.

9. Place the birthday candle into the center. To give it a smooth finish melt a small amount of wax and pour it over the top of the candle. The birthday candle will make a perfect wick for your little candle.

10. Let sit overnight before lighting.

Enjoy!

This is a wonderful gift!


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Loose Tea vs Tea Bags

If your idea of a good cup of tea starts with plain tea bags from the grocery store, you are likely missing out on a great tea experience.

If you are buying from a quality tea merchant such as Teaporia you can get quality tea in a teabag. For this comparison we are discussing common teas found on grocery store shelves.

There are some excellent bagged teas out there, made up of whole tea leaves. Quality tea merchants often carry bags as well as loose. For this discussion we are talking about generic teas found on grocery store shelves.

The main difference between loose teas and bagged teas is the size of the leaves. That's what effects the cup of tea you drink. Tea leaves contain chemicals and essential oils, which are the basis for the flavor of tea. When the tea leaves are broken up into smaller pieces, these oils can evaporate, leaving a dull and tasteless tea. Typical tea bags are filled with the smallest pieces of broken leaves, called fannings. Loose teas are typically whole leaves or at least large pieces of leaves.

On top of the leaf size, there is also the space factor. Tea leaves need space to swell, expand and unfurl. Good water circulation around the leaves is important, which doesn't typically happen in a cramped little tea bag.

Typical tea bags often sit in warehouses and store shelves for an unspecified about of time. You may get a stale tea because of this. If you have never tried loose tea, you may not even know there is a difference.

Even if you prefer a simple cup of black tea, try your tea loose instead of in bags. If you enjoy a change now and again, you can get a wide variety of teas in bags from a quality merchant such as Teaporia, but there are many more to choose from if you shop for loose tea.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Holiday Fair

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Holiday Fair
12pm-8pm EST
So Chic Bag Boutique Party Room

You could win a gift certificate from So Chic Bag Boutique or Teaporia!
Teaporia will be presented at 4:00pm EST on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Come shop and have a great time!

Great sales! Great companies! Great prizes!

Vendor slots are still available! Reserve yours before they are gone! Visit the So Chic Bag Boutique Party Room for more information.


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Different Tea, Different plant?

Does green tea come from a different kind of plant then black tea? Surprisingly, even some botanists thought so during the 17th and 18th centuries. Tea traders were not allowed to travel inside China and see how tea was produced. Tea plants and seeds were first obtained from China in the early 19th century, along with the know-how for manufacturing tea. Soon after the British discovered tea plants growing wild in India. It wasn't until 1905 that the tea plant received its official Latin name, Camellia sinensis. This single plant can be processed to produce green tea, black tea, or something in between.

Only one the camellia sinensis gives us tea leaves. The difference in color and flavor simply depend on how the leaves are processed. For black tea the tea leaves are exposed to air, or allowed to oxidize. Green teas are less processed to preserve the green color and delicate flavor. Oolong tea is between black and green.

Camellia sinensis is native to mainland South and Southeast Asia but today is cultivated across the world in tropical and subtropical regions. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below six feet in height when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white with 7 to 8 petals.

The seeds of camellia sinensis can be pressed into tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil. This should not be confused with tea tree oil which originates from the leaves of a different plant.

The leaves of the camellia sinensis are 4–15 cm long and 2–5 cm broad. Fresh leaves contain about 4% caffeine. The young, light green leaves have short white hairs on the underside are preferably harvested for tea production. Older leaves are deeper green. Different leaf ages produce differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different. Usually, the tip (bud) and the first two to three leaves are harvested for processing. This hand picking is repeated every one to two weeks.

Kukicha (twig tea) is also harvested from camellia sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves. This tea is commonly sold as a green tea but can be found on more oxidized blends.

Herb teas are not made from camellia sinensis and therefore not actually tea. Because they are "brewed" in a similar fashion they have been adopted as a herb tea.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Guacamole Chicken Tea Sandwiches

24 white bread slices (other bread flavors may be substituted)
1 cup guacamole, fresh (recipe below) or prepacked
2 cooked chicken breasts, thinly sliced
mayonnaise
3-inch round cookie cutter


Spread 1 side bread with guacamole. Spread 1 side of another piece of bread with mayonnaise. Top guacamole with chicken and then mayonnaise-smeared bread. Use 3 in cookie cutter to create round shapes or slice into rectangles or triangles.


Guacamole:

4 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, peeled and seeded
1 ripe, medium Roma tomato, seeded, diced
1/2 cup minced sweet white onion
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Cut avocado in large chunks and mash coarsely in large bowl with a fork

Add remaining ingredients and blend gently; leaving some small chunks is fine

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Mashed Tea Sweet Potatoes

This dish would be great as an alternative to traditional candied yams at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

8 oz. brewed Cream Irish Breakfast tea or Pumpkin Spice from Teaporia
1 15oz. Can of sweet potatoes
1/2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/8 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Cinnamon (optional)
1/8 Nutmeg (optional)


Drain sweet potatoes, place them into a bowl, and rinse them lightly. This gets rid of the excess syrup.

Cut sweet potato chunks into smaller pieces - about 1/2' cubes. Pour enough tea into the bowl to mostly cover the sweet potatoes about 3/4 cup. Soak sweet potatoes for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring the sweet potatoes to make sure all of them are soaked in the tea. Drain the sweet potatoes.

Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan on low to medium heat, stirring frequently. The potatoes will begin to soften and get mushy. Add up to 1/4 cup of the remaining tea to the sweet potatoes. For firmer mashed potatoes add less liquid.

Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork as you continue heating and stirring them. Continue heating and stirring the sweet potatoes until you can't see any excess liquid.

Add a dash of salt - no more than about 1/8 tsp. Add butter and brown sugar. Continue heating and stirring the sweet potatoes until the butter and brown sugar are dissolved and thoroughly mixed in.

Continue heating and stirring the sweet potatoes for another minute or two adding in cinnamon and nutmeg if desired. Remove from heat. Serve while still warm.

Recipe can be adjusted by adding more sugar or placing mashed potatoes in 8x8 square baking pan, add dollops of marshmallow cream and heat until marshmallow cream is lightly browned.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Tea Turkey Brine

1 turkey (12-16 lbs work well, can use larger bird)
1-3 gallons of water
1 cup salt (kosher preferred but table will do fine)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 quart apple juice
2 whole lemons
3 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup loose Oolong Orange Blossom or Apple Spice tea from Teaporia


Add 1 gallon of water, salt, and sugar to large pot and place over high heat until it simmers, stirring to completely dissolve the salt and sugar. Once salt and sugar is dissolved, add remaining ingredients and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature.

Add the turkey to the brine. Add more water to ensure turkey is fully submerged.A 5 gallon plastic bucket or large stainless steel pot works well. Weight it down, so it is completely submerged, cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour per pound (12lb turkey = 12 hours). A stainless steel lid with cans of food or brick works well to weigh turkey down.

After desired time has passed, remove from brine. Rinse if desired and pat dry. Roast or fry turkey as usual.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Cranberry & Tea Sauce

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brewed Cranberry-Orange (available in loose tea or tea bags) or Decaf Orange Spice (available in tea bags) tea from Teaporia. Brew as directed.

Pour one 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries into a colander. Rinse well with cold water, sort out any stems or soft berries. Frozen cranberries can be used. No need to thaw them before using.

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup brewed Cranberry-Orange or Decaf Orange Spice in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then carefully stir in cranberries. Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the cranberry mixture into a heat-proof bowl for sauce with whole fruit. Mash through mesh strainer for smooth sauce. Cover and let stand until cooled completely. Refrigerate. Mixture with thicken as it cools. Store sauce in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yields 2 1/4 cups of prepared sauce. Store covered in refrigerator for up to one week


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Loose Tea On The Go

Even loose tea lovers can have the convenience of single serve teabags without sacrificing any quality.

The T-Sac size 1 is for making a single serving of tea. There is a gusseted bottom to allow the tea to expand and release all of its flavor. The T-sac is unbleached and chlorine free.

The rule of thumb for determining how much tea to use when making a cup is to use 1 teaspoon for every 6 to 8 oz. cup. Of course you can add more or less depending on how strong you enjoy your tea. Place a teaspoonfull of your favorite loose tea from Teaporia in a t-sac and brew as you would normally. Tea leaves can be reused for more infusions, you just need to reuse the t-sac a second or third time.

This is a great way to take your tea with you on the go. Create as many as you need for the

Order your t-sacs and favorite tea at Teaporia.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Herb Tea Bath

Relax in a luxurious herbal tea bath. Create for yourself or for easy gift giving.

1oz Lavender tea from Teaporia
1oz Spearmint tea from Teaporia
1 oz Chamomile tea from Teaporia
1oz Rosebuds and petals tea from Teaporia
1oz Jasmine tea from Teaporia
1oz Japanese sencha green tea from Teaporia
½ cup ground, unflavored oatmeal (you can easily grind this up in your blender)
½ cup powdered milk

Mix all ingredients well and add up to 1/2 cup to hot bath and relax

For a herbal salt tea bath:
omit oatmeal and milk and add 4 cups epson salt, mix well with Teaporia teas.

Herbal tea bath can be added directly to water or use an infuser ball to hold ingredients.


Gift ideas:

Place up 1/2 cup into organza bag with a handmade ingredient card attached.

Recycle old dyer towels and add 1/2 cup to center, pull edges to center, tie with satin ribbon.

Place up to 1 cup of the herbal tea bath in a tulle circle, tie with ribbon, place into an old teacup glued to a saucer, add a teaspoon and wrap. Received of the gift an add the herbal tea bath as needed with the teaspoon.

Add to recycle baby food jar, wrap top with a cloth circle, and tie off with a ribbon or raffia.

Place in a large sugar shaker for a fun twist.

Place in pepper shaker (recommended to drill holes bigger)

Add to mini baby bottles decorated with pink or blue ribbon, and mini pacifier for a baby shower favor

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Cucumber Tea Sandwich

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves or fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
6 slices of white bread (other bread may be substituted)
3-inch length of cucumber

Remove stems, rinse, and dry quickly

Chop leaves into small pieces

Place the cream cheese, butter, and leaves into a bowl and mix well.

Spread the mixture on the bread.

Slice the cucumbers thinly. For more of a crunch slice thicker. Place on one side of bread slices. Assemble sandwich.

Slice the crusts off assembled sandwiches. Slice sandwich into rectangles or triangles.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Our Winners Are...

I am feeling generous today so everyone was entered to win!



Drum roll please?








Our winner of a gift pack to include tea and scone mix of their choice from Teaporia is:



Jacquie

Timestamp: 2009-11-14 14:28:12 MST



Our winners to receive a tea sampler from Teaporia are:



Stefanie Zucker
Dana
The Working Mama
Rene'
Eight Helping Hands

Timestamp: 2009-11-14 14:28:40 MST



Congratulations to all our winners!

You can still enjoy great teas and mixes from Teaporia. Shop now and enjoy our vast selection of teas and mixes.

Not sure what to try? Contact me for a special sample selection for only $5 (shipping included). Receive 5 sample bags of loose tea (enough for 2 cups per bag) plus 10 t-sacs to make your own teabags.

Vanilla Chai Latte

As the cooler months approach, settle in with a wonderful chai tea. Unless you have an espresso machine, making a true latte can be difficult. Not to worry. You can make something very close and just as warm and delicious.

Brew a cup of Vanilla Chai Tea from Teaporia as directed. Add warm milk, sweetened condensed milk as desired, pinch of cinnamon, and top with whipped cream.

Its warm, delicious, and wonderfully relaxing.

Order your favorite chai tea at Teaporia

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Veterans Day

Thank you to all of those who have served and currently serving our country faithfully.

Thank you for our service and sacrifices.

What is a Tea Sandwich?

A tea sandwich is a small sandwich intended to be eaten at afternoon tea time.

The tea sandwich may come in many different forms but should be easy to handle and should be capable of being eaten in two bites. It may be a long, narrow sandwich, a triangular half-sandwich, or a small biscuit. It may also be cut into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter such as hearts and stars.

The bread is traditionally white, thinly sliced, and buttered. The bread crust is cut away clean from the sandwich after the sandwich has been prepared but before serving. Modern bread variations might include wheat, sour dough, or rye.

Fillings for a tea sandwich are light, and delicate in proportion to the amount of bread. Spreads might include cream cheese, mayonnaise mixtures, fresh vegetables such as radishes, cucumber, or watercress. The cucumber tea sandwich in particular is considered the quintessential tea sandwich. Other popular tea sandwich fillings include pimento cheese, smoked salmon, jam, chicken, and egg salad.

Tea sandwiches are flavorful. Tea sandwich recipes are savory fare, not sweet. Save the sweet for the scones and cookies.

Each tea sandwich is spread with soft butter or cream cheese, or something similar, to prevent soggy sandwiches. Peanut butter with banana slices or jelly is just right for a children's tea party.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

English Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
60 walnut or pecan halves, toasted



Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour.

2. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into greased miniature muffin cups; flatten slightly. Press a walnut half into the center of each.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

November Flavor of the Month

November has 4 delicious flavors to enjoy this month.


Cranberry (teabags only): SEASONAL - The fruity flavor of the season. Delicious as an after dinner tea spiced with a cinnamon stick!


Cranberry-Orange (loose tea & teabags): SEASONAL - The fruity and piquant nature of cranberry combined with the intense flavor of orange creates an amazing taste sensation. Add 1 or 2 cloves in your teapot or use clove honey for a wonderful flavor.



Chocolate Mint (teabags only): If you love hot cocoa, give this tasty tea a try! So much flavor, so few calories! Add a touch of half and half for a smooth and rich taste.


Pumpkin Spice (loose tea only): Notes of cinnamon and pumpkin abound. A cup is like the "nip" in the air during northern autumns. Try condensed milk with your next cup for a fabulous cold weather treat.

Visit Teaporia to purchase these and other great flavors this month brought to you by Tea Time with Liv

What is Tea?

If you were like me, you drink tea often but never thought about what exactly tea is. Here is some answers to what is tea and what is the type of tea you are drinking.

Teas are made from the same plant, camellia sinensis. Camellia sinensis is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea.What makes tea different is the process they go through.

White tea
Unwilted and unoxidized. White tea contains buds and young tea leaves, with higher caffeine than older leaves.

Yellow tea
Unwilted and unoxidized but allowed to yellow. Yellow tea usually implies a special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase, where the damp tea leaves are allowed to sit and yellow.

Green tea
Wilted and unoxidized. Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing.

Oolong
Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized. Oolong (Wulong) Teas are categorized between green and black teas. Their flavors vary in taste & character and bring complexity and depth that are not always present in other types of tea.

Black tea
Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas.

Herbal tea
Herbal teas can be made with fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, seeds or roots and contains no tea leaves. Therefore these are not actual teas.

Rooibos
Rooibos are a broom-like member of the legume family of plants. This is a type of herbal tea.

Chai
Tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.

English Tea
Tea blended and mixed with various other plants in order to obtain a specific flavor. Example: Earl Grey - black tea with bergamot oil.

Organic
Organic teas come in different varieties and are grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Tea Blossoms

These flowering tea blossoms will change the way you think about tea. Place a blossom into the teapot (preferably a CLEAR teapot to enjoy the visual effect), pour in boiling water and magically watch as this blossom transforms itself into a beautiful flower right before your eyes!

LONGING HEART (pictured at left) - the infusion on this blossom is a very light green and contains a premium green tea and chrysanthemums.

Chrysanthemums in tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza.

Green tea contains polyphenols which are thought to improve health.

Allow to steep for 3 minutes or to your desired strength. Do not leave the flower in the pot if you are not going to infuse again the same day. Each pod is reusable and makes 2-4 pots of tea...depending on how long you infuse each pot.

Order your Longing Heart Tea Blossom from Teaporia and watch the magic of the blossom infusion in your teapot.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Tenderize Meat with Tea

1. Fill a pot with water and set on the stove. Set the burner so that the water in the pot heats but doesn't boil.

2. Spoon 4 tbs. of black tea leaves into the pot. Stir the tea leaves into the water to ensure that all tea leaves are moistened.

3. Steep the tea for approximately 5 minutes. Check on the tea regularly to ensure adequate heating for steeping. Increase the heat and add a few minutes to the steeping time, if needed.

4. Take the pot off the burner and strain the leaves from the water. Mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar into the water until it dissolves completely.

5. Unwrap 3 lbs. of meat and season it to taste using salt, onion, pepper and garlic powder.

6. Transfer the seasoned meat into a Dutch oven. Pour the water and tea mixture into the Dutch oven so that it covers the meat.

7. Cook the meat at 325 degrees F for about 90 minutes. The meat should be tender enough to slice with only a fork.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv