Angela Webster McRae's Blog, page 66

Cocoa Mint Chill from Tiesta Tea

Any of the rest of you put on a few "pandemic pounds" over the last two years? Alas, I've regained some of the weight I'd worked so hard to lose, so I started the year by challenging myself to go a month without eating sugary treats, my big weakness. I'm perfectly fine with skipping dinner if I can have a fudge brownie or a Snickers Bar, so this has not been easy. I was looking online for a sweet-ish tea, and I found this Cocoa Mint Chill chocolate peppermint blend from Teaista Tea and placed an order. It couldn't get here fast enough!

This blend contains rooibos tea, peppermint, cocoa shell, cocoa nibs, natural flavors, and cornflowers. When I popped open the tin, I got a nice whiff of chocolate and peppermint, just as I'd hoped.

And it was so good! I find rooibos blends to be some of the sweetest, most dessert-like teas out there, and that was definitely the case with this one. I still want a fudge brownie, but I've almost made it to the halfway point of the month, so I'm trying to do that form-a-new-habit-in-21-days thing by refraining for another couple of weeks. What's your best trick (if you have one) for avoiding sweets?

Roses in winter

Winter is officially here, because it's turned cold, wet, and gray, which has me looking for loveliness and candlelight to dispel the gloom. Thrift stores so far in 2022 have been good spots for finding new rose-patterned tea wares, and these are some of the fun thrifted finds I found during this first week of the new year. (I've been buying goodies for my annual Valentine's Week giveaways as well, so don't miss them this year!)

The rose-strewn Japanese teapot, with a sticker on bottom that says Nasco, doesn't appear to have ever been used. I wasn't looking for a teapot, but it was just $1.99, and since I occasionally loan out my teapots to friends who want to borrow them for a tea, I realized this would be a happy loaner. 

This chintz saucer? Well, I couldn't resist a Clarence Bone China saucer that was 89 cents. Besides, it matches a tea trio I've got somewhere around here, and this will make a nice "spare" for that set.

Finally, on Saturday, the Goodwill in Rome, Georgia, turned up this rosy 99-cent tea trivet. I'd been wondering where to store all the tea trivets I've collected, and then an idea struck me: Why not just go ahead and put each one underneath a matching teapot? Problem solved.

So what's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Celestial Seasonings Vitamin C Shine

So what are you all sipping for National Hot Tea Month? I'd like to try something new, and preferably something citrusy (black or green, I don't care which), so if you have a favorite, please share! Meanwhile, I picked up an interesting new herbal blend from Celestial Seasonings at the grocery store this week.

Not too many years ago, I resisted the idea of choosing a tea for its health benefits. But now that I'm older and now that I'm trying to eat and drink smarter, I not only no longer resist that idea, I pretty much embrace it. So when I saw this Vitamin C Shine blend that claims it provides 130% of the  recommended daily value of Vitamin C per serving, I thought, "I'm in." According to Celestial Seasonings, the blend contains "bright oranges, floral rosehips, fruity blackberry leaves and tangy hibiscus."

As soon as I opened the box, I inhaled the scent of oranges. (And am I the only one who always opens that Celestial Seasonings box and irrationally hopes to find individually packaged tea bags inside instead of those for-some-odd-reason double tea bags?) When I sipped the tea, I couldn't decide whether it tasted more like hot orange juice or a heavy-on-the-oranges wassail. But don't be mistaken: I liked it! And I sip so many hot beverages over the winter that I'm perfectly fine with sipping some Vitamin C. Have any of you tried this blend?

A tea-themed shopping alert …

Let's see a show of hands: How many of you took typing in high school? Yes, you, you, and I see you, there in the back. Very good. So I am going to assume that like me, you learned to type this sentence: "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." (Yes, we still said "men" in those unenlightened days.) Well, I have another sentence for you: "Now is the time for all good tea-loving women to check out the sale racks at Talbots." What's in this shoebox, you ask?

Why, it's the amazingly cute shoes that Alex got me for Christmas thanks to a well-placed hint. Are these not the cutest shoes EVER?

One has a teapot!

And one has a teacup!

Have I worn them yet? No. They fit beautifully, but I need to wear them somewhere special, and I haven't been anywhere special yet in 2022. But Lord willing, I will. They're called the "Ryan Novelty" flats), and though they were $129 originally, they were reduced to $55 by the time I ordered them for Alex to surprise me with at Christmas. In addition to the shoes, the most recent Talbots offerings included quite a few tea-themed items, among them a sweater, a blouse, and a scarf (the scarf is now sold out online, but I'm going to look for it next time I'm near a Talbots store). So if any of these items are shouting to you as well, I'm happy to inform you that Talbots is having a 60-percent off sale, so now is a good time to head on over. Happy shopping!

To new beginnings!

I always love the first week of a new year, full of possibility, good intentions, and perhaps a little more reflecting on the year past. One thing I am grateful for and have been for almost 15 years now is those of you I've befriended through Tea With Friends, and I marvel at how well some of you know me even though we've never met face to face. Before I move on to all the fun 2022 things, I wanted to show you three lovely gifts I received from tea friends this Christmas. Susan B. sent something I'd never seen before, some Sweet Tea soap! It smells absolutely scrummy (yes, I've been watching lots of British TV), and I love that it was made there in her state of North Carolina.

And this tiny little teacup with the basket (or compote, maybe) of flowers? Michele in Ohio sent that for my desktop tree with the mini ornaments. Isn't it darling? I have always loved artwork depicting floral arrangements—in paintings, on dishes, and anywhere, really. Since I am slowly building my collection of mini ornaments, each of these is quite meaningful to me, and so far, I can remember how I acquired all of them.

And last but by no means least, Cara in Iowa surprised me with this darling ornament that immediately went on my full-sized tea-themed tree (which, alas, I failed to photograph this year). I had never seen this particular design, dated 2007, which she assures me she found at a thrift store for a good price.  How clever that the designer used forks, spoons, and sugar cubes for the limbs and feet. I *love* thrifted ornaments, and I greatly value thrift store gifts because of the thoughtfulness that goes into finding them.

Along with the ornament, which arrived on Christmas Eve, she included some fun stickers with the timely message to "make time for tea." These went straight into the pocket of my new bullet journal for the year. The plan? I'm going to try to create more tea "occasions" this year, even if (thank you, pandemic) they don't include a full-fledged tea party for a while. Maybe I can use them to mark giving someone a special delivery of scones? Or maybe I'll mark the day I come across a longed-for teacup? Or maybe I'll write a tea-themed short story and submit it for publication somewhere? Whatever the case, these charming stickers will be used to mark tea milestones in the year ahead, and I am delighted to have them.

One milestone I'm looking forward to: Tea With Friends will be 15 years old in March. I'm planning to mark the anniversary in some unique ways that I hope you will appreciate, so stay tuned!

An early wish for a Happy New Year!

 

2021 tea gifts from family

Some years, I get tea gifts for Christmas, and some years, I don't, and I'm just grateful for any gift someone gives with me in mind. At my family celebration on Christmas Day, I got several gifts that actually work pretty well together!

My niece Cari has now joined the grown-ups in buying gifts for everyone, which was a pleasant if unexpected surprise. I was so touched that she got me this pretty white pearlized teacup! I love the scalloped shape of the saucer, and I think of her whenever I use this set.

I was shopping with Aunt Jane at an antique mall last month when she spotted this Sadler teapot and asked if I would like "this pretty teapot with the roses on it" for Christmas. Before answering, I checked the price, which was quite a bargain, and said why yes, that would be lovely, and she was so happy when the clerk offered to wrap it for her in a pretty gift bag. I'm a little concerned that *she* spotted a Sadler before I did, but hey, she found me a lovely gift!

And my oldest niece, Madison, gave both Alex and me cup warmers to use at our desks, which I thought was a clever idea for two writers who like their coffee and tea. So did you receive any tea gifts for Christmas? I'd love to hear about them.

"Twisted Tea Christmas" by Laura Childs

 

Did you all have a nice Christmas? We did, and one thing I enjoy about the time between Christmas and New Year's is a little extra time for reading books and watching old movies. On Christmas Eve, Alex and I watched the 1947 movie The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young, which was quite enjoyable. And over the weekend, I also finished reading the latest tea shop mystery from Laura Childs, Twisted Tea Christmas.
I believe this is the first time Childs has released two books in the same year, and I would be delighted if she makes this a habit. I greatly enjoyed reading this book at Christmastime, and boy, could I relate to tea shop owner Theodosia's busy schedule, trying to keep work afloat while she shops for Christmas gifts and enjoys a few holiday social events. 
The story begins at a fancy Christmas party Theodosia is catering at the home of Drucilla Heyward, a famous philanthropist in Charleston, but before the night ends, Miss Drucilla ends up on the floor with a syringe in her neck, murdered before she could even announce the names of the nonprofits who were going to benefit from her largesse. Some expensive rings are missing from her body, and a Renoir she had purchased is missing from the home as well. Naturally, Theodosia finds herself right in the middle of the murder investigation, and the list of suspects is long: Miss Drucilla's personal assistant, the executive directors of the various nonprofits who were hoping for a gift, an art dealer, her nephew, and more.
Christmas is just days away, and Theodosia's sleuthing happens in spurts between some of the many delightful teas that she is hosting with the help of her chef, Haley, and tea sommelier, Drayton. I greatly enjoyed reading about the food and decor for the Nutcracker Tea, the White Christmas Tea, the Old-Fashioned Southern Tea, and the Victorian Christmas Tea. My mind started churning with ideas for a themed tea of my own next Christmas.
As ever, the town of Charleston is a character in its own right in this book, and their tourism board ought to give Laura Childs a key to the city since she makes so many of us want to go there and book a stay at a B&B—along with afternoon tea, of course.
This mystery was a tough nut to crack, and the red herrings were plentiful, making it even more fun to try to solve. If you haven't already discovered this book, it would make some particularly fun reading this week!

Merry Christmas!

 

Tea gifts for grammar nerds

I was expecting several packages to arrive yesterday, including some vintage Christmas tea-and-toast sets that I am eager to receive, but the big box outside the door last night didn't contain them as I'd expected. Instead, it was a totally unexpected gift from a writer friend who lives in the North Georgia Mountains, and I can only wonder where she shops, because these were things I absolutely would've wanted had I known about them.

Check out this tea towel with proofreaders' marks! What a clever idea for a tea towel. There's also a fun game featuring "Dreyer's English," which also happens to be the name of the fun book I read a while back by Benjamin Dreyer, the copy chief of Random House. It was definitely enjoyable reading for grammar geeks, so I know the game will be a fun one for Alex and me. (Hoping I'll win!)

But this mug, y'all. I've seen mugs about the Oxford comma but never one with "Tea, Novels, and Oxford commas." That's one of the best mugs I've ever seen! (And I would like to report that I have not set foot in a store in four days. Yippee! I'm happy to stay home and read and drink tea!)