The Tea Life Style 2020 May June by Jennifer C. Petersen

The Tea Life Style™

Inside This Issue Tales from the Tea Fields - Part 4 – Charity Chalmers The Tea Exchange – Chanel No 5 – Jennifer Stowe Allow Me to Introduce – Antoon Jurgens . – Jennifer Petersen Embrace Spring Teas en plein air– Jennifer Stowe Excuse me. You did WHAT to my tea? Jennifer Sullivan Tea in the Garden – Melanie Holsti Blossom Arts™ Fashion Corner with Vanilla Beane – Julia Stowe The Novel Tea's Bookshelf – Ellen Arden-Ogle Tea Recipes You Can't Live Without Tea Business Guide

Issue 4 – 2020 May-June

The Tea Life Style™

Charity Chalmers Chariteas Oregon/Multi-national

Ellen Arden-Ogle The Novel Tea Shop Sacramento, CA

Melanie Holsti The Ironstone Cottage Tearoom Mountain Grove, MO

Kelly Hackman The White Heron Tea & Gifts Driftwood Tea Port Richey, FL

Jennifer C. Petersen Tea Trade Mart Tea Mastermind Coach Vancouver, WA

Jennifer Stowe Three Sisters Tearoom Mid-TN Tea Association Campbellsville, TN

Jennifer Sullivan Southern Royal Tea NC Wake Forest, NC

Julia Stowe Blossom Arts & Innovations Fine Arts Education Franklin, TN

The Tea Life Style: Call for Writers, Stories & News Items ABOUT THE TEA LIFE STYLE News features stories on tea education, tea research, business, and culture written for and by specialty tea professionals. THE TEA LIFE STYLE's bi-monthly publication, - gives voice to the specialty tea community around the globe. Each issue opens with The Road Less Traveled, a roundup of news from the tea world, collected with assistance from staff, volunteers, and our community. TLS regularly features origin stories, tea in history, newly released research, insights from related industries, explorations of the intersections of tea and design, viewpoints, and interesting destinations. CALL FOR RECOMMENDATIONS We invite you to request a TLS writer's guideline agreement or to submit any recent and topical news items for The Tea Life Style; recommend your favorite authors; or suggest interesting stories that you would like us to consider for inclusion in the news. Alternatively, you are very welcome to email us your leads to Hello@TheTeaLifeStyle.com Thank you! Julia Stowe designed our fantabulous logo. Blossom Arts founder, Julia Stowe is a graphic designer specializing in logos for small businesses and republishing out-ofprint classic works of literature. Additionally, she’s earned several herbalist certifications and teaches herbal workshops and lectures. Ms. Stowe is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in English through the University of London. The Tea Life Style™ is published bi-monthly by Tea Trade Mart, 800 NE Tenney Rd, 110-429, Vancouver, WA 98685. Digital download subscriptions are free. Printed subscriptions USA: 6 issues $19.95. To SUBSCRIBE: To receive our free newsletter and online exclusives, log on to www.TeaTradeMart.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE: For service to your subscription including renewal, change of address or other Customer service matters, send an email to CustomerService@thetealifestyle.com. ARTICLE REPRINTS: Call 360-433-9454. ARTICLE PROPOSALS and unsolicited articles can be emailed to Hello@TheTeaLifeStyle.com or mailed to Editor at 800 NE Tenney Rd, 110-429, Vancouver, WA 98685. The Tea Life Style cannot process manuscripts or art material and we assume no responsibility for their return. ©2019 The Tea Life Style Partners. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission. Printed in the U.S.A.

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Part IV - Tea stories from the roads less traveled ™

produce PPEs and other equipment. Tireless hours are going into researching a vaccine that will eventually save many lives. Sweet treats and food deliveries are showing care to international students stuck in foreign countries. Tea donations to nurses are providing some relaxation in their otherwise stressful days. And the list could go on and on and on. It is through service that we as humans become better people. As I reminisce about my tea travels, I'm reminded time and again about the importance of this concept. How many times did people end up helping my colleagues and me by coordinating various accommodations, food, and sharing many cups of tea?

This year began like no other as I had the opportunity to ring in the New Year at Disneyland. I was full of happy feelings for the new decade and the years to come, but it seems life had other plans. These days it feels as if there are hardships and challenges all around. Yet amid all the lemons life has thrown my way, I'm finding small rays of hope in many places. People are rising to the challenge and serving others.

Jingdezhen Pottery Museum On a previous trip to Jingdezhen, a pottery community hosted my team over lunch. The highlights of the discussion included using pottery for serving cups of tea and a rehabilitation project of coral reefs. In each of those points, people were going out of their way to help that around them. While this may seem minute in the grand scheme of life, it is precisely this that provides hope for a better future. Tea Service in Wuyi China Fashion designers and engineers are helping the front liners by sharing their knowledge of textiles and materials to

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Pottery Lined Up for Production If I've learned anything in 2020 so far, it is that through people helping others, our world might just be left in a better place than the one today. May each one of you find those rays of hope and joy in this season. As I finish off this article, I want to leave you with the challenge of trying some new green teas. Like traveling to some far-out place, it is in trying something new that we learn, grow, and discover beautiful memories.

Author bio: Avid traveler and podcaster, Charity Chalmers, owns Chariteas LLC, a thriving tea company that focuses on sourcing tea from tea gardens on the road less travelled. Charity, a Certified Tea Specialist by the Specialty Tea Institute USA, has been in the field since 2006. E-mail: Charity Chalmers

Jingdezhen porcelain is Chinese porcelain produced in or near Jingdezhen in southern China. Jingdezhen may have produced pottery as early as the sixth century BC, though it is named after the reign name of Emperor Zhenzong, in whose reign it became a major kiln site, around 1004. By the 14th century it had become the largest center of production of Chinese porcelain, which it has remained, increasing its dominance in subsequent centuries. From the Ming period onwards, official kilns in Jingdezhen were controlled by the emperor, making imperial porcelain in large quantity for the court and the emperor to give as gifts. Although apparently an unpromising location for potteries, being a remote town in a hilly region, Jingdezhen is close to the best quality deposits of petuntse, or porcelain stone, in China, as well as being surrounded by forests, mostly of pine, providing wood for the kilns. It also has a river leading to river systems flowing north and south, facilitating transport of fragile wares. The imperial kilns were in the center of the city at Zhushan (Pearl Hill), with many other kilns four kilometers away at Hutian. It has produced a great variety of pottery and porcelain, for the Chinese market and as Chinese export porcelain, but its best-known high quality porcelain wares have been successively Qingbai ware in the Song and Yuan dynasties, blue and white porcelain from the 1330s, and the "famille rose" and other "famille" colors under the Qing dynasty.

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A place where ideas are shared and our beloved brew is celebrated! Chanel No 5

small and flavorful morsels were available to the guests. Mother would

The smell of Chanel No 5 and the unique swishing sound that only crinoline can make tickle my senses and prompt me to recall rich memories of my mother from my childhood.

fix her plate, set it at her place on the small square table, then go back and fill a plate for me. Since everyone knows a card table has exactly four chairs for the

Having mostly older friends, my mother was often 15-20 years junior to the ladies with whom she’d a monthly tea luncheon and bridge game. Being so much younger, she was the only lady with a child of preschool age. What to do with me on the first Tuesday of each month? A sitter? Never! Mother brought me with her.

four players, I would sit on the floor close to Mother’s chair. As the meal was consumed and the playing commenced my presence was pushed to the background and this is when I would slowly inch my way under the square card table, under the overflowing lace table cloth and have the best afternoon of the whole month! Alive with imagination under the table with my doll, I passed many happy hours. The lovely look of silk-encased legs in slender-tipped high-heeled shoes, crossed at the knee and swinging back and forth, the large linen napkins draped protectively over dry-clean-only dresses and the soft sounds of gentle female conversation engulfed me, lulling me to relaxation and at times I would drift off to dreamland. Today, I’ve 3 beautiful and feminine daughters, the eldest of which is now playing bridge with a gathering of ladies as old as her grandmother. Although she does not dress for the date as grandly as Mother once did, she does don a pretty skirt and pearls. As I watch her go I am sure I can catch a whiff of Chanel No 5...

I learned a lot about being a lady from those women in my

Love,

mother’s bridge club. Mother would dress for the date in silk stockings, spectator pumps, a short, full (and swishing) afternoon dress. Pearls, full make-up, hat, gloves, and a dab of scent rubbed between her wrists completed the look. She was beautiful, petite, and feminine and I wanted to be just like her. After her grooming was done, she turned her attentions to me and I received a similar treatment minus the make-up and high heels, of course, but I was allowed a drop of her beloved Chanel No 5. I was allowed to bring only my doll and blanket neatly packed in a

Author Info: Tea and etiquette consultant, Jennifer Stowe, speaks nationally on tea, owns and operates Three Sisters Tearoom in Campbellsville, TN, founded the Mid-TN Tea Association and has authored several tea-related books. Be Jennifer's tea friend by following her on Facebook! Email: Jennifer Stowe

small purse for which I alone was responsible. At the tea, all sorts of

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Antoon Jurgens â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Butter Maker Who Formed a Food Conglomerate Sometimes people say, "it's all in who you know". In Mr. Jurgens situation, it was all about to whom you were intermarried. His uncle, Leonard, married a member of the Valkenburg family, one of the biggest trading families in their town of Oss. The Jurgens family helped the van Valkenburg business expand. In 1834, Mr. Jurgens married Johanna, whose father, Arnoldus Lemmens, farmer and mayor of Beugen and Rijkevoort and owner of the Unicorn Brewery, and whose mother, Gertrudis van de Voort was from a family who were also mayors of Beugen en Rijkevoort. Antoon and Johanna Jurgens had ten children. In May 1871, through the butter industry, Jurgens met Hippolyte Mege-Mouries, a Frenchman, who had invented margarine. MegeMouries had licensed his patent to business in other countries but not to anyone in the Netherlands, as the Netherlands did not have a patent What do Dove Soap and Q-Tips have in common with Dermalogica,

law until 1910. Jurgens paid for a demonstration of Mege-Mouries'

Best Foods, Marmite, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Brooke Bond, Knorr

process. Later that year Jurgens started experimental production of

Soups, Lipton, Lyons, PG Tips, Pure Leaf Tea, Red Rose, Scottish Blend

margarine to which initially real butter was added.

and Tazo? Allow me to introduce Antoon Jurgens, a Dutch merchant born in the Netherlands in 1805. He founded a butter company that grew to be one of the largest butter, and eventually margarine, companies in Europe.

The Jurgens' butter and margarine company became one of the largest butter and margarine companies in Europe, merging again to become "Margine Unie" in 1927.

The Tea Life Style™ In 1884, William Lever who ran a successful wholesale family grocery business, started producing a new type of household soap. The product contained copra or pine kernel oil, which helped it lather more easily than traditional soaps made of animal fats. Unusual for the time, Lever gave the soap a brand name – Sunlight – and sold it wrapped in distinctive packaging. Lever Brothers, Ltd. was a British manufacturing company based in Port Sunlight, Birkenhead (near Liverpool, UK), founded in 1885 by brothers William Hesketh Lever (1851–1925) and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and successfully promoted a new soap-making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson. In September 1929, Unilever was formed by a merger of the operations of Dutch Margarine Unie and British soapmaker Lever Brothers, with the name of the resulting company a combination of the name of both companies Unilever. By 1930, it employed 250,000 people and in terms of market value, was the largest company in Britain. Unilever was the first modern multinational company.

Unilever is the world's largest soap producer and owns over 400 product brands. Unilever is the world's largest tea company with brand names such as Brooke Bond, Lipton, Lyons, PG Tips, Pure Leaf Tea (US' most popular ready-to-drink tea brand), Red Rose, Scottish Blend and Tazo. In March 2020, Unilever announced that to help tackle the global virus pandemic, it would contribute over $108,000,000 through donations of soap, hand sanitizer, bleach, and food. It also announced that it is considering divestiture of some, if not all, of its tea brands. Let's each make a cup of our favorite tea, dream about how we could be having a tea party in the garden ,baking Jennifer's Butterfly Buns (see recipe in this magazine) or keeping cool with Ellen's Frozen Key Lime Tartlets. We can enjoy each other in our own ways. With tea friends, let's enjoy "Great Tea and Good Conversations". Me? I'm taking Mel's Almond Cookie recipe for a test drive.

Jennifer C. Petersen is a Specialty Tea Institute Tea Mentor and Certified Tea Specialist, international speaker, author of 22 books including the Tea Sommelier's Journal and six cookbooks, former successful tea shop owner, master blender of over 200 organic tea blends, creator and producer of the Amazing Scone Baking Race sponsored by King Arthur Flour, as well as a tea business coach and founder of Tea Trade Mart. In other words, Jennifer loves tea, she loves to bake, and she loves to entertain! And she's ready to share the delights of the tea and hospitality business with you! Email: Jennifer Petersen

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en plain air

If you find a basket while wandering

Because everyone knows, everything

In the woods one spring day…

tastes better eaten outside!

You just might find a specially packed …prepare for something most unexpected and wonderful.

…en plein air Pack teapot in a tea cozy for safe travels. • Transport hot tea in a thermal canteen. • Wrap teacups in cloth napkins. • Keep the menu simple… • …cookies, scones, and a bit of fruit will do. • Don't forget a book of prose, a vase of wild roses and someone you love to share the joy! •

Spring tea for you to enjoy….

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When the marvels of Mother Nature meet the ingenuity of humans From bugs in Taiwan, I thought the most logical place to visit next

you say YUMMMMM?! I just remind myself of all the things I love that are

would be Yunnan, China where some people much smarter than me

fermented, aged or where bacteria is added like wine, yogurt, or cheese.

decided to rot their tea like compost and sell it for a pretty penny! More

All the major food groups, right?

appropriately, they fermented and aged the tea leaves. I’m a big fan of fermented things. Especially as I sit in my house, quarantined for 5 weeks so far, like (presumably) all of you! So, if you haven’t guessed by now, this next installment of “Excuse me, you did WHAT to my tea?” focuses on Puerh tea!

Like most teas, Pu-erh has endless health benefits. Along with helping to regulate blood pressure, increase metabolism and lower cholesterol, it aids in digestion for anyone who may have over-indulged and can help cure a hangover. I’m not sure about you, but it sounds like Pu-erh is very essential for the quarantined life! Pu-erh is a dark, bold

beverage

described as having an earthy taste with notes of mushroom often Perhaps

detected. the

dark

boldness of the tea is why it is often used as a “gateway tea” in the evil plot to convert unsuspecting coffee drinkers, leading them down the slippery slope to a life of full-time tea drinking. Certainly, an agenda I can What we in general call black tea, China calls “red tea.” Makes a lot of sense because the liquor produced by those black tea leaves is more red in color than black. According to China, Pu-erh is the “true” black tea as evidenced by the much darker liquor it produces.

Now, I will be honest with you, it’s not for everyone. That everyone is me, I am not a fan of Pu-erh. But I also know that it more than likely means I haven’t found the right one yet. Judging by my taste in most

So, why is Pu-erh so unusual to prompt this article? Well, it’s the process it goes through to get to your teapot. Just like your favorite organic

compost

recipe, this tea is made by decaying the leaves. Yes,

get behind.

you

right!

read

things, I’m thinking I just can’t afford the Pu-erh that is right for me. LOL. I’d love to hear how you feel about Pu-erh. Have you found one you like? Do you have a recommendation for me? Do you love it or hate it or are you indifferent? Write in and let me know!

that

Originally, the

tea leaves were piled in warm, moist caves and turned

periodically over

several

years and bacteria would break down the leaves over time. Pu-erh is compressed into shapes – bricks, discs or bowls, which made it easier to transport. During transport, the fermenting would continue to darken the color and flavor. Just like that fine wine or cheese, the longer you age it, the better it is…and at times even more expensive! In the 1970s, a process was developed to speed up the production of this tea. The “Shou” process applies heat and moisture as well as introducing beneficial bacteria to speed up the fermenting process. Can

Author Bio: Standing in the corporate world, Jennifer Sullivan decided to take a step into the hospitality industry. A local tearoom was up for sale and, with her husband’s support and encouragement, she decided to start a tearoom of her own. Southern Royal Tea is a place where sweet southern charm meets traditional British tea time. Email: Jennifer.Sullivan

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Cool Ideas for Warm Days After a cold, dreary winter, and a wet, muddy early Spring, I can hardly

sweet, and refreshing.

If you’re looking for something out of the

wait to get into the garden. The flower beds usually need a good cleanup

ordinary, how about coconut, pineapple, mango, pomegranate,

and some fresh mulch. Those are not quick jobs around here, and the

boysenberry, melon or kiwi?

exercise is a bit of a shock to muscles that spent the winter cooped up

If cocktails are your thing, did you know there are many cocktail-inspired

indoors.

teas on the market? They are intended to either infuse vodka or other

Once the garden beds are cleaned up, it is time to take a look at the patio

spirits, or to be steeped and then mixed with spirits, but even a tea-

furniture. It generally needs the paint touched up, because I never get

totaler (sorry about the awful tea puns!) can enjoy theses “mocktails” as

around to putting it under cover for the winter. I have a mismatched

iced tea or as an iced tea slush.

assortment of vintage metal tables and chairs, but they all wear the

My children, when they were smaller, loved to eat freezer pops in the

same white paint. It contrasts beautifully with the green grass and dark

summertime. I did not love to buy them, I did not love what was in them,

mulch.

and I especially did not love the plastic wrappers that I found all over the

A little afternoon tea in the garden is the perfect reward after all that

house. I found a great solution-- teaching them to make their own. I

hard work. I always have scone and cookie dough (almond cookies are

would steep their favorite herb & fruit tisanes and add a moderate

my favorite) in the freezer, and lemon loaf bakes up from scratch in no

amount of sugar--there’s no reason you couldn’t add honey, stevia,

time. The hardest part is deciding which tablecloth and teacups to use-

agave, molasses or leave out the sweetener entirely though! Once the

and which remedy to use for

the

inevitable

sunburn!

Iced Teas, Tea Slushes & Tea-Cicles I am of the persuasion that a morning cup of hot tea is a daily necessity, regardless

season.

Strangely though, I have found that many people who enjoy hot tea put their teacups away when warm weather arrives. While some switch to iced tea, many decide to

tisane had cooled, I let the kids pour into the molds, insert the sticks and

skip tea altogether. I think that with a little creativi-tea, tea and tisanes

put them into the freezer. If the reusable sticks didn’t find their way back

can be enjoyed in some form all year-round.

to the kitchen, they couldn’t make more. They are old enough now that

Many people prefer strong black or green tea, unflavored and

I don’t even have to do the steeping for them.

unsweetened, for iced tea. Teas and tisanes that contain citrus, berries,

Here are some Tea-cicle tips to get you started.

peach or mint are also popular choices. Their flavors are light, bright,

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The Tea Life Style™ Prepare the tea or tisane as you would for iced tea. I prefer to make it

Strawberry Tisane-cicles

about twice as strong as I would if making a cup of hot tea. Add

Steeped Herb & Fruit Tisane (blends containing hibiscus have lots of

sweeteners, if desired, while the tea is still hot. Allow tea to cool to room

visual appeal)

temperature before pouring into molds. Feel free to mix & match your

Frozen sliced strawberries

favorite fruits, flowers and tea types!

Place 3-4 frozen strawberry slices into the popsicle molds. Fill with cooled tisane and freeze for several hours or overnight. Many herb &

Mango Black Tea-cicles

fruit tisanes are acidic enough to curdle milk, so test before adding half

Steeped black tea (your favorite iced tea blend)

& half or almond milk.

Frozen mango chunks (or other frozen fruit) Optional: half & half or almond milk Place 3-4 mango chunks in each mold, then add a splash of half & half or milk. Fill the mold the rest of the way with the cooled tea, leaving about ¼-1/2 inch at the top to allow for expansion. Insert sticks and place in freezer for several hours or overnight.

Email: Melanie Holsti Author bio: Melanie Holsti believes in the power of good food and hospitality. A tea entrepreneur, farmer, and vintage dealer in the

Green Tea & Flowers Tea-cicles

Missouri Ozarks, Melanie sells loose teas at craft shows and farmers’

Steeped green tea (Sencha is a good choice) Fresh-picked lilacs, violets, violas, rose petals or other edible blossoms free from pesticides Sprinkle a few blossoms into the popsicle molds- a little goes a long way.

markets. The Ironstone Cottage Tea Room, a 1917 craftsman house, is a tea room and garden showcasing Melanie's teas, baking skills and the beef, chicken and eggs from her farm.

Fill with cooled green tea and freeze for several hours or overnight.

SOLAR-POWERED TEA - Hot days are upon us. It’s absolutely perfect weather for iced tea, sun tea and veggie salads and sandwiches. I love Sun Tea and also include a caveat related to water. Enjoying a Spring Tea break is the idea. HOW TO MAKE SUN TEA Into your favorite fancy iced tea dispenser (or a plain gallon jug), place 8 teabags per gallon of water, let sit in the sun for 3 or more hours. Remove teabags, serve tea over ice. That’s it! For one reason or another, I love most tea brands on the supermarket shelf and am not endorsing one over the other. However, for iced tea, I prefer loose-leaf Assam, Ceylon, Yunnan, Keemun, Kenya, Oolong, Sencha or Matcha – it’s serendipitous? Since most “breakfast” teas are blends of Assam, Kenya, and/or Ceylon, most teabag brands will make decent iced. I like Lipton Classic, Red Rose and Stash’s Green Tea. •

Freeze tea in ice trays so as not to dilute your cool tea.

•

Place edible petals in ice trays, cover with water or cool tea, freeze and use for iced tea. (nasturtiums, rose petals, lavender, mint, violets in season)

•

Water that hasn’t been boiled before making tea stands a higher chance of bacteria formation – I don’t recommend it but it’s your choice hence my caveat on Sun Tea.

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As the weather warms…our reading tastes tend to change, and we think of beach/vacation/sitting-in-a-park-with-a-picnic sorts of books. Those reads that are “lighter” and less “scholarly” in nature and tone. Right now, I am prioritizing authors who make me laugh— and wow can we use some laughter right about now.

So here are some suggestions for some lighter summer authors: Janet Evanovich is always good for a chuckle and in some Ellen is a certified tea sommelier and custom tea blender with The Novel Tea in Sacramento, California. She also teaches classes and hosts specialty tea events in addition to having an online store. The Novel Tea is also the resident tea shop for the Sierra 2 Community Center. Email: Ellen Arden-Ogle

cases outloud guffaws.

Gemma Halliday, Riley Adams, Jennifer L. Hart, and Elizabeth Spann Craig are also amusing in places. Create a virtual reading list with friends for more suggestions. Or just tap into any of the current reading lists available on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter etc. You want to indulge in some light cozy mystery reading by women authors? I just typed that into my Amazon search bar and got pages and pages of suggestions—some free. Also check out authors’ home pages online and many have links to free e-books. Romance authors are particularly good for free books. (My daughter is a professional writer and clued me into many of these links.)

I also find my books to be friends available at any time of the day or night, so I am inspired to revisit them. Who do you want to revisit? I love to spend some time with Jane Eyre, Alinor, Simon and their kids, any of the Georgette Heyer friends, Susan Wittig Albert and many detectives and sleuths. I’m also rereading with my 8 year old granddaughter, Anne of Green Gables, Reading aloud is a real treat. The younger ones are enthralled with Winnie the Pooh and the “In Which'es" (remember that instead of chapter titles), Milne has In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and get Stuck in a Tight place, and In Which Pooh and Piglet Nearly Catch a Heffalump, etc.

In this edition of The Tea Life Style, we are including more recipes perfect for lighter times and summer weather. Check out my recipe for Frozen Lime Tarts! Enjoy!

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Vanilla Beane A Milliner's Legacy In 1920 hats were a necessity, in 2020, after a century of waxing and waning in popularity, hats are making something of a comeback, but for one dedicated milliner, they have never gone out of style. Mrs. Vanilla Beane, owner of Bené Millinery and designer of countless hats, just celebrated her 100th birthday and has been keeping the art of millinery alive for the past eighty years. This now-celebrated milliner moved with her sisters from their North Carolina home to Washington, DC in 1940 and she eventually began work in a store selling hats and hat-making supplies. Already a skilled seamstress, she soon found her calling designing and making that indispensable accessory to a woman’s wardrobe in the 1940s, the hat. In 1980 Mrs. Beane opened Bené Millinery, and as styles have changed through the decades. she has faithfully produced one of a kind creations, from buckram boaters, to feathered fascinators. The hat’s popularity is currently growing as a delightful accessory to wear to afternoon tea, and broad-brimmed, beribboned tea party hats have appeared at Bené Millinery, as its legendary founder, Mrs. Vanilla Beane, continues to keep her beautiful art form alive and create the perfect hat for every occasion.

Julia Stowe is the founder of Blossom Arts, an herbal education company offering classes and hands-on herbal instruction of all kinds.

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Ironstone Cottage Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1 large egg 1 ½ tsp almond extract 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour

dash salt Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 2 Tbsp milk 1 cup sliced almonds

Procedure Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, almond extract and salt, and mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually add flour and stir until combined. Using a 5 oz ice cream scoop, scoop onto prepared baking sheet. Flatten to desired thickness with the palm of your hand (these aren’t leavened, and they don’t spread much). Bake for 68 minutes, until slightly browned at the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet. Drizzle powdered sugar/milk glaze onto cookies and sprinkle with sliced almonds while the glaze is still wet. Yield: 24 small cookies

Cooking Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Inactive Time: 4 minutes

Oven Temperature: 350°F

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Butterfly Buns – Three Sisters Tearoom

Procedure Dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside. Cream butter and sugar; add potatoes, mix well. Add lukewarm milk, eggs; mix well. Add dissolved yeast. Combine seasonings and rind, mix in. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a well-floured table. Form into ball, place in a greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch down; let rise again (5-10 minutes). Flouring hands well, dough will be sticky, form into small balls, about 30. Place on a cookie sheet. Slash tops with a thin knife or razor blade. Cover. Let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 F until golden brown all over (15-20 minutes.). Makes about 30 buns.

Ingredients 1 cup hot, dry, mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup scalded milk 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, 2 large eggs, beaten 5 cups bread flour, plus additional 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp mace 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 2 Tbsp grated orange rind 2 Tbsp grated lemon rind 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp orange juice

Yield: 30 buns Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Inactive Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes Oven Temperature: 350°F

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The Novel Tea Frozen Lime Tarts

Ingredients 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 16 oz Cool whip or 1 cup heavy cream, whipped 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime zest plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 2 cups fresh strawberries for top garnish 1 pkg prepared graham cracker tart shells (8 to a package) Procedure In a medium bowl, fold together condensed milk, Cool Whip (or whipped cream), zest and juice until combined. Spoon into prepared graham cracker tart shells and top with sliced strawberries. Freeze two hours. Serve with strong Darjeeling iced tea topped with a splash of champagne. Perfect! Yield: 8 mini tarts Preparation Time: 20 minutes Inactive Time: 2 hours Total Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

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Fresh Fruit Salad

FOR THE DRESSING 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest of one lemon) FOR THE SALAD 1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered 6 oz blueberries 6 oz raspberries 3 medium kiwis, peeled and sliced 1 med Cara Cara orange, peeled and wedges cut in half 2 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped 1 large mango, peeled and chopped 2 cups grapes Procedure In a small bowl whisk together honey, orange juice, and lemon zest. Add fruit to a large bowl and pour over dressing, tossing gently to combine. Chill until ready to serve. Servings: 10

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

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Spinach Ham Egg Bakes

Ingredients 1 pkg (14.1 oz) package refrigerated rolled piecrust 4 large eggs 3/4 cup half-and-half 1/3 cup diced ham (optional) 1 pkg (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 2 small scallions, chopped 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 2 tsp Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Procedure Place rack in the lowest oven position. Preheat oven to 375°F; lightly great a 12-cup muffin tin. Unroll piecrust and cut into 12 (4-inch) rounds. Fit rounds into the muffin tin, pressing up and slightly over sides of each cup. Chill 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, ham, spinach, scallions, dill, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon into crusts, dividing evenly. Bake until puffed and set, 22 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 12 individual quiches Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes Inactive Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes Oven Temperature: 375°F

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Betty's of York - Fat Rascal Scones

Ingredients 4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 2/3 cup baker's sugar 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp mace 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup mixed zest of one orange and one lemon

1 1/3 cup dried currants 1 whole egg, beaten 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk 1 whole egg, beaten maraschino cherries, halved whole blanched almonds

Procedure Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add orange zest and currants. Mix the water, beaten egg and 1/2 cup of milk; add to dry ingredients to make a firm dough. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Arrange them on the greased baking tray and glaze them generously with the beaten egg. Place 2 whole blanched almonds on top with a halved glace cherry for decoration (making a Fat Rascal face) - pushing them down gently into the dough, so they do not fall off during baking. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes.. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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The Tea Life Style™

www.TeaTradeMart.com

The Tea Life Style™

Happy Mother's Day!

May 10, 2020

World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day

May 19, 2020

Celebrate! International Tea Day

May 21, 2020

Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria!

May 24, 1819

National Gardening Week

First full week of June

National Rose Month

Month of June

National Iced Tea Day

June 10, 2020

National Weed Your Garden Day

June 13, 2020

Flag Day

June 14, 2020

Happy Father's Day!

June 21, 2020

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The Tea Life Style™

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