Re-Introducing: Tea of The Month

As some of you may remember, I had initiated a program that helped YOU know more about what was in your tea and more importantly - gave you a discount on tea!





To start things off right, for the month of February the feature tea will be ALL teas that have a connection to the joy our hearts and tastebuds: Chocolate!

Health Benefits of Chocolate is debatable, but it goes without saying that most of us appreciate just a touch of chocolate during the day - what better way to satisfy this craving than through a cup of tea!?!

Rooibos Teas with Chocolate:

• After 7: Rooibos, Brittle Bits, Chocolate-Nut Bits, Peppermint Leaves and Flavourings.
• Winter Chocolate: Rooibos, Cacao Bits, ginger, Cinnamon, Chicory Root, Barley Malt, Cinnmon Bars, Black Pepper, Cardamom and Flavouring. (Contains Gluten).

Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea:

• May delay the again process!
• Helps to relieve stomach ailments particularly ulcers, nausea, constipation, colic, and heartburn.
• Rooibos Tea contains magnesium, which is necessary for a healthy nervous system. It helps to control your appetite which can be beneficial in weight loss.
• This tea contains antioxidants that help in cancer prevention.

Black Teas with Chocolate:

• Chocolate Almond: Black Tea, Cacao Peels, Orange Peel, Almond Bits, Rose Blossoms, Peanut Bits, Cocnut Bits and Flavourings
• Chocolate Mint: Black Tea, Brittle Bits, Chocolate Nut Bits, Peppermint Leaves with Natural Flavourings
• Chocolate Strawberry: Black Tea, Strawberry Bits, Chocolate Shavings and Flavourings.
• Winter Dream: Black Tea, Peppermint Leaves, Cacao Bits, Wheat Crisps, Red Pepper, Nut Crunch, Flavourings. (Contains Gluten).

Health Benefits of Black Tea:

• Relaxes and expands the arteries, which increases the blood flow to the heart.
• They contain antioxidants similar to those found in fruits and vegetables.
• Black and Oolong ea may prevent tooth decay as they contain flouride.

For the month of February purchase any of the above teas for $2.00 off - that's $8.95 for a tin of tea! Purchase the Chocolate Lover's Tea Trio for only $25!!! Order the Chocolate Dreams Starter Combo for only $50!!!!!

Chocolate Black Tea Cake

4 eggs, separated
1 cup butter
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup brewed black tea, cold (Earl Grey, Margaret's Hope or your favorite LDT blend)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the egg yolks, butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the black tea. Toss together the flour, baking powder, bread crumbs, cocoa powder, and hazelnuts; fold into the tea mixture until just incorporated.
In a large clean glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the tea batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from recipe posted on allrecipes.com

Thirs-"tea"

Almond Holiday Tea
8 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 One Cup Tea Sacs filled with Margaret's Hope or English Breakfast tea
4 lemons, juice of OR 8 tablespoons lemon concentrate
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
Directions:
Boil 6 cups water and sugar for 10 minutes. In a separate pan combine an additional 2 cups boiling water with tea bags. Steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and mix with water-sugar mixture. Add the juice of lemons, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Serve hot or iced.
Fireside Cran-Apple Tea
1 1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
1 1/2 cup Water
4 One Cup Tea Sacs filled with Cinnamon Apple Chamomile Tea (or 2 Teapot size sacs)
4 Cinnamon Sticks
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
Directions:
In med saucepan, bring cranberry juice and water to boil. Add tea bags and cinnamon sticks. Remove from heat; cover and steep for 5 min. Place cinnamon sticks in preheated mugs. Add brown sugar to tea mixture. Stir until dissolved. Pour hot tea into mugs.

And the Winner Is...

Cassie and Rick!!!

Congratulations Rick and Cassie! Cassie was the first one to start following my blog, she signed up under her and her husband's name. She has hosted one party and is a beautiful woman who shows tremendous support for both Mike and I. She is not only a tea customer, but one of my newest Aunt's who has shown me great love in the little more than a year that I have known her.

Thank you and Congratulations!

Taste Bud "Tea"-ser

Chocolate Earl Grey Cookies
3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea, finely ground in a coffee grinder, food chopper or food processor
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together butter, sugar, and tea. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder; fold into egg mixture until just mixed.
3. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.

The 12 Teas of Christmas

Tea Drinkers and Tea Party-ers - looking for some fun ways to have a tea party during this crazy Holiday Season? Check out these ideas and consider hosting a tea party on your own with your current collection of teas or give me a call and I'll bring over some of my teas and try to get you some great Hostess rewards! Many of these tea ideas would be just as great outside of the Holiday Season, so if one tickles your fancy but this time of year is already to hectic, let me know when you'd like to try out one of these fabulous ideas!


12 THANKSGIVING TEA:

Invite friends and family the weekend of Thanksgiving for some peaceful
moments! In the midst of mall sales and left over turkey, make time to get
together over a cup of hot tea to reflect on all the blessings you’ve
experienced over the past year.

11 TAILGATE TEA:

Think you’ve heard it all? Not even close! So, you know you and your
girlfriends will all be at the mall the day after Thanksgiving … be the
saving grace for all! Send a note that you’ll be serving tea at a time of
your choice at your car! Put on the note which exit of the Mall they’ll be
able to find your car (outside Macy’s for example) and have a couple
thermoses full of tea and maybe a basket of cookies or scones. It will be a
great shopping break and have everyone save their pocket money for gifts
than $3 cups of coffee at the food court!

10 PLANNING TEA:

Have those planners in your life over the first day or two of December for a
planner’s tea. Serve tea and have everyone bring their calendars to mark
choir musicals, children’s programs, make shopping lists, etc. It’s a great
time to get a hold over the events of the month!

9 ADVENT TEA:

Whether it’s hot tea, iced tea, or even a little hot chocolate… nothing
soothes the soul like a warm cup! Each evening while you go thru your
advent devotionals and light the candles, have the family settle down and
focus on the time together. With warm liquids around, the kids will settle
down and feel comfy-cozy! It will make your time even more special!

8a RED TEA:

Why not use a favorite color of Christmas for your theme? Enjoy a Rooibos
Tea (a red tea), tomato soup, red pepper canapés, and a cherry cobbler. Use
red invitations, red table linens, invite your guests to wear red and give
red cinnamon discs as a favor!

8b GREEN TEA:

Just like the red tea… but choose a great green tea to serve! Offer
Benedictine rounds, herb savories, and phyllo cups with lime curd!

7 MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEA:

Enjoy a fruity tea with the little ones in our lives… or….. a fragrant heady
tea with the mothers we’ve shared so many holidays with! Or have all the
generations at one event! At many craft stores (in the wedding dept) you’ll
find inexpensive white gloves you could tea stain prior to the event for the
little girls to wear and take home with them. Have all the grown ups bring
their own tea cup. The stories of where the cups came from will be
priceless!

6 CRAFTY TEA:

Invite friends over for tea and a make-n-take craft! Use ideas from the
showcase or kits from Oriental Trading Company for quick & easy craft
projects. The activity, conversation and favors are all in one!

5 RECIPE TEA:

Have the neighbors in for some fellowship, tea and a recipe exchange. Put
on the invitation if you’d like them to bring a family meal recipe, a
dessert, tea treat, soup, or just one of their favorites! The recipes are
exchanged and friendships are strengthened! A real win-win situation in
today’s busy world! Our neighbors are our Judea!

4 INTERNATIONAL TEA:

This one may require a little research, but your guests will be so delighted
with the outcome! Look into Holiday customs of various Countries and
cultures and share them at your tea. Choose perhaps a Japanese Jasmine tea,
Mexican Christmas cookies, Norwegian leftsa, Swiss chocolates, etc. You may
also wish to invite a Missionary or someone from another country to share
their customs or cultures.

3 CHRISTMAS CARD TEA:

Get the girls together with tea, ink pens, address books, stamps and their
Christmas cards! Nothing is better than checking off a line item on your
to-do-list! And, giggle with the girls while doing it! A couple pots of
tea, basket of muffins or plate of cookies and it’s a party!

Twist on Christmas Card tea: Christmas PRESENT tea
Ask your friends to bring over 2-3 gifts that they need to wrap. Wrapping paper, scissors and tape will be provided. The guests can wrap their gifts, sip some tea, eat some scones and just enjoy the holidays instead of all the hustle and bustle.

2 TEACHERS TEA:

Take a thermos of tea, tea cup, scone, cookie or the like to your child’s
teacher. It’s totally appropriate to mark the thermos with your name to get
it back, but the cup or mug could be theirs to keep. Some tea, coffee,
muffin or scone mix, etc. would add to the basket for some Christmas cheer
throughout their entire day! The thought is always appreciated during the
wild days leading up to Christmas Break!

1 BEAT THE BLUES TEA:

OK, Christmas is over, the ho-hum days of January have arrived and everyone
has a bad case of the January blues…. Have a party! Decorate with all your
cutest snowmen, brew some hot tea and enjoy pondering all the memories from
Christmas. Have your guests bring photos from their Holidays to pass around
or a favorite Christmas gift to show! It’s grown up Show & Tell --- and
it’s always great fun!

Give Away!!!

Dear Tea Drinkers,

Here is your opportunity to WIN a free scone mix and a free curd! Just leave a comment or become a "follower" on this blog by December 5th to be entered into a drawing! Also consider book marking the page so you can keep up on new and exciting things from Let's Do Tea and myself. For example, Did you know that you can now sign on to be a consultant for only $99? This offer was initiated in October and has now been extended into January - so if you think you could do what I do - try it out!

Thanks a ton!
Leave a comment here or on another one of the articles!