anyone who knows me, knows i la la love tea.  if you’ve been reading for awhile than you likely know this too.
after receiving  my pretty new glass tea pot  (+ my sweet porcelain mini vases pictured above) from not on the high street, i decided it was high time to dedicate a post to a well loved daily ritual of mine.  the images were not how i imagined them, but once i got my camera out i just went with it and i love the way it all turned out.  it’s a ode to tea of sorts.  but lets talk details . . .

find out my favorite teas, accompaniments and how this american makes the perfect english cuppa (so my friends say)

 

there are a million types of teas as well as million ways to make and take your tea.  for me tea is a moment.  it’s a moment to stop.  rest. breathe.  relax.  its more like a cup of comfort.  no matter your tea or your take it’s always good to have :

a pretty cup, a lovely tea pot (my new fave) or kettle, milk, honey, sugar (i love chambre de sucre for a special days), and a treat (dark chocolate, cheese and crackers or these biscuits).  and usually, i savor the whole ritual of it, like using my grandmother’s spoons (above).  scooping out the sugar, the thought her of her sweetens my day.

i like different teas at different times.  if i drink tea in the morning i prefer some type of black or vanilla tea with a scant of sugar.  in the afternoon, i love a cup of english tea with milk and sugar.  it’s such a treat.  before bed i always love a cup of some sort of sleepy tea or a decaffinated green tea.  on a warm day iced tea is relief.  and occasionally, on a cold winter night, when i’ve made my grandpa’s favorite meal, i drink a cup of lipton with one teaspoon of sugar, as he did, and listen for his laugh.

some of favorites are:

english tea : basic tetley (has to be the british version) or yorkshire gold
loose leaf :  bellocq (the gorgeous loose tea pictured in the photos)
green tea : bigelow green tea with lemon
fun tea : royal tea
night tea : clipper snore + peace.  i bough this in england last month + just ran out.  so good!
flavored : harney + son’s (paris + vanilla comoro)

a british cuppa how to:

i learned the art of making english tea from my dear english friend, maggie, of course.  and i suppose i should clarify that i’m not sharing the true art, as in first warming the tea pot and so on.  i’m just talking about how how the brits make a basic cuppa.  i always boil my water in the kettle and while the water is warming i get everything else together.  grab your favorite mug and fill the bottom with a bit of milk (i do about 3 tablespoons worth) and some sugar (2 teaspoons is best).  plop the tea bag in next (do not use american tea.  i repeat, do not use american tea…i tried this with lipton, many moons ago and the memory of it is enough to make me sad) and when the water has come to a boil, fill up your cup.  let the everything sit for a bout 2 minutes and stir.  ta da.  you can, of course, brew your tea first and then add the milk and sugar after.  there is actually quite a debate about this.  i just do as i was taught and put the milk in first (which makes me a miffer.  if you add milk after, well then, you are a tiffer).

how do you take your tea?  and what are you favorite kinds?

images:  la la lovely