Do you fancy yourself a tea czar? A tea alchemist? The mad scientist of tea? You can win a $500.00 gift card to Teavana in their Tea Master’s Challenge.

All you need to do is come up with the wining blend of tea. The contest runs from now until August 16, 2009. You just need to go to the site, look through the hundreds of teas, and create magic.

That’s not so hard is it?

There are some seriously good prizes even if you don’t win the grand prize. Besides they will sell the winning blend in their stores. Now, how many people get to say that they created a tea blend?

We created out own signature tea for the tea room. We went to a local roaster/tea blender and told her basically what we were looking for. She blended and flavored and came up with our Cameo Rose Custom Blend, which we still buy. It is lemon, blackberry and rose in a long leaf jasmine base and it makes the best sweet tea ever.

It was great fun doing that, experimenting with different possibilities and all. And people kind of look at you funny when you say you have your own custom blended tea. That’s fun, too.

So…head over to Teavana, check it out and give it your best shot. And when you win, remember us little people.

image:sxc

Stash Tea is offering a free night at one of the 600 bed and breakfasts participating in this program. Basically customers will get one free night with the purchase of a night at the bed and breakfast. The inns that are part of this program can be cound through out the United States and Canada.

Stash has published a Guide to Bed and Breakfast Inns which is available for less than five dollars when you purchase three boxes of any Stash tea at you local grocers or with a ten dollar purchase online.

There are few things more romantic or luxruious than a weekend get-away. This might be an awesome way to do it. This offer is good, as for as I can tell, through June 2011. Even if you are not a spontanious type of person this gives you plenty of time to plan!

image:SXC

A few weeks ago a magazine stole content from me. Even after being contacted by b5media and me they totally ignored us and blew us off.
SO…if you want to read my view on it..check out BakingDelights.

I am glad they liked it enough to say it was their best dessert ever…..

image:marye audet

East is meeting west as Bigelow and AriZona teas team up to create a new line of organic ready to drink tea.

The flavors they are offering are:

Organic Green Tea Acai White Cranberry : Regarded as a miracle fruit by many, the acai berry’s tantalizing tropical flavor blends exquisitely with white cranberry to create a uniquely flavorful green tea.

·          Organic Green Tea Original Green: The pure, clean flavor of perfectly brewed, all natural green tea … light, refreshing and rich in nutritional benefits.

·          Organic Green Tea Lemon Ginger : Delightfully subtle yet tart, its delicate, lemony flavor is balanced with the gentle spice of ginger.

·          Organic Green Tea Mango Lychee : Fantastically fruity! Juicy mango and exotic lychee combine for a unique and delectable taste of refreshment.

They are made with organic sugar cane and sound like they might be a nice change from cokes and other heavily sweetened drinks when you want something besides water or plain sweet tea.

I wish that when companies send out press releases they would also send samples because it is really hard for me to talk about something I haven’t tried. I like Bigelow Teas, and I like that they are increasingly becoming more involved with organics. Arizona has always made really good stuff so I expect this will be good as well.  How could you go wrong with Green Tea, Mango, Lychee? YUM! Anyway, if they offer me a sample I will let you know what I think. If you happen to try it, let me know what you think…deal?

image: courtesy of Bigelow, used by permission.

Once again experts are trying to figure out a magic formula for weight  loss.  First it was green tea that was promised to take of the pounds and then it was black. Then it was oolong.

Now it seems that white tea is the magic melter of fat cells.  Researchers studied people and found that those who drank four or more cups of white tea a day lost an average of four to eight pounds with out making other dietary changes.

White tea is said to increase the metabolism and decrease appetite. Perhaps it does.  If you want to give white tea a try be sure to use organic and you will need to drink over four cups per day.

I could find no information on how long it took to see weight loss.  I would be curious about this. personally.  I still think that the only reason to drink tea is because you enjoy it.

White tea has a more delicate flavor than other teas.  If you are going to try this let me know if it works!

image:maryeaudet (c) 2009

This has to go down as one of the weirdest things I have ever read.

A woman in the Birmingham Alabama area  was shot at, I assume, close range by her husband. He then shot himself.

Being a woman, she got a rag to hold to her head an went and did what any sensible person would do.

She made a cup of tea.  When the police got  there she offered the deputy a cup as well.  Now that is true, Southern hospitality right there, y’all.  The police said she seemed disoriented.

Ya think?

Probably the cup of tea perked her right up.

I find this an amazing story for several reasons but with the tea aspect to it I absolutely had to share it with you.

You can read all of the details, and the whole story at Associated Press.

image:SXC

Being gentle with the environment is not only popular, it is important.  I do not worship trees, but neither do I take for granted the rich resources and beauty that humans have been blessed with.  I love stories about people doing cool things.

I was emailed the following story.  How cool is this?

A coffeehouse opened in Tunkhannock, Pa in December.  It’s name is Swirls and it is owned by Dawn Kuduk.    She wanted to support the environment and promote sustainability…what to do?

She decided to offer one dollar off coffee to anyone who used a cup that they brought from home.  That means that she has a lower overhead, she has less trash to mess with, and less to inventory.

Brilliant.  You know what?  It is people like this, who do one seemingly small thing, that make the biggest difference! Great job kudos  to Dawn!

Image: sxc

I recieved an email the other day asking me to announce that Tea Memories is looking for essays to add to an anthology about tea and tea traditions.

They are looking for original, non-fiction stories (800-1800 words)  along the following lines:

• Have you “taken tea” in a unique place or under unusual circumstances?
• Do you have a story about sharing tea with someone special in your life?
• Have you made an important decision over a cup of tea?

Submissions must be recieved by June 30, 2009.  Good luck!

Image:marye audet

I was reading various headlines and came upon this story about the Ritz Carlton’s Cupcake Tea. It is from the Forbes blog.  For $25.00 you can have tea at the Ritz, amazing in itself, and enjoy tiny cupcakes made from incredible (according to the reporter) flavor combinations.

Anyway, I thought it was a great idea.  I mean, the traditional tea things are beautiful and wonderful, and I hope that those dainty finger sandwiches and tiny tarts will always be part of tea.  But this is a purely American take on it, I think, and mini cupcakes in exotic flavors, coupled with beautiful surroundings and really good tea is phenomenal.

It is a  great idea for a shower or something that you want to be special but somewhat casual.  With cupcakes as popular as they are you can get everything from adorable laser cut cupcake papers to unusual flavorings.

I am going to be doing a roundup of themed tea and cupcake ideas in the next few days. 

What do you think? Is this a fun take on tradition or should cupcakes be left to room mothers and school children?

Image: marye audet