Inn-to-Tea

Strawberry Lemon Mint Sorbet -

a cross between a sorbet and sherbet.  Creamy and icy.  A delicious dessert – and perfect for this hot summer weather.  Use the Southern Simple Syrup from our previous recipes listed in Tea Drinks – but leave out the ginger.

• 6 medium lemons, juiced and strained
• 2 1/2 cups simple syrup
• fresh mint
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree

Pour 2 1/2 cups cold simple syrup into blender.  Add lemon juice and heavy cream. Blend.  2 or 3 mint leaves may be blended in, too.  Pour into a bowl and place in freezer.  Stir sorbet every 20 minutes for 2 hours.  Add strawberries as well throughout.  Continue freezing until firm.  Garnish with mint.

Recipe from A Tea for all Seasons by Shelley and Bruce Richardson available at www.annateashop.com

London's Carriage of Kansas City

Tea with with Brits International and the London’s Carriage of Kansas City…

Earlier this summer, we held a private tea for one of Britain’s most popular social clubs Brits International Club.

The Brits International Club enjoyed their private tea at 343 W. Liberty Drive – Brenda’s home across the street from The Terrace Avenue Inn.  This Kansas City Club is looking for Brits in and around the Kansas City area to join them in socializing and various meetings.

Another treat, was meeting Ray, the owner of Kansas City’s London’s Carriage.  A London taxi cab service.  You must check out the beautiful website!  www.londonscarriagekc.com

Emerson enjoys some Fairy Sweets

A Parade of Tea Dresses, Fairy Wings, and Tutus bounced around the Fairies in the Garden Tea Party this past weekend at Anna Marie’s Teas!

Even with the hot sunshine and 90% humidity these fearsomely serious fairies and tea ladies made Fairy Crafts (I love my Flower Fairy Garland Headband!), heard about the Tip Toe Guide to Tracking Fairies, and ate all kinds of Fairy foods.

We loved having Janice Pena, guitarist provide melodies for all the fairies!

Due to the extreme temperatures our 2010 Fairy Attendees deserve the honorable mention of True Resilience and Perseverance in how tough little girls (I mean Fairies) can be when it comes to enjoying Fairy time!

We hope you enjoy the photos – as we look forward to this fun tea party each year.

Rafting the Cache La Poudre River was easy with our guide, Steve

Drinking tea in the mountains was just one thing we loved doing….

even the Tea Lady got in on a little Colorado rafting!

Brenda, The Tea Lady

Snow on the 4th of July!

Coming up in August.. Our Back to School tea party!

Back to School Tea Tickets on sale now.

This is a particularly difficult tea party to advertise for.  The reason?  Nobody wants to even think about going back to school or sending their kids back to school.  Or if they are looking forward to sending their daughters back to school – well, then something is telling me they aren’t seeking a one-on-one time with her anytime soon…

But, that is the beauty of a “Back to School” tea party.  After she is back in school and  is ready to just see mom, grandma or someone special again.   Meet with her over a cup of a tea and some tasty sweets and just listen to her.  That first week is hard to slow down – so the tea party is a great way to make sure that happens.

Saturday, August 28 at 10:30.

For such a small tea party – I am overwhelmed by the touching response this brings out in the girls that attend with their dads.  My own daughter, Wren, spent a whole week of planning just for this special date with her dad.  Losing sleep because of excitement and counting down the minutes that morning of when her special date with dad would begin.  Wren’s been attending this tea for three years – and I am so thankful that she is still completely enamored with her dad as a 7th grader!

We already have some great new ideas for next year!  Ideas that both the dads and the girls will really appreciate!

June is iced tea month!

And as the story goes – iced tea was born in Missouri.  A tea plantation owner was selling his tea, served as hot tea, at the first World Fair in St. Louis.  The day was so scorching hot no one was interested in hot tea so he added ice – and quickly had a large crowd just waiting to try his brand ‘new drink’.  Now, iced tea is the number one beverage – world wide!

Loose leaf tea easily makes a healthy and delicious iced tea!  The choices are endless and gives you complete control of what goes into your beverage.  The enormous amount of flavor produced from loose leaf tea eliminates the need for added chemical flavorings.

Here is an easy recipe to follow to produce a full pitcher of tea.  Adjust tea amounts to your tastes – making it stronger or lighter.

Iced Tea from Loose Leaf Tea:

1. Choose your favorite loose leaf flavor (tropical, raspberry, apricot…???) or go with a known winner Nilgris Award Winning Iced Tea.
2. Plan for double the amount as a normal brewing of hot tea.
3. As always recommended – filtered or natural spring water.
4. Two teaspoons tea leaves per cup.
5. Measure tea leaves into your brewing basket or easy T-Sacs
6. Brew as normal with times and water temperatures -  For white tea let steep for 5 to 7 minutes. For green tea, let steep for 2 or 3 minutes. For oolong and black tea, let steep for 4 to 5 minutes. For most herbal teas, the usual steeping time is 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Best if tea can sit awhile till room temp.  If chilled immediately cloudiness can occur.  Once at room temp, add the extra water to make up for the double measurements.  Go with your personal tastes and desired strength.

Southern Simple Syrup – we add fresh ginger pieces, too!

*1 cup sugar
* 1cup water
* few pieces of fresh ginger (optional)

Boil sugar and water till sugar is dissolved.  Add fresh ginger.  Let this set until cool.  Add to tea – to your own taste.

We are forming a Tea Board!

Anna Marie’s Teas is looking for customer feedback and suggestions!  We plan to meet this summer at Tea Shop – for about an hour and a half.

First and foremost we want to listen to what the board members say – but then we will cover topics such as

1. greening our packaging
2. labeling
3. website
4. tea health

If you are interested please contact Selena at selena@annateashop.com

Happy tea time!

Cooler weather may still be here – but we all know the loving way Missouri delivers summer to us…over night with a heat explosion that every year leaves me wondering how this heat ever happened!

So, because the cooler days are still here – I actually feel ahead of the game instead of behind the official ‘ice tea switch’.  Being one of those serious tea drinkers who partakes in a hot cup of tea with milk and honey (or agave) in 100 degrees – I see no reason to rush into things.  But, for many of you it is way past due to make the switch from hot to iced.

Many customers quizzically ask “Can loose leaf tea be brewed as ice tea?” YES!!! And we highly recommend not forfeiting taste just because ice tea is traditionally made with a tea bag.  For tea bag users – try our Personal Tea Bags.  A tea bag that holds your own loose leaf tea.

I will post later the easiest way to brew ice tea in bulk – but for now just ice it after you brew it.  Pretty easy.

The best thing about brewing your own from real loose leaf tea?  No sacrificing the flavor – no artificial colors, high fructrose corn syrups, and none of the preservatives.  No boring teas here – even the unflavored black teas are strong and thirst quenching.

Customer Favorite Ice Tea Blends:

• Nilgris Award Winning Ice Tea Blend
• Grand Keemun Black
• Palazzo – chocolate and hazelnut
• Strawberries and Cream Black
• Strawberries and Cream Green
• Treasures of the Inca Green (mango, papaya, pineapple – beach baby!)
• Chocolate Mint Black
• Passion Fruit Black
• Apricot Black (top favorite!!)
• Peach Apricot Black
• Chocolate Apricot

These are just what we sell and what we drink.  What people are buying and what we are serving at our tea parties.  Really, if you like the flavor – you probably will love it iced.  One customer promised me that she loves our Hot Cinnamon Spice iced.  Now, this one I haven’t tried – but I believe she truly loves it!

www.annateashop.com

Sorry!  I forgot to post my last strawberry recipe!  I guess this one feels better to be posting now that the sun has decided to come out and play for today!

Our Mother’s Day Tea was wonderful – the tea menu was mouth watering…and we received many requests on several recipes.  The savories seemed to be the hit – three new sandwiches – one was a spicy cheese.  Yum.   We served Strawberry and Cream Black Tea.  This tea is our sneaky weapon.  It works wonders on the person who claims to not like tea – yet after one cup…many times become our most demanding tea guests to keep their cups full!!

We are gearing up for our Father Daughter Tea Date and Spring Porch Party!!  The Father Daughter Date – is for all ages.

I just listed all of our tea parties on the Missouri Tourism website – if you will be traveling in Missouri this summer this site has a great calendar to check the events all over the state.  www.visitmo.com

Enjoy!

Selena   www.annateashop.com

Strawberry Banana Float

• 1 cup (1/2 pint) strawberry ice cream softened
• 1 cup mashed strawberries
• 3/4 cup ripe mashed bananas
• 2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 4 scoops strawberry ice cream

Blend ice cream, strawberries and bananas.  Gradually add milk & juice.  Pour into large glasses top with 1 scoop ice cream.  Yields 4 floats.