If you could only afford to buy one looseleaf tea to have on hand, which would it be?
This year, I stopped purchasing tea to resell for a number of reasons, and my stash of black tea has dwindled down to my last few pots. This of course means I have to begin purchasing tea again at retail prices (!) and become a little more choosy about what I decide to drink. My mother brought Quangzhou Milk Oolong tea on vacation and I REALLY liked it, but would not have chosen it for myself, especially at $120 a pound. (Don’t forget, that still equals less than $1 per cup AND it can be infused more than once.) Like wine, the choices can be overwhelming and one can wonder, is the $40 bottle truly better than the $7 bottle and is it worth it?
So I would love to hear from you, Readers. What is your favorite looseleaf tea? What do you reach for again and again? How would you describe it to others? Please leave a comment this weekend and tell me what you know.
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This afternoon finds me on my back deck with the temperatures in the low 80s. The children are occupied, the neighbor’s sprinkler and birds mask the barking dog, and the butterflies and dragonflies occasionally flit by to see what I’m up to. It’s easy to be thankful today for life as a stay-at-home mom.
But that is not always the case. And as I have often shared here at Tea Party Girl, two simple comforts I’ve relied on through the ups and downs are quality tea and plenty of books. Recently, a number of new Tea Reads have been added to my ever-growing library including a new favorite:
An elegantly illustrated book, The Gentle Art of Hospitality provides simple and beautiful ideas for hosting others in our homes. As I read through it, I felt like the ideas were new and fresh, not typical. I felt like it was a chance to learn from a Southern lady who had a few more decades of experience welcoming other into her home under her belt. Here’s one of my favorites that helped my perspective:
“A simple glass of water with a slice of lemon on the rim is a wonderful presentation if our heart are in the right place.”
Add a slice of lemon. What a simple and beautiful idea!
Alda’s tea party-related company is called Sentimental Living, if you want to learn more about what she offers.
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I think I might start a new American reality show. Maybe I call it “America’s Next Worst Habit”. Or how about, “So You Think You Have Good Manners?” But I’m not convinced anyone (present readers excluded, of course) would watch it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Traveling my favorite state refreshed me with its breathtaking beauty (Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey) and quaint oases (i.e. Balboa Island). And for the most part, we were greeted by helpful and friendly residents of gorgeous Orange County. But between eating out and easy access to cable TV (I admit to some HGTV indulgence) I could finance another vacation for every time someone addressed two or more people with, “You guys”.
I don’t always have a problem with this. When my husband and sons are with me and we’re driving through In-n-Out Burger the term does not make me cringe. And in a language and culture that has few words and less protocol to support the gender differences, I can intellectualize why the phrase has risen to prominence. But as lazy language and an unconscious message I can. not. stand. it.
It spilled over into one of my tea experiences last week. A server younger than the two women attending (myself included) called us and the two children attending (my daughter included) “You Guys” through the entire tea, as in “Would you guys like some more tea?” “Are you guys all finished?” “Can I get you guys anything else?”
When addressing my daughter and her cousin (ages 7 and 3) I wish she had said, “Would you GIRLS like some more tea?” And I’m wondering if my generation thinks the word “ladies” is akin to “ma’am” and only for women the generation beyond them? I don’t mind being called a lady. If you are serving women only, why not communicate respect and say, “Are you ladies finished?” And if you’re unsure, consider dropping the labels altogether. Say, “Can I get YOU anything else?” or “How did YOU like the chocolate cake?” You is perfectly acceptable use for addressing more than one person. Even a dear friend at a bridal shower of all women addressed them as “you guys” throughout the event. It’s our new bad habit and we no longer hear it. But it sounds as grating as inserting “like” into every other sentence used to be.
So now it’s your turn. Does it bother you? How do you like to be addressed? What do you like to be called? Do you find ‘girl’ derogatory and ‘lady’ old-fashioned? Are you a server? How do you address your customers? Do you think I’m being nit-picky?
Please leave a comment and tell us what you think.
* jk left a comment pointing out my gross grammar error in the title. Yes, I needed to use “me” as the direct object. Duh! In all fairness though, the post’s purpose was to discuss etiquette, not grammar, so I’m not convinced they can be directly compared.
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Alice continues to share great information at Tea in My Cup, including this month’s Don’t Panic Tea (a personal favorite) and a helpful post on Tea for Large Groups. See her archives for the Don’t Panic Tea Plan.
Will you be taking part in the Global Tea Party on June 28th?
I think these butterfly touches would be welcome at a spring or summer tea party, don’t you?
I’ll be honest, this tea blog totally bugs me. If you’re really interested in why you can ask me. But I will let you know about the list of free tea reads Tea Guy Speaks gathered since I’m always willing to set aside irritation to help promote literacy!
Creme fraiche is one of my favorite indulgences and here’s a recipe for DIY.
Speaking of recipes, this dessert has become my “someone’s coming in a half hour and I want a little touch-of-something to go with our tea” recipe. Even this non-baker can whip them up in five minutes flat. I just keep butterscotch chips on hand.
Lastly, I wish I’d had known about this website last summer when I planned the Sea Spa Tea Party. If you need some inspiration for seaside ambiance, this might help.
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Private photograph. All Rights Reserved.
This guest post features Donna Collins. She has been planning special events for over 20 years. Her children’s party planning business, Party Wishes, is located in Santa Clarita, CA. Check out her website at www.partywishesscv.com.
Being a children’s party planner, I have the pleasure of introducing children to the wonderful ceremony of having tea. Of course, a child’s tea party is slightly modified from an adult tea party but the elements are basically the same. Whether I’m hosting a party for 2 or 20, there are some simple rules I like to follow.
First the decorations must be festive and capture the imagination. For example, when I host my Mary Poppins Tea Party, I include decor to reflect that of the theme. I have Edwardian inspired china and serving pieces. I have a giant penguin holding a tray of goodies and framed pictures of Mary and Bert on the table. The girls wear Mary Poppins inspired hats with cherries and daisies on them and wear white gloves.
When my daughter and I have a Fairy Tea Party, it is outside under a tree. I attach a pink netted canopy from a branch and spread a blanket out for us to sit on. Don’t be afraid to use your “good china”. It teaches the children to appreciate it and you will be surprised how gently they treat it once you explain the importance of it. My daughter has been sipping out of 100 year old china tea cups since she was 3 years old.
Next, the food should be small and fun to look at. Sandwiches are much more fun to eat when they are shaped like flowers and have a maraschino cherry half as it’s center. Pretzels and marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkles are fun and easy. Chocolate cupcakes frosted red with white chocolate chips (tips pressed in first) look like magical mushrooms! Anything you can put sprinkles, colored sugar, make into different shapes or make a different color usually makes wonderful children tea food. Even scones dusted with colored sugar before baking can become child-like. Some fun cookbooks to reference are the Pink Princess Cookbook and Fairies Cookbook. You can try to introduce real tea to children but I found it is easier to start them off with lemonade. My kids favorite is Raspberry Lemonade.
Of course, the constant in all tea parties is manners. When I host a party for children, I always go over the “rules” of the table. The first item I go over is the magic words- please and thank you. Napkin on your lap and NO slurping! When food is offered and they don’t want one, I tell them it is polite to say “No thank you. I don’t care for any”, not “I don’t like it.” And if they touch-y, they take-y . Look first and then pick up what you want. Only take one of each item, never more than you can eat. That is even difficult for adults when everything looks so yummy! I always have them asked to be excused to leave the table for any reason. It’s amazing how well behaved the children will act when at a tea table and they know what is expected of them.
Although it is not required at adult tea parties, I always like to have an activity for the kids. My daughter and I go on a walk around the neighborhood and collect items to build a fairy house. We then come home and build it together. It’s wonderful to see her little imagination at work and deciding if a certain rock will make a good table or a chair. After the construction is done, we then have our well deserved tea. Just last night, my husband and I introduced our children to the game of croquet. My daughter immediately planned a weekend croquet tournament with a tea party. What a fabulous idea!
Tea Party Girl’s note: Which of Donna’s ideas do you like the best? There are some terrific ones here! Leave a comment and let us know.
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