Tea and Hospitality

Did you ever notice that the word "Hospitality" ends with the sound of the word "tea?" A coincidence? I think not.
There's just something so friendly and comforting about sharing a cup of tea with a friend. Tea can't be rushed, for one thing. You have to bring the water to a boil and then wait for the tea to steep a few minutes. That gives one enough time to fill a plate with cookies or cake and make your guest feel welcome.
The day's happenings then are shared as you relax, unwind and enjoy sharing a cup of tea with a friend.
I like to keep some scones in the freezer so I can invite someone for tea on the spur of the moment.

How to Eat a Scone

Scones. I love them! Scones come in different sizes and shapes. Some are like biscuits, some more like cookies and some have a more cake like textures. I love them all!
To add to the enjoyment of eating these delicious treats, one adds lemon curd, jam, and/or Devonshire Cream to them. But just what is the proper way togo about eating a scone? Here's a short lesson, Scone Eating 101.

Just remember that scones are finger food. They are not to be eaten with a fork. The correct way to eat a scone is to break it apart. Never cut a scone in half with a knife, always break it. The lemon curd, preserves and cream should be placed to one side of your plate. Then add a little dab to the corner of the scone as you take a bite. It is not correct to spread each side with your knife. Just dab and enjoy each bite. Mmmm.

January - Hot Tea Month

January is a time for new beginnings, new dreams and new resolutions or goals. For many of us, taking better care of our health was at the top of the list. January is also national Hot Tea Month, and tea is a very fitting way to begin striving for a year of good health.
There are detox teas, teas that aid in digestion, and teas that are high in antioxidents and vitamin C.
Celebrate National Hot Tea Month by trying some new teas. Visit a tea shop and invest in at least one high quality tea that you've not tried before. You may be surprised at the difference in flavor between loose leaf tea and teabags.
Add a dash of lemon to your tea for a nice citrusy taste. I like to add a sprinkle of cinammon to my green tea.
To get the most health benefits from tea, drink at least 4 cups of tea a day.

Christmas Tea Flavors

I love this time of the year. A nice hot cup of tea is just the thing to chase away the winter chill.
I was delighted to find some Holiday tea flavors in the store when I went shopping recently.
Celestial Seasonings offers Gingerbread Spice,and Sugar Plum Spice, both herbal teas. They also have Candy Cane Lane, a decaffeeinated Green tea. The herbal teas are naturall caffeine free. My favorite is the Gingerbread Spice. It has just the right combination of spice and sweetness to suit my taste.
Celestial Seasonings Tea bags do not come in individual wrappers as many teas do. That makes it hard to serve if you like to offer your guests a tea tray filled with many different types of teas that they may choose from. However, because their tea bag don't have strings, tags, staples or individual wrappers, they are able to save more than 3.5 million pounds of waste from entering landfills every year. So, when I'm serving their tea at a party, I make several different pots of tea, and let my guests choose their favorite flavor. That works just fine, and I'm helping the environment, too.

Survey

A big thank you to all who participated in the recent survey that I conducted. The results were very encouraging and helpful.

The last few months have been spent doing research on marketing and trying to find more ways to reach women. Marketing can be a full time job! Social media, blogs, internet marketing – whew, it can be overwhelming.

I am very grateful to all of my customers, for their repeat orders and for helping to spread the word about Mystery Tea Parties.

All of the mystery plans can be seen at www.mysteryteaparties.com.

Mystery Tea Character on U Tube

Lady Tipton of "Who Killed the Darling Duke of Darjeeling?" can be seen on U-Tube! Copy and paste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSB0k5-ed4s in your browser to see the Tea Company heiress explain how the Duke of Darjeeling was blackmailing her. For more information click on www.mysteryteaparties.com.

Thanksgiving Tea

It's my turn to host a tea this month for my Victorian Tea Society. I've decided on a Thanksgiving Theme. What a novel idea, huh? I went searching on the internet this morning and found a free Thanksgiving Trivia game to play. I'm planning on decorating my table with a centerpiece of wheat tied with a pretty fall ribbon, and a ceramic turkey on either side. I also have some ceramic Pilgrim figures that I will use. It's going to be a potluck tea, with everyone bringing something (pre-arranged, so everyone doesn't bring beans). A potluck is very appropriate for Thanksgiving, as basically that's what the Pilgrims did. Everyone brought something to the table. At past Thanksgivings we've gone around the table and each person shared something they were thankful for. I think I'll do that also, but will have each person share something they are thankful for about the person sitting next to them, on their right.

"The Missing Christmas Tree" the newest mystery tea party plan is now available on the website www.mysteryteaparties.com. Just in time for your Christmas Tea. Read more about it in the press release at http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Entertainment/Entertain_with_New_Mystery_Christmas_Tea_Party_Plan_777223.html