It’s that time of year….when we begin to think about the Christmas holidays. We smell the scents of the season, hear the music playing and start thinking about gifting those special people in our lives. Holiday shopping is here!
The Steeping Teapot is a place where you can go to get your afternoon tea gifts….even for yourself. The Steeping Teapot is a virtual store that allows you to pick and choose that particular item to make your gift memorable.
Let me guide you through what we have for this season…and make some suggestions. Let’s view our Holiday Treasures.
Teacups
The Steeping Teapot has a beautiful selection of both holiday and every day teacups. Sit back and enjoy your tea in a teacup and saucer…it will help your day start out.
Christmas Teacups
Teapots
You will need a good teapot. We have some great teapots and in particular some individual ones that make your teatime very personal. I am showing you a small 2 cup, 3 cup and 4-5 cup teapots – you have options. My personal favorite is the 3 cup – just enough for me in the morning.
Selection of Teapots
Tea Cozies
I feel that a tea cozy is an essential to enjoying your tea nice and hot. We feature the BiltonCottage Cozies. These cozies are sold exclusively through The Steeping Teapot and are a piece of unique fabric art, many of which have vintage materials incorporated in their design. These cozies are keepsakes.
BiltonCottage Cozies
Tea Accessories
Let’s talk about the tea accessories. To complete the tea experience you will want to equip your present with all the pieces necessary. The Steeping Teapot has two kinds of infusers….mesh ball and a whimsical heart shaped infuser. Both are for individual cups of tea and work great to give that daily enthusiast a perfect cup of tea. Single Teabags are also available if you prefer having a teabag. Along with that are the Perfect Cup and Perfect Pot of Tea measuring spoons. I have these and use them all the time.
Tea In A Box
A very special gift that we have for the tea drinker who is just starting out is called Tea In A Box. This box includes all the elements of what your special person will need to get started in the delight of drinking loose leaf tea. Each box includes a teacup and saucer, teaspoon, mesh ball infuser, shortbread, tea and napkin – all in a special gift box. The color of the cup and the tea can be selected to your preference.
Seafoam Green
Forest Green
Burgundy
White
Tea In A Box Color Selections
Vintage Tins
The Steeping Teapot offers a selection of vintage tins that can be used for so many things. Holding treasures, tea and of course cookies. Here’s just a little selection.
Some new items to enjoy!
We’ve recently added some beautiful tea towels, Christmas plates and a great Christmas mug.
Come make Christmas and the Holiday season special. Come over to The Steeping Teapot and shop to your delight.
When you would usually attend conferences in person, we are now exploring alternative ways to stay connected. Recently I had the pleasure of attending a virtual tea festival! That’s right…the International Virtual Tea Festival delivered on some great tea time activities.
Just like when you attend a conference in person, there was a vendor floor complete with demonstrations and swag bags. Keynote speakers and main events were available for those attending as well as breakout sessions and classes. The whole function ran on one platform and used Zoom meetings to connect. Once you registered, you received your link and you were off and running. It was very well organized. My sisters and I donned our tea time hats and got ready to attend our first ever virtual tea festival.
I want to share some of the classes I attended but first let’s hit the vendor floor!
VENDOR FLOOR
The vendor floor was open from 9AM to 5PM, so you had plenty of time to “walk the aisles” and see what was happening in the tea world. With over 40 vendors your schedule was full just checking out all the sites!
Each vendor told their own story and displayed their products. As well, many had videos on teas and live sessions to interact with the vendor and other attendees. Contests were held for merchandise and downloads of all sorts. From recipes to educational as well as coloring pages for the young tea drinkers, there was an abundance of resources. And of course, you could just shop if you wanted. Just enter the booth and browse or connect through a group. Many of the vendors followed up with an email to say thanks and just check in for any questions. Just like a live conference, you could spend hours there.
ABOUT THE CLASSES
Just a little about the classes. There were multiple classes available. Some live…some recorded…and some a combination or hybrid. You could easily have filled your day with online classes to participate in. I chose ones that I had an interest in. Though the subject matter was all about tea, the rest was anywhere from travels, cooking, history, or health benefits. It seemed like an endless catalog of options. Each instructor contacted you ahead of time to let you know what you needed for the class and posted any downloads you would need. A couple even had shopping lists for the class. When it came time to go to class, you simply went to your agenda and got started. Here’s a sample of the classes I attended.
COOKING WITH TEA: How To Infuse Your Recipes
COOKING WITH TEA: How To Infuse Your Recipes was taught by Marlys and Alan Arnold, owners of Adventures with Tea. These two have a wealth of knowledge and experience between the two of them and presented 9 techniques for cooking with tea. The class was presented in a hybrid model, meaning one portion was recorded and the second, a Q&A, was live. Chat comments and questions were going on all the time. I came away with recipes and techniques to continue my journey of cooking and baking with tea.
This dynamic couple have been cooking with tea for years. Their presentation was packed full of techniques and ideas. Here’s the list of techniques:
Substituting tea for water in recipes
Poaching
Flavor pairings (see chart)
Marinades and Brines
Stock or Soup Bases
Cold Infusions
Blended
Ground as a spice
Sauces and Syrups
From drinks to desserts, vegetables and meats, the opportunities to cook and bake with tea is only limited by your imagination. Encouraged to experiment with teas that you enjoy as a drink, this class opened up a world of possibilities. It was pretty amazing to see all the beautiful dishes that could be made with tea!
COCKTAILS WITH TEA
Well I have baked and cooked with tea, but I haven’t made cocktails with tea. Yes, cocktails with tea. This class showed you how to make cocktails that had a base of tea! I was intrigued. Agnieszka (Agnes) Rapacz, a Certified Tea Sommelier (German School) from Tea Gschwendner, taught Cocktails with Tea and went through 4 cocktails using 4 different teas –
Earl Grey MarTEAni
Proseco with White Tea Elderflower
Bergamot and Blossoms (using Hibiscus tea)
Hazelnut Moments (using Hazelnut Chocolate tea)
Earl Grey MarTEAni
The Ear Grey MarTEAni uses Vodka that has been infused with Earl Grey tea. Add the vodka, Cointreau, shake and serve in a martini glass with a lemon twist. That easy and that delicious.
This class was live and we could make the cocktails along with our presenter. From infusing a tea in vodka to mixing steeped tea with a simple syrup, these cocktails presented a delicious taste adventure for tea drinkers.
With the winter season coming soon, the class finished with t amazing drink!
Hazelnut Moments Hazelnut Chocolate tea brewed in hot water for 2 minutes. Add 4 oz of Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum and 1.5oz of condensed milk. Mix and enjoy! Give me a blanket and a nice fire….a Hazelnut Moment would be perfect.
As you can imagine, sometimes the technical aspect of things can be a challenge. This was the case for our speaker but she graciously connected with each of us, sent us a sample of the teas that were used in the drinks along with a teelamaas (German for measuring spoon). I am excited to give these all a try with my new teelamaas.
ESSENTIALS OF TEA TASTING
This was another great class and the last of the live sessions that I attended. It was Essentials of Tea Tasting by Suzette Hammond, an award winning teacher from being tea. This class was a live meeting where we went through the process tasting 4 different teas.
Teas ready for tasting
Suzette expertly guided us through the process of tasting teas, explaining about the equipment, each tea, temperatures, and most fun – the tasting process. She shared a tool that helped outline how to describe what you would taste and smell. The class focused on 4 teas with a broad range of tastes. We practiced looking at the leaf, examining the color when steeped to learning the art of slurping and sipping – this was a great class. Though a very preliminary step into the whole tea tasting journey, it equipped us daily enthusiasts with the tools to taste teas and began our understanding of the distinctions between different types of teas.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tea festival. Would we do it again? Absolutely. We would have enjoyed to be in person but this was a great alternative. And surprisingly, the time went by very quickly.
I have only scratched the surface of what was offered. Not only in the speakers but in all the vendors and presentations. I have included the links of the 3 speakers – their sites are full of great information and products.
After the festival, the organizers made sure that the sessions were made available for several months afterwards. There was only so much time in the day and space on the internet! Such a wealth of information and you could jump in and access at any time. No travel time, no lodging costs…..just a lot of great tea and fantastic memories.
This was a great experience. I look forward to being able to attend in person, but in the meantime – I will absolutely be attending a virtual tea festival again!
We are beginning the holiday season and all the preparations will be in order for those great family meals with everyone sitting around the table enjoying each other and the food. And along with that comes the hard work. In this post, I will share how to meal plan for the holidays.
In a previous post, Thanksgiving Prep – Planning Ahead, I shared some of things I do to get ready for guests and then the big meal. This year, I am revisiting some of those same helpful hints and expanding on them with the actual tool I use. And though this year may need some adjusting, planning is always a good thing.
The holidays and especially the meals can evoke some strong memories. The smells and the sounds bring us back to some delicious times. And if you are the preparer of those delightful meals, if can also mean some stressful times when you are trying to get everything done. You just sit down and its time for dessert. The dishes are barely finished and your guests are sneaking around the kitchen for something to eat! Well my secret is to plan ahead, prep ahead and then sit down to a completely prepared meal.
I am a planner. I love planning and preparing ahead of a function. I do this for any tea I give, enjoying the menu development, and preparation or when I have guests come to stay at my house. The holidays provide a perfect time to use these skills and techniques. Let’s go through some tools and steps.
IDENTIFY YOUR GUESTS
I start the planning by identifying who will be coming to dinner. The number is important….so if Great Aunt Lolo and Aunt Barb are coming, then we need to set a couple more places. If they are bringing the gang, I will have to think on a larger scale.
The next step is identify if they are coming for a few days or just for the main meal. You will use the same approach but just expand on the planning.
This same approach is great not just for meal planning but also for things that you might need to do prior to your guests arriving – cleaning, making up rooms, shopping, etc. And the whole concept of this tool is just good planning and can be used for many things.
PLAN THE MENU
The first page of the planning tool is the menu. I will sit down and map out a menu, thinking of those favorite items that are traditional for the meal. If I am having guests, then I will map out each meal that they will be staying for. These can always change, but without a plan, it can become chaos.
Once the menu is mapped out, I identify anything that my guests might want to contribute. Depending on the holiday and who is coming, I might reach out to my guests and see if they have a special dish they would like to bring. I won’t want duplicates but also want to include those special family dishes.
THE TOOL
MENU – The first in the packet, it becomes the platform for your planning.
Identify items for your menu.
PULL YOUR RECIPES….this is a crucial step for planning, shopping list needs, and prepping
Look at each item and determine if it can be made ahead. This is a great time to think outside the box (I will give you examples here in a minute).
Identify who is going to be making the dish. Might be all you or your Great Aunt Lolo.
SHOPPING LIST
Once you have your menu outlined and have reviewed your recipes, you can put your shopping list together.
Your list may include several stores, different times, etc. Note this on your list.
TASK / CHECK LIST
List out those things that you need to get done. This is my thinking list – what is it that I need to get done before the day? Brainstorm all the things that keep you awake at night.
SCHEDULE – CRITICAL STEP
Taking your menu and your task / checklist, schedule out these items. From making your pies to setting the table. On some occasions, you need to start early. And you will want to start early to keep ahead of things.
Pre-Holiday Planning Tool
Day Before and Holiday!
CALENDAR
I include a calendar. This is all about pacing, so using a calendar is helpful.
On the actual day, I will put times in for when I need to do critical things (put the turkey in the oven, etc). When I give an afternoon tea, the schedule for the day is posted in my kitchen so I am sure to stay on task.
So what can be prepared ahead. Well here are some suggestions.
If having guests, breakfast meals, casseroles, or items like coffee cakes or sweet breads. And of course scones!
Pies or their pie fillings can be made ahead of time. And even your dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to 6 months in the freezer. Or if you buy your pie dough, that can also be frozen before using. But even the pie fillings can be made ahead of time. I will make my mincemeat ahead of time and freeze it.
Pie Fillings in the Freezer
Pre-baked Scones in the Freezer
Stuffings / Bread – I generally make a sausage stuffing. The mixture of sausage and onion I can make ahead and freeze. I will also tear up the bread, let it dry and then bag it up.
Sauces like your cranberry sauce can be made ahead and easily frozen. Homemade cranberry sauce can be kept in your freezer for up to 2 months.
Appetizers are a great thing to be made ahead and frozen. Meatballs, sausage rolls are easily frozen. I will also freeze goat cheese in logs.
Your entree may be done early, depending on what you are doing. Like for Thanksgiving, you can roast your turkey the day before and have your gravy all ready. Just make sure to keep snacking fingers out of it until the main meal!
Any dish I look at, I will ask myself if it can be made ahead of time. Everything labeled and dated, my freezer will be bursting by the time the holiday comes around.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Using the last page of the planner and depending on the menu and plenty of coffee, I start my day early and get to checking off those items as their time stamp comes up. I have usually set the table the evening before and even labeled what goes in each serving dish – it helps expedite plating.
When dinner comes, my guests are ready to sit and enjoy one another and so am I. This approach takes some deliberate effort but is well worth it. How to meal plan for the holidays will help you get everything done and still be able to partake in the meal and you will be able to sit and enjoy a very well deserved meal as your guests shower your with numerous compliments. And you will have the satisfaction of being able to put those feet up and be pleased with your efforts. Its all good as I like to say.
Welcome to the Grand Opening of The Steeping Teapot, an online store filled with vintage china and other tea time treasures. This store is owned by Beth Shields, the author of Teas The Season, a blog devoted to celebrating the art and enjoyment of tea.
The Steeping Teapot is arranged so you can browse and enjoy walking through our virtual aisles, looking for just that right piece of china or tea time accessory. Sit back, relax and take your time.
What’s In the Shop
Click on the title and you can check out the many items for sale. Whether looking for china, maybe some tea or just tea time accessories – we have something for you. The inventory is always changing as new items get added so keep us a favorite! Let’s take a look stroll through the store.
I am especially excited about this new offering…..Tea In A Box. This gift is a great way to introduce someone special or even yourself, to the fun of drinking tea and steeping your own cup.
Tea In A Box comes with a teacup and saucer, a teaspoon, a teaspoon infuser, a little treat of Scottish shortbread, a linen napkin, and some loose leaf tea from our English Tea Store collection. All contained in a special gift box, Tea In A Box comes ready to instruct and pamper all at the same time. And if you want something even more special, replace the teacup and saucer with one of the vintage teacups in The Steeping Teapot collection. Either way, you can’t go wrong. And of course…..as always, guidance and instructions along the way are included.
A perfect gift as a single or even as a group gift. Check out Tea In A Box….a special tea time treasure.
Welcome to Part 2, Pumpkin Spice Tea Shortbread – Baking With tea. In this recipe, we will be making shortbread cookies with Pumpkin Spice Tea. This is the second in a series of shortbread cookies using tea infused in the butter. They are a delicious addition to your cookie repertoire adding a unique style of cookie. As with the Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread cookies from Part 1, these Pumpkin Spice Tea Shortbread will follow the same recipe with some adjustments. So enjoy – its easy and fun to do.
Ingredients
unsalted butter at room temperature
Pumpkin Spice Loose Leaf Tea
powdered sugar
all purpose flour
salt
Pumpkin Pie Spice
casting sugar
Preparing the Tea
This recipe uses a tea that I previously highlighted in Fall Tea Tastings. Its Pumpkin Spice Tea and is delicious. The loose leaf is rough and visibly you can see the spices, so the tea needs to be ground. I use a coffee grinder and it gives me a beautiful powder. And remember, if you don’t have a loose leaf tea, you can use tea from a teabag. Just pour the contents into a bowl and measure from there.
Put the tea and the butter in your mixer. Using the paddle, blend the tea and butter and then let it sit. The tea and butter mixture should sit for 1 – 2 hours. The longer it sits, the more intense the flavor is. This is tea and it will continue to intensify as it sits – even in the baked cookie.
Preparing the Dough
Once the infusing time has passed, you can get ready to prepare the dough. Combine the infused butter with powdered sugar and blend. Then add the flour and salt.
You will initially think that something is wrong with the mixture. It will be very dry and crumbly. But continue to let the mixer work and the mixture will turn into a nice soft dough.
Turn the the dough out on a slightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. I love this dough – so easy to work with. You can use any cookie cutter you like. I chose to use a 2 inch circular cutter which yields 30 cookies. The dough gives nice clean edges that stay when baked.
Place the cookies on a prepared baking sheet. I like to use a silicon pad but you can also use parchment paper.
I topped the shortbread with a simple mixture of Pumpkin Pie Spice and casting sugar. Mix these two and then just put a generous pinch on top of each cookie.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. I had to bake for 20 minutes, but started checking at 15.
Remove the cookies and allow to cool. You are now ready to enjoy!
Serving these treats
These cookies have the nice flavor of shortbread infused with the essence of Pumpkin Spice – perfect for the fall. The sprinkling of spice and casting sugar give it an extra little sweetness. This cookie would be great with hot cocoa, coffee and of course a hot cup of tea!
Easy to make, using only 5 ingredients for your basic shortbread, these cookies will become a favorite for sure. As my second experiment with tea, I will definitely be making these again. Pumpkin Spice Tea Shortbread – Baking With Tea.
This easy shortbread recipe is infused with Pumpkin Spice tea. Topped with a Pumpkin Spice and Casting Sugar, this tea cookie is perfect for any afternoon tea or function.
Course Dessert
Keyword Baking with Tea, Pumpkin Spice Tea, Shortbreads
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 30cookies
Ingredients
1cupunsalted butter at room temperature
2tbspPumpkin Spice Loose Leaf Tea
½cuppowdered sugar
2cupsall purpose flour
½tspsalt
1tsppumpkin pie spice
1tbspcasting sugar
Instructions
Using a grinder, grind the Pumpkin Spice Tea to a rough powder. This tea is generally very rough in its loose leaf form and will not infuse well unless it is ground.
Using your mixer with paddle, blend the Pumpkin Spice tea powder with the butter. Allow to sit for 1-2 hours to ensure full flavor of the tea.
Once the butter has been infused with the tea, preheat the oven to 350° and prepare your baking sheet with either a silicon pad or parchment paper.
Cream the butter and tea mixture with the powdered sugar.
Add the flour and salt and blend until a soft dough is formed. This will take some time and will initially start out very crumbly. Continue to mix and it will turn into a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out ¼ inch thick.
Cut out cookies using a 2 inch circular cookie cutter.
Mix the pumpkin pie spice and casting sugar. Place a large pinch of mixture of top of each cookie.
Bake on prepared cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
