Matcha Tea Connection

For all those wonderful ladies I met last Saturday (February 23, 2013) at the First United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, PA, with an interest on the wonders of Matcha Tea. I am so very happy to share my Matcha connection with you --- http://www.aiya-america.com . These tea people are very knowledgeable and open to working with anyone with a genuine interest in their teas. 

These Methodist Women spent many hours planning, baking, gathering precious china and teacups to honor those among our community who are 24/7 caregivers to a family member. They gathered local professionals to offer these caregivers a day of hair styling, make-up, nail care, eyebrow waxing, hand waxing, massage therapy, reflexology, relaxation techniques, and wellness workshops. I was thrilled to be part of their Tea Room by offering a tasting of three different specialty teas -- a familiar Earl Gray, a white tea blend, and a white/green tea blend. 

Let me extend my special thank you to all those responsible for organizing an outstanding event for the betterment of our small community. 

Think about the many ways you might add to your community through tea,

The Tea and Hat Lady

Tea and Herbs Together

Today's Fall weather -- cool, damp, and the forecast of a possible "NorEasterner" created the desire for comfort in both drink and food. My first reaction was a comfort drink so -- off to the tea closet I went. Several minutes later I walked away with an Herbal/Tea blend. "Eight Treasures" from the Red Blossom Tea Company (San Francisco) (www.redblossomtea.com) filled my tea-desire

The tea/herbal blend combined White Peony Tea with lycium berries,  wolfberries (goji), longan berries, candied melon, rosebuds, red and black dates and chrysanthemum flowers. The blended berries, herbs, and tea liquor left one experiencing the lingering notes from the fig, goji berry, and a hint of melon with the after mouth feel of white tea. The liquor was a warm comfort in the morning and an iced delight for late afternoon/evening. I enjoyed the tea knowing that I was loading up with extra antioxidants  to see me through whatever Mother Nature sent my way the next couple days.

With the onset of a possible hurricane/NorEasterner snowstorm I am sure tomorrow's tea choice will be a robust black tea strong enough to stand up to milk and sugar if so needed to meet the needs of the day.

A cuppa of the steeped beverage. 

My tea choices being satisfied it was time to seek "comfort" food. When considering comfort food I went to the King of Comfort Food -- my husband. Our late lunch, early dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas (for me), applesauce (for him). Now, how much more comfort could one want from a meal, except if maybe the selection had been Mac and Cheese.

Now it is off to bed with anticipation for tomorrow's tea!

Here's to a tea that will bring you warmth and joy throughout the Fall,

The Tea And Hat Lady

Avatar Selected For The Tea And Hat Lady

At last, the lady of the The Tea and Hat Lady is portrayed as the aroma, fragrance, as well as the Spirit of the Tea on my business publications. I have been searching for an Avatar that would best depict my tea inspiration -- Leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant and the processing preformed to release the flavors we enjoy . A lot of time has been devoted to my study of these leaves and their processing so that I could accurately share my tea passion with you.

The study of the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant sounds so very dry and uninteresting. When in reality it is a process which produces a beverage that originates from an all-natural and environmentally sound renewable source.

The oxidation of the tea leaf is a natural process. It is the level of oxidation in the process that determines whether the leaf becomes a white, green, oolong, black, or Pu'erh tea.

Now that I have bored you to death, let me present a lighter side of my search. Not long ago I would not have known what an Avatar was or its purpose. Today I know that, at least one, definition of an Avatar is "an image of somebody in virtual reality." How ironic that I should be so concerned with having the perfect Avatar to represent my interest in tea. This historical beverage that has been around for thousands of years represented by a computer generated image is silly, don't you think?