What’s in My Cup: Baked Apple Chai

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#whatsinmycup, food, food photography, humour, nature, nature photography, squirrels, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea time, what's in my cup

It would seem I’m not the only one enjoying apples these days.

Yeah, I see you. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t leave your half-eaten apples in a row on the fence!

My little friend has been enjoying apples for breakfast nearly every morning this week, and today I thought I’d follow his example.

I reviewed David’s Tea Baked Apple Chai (formerly Spiced Apple) back in the Fall of 2019, and since then it has become a staple in my stash. Apple and cinnamon is a common pairing because, quite frankly, they’re made for each other. They work well in sweets, in savouries, and in tea! And they definitely work in this tea. The flavour is piquant – intense, sweet, tangy and spicy. I called it a “potpourri for all the senses” and I still stand by that statement. From the intense aroma of cinnamon, chicory, cardamom and star anise to the warm and spicy notes that dance and play on the tongue, it’s probably the best apple cinnamon tea I’ve tasted.

It’s a caffeine-free fruit infusion with at least a 5 minute steeping time and requires a generous amount. Since it’s comprised of chunky pieces, it will swell and fill the infuser quickly. A word of advice, use an infuser that will allow the fruit to expand as it steeps in order to extract the most flavour!

Or you can follow the example of my little friend here and squat in the snow and eat it raw. I just hope he cleans up after himself!

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.

– Mother Theresa

What’s In My Cup: Ginger Peach

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#whatsinmycup, food, food photography, photography, summer, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, teacup, what's in my cup

Peaches are coming into season soon, and I love the sweetness, tartness…and juiciness of a fresh, sun-ripened peach. Peach pairs well with ginger, so this morning as I prepared to put the finishing touches on my Dad’s wood-working project for my kitchen, I poured myself a cup of President’s Choice Ginger Peach tea.

Don’t let the brand fool you. Not all less expensive teas are “ less than”. This little sachet was flavourful – sweet and a little spicy (like yours truly)! The colour is an inviting rosy shade and the fragrance made my mouth water. The ginger was tempered so it provided heat without overwhelming the palate. True, it has a slight acidic and artificial flavour to it, but most peach teas do, and this was not obnoxiously so.

Peach is one of those fruits that don’t dehydrate well and the leaves aren’t peach flavoured. This tea is an herbal infusion, so no caffeine. It’s comprised of apple, blackberry leaves, citric acid, ginger root, hibiscus petals, rose hips, roasted chicory root, and natural flavours. It is definitely higher on the list of other peach teas I’ve tried, and like many others, I think it would make a fantastic iced tea for hot summer afternoons.

Especially with a good book or after a nap!

Summer afternoon- Summer afternoon. To me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

Henry James

Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake

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baking, cake, food, food photography, tea, tea time

Cake is for life, not just birthdays!

I know, I know…scones are the quintessential tea time treat. But if you think about it, cake is often the third course in a traditional British afternoon tea, after savoury finger sandwiches, and scones. So it isn’t unrealistic to serve cake with tea. I mean, who doesn’t like cake any time of the day?

An upside down cake is baked “upside-down” in a single pan, with the toppings arranged on the bottom so that it can be removed from the pan by flipping it over to display the fruit. As the fruit cooks with sugar, it’s juices becomes a syrup which glazes and caramelizes the top. In this recipe, the first step is to make a basic caramel to drizzle on the bottom of the pan before arranging the pears. Thinly slicing the pears was probably the hardest part of the entire recipe.

Upside-down cakes were once referred to as skillet cakes because they were made in cast iron skillets on the stovetops. The most commonly baked upside down cake is pineapple, garnished with marashino cherries.

This Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake was sweet but the tartness of the pear and the warmth from the cinnamon and ginger provided relief from the sweetness. It was a denser cake, like a coffee cake, so it paired beautifully with a cup of black tea.

The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe. Eat cake.

What’s In My Cup: Nutty Teas

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#whatsinmycup, baking, bread, food, food photography, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time

Life is like chocolate…sometimes you gotta deal with nuts!

I recently baked some Date, Almond & Yogurt Bread and I tossed in some walnuts and chocolate chips too. Why not? It was sweet and crunchy, but a little heavy, but just right with a cup of tea.

But let’s not talk about the calories.

You may be nuts, and sometimes be I’m in the mood for something “Nutty”. Two of my all-time favourite “nutty” teas are no longer available: Teavana’s Caramel Almond Almaretto and Coco-Caramel Sea Salt. So I’ve been on the hunt for replacements.

If you’re feeling nutty, here are a few options to consider:

Forever Nuts by David’s Tea is a strong contender. This fruit infusion from Germany is caffeine-free. It contains dried apple, almond slices, cinnamon bark, beetroot and roasted almond flavouring. The beetroot gives it a lovely and tempting rosy colour, similar to beloved almond almaretto. It is has both sweetness and a lovely fruity tang, with just a hint of almond in every cup. No extra calories!

David’s Tea Caramel Shortbread is also a strong contender. It’s an herbal tea blend composed of apples, raisins, elderberries, willow bark, almonds, hazelnuts, sour cherries, raspberries, and sweetened with stevia extract and brown sugar. It may not be as satisfying as real shortbread cookies, but it still had the sweet buttery caramel smoothness. It’s also a tempting rosy colour and satisfies like a dessert.

If you like walnuts, try David’s Carrot Cupcake tea. It smells like carrot cake and cream cheese icing, but tastes like cinnamon-apple pie, with just a hint of walnut. This American caffeine-free rooibos tea contains carrots, cocoa shells, cinnamon, apple, ginger, licorice root, and natural whipped cream and apple flavour. It’s also kosher.

Or if you like peanuts, try David’s Peanut Butter Cup tea. It’s inspired by the sweet, rich (and might I add), deeply satisfying confection! It’s important not to skimp when filling your infuser or you’ll risk a weak flavour. I made that mistake the first time. It is a blend of apple, cocoa bits, almonds, chocolate chips, and safflower. That’s right, no peanuts. The colour is a pale yellow with a lovely roasted peanut flavour.

So whether you like nuts, or you are nuts, just know…I’m nuts about you!

Happy Monday!

What’s in My Cup: Coco-Rooibos Chai

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Friends who buy you tea are friends for life!

OK, so a friend didn’t buy it for me, but she shared and that’s close enough! She knows I like Rooisbos tea and Chai seasonings! In this case, it was cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. This tea also has coconut flakes, and pink peppercorns!

Pink Peppercorns are actually members of the cashew family and get their name from it’s pink berries. So while its flavour resembles black pepper, it’s actually sweeter and  slightly citrus-y, rather than hot and spicy. As with many spices, it’s a great way to add punch without pounds.

This particular tea is from David’s Tea and is back from retirement, baby! It’s a Kosher, caffeine-free rooibos base, which gives it a lovely golden colour. It’s also a Fair Trade tea so can feel warm inside too. The aroma from spices delivered what was promised, a warming with a rewarding spicy kick. My only disappointment was that I could barely taste the coconut flakes, which would help to set it apart from other chai. I think I’ll stick with one of my favorites, Rooibos Cinnamon Chai! Or maybe chocolatey S’more Chai or Chocolate Chai, or  the delicious Baked Apple Chai…so many to choose from…

David’s website suggests infusing Coco-Rooibos Chai with hot milk for a chai latte. I’m lactose intolerant, so if you try it, let me know what you think!

Finding friends with the same mental disorder – priceless!

Cheers! Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Poise

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food, food photography, garden, herbs, humour, photography, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time

Poise: calm; confidence in a person’s way of behaving, or a quality of grace (= moving in an attractive way) and balance in the way a person holds or moves their body.

Cambridge English Dictionary

Poise. Something I do not possess.

Today I have Tetley’s “Poise” tea in my cup. The name immediately conjured visions of skinny girls balanced on yoga mats. I own a yoga mat – it decorates the corner of my room. I own yoga pants too – they’re wearing thin at the thighs from trudging (begrudgingly) through the neighbourhood! I don’t even want to think about the dumbbells covered in dust.

No, my bendy parts don’t bend like they used to bend! Some of them never did! But as long as my elbow still works and I can drink my tea, I’ll be ok. Fatter with thinning yoga pants, but still ok. Life without tea is not life! 😉

I am not a fan of chamomile tea and it’s telltale “grassy” notes, which is why I was surprised to find this particular tea in my basement stash. What was I thinking? I was probably hoping the addition of cinnamon and orange peel would make the chamomile more palatable.

Chamomile tea is an herbal infusion from dried chamomile flowers. Long-used in folk medicine, these little white “daisy-like” flowers earned bragging rights to creating calm in it’s consumer, and encouraging sleep. Other potential health benefits include reducing inflammation, lowering blood sugar levels, treating cold symptoms, settling upset stomachs, and slowing the onset of osteoporosis.

The stronger the tea, the stronger the health benefits, but as with any herbal entity, it’s best to tread lightly at first. Chamomile can be contaminated by pollen and other spores that could create allergic reactions, so never give it to children or young adults, and those with a history of severe allergies, particulary to pollen, would be wiser to avoid it completely.

Tetley’s Poise tea was a pretty golden colour. I chose not to steep the first cup very long in the hopes of minimizing the grassy flavour. Both the smell and taste reminded me of Tetley’s Antitox Tea (apple cinnamon & tumeric). While this tea is spiced with cinnamon bark and orange peel, I found the notes were grassy and earthy, with a gentle warmth at the back of the tongue. Other spices include fennel, cardamom, licorice root, and tulsi. (Pregnant women should avoid licorice root). This tea is part of their Ayurvedic Balance series.

I’m still not a convert to chamomile, but the addition of cinnamon, though very, very mild, may have helped. A little bit. But if you are a fan of chamomile, I would recommend giving it a go. Even if you aren’t bendy like me.

Speaking of grass, I’m persevering in my gardening ventures, though I possess no green thumb; it’s more a medium shade of gray. I don’t kill things outright but they have to learn to be hardy fast or they will not survive under my care. I ordered and planted herb seeds, but I appear to be growing grass in the feeder. The kind you mow. When I planted, I dropped a package and it got wet, so I threw the few remaining seeds in my big ol’ tea kettle.

They appear to be thriving!

I’ve got a way with plants. It’s a way where they turn brown and die, but it’s a way.

John Wagner, Maxine

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Apple Cinnamon & Tumeric

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Tumeric is a spice that is acclaimed for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So it’s not wonder that Tetley has included it in it’s line of “super herbal teas”.

Tumeric is a perennial, flowering plant in the ginger family, most commonly used in Southern Asia and Middle Eastern cooking. When it is dried and ground,  it can also be used to dye fabric a rich, golden colour.

Tumeric is a perennial, flowering plant in the ginger family, most commonly used in Southern Asia and Middle Eastern cooking. Dried tumeric packs three times the flavour over fresh. Also, when it is dried and ground, it can be used to dye fabric a rich, golden colour.

Tetley’s Antiox tea is a rooibos base and includes cinnamon, white hibiscus, tumeric (of course), licorice root, rose hips, chicory root, orange peel, and apple. It also lists vitamin C, a nautral diuretic and antioxidant. Vitamin C helps protects cells against heart disease, cancer and other diseases, as well as helping your body absorb and store iron. It’s necessary for the formation of blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones.

As you can see, this herbal tea has a lovely, deep golden colour. The tea bag smells rather medicinal, but mellows once it is steeped. I could taste both the cinnamon and apple, but it was subtle, as it was also paired with earthy and gingery notes from the tumeric. Some people describe tumeric as bitter, mustard-y or horseradish-y. I found there was a slight tingle or heat from the tumeric, but it wasn’t unpleasant or overpowering. It’s definitely on the savoury scale.

Tea is the magic key to the vault where my brain is kept.

Frances Hardinge

Happy Monday!

March & All You Need

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food, food photography, photography, Spring, tea, tea addict, tea photography, tea time, teacup, winter

It’s only 12 days until the first day of Spring and we are quite ready for it!

We are sick of bulky winter clothing that smells damp and mouldy. We are sick of clomping along in heavy boots with curled toes to keep our feet from sliding. We’re sick of tripping over snow shovels on the front porch, and tip-toeing across icy patches on the walkways.

But winter struggles to maintain its hold. The sun wrestles with cloud cover, and from time to time, we wake to frosty fence posts or powdered rooftops. Icy winds whip from the north, tossing debris and scattering leaves. March feels like a month of brown and beige, and blah. Gray skies and matted brown earth.

The days of March creeping gustily on like something that man couldn’t hinder and God wouldn’t hurry.

Enid Bagnold

Already, I have heard little birds talking about it. I know that soon, soon my friends, little green things will start to peek from the frozen ground.The ice will melt and the wind will lap it up and whisk it away. And we will emerge from our slumber into the warmth of the sun, and let all nature embrace our weary souls.

Well, that may be a little melodramatic, but did you feel hope stirring? Spring is coming… and until it arrives, grab hold of 3 things.

And hope. Never let go of hope!

Hop ise the thing with feathers that perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words and never stops – at all –

Emily Dickinson

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Bee the Change

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#whatsinmycup, flatlay, food, food photography, honey, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea quotes, tea time, what's in my cup

Did you know….
16 oz. of honey takes 1152 bees to travel 112 000 miles and visit 4.5 million flowers?

http://www.hivetracks.com

I believe there’s a degree of goodwill in all us. An innate desire to join with others to contribute to our world in a way that blesses. It may be in your local community or the global community, a grand or complex legacy for the next generation, or as simple as tending a garden for the birds and the bees.

In the tea community, there are organizations that promote fair business practices, safe working conditions, and sustainable resources. Right now, David’s Tea is donating 10% of the proceeds from their “Bee The Change” tea, to The Bee Conservancy, a non-profit organization that creates bee habitats in Canada & the US.

It’s a drop in a bucket, but as you add drops, the bucket fills up.

“Bee the Change” tea is a delight for all the senses too. Vibrant petals of echinacea, rose, marigold, pink cornflower, and red clover are combined with rooisbos and honeybush leaves, apple, rosehips, natural honey flavouring, and natural flavouring with stevia extract. Many of these ingredients are said to stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and boost the immune system. The aroma is a bright perfume of sweetness and flower, from the time the tin is opened to the very last drop!

“Bee the Change” is a kosher, caffeine-free infusion. It’s a light honeyed colour (not surprising) that intimates warmth. I found this floral, honeyed elixir to be vivid and cheerful. Would it be weird if I called it “sunny”? The honey is identifiable and sweet, but not provocative or cloying. I’m not a fan of floral teas for the most part, but I found this coupling beautifully balanced.

Not only have I helped my buzzy besties in a small way, but it’s my new favourite indulgence on a gray afternoon or a chilly evening.

The key to nature’s therapy is feeling like a tiny part of it, not a master over it. There’s amazing pride in seeing a bee land on a flower you planted – but that’s not your act of creation, it’s your act of joining in.

Victoria Coren Mitchell

Happy Monday!

Sweetness & Light

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baking, disasters, faith, food, food photography, macro photography, musings, tea, tea cups

I was just reflecting this morning, how our attitudes and circumstances, when reframed and brought out into the light, can actually become something beautiful. Take my disastrous macarons, for example. While they are cracked and dry, and lack colour, a little raspberry buttercream softens the appearance, and makes them a sweet treat. I survived the experience, and I now have an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. And an opportunity to try again.

Maybe even to do better.

All of the experiences in my life have done the same. Sure, my heart bears many scars. Some of my own making. But reframed in the light of God’s love and care, there is beauty too. God softens and moulds the rough places. He adds sweetness. He has helped me survive, and learn, and grow. He has forgiven me, so I can try again.

Maybe even do better.

So I’m wishing you a week filled with sweetness and light…and plenty of tea!

You may think your light is small, but it can make a huge difference in other people’s lives

– Anonymous