FREE SHIPPING offer!

Greetings!

To celebrate Autumn, and all that goes with it, including my Masterpiece Chai! -- I'm having a free shipping offer now through the end of October!

mmmm.... Masterpiece Chai!

Just place your order of $25 or more worth of product from my Artfire Shop, and use coupon code: Autumn and get FREE SHIPPING on your order! This is good through the end of October, limited to stock on hand only, no rainchecks, and for orders in my Artfire Shop only.

~Anne

It's Baaa-aaack! Masterpiece Chai!

And nobody is happier about this than I am -- I've really missed this tea!

There is just something truly rewarding about a hot cup of spiced chai latte on these chilly autumn afternoons here in the Pacific Northwest. It's so beautiful up here this time of year as the leaves change color, and the skies take on their misty gray hue ... and nothing goes better with it than my Masterpiece Chai!


Hey, this ain't no ordinary, namby-pamby, whimpy chai -- this chai goes for the gusto and will knock your socks off! It was designed to brew in water (rather than milk, although, if you wish to be traditional, you can go ahead and brew it in milk. I prefer things simple, and that means brewing it in water for me!) and to take on the addition of milk or cream (I use half and half)... too often, with chai teas adding milk or cream to create a latte beverage and the tea loses some of it's vibrance... NOT so with my Masterpiece Chai! The addition of milk, cream, half & half, or even your favorite soy/rice/almond/hemp milk-like beverage will enhance the overall flavor of this tea.

Don't get me wrong, it will also taste quite good on it's own, without the milk or cream... but, I love chai as a latte, so that is why I created this chai! It's absolutely perfect! A MASTERPIECE!

You can read a review about my Masterpiece Chai Tea Here. Here is another review on the same blog -- same blog, different reviewer!

Now available in my Artfire Studio and my Etsy Shop. I will also be adding it to my 1000Markets Market very soon... so watch for it there too!

Super Fast & Easy Won Ton Soup

Greetings!

I just made a quick and easy -- and absolutely delicious! -- Won Ton Soup that I'd like to tell you about!

I LOVE Asian cuisine, and I have a special fondness for the soups. In particular, I love Won Ton Soup (and of course, Hot and Sour! Yum!) I don't usually have very good luck with processed soups when it comes to Won Ton Soup, except for the absolutely yummy CP Shrimp Won Ton Soup that you can find in some grocery stores in the frozen section. And when I can't find CP's soup, I must either go without, visit a Chinese restaurant, or make my own.

So, when I want Won Ton Soup... here is how I make it:

Ingredients

• 1 quart of chicken broth (I actually used some turkey stock that I had in the freezer. Whenever I bake a turkey, I generally boil the bones for soup, and keep it frozen. However, you could also use the cube quart containers of broth in the supermarket for this recipe, I have used both chicken broth and vegetable broth in this recipe with excellent results)
• 1 medium sized carrot, sliced thin
  
• 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
  
• A small amount of chopped onion (I usually chop up an onion, store it in the fridge in an airtight container. I keep it on hand for condiments or for times when I only need a small amount of onion, like this)
• 3 cloves of garlic (you can adjust this amount to your own taste, I like garlic!)
• 1 tbs. chopped Ginger (I used dried, chopped ginger, but you could also slice up some fresh)
• Trader Joes Frozen Mini Won Tons (I have also found mini won tons at Zupans and they work just as well. I like the mini ones because they take only 2 minutes in hot broth to cook, and they are just the perfect size for soup)

Heat broth to a simmer, and add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and ginger. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until celery and carrot have a nice texture to them. I usually like the celery and carrot to have just a small amount of texture, and not to be limp... this makes it taste more like fresh, homemade soup... which... this is. Only easier!

Turn the heat up to Medium High and add 12 - 15 mini won tons. Allow them to cook in the hot liquid for 2 minutes. Won tons should appear somewhat "translucsent" -- this is how you know they are heated through.

Serve. I usually top it with a few drops of seasame oil or chili oil.

YUM!

This all takes just about 20 minutes from start to finish... and it's well worth the effort if you love won ton soup as much as I do.

~Anne

Congratulations to Ruthie!

Greetings:

Well, I reached 100 fans (well, I'm at 102 at the time of this post) and I held the drawing. Ruthie from Rose Works Jewelry is the lucky winner of the Chatsford Teapot and Tin of Tea!


And... while we're on the subject of Ruthie at Rose Works Jewelry... check this out! Isn't it gorgeous!

Love it!

~Anne