Caramel Tea & Don't Forget the Contest!!!

Hello Everyone!

If you are a subscriber to my Newsletter, you should already know that my Caramel tea is finally finished and ready to purchase in my Artfire Tea Shop! For the rest of you, here's the official announcement... my Caramel Tea is READY!


This is one of my best sellers, and it doesn't stay around for long... so it's best to get yours now, while the getting is good!

And speaking of my newsletter, you can subscribe to my newsletter by filling out the small form to the right. I don't create newsletters often, I do try to do one at least every month... sometimes I manage it, other times not...

Anyways!!!

CONTEST!

Don't forget about the contest I'm hosting, courtesy of Infivision's Artfire Studio ... This contest closes on Wednesday, January 28, at midnight. Hurry and enter... it's really easy! To learn more, scroll down to my next post, and read all about it!

That's all for now!

~Anne

Contest! Win a Free Print!

Contest Announcement!

Win your favorite 8 x 10 Photographic Print from Infivision's Artfire Studio!

Here's just a sampling of what you can choose from...

I know, gorgeous, right?

And then there's this...

and this...

A - MAy- ZinG!

And this is just a small sampling of the 8 x 10 prints he has available. This is a really great opportunity to decorate your home with some fabulous art... He's got mad skills when it comes to the camera!

So, you're probably wondering, OK I so want one of these prints! How do I win?

It's really easy to enter:

1. Visit Infivision's Artfire Studio. Look through all of his amazing artwork. You'll probably drool a little bit. That's ok. It's normal.

2. Now, here's the hard part: Decide on the 8 x 10 Print you'd like to win. I know, I know... how do you choose just one? But, yeah, you have to choose one. I don't know... if it were me, I'd probably choose "Splat" -- that last one I posted above... it would go nicely with my existing artwork. Or... I don't know, I might choose "She Loves Me" -- the first one I posted above, because it would work well with my kitchen decor. I know... like I said, it's hard to choose just one...

3. Once you've decided which one you'd like, come back here to my blog (you've got it bookmarked, right?) and leave a comment on this post. In that comment, you should mention which of the prints is your favorite (in other words, which print you'd choose should you be selected as the winner).

4. On Wednesday, January 28, I'll select the winner. I'll do this some random way, like, maybe I'll put everyone's name in a hat (wait, I don't have a hat)... OK, I'll put everyone's name in a teapot, and then I'll have my daughter pick a name from the teapot. Or, maybe I'll go to random.org and have it randomly selected that way. I'll do it in a way that's fair.

5. I'll contact the winner via email, and get your (well, assuming that you're the winner) shipping information, which I'll then forward to Infivision, who will send you package off to you. And then... here's the really cool part... sometime thereafter, you'll receive a package with your favorite print! I know, right? I told you it'd be the cool part.

So... what are you waiting for? Go visit Infivision's Artfire Studio! And then, after that, if you want to go buy some tea from me, I won't be upset or anything...

~Anne

My favorite cookies

When I was young, my best friend, Paula, introduced me to her favorite cookies, and they quickly became my favorite too. They were Chocolate Chip Meringue cookies: slightly crisp, airy, light, and delicious!

I still love these cookies, and now that I have a new stand mixer, I can make them easily. Here's the basic recipe:

Meringue Cookies

3 Large Egg Whites (don't use the pasturized egg whites in the carton)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 c superfine sugar (or Baker's Sugar)
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment (easy cleanup!).

In the bowl of your stand mixer, with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until it begins to look foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and continue to beat on medium speed until you reach the soft peak stage. Add the sugar gradually, and continue to beat until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Add vanilla extract and continue to beat until sugar is completely dissolved. (you can test this by rubbing a small amount of the mixture in between your fingers, if it feels gritty, it isn't dissolved completely yet)

Now, I drop the meringue onto the parchment lined cookie sheets in mounds using two spoons. You can use this method, or you can put it in a pastry bag and pipe it into little peaks if you want to make them fancy. They don't need a lot of room in between cookies because they don't rise, but you do need enough room to allow proper air circulation.

Bake the meringues for about 1 1/2, and then turn off the oven. Leave the cookies in the warm oven to cool (I usually leave them in there overnight, but, 2 or 3 hours will be enough time). This allows the meringues to dry out and crisp up.

You're probably wondering what happened to the chocolate chips... well, one thing that I've discovered is that you can put all sorts of flavors into these cookies, and they'll turn out great.

• At Christmastime I'll add crushed candy canes and mini chocolate chips after I've beaten in the vanilla extract and I'll put these out for Santa.
• Instead of Vanilla Extract, I'll add Orange Extract and add mini chocolate chips. These make a delightful treat with tea!
• Chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips, added after the vanilla extract step makes for a great fat-free alternative to the classic chocolate chip cookie.
• Try sprinkling on some almond slivers before baking.

These are just a few ideas.

What makes these so great is that they're fat free... so you can indulge a little bit without feeling too guilty about it!

A great Tea Time Treat!

~Anne

How To Brew Chai Tea

Hello everyone:

This is a question that I'm asked rather frequently, even though I provide brewing instructions that are printed on the labels of my teas. There is so much "out there" about how to brew Chai tea properly, that it has caused a great deal of confusion.

So let me say this right up front, the way I brew chai tea is NOT the traditional way that Chai tea is brewed. Traditionally, you would brew your chai tea leaves and spices in a pan of simmering milk (or a blend of half milk, half water) and allow your tea leaves and spices to steep in the milk. After allowing to steep for several minutes, the mixture is strained, and then honey is added and it's served, sometimes with steamed milk. The Chai tea concentrates that are available commercially and that are used in coffeehouses to make Chai lattes uses a variation of this method, usually including the sweetener, to make their product.

The first few cups of Chai that I made in my own home were made using this method, and I have to say that after I had made those first few, I was reluctant to make more, because it makes an incredible mess! First of all, I don't like to heat milk, it is a messy endeavor at best, and I only do it when I really want a cup of rich hot cocoa (yes, I do drink beverages other than tea! Just not as often). I made the mistake of once attempting to heat milk in my electric tea kettle, and let me just say -- don't try this at home. Not a good plan.

So, when I decided that I really wanted a Chai tea blend in my collection, I first began sampling the other chai blends that were available out there, I mean, let's face it, every tea company out there has a chai tea these days, don't they? So, I thought to myself, there was no need to reinvent the wheel if I could find a chai that I like, why not add that to my collection.

The next thing on my agenda was to determine what I wanted out of a Chai tea. I wanted a Chai that was robust with spices. I wanted something that rivaled the best coffeehouses chai lattes without the complication of having to steam milk. But most of all, I wanted simplicity in the brewing process. None of this brewing in milk nonsense. I wanted something that I could easily steep in boiling water for a few minutes, add a bit of honey to, and then add milk or cream to (my preference is half & half), and have a cup of rich, satisfying chai.

Unfortunately, none of the teas that I was sampling from my suppliers fit that bill. Most of the teas stood up well to the water brewing process, however, when I added the milk or cream to the tea, much of the flavor became masqued rather than enhanced by this addition, which was the opposite of what I was looking for. The addition of milk should always enhance a tea, never detract from the flavor.

So I set out to create my own blend, and the results of months (and months, and months!) of flavoring, blending, and sampling, and then trying again, and again... is my Masterpiece Chai. This is a tea that tastes really great when served hot, with just a drizzle of honey. It also tastes remarkable when you add a splash of half and half. It's not the same thing as the coffee house chai latte, but I prefer my chai over those, because mine is not overly sweetened with corn syrup and the like. And I know what I've put into my chai... just tea: High Grown Ceylon and Assam; and Marsala Spice, a touch of vanilla, and honeybush (this adds just a bit of natural sweetness to the blend without ever overtaking any of the bold spice).

So, whether it is proper or not, here is how I brew my cup of Chai:

• Start with fresh, cold water from the tap. I filter mine with one of those countertop filter pitchers. Bottled water should never be used to brew tea, as full flavor of tea will never be obtained using bottled water.
  
• Bring the water to a boil. I use an electric tea kettle for this. It's fast, and a lot more convenient than the stovetop models, however, if a stovetop model is what you have, it will work just fine. Water should be brought to a gentle boil, do not overboil the water, though, as it will brew a flat tasting tea.
• Warm your teapot. You can do this by adding some boiling water to the teapot, swill the water around until you can feel the warmth on the outside of the pot. This is an important step if you wish to keep your tea warm, as the chill of the pot can rob the tea of it's heat rather quickly.
• Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of Masterpiece Chai tea for every cup of tea you are brewing. Usually, you would use just a teaspoon of tea for each cup, however, since there is an abundance of spice (and bulky spice, at that!) in my Chai tea, you will want to manipulate the amount that you use to make sure you're getting full flavor.
• Now, when it comes to brewing loose leaf tea, there are those who use infusers, and those who do not. I usually do use an infuser, because I've found that it's a) easier to clean up; and b) it's easier to re-use the leaves for a second brewing. If you choose not to use an infuser, that's fine, just place the loose leaf tea directly into your warmed teapot. If you do choose to use an infuser, be sure that the infuser you choose offers ample room for your tea leaves to expand. Most tea leaves will expand to three times their dry volume. If they aren't given enough room to expand, then you will lose flavor. I use a chatsford teapot, and I've found that the nylon infuser that is provided with the teapot works well in allowing enough room for the tea leaves to expand. (and yes, I've tried it both ways -- with and without the infuser -- and have found no discernable difference in flavor) Just make sure that you have enough water to fill the teapot, thereby allowing the water to come to the top of the infuser and filter through the leaves adequately, and don't forget to add enough loose leaf tea for this amount of water... if you're using a 4 cup teapot, for example, you'll need 6 teaspoons of Masterpiece Chai tea.
  
• Gently pour the boiling water over the tea leaves, and steep for 4 minutes. This is the time I use. You might want to play around with the time until you find your perfect time. Everyone's palate is different!
• Remove the tea leaves, and serve. I add a good size drizzle of honey (it would probably equal about a teaspoon and a half if I were to measure how much I use). Alternatively, I have used Agave Nectar in my chai tea with pleasant results, but I find that the honey adds a certain authenticity to the chai. Add a splash of half & half (again, if I were to measure how much I use, it would probably equal about a teaspoon, perhaps a teaspoon and a half), and stir until the honey has been dispersed throughout the tea.
  

What you are left with is a very pleasing cup of chai tea. I find it very comforting and warming on the cold winter mornings that have become commonplace over the past month here in the great Pacific Northwest. The spice is satisfying and warm. The tea is robust. It's delicious!

~Anne

An Interview with me...

Rebecca at Soap Deli News recently conducted an interview with me, and today it has been published on her blog. Thank you Rebecca for the opportunity to talk to your blog readers, what an honor! Click here if you'd like to read the interview.

Also, if you read more on the Soap Deli News, you'll find other interesting interviews with other artisans, as well as some cool tutorials. A great blog... one worth reading regularly!

On to other tea news... As the weather grows colder... what's in your teacup? I've been drinking a lot of my Chocolate Rose Romance tea lately, because it is a great comfort tea, and is a great tea to sip on these bitterly cold days!


Another favorite tea during cold weather is my Masterpiece Chai. The spice of the tea warms you up, and the delightful flavor lifts you up! Yum!!!

Well, two posts from me in one day... that doesn't happen often!

Enjoy!
~Anne

Time for Tea!

Good Morning everyone!

Seldom am I up this early... well, I have to get up earlier than this to get my youngest daughter off to school, but, then after I get her on the bus, I usually head back to bed. I'm a night owl, I've always been that way, and it would seem that since the artist in me has re-emerged over the past several years, that the night owl in me has taken full force. Bedtime before midnight or one am just seems impossible for me.

However, today is a bit of an extraordinary day for me and my household as my mother in law will be arriving in just a few short hours. So, I'm up... sipping tea, and trying to get my eyelids to open and my eyes to focus.

This morning, I find myself sampling Darjeeling. I have wanted to add a Darjeeling to my tea collection for some time, however, there are so many excellent Darjeelings out there, and let's face it, also some not so excellent ones as well... so I want to choose just the right one... and I still haven't found what I'm looking for

On to other interesting tidbits... I have been featured in an Artfire Artist's blog... so I'd like to share with you! LibertyDoll has a lovely blog in which she features some of her favorite Artfire items. I may just have to do a post or two soon where I feature some of my favorite Artfire items as well, there are many marvelous items to choose from!

If you haven't yet checked out Artfire, I suggest you do so... right away! It's a great website... and really, why buy commercial items when you can buy handcrafted, the quality is so much better when you buy directly from the artisan rather than buying from an assembly line in some factory! Head on over to Artfire, and see what all the fuss is about!

OK... so that's enough from me this morning, I need to finish up my tea, and get the bedroom in order for my MIL! Have a splendid day!

~Anne

I've been Tumblr'd!

This is one of the coolest blogs I've seen in a long time. It's a blog created by another Artfire artist, and it basically provides a picture of random items that can be purchased from Artfire. The blog is called the Tumblr. Check it out!

And, if you want a new view of different random items from Artfire, just click on the "Random" button on the upper right hand side of the page. You'll get a whole new set of random items.

And... if you really like what you see, all you need to do is click on the picture, and you'll be taken directly to that item's listing on Artfire so that you can buy it... or perhaps browse through the other items that artist has to offer!

How awesome is that?

Please take a moment to check out the Tumblr. You may just have found a new favorite blog spot!

~Anne

Weekend Sale at Artfire!

Hello Everyone!

Well, many of the merchants at Artfire are conducting a weekend sale, so I thought I'd join in...

Now through Sunday, January 11th at midnight, receive a FREE box of T-Sacs (100 count, size 2, just right for a cup of tea!) with every 2 tins of tea purchased. On my website, I sold the T-Sacs for $6.00, and if you go and look online, I think you'll probably find that this size is sold for a little more in most places. They are disposable and unbleached, and work perfectly for loose leaf tea.


To receive your free T-Sacs (I won't even charge additional shipping for your T-Sacs, they're absolutely free!), just place an order at my artfire store for 2 or more tins of tea. This offer is limited to stock on hand, so please hurry for your *free* T-Sacs!

~Anne

A new place...

Hello Everyone!

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?

First of all, I want to update you all on the cupcake contest... we have selected a winner! Before I announce the winner and reveal the recipe here, I want to first get in touch with the winner to let her know... so please be patient until I hear back from her.

Thank you to everyone who submitted recipes!

Second, I have found a new "home" for LiberTEAS! Some of you may have noticed that when you type in www dot liber-teas dot com that you are lead to my etsy store (and for a few more hours, you will continue to be, until the changes update in the server's system), but, I have found a new place to host my teas.

Artfire!

I will still keep a few teas at etsy for the time being, until I see how well I do at Artfire. I wanted a store that could be accessed by my brand name LiberTEAS... rather than use my EccentricPastiche store on etsy, which was intended to be the store where you could buy my artwork and 'zines.

The artfire store will be dedicated only to my teas.

MORE TEA NEWS: I know that some of you have been eagerly awaiting the return of my caramel tea. Well, the wait is nearly over, as the tea is nearly finished with it's blending time. (It does take a little bit of time for the flavors to mingle amongst the tea leaves and create the perfect brewed tea) I expect to have my Caramel tea at my artfire store by the end of this month!

Also... I don't have all my teas posted in either store, there are still a few favorites that are not listed... including Chocolate Rose Romance and Breakfast Blend. These haven't been "shelved" -- so to speak -- I just haven't been able to get photos taken of them so that I could list them properly. However, if you're craving one of my classic flavors... just email me and I'll be happy to set you up!

~Anne

Cupcake Recipe Contest!

Hello Everyone!

I have never been much of a baker. My grandmother was an amazing baker, her pies were so amazing that I've pretty much given up even trying to make pies because they never turn out the way gramma used to bake. And, for the most part, unless I'm really in the mood, or it's the holiday season, I don't really enjoy baking cookies, I find it tremendously tedious.

I used to enjoy making cakes, but, somewhere along the way, I fell out of love with it, perhaps because I could never make them look nearly as lovely as I would like to... I have never felt at ease with a pastry bag in my hands, fumbling nervously with trying to make a simple rosette.

But, I love cupcakes! Even though I still do not feel at ease with the pastry bag, I can use it to pipe a simple spiral of frosting onto the top of a cupcake and make it look nice. Of course, they aren't so fancy that you'd want to put them on the cover of Martha Stewart's magazine or anything, but, they're still attractive enough to entice someone to want to eat one!

Besides, what a great treat to enjoy with a cup of tea?

(Photo Credit: Courtney, from HeyLadyCards. You can purchase her beautiful Cupcake Bath Bombs here.)

A few months ago, I purchased The Cupcake Deck by Elinor Klivans. I've tried a few recipes in the deck, and I've been fairly pleased with the outcome, however, I found the cupcakes to be a bit "lighter" than I wanted them to be. Sure, the light texture does have it's positive aspects, but, I found them to be a bit "too light" in texture to support the creaminess of my buttercream frosting...

Which brings me to the subject of frosting... it took me quite a while to perfect my recipe for buttercream frosting. I wanted something delicious, smooth, creamy, but not too sweet... I still suffer from nightmarish memories of buttercream frostings that was sickeningly sweet, slathered onto a store-bought birthday cake, purchased as an afterthought when my birthday had been forgotten. And the canned frostings... should stay in the can! yuck!

So, after many, many attempts with different buttercream frostings, I learned that it's not only the recipe but the way you process the frosting that is important when making buttercream.


(Photo Credit: Maureen, from ARoseWithoutAThorn. You can purchase these lovely faux cupcakes here.)

So... I'm happy with my buttercream, and I don't want to change that recipe, so now what I need is a cupcake that can stand on it's own with my frosting and not taste like a fluffy cloud of air sitting under my delightful buttercream.

And, since I'm not much of a baker, I am not sure exactly how I would go about adjusting a recipe to create such a masterpiece of a cupcake...

And, well, I have tried mixes. And I DO like cake baked from a mix. However, I prefer to know what I'm putting in to the foods I eat, and I'd really like to find just the right "from scratch" recipe.

So, I'm turning to you, my dear readers, to help me in my endeavor to find the perfect cupcake recipe (or recipes!) -- And the winner of this contest will win a tea time gift from me, complete with a brand new chatsford teapot and 6 tea sampler tins, filled with your choice of teas from my collection.

To enter:

1. Get your recipe! The recipe can be any flavor -- vanilla, chocolate... or anything in between... Just please make sure that the ingredients are easily obtainable. And, since I am a tea fan, it's better if you don't have coffee as one of the ingredients. However, if you have a recipe that uses tea as one of the ingredients... you get extra bonus points!

2. Email it to me by December 10. (Click on the link to get to my email address)

I will be making these recipes and they will be tested by a panel of experts that I assembled myself (my two daughters and myself). The recipe that we like the best will win the tea time gift!

(Photo credit: Roz from RozArt. You can purchase this, or another of her lovely paintings, here.)

Now, there may be more than 1 winner! For example, if we happen to like a vanilla recipe and a chocolate recipe equally... then, I'll award two tea time gifts!

SPECIAL BONUS POINTS: Special bonus points will be awarded for cupcake recipes possessing one of the following qualities:

1. Tea in the recipe. This pretty much speaks for itself. However, one qualifying point, no INSTANT tea... that stuff is just really gross.

2. Butter Pecan recipe. I LOVE the Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix. I add ripe, mashed banana to this recipe and make amazing banana cupcakes that my oldest daughter adores.

OK... so that's it. I don't know when the official winner(s) of this contest will be announced, because it really depends upon how many entries we receive... because, we can't bake all the cupcakes at once, because I'm sure that if I did that, my adoration of cupcakes would quickly fade into... something else.

But, I will keep you updated!!!

So, please... send in your recipes! I look forward to trying your best!

~Anne

What have you been up to?

Hello Everyone!

I've been incredibly busy. Yeah, I know, I say that a lot! It seems like I've been averaging about a journal entry per month, and really, it doesn't seem like it's been that few for me, it seems like I only just charted my last entry a week ago! Time has a way of slipping past you when you're busy doing... whatever it is that I've been doing!

I'm still doing quite a bit of unpacking... well, actually, that's not completely true... I guess it's more accurate to say that I've still quite a bit to do... but I've not spent a lot of time doing it. *sigh* I do need to get busy on it though, in the coming months, it's going to be entirely too cold to be out in the garage doing much of anything, and I can't hardly justify purchasing a space heater for the garage if one can hardly navigate amongst the rubble! So, it's time to get busy.

We also want to plant our fall bulbs for spring blooming! Now that we actually have a yard -- it will be so nice to be able to have some beauty to admire in the garden. It will also be a great opportunity for me to spend some time with my youngest, who wants to help plant her favorite flowers - tulips.

In the midst of all this contemplation of what I should be doing... I have actually been working on tea too... I am still working out the kinks with my Caramel tea. I think I may have found the right combination, but I must wait... I think that's the hardest part of the art of tea flavoring and blending, is the waiting after I've flavored or blended a tea, to see if the flavors are harmonious. It's very important to allow those flavors to mingle and marry... what tastes good now may not be good in three weeks. So, it's an art that requires a great deal of patience.

And I've been sampling too... I'm currently looking for the right Darjeeling and I've also been sampling Oolongs as well. I have been very fond of my Formosa Choicest, however, my supplier has granted me a nice supply of Oolongs to sample and I might just find another I favor. We shall see.

So, that's what I've been up to.

~Anne

What's in your cup today?

Hello, Everyone!

Well, it looks as though we'll be enjoying some warm weather for the next week or so, or so the weatherman tells us. I'm not sure if I'm pleased or not with that forecast, as I would love to be enjoying the cooler fall weather that I look forward to every year. I love to be able to cozy up to a hot cup of tea. Sure, I love my iced tea, and I've been enjoying quite a bit of iced tea this summer, but, there's nothing quite as satisfying to me as a cup of hot tea.

However, every morning, I do get myself a pot of hot tea... this morning, I enjoyed a pot of my yerba mate blend, Almond Mocha Mate. As I've mentioned before, I can't drink my favorite mocha drinks anymore, because my stomach just can't handle it.

That's why I do love this Mate blend. The Roasted Yerba Mate is somewhat reminiscent of coffee, and the addition of chocolate and almond flavoring brings it to life, and it tastes so much like my favorite mocha drink I used to order every morning... but without the ill after effects.

~Anne

Tea Treat Review!

Hello Everyone!

Well, I guess it's no secret that I love my tea, and sometimes it's nice to have a little something to go with my tea. Whenever I'm in a tea shop, I eventually check out the tea time treats they offer, and I usually pick something new to try. You never know when you just might stumble upon a favorite!

Recently, I visited a tea bar in Portland, and I found "Choclatea" bars from the chocolate chefs at smilechocolatiers.com. They blend fine chocolate with finely ground tea to create a unique kind of candy bar. They're a bit pricy ($5.95 for a bar!) but, as I was conducting important research, I felt that I should bite the bullet and fork out the 6 bucks for a bar. The tea bar featured several different flavors, but the one that appealed to me most was the Wild Raspberry Tea Milk Chocolate Bar.

Of course, I had to select just the right tea to sip along with my chocolate. Today, I decided to brew my Masterpiece Chai.

The chocolate is very smooth, and the raspberry tea flavor is subtle at first. Then you notice the tangy wild raspberry flavor dancing upon your palette. Very nice, indeed. And while the bar may seem a bit costly, the flavor is very rich, so you don't feel so bad about sharing the bar with a friend or two while sipping tea together. (Or maybe saving a bit for yourself for later!)

As I mentioned, Choclatea bars come in several different flavors. I'm now eager to try a couple of the other intriguing offerings, such as Pomegranate White Tea Very Dark Chocolate, and Coconut Greet Tea Dark Chocolate. And while white chocolate is not my favorite, I might even be enticed to try the Pistachio White Tea White Chocolate. Just for experimentation purposes, you understand!

So, if you happen across Choclatea Bars, I highly recommend picking up a bar for your next sweet tooth craving! If you like tea and you like chocolate... well, you're just going to LOVE these chocolate bars!

~Anne

I'm Back!

Hello everyone!

Well, as some of you probably already know, I've been in the process of moving... I'm not quite finished yet, still have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do (primarily in my garage aka the art studio!) but we are in the new house, out of the old place... it's just a matter of getting everything settled and finding a place for everything. It's a lot of work, and it's a big pain to have to move, but despite that, I'm glad we did, we really have needed a larger space for a long time now. The new house is so nice, and it's just perfect for us.

On to some new tea news!

Momoko Melon: IT'S BACK IN STOCK! This is one of my all time summer teas, it tastes amazing on ice! (It's also delicious served hot) So refreshing!

Sweet Caramel O'Mine: It's coming back! But only for a limited time! Here's the story: my supplier of flavorings discontinued it's caramel flavoring, however, they did have one bottle left of it, and because I had been bugging them they sent it to me. (Squeaky wheel gets the grease?) Anyway... I have one bottle of my special caramel flavoring left, so once it's gone, I don't know if I'll be able to get more!

So, what I'm trying to say, is keep an eye out, in the next couple of weeks, my first batch will be ready... so be sure to get some while you can! This is absolutely my very best seller... so it will sell out fast!

Creamy Irish Breakfast Blend: I have only a small amount of this left. I don't think I will be blending another batch for St. Patrick's day for 2009, so grab what's left while you can! (Oh, and it's clearance priced too!)

My Etsy Store: I haven't loaded any teas up there recently, as some of you may have noticed... well, that's because, as I said before, I've been moving... and the move has taken me from doing the things I need to get done! There are some teas there now... and within the next month, I plan to start uploading more teas... Once I get all my teas loaded to my etsy store, I will have my website automatically forward traffic to the etsy store... so when you head on over to my store sometime in the distant future, you'll be redirected to my etsy store. This change is very much for the better, it will help me streamline everything, and keep better track of my inventory.

That's about all from me for now... I need to make a newsletter soon!

~Anne

Website Changes

Hello Everyone!

I am in the process of changing my website over to be redirected to my etsy store. Currently, I have 2 teas available in my etsy store, my Potpourri Tea, and my new Breakfast in Bed Tea... both in tins. I will be hopefully adding the rest of my teas later this week. By the time I'm finished, you'll be able to buy your favorite LiberTEAS tea in reusable tins or in the refill bags.

Potpourri Tea

Breakfast in Bed Tea

In the meantime, if you experience any problems with the website and would like to place an order of a tea that is not yet available on etsy, please email me and I'll be happy to take your order via email.

Thanks to everyone for your support! I appreciate it!

~Anne

New Teas!

Hello Everyone:

Well, for a couple of months now, I've been telling you about my two new teas that I've added to my collection... and now, they're both finally available for sale!

The first tea is Green Apple Tea. I really love this tea, and it's delicious served both hot and iced! When I was younger, I remember a soda called "Aspen" -- it was an apple flavored soda, crisp and refreshing. I don't drink a lot of soda (usually only when I'm out to eat, as I usually do not care for the teas served at restaurants), but, if this soda was still available, I'd drink it. It was uncommonly delicious, and unlike anything that's out on the market today.

While my tea is quite obviously not a soda pop, the light, crisp flavor of green apples reminds me a lot of that flavor I miss so much from my childhood. It's also 100% organic! An absolute MUST try tea!

The second tea is Breakfast in Bed Tea, so named because it's a tea you want to linger over, just like a delightful, relaxing breakfast served to you in bed. It has a luxurious flavor and an amazing fragrance. Delicate Rose scented tea, with a creamy vanilla flavor and a subtle touch of cinnamon! This tea was inspired by a good friend and fellow tea lover.

~Anne

I'm the Mad Hatter!

What Alice in Wonderland Character Are You?

You are The Mad Hatter

One thing is for sure- you're as mad as a hatter. You have an obsession with time and if tea time were to ever cease, you would probably be even more confused.
Take this quiz!








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But then, the result of this quiz should come as no surprise!

Just a quick update...

Green Apple Tea will be arriving later this week... please watch this blog for updates, or better yet, you can click here to subscribe to my newsletter!

Also... my new Rose/Vanilla/Cinnamon tea flavor will be ready for sale soon! This flavor is OH SO YUMMY!

~Anne

Spring is in the Air!

And... whoa... can my sinuses and eyes feel it! UGH! This is absolutely my least favorite time of year. I know a lot of people love Spring -- as the world re-awakens after it's cold winter's rest... the vibrant colors of the daffodils and crocus begin to bloom and the beauty of the cherry blossoms delight... I love these things too, don't get me wrong. As an artist, how could one not just love the bustling colors of spring?

But, as an allergy sufferer, I detest the coming of Spring! The itchy, watery eyes, the coughing, sneezing and the runny nose! The stuffy sinuses that constantly drain yet never seem to be clear! The effects of the over-the-counter options are so undesirable too. Of course, yes, the products WORK to clear up the symptoms, but, they leave behind side effects of their own -- one leaving me feeling so groggy that I can't function, and the other leaving me so dry that I can drink a gallon of water and not begin to quench the desert that my tongue and throat becomes.

Fortunately, I do have Allergi-TEA! It works wonders! I love that after I've consumed a cup (or, in my case, mug!) my symptoms begin to disappear. During this time of year, I drink at least 1 pot of Allergi-TEA each day... my one big problem is that I NEED that pot first thing in the morning... and that's the hardest time for me... my sinuses have made my head feel like it's a bowling ball set upon my shoulders -- it feels so heavy and clumsy that I just don't feel like making tea! ha!

Ah well, I do hope that this season passes by as quickly as it seems the Fall (my favorite season!) did last year... it seems like I hardly had time to enjoy the brilliant colors of Autumn before the leaves fell and winter took hold! Although, I must admit, I do love winter too. Especially here in the Pacific Northwest, where the skies are multiple shades of gray and the bare branches of the trees are dancing among the dark clouds... it's so breathtaking.

And... of course, it is so comforting to curl up with that hot mug of tea!!!

Happy sipping!
~Anne

A New Rose Tea Blend!

Hello Everyone:

a good friend of mine offered a new flavor idea to try... so I did. She wanted a rose tea with a touch of vanilla and cinnamon. As I'm not particularly fond of most rose teas -- I find them to be too floral for my taste -- I wasn't too positive about the outcome, but I still decided to give it a try.

Well, I'm happy to say that the flavor combination definitely works! The rose is prominent, but, not overpowering. The vanilla softens the sharp rose flavor, and the cinnamon is a subtle undertone. The fragrance of this tea is outstanding, and the flavor is divine! A very delightful tea.

Since my friend suggested the flavor, I'm going to wait until she tries it and names it, before I go ahead and start blending it in large quantities. But, I'm excited about this new flavor!

I am also expecting to have my new green apple flavor available soon, as well as the Sikkim tea! I hope that you enjoy these teas as much as I do! These will be delightful additions to my collection for the coming of spring! Both should make delightful teas to serve hot on those crisp spring mornings, and iced on those warmer spring afternoons!

Now, for a bit of bad news... I've decided to scrap the warm cookie flavor. I just can't seem to get the right balance of flavors that I have envisioned. I am still working on my winter wonderland flavor... and hopefully that will be ready for next winter!

Well, that's all for now.
~Anne

Tea Excitement!

Hello Everyone!

Well, I have some exciting news to share...

A few weeks ago, I received a sample from one of my vendors, and I tried it a few days ago. It's amazing! Usually, when I try a new flavor from one of my vendors, I experiment a little bit with it, try to see how I might improve upon it, see if I can "alter" the flavor a bit -- jazz it up, and make it uniquely "mine."

But not this time. This is one of only a handful of times that I've sampled a tea and have found it to be PERFECT just the way it is. The first time I experienced this sensation was when I first sampled Formosa Oolong - Choicest... it just tasted remarkable! Of course, since then, I've experimented a little with it, and found that the natural peach-like flavor of the Oolong pairs well with summer melon flavors, and hence, my Momoko Melon Oolong was born!

Most of the time though, I'll try something, and look for ways to improve upon it... and in doing so I'll create a blend of tea that is uniquely my own. I think that this is what differentiates me from many other tea vendors... I mean, if I'm selling all "stock" teas, and nothing uniquely my own, what's the point? Most tea vendors have their own retail business as well as wholesale, so why try to compete with that?

This is how my unique tea blends, such as Liberteas Breakfast Blend and Masterpiece Chai came to be. I'm very proud of these blends, as well as my other unique blends, because they're truly unique, my own recipes, and something that nobody else can duplicate.

However, every once in a while, a tea comes in to my radar... like my Formosa Oolong, that I just fall in love with and I must add to my collection! Green Apple is just such a tea! This is a flavored green tea blend... 100% organic, that is absolutely amazing! This tea will come available in my store sometime in March -- just in time for St. Patrick's day, I should think!

In addition, I will be adding my Creamy Irish Breakfast blend back to my collection -- it's nearly ready to be added to my shelves! Watch for it in another week or two!

I am so excited about these two teas -- one, making it's annual, seasonal return, and the other, making it's grand debut to my collection!

~Anne