You Won't Believe This!

Yesterday was my son Jordan's 15th birthday party. We had a cook-out (it rained- of course- and our dog bit two of the guests) and had the regular variety of hamburgers and potato salad. My good friend, the owner of Miss Bliss Bakery in Horsham, PA made the birthday cake. Miss Bliss provided many of the delicious baked products for my Tea Bar and tea parties that we catered over the past two years(some of you may remember the "giant cake"). When she arrived at my home on Friday evening with the cake it was in a big, sealed box and she warned me that it was heavy. Well, after she left I opened the box and was truly amazed at the beautiful, towering cake that must have weighed at least 10 pounds of pound cake. Jordan likes lemon so it was a 4-layer lemon pound cake with lemon mousse separating the layers. The cake was so spectacular that my son took each guest to "see my giant cake" as soon as they arrived. No one could wait until we cut it and my brother-in-law insisted that we needed a sword- a long knife did the trick. It was by far the best cake I ever tasted in my life and even my mother, Queen of the Pound Cake, agreed! If you are in the Philadelphia area (and I think she can ship)and need a cake for a special occasion or just for a sugar fix you have to contact Miss Bliss Bakery at treatdiva@yahoo.com.

Eco Friendly Tea

I was recently asked for some eco-friendly uses for tea in honor of Earth Day. I have tested all of the ideas listed below...now if I could just remember to bring the reusable bag with me when I go to the supermarket.

* Used green tea leaves can be placed on top of the soil of houseplants to provide rich nutrients. All-natural plant food!
* Used black or green tea leaves can be used to feed azaleas and hydrangeas- just sprinkle the leaves on the soil around the plant. Note- My azaleas love tea.
* Used black or green tea leaves can be dried and made into sachets. Place the sachets inside boots and sneakers to absorb odors and moisture. Note- I use 2 in each shoe for my husband's sneakers!
* Used green tea leaves (dried) can refresh a stinky carpet. Sprinkle the tea leaves on the carpet, use the broom to gently move the leaves into the carpet fibers, wait 1/2 hour and vacuum.

Get Your Matcha On!

Last week my husband, son and I went to New York City for a few days. We hit our favorite restaurants and got lucky that the weather was cooperative. I have a favorite smoothie shop on W. Broadway that offers all types of "special boosts" to their drinks- like immunity, energy and digestive. I decided to add the immunity boost to my strawberry whirl and was surprised to find that they added a teaspoon of Matcha as the immunity booster. Matcha is stone-ground, powdered green tea from Japan. "Real" matcha is Tencha-grade so you have to be careful to know what you are buying (you cannot find the real stuff in a supermarket). It has a much higher level of antioxidants (it is reported to be 137 times stronger)than regular brewed tea since you are consuming the whole leaf. Give it a try- you will be shocked at how much energy you have. Cheers!

Easter Tea Eggs

Marbled Easter Eggs are beautiful and easy to make. After they are finished you can cut them in 1/2, take out the yoke, and use them as little cups for chicken, seafood or tuna salad. Wonderful for Easter!

Recipe:
1 dozen extra large eggs
3 tablespoons of Assam tea leaves
8 cups of water
2 teaspoons of salt

1. Put the eggs in a large soup pot and cover them with cold water.
2. Bring water to a gentle boil and cook for 15 minutes.
3. After the eggs are cooked lift the eggs out of the pot and place them under cold running water for approximately 3-4 minutes or until they are no longer too hot to hold.
4. Place the cooked eggs on the counter on a paper towel to cool.
5. After eggs are cold, gently crack the eggshells all over by rolling them on a paper towel or using the back of a spoon the tap the shells of each egg. Be careful and don't let the eggshell detach from the egg.
5. In a large saucepan add the Assam leaves, water, and salt.
6. Gently place the cooked eggs into the pan. Make sure the water covers the eggs,add extra water if you need.
7. Bring the water slowly to to a boil and as soon as the water boils turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
8. The eggs must simmer in the liquid for 1-hour.
9. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the eggs cool while sitting in the liquid.
10. After the eggs are cool, drain and place the eggs in a sealed plastic bag.
11. Store in the eggs in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
12. Remove the shells right before serving.

PS- Add a drop of food color to step #5 if you want colored eggs.

Time For 1st Flush

Darjeeling tea is known as the Champagne of Tea- for good reason! In Darjeeling the tea plants are dormant during the winter months but as the weather turns a bit warmer, and the spring season begins, the highly anticipated harvest of the first flush Darjeeling tea begins. Typically harvested in mid-march, first flush is wildly popular in Paris and has regularly been airlifted to famous customers and has been likened to the annual release of the famous French Beaujolais Nouveau wine. In the U.S., Americans are more partial to the second flush Darjeeling which is harvested during the summer months. The second flush is a more robust tea and the majority of Darjeeling tea found in the U.S. is second flush.

Try a delicious first flush Darjeeling on March 20th (2:30pm) at Lemons & Limes in Chestnut Hill.8133 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, PA 19118 (215-242-3080)

Drink Green Tea for Relief!

It seems as if someone in my house has had a runny nose and cough since last October and we have loaded up on vitamins and "immune" enhancers (you know, the tablets that fizz when you drop them in water) with no success. My 14-year old son has gone through more boxes of tissues than I can count. New study results (from a double-blind study) were released that show Green Tea may be the answer for those suffering from cold and flu symptoms.

There were 32% fewer people with cold-flu symptoms

There was a decrease in the number of symptomatic days by 36%

There was a decrease in the need for medical treatment due to symptoms by 58%

There was an average increase in immune system gammadelta T cells by 28%, and

There was an average increase in immune system IFN-gamma secretion by 26%

Now, you need to drink at least 10 (8oz) cups of quality, green tea for these results. If you try it, let me know if it works for you! Cheers.



(Rowe CA, Journal American College Nutrition)

Join Me For Tea & Culinary Pairing

Tea & Culinary Pairing at Montgomery County Community College (Blue Bell, PA)
The newest culinary trend! Pair tea with cuisine by
flavor, aroma and texture. Taste a variety of pairings and discuss
why they are so successful. Enjoy a peak experience with every
meal. Mon 3/8 6:30-8:30PM $29
#2010/01 LLGI 3180 01 Course Code#: LLGI 3180

http://www.mc3.edu/continuingEducation/adults.aspx