How We Do Tea

Goodness.. I found this post in 'drafts' which means it was sitting there all ready to go but I never published it. Our little tea table right now is all fall and pumpkin teas but I love still love these pictures.

I think when I took them I was intending to talk about "how" I fix tea.



1. We start with a favorite mug. Scott and I have a lovely little collection of Emma Bridgewater mugs. They are from England. And we just love them. We don't want a lot of them and we only buy one once in a while. I love to pick one out for us and get it only if I really love it.



Each one is like a little story to me.



2. These teas nestled in here with my mugs are my everyday teas. We use loose tea because, well, it tastes better. Although once in a while a tea bag is a must especially in the evening. (gosh it looks so strange to me in the photo since I've changed it around so many times since then... but you get the idea)



On our tea table are a few more mugs from Susan Branch that I adore. (And I can now tell that I took these photos last WINTER because of the little felt house I can see) (and the winter mug on top)







3. On the tea table (at that time) I keep all of our decaf tea. Because Anna love a cup of tea some evenings I want her to not have to search for it and have a lovely experience just finding her tea. I'm pretty sure I had a "tea table" long before pinterest was creating "coffee bars".





For decaf we love Harney and Sons rooibos, and from the Green Teahouse gummy bear herbal.







Here is a photo I found from the way it looked in the summer.



4. Now REALLY important is the water you use for tea. Always start with fresh, cold water. And this too: teas will only brew properly at certain temperatures. For example, green tea is sensitive and you can not use boiling water. 80 degrees. While black teas need to brew at 90 degrees. Herbals at 100. So we use a cute little electric tea kettle that allows you to put in the temperature you want the water to boil.

(found this picture from January to show you -- the white is the electric tea kettle)



And that's it. I think one of the great pleasures of tea is in the making it. There is something relaxing just in scooping a teaspoon into a filter and pouring the water over loose tea.

Tea to me is like a picnic indoors.