Product Review

rose white peony by two hills tea

April 24, 2012
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rose white peony by two hills tea

~ rose white peony by two hills tea ~ “This tea’s beautiful colour, distinctive rosy fragrance and sweet, flowery flavour make it popular. The white colour is from the tea buds, the pink is from the organic rose petals and the green is from the organic tea leaves. Try it. The tea is excellent, and organic rose petals are not easy to come by.” ~from the Two Hills Tea website I love the light flavor of this white tea by Two Hills, perfect for later in the day when you may not want much caffeine. The relaxing aroma of rose petals will make you feel as if you’ve been transported to a garden. Enjoy! Happy TeaTime Tuesday! ~Melissa

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saigon chicken wings with sesame wasabi dipping sauce

April 9, 2012
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saigon chicken wings with sesame wasabi dipping sauce

~ saigon chicken wings ~ Have you been doing a lot of grilling this spring? We certainly have…and this past winter too, come to think of it. The weather has been lovely, and mild. We’ve been roasting and grilling a lot of THESE, which we love so much since our dear friend Shelly told us about them, but I was craving the appetizer-ish type chicken wings this past weekend. These take 24 hours to marinate, so plan accordingly. The long marinading time and a couple of little tricks will make these some of the best little wings you’ve ever had. They’re sweet, tangy, and spicy with the mellow flavor of toasted sesame seeds. 4 lb. fresh chicken wings, extra inside skin removed OR drummettes juice of two large lemons...

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strawberries & cream tea sammys

April 3, 2012
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strawberries & cream tea sammys

~ strawberries & cream tea sammys ~ “Curly Locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine? Thou shall’t not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine, But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam, And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream.” ~Nursery Rhyme Here’s an easy teatime treat! We enjoyed these for our tea today. Perfect with Harney’s rose petal tea. To make them, simply slice off a piece of your favorite chocolate bread…. THIS or THIS would work wonderfully! Slather some sweetened cream cheese on the bread… (I’ve used plain cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar, honey walnut, and strawberry!)…Slice some ripe, sweet strawberries and place them on top of the cream cheese…and finally, drizzle some dark chocolate syrup over the top! Bosco is the BEST! You...

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organic blueberry rooibos by rishi tea

April 3, 2012
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organic blueberry rooibos by rishi tea

Jeff surprised me with a few new teas one evening when  he came home after a day in the cities. I’ve decided to photograph and review them for my blog, and along the way I’ve gotten some good shots for the tea book. This particular “tea” is not actually tea per se, but African red bush, also known as rooibos. I love the flavors in this particular blend by Rishi Tea. “African rooibos and real, wild blueberries in perfect balance provide tart, juicy and naturally sweet flavors that taste great hot or iced. Blueberry rooibos is artfully hand blended in small batches using only 100% naturally caffeine-free botanicals and artisan herbal tea-blending techniques. ” ~ from the Rishi Tea website My friend Nancy and I enjoyed a lovely pot...

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kikkerland monkey tea infuser

March 27, 2012
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kikkerland monkey tea infuser

Jeff had a meeting in the cities a few days ago and stopped at The Wedge for a few things on his way home. He brought me a few new wonderful teas to try and review for my book and Teatime Tuesday posts. And he brought Gracie this little guy… Kikkerland Monkey Tea Infuser He opens up at the top…and you put your loose tea inside… Then you snap him shut…and tell him to hold his breath for a few minutes… You hook his hands onto the side of your tea cup full of boiling water… and let that little monkey work his magic! Steep tea for the correct amount of time…2 minutes for white, 3 minutes for green and 4 minutes for black or herbal Place the monkey...

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six senses saturday

February 11, 2012
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six senses saturday

seeing :: these photos from my date with Jeff  “in the night kitchen.” We had so much fun sipping wine, listening to music and making pasta! hearing :: still listening to Florence + The Machine (the new MP3 download of Ceremonials…and THIS SONG, from Between Two Lungs, which I am hopelessly in love with.) some of the best music I’ve ever heard. tasting :: cold Hawaiian pizza smelling :: THIS TEA sooo yummy…bergamot, berries and chocolate! feeling :: so inspired as I continue to work toward my goal of getting my first novel published and the photos taken for my TEA book! knowing :: “A good deed is never lost: he who sows courtesy reaps friendship; and he who plants kindness gathers love.” ~Basil ~Melissa

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scenes from a girlfriends’ weekend

January 22, 2012
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scenes from a girlfriends’ weekend

I just returned home from the best weekend ever! I got to spend time with by BFF Jana. What a fun, relaxing couple of days. Thanks Jana! I thought I’d share our adventure with you and include some restaurant reviews, wine tasting notes and movie reviews while I’m at it. Yesterday I arrived just in time for an early lunch and Jana had a table full of some of our favorite things…brie with honey and baguette, endive leaves spread with a wonderful, creamy bleu cheese, pita, Holy Land hummus (which is knock-your-socks-off yummy….LOVE the garlic!)…fresh veggies and veggie dip. We chatted…sipped THIS WINE and laughed our heads off while watching THIS MOVIE. Can I just say, some of the best vino…and one of the funniest movies on the planet....

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elderflower water

January 15, 2012
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elderflower water

Tea party! My two favorite words I think. I made tea and treats for Jeff, Gracie, Andie and Madeline May today. There is something so beautiful and romantic about getting up early on a Sunday morning in winter, sipping tea and making cucumber sandwiches for a tea party. If someone were to ask me what it is that I miss the most about working in a tearoom, my first choice would be hanging out with all of the AMAZING women that I had the good fortune to work with, and that I now consider some of my greatest mentors and truest soulmates… (Hello Kathleen, Marilee, Sarah, Ruth, Bonnie, Nancy and Judy!)…and my second choice would be making tea sandwiches at dawn. I don’t exactly have the perfect words for...

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current crush ~ chuck lorre productions official vanity card archives

January 2, 2012
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current crush ~ chuck lorre productions official vanity card archives

I’ve been having so much fun reading the hilarious Chuck Lorre  vanity cards at the beginning of the shows he creates. Read more about Chuck Lorre HERE. Enjoy! ~Melissa

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not the bacony goodness i was expecting

November 19, 2011
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not the bacony goodness i was expecting

We had been anticipating trying Baconnaise. It sounds like the ultimate. Bacon and mayonnaise? Come ON! But the taste test we did this afternoon proved us wrong. Wow. Yuck. I don’t know how to put this nicely. Baconnaise tastes like fish. Not fresh, good yummy fish (I love fish.) No, it tastes like rancid fish. Where’s the bacon, Baconnaise? We paid close to $5 for a 15 oz. jar. Needless to say, it will be returned upon our next visit to the market. I’m sorry. I had my hopes up too. ~Melissa

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