Pumpkin Patch

Its that time again- pumpkin picking. Each year my family raises pumpkins and we pick them and sell them in front of our house for a little extra money. The kids are allowed to spend 25% of what they earned and the rest goes into their savings account. We have been doing this since they were very young. I hope at sixteen they will be buying their own car instead of hitting me up for the money.

Even without the extra money, I still enjoy the autumn  activity. The kids, now eight and ten are able to gather the majority of pumpkins and have a blast to see who can lift the biggest, pick the most, or throw the rejects the further. It is one of the few times that friendly competition does not turn ugly. I enjoy watching them in the cooling evenings while enjoying a hot cup of tea.

As Halloween gets closer, more people visit our pumpkin patch and I really have a wonderful time chatting and sharing a cup of autumn nights tea. I always serve this tea to all who stop, even if they do not buy one of our pumpkins. We live off the beaten path and I always want to hear how they found our little piece of heaven. They give so much to us each autumn that sharing a little of my favorite black tea is the lest I can do to help them have a wonderful day too.

 

Autumn- The Best of the Seasons

I absolutely love fall the best! My favorite colors fall from the trees as they give up their final show before the cold of winter. The apples are ready to pick and to be turned into pies, cookies, and other great sweets. Spiced tea are great during this time and go perfect with apple desserts.

 

Dozens of pumpkins are picked from their patch and displayed on roadside stands. Some are three feet round and would make fabulous scary jack-o-lanterns for Halloween, while small pumpkins wait to be turned into pumpkin pies.

 

I want to share with everyone who happens upon this blog my most favorite fall treat. This is my grandmother’s recipe for applesauce cookies and it goes perfect with honey apple tea. Its a double shot of apples that keeps me smiling all through my favorite season.

 

3/4 cup shortening                                  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar                                  
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg                                                     
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup applesauce                                 
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

21/4 cup flour, sifted                                
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping: 1/4 cup sugar mixed
with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine shortening, brown sugar, and the egg. Stir well. Mix in applesauce. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to shortening mixture and stir well. Fold in nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mix on top of the cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes. While cookies are warm, press lightly with a fork to make a pattern.

 

Summer Peaches

My family love peaches!

They want peach ice cream, peach pie, sliced peaches, peach short cake instead of strawberry. My only problem is finding fresh peaches that are fit to eat and not full of pesticides. We do not live in an area that peaches will grow very well; too hot and not enough rain.

Luckily, a friend of mine solved this problem for me through a simple cup of tea. She found a fruit and herb tisane called Paradise Peach. The name really suits this blend. It is like drinking fresh peaches! I just brew some of the Paradise Peach and use it for iced tea and for desserts. This blend is sweet on its own, so I do not add any sugar. I freeze the Paradise Peach for popsicles or add gelatin to make a very peachy jell-o. I also make a salad dressing for fruit salad by adding a little olive oil and lime. A great topping for any dessert can be made by mixing Cool Whip and Paradise Peach and freezing, This is a very versatile tisane that is absolutely delicious and is available anytime of the year.

 

Good Customer Service-Does it exist?

The normal subject of my blogs has always been about tea and the blends that I enjoy so much. This time however, I am writing about the poor customer service I receive every time I have to contact Samsung.

Three years ago I purchased a Samsung Side by Side Refrigerator from Best Buy. The particular model is RS 2556SH. I really liked stylish stainless steel and the many features available on this model and went
ahead and purchased it even though I was a little concerned about the brand. Samsung appliances have not been proven reliable here in the United States at that time. I did question a friend who had lived in Korea about the Samsung brand and he related to me that it was a popular brand much like Whirlpool and GE is here. So, I bought the fridge.

I only had the Samsung RS 2556SH for three months when I noticed the temperature began to rise in the refrigerator side. It was just a couple of degrees, so I thought it was just a normal temperature variance. Then the freezer side began to get a few degrees warmer. Next, the fridge side began to feel warm and the food wasn’t lasting. The temperature monitor on the door showed an acceptable temperature, so I unplugged the unit and plugged it back into the wall. I shocked to see that the fridge side was 42 degrees and the freezer side was 33 degrees. Apparently, the temperature meter on the outside of the freezer does not really keep track of the actual temperature inside the unit. I immediately called Samsung and they sent a person out who replace one of the boards. This did not solve the problem, so I called again. They sent out
another repairman and he changed out a different board. This did not solve the problem. By the way, I was without a fridge for two weeks so far. They came out again and were unable to fix the fridge and recommended replacing it with a new one.

I called Samsung and they told me they would send a voucher for a replacement fridge to be used at Best Buy. I waited, no voucher. I called, voucher on the way. Waited…. nothing. Finally, I could not stand it anymore. So, I went on line and found a phone number for a Vice President at the Samsung Headquarters and called. He was great! I finally received my voucher. I was without a refrigerator for three months with all the repairmen, calling the customer service line, and finally the Vice President.

I took my voucher to Best Buy and swore I would not repurchase a Samsung, but after looking at the others, I still liked the Samsung. I reasoned that I must have gotten a lemon and the new one would be fine. What’s the chance of getting two lemons in a row? In my case 100%.  I have had this one for three years and it is now doing the exact same thing and I am again getting poor customer service. I called for a repair person to come and fix it and they said that they would call back in 24 hours with the name of a repair center to fix it. They never called. I called them to get the name of a service center. I also asked the person why I was not given a call back and he hung up on me. To make matters worse, the company they gave me does not do
warranty work. I called them back and they told me that they will find another service center to help and would call me back in 24-48 hours. If they do not call I am suppose to call them. Whatever happened to customer service and standing behind your product? I hope I will have a fridge again soon. I think I will get repaired and sell it to purchase another brand. I can honestly say that the name Samsung will not be on any future product I buy. I understand things happen, but it is up to the people who represent the company to help ease the process when things go wrong and care about how the company is perceived by those who need their products or services. Good customer service is the most important part of any business and should be treasured by both large and small businesses.

 

Happy Birthday to the Teabag

Time passes really fast. Can you believe that this month the teabag turns 100 years old. What would we have done without this little bag filled with tea to give us a quick easy cuppa with lots of speed and convenience? I don’t know, but I can personally say that I do not and will never use the teabag. This is because traditional teabags purchased in the grocery store and at many specialty tea shops contain small particles known as dust. This is the leavings from processing the full leaves. The teabags must have tiny particles because real tea leaves expand 3-4 times their dried size and would break the bag. Another problem with the teabag is that it does not allow for the leaves to expand and move around. This is very important when brewing a good cup of tea. For this reason, I also do not use those tiny tea balls or other brewing gadgets that will not let the tea absorb enough water and move around.

Making a cup of tea with loose tea is not complicated or time consuming. I simply place a teaspoon or two in a T-Sac and dunk that in my cup of hot water. This allows me to have the convenience of teabag with high quality loose tea. These bags come in many different sizes so I can make a cup or a pot of tea. I do not want to put any of my favorite teas into a gadget that will not allow them to brew properly. I read somewhere that
life is too short to drink bad wine, well the same is true for a bad cup of tea.

 

Ice Tea

My absolute favorite thing about summer is ice tea. I really enjoy the huge variety of teas that can be iced and enjoyed at most any occasion. I also like experimenting with my own blends. For example, I mix hibiscus with a Ceylon tea from the St. James estate. This gives the tea a really nice tart flavor that is very refreshing on a hot, humid summer day. Squeeze a fresh orange into the St. James Ceylon tea and a few orange slices for a sweet, fruity treat that is sure to please everyone. Almost any kind of fruit or herb such as lemon balm can be added to this tea for a summer quenching beverage.

The kids are wild about the herbal teas I make and freeze into popsicles. Their all time favorite is Lady Hannah’s Whole Fruit. On especially hot and humid days I make Lemon Mango popsicles. I like that they are naturally sweet, sugar free and loaded with vitamin C. They are always a hit, so I make plenty for the neighborhood kids who always seem to be at the door all hot and sweaty from playing.

Many green teas are really good iced as well. I make sencha cherry rose tea for my summer garden parties and add ice cubes with frozen rose petals for an elegant touch. Red and pink rose petals work the best, since their colors show up better than the yellow or white roses. Make sure that they are from your own garden or are purchased pesticide free.

I have not had very much luck making ice tea from white tea. They are very light in flavor and the taste seems to go away as soon as the tea is chilled. I am still looking for one that is strong enough to with stand the hot to ice process and still have some taste. Since white teas are picked so early in the spring, I am not sure that this will be possible, but will keep trying.

 

June is National Ice Tea Month

June is national ice tea month, so I thought I would share with you my favorite way to make ice tea. I use the Bodum Ice Tea Jug that has an infuser that slides down the side of the pitcher and the holes are small enough that very little tea dust gets through into the tea. The unique design of the Bodum Ice Tea Jug fits easily into the refrigerator without taking up a lot of space and makes 6 cups of tea.

This is also a very versatile ice tea maker. I can fill the jug with cold water and the infuser with a caffeine free herbal fruit blend (these blends do not contain any actual tea; instead they are pieces of dried fruit and herbs) and place in the fridge before leaving for work. When I get home I just remove the infuser and enjoy some very delicious herbal tisane. My two favorites are paradise peach (very, very peachy) and angel falls mist (apples and strawberries.)

I can also make black or green tea in this ice tea maker. I bring 3 cups of water to a boil, place 3 cups of ice into the tea jug and 6 teaspoons of one of my favorite teas into the infuser. I pour the hot water onto the ice and let the tea leaves steep for 4 to 5 minutes then remove the infuser. Let the tea chill for a little while in the fridge and enjoy the perfectly made ice tea. This is such an easy no fuss way to make ice tea. The Bodum Ice Tea Jug is also dishwasher safe.

 

My Late New Years Resolution

I will do it tomorrow. That is always my answer for just about everything including writing in this blog and trying my wonderful assortment of green teas I received for Christmas. I have been saying all last year (2007) that I needed to be a little more health conscious and wanted to add green tea to my diet. It is hard for me to make healthy changes and to stick with them, so I think switching to green tea as my main beverage will be an easy first step to a healthier lifestyle. Who knows maybe I will lose a pound or two by having tea instead of my usual juice for breakfast and soda for lunch and sadly sometimes with dinner.

I was ecstatic to receive about 20 different green teas for Christmas. I guess my kids really do listen on occasion. Each one looks and smells completely different. Who knew there were so many different teas? Unfortunately, it is more than half way through January and I still have not tried a single one. So, I got this great idea! I will try one new tea a day and give it a review. This way I will be keeping up better with this  blog and also letting everyone know my experience with the different green teas.

So my extremely late New Years resolution will begin- tomorrow.

Oops, tomorrow is Sunday.

So my extremely late New Years resolution will begin Monday.

 

Perfect Gift for any Tea Lover

Each year I struggle to find a great gift for all my friends who love tea and drink it every day. We get together as often as we can for both planned and impromptu tea parties to share our favorite recipes and teas. Since we see each other so often and share our discoveries, it is almost impossible to find something unique or special to give as a gift.

I happened to stumble upon the perfect gift for every person on my list who drinks tea- the Tea Tumbler. This is a travel mug with a stainless steel tea infuser basket. I simply fill it with hot water, place two teaspoons of my favorite loose tea in the brew basket, set
the brew basket into the tumbler and steep. Unlike the travel tea press, the leaves do not sit on the bottom of the travel mug and continue to steep. I get perfectly brewed tea in a travel mug. The tumbler has a double wall, so keeps my tea hot for a long time without burning my hand. I also like that it comes in three colors clear, red, and blue. I am getting each person one of these tea tumblers and maybe a fun tea- something I don’t think they would purchase for themselves. I can’t wait to give them this absolutely perfect gift!

 

A Gift for the Birds

Saturday after an entire day of eating Thanksgiving dinner and a shop till you drop Friday I like to have a quiet day with the kids. This is the perfect time to give a gift to the birds. This is a list of items needed to make a yummy treat to hang on the trees in our yard for the birds to eat. When out doing my shopping for Thanksgiving I pick of a bag of oranges, large jar of creamy peanut butter, bag of bird seed, jute (available at any craft store) and a floral stake or other item to punch a hole through the middle of the oranges.

Before calling the kids to make the bird seed balls, I make a pot of our favorite tea. The kids absolutely love chocolate cream truffle rooibos. They can drink all they want since rooibos is caffeine free and a very healthy beverage. I also poke the floral stake through the center of each orange and twist to make a hole in the middle of each orange. Next I thread a piece of jute through the whole and tie to make a loop to slip over the tree branches. If I have any leftover unsalted nuts or cranberries left over I will include these with the bird seed. I set out the oranges, pot of tea, and scones with jam.

Now for the fun! We smear peanut butter all over the oranges and decorate with bird seed. I am always amazed by the designs the kids are able to make by sprinkling the seeds on the oranges. Some of the oranges are just rolled in the seeds for an all out smorgasbord.

We hang the oranges on the trees in the backyard and wait for the birds to come. This usually doesn’t take too long. We always get added entertainment when one of the cats tries to “catch” a bird through the glass of the patio door. We have a couple of great acrobatic cats. This is one of our favorite traditions that bring food for the birds, entertainment to the cats, laughter to the kids, and a day of memories for all.