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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

I have written about my favorite oolong tea before, however this time I wanted to update with the lovely legend surrounding  how this special tea gets its unique taste. A sudden shift in temperature during harvest that is an extremely rare occurrence is what makes this an excellent tea. Legend has it that this shift in temperature occurred many centuries ago when the moon fell in love with a comet passing through the night sky. The comet, passed by, burned out and vanished. The moon in her sorrow caused a great wind to blow through the hills and valleys bringing about a quick drop in temperature. The next morning, local tea pluckers went to collect the fresh leaves. To their surprise, when the tea was processed it had developed  an amazing milky character that was attributed to the motherly character of the moon.

This legend makes drinking quangzhou milk oolong tea even better. I also pair this tea at my afternoon teas with cheese and sage scones. The sweetness of the milk oolong pairs wonderfully with the earthiness of the sage in the scones.

The Month of March

March …. the cruelest month.

Why? You may ask of such an unusual statement, since spring begins in March and some of the flowers begin to bloom. I saw crocus flowers and daffodils starting to emerge from the ground that has finally begun to thaw.

March is still too cold! I have waited through several months of freezing temperatures and dark gray skies. Once March arrives I am expecting warm sun and warmer temperatures. A month that heralds in spring and early blooms I always erroneously expect to shed the coat for a light jacket and maybe even start thinking about ice tea.

My three cats on the other hand, think March is great. They are just starting to loose their winter fur coat- all over my sofa of course- so are able to enjoy 35 degree temperatures when the sun is shining. I have to run out and get them back in and admonish them to wait just a little longer before going outside, since I am unable to supervise their play. After a few complaints, they settle back into just watching the sun through the sunroom windows.

Oh well, April is next month when finally Spring actually begins to show its true nature. To make myself feel better I will enjoy a nice cup of  hot tea. I am going to have a cup of Sencha Cherry Rose Festival tea. I can never feel sad drinking this pretty green tea. This blend is a high quality China green tea with sweet cherry and pink roses leaves. The cherry flavoring and rose petals give the tea a wonderful exotic character that makes me forget the cruelty of March and really look forward to April and less complaints from the cats on being kept indoors for so long.

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I decided to sample one of the blended teas today, since I have been tasting the China and Japanese green teas. I picked Dragon Sun because I really like how this one looks in the package. The lemon grass and chamomile mix nicely with the curly green tea leaves. I am sure that there are terms for describing the leaves, but I am a novice and can only describe what I see and taste.

This is an early spring China green tea called Lucky Dragon that is blended with chamomile, lemon grass, and calendula. This is a nice tea to have in the evening since it has chamomile that is great for calming nerves and relaxing. I brewed this tea in water heated to 190 degrees for 4 minutes. I gave it an additional minute to give the herbs time to brew. The tea brewed up light brown with a hint of yellow. I loved it from the first sip. The tea seemed a little stronger than the previous teas I have sampled. I could taste a hint of lemon and the chamomile did overpower either the tea or lemongrass. I plan on having a cup of Dragon Sun every evening just to relax and unwind after a long evening of putting the kids to bed. Looking forward to this tea will almost make it worth going through reading 3 stories, serving 5 glasses of water, and escorting 2 trips to the bathroom per child.