Tea For All Reasons

Autumn is Just Around the Corner…

Tea For All Reasons — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:59:16 +0000

Autumn is just around the corner, but I’m not done with summer yet! Not that I especially love the hot, steamy days that are characteristic of the season. Just about the only thing I like about summer is Iced Tea! I tend to spend most of my time indoors, enduring the short trips out for necessities and an occasional fun outing. Typically, it’s a time when I regroup, retreat and refresh. Not this year. After the big move from Fairfax I did regroup but, retreat and refresh, not so much. With so much to do to get settled into the new house and office space, there was no rest for the weary!

Things have been hopping in the office in preparation for our two big Open Houses, one in September, another in November. Lots of new flavor creations have been added to our growing selection of Fall Favorites so be sure to check them out. Cranny Apple Specialty Rooibos is one of our new infusions which combines two of the fall’s favorite flavorings, cranberries and apples. Roasted Apple Green celebrates Apple Harvest time here in Winchester with lots of apple bits and rich roasted apple flavor ~ one of my personal favorites. For all you Chai lovers, this new blend, Chocolate Chai Rooibos which, being decaf, can be enjoyed as a tasty treat all day, or for a delectable dessert as a Chai Latte in the evening. Lastly, it is with pleasure that I introduce our new Oranges and Spice Specialty Black which, quite simply, is to die for! Many of you have requested a good Orange Spice tea for fall and winter. This creation is loaded with citrus flavor with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. I am very proud of this blend and I trust you will love it, too. Remember, any of these teas make wonderful gifts for teachers, hostesses, Fall birthdays, Thanksgiving and, of course, Christmas as we are happy to package them in our 4oz. decorative tin.

As we enter into what promises to be the beginning of a very busy Fall season, I hope you will join me in taking the time to enjoy the rich colors, spicy fragrances and delectable tastes of Autumn!

Grand Re-Opening!!

Tea For All Reasons — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:40:18 +0000

Oh, to be at the beach in the month of June or any vacation destination for that matter but, alas, a trip to a far away place isn’t in our immediate future. We are still recovering from our move and have boxes upon boxes waiting to be unpacked. Yes, waiting. Until the construction is completed on the remodeling projects in our new home, it is pointless to unpack with all the dust that is swarming around the house. Even the office is barely tolerable at this point. But there is such promise and I can’t wait to begin putting away all the supplies and start stocking the shelves and cupboards with lovely teas, china and accessories! My nice, clean orderly life will return some day very soon!

As promised, we have some wonderful New Arrivals for summer and great specials for the Grand Re-Opening! If you haven’t tried our Summer Vacation Black or Sundew Black teas with flavorings of peaches and mangos, they are a must! We also have our Iced Tea Samplers which are a perfect way to taste a wonderful array of summer flavors to pick out your favorites.

FREE tea is just waiting to be included in every order totaling $25 or more! Be sure to check out our June Sale items as well. Devonshire Cream is half-priced! As we get settled into our new space, we’ll have more new blends to offer as well as great summer specials coming so check back again soon!

Enjoy your summer and happy sipping!

Springtime Tea Flavors

Tea For All Reasons — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:08:22 +0000

For one who absolutely loves the cold and snow, and the more the better, I am finally ready for spring after experiencing the snowiest winter on record here in the DC area. The crocuses burst forth into color last week. In what appeared to be just overnight the daffodils bloomed and the grass transformed into a lush carpet. Spring rains today gave everything the appearance of being even brighter with delicious purples, yellows and greens. Spring has sprung and I am delighted!

Our springtime tea flavors have also sprung up! It’s time to move away from the dark, spicey varieties of winter to the lighter, fruity and flowery varieties of spring. We are listing these flavors a bit early as we may find ourselves in the middle of a move in April and wanted to make sure you can stock up for all your tea needs without interruption. (More on the move below) Among our favorites for springtime are Springtime Blossoms Specialty Rooibos, Geisha Spring Specialty Green and Easter Parade Specialty Rooibos. Spring and summer weddings are also approaching so we are introducing another Wedding Blend to our selections ~ Raspberry Rose Wedding Blend composed of rich China black tea, raspberries, rose petals and candy pearl dragees for a touch of romance.

With Spring comes the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC which starts the first week of April. In keeping with the flavor theme, we have as our Featured Blend, Cherry Blossom Festival Green. Cherry Rose Rooibos is another great choice with our Tart Cherry Scone Mix is a perfect sweet accompaniment.

A date for our move has been difficult to pin down so, therefore, we have decided that it would be best to keep the “shop” open. There may be times during the transition that shipments will be processed a little slower than normal but we will do our best to fill your orders with all good speed. We will communicate with you if there is an unforeseen delay in getting your order out and beg your forbearance for any inconvenience. Once we are truly settled in our new home and office spaces, we’ll have a Grand Re-Opening here at Tea For All Reasons with new flavors and specials. Stay tuned!

Let It Snow!

Tea For All Reasons — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:58:38 +0000

Last year, just before the holidays, I posted an entry entitled, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” in which I shared my hopes for a picture-perfect-Christmas-card style view out my windows for the holidays. Well, I was only one year off. Boy, have we gotten SNOW this year ~ a blizzard actually hit our area dumping around twenty inches the weekend before Christmas. Our Christmas was, indeed, a white one! High winds, frigid cold and another snowfall arrived this week, again covering everything with a fresh, clean, pristine beauty. I don’t know about you but I have been reluctant to put away all the festive decorations quite yet. It still feels like Christmas with this winter weather and it looks as if it is here to stay for a while which makes me very happy!

A favorite teapot added to my collection last year is this one with a sweet message ~

“ Let the snow pile high on the Window Sill,
Warm inside we’ll drink our Fill,
As we Keep the Season
Merry Still.”

As the snow blankets the landscape, the wind howls and temperatures remain below freezing, it’s a great time to brew up some good, strong tea! Did you know that January is National Hot Tea Month? What a perfect inspiration to sample all sorts of flavors and varieties of tea. This month we have all of our Fall and Christmas favorites on sale for 50% off! Don’t wait to stock up! They are flying off the shelves! Also, one of our New Arrivals, Ice Wine Flavored Black is just the perfect blend to enjoy on these icy, wintry afternoons. Another New Arrival, Love Potion Specialty, and our returning Valentine flavors, Sweet Hearts Specialty and Read My Lips Specialty have been listed so you can stock up early for Valentine’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day flavors will be listed early as well.

Be sure to check back again soon as we’ll have more exciting details about our impending move, as well as the dates for the short interruption of service as we change locations.

Now it’s time to go put the kettle on and “Keep the Season Merry Still!”

Happy New Year!

With Thanks

Tea For All Reasons — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:03:08 +0000

November has arrived, one of my favorite months but, if truth be told, I’d like to have September and October back! Where in the world did they go? It causes me a bit of angst to think that in three weeks Thanksgiving will be here, then Christmas four short weeks later. I’d like to go back so I can enter November in a better state of preparation for the holiday season. On a very happy note, Tea For All Reasons, in collaboration with Uncle Sam’s Niece hosted a fantastic Open House weekend recently. We enjoyed the blessings of a packed house of loyal customer-friends on both days. Knowing it was the last to be held in this house lent a touch of sadness to the occasion but, once we get settled in our new home in Winchester, Virginia, we hope to have some sort of Open House there to introduce ourselves to our new community and win them over to the pleasures of tea.

We introduced two new flavors at the Open House that were a huge hit; Naughtea and Spice Specialty Black, a chocolate cinnamon blend; and Organic Cranberry Apple Herbal, a tart and sweet decaf tisane, great to enjoy in the evening during the holidays. Of course, there are so many other fantastic returning Christmas Favorites so be sure to check those out. We also have plenty of the Fall Favorites in stock for you to enjoy the rest of the year as well.

Thanksgiving Day is a time set aside to thank the Almighty for the wonderful bounty He has provided. We have been blessed beyond measure with His provision in areas too numerous to mention here. May I take this opportunity, however, to say thank you to all of our loyal customers, friends and relatives who have encouraged us here at Tea For All Reasons for the last 13 years. It is because of you that we have been able to grow to where we are now but, we are really just getting started! Let’s see what blessings are just around the corner!

Busy Autumn Days

Tea For All Reasons — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:57:14 +0000

Life around here is a bit hectic, to say the least, as we gear up for the annual
“Fall Tea-Time Open House” which I am hosting with my friend, Kathy, later this month. Boxes and boxes of old and new teacups, teapots, vintage decorative pieces, greeting cards, linens, and shimmering silver pieces are being unpacked and arranged all over the main floor of my house. The end result is a gorgeous display of gift items for our customers to peruse. Along with the retail goodies, we also have a tea-tasting bar for folks to try our latest flavors for the fall and holiday seasons. We’ll be serving all of the flavors listed in the New Arrivals, among them the Spiced Caramel Apple, a Specialty Black tea. I was a hesitant to offer another “cinnamony” tea as we have a few others with that spice addition, but this one has just a hint of cinnamon that compliments the caramel apple without overpowering it.

Harvest Moon Specialty Black/Herbal is another of our newest flavorings. With the black base and additions of black and green cardamom pods, apple bits, and fennel seed, it has a Chai quality to it, but not quite as spicey. The Tea Review Blog recently gave it a wonderful recommendation, saying, “ Jumpin’ Jack O’ Lanterns, this tea is GOOD!!” Go read the rest…

Be sure to check back for lots more goodies that will be listed in November, including all the Christmas teas. We’ll have many of our old favorites and some fantastic new ones you won’t want to miss! In the meantime, have a happy Autumn!

September is “Apples and Cinnamon” Month!

Tea For All Reasons — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:12:38 +0000

Autumn is my favorite season so to get us into the mood for the change over to cooler weather, September at Tea For All Reasons has been dubbed, “Apples and Cinnamon Month!” All of the New Arrivals and even some of the Sale items have apples and/or cinnamon as a main flavor ingredient.

Two of our fall favorites make a re-appearance ~ Autumn Harvest Specialty Black, and Cinnamon Apple Green tea, along with two brand new blends. Harvest Moon Specialty Black is quite an unusual flavoring that will be a favorite of Chai lovers. It is chock full of lovely cardamom, apple bits, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and sprinkles that give a lovely decoration to its black tea base. Apple Mangotini Rooibos is a delightfully refreshing herbal that can be enjoyed day or night in hot or cold weather. Just arrived as an additional treat we have added an Apple Spice Scone Mix to our selections. In the Sale section, be sure to stock up on the Apple Cinnamon Curd or our very popular Raspberry Curd; either one is a perfect topping for any of our delicious scone mix flavors. Both are Half Priced this month.

Now is a great time to start thinking about stocking up for your fall events. With so many flavors to choose from, why not make September your very own “Apple and Cinnamon Month,” setting it apart from all the other wonderful flavorings that will surely tempt your taste buds in October and November! Happy Autumn!

Time for Some Iced Tea!

Tea For All Reasons — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:05:09 +0000

With so many delectable flavors to choose from, I am having a wonderfully varied adventure in iced tea tasting this summer. I’ve gotten into the habit of making a freshly brewed pot of tea each morning when I come down to the kitchen so that at lunch time it is all ready and waiting to be poured over ice. The easiest, no-hassle methods are either brewing in a French Press or with a Tea Sak infuser. My recommendation for the ratio of tea-to-water is still the same as for hot tea ~ one teaspoon of tea for each 5oz. cup of water ~ but, if a stronger brew is preferred, add more tea. Never add more brewing time or you will wind up with bitter iced tea! You’ll resort to pouring it down the drain! After steeping the tea for three minutes, pour it over a pitcher of ice to cool it down. Then pour the iced tea over a full glass of ice, add a pinch of sweetener to enhance the flavoring and stir. There is nothing better than a tall glass of this delicious, refreshing elixir on a hot August day!

Our new White Melon Pear is a wonderful selection for a light summer treat that can be enjoyed most of the day since it is low in caffeine. The infusion brews to a lovely pale yellow. Why not enhance the flavor by placing some freshly chopped melon and/or thinly sliced pear in your pitcher or in the bottom of your iced tea glass, add ice and then the tea for a fantastic flavor sensation. Or try adding peach and/or mango slices to our Watermelon Peach Mango Flavored Black, or fresh blueberries to our Virginia Bluebells Flavored Black. Vanilla Lemongrass Herbal, which has zero caffeine, offers a remarkable taste when served over ice. For you green tea lovers, any of the fruity flavors are delicious choices to serve iced but, our new favorite green tea, Pearls of the Orient Specialty, is especially good. In the Rooibos category, my favorite iced tea blend is our Lotta Colada Specialty with its tropical flavorings.

One could have a different iced tea each day of the week with all the flavors we have to choose from! Why not pick out at least a couple to try this month. You’ll enjoy them well into the Indian summer days of September.

Raise a Cup (or glass) for the Red, White and Blue!

Tea For All Reasons — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:58:24 +0000

With so many wonderful occasions during the late spring and summer months that celebrate our country and its rich history, we have decided to offer our patriotic blends a bit early.

Memorial Day, originally observed on May 30, is set aside to remind us of the ultimate sacrifice men and women have made in defense of our country and its freedoms. To honor our brave servicemen and women, we are introducing Returning Heroes, a Specialty Black tea with vanilla flavoring topped off with little yellow ribbons. What a wonderful gift idea for someone who is serving overseas or for someone holding down the fort at home!

The other observances coming up in June are the 65th anniversary of D-Day as well as Flag Day on June 14. In honor of those occasions and our nation’s Independence Day celebrations on July 4th, we have two favorites from last year returning;
Sons of Liberty Premium Specialty and Uncle Sam’s Niece Specialty. Be sure to read last year’s post, “Specialty Teas for the 4th of July” for detailed descriptions of these blends.

By popular demand we have expanded our selection of Decaf Black teas as they are great when brewed for iced teas. Customers wanted more choices for black iced teas they could drink all day long, so we have added; Cherry Almond, Apricot Mango, and Earl Grey, plus a Decaf Sampler for those of you who can’t make up your mind!

Whether hot or iced, tea is becoming high on the list of “must-haves” at social gatherings. We hope you will try some of these flavorings for your next event! Raise a cup (or glass) for the Red, White and Blue, and God Bless America!

The Birth of Spring

Tea For All Reasons — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:31:34 +0000

How could it be that April is here already? Even though all the evidences of Spring have arrived; the sound of lawn mowers cutting the lush green grass, Cherry Blossoms in bloom around the Tidal Basin, daffodils and tulips in abundance. So, what is it that has kept me from giving you a Spring update? The birth of a new grandchild, that’s what! On March 30, we welcomed a beautiful, black haired, fair skinned little Irish lass to the clan and we couldn’t be more thrilled. What a joy to have another wee one to love and to share my love of all things tea in the years to come.

With the arrival of Spring we are introducing a number of delicious New Arrivals to enjoy at your Easter celebrations and beyond, especially with the weather warming up. Two of our favorites, Easter Parade Specialty Rooibos and Springtime Blossoms Specialty Rooibos are delightfully fruity with little candies to brighten up the blends. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy our Cherry Blossom Festival Green, reminiscent of the gorgeous trees that explode with blossoms at this time every year. We also have new Artisan Tea Balls, hand-tied and comprised of the first pick of spring green tea. Be sure to check out more New Arrivals very soon, in time for the Kentucky Derby and Mother’s Day!

As we celebrate the birth of a new grandchild, we are reminded of the new birth we see depicted in creation each year with the birth of spring. That reminder is most profound as we celebrate Easter. May you and yours have a blessed Resurrection Day!