I LOVE TEA!!!!

            I know, lame title for my first post but there is no other way around it!!! I love it. I drink about 3 cups of hot tea in the morning, 2 tall glasses of iced with lunch, a small glass of iced with my wine and dinner, and then 2 more cups before bed. THAT'S A LAZY DAY!!! If I have been out side working, exercising, or deep down cleaning, its way more.

          I love tea bags from the grocer, loose leaf from World Market or Teavana, making my own, you name it and I love it. Spicy, mellow, smooth, green, black, white, floral, fruity. Even my dog drinks tea! Tea is very diverse but it doesn't have to be complicated. If you really want to get into it I can point you in all the right directions.

      Today's post will just be a simple listing of teas, amount of tea to water, temperature for brewing and length of steep time. In all of the teas there is a ever expanding variety of flavors. There are fruits, floral, spicy, earthy, just because it says black doesn't mean it will taste like the typical tea bags we make summer iced tea with. I have a wonderful black tea that is a ginger peach, it has mellow fruity notes with a nice little peppery kick from the ginger, you cant even tell its a black. Its more like a serving plate for the flavors. If you have any questions just comment below and if I don't know the answer, I will go find out and post another blog answering you to the fullest that I can.

        All teas have 2 different measurements and times, the first is the hot, the second will be the iced. When making iced you brew it with the standard 1 cup of water (8oz) but you pour it into a tall glass full to the rim with ice. The melted ice makes up the water you need for dilution. If you are not using ice then brew with the water and then pour it into a glass and add another cup (8oz) of cold water and then enjoy or refrigerate for later. This is the brewing system I use because it is fast, easy, and makes 16oz at a time. They have a larger one that makes 32oz at a time. You just put the loose leaf tea in it and add your water after its brought up to temp and close the lid. Once it has steeped you just pick it up and sit it on top of your vessel of choice. It will drain right out the bottom and the tea stays in the top. I also tear open store bought tea bags and dump them in and use it the same way. You get better flavor because the tea has room to breath.

All measurements are teaspoons to 8oz of water and all temps are in Fahrenheit.
          Tea type-------------Amount----------Temp---------------Time

• White Tea                 1.5                      175                           4-5 minuets
•                                    3                       175                           4-5
• **Flav. White               1.5                      175                           2
•                                  3                         175                          2
• Blooming                 1 ball                    180                          3-4 minuets untill bloomed
• **Green                         1                       175                            1
•                                  2                        175                             1
• Oolong                      1                        195                            3
•                                   2                        195                           3
• Mate'                      1.5                        208                          5-6
•                                 3                          208                          8-10
• Rooibos                  1.5                       208                           5-6
•                                  3                         208                          8-10
• **Black                        1                        195-205                  2-3
•                                  2                       195-205                    2-3
• Herbal                      1.5                       208                         5-6
•                                 3                          208                         8-10

** teas will turn bitter if infused longer than suggested time. If stronger flavor is desired add more tea.
I obtained my brewing instructions from Teavana.





Hope I helped somebody out today! Now I am off to drink a tall glass of Mate' to get rid of my headache!! Enjoy!



World Market Tea Shop:   http://http://www.worldmarket.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4339833&ab=header:menu:fooddrink:drink:tea

Teavana Store Front:   http://www.teavana.com

Tea maker I use:  http://http://www.teavana.com/Tea-Gift-Center/Tea-Gifts-by-Experience/Beginning-Tea-Drinker-Gifts/Teavana-Perfect-TeaMaker.axd