Category Archives: tea

it’s no secret that i’m a fan of tea. i love it for all the flavorful ways it makes me feel soothed, refreshed, relaxed, energized, and nourished. i appreciate it for all the ways it has impacted history and culture over centuries. i cherish it for all the times it has brought me closer to a friend or family member while “taking tea” together.

as i was choosing blend for my morning cup earlier this week, it occurred to me that the percentage of kitchen real estate that i have zoned for tea and accessories is not normal. perhaps even for someone with a great affection for the beverage like me. so i thought i would invite you into my personal teahouse, share the evidence of my obsession, and get your opinion.

this is my tea pantry. yes, an entire two-door, three-shelf cabinet dedicated to teas and mugs. (and this is not the only place in my small kitchen that is overtaken with tea and tea tools…we’ll get to that in a minute.)

all my loose leaf teas and herbals are on the bottom shelf in airtight glass and tin jars. i’ll occasionally leave it in the store’s resealable bag, if i know i’ll drink it fairly quickly. on the second shelf are bagged teas that are packaged in tins (the individually-wrapped bags have a place of their own elsewhere).

i try to keep everything neat enough that i can see all my options at a glance, although my mental inventory of the (i’m not gonna tell you how many!) varieties is pretty accurate. if you’re thinking there is no way i could drink all that tea before it goes stale, think again. (also, keep in mind that i enjoy some teas extra strong and will double the normal measurement.)

below my Tea Cabinet is my Tea Drawer. this is where i store all the bagged teas that i can easily take with me. i always have a variety stashed in my purse and car for tea-making when out and about, and i also pack a large bundle when i travel so i’ll always have something decent to steep. i love it when i have full-leaf bags, but usually this drawer is filled with a selection from boxes scored on sale.

nestled between my Tea Cabinet and my Tea Drawer is my Tea Corner. this space holds all the accessories i need to brew the perfect cup. the basket holds the infusers, filters, drip saucers, timing hourglass, and measuring scoops, while the hooks keep my teapots handy. lately i’ve been favoring the real-deal cast iron pot i got as a birthday gift. it really does make a difference!

i used to heat water in the kettle every time i wanted to make a pot of tea, but that can happen many times a day. plus, methods for gauging the temperature of the water coming from a kettle are not very accurate. my beautiful zojirushi gets it right every time. i can choose the right water temp for the tea i am preparing, and don’t have to worry about scorching the leaves or ending up with a weak brew.

so that’s my tea space. are you shocked? i could run a commercial teahouse out of my home for weeks without restocking! but it’s not too much for me. each tea and herbal tisane is unique, and i like having just the right blend to fit my mood or craving (or need) of the moment. i’m also lucky that lots of people know of my love for tea and gift me the good stuff often.

and i love to share the experience, the process, the pleasure of tea. i’m officially inviting each of you over for tea at t’s teahouse…it’s always tea time around here, so drop by whenever you want.

are any other tea lovers out there? can your collection rival mine, or am i a bit extreme?

following the recent okieOLIO field trip to SortaCrunchy to share my love of tea, one of megan’s readers suggested that a post about tea for kids would be useful. i thought it was a great idea, and so did the editors at Simple Kids, so today i’m happy to invite you to explore the Pleasure of Tea with Your Family.

hopefully you’ll find some practical and fun information, whether you have children or not. you can leave comments and questions here or there. thanks for takin’ the trip with me!

hi, there. don’t get too comfy, just yet. today we’re going on a little outing over to SortaCrunchy. my friend megan asked me to guest post on her blog! it seems i’m the snobbiest tea drinker she knows, and she thinks her readers will appreciate my take on the way of tea and why i love this beverage.

i’m flattered and excited to connect with a new group of people, and also to introduce you guys to her impressive and inspiring blog. megan is a wonderful mom and is currently co-authoring a book on parenting, as well as writing and editing for the new blog Simple Kids. we share a passion for living naturally,writing, faith, and family, and a long-time friendship.

so without further ado, let’s skip on over and see my debut outside the ~~okieOLIO~~ web space. (tomorrow the second part of my contribution will be published, so please check back in with SortaCrunchy to read the follow-up to today’s post.)

**UPDATE: SortaCrunchy readers, welcome! please click around and see if any of our interests coincide. i’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or questions on the topics i love to pursue here. feel free to make yourself at home.

it seems as if winter has finally arrived in our seasonally-schizophrenic state, for real. we have had plenty of frigid days in the last month, but each cold spell has been followed by at least a day or two of t-shirt weather (typical). this is the first week that i have needed to don my heavier coat every day, and not wanted to shed it by the afternoon. so, i decided winter should come to this blog as well, hence the snow falling on your computer screen.  i hope you enjoy the festive display. (at least until the spring)

for me the arrival of the cold means an excuse to enjoy more tea! while i do enjoy an occasional cool glass of iced tea during the sunny months, i feel that icing my fresh brew sometimes compromises the experience by stifling the aroma and masking the flavor.

i consume the hot beverage year-round (hey, the level of air-conditioning that some feel is necessary to in summer constitutes an indoor winter for me), but during colder weather it seems more appropriate to be constantly sipping from a warm mug. getting cozy with a steaming mug during this time of year makes me happy.

there’s just nothing like a blustery day to enhance the multi-faceted way of the perfectly steeped cup. so as we here in oklahoma look forward to our winter finally beginning and perhaps some light flurries in the forecast, i’m going to celebrate with a piping cup of white tea (how appropriate).

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image courtesy wikimedia

“tea is not a product, it’s a practice. what the Asians call the ‘Way.’ …no pleasure is simpler, no luxury cheaper, no consciousness-altering substance more benign.” -james norwood pratt

for me, tea is more than a drink–it’s an experience. it’s true that the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant are a treasure worldwide…as a beverage, medicine, industry, and art. history lives on that little plant–it has played a large role in the political, financial, and social stories of the world. whether we realize it or not, to drink tea is to imbibe the spirit of rich cultures from all over the globe. (see a history of tea here.) no wonder tea is second only to water as the preferred beverage worldwide.

personally, i am in a love affair with tea. i do not go a single day without multiple cups, usually of varying types, and almost always prepared with as much attention as you would devote to a souffle. i genuinely savor the experience as much as the flavor.

yes, i have become a tea snob – i would prefer water to a cheap and tasteless brew. i’m “roughing it” when i have to resort to a tea bag and not loose leaf while i am out. (i always carry several individual bags of the good stuff in my purse.)

more than just the sensual pleasure of the smooth taste, soothing warmth, and comforting ritual, my enjoyment comes from an understanding and appreciation for the history, culture, art, and way of tea. it’s an experience i love to share.