Oops – I thought for sure I reviewed this one already!
First of all, I’m a prairie girl (S’toon/Regina) and I loooove S’toon berries. Picking them off a giant plant was the best part about certain campsites. I would just stand there with a bunch of other kids and just shovel them in.
S’toon berry pies can be amazing or really bad – depends on the quality of berry. The big juicy berries make an amazing pie – the small hard ones make a crunchy/chewy type pie.
I digress! This tea smells soooo good – like a sweet, mapley berry pie! Sadly I can’t get the berry taste to come out in the steep. It tastes like a sweet, maple drizzled dark oolong – dry in texture, maybe a Taiwanese?
I’m definitely missing out on the berry flavour I get in the smell.
Okay now the important part! (lol) My birthday is next weekend and I’ve invited some new (non tea obsessed) friends for a tea party! I’m cooking and baking, trying my hand at some gluten-free treats as well, but I was kind of hoping for some tea party advice. I’d like to set up a little matcha tasting bar, I only have one big teapot, any advice or fun ideas on how to sample a bunch of fun teas? Thanks friends!
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you might be able to pick up some tea balls at the dollar store so that they can make small cups of tea. ponders I’ll see if i can come up with some other creative things to do.
Happy Early Bday! Sorry no advice from me here – I have never had a tea tasting or party. :(
Thanks Azz!
Oh that’s a good idea Sil – dollarstore teaballs would save on waste from using a bunch of tea sacs – I will definitely look for those!
I’ve planned like 30 huge parties in my lifetime, I don’t know why planning a tiny tea party is proving to be hard lol
Although it’s not just that – I want to hear ideas from my tea friends!!
Happy almost bday! What a fun idea! If you only have one teapot maybe just have water available for people to brew their own tea? Just present basic brewing parameters and paper tea filters and they could do their own thing. Or! Get some pitchers or bottles and prepare a bunch of iced teas, which might be more appealing depending on the weather.
It’ll be great! Have fun with it!
happy birthday in advance! shooter glasses, if you have them (they also carry them at the $ store) you could prepare cocktails with tea base and serve them that way, I’ve done it this summer, green tea mojitos at it was a hit! Have fun!!
ah thanks so much for the ideas!
Wonderful wonderful, I’m so excited :D
Daisy, if you trying gluten free, take a look at this recipe:
http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2006/08/amaretti.html
I replaced the cocoa with some caramel matcha from red leaf. So good! also, no added fat! Tell that to your diet conscious friends. :)
Happy Birthday in advance! Sorry to read you have to restrain from gluten as well. Here’s some recipes/inspiration http://cookingwithtea.tumblr.com/
I can’t wait to try this tea! Like you, I grew up gorging on Saskatoon berries in the summer :)
Does Halifax have a Chinatown? You could get a bunch of little teapots for cheap, then give them as a thank you gift/“encouragement to continue drinking tea” gift.
oh i like that idea missmylin
Personally this is was I would do. Depending on how many people you are having you could always do the gung fu steeping (there is a cute teapot at DAVIDsTEA for that) then that way you can make a bunch of different teas everyone could get a sample and then they could make a cup of the one they liked the best.
THANK YOU so much everyone!
Such awesoem ideas, I’m looking into all of them! (Oh, I’m not gluten free, but a new friend is! Also my SIL is, so I desperately want to make treats for them! Thanks for the suggestions)
And I have the wee little gong fu style teapot from Davids, so that should help.
This has all been very helpful – I actually have NO idea if Halifax has a china town, I’ll have to ask around :) yay!
you might be able to pick up some tea balls at the dollar store so that they can make small cups of tea. ponders I’ll see if i can come up with some other creative things to do.
Happy Early Bday! Sorry no advice from me here – I have never had a tea tasting or party. :(
Thanks Azz!
Oh that’s a good idea Sil – dollarstore teaballs would save on waste from using a bunch of tea sacs – I will definitely look for those!
I’ve planned like 30 huge parties in my lifetime, I don’t know why planning a tiny tea party is proving to be hard lol
Although it’s not just that – I want to hear ideas from my tea friends!!
Happy almost bday! What a fun idea! If you only have one teapot maybe just have water available for people to brew their own tea? Just present basic brewing parameters and paper tea filters and they could do their own thing. Or! Get some pitchers or bottles and prepare a bunch of iced teas, which might be more appealing depending on the weather.
It’ll be great! Have fun with it!
happy birthday in advance! shooter glasses, if you have them (they also carry them at the $ store) you could prepare cocktails with tea base and serve them that way, I’ve done it this summer, green tea mojitos at it was a hit! Have fun!!
ah thanks so much for the ideas!
Wonderful wonderful, I’m so excited :D
Daisy, if you trying gluten free, take a look at this recipe:
http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2006/08/amaretti.html
I replaced the cocoa with some caramel matcha from red leaf. So good! also, no added fat! Tell that to your diet conscious friends. :)
Happy Birthday in advance! Sorry to read you have to restrain from gluten as well. Here’s some recipes/inspiration http://cookingwithtea.tumblr.com/
I can’t wait to try this tea! Like you, I grew up gorging on Saskatoon berries in the summer :)
Does Halifax have a Chinatown? You could get a bunch of little teapots for cheap, then give them as a thank you gift/“encouragement to continue drinking tea” gift.
oh i like that idea missmylin
Personally this is was I would do. Depending on how many people you are having you could always do the gung fu steeping (there is a cute teapot at DAVIDsTEA for that) then that way you can make a bunch of different teas everyone could get a sample and then they could make a cup of the one they liked the best.
THANK YOU so much everyone!
Such awesoem ideas, I’m looking into all of them! (Oh, I’m not gluten free, but a new friend is! Also my SIL is, so I desperately want to make treats for them! Thanks for the suggestions)
And I have the wee little gong fu style teapot from Davids, so that should help.
This has all been very helpful – I actually have NO idea if Halifax has a china town, I’ll have to ask around :) yay!