For many years our Easter breakfast was grand, a fitting meal to celebrate the risen Lord.  But as our family size grew, our pre-church meal became rushed until we stopped it all together and planned something later in the day.

Fast forward a decade, now the toddlers are teens and so I thought maybe, just maybe, we could try an early morning Easter breakfast again.

Instead of a full meal of eggs and bacon, toast and fruit, perhaps simpler fare would do?  Maybe just a cream tea?  A pot of Assam, a plate of hot cross scones with jam and cream?  Would it be enough?  Would it befit the occasion?

The crumbs and dribbles unanimously answer in the affirmative and we were blessed for the moments together 'round the table. 

Whatever your Easter menu may be, a full brunch or just a biscuit with tea, may sweet Hosannas ring!

I’ve always kept a tin of breath mints in my purse but recently, when a friend gave me a tin of green tea mints, I began to wonder…can I combine the ubiquitous breath mint with my beloved green tea?  I had to give it a try and now I have to share with fellow tea lovers the wonderful news that yes, you can combine the two very easily!

Gum paste is the key ingredient to this recipe and is found in the cake decorating section of a grocery stores or hobby store.  Gum paste is used for making elaborate flowers on festive cakes. Once it is shaped and left to dry, the paste turns very hard which is just what you want for the mints.  When considering the tea component  I wanted to use matcha because it is so good for us and studies have shown it has oral health benefits.  According to a 2011 Harvard health study, green tea fights tooth decay, reduces gum disease, minimizes bad breath, supports detoxification, may reverse thrush and may reduce risk of oral cancer. *1  Additionally, for a bit of sweetness, in place of powdered sugar I thought of birch xylitol because of its oral health benefits.  For many years xylitol has been known to  reduce harmful mouth bacteria which in turn reduces plaque buildup and tooth decay. This can help prevent cavities and gum diseases.*2  Of course for the flavor, a nice organic pure peppermint extract was needed.  You could use a lemon or vanilla extract in place of, or in addition to, the mint.  A few drops of any will only add to the the yummy flavor.

1. The recipe is basic and forgiving and a small amount of gum paste will make a great deal of tiny mints so start off with a small ball about the size of a radish.  Work it in your hands until it is warm and pliable.
2. Create a small depression in the center and add about 3-4 tsp of good quality matcha and continue to kneed until matcha is well-incorporated.
3. Flatten and place on a cutting board.  Add a few drops of your choice of pure extract flavorings and fold in half.  With a rolling pin, flatten and fold the paste several times to continue mixing ingredients together.

4. When you feel all is thoroughly mixed, roll out paste  1/4 “ thick and cut into mints.  You can use mini cutters, which often come in darling little shapes or we found a bubble tea straw was just the right size!

5. Drop the shaped matcha mints into a small bowl of xylitol, toss to coat, and let them sit there until dry, several hours or better yet, overnight.
6. Store in a small tin in your purse and indulge often.  After all these mints are good for you!
Footnotes:
*1. Narotzki, B., Reznick, A. Z., Aizenbud, D., & Levy, Y. (2012). Green tea: a promising natural product in oral health. Archives of oral biology, 57(5), 429-435. Kushiyama, M.,  Shimazaki, Y., Murakami, M., & Yamashita, Y. (2009). Relationship between intake of green tea and periodontal disease. Journal of periodontology, 80(3), 372-377.  
*2 . American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Policy on the use of xylitol in caries prevention. Pediatr Dent. 2010;32(Special issue):36–38.

This cute little cup is delicate, colorful, and very feminine; but wait…It has TWO handles! Have you ever seen a teacup like that? Chances are no, because it’s not a teacup. This is a bouillon cup, and the two handles are held when sipping consommé or other clear broth soups. So, not a teacup at all. Looks can be deceiving.

Being a registered nurse and an herbalist, health and nutrition have always been important to me. When first learning about the healthful properties of tea, I was thrilled to discover my favorite beverage was also good for me! So when Marlyse from The Wellness Tea asked me to try her new herbal blend, I was happy to give it a taste.

The Wellness Tea arrived in a package with 30 pyramid bags full of 100% organic herbs, roots, and botanicals such as ashwagandha, chamomile, cinnamon, elderberry and more.  Instructions were to steep for 5 minutes in boiling water for maximum health benefits. This concerned me. When dealing with herbs, steeping times vary greatly between a leaf, a root, a seed and a powered spice.  5 minutes is probably not enough time to extract full properties from 6 of the herbs included.  Predominate flavors are chamomile and turmeric with a strong earthy flavor, unfamiliar to many, and attributed to the ashwagandha and astragalus. 

I appreciate the blender's attention to sourcing and using organic ingredients free from artificial colors and the attempt to combine all we need to naturally balance our constitution in one teabag.  This herbal is pleasant tasting and contains adaptogenic properties from which we all can benefit.  Find Wellness Tea at www.thewellnesstea.com

For a short time, about a hundred years ago, tea dances were quite a craze in both the UK and the US.  Three Sisters Tearoom has even hosted a few during the long winter months and found them splendid.

But it's summer...in the south...still Dancing Girl wants to dance - and so do all the young folks out here.  So how about an Iced Tea Dance held outside as the sun goes down and the stars begin to sparkle?  Brilliant!

The dance board was filled in and the music started.  Gallons of sweet tea freely flowed as the dancers twirled into the twilight.

By 9 pm it was all over.  The exhausted, exuberant, ecstatic guests were heading home but they promised to come back in August for our second Mid Summer's Iced Tea Dance!

Time is elusive and now six years have scuttled by since we first opened our doors. 
Seems Three Sisters Tearoom had always been a part of our lives and in our hearts,  but...

...we had to wait for the third cherub to appear before pursuing a genuine tearoom right here on the farm.

But, like all good things, it was worth the wait.  During those years we learned all we could about tea. Read books and took classes to learn even more.  Planted tea seeds and sampled every varietea we could find.  We traveled, with teapot and scones in hand, making deliveries to those who were in need of a tea moment. We baked and tasted countless tea cakes, shortbread, and cress sandwiches before establishing a menu of our own: farm-fresh and (we believe) nonpareil.

Those Three Sisters have grown and the tearoom is a-buzz.  Our guests are now our closest friends, much more like family, really.  We have learned a great deal along the way, more then just how to make tea.  Mainly we've found that people need love,  hugs, a kindred spirit, a smile.  Add a cup of tea to that mix and honestly, you can face the world!  Many blessings to you all and thank you for a splendid six years.

...and a purpose for every matter under heaven.  While we may not know what that purpose is right now, we do know God is in control.  During this time of tumult we've decided to suspend our tearoom gatherings throughout March and use that time to beautify our humble space for a refreshed environment upon our reopening.

Dancing Girl is planting a burst of blossoms in our flower beds and pots....

Butterfly Girl is cleaning the doors and washing windows...

Barefoot Girl has swept up the crumbs and cobwebs...

and we have fresh spring menus planned and a plethora of imaginative teas prepared for the upcoming months.  So until the time to laugh and dance and embrace returns...

...we are praying and wishing for you to be well and look forward to our sweet reunion once this season of refraining is behind us.

Tea Faeries, that is.

On Tuesday it seems one visited us by way of the afternoon post which contained...

...this charming collection of goodies including a cheerful greeting card with a fabulously sassy quote, warm wishes from a stellar tea comrade hailing from Texas (by way of the U.K.), and two exquisite tea bags.

Exquisite...really?  YES!  First of all just look at the tea bag.  How often do you come across hand-sewn, organic cotton bags in your tea box?  If you are like us, not too often.  However, what was really exquisite was the tea inside the bag.  This fragrant, full-leaf tea is graded as, Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.  Note the SFTGFOP on the packaging.  In the tea world those letters are jokingly said to mean, So Far Too Good For Ordinary People.  It's rare, expensive, and very limited and we've always wanted to try just a cup of it.  Are you starting to believe us now?  This tea was exquisite and enjoyed to the last drop.

The unassuming blue envelope came as such a beguiling surprise to us, we now unanimously agree... we believe in Faeries!                               Thank you, Lindsey!

One blustery December day this beauty arrived in the post.  The tea set, that is!

The Elfin Collection is a line of luxury Danish tea ware, sleek, elegant and extremely high quality.   Nothing short of stunning.

From the first moment you open the well-cushioned, protective packaging, it is clear this box holds something extraordinary.

Look at the stunning visual presentation this set makes.  However it is more than just beautiful.  So many unique features make using it a pleasure.

1. a removable stainless steel mesh strainer allows you to remove tea leaves once steeped to your preference
2. smartly shaped cups taper slightly to keep tea hot longer
3. a silicone gasket keeps the lid securely in place, preventing it from falling off when pouring
4. a silicone pouring spout prevents drips
5. a tea light  keeps tea really warm  until the very last drop
6. it's the perfect size for you and a guest to gather for tea
   

While this set truly is aesthetically sophisticated and elegant and you might be tempted to reserve it for only the most celebratory occasions, the best feature it possesses is its usability.  It washes up easily and despite its delicate look, it really is quite sturdy.  Highly recommended for daily use!  What could be finer than that?
Visit www.elfincollection.com to read more about their Tea for Two tea set.

December 16, 1773 the historic Boston Tea Party took place when a heroic band of brave men raided an English cargo ship and tossed 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.  They were protesting British tyranny that day and today we celebrate the 246th anniversary of that event.

Every year, the Boston Tea Party Museum re-enacts this historic moment when Americans again toss tea into the Boston Harbor.

We decided to salute the Sons of Liberty by having a tea toss of our own right here at Three Sisters Tearoom.  We found this little Indian getting the job done!

Happy Boston Tea Party Day, America! 
Enjoy a cup of tea and celebrate your freedom.
*No tea was injured in this re-enactment.*

From time to time something truly new and different comes across your path and you must take the time to learn more about it.  That is exactly what happened with us and organic cacao tea from the Cacao Tea Co. 

We did our research and found that this is not something new at all  but  has very ancient South American roots tied to the Mayans and Aztecs.   This chocolate tea is not technically a tea at all and is made from minimally-processed, organic cacao husks which are simply crushed and roasted before brewing.  The health benefits are extensive and include high levels of antioxidants, energy boosting and mood enhancing properties and it is calorie free when sipped neat.  After several steeping sessions we were prepared to share our new discovery so we laid the tables for a Tea F.E.T.E. (Friday evening tea education) and quickly had a full house coming to this exciting class.  Chocolate seems to have that effect on people!

Traditionally, this beverage would not be creamed or sweetened but what fun is there in that?  We laid out a variety of creaming options and sweeteners and began our tasting session.  First we tried it perfectly plain and those dark chocolate lovers believed they had found their dream drink!  Others craved more of a milk chocolate experience and started experimenting with rich cream, condensed milks, liquid and powered sweeteners of all kinds.  The results were clear: cacao tea is delicious pure and plain but when you add sweetened condensed coconut milk or cream and coconut sugar this beverage jumps up into the delicious dessert category. For a final twist we slow steeped a pot of classical Indian chai with cacao tea all afternoon then shared it with our guests.  This was truly scrumptious and highly recommended by everyone.

So as hot chocolate season is upon us, consider this healthy, lower calorie alternative to the old childhood classic.  You'll be glad you did!  Learn more about this product at Cacao Tea Co.

Waiting for Christmas to arrive can bring out the impatient child in all of us.  So a count down may be in order.  You could make a paper chain or...

...get a Christmas tea count down calendar!  This one from Adagio is full of brightly colored tea packets that look like beautifully wrapped presents themselves.  There is a tea bag for each day right up to Christmas Eve and the selection is creative, delicious, and varied.  You'll find herbals, blacks, greens, even whimsical tisanes such as Gingerbread and Candy Cane.

Just a sampling of what's waiting for you...

Each day open one perforated window and unwrap your present. Now the impatient child in you can settle down with a nice cup of tea and relax - you are one day closer to Christmas!

This merry calendar from  Adagio is sure to bring a little joy (and tea!) into your Christmas count down.

I've been married to this Sailor for years now... 30 years to be exact, so it was time to celebrate and what better way to celebrate than with my favorite guy and TEA!

We journeyed north to West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, IN.  This place was built in the early 20th century way out in the country and had an authentic "Old World" feel to it.  I was smitten the moment I saw the red dome peak through the tree tops.

First stop was tea and what a tea it was!  Delicious and elegant and so deeply enjoyed by both of us.

The harpist was lovely and had a beautiful smile and we could have lingered all day just to listen to her play but there was more to do on this celebratory get-away...

Next day, next stop was in Danville, KY, home of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  I had placed an order for the tearoom before our trip and so I thought maybe, just maybe we could stop by and pick it up in person.

We got to sample a few teas I'd been interested in and had time to visit with my first tea mentor, Mr. Bruce Richardson and his lovely wife, Shelley.  I was thrilled and could have stayed awhile longer but it was time to head home.

After all, after 30 years of marriage we had this beautiful bunch to get back to.  My, it's been a spectacular 3 decades!

We love oolong so when Umi Tea Set asked us to sample one we said, "Yes, please!"

Umi Tea Set sent us a gorgeous box of oolong tea along with a chocolate brown gawain in which to perfectly steep the leaves.  The gawain was lovely and warm in the hand and felt like the best brewing vessel for these twisted, large leaves in varying shades of black and green.

Once steeped, each twisted leaf opened up into a single medium-sized green tea leaf which yielded 3 good steepings of pale green/gold liquid that started out floral and moved to fishy by the last steeping.  Refreshing and light, this oolong was enjoyed by all our tasters.  Thank you, Umiteasets.com.  Find Umi Tea Sets on facebook.

Five unassuming black and white packets of premium, limited-quality, single origin, fine, loose-leaf teas were nestled into this little brown envelope. Let's put the kettle on.

Masters Tea from Adagio is a new line from an old favorite tea company.  We have enjoyed Adagio Tea for years and even have 3 or 4 original blends for sale on their website.  But Masters Tea is something new altogether.  Read on to discover more.

Tongmu jin jun mei:  This dark amber black tea had fragrance notes of cocoa and caramel.  Beautiful to look at and perfect without any additions.  The taste was oh, so smooth and velvety with a sweet, cool finish.  Hard to beat this one.  A very fine, agreeable Chinese tea.

Ali shan special: This oolong from Taiwan is special, indeed! The tight green balls of tea relaxed into 1 stem with 4 leaves once steeped.  With an aroma of honeysuckle and fruity jelly beans, this straw colored elixir was delicious and sweet with flavors of peaches and creamy coconut.  It felt very cool and clean in the mouth.  One sip and you'd agree, truly something special in this cup!

Shincha gyokuro: ​This tea is in a separate class all its own.  One often hears the expression, a bowl of tea or some even refer to tea as soup.  Well, after trying this selection, we are learning why.  This tea looks vastly different from most, like green/black spiky hair and the dry leaves smelled brothy, like chicken stock.  It took a few tries to steep this one properly but we finally ended up with the palest yellow liquid sporting the biggest flavor profile.  Very savory, salty, bouillon-like...the word is umami and it means a quality of a full, round, perfectly-complete flavor you cannot quite express.  While we did not love this tea, we really wanted to and plan to learn more about it.  Hopefully we will acquire a taste for it soon!
                  All these teas are available for purchase at www.adagio.com

At Three Sisters Tearoom we often feature edible flowers on our menu and as a garnish on our tea trays.

Such floral embelishments only add to the enchantment tea time brings.

Sometimes the edible flowers are used as centerpieces....

...but it wasn't until this little sweetie graced our tea table that we actually had a guest EAT the flowers from the vase in the center of the table!

Yep, it was our Birthday Tea and the day lilies really did look good enough to eat.  After being told the flowers were edible, our pretty guest in pink plucked one from the vase, plopped it onto her plate, slathered it full of lemon curd, then, like a floral sushi roll,  consumed it stamen, pistol, pedals and all!

If not for the smackerel of curd on her lips to give the secret away, one would never have known.

Barefoot Girl fledges our nest today.  She's been planning this trip for some time and she'll be gone for a couple of months.  She's off to study at L'Abri in Switzerland and now the date for departure has finally arrived.

Her bag is packed...a few clothes, books, her bible, and some tea.
A lot of tea actually, and a tiny Chinese tasting set so she can share tea with her new friends.  After all, the best way to make new friends in a foreign country is to share a cup of tea with them.  But tea reminds her of home, too.  Oolong for Mum, lapsang for sisters, and Assam for a dear friend.

She's ready.  I'm not...but I am happy.  She's beautiful and precious and God has amazing things for her to do.

Barefoot Girl and I were ready for the challenge as we tossed our overnight cases into the trunk of the car and headed due east to Asheville, NC early last Wednesday morning.

Five hours (and NO stops) later we arrived in front of the Smith-McDowell House in Asheville.  This historic house is hosting a tea exhibit highlighting the many ways in which tea was enjoyed in a 19th century home.  That would have been draw enough for us to visit, but we had also written two of the tea information panels on display in the house and we wanted to see the tearoom's name in print!

It was a thrilling moment and best of all, the tour ended with a delightful cup of tea lovingly prepared for us by the house docent.  This capped off the event is a most perfect way!  Visit wnchistory.org for more information on this exhibit which runs until September 28, 2019.

But it was only 4 o'clock and hours 'till sunset so what's a mom and her girl to do?

Tour the Biltmore of course!  We found it was only 4 miles away so we reached the gate house fairly fast and spent the next 3 1/2 hours touring the mammoth gardens, green houses and hiking trails located on the grounds.

We stopped to smell the roses, actually Barefoot Girl smelled ALL the roses...

stood in awe of the beauty found in the green houses...

and walked barefoot around the wading pools.

We left the Biltmore as the sun was setting and went back the next morning for 3 additional hours, touring the house this time.  Although there was no true tea happening there that day, we saw so many lovely tea services set up and ready for use in countless beautiful rooms and we did dream of having a cuppa on the open-air loggia.  

Heading westward (home-bound) now we needed refreshment and after consulting destinationtea.com we found what turned out to be the perfect tea stop for us.  

Our High Tea was ready when we arrived and included freshly prepared tomato soup, quiche, sandwiches, dodashes, (cheese straws in the round) baked goods, and really good loose leaf tea.

Tea friends are forever friends and this mother/daughter team own, serve, and bake for Nettie's Bakery, so named after a beloved grandmother.  This place is worth a drive, a day trip or overnight adventure.  Don't miss it!

We arrived home as the sun was setting and marveled over where those 24 hours had taken us.  It was a wonderful tea-infused get-away with my VBF!  Luv you, Barefoot Girl...

TEA is truly elusive and there is not one recipe for making a tea experience outstanding.  However, when you have an outstanding tea experience, you know it!  Recently I found myself with 6 hours to fill in Chattanooga while I waited for Barefoot Girl to complete her final exams.  Tea is a good way to fill those hours and so I made my way to Polly Claire's, a tearoom in the historic Dent house on the east side of the city.

  I was by myself and so I did overhear other patrons talk about the special occasions they were celebrating that day; a graduation, a birthday and even an engagement!  Most had been there before and recounted their previous experiences to their table mates and the waitress using words in the superlative like, best ever and so special...

Aesthetically, Polly Claire's is a symphony to the eyes.  The crispest white linens adorn the tables while comfortable chairs encircle them.  Fresh flowers and candles enhance the tablescapes in an elegant, understated, French country sort of way.  No detail is overlooked and one can prepare for a refreshing, enlivening tea experience.  All the food is made fresh, in-house and you can taste it.  I feasted on a special  three-tired afternoon Mother's Day tea only after my pot of orange blossom oolong arrived, steeped to perfection, and a piping hot vanilla bean scone arrived with jam, lemon curd and cream.  Teas like this don't happen every day, and I settled in to enjoy it.  All of the  desserts were recipes from former First Ladies and a charming little recipe booklet was left for me at my table.  I hated to leave and my tea champion waitress, Addie, allowed, even encouraged, me to linger as long as I desired.

I was able to speak with the beautiful (inside and out) owner of Polly Claire's and thank her for this perfect tea experience and I told her I will be back, not soon enough, but I will be back.  So, if you find yourself in Chattanooga with a few hours to spare, you know where to go!

Just on the boarder of East TN, in the small town of Ooltewah, the old courthouse on Church Street is now a tearoom and wedding chapel.  Dancing Girl and I planned our trip and arrived on a brilliant, 75 degree May day.

We did not have a reservation as the website stated one was not needed.  We were seated right away at a table for two in the Garden View Room which displayed layers of Victorian decór, heavy drapes, glass covered table cloth, and a faux  tulip in a vase.  The tea menu was medium sized at 8-10 loose teas, most of which were flavored.  Dancing Girl selected Earl Grey and I chose English breakfast.  Our server brought out delicious, well-prepared pots of hot tea and we ordered soup, quiche, and scones a la carte since there was no afternoon tea option.  We were a little surprised to see "bologna sliders" as an item on a tea menu.

Over all, the food was fair and we did wonder how much was made in-house.  The scones were a disappointment.  They were not warm and did not appear freshly made.  We talked with the owner for a few moments and learned some of the history of the building and that they host monthly themed afternoon tea special events then left feeling we'd had an satisfactory tea experience.

Our chickens lay beautiful eggs that need no embellishment but...

Easter is fast approaching and we had an idea.

Dancing Girl blew out the contents of several eggs and we made extra strong brews of matcha, lapsang and hibiscus teas.  We dropped the empty eggs into the teas and waited.

After 12 hours the results were subtle but lovely and will look perfect on our Easter brunch table.

Spring is here and that means time to clean out the tearoom, reorganize, breathe a bit of fresh air into the place.

After having a look around with a critical eye, these mismatched tea trays screamed, MAKEOVER!  After watching Jennifer Sullivan of Southern Royal Tea in North Carolina, give an instructional demonstration featuring ways to up-cycle items using chalk paint, we had a plan.

On a lovely sunny day, The Three Sisters got busy. Using chalk paint in off white, all the tea trays are now the same color giving our tea tables a unified look.

Fresh and clean...just like a breath of spring!

We don't often review tearooms outside TN but for Peace Hill Farm, we've made an exception.  www.historicpeacehill.com/afternoon-tea  ~ Charles City, VA.

Dancing Girl and I ventured out for tea on the very last day of our Virginia vacation, a cool and soggy day.  The chalkboard sign was a cheery welcome to Peace Hill Farm and so was Louise, our hostess, a beautiful teacup from Bath, England.

We had the place to ourselves that day and chose to sit in a cozy sunroom and despite the lack of sun, it was bright and warm.

Our tea adventure began with a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup, scrumptious and homemade, as was everything we were served that day. 

Our afternoon tea was a very generous tray of 4 different, freshly prepared and farm fresh sandwiches, tea cake, scone and shortbread.  4 or 5 loose-leaf tea options were just enough of a selection and our tea was piping hot and perfect. 

Darjeeling tea and a rosemary scone. 

We could have stayed even longer than we did, in fact, truly we could have stayed because Peace Hill Farm is also a bed and breakfast and events center, but our menfolk awaited our return and alas, we departed with promises to return... 

Our quarterly Mid-TN Tea travels took us to Tea on the Mountain located in Tracy City, TN and the drive was cloaked in dense fog as we traversed the mountain pass from Middle TN.  After an adventurous 2 hour drive, we arrived ready for tea!  The tearoom was housed in a modest home built in the 1950s and located at end of a street on the outskirts of town.

The tearoom was dark and musty-smelling, the tea lukewarm and weak, food fair and overall just not what we had hoped for.  However there were 12 of us at the table and we enjoyed each other's company and our time together.

On the coldest day of 2019 I wandered into this whimsical establishment located in Nashville at 935 Woodland St.  www.highgardentea.com

Embraced by warmth and a mixture of pleasing, herbaceous aromas, once inside I began to have look around. Four walls of floor to celling teas and herbs in glass jars made this a lengthy process.  The employees were first rate, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable.  I purchased some loose herbs to take home and Iron Goddess of Mercy  tea to enjoy onsite.  I wandered deeper into one tiny room after another each with a unique focus; an incense table, a potter's closet, and lastly the fermenting room with kombuchas, of the most creative assortment, miso, and kefir.  A few more purchases were made and then my oolong was ready.

I sat down at a small table that seemed to transported one outside under an arched tree canopy one a summer day and enjoyed an exquisite pot of dark oolong perfectly brewed by a really sweet guy who knew his tea stuff.  I was not in a rush and lingered a good hour all the while enjoying the singularly distinctive environment of a true Tennessee tea treasure.  Check it out for yourself!