The days are getting nice and long and the best of spring weather has arrived here in Tennessee. It just feels good to be outside doing...anything! Our garden is a bit behind, though, and today we tried to make up for lost time by planting rows of tomatoes, peppers, beans and melons. Delicious, beautiful bounty we long to share with you in the tearoom all summer long. The flowers are flourishing, too. What joy! This year it’s zinnias everywhere you look.

Recently, I had the joy of going to afternoon tea with a treasured friend who will be moving far from Tennessee in a few months. The tea wasn’t anything terribly fancy, just very good food served on a sturdy three-tiered tray at a small table for two tucked into a cozy alcove. The ideal setting for a heart- to-heart chat over tea and treats. It was perfect.

Later that night I got to thinking about afternoon tea and what makes a really good one. What really is the heart of tea? Perhaps it is best explained by listing what it is not...perfect place settings, spectacularly fine china, complicated, fussy food, pretense of any kind. On the contrary, the heart of tea warmly welcomes guests, offers a space for meaningful, face-to-face conversations, nourishes the body with steaming tea and wholesome food, nourishes the soul with laughter and at times, even a few tears. The heart of tea beckons one to linger longer, to sit, to talk of beautiful things.

At Three Sisters Tearoom this is our goal for every tea we serve. Though you may arrive a stranger, may you leave knowing you are amongst friends who know your name and who care about you.

Our china does not match and our linens are tea-stained from much use. But our food is homemade, the tea never stops flowing, and there is always a place for you! Just add scones and lemon curd and that really is the heart of tea! Join us, friend.

Recently, we were notified that, The Tea Exchange, our blog, has made its way onto the list of top 100 tea blogs (75th place) and even received a little medal to commemorate this accomplishment.

Since we had not sought out this recognition but instead received it through  feedspot.com , an independent source, we savored the moment!   Additionally,
Tea and Toast, our podcast, ranked number 7 out of over 1000 tea podcasts reviewed by the same source. We are giddy and all smiles and thank Feedspot and each of you for the encouragement! 
For a full listing of the top 100 podcasts click this link: blog.feedspot.com/tea_blogs/. To find the top 30 tea podcasts, click this link: podcasts.feedspot.com/tea_podcasts/.

This is the graduation photo of my beautiful mother.  My entire life has been infused with that smile and the kindness within her heart.  This year she will be visiting us for the month of May and the consensus was, we had to make a memorable Mother's Day Tea for this special lady.

Nothing too fancy, though because in addition to a perfect smile and kind heart, she really hates being the center of attention.  So we pondered and thought....

a few finger sammies, shortbread, scones, a bit of fruit, and of course, tea, probably an iced herbal because that's her favorite.  Yes, that would be enough but not too much.

Oh, and she loves purple...and flowers... now that should be enough. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mum.  I love you!

There is beauty in a tea tray, no denying that.  Each food item is nearly a work of art as tiny garnishes are added to enhance the visual impact.

But have you ever wondered, is there any rhyme or reason to the placement of the food? Are items randomly set wherever they fit, working together like an edible jigsaw puzzle?

Believe it or not, a tea tray does have a traditional order to the food placement: Sandwiches and savories on the bottom tier, scones and spreads on the middle, and sweet treats on top.  Guests are meant to eat from the bottom up so sammies first and the dessert, sadly, is to come last!

However, variations are abundant and welcomed. The most important thing to remember when creating your tea tray is to...

... make it beautiful.

Often it's been said that the Three Sisters' "tea journey" all started with a tea plant... 

...and that would be true.  It arrived in the mail one day, a birthday gift from Barefoot Girl, it was small and needed special care.  Over time it grew and finally was planted  outside.

It does not seem to like the cold of TN winters and so a thick blanket of hay tucks it in cozily for the season.  Five years later our tea plant has grown, and even thrived, in its home here on the farm.

Three more tea plants found their way to us this summer.  They are too small to endure the weather outside this year so they'll pass the winter in front of a sunny window in the tearoom.  In about two years they will be hearty enough to join their tea friend outside in the ground.  A plantation just might be in our future, at least that's the vision.  Now that will be a tea journey, indeed!

The times, they are a-changing.  All you have to do is read the headlines to verify this statement.  I find myself repeating oft-heard phrases from my childhood, those I vowed never to repeat as an adult - “It wasn’t like that when I was a kid” or “What is this world coming to?”  I really do wonder that sometimes, especially as I raise my children to be upstanding men and tenderhearted women and see them step out into that changing world.  How will they manage?  A mother worries about such things, especially when living in a culture that calls evil good and rejects the beautiful.  So much has changed since we all were kids, indeed!  But in my heart, in my family, in my tearoom, we reject such change.  We will remain steadfast to the good and turn away from pop culture. We will seek out the beautiful, strive to find what is real, wholesome, of value and embrace that. 

Things like face to face conversations, a handwritten letter, courtesy, meaningful relationships, a community of kindred spirits, encouraging words, feminine women, manly men, strong marriages, babies. These are good things, godly things, and must be impressed upon our hearts and upon our children’s.

We need to talk about them at home and along the way, making them our soul’s desire in place of the offerings of the world.  So if you, too, are alarmed at the rate of change in our world right now and need a moment to steep in that which is edifying, join us at Three Sisters Tearoom where the virtuous is uplifted and a steaming cup of tea is waiting just for you.

     “He came to the wrong house,” she laughed with a twinkle in her eyes as she told me the story … again.  Dolores, a forgetful sweetheart, now widowed and living in a nursing home, has a favorite tale to tell anyone who’ll pause a moment and listen.  Perpetually recalling that beautiful moment some 70 years ago when she met her true love in New Orleans during the Second World War, she begins, “His ship was only in port for six hours and he was to meet up with a girl he’d met the month before. He had a first name and a street name but the streets of New Orleans are so twisted, he got turned around. He asked my neighbor where “Dolores” lived and was directed to my house.

     My mother told him I was at work but due home soon and invited him in to wait. She fixed him a pot of tea and a sandwich, sailors were always hungry in those days, and he visited with my family while waiting for me. He told them all about meeting "Dolores" the month before at the USO club and how he’d been looking forward to seeing "Dolores" again.

     My parents smiled and nodded but my sister thought something was fishy because she knew I had not been to the USO the month before and went to get my graduation portrait to show this Navy man. He fell dumb when he looked at it. It was a picture of me, but I was the wrong Dolores. I walked in the door at just about that moment and came over to meet our guest. He said, 'Dolores?' 'Yes,' I smiled back. After a few minutes of awkward stuttering we learned he was looking for a girl named Dolores who lived on the other end of our street!  We all had a good laugh and since he was cute, a real charmer, I offered to make him another pot of tea (and more sandwiches) and we had a grand conversation which led him to ask me out for a coke before his ship set sail.

     While we were walking back to my house we decided to write letters and I gave him my last name and address printed very clearly so his letters would not get lost, like he had. Six months later he got a weekend pass and we got married. I guess the wrong Dolores turned out to be the right Dolores after all!”

At times, fact can be stranger than fiction and this story is case in point. Following a tea history presentation, an older gentleman approached me with humor in his eyes. He wanted to share a memory of his uncle, Sergeant Powers, a World War II soldier attached to a British Supply Unit in the days and weeks following D-Day. Their orders were to resupply troops along the North Sea Coast toward Rhine and, while they were not a combat unit, they got awfully close to the fighting and often had enemy aircraft overhead. His uncle was a young man at the time, a strapping American GI of 21 who did not have much in common with his British counterparts but still, they worked together to get the job done.

At one moment each day the cultural clash reached its apex — 5pm, teatime to the British, even the British delivering supplies to Allied troops! Yes, the entire convoy of trucks pulled off the road at 5pm. One man would go find water, another would set up the cookstove on rocks, or logs, anything available, as a third man, filled the stove with fuel from a geri can. In about 15 minutes all the Brits were standing around opening up field rations and pulling out packets of tea, sugar, and powdered milk. The cook went around filling tin cups with boiling water as the Americans looked on in frustration.

“We could not believe it and still don’t understand how they could sip tea with planes overhead and gunfire not too far away. It seemed, incomprehensible, frivolous, dangerous! But they could not be rushed. Cigarettes were in our field rations so we smoked them and waited for tea time to pass.”  Sergeant Powers said during his attachment to the British unit, they never skipped a tea time.

     While preparing for overseas travel, my daughter packed a tiny gaiwan travel set into her luggage along with several packets of loose leaf tea. Lapsang — her favorite, Jasmine pearls for hot days, Assam to share with the new friends she’d make and Oolong because we share that together at home. Tea is more than a beverage. It is home, comfort, peace, security. Even when all around you is new and unfamiliar, just the aroma of tea brings home to you.

    While tea has a handful of scientifically proven health properties, it is its connection to family rhythms and familiar rituals that give it the power to heal, to soothe and to revivify one on a soul level.
    As a young military wife, I once found myself overwhelmed by the unfamiliar surroundings of a foreign country. The smell of open air fish markets, the taste of unidentifiable food and the sound of an unfamiliar language brought on a tremendous amount of stress and upset stomach! I longed for something familiar.

     Inside a tiny shop I looked at shelves full of unknown brands covered with black characters I knew someone could read, but I could not. Unable to distinguish a box of cookies from a box of cereal, my eyes jumped from one item to the next. Suddenly amidst the confusion, a small yellow box shone out like sunshine. Red letters spelled out the only word in the entire shop that I could read: LIPTON. Perhaps not my
go-to brand when stateside, it became my lifeline while overseas. I bought the box and returned to my tiny apartment. Removing the plastic wrapping allowed the first scents to escape. Oh, it smelled good. Then the first sip. Ahh, it tasted good too! Something familiar washed over me - Home.

   There is a season for everything and for us, this season has been about change.  We ushered in year 80 for Mum and prepare to move her “down south” while the Sisters are ready to fledge the nest, my nest, the nest I have created for my family over many years.  Bittersweet is this season….feelings of joy tinged with a touch of sadness.  I am in need of a cup of tea.

     Seasons in life should cause us to pause and take stock, milestones are designed to be observed, rights of passage, commemorated.  Through all the celebrations we’ve had recently, one constant companion has been present - tea.  We toasted Mum’s birthday with a delightful hibiscus/blueberry tisane (she loves purple in case you hadn’t noticed!) and my Dancing Girl and I have vowed to share a pot of Assam each afternoon at 3:30 to count down the days until she leaves for college.  Well, not really counting them down in order to see them past, but more to count them as precious last moments together with her still under my wings.  Tea is sustaining us through this season.

     But tea is not reserved just for the changeable times.  It perfectly accompanies the quotidian moments in life.  It is for sharing joy and accomplishments with others and for bracing us up when we falter.  Tea brings back happy memories, and it helps us forget the sorrows we’ve seen.  It is the first thing the Sisters seek when returning home after a long day out, because tea soothes and revivifies all at the same time.  It feels like home, like a hug, like family. This humble beverage, ubiquitous yet reverent, truly is for every season in life. Whatever season you find yourself in right now,  remember tea and drink abundantly!

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.

In Tennessee, 2021 arrived by way of a stunning, 68° day brimming, from start to finish, with golden sunshine. Every moment possible was spent outside that first day of the new year. Funny to think we’d take such a day for granted if it fell in May after a week of similar days. But here in January, seemingly out of place, our focus was keenly on the sparkling rays of light and the warm, earth-scented breeze. My father would have proclaimed it a “good-to-be-alive day”. I would agree and ardently wish he still was. He spent most of his life out-of-doors, working in all kinds of weather, so he knew what he was talking about.         
     Yes, this sublime day came upon us unexpectedly, after a week of frosts and fires, and fluttered by us just as suddenly, but left our hearts full of happiness, full of joy, which has lingered there well into January. 

It is true we don’t know what the new year will bring. We learned that lesson this past year. Man may make his plans but the Lord directs his steps. So, in light of the unknown, let’s seek to make the true, the lovely, and the praiseworthy in life our focus for the new year before us.

Like a butterfly in the winter woods or a 68° day in January, in 2021 may we all find splendor in the commonplace… and of course, drink tea, lots of tea!

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.