First time Cream of Wheat

This is a bit of a weird post, but I always find 'first taste' posts interesting. All of my east coast friends would go on and on about this stuff. So when I found this in my supermarket I thought I would give it a go.

I followed the instructions for two. It was pretty straight forward. When I turned the  heat off and tasted it I realized what the fun part was: all the toppings! 

Just a dash of nutmeg and all spice, I added a bit of butter and brown sugar afterwards. It was super yummy! I couldn't even finish my bowl it was so filling. Eugene was not complaining, as I am making him more after he finishes my bowl.  (This is when the microwave instructions kick in)

I will be making this again. I topped it with one of my favorites, ground flaxseeds. I think some berries would go great with this too. I read somewhere that this makes a good coating for baked meats, I'm going to try it with some tilapia sometime. So I'm no longer out of the cream o wheat loop! What are your favorite ways of preparing it?

 

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Christmas at Tea Rose Garden: Winter Garden Tea Blend

 There's something magical about the holidays combined with tea. It seems to keep the whimsy of traditions past and brings the smells, glow, and dreamy ideals all into one. No other place I know gives me this feeling more than The Tea Rose Garden; a hidden jewel in Old Town Pasadena. 

I've grown to love this little shop; first as a customer and later as part of the shop family. Tea Rose Garden was my celebration after finals, where my first solo gallery was featured, and my first job after college early this year. My history now runs along with this shop. I am so blessed to have it in my life; the shop and people behind it.

In the city where the Rose Parade runs through every beginning of the year, and the town is decked with utmost splendor, Tea Rose replaces the fountain in the center of the tea room with a huge tree that graces the ceiling. Large poinsettias cover the base and the walls are decked with lights and garlands. Many families in the area make their Christmas Tea a yearly tradition. Every time I go in for a visit I'm so happy to see the friends and family sharing tea and conversations. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to somehow be a part of this. 

Seasonal; treats come out this time of the year. The newest addition is the Chocolate Peppermint Cupcake. Finally! A holiday treat for chocolate lovers!

The famous treat that people look forward to is the Eggnog Mousse Cake. It's so light and delicate, much like a traditional Coconut Cake without the coconut shavings but replaced with thick eggnog custard. 

Another thing that comes out this time of the year is the Christmas Tea Blend. I love the bits of peppermint leaves with citrus and spices. There's also a little bit of rose in it, which is a trait with most of the mixed blends and the Tea Rose Garden.

Something new this year, which is my doing, is a new Tea Blend! Grace, the owner, asked me to try my hand at selling some of my tea blends at the shop. My debut flavor is the Winter Garden. I wanted this tea to reflect the frosty cooler side to the season. To keep with the Tea Rose Garden themes I wanted it to feel like you were walking into a garden in winter. The high notes that I chose were Cranberry, Clove and Sage. After notes I added were the light taste of Plum, Lavender, and Bergamot. Its been a hit so far, something I've been really proud of.

Helping out at Tea Rose has been taking up most of my afternoons these days. I'm glad I got to share this with those of you that have been supporting and reading this blog. Hope you're holiday doings are wonderful. 

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Harney & Sons Tea Haul

Before the Tea Festival I was falling into a bit of a tea rut. What I mean by that is that I wasn't exploring and I was only really drinking a few of my regulars. There isn't anything wrong with that, except that it was starting to bore me. Then by luck, I was introduced to Harney & Sons. I had tried some of their teas at Barnes & Noble a few years back, but brewed incorrectly these teas become bitter and stout so I hadn't touch them since, until now.

If you can tell I turned myself loose on their products. They are the friendliest family based company that really cares about their product and sharing tea with the world. When speaking to them they feel like tea has gone up in popularity because people want conversations and alternatives to coffee over those conversations. There is no real 'true' way to consume tea; rather a journey of sharing listening and learning. As a tea enthusiast that is strongly against tea snobbery and elitism, I was so happy to hear a company on the market that shared my views. They are mainly what I bought at the tea festival, which I did gladly! I look forward to reading the book by the Harney Family: TEA. This is after I complete my meditation book. As for the teas...

Harney Teas come in these beautifully decorated tins that carry silken sachets. This is a good cross between loose leaf and bagged teas making them convenient while keeping the herbs in tack. I for one am in love with the classic look of these tins, as they match my library nicely and give me a beautiful tin to store other teas in the future.

They also generously gave me samples to bring home. They're really good about that sort of stuff and really want to share their passion and blends with others. They even went as far as to open some tins up and throw a few loose bags in for me to try other than the ones shown above.

Here's all of the teas I brought home with me:

Hot Cinnamon Sunset: They're best selling Tea! This is a black mixed with three types of cinnamon to give an intense burst of sweet cinnamon goodness. When I say sweet I mean it; this tea has a sugary taste which they say is the cinnamon tricking your taste buds. I know for sure you can get this tea at Barnes and Noble. Give it a try! I'd imagine it with a plate of Snicker-doodle Cookies.

Paris: I just fell in love with the smell of this tea! The main notes in this black tea are honey, currant, bergamot, and rose petals. It just smells like a sweet warm fire on a cold rainy day. This is a great milk tea, but I personally love it straight steeped hot as I curl up under the covers or write in my journal.

Organic Green w/Gingko: Wow! Let me just say wow! I love this tea! I love the hint of citrus in a mellow green with that soft nutty taste from the gingko. Its so refreshing to have a citrus tea that doesn't bite or zing. I could see myself drinking this green everyday relentlessly. I won't order online just yet because
I know one (or two) tins of this simply won't be enough. I was so bummed that this wasn't being sold at the festival either...

Bangkok: An exotic green tea blend of coconut, ginger, and lemongrass. Its a pleasant experience for green tea lovers that want a little bit of zing. I personally wasn't in love with this tea as much as the gingko and loved the Cinnamon Sunset in the spice choices. I would recommend this tea with a good asian salad or light asian fare.

Another tea I would love to mention was the Soho Blend. A decadent black tea with chocolate and coconut notes. It wasn't really my thing, but I was proud to have met the blender for that tea who happens to be the manager for the SoHo store.

I plan to order more of their teas online, Especially the Green with Ginkgo. I also heard from their representative that they're working on expanding here on the West Coast especially in the Los Angeles area. I'm looking forward to that. Until then I'll enjoy the lovely tins that I have as well as the yummy samples.

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