Friday, June 19, 2015

Are You A Tea Drinker? by Karen Rose Smith




Are you a tea drinker?

What kind of tea do you like to drink?

Hot tea
Iced tea

Do you use...?

Tea bags
Loose tea

Do you prefer...?

Herbal
Decaffeinated
Green
Black
White
Rooibus
Tisane or infused 


When I decided to write my Daisy Swanson Tea Garden mystery series (due for release in Spring 2017), I began exploring teas. In the past I'd mostly used Celestial Seasonings teabags in their many flavors or Luzianne, especially for making iced tea. However, exploring the loose teas opens up another whole world of tea drinking.

I found my tea kettle to heat the filtered water, bought a tea ball (for brewing a cup), a pot filter (for steeping up to 6 cups) and pulled my mother's china teapots from my hutch. From my research, the first nuance about tea that I learned was that a tea drinker should heat the water and then pour it over the loose tea into the china tea pot. How long I steep the tea depends on the type I'm using. Tea cozies come in handy to insure the tea in your teapot stays hot.

I explored Silver Needle White Tea first because I like mild tea. Next I explored Green Tea and then Black. But I realized early on that I enjoyed fruit flavored teas the most and, for health reasons, decaffeinated served me best...though I do indulge in caffeinated now and then. I found Teavana teas and they are by far my favorite--from Wild Orange Blossom to Raspberry Pineapple to Limeade Twist. I also discovered a local herb farm where I found Cinnamon Rooibus, Lemon Souffle and Green Honeybush Nut Crunch.


For me tea is no longer about dipping a teabag into water heated in a microwave. It's a calming process that involves aroma as well as taste, sharing and experimentation with mixing and combining to develop my own favorite taste sets.

So come join me in a cup of tea on this Midsummer Night's Eve, breathe in an aroma and enjoy flavors you like the best!




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FOR FATHER'S DAY




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USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 87th novel will be released in 2015.

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 


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©2015 Karen Rose Smith


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8 comments:

  1. Kirsten WeissJune 20, 2015 at 9:46 AM

    Oh, YES! And pretty much every kind of tea, depending on my mood. But I lean toward the spicier chais.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kirsten WeissJune 20, 2015 at 9:47 AM

    Oh, YES! And pretty much any kind of tea, though I lean toward the spicier chais.

    ReplyDelete
  3. charleneJune 20, 2015 at 10:36 AM

    my favorite tea is hot black english tea with a little cream

    ReplyDelete
  4. SaraJune 20, 2015 at 11:00 AM

    I love tea ... also love coffee. I drink both hot or Southern sweet ice tea. I use tea bags and loose. Drink: black, white, red, and some herbal teas (they can't taste like medicine). Don't like green tea at all.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 20, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    Mostly black tea but I'm trying to drink more green tea. I love iced tea in the summer.

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  6. PG ForteJune 20, 2015 at 5:09 PM

    I like them all...mostly. Black, green, white, herbal, hot, iced, loose, bagged--you name it, I'll probably drink it. I do have a special affection for Tea Forte, however. lol! With a name like that, how could I not? https://www.teaforte.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rini KJune 20, 2015 at 8:36 PM

    I love the pearl jasmine green tea, i drink it hot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownJune 20, 2015 at 9:47 PM

    Earl Grey is my favorite. I also love lemon and mint herbal teas. My teapot is the Old Country Roses pattern, and one of my happy memories is having a tea party with my daughter when she was five years old, with my good china! (She was so tickled to be using it, and very careful!)

    ReplyDelete