Tea and Friendship Go Hand in Hand

Many of us have that one special person in our life that we can always count on. I am not referring to our spouses or our significant others. I am referring to our best friends. These great friends of ours deserve only the best gifts. They most certainly deserve to receive some wonderful best friend gifts.
You can give best friend gifts for practically any occasion. Give one for a birthday or a holiday; or give one "just because." In fact, the latter reason is the absolute best reason to give gifts. After all, these great friends deserve a gift every day of their lives, just for being who they are.
One wonderful idea for best friend gift is a "Tea for Two" gift basket. In this basket, include a teapot and two teacups and saucers. Include two biscuits (on second thought… including a lot of biscuits! And be sure to include a lot of chocolate, as well! Two good friends can go through these items quite quickly!).
There are some excellent books out there on tea and friendship. To make this best friend gift basket truly special, though, include a book. If you decide to give loose tea, add a tea infuser, as well. Also include sugar cubes, honey, and a great variety of tea.
· "A Cup of Christmas Tea" by Tom Hegg and Warren Hanson
· "The Twelve Teas of Friendship: When Friends are Together, It's Always a Celebration" by Emilie Barnes, et al
· "The Red Hat Society ™: Fun and Friendship After Fifty" by Sue Ellen Cooper
· "Tea and Friendship Journal" by Sandy Lyman Clough
· "The Art of Tea and Friendship: Savoring the Fragrance of Time Together" by Sandy Lynam Clough
· "You're Just My Cup of Tea: Our Friendship Warms My Heart" by Camille Ellerbrook
· "Friendship Teas to Go" by Emilie Barnes and Susan Rios
· "Join Me for Tea: Infusing Friendships with Love and Laughter" by Emilie Barnes
· "Sandy's Tea Society: Delighting in Friendships Steeped in Love" by Sandy Lynam Clough
· "A Little Friendship: A Cup of Tea Together Will Make Us Glad and a Little Friendship is No Small Matter" by Renee Locks
This is just one idea of a great many for gifts for best friends. What you decide to give depends entirely on you and your best friend. The important thing is to give a gift that shows him or her exactly how much you care and how much he or she means to you.
Other great things to give to your best friend are two tickets to sporting events, the symphony, ski resorts, etc. You can also reserve an entire day for your best friend, taking him or her out to dinner, on a hike, to the spa, etc.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on tea and friendship and great gifts, please visit
Distinct Gift Baskets
.

Tea Party Etiquette - Birthday Fun For Your Child

These tips and guidelines will help your child and all her guests enjoy their party and learn proper manners.
How much you follow accepted etiquette really depends on the age of your child and her guests.
For a very young group
you may find that simply instructing them to say "please" and "thank you" and to ask for things to be passed rather than reaching for them is acceptable etiquette at your party.
As a parent
it might be helpful if you stand beside the table and gently offer guidance as you go. You could even start your party by giving all your guests a short lesson in this party etiquette.
For older children
you can use more proper etiquette, but in either case it will be necessary for you to instruct your child and their guests in the fine art of tea party etiquette that you are expecting them to follow.
Have fun
While following good etiquette will make your party more enjoyable and at the same time provide everyone with at least a little education in proper manners, you don't want your child or their guests to worry about making a mistake.
Tell them to Make sure everyone understands that if they forget and make a mistake, it's all right.
have fun and do their best
to remember the etiquette guidelines.
Tea Party Etiquette
I've put together a list of helpful tips and guidelines that will help everyone better understand how to do things properly at a tea party without getting too stuffy and formal. We are after all putting together a party for young girls.
A
Birthday Tea Party
is a wonderful opportunity for your birthday child and her party guests to not only have a lot of fun, but to learn proper manners as well.
Keep in mind the ages
of your birthday child and her guests. For very young children you can't expect them to understand or use much in the way of formal tea etiquette, so you may want to try using only a few simple tea party etiquette guidelines.
Send Your Guests The Etiquette Guidelines
If you feel that your birthday child and her guests are old enough to understand, observe and use more of the following tea party etiquette guidelines, you might want to copy the list we've provided here and send these guidelines along with your invitations, informing your guests that you will be following this list of tea party etiquette guidelines. That way, each guest will have an opportunity to become familiar with tea party etiquette and will be more comfortable at your party.
A Gentle Reminder - The Etiquette Game
You can also take a few minutes at the beginning of your tea party to go over these simple guidelines with your guests so that everyone can have fun doing their best to follow the proper etiquette that is expected. You can even make this into a game and reward the guests who observe the best etiquette.
Preparing Your Tea Party
Tea bags are just too messy. Your tea should be served from teapots. One word about preparing your tea party.
Remember It's Fun
I've already said this, but it's worth repeating. The most important thing to remember is to make sure your birthday child and all her guests have fun. Observing proper tea party etiquette can be a fun part of the party experience, but you don't want to make your party atmosphere too stiff because everyone is "worried" they will make a mistake.
Tea Party Etiquette Tips and Guidelines
Since most tea party foods are "finger foods" it is perfectly alright to eat with your fingers. If something is a bit messy, use your fork or spoon.
Break off bite-sized pieces of larger foods unless they are messy. In that case, use your fork or spoon
Even if the sandwich is tiny, never put the entire sandwich in your mouth. Take bites of small sandwiches.
When you sugar your tea, be careful not to dip the serving tong or spoon into your tea.
Stir sugar or milk into your tea with your teaspoon. When you are finished stiring, place your teaspoon on your cup saucer.
Drink your tea by holding your cup and saucer up to your mouth and take a drink.
Don't slurp or gulp you tea. Just take small sips.
Hold your teacup normally, it is not necessary to "stick out your little finger" (your pinky) while drinking your tea.
If your tea seems too hot to drink, place your cup back on the saucer and return your cup and saucer to the table to let your tea cool off. Never blow on your tea.
You should not reach across the table to pick things up. Instead, politely ask someone to pass the item to you. "Excuse me Cindy, could you please pass the sandwiches?"
Remember to say "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me."
It's not polite to talk with your mouth full of food.
Cover your mouth if you need to cough or sneeze.
Be careful not to talk too much, let everyone have a chance to join in the conversation.
Remember to use your napkin.
Do your best to remember and use these etiquette tips and guidelines, but if you forget to do some things properly, don't worry, have fun.
Thank You Notes
After your child's tea party is over, proper etiquette also calls for thank you notes to be sent to your party guests. This is a great project for you and your birthday child to work on together.
A Closing Thought
These simple tea party etiquette tips and guidelines will help make your child's birthday tea party a great success and one they will remember fondly for years to come.

What are the Essentials of High Quality Loose Leaf Tea?

Critical elements in the process include: Demand for high quality loose leaf tea is experiencing strong growth and for those interested in high quality loose leaf tea is experiencing strong growth and for those interested in high quality loose tea, more information will aid in decision making.
Source of the Tea
Manufacturing Processes
Purchasing, Quality Control and Customer Service
Source of the Tea
All tea comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis but there is where the similarity between high quality loose leaf tea and other, lesser quality ends. From the time the tea leaves are plucked until the time the consumer tastes the brew, a number of critical events affect the tea experience.
High quality loose leaf teas are carefully selected as only the finest of these rare orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and hand-crafted with extreme care.
Tea, like wine, is harvested and processed into the final product on the grounds of the garden or estate. The taste and quality of any tea varietal depends upon the specific growing conditions. Factors such as altitude, climate, soil, weather, and plucking season all affect the final product.
To produce just one pound of quality loose leaf tea, it takes approximately 3,000 hand plucked leaves. Only the most tender leaves and young buds are selected. After the leaves are picked, the precise art of tea making begins.
Manufacturing Processes
Tea is manufactured by two different processes.
Most ordinary tea is machine processed by the C.T.C. method (crush, tear, curl). The resulting small, broken pieces are used in tea bags or iced tea concentrates. Less than 2% of the world's tea is of superior quality, hand-processed in the classic, time-honored method known as orthodox manufacture.
And, of course, only the finest. Connoisseurs will find no soggy paper tea bags and no trendy herbals from high quality loose tea suppliers; only real tea from the Camellia Sinensis bush. The highest quality loose teas are hand-plucked and meticulously crafted to enhance leaf character, aroma, color, clarity, body, complexity, and above all, flavor.

Whole-leaf varietals retain the subtle nuances of flavor so prized by discriminating palates throughout the centuries. High quality suppliers are dedicated to offering outstanding, whole-leaf teas of the greatest quality and finesse.
Purchasing, Quality Control and Customer Service
Nevertheless, quality tea is easily available through e-commerce outlets on the internet. Most loose leaf teas are not available in retail outlets. Access to high quality loose leaf tea is the final element.
Loose leaf tea is ideally suited to e-commerce because it is light and easy to transport. Increasingly e-commerce over the internet has proven to be an efficient and easy way to purchase quality products and those e-commerce sites that are customer friendly also offer convenient and low cost home delivery.
When evaluating e-commerce sites, the consumer should consider those sites that are interactive, easy to use and offer rich features such as auto shipping, multiple destination shipments, gift shipments and delivery flexibility.
The loose leaf tea experience is all about quality and quality does not end with manufacturing. Those suppliers that are truly dedicated to quality will maintain quality control over each shipment received from the producing tea garden.
Since almost all quality loose leaf tea comes from other countries such as China, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and others, choose a supplier who cups or tastes each shipment before acceptance. This measure of quality control will guarantee consistent quality but most loose leaf tea suppliers skip this important step. Check with a potential supplier to determine their cupping commitment.
Since the purchase of high quality loose tea tends to be a long term relationship, consideration of the needs of the customer and customer satisfaction is paramount. In addition to quality control, customer service is a critical element in the loose tea relationship.
The best suppliers have a culture of customer service, open lines of communication to customer service personnel and solicit feedback from customers as a way to maintain consistent quality.
Golden Moon Tea's website is found at Stout is Chairman of the Board of Golden Moon Tea is a supplier of high quality loose leaf tea and high quality tea ware. Jon M.
http://www.Goldenmoontea.com

How to Cater Tea Parties and Add To Your Bottom Line

Are you interested in a rapidly growing
business
opportunity
Are you looking for that is an ideal addition to your catering business?
creative, fun and exciting
ways to expand your business? If so, consider
adding specialty tea parties to your list of services.
Tea parties are a unique and fun way to reach a large
market that includes children's parties. Many parents
are seeking alternative options to traditional parties.
Tea parties
easily fill this need
.
Tea parties are festive, can be adapted to any theme,
are safe, healthy and are different. All these factors
provide you, as a caterer, with an
instant market and
marketing angles
.
Tea parties can be a great way to expand your business and are a
wonderful option for caterers
, as
you already have much of the equipment.
As a caterer, you can provide a full service of food and fun because you
already have experience
From here, all you have to do is learn the art of tea and you're on your way. in the industry!
A small investment in bulk teas (which have a big mark-up), and possibly some props, and you're ready to
expand your business
to afternoon tea or even children's tea parties.
Children love theme-based parties
and tea parties can be
as creative as your imagination allows. The idea
that a tea party has to replicate an English Tea is
simply not accurate (although some may love this type
of party).
Examples of themed children's tea parties include
favorite books or characters (such as Harry Potter),
dress-up parties or
birthday parties
with a tea twist,
incorporating fun and fruity teas.
As a business owner, you're already
familiar with
methods to promote your business
Use these same tools to promote the tea party aspect of your services and watch your business grow! .
Word of mouth is a great way to start, as you already
have a customer base. People are always interested in

new and unique services
, so this will be one way to
get the word out quickly about your business. And
because this business is unique, many people will be
naturally curious about what you do.
Create targeted marketing materials to hand out to Add the tea party option to all of your existing marketing materials as well.
parent groups
, the local library, childcare providers and other places that target families.
Also run ads in
local publications
that are distributed
to families. When it comes time to renew your yellow
pages ad, include information about afternoon tea and
your children's tea parties. Be sure to add cross-
references in the yellow pages that will target children
in addition to your regular catering clientele.
Running a tea party business is
affordable
As your business grows, you can expand your offerings. You don't need a huge amount of startup cash to purchase teas. and when running the business through your existing catering company, the overhead is very low.
For example, you could begin by stocking some
traditional favorites and as you expand,
add unusual
teas for specialty parties
But don't skimp on the quality of the tea or your tea education. .
You will be surprised to find that many customers
know their teas just like coffee lovers know their
espresso.
Knowledge is power
with tea just like any other gourmet food.
The tea business is a growing one, with sales in the
billions of dollars each year and expanding, with sales
expected to reach
ten billion
by 2010. For those
looking for a unique way to expand a catering
business, tea can provide the creativity and flexibility
to make it happen.
(C) Dawnya Sasse
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course
www.StartATeaBusiness.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as
long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events
www.TeaEvents.com

Tea Varieties

Oxidation is the reaction of the enzymes contained in tea leaves when they are broken, bruised or crushed. In its most basic form, processing is the taking of the raw green leaves and deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation) should take place before drying them out. It is the processing techniques that produce the four simple tea categories are considered the art of tea making.

Shades in flavor derive from the region of cultivation and the method of processing the tea leaves. If you do like tea drinking, but simply never had the opportunity to learn more about it beyond the fact that you enjoy it, you should know that there are thousands of kinds of tea offered on today's market. Tea is made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush in hot water for a few minutes, a great variety of tea tastes, aromas and colors can excite even the more skeptical drinker. Interestingly enough the 3,200,000 tones of tea produced worldwide come from only one plant species, named "camellia sinensis." But how a plant becomes a beverage?

The second most consumed beverage behind water is tea.
The first category is that of black tea. Black tea is nothing more than the leaves of the camellia sinensis after being exposed to 8-24 hours of open air. After the leaves are picked up they are spread out to let the water they contain evaporate. You have probably witnessed it happening to a flower that is left without being watered. The foliage curls up and begins to dry. After this part of the process, the tea leaves are balled into rolls that encourage oxidization. When fully oxidized, the leaves turn into a rich black color. Tea producers then put the tea leaves into the final drying period before sorting and packaging them.
Oolong tea is another tea category and is considered to be the most difficult of the four types of teas to process. The best way to describe oolong tea is that it is somewhere in between green and black tea. This is because the leaves are only partially oxidized during the processing. As with black tea, the leaves are spread out to dry for 8-24 hours, but after that, they are tossed about in a basket in order to create a bruising and partial exposure to the air. The final step involves steaming the leaves, which neutralizes the enzymes in the tea and prevents further oxidization.
Though the tea leaves are sometimes laid out to dry for a few hours, then, in order to neutralize the enzymes and prevent further oxidation, the leaves are rolled up, still quite green in color. The whole process of creating green tea revolves around preventing oxidization from taking place in the leaves. This type of tea is also lower in caffeine and has higher antioxidant properties. Green teas, like white teas, are closer to tasting like fresh leaves of grass that the other two tea categories.
Finally, white tea has recently become a popular item in the west as it is the least processed tea and thus tastes the most like fresh leaves or grass. White tea is made of the little buds of the tea plant. Again like green tea, white tea is steamed or pan fried to prevent any kind of oxidization, and great care is taken to avoid bruising or crushing the tea. The dried buds have a silver-like appearance because the tiny white hairs of new growth are still present.
John Gibb is the owner of
Tea resources

For more information on Tea check out
http://www.tea-foru2k.info

How To Make A Cup Of Tea

Before the British declare war for such sacrilegious treatment of our favourite beverage, I thought it necessary to provide a short instruction on the ancient art of tea making. It has come to my attention that many Americans believe that all tea should be made with ice. English readers, this may shock you.
For those still living in the dark ages a saucepan or a small bowl over a campfire will suffice, but cold water straight from the tap will not. * Boil a kettle full of water.
You can always water it down afterwards. However, make sure you read the packet beforehand and if in doubt make it too strong rather than too weak. Different brands of tea require different amounts of tea leaves for required strengths, but in general it should be one teaspoon for each person drinking and one for the pot. Empty the water out, then place tea leaves into the pot (these can be placed within a tea ball if you have one).

* Pour a little hot water into the teapot (preferably china rather than novelty) to warm it.
Merely leave to brew for between three to five minutes - any shorter and you will not get the flavour, any longer and it will stew. Do not drop the pot or stick it in the microwave. Do not add ice cubes or sugar. * Pour boiling water into the teapot.
It is also an offence to use milk in certain brands of tea, so do remember to check whether your chosen variety is better served with milk or lemon. This is an offence on a line with spitting into the pot, which should also be avoided. Never, ever add it afterwards.

* If you are using milk, pour it (from a china milk jug) into the matching china tea cups first.
* If you had not used a tea ball, you will have to strain the tea before pouring it into the china cups. A tea strainer is similar to a small sieve and does the job easily.
Until the invasion. Wonder out loud if this was really what the Boston Tea Party was all about, then dismiss it as paranoia and get on with your sweet iced-tea drinking lives. Sit back, relax, put on fake British accents and wave your pinkie around wildly, mocking pretentious Englishwomen who do not believe Americans can make tea. * Add sugar as required and stir with your solid silver teaspoons.
Andrea drinks tea, and a lot of it. She actually quite likes Americans, but that doesn't stop her disapproving of their beverage choices.
Andrea is an author on
http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for
Poetry
.