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Well I have returned from a marvelous two week trip to Colorado and New Mexico with my crazy husband, Wild Man Dan. We visited with relatives, met new friends, saw gorgeous scenery, learned new things, and experienced 5 different ways of enjoying Chai. I absolutely adore Chai. But now more than ever. The word “Chai” means simply tea in Hindi, but the term Chai usually refers to a spiced black tea made with steamed milk and honey or sugar. Chai tea originated in India and includes an abundance of spices including ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, and pepper. The intensity of these spices when mixed together makes a very complex and rich tasting concoction, that for some, like myself, can be addictive.
Our first experience with Chai on the trip was at the Country Sunshine Bed and Breakfast in Durango, Colorado. This lovely little B& B sits in the hills near Purgatory Ski Resort. Owners Walter and Jodi Hammerle are the quintessential B&B hosts and made us feel right at home immediately upon arrival. As gracious hosts they offer all their guests complimentary drinks of all kinds during their stay, including beer, wines, soda, water, coffee and a variety of teas.
Because it was late when we finally arrived at the Inn, Dan and I opted for a caffeine free choice, Rooibos Chai, which is made from African Red Bush Tea with spices including ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Rooibos Chai is tasty, but lacks the rich flavor of Black Chai. To our delight, Walter prepared us an incredible dessert of flaming Bananas Foster to compliment our drinks. If you are staying near Durango, I would highly suggest staying here with the Hammerle’s and allowing them to spoil you as well. The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh, the rooms are large, and Walter’s breakfasts are simply the best. Jodi is a doll, (although somewhat camera shy, and refused to be photographed for my blog). Both are very helpful with assisting guests about local trails and area attractions. And if you go, tell them “hello” for us. Walter and Jodi are two of the wonderful new friends we met during our journey.
Walter busy in the kitchen
The next morning we attended church at New Hope Fellowship Church which meets in a movie house on the south side of town. Odd, for sure. But then again, the pastor there has always been a little odd. Actually, the pastor is my own brother, Dana and his wife, Dayna. (Rather quaint, don’t you think?) My brother is an excellent speaker, and I enjoyed his speaking and the musical talents of he, his wife, and their worship team. If looking for a non-denominational place of worship while visiting Durango, I really think you’ll enjoy this very friendly church. They even serve breakfast. (Hint- fill out the visitor info card and they will give you a very nice goody bag. Mine included a pen, a CD of the service, a large bar of gourmet dark chocolate, and a $5 gift card to Starbucks! Hey, that’s one way to get people to come to church. ) www.newhopedurango.com
After church we stopped into the Brickhouse Cafe for lunch, mostly because the sign outside said espresso and teas! However, upon examining the menu, I found the only tea they carried was Chai, hot or iced. Never having experienced iced Chai, I decided today was the day. Yum! It was delicious. A little sweeter than most iced coffee drinks. But very easy to get used to. The food was very good as well. I had a turkey breast sandwich, that had a mild horseradish dressing and roasted potatoes on the side. Extremely good.
From Durango, we headed into New Mexico and spent a couple days in Santa Fe. Here we had booked a room at the Bobcat Inn. May I tell you that I absolutely know how to pick out the very best in B& B’s! ( I am not very good at selecting motels, however! On this trip, we stayed in one of the worst motels ever!!! More on this later). The Bobcat Inn is an authentic remodeled hacienda. Our room was decorated in adobe style with wooden beams, a kiva fireplace, french doors to the portal patio, fabulous views, and plenty of privacy.
A fabulous breakfast is part of the deal here, and owners John and Amy Bobrick are more than qualified to deliver. Amy has been a caterer and restaurant owner, while husband John is a local Santa Fe chef. Having breakfast in the sunny portal and meeting new friends Carl and Lynsey was one of the highlights of our trip. If you visit the Bobcat Inn, try to stay there on a Saturday and make reservations for Amy’s fabulous High Tea! We were not able to be there on a Saturday, but I am looking forward to our next visit, which will certainly fall on a Saturday!
In the city of Santa Fe, we stumbled upon the Kakawa Chocolate House, which is located adjacent to one of downtowns only free parking lots. This was one of the most fascinating discoveries we made in Santa Fe, after touring all the art galleries. The Kakawa serves a variety of Chocolate Elixirs, (drinking chocolates). Sound interesting? You will be amazed. Our gracious Chocolatier host, served us several drinking samples before we made our choices. Be warned, many of the drinks are not sweetened, and some have very strange spices and flavorings such as Red Chimayo Chili’s, Jasmine, musk, lavender, rum, Chipotle, Pasilla de Oaxaca, Chihuacle Negro Chili, etc. One of the drinks I was served burned in my throat, and was downright nasty! I finally decided to order some of their delicious, organic Chocolate Chai. It is made in house with rice, almond and oat milk, evaporated Cane juice, and traditional Chai spices. I also had to try the delicious Chai Truffle. Oh, my! Rich, rich, rich, rich. (Please note that the second truffle on my plate in the photo below was for Dan! It was a Lime and Macadamia Truffle. There was no way in the world I could have handled the drinks and two truffles after all the free sampling we had done. ) Do give the Kakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe a visit if you are in the area!
On our last day of vacation we visited the Montezuma Castle, home of the United World College located near Las Vegas, New Mexico. Dan’s brother, a doctor that serves the students there, had arranged for us to take a tour of the college with professor Ravi Parasher, who teaches economics at the school. Ravi was a most delightful tour guide, giving us details of the beautiful building itself and the history as well. I took this photo in the dining room where these two stunning glass sculptures hang. These are the work of artist Dale Chihuly, a famous Northwest artist. The sculptures are valued at over $250,00 each! I thought they looked rather odd in this setting. So modern, while the rest of the castle remains true to it’s original detail.
After touring the castle, Ravi invited us to his home to meet Mummy and share a cup of Chai. Ravi and Mummy are originally from India, so I couldn’t wait to have an authentic cup of Chai with them in their home. Mummy’s recipe for making Chai includes a shortcut of mixing the milk and water together, and heating in the microwave along with the spices, before adding Taj Majal tea bags.
Ravi informed me that they had a relative from India send this special blend of spices over, all the way from India. I was so impressed, I had to take a picture of the jar to prove to my readers that I was drinking authentic India Masala Chai. However, when I took a good look at the picture up close, I noticed that the address of the company that makes this “authentic” blend of India Chai spices was in Florida! Well, no matter. This cup of Chai was my favorite. not only was it very spicy and very flavorful but the company of Ravi and Mummy made it even more delicious! For the record we were served some authentic Peda with our Chai. Peda is a sweet treat from India, similiar to a soft candy. It is made from sugar, milk and saffron, boiled and stirred until thick, and then formed in tube like presses before cutting into smaller pieces.
The moral of my story is this: All tea tastes better when served in good company. Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll agree.
Blessings-
Tea Lady Darla
PS- FYI, Culinary Teas offers an outstanding version of Masala Chai on their website. You do not have to add the spices separately to the black tea leaves. It is perfectly blended for you. Just add milk and sugar or honey to suit your taste. Here is the link to Culinary Teas: Click Here.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to all of my readers! Wow. What a great year it’s been. I’ve been blogging here a little over a year. And it has been so much fun. Tea On Tuesday started out to be a sort of virtual tea party for my friends. We had been gathering in my home a couple times a month for tea on Tuesday. Around the dining room table we shared stories about our children, and our faith. We shared recipes…and burdens with each other. We always began and ended with prayer, as I believe it should be. Those were wonderful, special memories. But life got crazy. Folks moved away. And the tea parties became more and more infrequent.
So Tea On Tuesday, the blog was born. From my desktop at home, I felt like I could still manage those friendly conversations with my girlfriends over a nice hot cup of tea. And we’d all feel blessed and closer to one another for the experience. I never really considered that in the process of this, I would meet new friends, from all over the country. I am so blessed to have you all. Without readers, a blog is nothing but chicken scratches. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope that there have been moments here that blessed and inspired you in some way, or that perhaps you found some new information you found to be useful. Again, thank you all for coming and being a part of this. You have been a blessing to me as well.
I wish there was a way we could all sit down together and I could see your faces and hear your stories in person. But that will have to wait until another life, I suppose.
I wanted to let everyone know that I will be out of my office for a while, doing research of course! Tasting new teas, and visiting new places. I will be gathering plenty of information and inspiration to bring back with me. I hope you will all check back in later this month when I return to my desk, and join me for another edition of Tea On Tuesday.
Blessings To All,
Tea Lady Darla
I recently had my first taste of the increasingly popular drink called Yerba Mate. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was drinking, so I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research a find out a little bit about this concoction. Here is what I found.
Yerba Mate is a tea like drink. However it is NOT a true tea, (all true teas come from the camelia sinius plant). Nor is it an herbal tea, as many proponents would have you believe. True herbal teas have no caffeine in them. Yerba Mate does have a type of caffeine, that varies from the caffeine found in coffee and cocoa, in that it does not cause jitters, heart palpitations, or the crash that is typically associated with caffeine. Drinking Yerba Mate will, however, give you the benefits enjoyed by drinking caffeine, that being that it is a stimulant and increases awareness. These twin like characteristics of typical caffeine has caused Mate lovers to refer to the stimulant in Mate as “mafeine”, rather than caffeine.
Yerba Mate is native to Central and South American regions such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. It grows from the leaves of a sub species of holly called llex paraguarienis. The most flavorful versions of Yerba Mate are grown in the shade in sub tropical climates.
Benefits of drinking Mate are that it contains 24 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and 15 amino acids. Additionally, drinking Mate will suppress your appetite. It is, however an aquired taste. But then, so are both coffee and tea. I would recommend using a blend of Mate with a favorite tea in the beginning.
To prepare Mate you would steep the twigs and dried leaves in very hot, (not boiling) water. The leaves are reuseable, but you may want to add a bit more each time to strengthen the flavor. Mate does not keep most drinkers awake at night, so it can be enjoyed as an evening beverage as well.
There are several versions of Mate on the market. Some are flavored with mint, chocolate, or roasted flavor characteristics. You can sample them at farmers markets, and vendor fairs, and many tea stores to find the one you prefer.
When I made the decision to take a break from the tea business at the end of 2008, I was concerned where I would be able to find the wonderful teas I have become such a huge fan of. Two years ago we had Tea And Treasures in Sisters. It was the only other competition I had in Central Oregon. Secretly, I was almost glad when they closed down, thinking that people would now have to seek me out to find the good stuff locally. Well, I was wrong. Business did not pick up, despite my best efforts. Furthermore, I began to have problems with my suppliers. And that’s never a good thing. Rather than have my reputation tarnished, I pulled out. And am now sort of on hold with the whole tea business thing, until the economy improves. 
In the meantime, I have found a supplier for some fabulous teas!! Oh thank goodness. Townshend’s is my new lifeline to decent tea in Central Oregon. They have the most bold wonderful black teas, spicy Chais, a wide selection of green teas, Herbal teas, Rooibos, Oolong, and even the latest craze Màte. I love flavored teas such as Market Spice, a strong black tea infused with cinnamon and orange peel. They also have a fabulous Pear and Pomegranate Tea that I adore. The Chais are to die for, including Vanilla Spice Chai, a traditional favorite, Pumpkin Spice Chai, (a favorite of mine during the Fall and Winter months), and a brand new blend called Bond Street Chai in honor of their new location in Bend. I can’t wait to try this new one out, as it is a caffeine free choice with coconut, cardomom, ginger, pepper, clove and nut. Oh man! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Although I am not a huge fan of green teas or Rooibos, I must confess I was very impressed with their Strawberry Sencha Tea as well as the Jade Earl Gray. And the Jamaica Blend Rooibos was lovely iced. How can you resist a blend of mango, tangerine, passion fruit , clove and schizandra berries? Okay, I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of a schizandra berry. But I knew it had to be good alongside the other ingredients.
The cons about Townshend’s is that it is not a typical tea house. No Jim Brickman background music. No lovely little teapots in floral chintz designs. No delicate little teacups. This is not your mothers tea house. And that’s really too bad, cause I rather miss the charming old tea houses that used to dot the country. This is a modern spin on a old idea. It’s very hip, not chic. There are games to play, college students doing their homework , and texting to one another. Not my mothers type of tea room indeed. In fact, I’m sure she would hate it. But thankfully, I can order my tea selections to go, by the pound, and bring them home and serve them in my own fancy schmancy teapots. The important thing to note is that the tea is exceptionally good quality, and it is the only local choice that I’m aware of in Central Oregon.
Townshend’s Tea House is located at 835 Nw Bond Street in Bend. There is also a location on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon. Whew! Thanks goodness. Make sure you get out and support these guys so we don’t loose another good tea supplier to this awful economy.
Blessings!
Tea Lady Darla
You might have married a redneck if your mother in law makes homemade applesauce so she doesn’t have to throw away the wormy apples. You just might have married a redneck.
Redneck grandpas are 98% more likely to have gorgeous little red headed grand daughters. And that’s the truth.
Greetings tea lovers. Well, it seems that Fall is well on it’s way. It’s such a lovely season for hosting tea parties. If you are planning a little gathering anytime soon, it may help to know some of these random facts about serving your favorite teas.
- A cup of black tea has between 25-110 mg. of caffeine, as compared to black coffee, which has 60-180 mg. Green teas have a mere 8-16 mg. African Red Bush teas, (called Rooibos), have no caffeine in them. And of course all herbal teas are caffeine free.
- You may decaffeinate black tea by pouring boiling water over the tea leaves and letting it sit for 30 seconds, then drain. Add more boiling water for your infusion. Most of the caffeine will be released and drained away with the first flush of boiling water.
- Different tea types require different steeping times. A cup of green tea should only steep between 2-3 minutes. Black tea needs 3-5 minutes. Herbal teas require 5-7 minutes. And Rooibos can steep as long as you wish. Be sure to follow the correct steeping times to make the best possible drink. Some teas can become bitter if they steep too long. If tea still seems weak after steeping for the recommended times, you should add more tea. Don’t just try to steep it longer, or you’ll be disappointed in the bitter result.
- Boiling water is best to use with black teas. But green teas taste best when the water is just under the boiling point.
- Don’t add milk to a cup of herbal tea, or it will curdle. Also milk should not be added with lemon to any teas for the same reason.
- Loose leaf teas are typically better tasting teas than what is found in tea bags at the grocery store. If you open up most tea bags, you will find some powdered tea dust, so dehydrated that it has lost all the essential oils neccessary for a true flavor explosion. But when you look at loose leaf teas you will see that they are truly rolled leaves, that absolutely burst with flavor when they are infused with boiling water. The leaves will open up and the essential oils will be released into the infusion. The smells are incredible and very aromatic. The whole experience can then become a wonderful technique in stress mangagement and relaxation.
This is a wonderful time of year to try some seasonally flavored teas such as Apple Spice Black Tea or Pumplin Spice, two of my favorite flavors from Teaporia. There is a link at right that will take you directly to the Teaporia store from here. Apple Spice Tea is on sale this month, so it’s a great time to give it a try.
Blessings to all of you, dear friends. Have a wonderful week!
Tea Lady Darla
I love having guests come for tea on Tuesday. It’s such a nice way to brighten up a busy week and remind myself about the things that really matter to me. I’m delighted you’ve stopped in. Please take a moment to make yourself a cup of tea while we visit.
My name is Darla and I live in Central Oregon. I live in a lovely place with breathtaking views of the glorious Cascade mountain range. My dining area faces west and there are 8 snow capped mountain peaks visible from my table. When the sun sets here, it is a color explosion that takes my breath away. I call it a Selah Moment. In fact we have lovingly given our home the name “Selah Inn”. The word “selah” means to pause and take a deep breath…or more often it seems I just need to catch my breath! I find myself so busy with so many things….
Thank goodness for tea. It helps me have that Selah moment I need every day. I breathe deeply the lovely fragrance of my favorite teas. I lean back in my favorite chair. And I begin to thank God for the many blessings in my life. Blessings like the beautiful home God miraculously allowed us to build here. A wonderful husband I met through a miraculous set of circumstance. A beautiful daughter, now 28 years old, who nearly died of an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic luekemia that had spread throughout her lymph node system 20 years ago. 8 marvelous children who get along wonderfully, although the blending process was a little rough. (Can you even imagine having 7 teenagers under one roof in your first year of marriage?).
God has blessed me in incredible ways. And I know it. I count my blessings daily. I started hosting tea parties some 3 years ago because it was such a lovely way to really get a chance to get to know other women. I loved it so much I began selling tea and teaching others about the benefits of letting tea give you a “selah moment”. I now have 3 lovely grandaughters, and 1 handsome grandson. My oldest grandaughter is 4 and she is wonderfully prissy. She loves having tea with me in tea room we’ve fashioned at Selah Inn. I get a lot of good stories from her when we are alone in that room sipping tea with sugar cubes.
I have also shared tea with my college sons when they came home to visit. I learned lots of things about them over a hot cup of tea also. Tea just relaxes you. Makes you want to open your heart. Perhaps I’ve drank too much tea in my lifetime. Wouldn’t you think with a family as large as mine I wouldn’t have room to open my heart to anyone else? But here I am inviting you to join me for Tea On Tuesday. Come again!
Tea Lady Darla
