Celestial Seasonings

Celestial Seasonings is one of the most well-known brands of tea in the Unites States. It all started in Boulder, Colorado with two hippies named Mo Siegel and Peggy Clute. They began by gathering herbs and flowers in the mountains surrounding Boulder. Then they blended these healthy products to create their own original blend of teas. It was 1969 when Moe and Peggy sold them to local food stores in the area. Within a year, they became a company that started blooming. Soon they began making popular herbal tea blends such as "Sleepytime Tea" which I drink almost every night before I go to bed.  Celestial Seasonings is a fabulous brand of tea that provides many great blends of tea. Of course, Celestial Seasonings today is a multimillion dollar business that has remain environmentally conscious throughout the years. In fact, they even make a statement about why they use no string or a tag on their tea bags. So, if you ever decide to try their product make sure to take the time to read the literature that surrounds their boxes. You're sure to get an education about their tea making traditions as well as a famous quote to ponder about while you sip a soothing cup of tea.

Tea Quotes

There are countless quotes from famous literary stories that involve tea. Whether it's C.W. Lewis' well known Alice in Wonderland where the Mad Hatter hosts his idea of what a tea time party is or A.A.de Milne's gentler Winnie the Pooh's tea party, there are certainly enough quotes from a variety of well known pieces of literature that have something to say about "tea time."  Here are just a few: from J.K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter is the quote, "Harry found the [tea]... seemed to burn away a little of the fear fluttering in his chest." One from the another famous author C.S. Lewis' is "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. " A quote from A.A. Milne is, "A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards." No matter who the author is or the time period, tea seems to be an essential element in famous literary circles.

We had a kettle; we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week...
The bottom is out of the Universe.
~Rudyard Kipling

Teapots

My mother has one almost identical to this one

Teapots of some sort have been used for almost as long as tea has been around. Teapots are made out of almost any material you can find. My mother has a few teapots from Asia. Those teapots are usually made out of a heavy cast iron. We also have one that dates back to who knows that's been in my father's family heirlooms. It is made of fine bone china decorated with a swirl of intricately detailed black dragons on a burnish red background. When you hold this teapot up to the light, you can see through its fine porcelain layer. We've never looked into the background of this teapot complete with cups and saucers, but who knows one day I may take the time to research its background. Now, on to another place, the one's from England are traditionally more often made out of ceramic or porcelain and usually come with a set of matching teacups, creamer, and sugar bowl which makes a whole tea set. Certain teapots need to be taken care of in special ways. Like some glass teapots can't be put on a direct flame. Also, certain teapots aren't dishwasher or microwave safe. No matter what material or century your teapot comes from, it is always important to brew your tea so you get the best flavor from the pot it comes from.

Chai Tea

Chai tea is one of my favorite teas to drink. From what I know, it is a centuries old beverage that is a combo of milk, black tea, and spices. The spices in this tea will vary, but for most people they are pretty exotic. In American coffee shops, they often have the choice to order Oregon or Bhakti chai.  I almost always order Oregon chai over Bhakti chai. Oregon chai is sweeter than Bhakti chai and isn't as spicy. Bhakti chai has a harsher taste, but is said to have more nutritional value than the sweeter Oregon chai. When you buy the chai powder at the store, you often have the choice to make it hot or iced. More often I prefer to indulge in iced chai tea. Chai is a delicious aromatic tea that nowadays can be found in almost any American coffee shop and bought at any grocery store. It definitely awakens one's senses taking your thoughts to markets in far away lands.

Green Tea

Green tea can come in variety of added flavors which may vary from white tea, ginseng, rosehips, lemon, or vanilla. Of course, to get the most benefits from it , you should consume green tea in its natural form with no addtives including sugar or other sweetners. The antioxidants in it are what help the body. It is said that green tea can help reduce the risk of cancer by 15%.  Also, if a lot of green tea is drunk,  it could help boost your metabolism. To use it as a metabolism booster, one would probably have to have at least three cups of tea a day. Green tea is said to help prevent problems with age such as dementia and heart disease. Overall, green tea is a beneficial and healthy beverage.

Growing Your Own Tea

I have always been very inclined to grow my own tea, but never have been patient enough to do so. Here is how you would do it:

 1. Buy seeds online or at a nursery

 2. If you don't live in a warm climate, consider growing your tea indoors

 3. Once you have a pot with dirt, sow your seeds about 3/4" under

 4. Keep the dirt moist and keep the plant mostly in the sun

 5. Wait. It may be over a year before your plant will be ready to harvest.

Although this can be a very long process, I think it would be very fun and something interesting to try.

The Tea House In Fort Collins

The Tea House in Fort Collins is a great place to go to find different types of tea and good tea to drink. It is located in Old Town. I have been there a few times and have thouroughly enjoyed it. I have fun trying various types of tea and picking out which ones I like, and this is the type of place to do it. Also, everyday they have a sample of a couple teas and those are always interesting to taste. Another great part about going there, is that a person can order their own own pot of tea, and sip on tea for as long as one desires. Going there is always a peaceful and pleasant experience.