Tea Stories

Alexis Hall, Shadows & Dreams February 08 2020

Nim handed me a mug of tea. I took a sip and it was just how I like it, strong and sweet. If you added psychotic and emotionally unavailable to that, it would also cover my taste in women.

Alexander Pushkin February 07 2020

Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth.

Carrie Bradshaw February 06 2020

I'd much rather be someone's shot of whiskey than everyone's cup of tea.

Arthur Wing Pinero, Sweet Lavender February 05 2020

While there is tea, there is hope.

Ralph Waldo Emerson February 04 2020

Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.

Frances Hardinge February 03 2020

Tea is the magic key to the vault where my brain is kept.

Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea February 01 2020

Tea is a religion of the art of life.

From David Walliams, British Actor, Comedian January 31 2020

In Britain, a cup of tea is the answer to every problem. Fallen off your bicycle? Nice cup of tea. Your house has been destroyed by a meteorite? Nice cup of tea and a biscuit. your entire family has been eaten by Tyrannosaurus Rex which has travelled through a space/time portal? Nice cup of tea and a piece of cake. Possibly a savoury option would be welcome here too, for example, a Scotch egg or a sausage roll.

Give yourself a treat January 28 2020

If you fancy a nice soak in a warm bath, try taking a few teabags with you. You can either hang them over the shower head or taps, or just let them swim in the tub with you. And some of the flavours you might like to use can also add a delightful waft of freshness, maybe minty, jasmine, peppermint etc. You'll feel like you have been to a spa by the time you are through.

Give your tootsies a treat January 27 2020

When you feel the urge to soak your tired feet in a nice bath of water, pop in a couple of used teabags to nourish your skin, and generally freshen your treaders, especially just before you go to bed, and you will feel refreshed.

Freshen your hands January 26 2020

If you have been preparing smelly foods like garlic, onions, fish etc., try rubbing a teabag that has already done its duty, and your hands will be smelling like daisies in no time.

Make washing greasy dishes easier January 25 2020

If you like to put clean-ish dishes into the dishwasher, or if you wash yours by hand, pop a couple of new teabags into the warm washing up water and it will break down the grease in no time at all. It will also help to loosen any stuck on food from dishes or pans, and save you a lot of work.

From teacup to mouthwash January 24 2020

You can try using peppermint or green teabags a second time, transforming them into a really breath- freshening mouthwash. Obviously, depending on your taste, you can try other flavours, but I like the minty ones. And always remember, lots of the store bought mouthwashes contain alcohol, which can be a problem for folks trying to stay away from the demon drink.

Tea can be furniture polish January 23 2020

A weak solution of tea from second time around teabags is helpful to clean and shine hard wood floors, furniture, doors etc.

Use your teabags to dye paper or white cloth, T-shirts, socks and the like January 22 2020

Give a second go-round to your teabags They will of course be weaker than the first time, but you can change white paper into sepia, antique looking parchment. It's fun for making greetings cards etc. or to wrap a gift. Or try the same procedure to dye white cloth into pale shades of orange, light brown or green. This can be fun, and kids enjoy doing it too. (Well. at least some kids).

Give your plants a spot of tea January 21 2020

Refresh used teabags in a jug of cool  water, and gently add it to plant pots. Or if you have loose tea leaves, when they are cool and damp, sprinkle them around the base of growing plants to fertilize them further. They will also scare the critters away. Or add it to your compost to freshen the air and add some nutrients. Of course, be sure to remove any staples in your teabags. Mrs. McCartney's Teas do not have staples, and the bags are bio degradable. Who could ask for anything more.

 


Teabags and loose tea can act as air fresheners January 20 2020

Another great use for used teabags is to pop them into the bottom of trash bins, or inside the fridge to rid it of pesky smells that linger, and inside your gym bags, or even use loose tea leaves in kitty litter boxes. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Catching mice with teabags January 19 2020

Mice don't care for the smell of tea, so save your used teabags and tuck them into odd corners of your house of office to make them less inviting for these little critters. Or you can even try putting a few drops of peppermint oil on them, this will put them off even more. It also works with spiders, ants, and other little pests.

Tea to soothe your skin January 18 2020

If you apply a cool, used teabag to your skin, you will be amazed at how much it may soothe any discomfort. Or place them on your tired eyes. Lie down, relax, place a teabag over each eye and relax for a few minutes. You will be pleasantly surprised. It can also help reduce bruising, sunburn, stings and bites. The tea draws out the toxins and lessens swelling and painful feelings.

Using teabags with other cooking methods January 17 2020

Have you ever tried popping a used teabag to enhance the flavours of other foods? Hang the used bag into a pot of hot water while it comes to the boil, before adding rice or pasta etc. You can try this with various flavours, even to oatmeal for a tasty breakfast dish.

Re-using old teabags January 16 2020

Here's a little tip to make your next cuppa stronger. Keep a used one and pop it into your next cup of tea. Whilst it doesn't have all of its original strength, the bit that it does have helps the new one to show a bit more muscle. I have found that it works best with red or green teas. Let me know what you think.

Smoking tea leaves January 15 2020

My dear old mother, born in 1888 (or was it 1887 - she was never quite sure), used to tell the tale of drying out tea leaves on brown paper, then rolling them into home made cigarettes, which she would smoke whilst sticking her head out of the bedroom window at Holt Hill College in Birkenhead, Merseyside, when a teen ager. The nuns would have been horrified if they had known what mischief their students were up to after tuition hours.

World War II tea rationing in England January 14 2020

My Mum had to present our Ministry of Food ration books to Pegram's Grocers in Scargreen Avenue, Norris Green, Liverpool in order to buy our weekly ration of 2 ounces early in 1940. And that was only for people above the age of 5. And boy, did she know how to make it last. She would make tea in our big Brown Betty teapot, and after it had gone cold, she'd carefully scoop out the tea leaves and dry them on brown paper, and re-use them over and over until she couldn't squeeze another drop out of them. None of your new fangled teabags in those days.

 


Russian Tea January 13 2020

On my various tours of Russia and Siberia with Ruth (during her Pop Diva phase) I would regularly go in search of my frequent cups of tea. As milk was non existent (except for the elderly and pregnant women), tea was always taken black, and usually with a spoonful of red jam. It was a little shock to the system at first, but I soon grew to like it. The country was still in a great state of austerity at that time. I learned that cows were kept underground, because of the extreme climate, and milk was considered a luxury item. When I returned to California after my first trip, I not only kissed the ground, but made straight for the nearest Cafe and downed several large glasses of milk. That was before I started in on the Irish Coffees. A night to remember. (If only I could).