Talks that never end,
I treasure each mile of the journey,
With you…my beautiful friend!
There is nothing quite like sitting down with a friend for a chat over a cup of hot fragrant tea. To make this friendship hour special, it is worth the effort to make tea properly. Tea must always be made in a china pot. Never, never try to make the tea in a mug or teacup. Tea will not steep well in the cup, and all the flavor and aroma that is such a pleasant part of tea making will escape. Choose a good quality tea. The best tea is made form actual leaves and not from bags which often contain crushed and leftover leaves.
The flavors must be steeped into the brew by a snug-fitting lid on the teapot. Fill the teapot first with boiling water to warm the pot before you make the tea. Then empty the hot water, and place the tealeaves into the pot. The usual amount is one teaspoon of leaves per cup. If you prefer strong tea, you may want to use more tealeaves, but if you prefer a weaker tea, don't cut down on the amount of leaves, or you will sacrifice flavor and aroma.
Just add a little hot water to the tea after you pour it into the cup and this will weaken the tea without losing the flavor of properly brewed tea.
Bring the water for the tea to a rolling, bubbling boll, and then pour the hot water over the tealeaves, placing the lid on quickly and covering the pot with a tea cozy.
A tea cozy is a snug fitting wrap or “blanket” to cover the teapot after the tea has been made. The cozy will hold in the heat while the tea steeps. Allow about five minutes for the tea to steep. Pour tea through a strainer into cups and serve with sugar and cream. Ummmm! Lord, please don’t come before teatime!
And since I have naught to give,
And love alone must make amends,
My humblest prayer is while I live
God, make me worthy of my friends.
©Ruth Carmichael Ellinger 7/23/11
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