Tea Time!

This Hallmark ornament series features two pieces of "china" - a fun toy teapot with a cute matching teacup. For those of us who love a good cuppa, this ornament series is an inspiration to branch out a bit from our usual tea and try something new! Below are a few suggestions of "good pairings"...

2018
Ornament Details
by Tracy Larsen
#3 in series
porcelain
Nutcracker teapot and Acorn teacup

Now that the Fall is really and truly here, we are more likely to need that cup of hot steamy goodness in the afternoon. This is the time for tea!

I come from a long line of serious tea drinkers, but I am not particularly interested in a hot beverage when you can fry an egg on the sidewalk outside. So, for most of the year it's iced tea for me. But not in the cooler months! The Hallmark ornament series Tea Time! lends itself perfectly to contemplating cozy cups of cheer.

The third set of ornaments in this series features a chubby nutcracker and a wee acorn teacup. We have many large oak trees where I live, and I often crunch acorns underfoot in the fall. We make a game of finding "fairy hats," the top part of the acorn that has fallen off, that looks just big enough to fit on the head of a pixie. Although the nutcracker's arm is supposed to be representing the teapot spout, doesn't it actually look like the nutcracker has just cried out something like "Come in! Come in! There's plenty here! Come and have a cup of cheer!" His arm is inviting us in, and ushering us to the acorn teaparty.

All sorts of things seem possible in the fall. It's the time to gather in and daydream, and watch the leaves scurry and dance. So, for this time of year, I have 3 tea suggestions:
1. Celestial Seasonings Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea
-a black tea which contains caffeine, is pumpkin flavored with accents of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The absolute perfect Fall tea. Goes well with a fairly dry muffin.
2. Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet tea
- a black tea which contains caffeine and is vanilla flaovered with a touch of cinnamon. Tastes fairly sweet. I recommend this one because of the name (Nutcracker tea and Nutcracker ornament! :) Since it is a sweeter tea, it goes well with a less sugary cookie or a simple scone.
3.Bigelow Lemon and Echinacea Tea
- this golden tisane contains echinacea, lemongrass, natural lemon flavor, fennel, licorice root, peppermint, sage, plantain leaves, elderflower, marshmallow root, rose hips, thyme, and lemon balm. I recommend it because the change of seasons also usually brings a wave of sniffles and colds. This is not a sweet tea, but can be sweetened with honey, which gives additional benefits! It's bursting with good stuff, and tastes good, too. Goes well with a snuggie and a good movie.