Not everyone drank green beer on St. Patrick’s Day! Pam hosted a fabulous tea party for her friends in SD. She shared photos and emailed,

“I hosted a Saint Patrick’s Day tea party on Wednesday and am enclosing photos of the tea table complete with your Kup Kaps. I forgot to take a photo of my guests using them during the tea but I can assure you they were a great addition to the party. My guests loved them and discovered quickly that they do indeed keep the tea warm for a much greater length of time! They all asked where I got them and I told them and gave all of them the information you sent in the packaging of each Kup Kap. I love mine and use it all the time! Thank you for helping make my Irish Tea Party a success!”

Thank you, Pam, for sharing!

Sitting in the front corner at Capital Tea, Kevin enjoyed the last rays of sunshine as the sun slid behind the Rocky Mountains.

Exploring the tea shop with my camera, I found a colorful bear wearing a knitted hat and miniature teapots filled with flowers on each table.

We met Kevin at Capital Tea not just for tea and goodies, but to give him a surprise gift. At a book signing last fall for his book about ghosts in Denver, I discovered Kevin didn’t have a special pen to use. I contacted Dave, owner of Winds of Change contracting company, who makes beautiful pens. Orange is one of Kevin’s favorite colors!

After leaving Capital Tea, we met Shawn outside the Colorado History building. Shawn’s pen is swirled with teal, which is his favorite color. He signed his book that is filled with historical photos of Denver. Thank you, Dave, for helping me surprise two great friends with your skilled craftsmanship!

Kup Kaps on our cups kept the tea hot while we sipped and chatted.

Capital Tea in Denver, CO is a very pleasant tea shop to hang out with friends. Kevin, Perry, and I sat on couches in the corner. A small table held a large tray with tea in sixteen ounce teapots, honey, cream, and baked goodies. I drank an excellent Peach Vanilla with peach pieces. It wasn’t bitter and had a vanilla after-taste. Perry and Kevin enjoyed Earl Grey Windermere with a strong bouquet.

Perry ate a tasty black currant lemon scone with rich lemon curd. Kevin and I loved our melt-in-your-mouth apricot bars covered with a lot of crunchy almonds.

Lisa Biro, the owner of Capital Tea, gave us excellent, friendly service. We talked after I finished eating. Most entrepreneurs are supportive, share experiences, and learn from each other.

I think this tea lover was a shoe model. I loved her artistic tennis shoes!

On a recent trip to Denver for a hockey game and family dinner, Perry and I needed a place to hang for an hour. I googled tea shops and found Capital Tea on South Broadway. Because I keep a cup lid cozy in our vehicle, I was prepared. My Kup Kap is color coordinated with the paint color of our Ford – Lime Squeeze. I was thrilled to see my teapot in the same color!

According to Ric Rhinehart, executive director of SCAA, Americans under the age of 40 think differently than their Moms about the price of coffee. Mom says, “The red can costs $5.25 and the blue can is $4.25. Her children say, “Coffee costs $1.75 to 3.75 a cup.”  No matter how you drink your favorite coffee, be sure to use a Thinsulate-insulated cup sleeve or cup lid to keep it hotter, longer!

There’s no need to brew up a huge pot of mulled cider or wait until next holiday season to breathe in the wonderful spicy aroma. Revive holiday memories of mulling spices throughout the year, by making your own instant mulling spices recipe.

I ordered 2 ounce bags online from My Spice Sage to try this recipe. I was happy to discover the hard-to-find ground orange peel. I smelled the richness of each spice as soon as I opened the bag. Their customer service was fantastic!

Instant Mulling Spices Recipe by Chica

• 6 cups brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons ground orange peel
• 2 tablespoons ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoons ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk and store in an airtight container. For a single serving, add 3 tablespoons of mixture to 1 cup of hot cider, juice, or wine.

If you want more, add 1/2 cup of mixture and 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of cider, juice, or wine. Bring to a boil, stir until dissolved, then reduce to a simmer. Pour into a teapot, cover with a cozy and leisurely sip your way through a good book or a fun hobby.

As the weather warms, stir 2-3 tablespoons of mixture into a glass of cranberry juice and add ice. Use a Kup Kollar to slow down the melting of the ice so your drink won’t water down and lose its taste.

For tea drinkers who want the convenience of tea bags, try Peet’s Winter Solstice Tea*, their most complex blend ever. The whole leaf and broken leaf black teas come from Darjeeling, Yunnan, and Sri Lanka. Mellow cinnamon, earthy allspice, pungent whole cloves, chopped Madagascar vanilla beans, bergamot and zesty orange peel add layered flavors. Winter Solstice Tea will brighten your winter day no matter how short it is!

Included in the directions on the side of each box, Peet’s writes, “Bring the water to a rolling boil, pour immediately onto the teabag, and cover with a lid to retain heat while steeping.” After using your Kup Kap for brewing, continue using it while drinking your tea to further retain heat from your first sip to your last!

*Also comes in a beautiful tin full of loose tea.

Harrisons & Crosfield Christmas Tea is imported from England. The whole leaf blend contains hand-plucked black tea leaves with pieces of aromatic clove, tangy orange peel, almonds, and fragrant rose flowers. The spices are cardamom, cinnamon and marzipan. The festive tea tin has brewing directions on the side. This Christmas Tea is very flavorful hot or cold.

You’ll find the best selection of high quality specialty teas in tea shops. I bought my tin in the House of Commons teahouse in Denver, Colorado. This is a wonderful place to enjoy tea anytime of the year!

We brought our holiday Kup Kaps to the House of Commons so we could enjoy our hot teas longer. Next time I might take tea cozies for their teapots!

It ‘tis the season for catalogs to arrive in your mail box. Whether you shop from a catalog or the company’s web store, brew your favorite hot tea or coffee before you start browsing. I found the following unique items for coffee lovers in three of many catalogs I’m receiving daily!

Sur La Table is offering an exclusive line of food and beverage ornaments handmade by artisans in Poland. Each ornament is made in glass. You’ll find an espresso machine, French press, and a coffee beans bag.

One of my favorite catalogs to browse is Crazy Shirts – “It’s not just fashion – it’s a cool way of life.” The company was founded in our coffee producing state of Hawaii in 1964 amid beach party movies and a rising interest in surfing.

The beautiful designs are purchased from freelance artists for $1000. The clothing’s color comes from specially mixed dyes using Kona coffee, beer, volcanic ash, hibiscus flowers, key limes, or one of several other unique sources.

There’s a new game in town called “Coffee Talk – The Game” from Pressman, making games for 85 years. The game is for 2-4 players and is stored in a resealable coffee package. It promises a whole latte of fun!

A Rainbow Kup Kollar soaks up condensation on the cold glass.

Macadamia Nut Cheesecake 

Crust

Cream in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy:

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour

Press onto bottom of 9″ springform pan; prick bottom with fork.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until edges are light brown. 

Filling

Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

• 4 (8-oz) packages Philadelphia Brand cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs 

Blend in melted 12-ounces white chocolate. Stir in ¾ cup chopped macadamia nuts into batter. 

Bake 325 degrees; 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set.

Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  

From ”Favorite Brand Name Best-Loved Recipes – Collector’s Edition”, copyright 1997, page 240.

A majestic macadamia nut tree grows among lush tropical plants and coffee trees on Smithfarms in Hawaii, the Big Island. Unfortunately for their nut loving customers, 2011 is the last year Bob and Cea will sell macadamia nuts. Go now to order. The delicious recipe and the nuts are worth it!

A macadamia nut has a very hard shell. Bob’s luscious lime sits beside it.

You’ll find a hapuu (tree fern) frond growing among the Smiths’ coffee trees. It has nothing to do with macadamia nuts or coffee. I had to share because it’s so unusual!