It’s been a long couple of months but we are really excited to share this news with everyone. We have launched a tea cart at Mapleview Mall in Burlington, Ontario. That’s right tea fans – you can now get the very best in tea by dropping by our location at 900 Maple Avenue. We are located in the lower concourse close to the Coles bookstore so stop by and say hi!

Some things that you can find at our cart include:

• Contigo Stainless Steel Mugs (rated the best travel mug on the market by Men’s Journal)
• Bodum teapots and accessories (some of the finest European teaware on the market)
• Tea shots (you have to check these out in person! They are only $2 each)
• Pyramid tea bags
• Whole leaf teas
• And many more items!

So don’t be shy! We would love to chat with you and meet some of our wonderful online customers.

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There was a recent story about a boy in New Delhi that was found chained and forced to work serving tea to customers. The owner of the tea stall claimed that the boy had broken into his home and stolen some personal property, and this was the only way to keep an eye on his estate and the boy. What I found really shocking was that the tea customers knew that he was in chains but no one protested or even questioned why.

This brings up a concern that happens all too often in tea growing regions all over the world. The neglect or abuse of workers. I am especially grateful to source our teas from suppliers that work hand in hand with estates to improve the lives of not only the estate owners, but also their workers. I think that there is a real price to pay for these so called ‘cheap teas’, and if by paying a few pennies more for a subtle and smooth Darjeeling or a malty and brisk Assam you are helping to improve the lives of those workers who helped bring that cup to you I want to be part of that movement.

There are many partnerships out there, some improve labour relations, help with environmental sustainability, fair trade, and other worthwhile causes. For example, our friends over at Birds and Beans serve up ‘bird friendly’ coffee and support the work of the Rainforest Alliance. If anyone has any causes they support or know of please share!

Hello my fellow tea drinkers. It’s been a little while since we’ve posted but we’d like to share a short video produced by the Uptown GiftBox Company. See if you can spot our hand made tea boxes (hint: Jason Priestley is in the shot)

Yeah I know, the title is a mouthful – but believe me it’s a fantastic mouthful! I was tasked this past weekend with bringing a dessert dish to our annual Thanksgiving dinner (for our American friends: here in Canada Thanksgiving arrives in October).

Since pumpkin pie is to dessert what turkey is to dinner the obvious winner here was pumpkin pie. I decided to get a little creative though. The result? Well lets just say the jury came back demanding seconds and even thirds (we won’t mention names)

The trick here is to use real chai tea

That’s right- use chai tea (not only the spices) to really make this dessert stand out. Oh and as an added bonus you get all the great benefits that are inherent in the tea leaf since its baked right into the pie.

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 pie crust (unbaked homemade or frozen pie shell)
• 1 egg
• 1 can of pumpkin filling or the real deal (pumpkin squash puree)
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp vanilla chai tea (its gotta be loose leaf!)
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
• dash of cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium bowl beat the egg lightly.  Then add in your pumpkin filling and evaporated milk.

At this point you want to take your vanilla chai tea and grind it.  I used a hand coffee grinder and found it to work really and ended up smoothing out a few larger pieces with a mortar and pestle.  Either could be used to do the job, it just depends on how quick you need the pie (did I mention we were running late for dinner? ).

Add the cinnamon, ground chai tea and vanilla bean (scoop it!) or extract to the bowl.  Blend everything together really well and the pour your filling into the pie shell

Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue to bake for about 40 minutes.  I checked in on it every so often by poking a toothpick in the middle- if it comes out clean you’re all done!

Cool*

*while your pie is cooling this a great time to check out our other blog on how to make a London fog latte (popularized by Starbucks) or to whip up some whipped cream for your pie.  We ended up adding a dash of the ground chai to the whipped cream and it really went well with the pie.

Enjoy!

(Serves 8 so you may want to enjoy with some friends)

Many people these days enjoy Peppermint. You can find it’s unique and refreshing characteristics in gum, toothpaste, chocolate, cookies, lip gloss, candy canes, and in a multitude of beverages.

But did you know that this herb has been cherished for centuries?

Fresh Cut Peppermint

(Well, to be more precise mint has been around for centuries – but peppermint which is a hybrid of water mint and spearmint is relatively new, jumping on the scene in England between 1696 to 1750)

Dating as far back as 1000 BC The Ancient Egyptians would bury their dead with herbs and essential oils – including mint – thought to be burned as incense. The Romans also used mint frequently to aid in digestion, brewing the leaves to create a tea that helped with gastric and nerve related issues.

We have a few great teas that include this wonderful herb:

• Peppermint Dream (peppermint and lavender)
• Premium Peppermint (yep you guessed it – nothing but high quality peppermint)
• Blueberry Pom-Bomb Antioxidant Tea
• Chocolate Mint (A perfect dessert tea that is wonderful with shortbread cookies – YUM)

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings…

If I hear about ONE more friend of mine getting married this year, I don’t know what I will do with myself.  *Pictures herself running down the street pulling out her hair while screaming like a mad woman* There comes a time in everyone’s life when it seems like all of your friends are getting married.  In the last three years I have had 8 friends  ”bite the bullet”  and say their  ”I Do’s”.  I have worn four different brightly coloured bridesmaid dresses and danced to YMCA 8 times.  I’m not complaining. It all comes with ”this age”.. The age where if your friends aren’t getting married they are having their first child.  Besides… weddings are fun!

Planning for the big day

What isn’t fun is rushing around at the last minute trying to get things together for the ‘big day’. I’ve always been a planner. I organize my kitchen cupboard with labels so that my husband knows where to find the quinoa and doesn’t mistake the cassia bark for chocolate flakes.  My desk at work is usually impeccable.  The stapler, pen, and highlighter all have their place.  Sure, it’s a little bit OCD… but that’s ‘the way I roll’.

Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Over the last three years I have definitely fine tuned what I like to call my “wedding awareness”.   In general, you have the beautiful bride to be, who wants everything to be perfect; the groom who wants the bride to be happy but gets tired of the word ‘wedding’ a good three months before the date, and really doesn’t care if the place cards are  sage or mint green.  You have the parents of the happy couple who want to be involved in decision making that inevitably get on the nerves of the bride or groom, or both.  Let’s not forget the cute flower girls or junior bridesmaids, the groomsmen who look smashing in their suits, and the lovely bridal attendants who facilitate all of the brides plans. Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)  You have flowers that don’t match the dresses or that don’t show up at all;  someone who thinks it is funny to lick the icing off the cake on the way through the kitchen; the camera man accidentally keeps his lens cap on; one of the dresses doesn’t fit the bridesmaid; the groom can’t find his suit pants; the dog runs away with the pillow with the rings tied to it; and Uncle Bob gets so drunk that he insists on dancing with your father during the father daughter dance… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Unique wedding favors will leave a lasting impression

About three years ago, when a friend of mine was getting married and was close to having a nervous breakdown because her overly priced wedding favours hadn’t made it in time, I decided that enough was enough. Being the co-owner of Herbal Infusions, I thought it was about time I used my business smarts to heal a heavy heart.  (Plus, I really didn’t want to have to piece back together a tattered wedding dress or a batty bride)  Tea favours! The ultimate wedding solution! After pulling an all night-er, I had 250 cute, classy tea wedding favors ready to go.  She still recommends them to everyone she knows.  This year, our best seller by far has been the Peppermint Dream Tea Party Favor with our new pyramid style tea bag.  But the wonderful thing about our party favors is that you can find one to please any wedding guest. Ice Wine for Uncle Bob, Buckingham Palace Garden Party for Aunt Eunice who flew in from overseas, Faerie Falls Herbal Tea for your flower girls, Kama Sutra Chai for your spicy bridal party… You get the idea. The options are pretty much limitless, which is great for both the bride who wants to plan out every single grueling detail and for the bride that just wants to “get ‘er done!”.

Many of us have been through the process of planning a wedding, and for those of you that haven’t… Don’t worry… Your time will come.

I have come across some very helpful websites for weddings that other people may fins useful while planning for their own wedding, helping a friend plan, or trying to find a last minute speech.  When it comes to white dresses and wedding messes, there are never enough resources.

• Everything About Weddings
• Canadian Weddings
• Toronto Weddings
• Destination Weddings
• Wedding Vows and Speeches
• Ethical Weddings
• Green Weddings
• Eco Weddings

I’ve read and been told many differing recommendations for how much water a person should drink in a day.  Can you drink too much? How much should I drink to lose weight? These are common questions about the oldest beverage in history and a vital link to every living thing.

8 Glasses a day – is this enough?

It really depends on what your goals are.  If you are looking to maintain your current weight and be properly hydrated then 8 glasses is a good rule to follow.  However there are many variables that can alter this amount – your age, weight, and physical activities should all be taken into account.  For a 2,000 calorie diet eight glasses is about right, but if your caloric intake is less or more then it should be adjusted accordingly.  A good rule of thumb is one milliliter of water for every calorie consumed per day.

Signs that you may be dehydrated:

• Headaches, dark yellow urine, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, and feeling sick after a workout
• Hungry – sometimes this can be confused with being dehydrated as the signals that our bodies give off for both feelings are similar in nature.  Give a glass a water a try before reaching for a bite to eat.

A kick of flavor without the added calories

Some days I find it more of a chore to try to chug back my daily water requirements.  Instead of cutting it short I prefer to reach for some quick non (or low) calorie options:

• Spa in a bottle: Toss in some citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime slices) and fresh mint.
• Slice and dice: cucumbers and cranberries are fantastic
• Herbal Iced teas: many herbal teas taste great chilled and add little or no calories. We recommend this berry tea.
• Frozen berries: as they defrost they slowly infuse their flavors into your water – and keep it chilled longer.

Water Intoxication: Is it real?

Well technically yes, it is possible to have too much water. Also referred to as water poisoning or hyper hydration, an excess of water can break down the levels of electrolytes in your body- leading to unnecessary stress on your heart and ultimately to a heart attack.  A rare occurrence but it has happened in the past.  Sticking to 8 to 10 glasses of water a day is well within the safe zone of water hydration.

I have always had a love of music, so when Herbal Infusions  got the opportunity to be an official sponsor for the 2009 Canadian Country Music Awards, it was thrilling.  Hosted in Vancouver, on September 13 at GM Place, the music awards will be a night of celebration and entertaiment for the who’s who of Canadian country music. The line up includes some fabulous icons and performers, such as Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Jann Arden, Teri Clarke, Paul Brant, George Canyon, Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, and many more. With a line up like that, who could possibly be disappointed?

The gift lounge is presented by the Uptown Gift Box Company - an exclusive gift service based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  The Founder and CEO Gabrielle Durning is an absolutely wonderful woman to deal with, and our experience with her throughout the process of supplying the Uptown Gift Box Company with our as Green as can be Eco friendly tea chests, proved to be as smooth as a cup of our Caramel Kiss tea.

Eco Tea Chests made from Reclaimed Utilty Poles

Gabrielle also provided the swag items for the 2009 Genie Awards, and 2009 Juno Awards. She has made this an unforgettable experience for us and for anyone lucky enough to snag a swag bag at this truly exciting event. Other sponsors include:

• Planet Forward (Sustainable Products)
• Doi Chaang Coffee (Certified Organic)
• Buddha Board (Definately one of my personal favourites. You have to check this out!)
• Warm Buddy Co (The most interesting stuffed animals you will ever find… don’t miss out)

Just today I read an article by Reuters about a Russian woman who hurled a steaming cup of Breakfast Tea at Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Louvre. 

What was she thinking? What enraged her so much about the Mona Lisa that she had to take a perfectly good cup of tea and toss it at this mysterious woman? Maybe it was that ominous Mona Lisa smile, or maybe….just maybe, it was a really really bad cup of tea. 

A woman is being held after attacking the Mona Lisa

So that got me to thinking: This can’t be the first time that tea has popped up in the news as being the weapon of choice for some.  And that lead me to the following list of stories related to tea oddities. 

• 1773: The Boston Tea Party.  An unpopular tea tax became the source of rage for merchants as they dressed themselves as savages and began throwing crates of tea into the harbor.
• 1950’s: Secret Nuclear Weapon.  The British Government has acknowledged that they planned on using a special tea as their secret weapon for nuclear war victims in the event of a nuclear bomb attack.
• May 3rd, 2000: Jail Assault.  A provincial court ruled that throwing a cup of hot tea does constitute a weapon. Ken Horan, 34, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., faced charges of assault with a weapon for throwing a plastic cup of tea at a corrections officer in a district jail.
• Jul 12, 2003: St. Petersburg Times - Tea made me do it.  Charges were dropped against a man who claimed that drinking Jasmine Tea made him go temporarily insane, break into his neighbors house, and chase her with a dagger.  (Should have tried our Calming Chamomile Lemon Grass instead) 

If you have heard of any other stories please drop us a line and we’ll include it in the above!

A recent study published in the July edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research suggests that the  polyphenols found in Green Tea may prevent the cell damage that leads to cancer development and progression.

A clinical trial conducted in Italy with 26 participants showed that the consumption of green tea helped lower the likelihood that prostate cancer would develop over the course of the 1 year study.

So why not incorporate some green tea into your daily routine?  We have some great tasting green teas including a Strawberry Green Tea that is packed with polyphenols including ECGC.  This one is especially tasty as an iced tea too!