What a gorgeous teapot! Practical, too: microwave/dishwasher/oven safe!

By San Fernando Valley, California-based Alina Hayes on Etsy.

Numi Flowering Teas are hand-sewn tea leaves in the shape of flowers that expand as they steep in hot water.

They come in green, white, and black tea varieties.

For everyone who celebrates the ritual of tea… filling the tea kettle, lighting the burner, pouring the hot water, feeling the steam, watching the leaves unfurl, smelling the subtle aromas… flowering tea enhances each element of the experience.

A nice way to slow down on a rainy Saturday afternoon. And to appreciate that you weren’t the person to have to sew all of those brittle leaves to resemble a chrysanthemum.

Tea seems to be getting fancier all the time.

Lipton Pyramid Teas are not ordinary flat teabags but rather three dimensional, with larger tea pieces inside.  I bought the Vanilla Caramel Truffle flavor and really like the flavor.  I can taste both the vanilla and caramel while the traditional black tea flavor remains.  It tastes a bit sweet even without anything added.

It’s a good tea to have on hand at work for around 3pm when I get sluggish.  It’s around this time that I have been known to convince myself that vending machine-type fare is a good idea (I’ve gone as far as thinking neon-green Pop Tarts sounded palatable).

With this tea around, I can have my truffle and drink it too.

There are two types of people: those who put healthy ingredients into almost every recipe and those who figure that healthy foods should stay in the vegetable kingdom.

I figure I’ll be prepared when I have kids someday because I have already perfected the art of “sneaking” healthy foods into everything from muffins to, well, bacon Gorgonzola dip. This recipe (secretly) features sauerkraut. Fermented foods like sauerkraut aid digestion and overall health. I figure as long as I’m trying to eat nutritional powerhouses I may as well prepare them in tasty ways.

Bacon Gorgonzola Dip

Adapted from Great Lakes Kraut

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut bacon strips in half and cook over medium high heat until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble. Discard bacon drippings, leaving only enough to sauté garlic. Add garlic and cook until soft.

2. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add sautéed garlic, cheese, diced tomato, milk, chives, and bacon. (Reserve some chives and bacon for sprinkling on top.) Mix until well blended. Add the sauerkraut and reserved juice.

3. Spread evenly in an 8″ x 8″ ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the remaining chives and bacon on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.

Serve warm with crusty bread, bagel chips, or raw vegetables.

There are two types of people: those for whom “tea” implies traditional black tea and those with a wider definition.

I am liberal in what I call “tea”: black, white, green, rooibos, and herbal. Once I was very embarrassed to offer tea to a British friend only to realize that I didn’t have any English Breakfast, Earl Grey, or the like. She was very confused when I served chamomile. “I only drink this when I’m sick,” she informed me. Whoops.

I enjoy sampling wide varieties of teas. Tazo Calm is an herbal infusion of hibiscus, chamomile, spearmint, lemon grass, rose petals, blackberry leaves, safflowers, peppermint, sarsaparilla, lemon balm, and licorice. It’s caffeine free and especially soothing later in the evening, I find.