Le Blog 2023 No.2

Bonjour!

Here we are in the middle of January, and we are getting close to Valentine’s Day. So, are you thinking about matters of the heart? Possibly a gift for someone dear to you? Maybe a best friend?

When our Tea Salon was open, we used to host an event every year that celebrated friendship. We didn’t call it a Valentine’s Tea or even a Galentine’s Tea, we called it our “Best Friend’s Tea”. That’s because we wanted to commemorate best friends. A best friend can be anyone you are so close to that you can confide in them, be your worst, be your best, or even ugly cry or eat a whole package of cookie dough in front of them. No judgement. They will stick by you. Support you. Love you. They get you.

We thought these dear people, whether it was your mom, dad, sister, husband, boyfriend, or even your bestie deserved some quality time with you. Thus, we hosted the event. It sold out every year! There is something to be said for that. We all want to acknowledge these folks because we love them.

So, can you do something that will touch the heart of your best friend? Yes, you can.

Give the gift of time

Time spent with your best friend, over tea, is precious.

Give them the gift of your time. Host a tea. Invite them to lunch. Surprise them at work with a sweet something. You get the picture. Let them know how much their friendship means to you.

Of course, I have a couple of great gift ideas . . .

New product in this week.

Rose gold heart shaped tea infuser

Elegant and practical. Infuse and stir.

Rose gold, heart shaped tea infuser. Food-safe stainless steel with a rose gold finish. Comes boxed. Makes a heart-warming gift. Handwashing is recommended. 6.25” long with 1” wide infuser. Holds two teaspoons.

Heartfelt Gift

Watch a heart form as you pour tea (or coffee) into this mug.

Bless their heart

Double-walled glass mug. Inner wall is heart-shaped. Visible as liquid is poured.

Heart Glass Cup. Doubled walled tempered glass cup has a heart-shaped inner wall. The inner wall keeps your tea or coffee hot while the outer wall insulates and keeps the glass cool to touch. Made of Borosilicate glass. Handwashing is recommended. Comes boxed. Makes a heart-felt gift. 3.75” tall by 5.5” wide. Holds 8 ounces.

Here’s todays this weeks deal, just for our Le Blog readers.

Whimsical open heart rhinestone pin

Gift with purchase.
Please read the fine print below.

Buy both the Heart Glass mug and the rose gold tea infuser and we’ll drop a nice little gift in the box for you to keep or give as a gift. Our way of letting you know we appreciate our friends.

Buy the glass mug and infuser together and receive a heart pin as our gift to you. While supplies last.

You must buy both the heart shaped infuser and the mug (pictured here) in order to get the pin. One pin per purchase. Must be shipped to the same address. While supplies last. Offer ends Friday January 20th at midnight. No code needed.

So, is tea good for the heart?

I believe it is. Anytime you offer someone tea, you are favoring them. There’s a certain intimacy to sitting with someone and filling their teacup. It’s relaxing. That’s certainly good for the heart and the soul.

Serving others . . .

It’s good for the heart, and soul.

Here’s some further proof.

From heart.org:

A 2018 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that tea appears to slow the natural decrease in heart-helping HDL cholesterol as a person ages. Those findings pair well with previous research that suggests tea also reduces low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, known as "bad" cholesterol. Studies also show tea may reduce blood sugar levels and help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Black and green tea are the most popular kinds, accounting for 99% of the tea consumed in the United States. Both kinds of tea are loaded with caffeine and antioxidants called polyphenols, which are linked to lower blood pressure and better heart health. There are some slight differences; black tea, for example, contains more caffeine while green tea has a slightly better antioxidant profile.

At the very least, when you have tea, you tend to slow down a little. That’s certainly good for your heart.

Therefore, I am sticking to what I said in last week’s Le Blog.

Drink more tea. It’s good for you.

Even better, share a pot with a friend.

Festive and Healthy Sandwich

ingredients

4 slices of whole grain bread (Your choice) Remove crust, toast, cut in half diagonally.

1 Avocado

½ Lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon Chili Lime Seasoning Blend (Simply Organic makes a great one)

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ cucumber, thinly sliced. Lay the slices out on a paper towel to remove moisture.

2 Plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced thin (You can use sun-dried tomatoes if you prefer)

2 ounces Feta Cheese

3 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds, spread out on a plate to make a single layer

Directions

Mash avocados in bowl. Squeeze juice from lime and stir in with Chili Lime Seasoning and salt and pepper. Spread over 4 triangle toasts, leaving four triangles for tops, leaving some for outside edges. Top with 2 cucumber slices, then 2 tomato slices, and crumbled feta cheese. Top with the four triangles. On the two shortest outside edges spread a then layer of the avocado, the set those edges in the plate of sunflower seeds, lightly coating the two edges. Place two triangles, longest side, no-spread side down, on each luncheon plate. Serve immediately with a fruit cup drizzled with a small amount of honey. Our French Lavender Honey is yummy on fruit.