Tea Time @ Tammy's @ 10

Where has the art of taking tea gone? Thankfully Tammy has kept the art of high tea alive and well here in Germany. One of the highlights of my week is TEA at Tammy's. I met Tammy over 9 years ago in Okinawa, Japan, when I went to her lovely home for tea. Little did I know, her tea put my in labor (well maybe not the tea), but I fell in love with tea at that point. In Okinawa, we had a tea room called "The Loop", it was altogether lovely. From Okinawa on, I have collected everything from teacups and pots to tea books. My absolute favorite book is pictured above. This book tells you how to prepare for a tea party, to making the perfect pot of tea. It is filled with ideas and recipes-this is a must have for any tea lover. I have taken much pleasure in the past hosting teas myself. When we lived in Louisiana, my friend Tanya and I hosted a tea with 53 ladies, it was just lovely. I need to find my pictures and upload them-those were good memories. I look forward to Thursday mornings- it is a time to be refreshed by friends. The conversation is divine, the cucumber sandwiches are crisp, the scones are heart shaped and the pot of tea is perfectly brewed.
By the way-God is so cool-He allowed Tammy and I to meet up here in Germany 9 years after Okinawa; too wonderful!

Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea

Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Teapot
Tea cups
Tea
Water
Step1) Add water to a kettle and boil. Pour a little hot water into your empty tea pot and swirl. Your brewed tea will remain hotter for longer if the pot is warmed before the tea is steeped in it. Pour out the water.
Step2) Now add the loose tea, on their own or with a stainless-steel infusion ball, or tea bags to the pot. Pour in the boiling water, cover the pot, and let steep for at least 3 minutes for small leaved teas and a little longer for the large leaved teas.
Step3) Before serving, stir the tea to give make it uniform in strength. If you used loose tea, hold a small tea strainer over each individual cup to catch the leaves as the tea is poured.