YumSugar

Roaches Cup and Saucer: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:00:10 -0800

Although some people may think this Roaches on My Cup and Saucer servingware ($47) is whimsical, I find it grossly realistic. I don't want a live roach crawling in my cappuccino, so why would I want to see a painting of one at the bottom of my mug?! Still, this teacup set could be fun for practical jokes. How do you feel about it? Does it make you squeamish, too?

YumSugar Gift Guide: The Tea Aficionado Grandma

YumSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:00:10 -0800

There are a number of high-end tea gifts that will delight the discerning tea lover in your life. The key is to know what type of drinker she is: If she enjoys hosting afternoon tea, present her with this hand-embellished Fortnum & Mason serving set. For the on-the-go sipper, try a travel tea infuser. Is grandma a stylish trendsetter? Gift her this show-stopping teapot.

For more gift ideas, browse the selection below. Check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

Hoch Die Tassen: Love It Or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:03:33 -0700

Artist Hrafnkell Birgisson has created these adorable champagne glasses. Or are they adorable tea cups? Either way I love them and want them. What do you guys think of Hoch Die Tassen (translation: "High Cups")?

Source: Craft

MyCuppa Mugs Determine The Perfect Color

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:01:11 -0700

Most people don't measure out their milk when adding it to their coffee. They generally just pour until the "right" amount has been added. If you've ever tried to be helpful and make someone a perfect cup, you may have found that it was either too much milk or not enough. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way you could figure it out? Well, now you can thanks to the MyCuppa mugs from Suck UK. Inside the mug are a series of color strips. All you have to do is find out what color they like, and then pour the milk until it matches. At little under $15 a piece, these mugs - available in tea or coffee versions - would make a great gift, or would be a great starter for that novelty mug collection you've been meaning to start.

Come Party With Me: Tea Party - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:58:32 -0700

It's tea time! This week I'm planning an afternoon tea party. On Monday I sent out beautiful floral invitations to my girlfriends and yesterday I put together a menu full of scones, tea sandwiches, and shortbread cookies. Now it's on to the drinks, the tea of the tea party. Start by picking out which teas you will offer your guests. You could make several pots of the same kind, or a few different kinds. I am a fan of options and will brew a couple different kinds of tea. At all of my parties I like to offer an alcoholic beverage, so for those who are in the mood for an afternoon aperitif, I'll shake up a green tea martini. For my tips on brewing the perfect cup of tea and the recipe for the mar-tea-ni, read more

In honor of the tea party that I am planning this week, I thought it was necessary to go over a few basic suggestions for brewing a warm, wet, wonderful cup of tea.

To ensure freshness, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark space.

A good cup of tea is only as good as the water used, so choose fresh, flowing, cool, bottled/filtered water.
Take care when measuring out the tea because the tea's strength and flavor depends on the quantity of tea in the pot and the amount of steeping time.
Generally one bag or 1 teaspoon of leaves is considered a 1 person serving.
Do not overboil the water because once it begins to lose oxygen, the flavor of the tea will weaken.
The most important step of tea making is the correct brewing time. Brew for too long and the tea will taste bitter, brew for too little and the tea won't have maximum flavor.

Tea Brewing Time Chart
Tea Type Steep Time (in minutes)

black tea 3-5

herbal tea 5-10

green tea 1-3
Wrap the teapot with a towel or cozy to retain heat while steeping.
Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags before pouring into a cup and enjoying.
Milk dissolves the best into hot tea so plan accordingly.
Do not leave tea uncovered for a long period of time after brewing - drink or refrigerate to retain antioxidants and prevent bacteria from growing.
For the best tea, fill a teapot with hot tap water to warm it up; likewise warm up your teacups in a cup warmer or with hot tap water.

**Tea Brewing Time Chart**
Tea Type	Steep Time (in minutes)
black tea	3-5
herbal tea	5-10
green tea	1-3

Green Tea Martini
From That's The Spirit

Ice
1 ounce green tea, chilled
2 ounces citron vodka
1 teaspoon Cointreau
1 teaspoon simple syrup
Orange twist

Fill a shaker with ice. Add green tea, vodka, Cointreau and simple syrup.
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with an orange twist.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Print recipe with images | without images

What are your secret tips for brewing the best cup of tea around? Please share them with us below. Next up on the party plan to-do-list: the look.

Anamorphic Cups: Love It Or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:01:18 -0700

I saw these anamorphic cups and saucers and immediately fell in love. The image is on the plate in plain sight, but can only be viewed when the mirrored cup is placed on it. Anamorphic creations aren't a new thing, the style first appeared in artwork in the 1600s, and became popular throughout Europe in the 18th century. So what do you think? Would these cups be popular in your house?

Source: Neatorama

Know Your Ingredients: Pimm's

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:37 -0700

A couple of weekends ago, for FabSugar's technicolor luau, I made a batch of Pineapple Pimm's Cup. Created by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina, this punch recipe consisted of pineapple vodka, Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, ginger syrup, and fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice.

The refreshing and unexpected cocktail was a major hit and everyone was inquiring about the ingredients. While I was able to tell them what was in the drink, I wasn't able to answer when they asked, "What's Pimm's?" My lame reply, "Oh it's a liquor popular in England." But really, I had no clue what it was!

Until now. Pimm's, an aperitif, is a brand of alcoholic beverages that was created in London in 1840, with the most popular being Pimm's No. 1 Cup. Each number of Pimm's has a different base spirit; No. 1 is a gin-based, No. 2 is scotch-based, and No. 3 is brandy-based (only No.1 still exists). Other elements (spices, citrus, etc.) are added to the base spirit to achieve a characteristic floral flavor and rich tea color. Pimm's is often mixed with soft drinks or as in the classic Pimm's Cup, with lemonade, cucumber, and fresh fruit. Do you enjoy Pimm's?

Come Party With Me: Outdoor Concert - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:31 -0700

Picture this: it's that wonderful time of day when the sun has just set and the weather is perfectly comfortable. You're enjoying the merry sounds of a symphony. After devouring a delectable steak sandwich and tomato salad, you are satisfied, but desire something sweet. Your wish comes true when you take one last look into the picnic basket and see, individually wrapped in parchment paper and tied with satin ribbons, luscious apricot tarts. You pass them out to your friends who marvel at your culinary creativeness. Doesn't that sound like fun?! Thanks to this fabulous recipe, you can live that scenario in the near future. If apricots aren't your cup of tea, substitute cherries, peaches, plums - whatever floats your fancy. Check out the recipe.

2007 Winter Fancy Food Show - Part 6 (Tea)

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:58:41 -0800

The last trend from the Fancy Food Show that I want to talk about is tea. Ice tea, hot tea, blooming tea, organic tea, chai tea, flavored teas, tea infused chocolate. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea.

There were at least a billion and a half tea booths (that is not a completely accurate statement, I lost count at around 22 and just rounded up) and most of them had some pretty pleasant teas on hand. The big show crowd pleaser was the new "blooming" teas. These teas are made by hand-tying edible flowers (like roses, carnations, jasmine, etc.) into a ball that "blooms" when placed into hot water. It's pretty gimmicky, but definitely elegant. The only catch is, you'll now have to invest in a clear teapot as well. The one pictured here is either the Jasmine & Chrysanthemum or Jasmine & Marigold from Tzuni (just one of several companies promoting blooming teas). A box of 12 tea "pearls" will set you back $19.20.

Even though there were many normal teas to try, one of my favorites came from Ineeka. Their award winning teas are grown and shipped directly from founder Shashank Goel's family plantations in India. They only use whole leaves with no added flavorings or oils. The teas are treated with love much like a fine wine and their packaging even shows it. It's like loose leaf tea inside of an ingenious tea bag that opens up and allows the tea to unfurl completely. Founder Shashank Goel was kind enough to talk to us about their start, and show us how to brew the perfect cup of delicious tea. Check out the video below to see:

To see more tea coverage, read more

Some more teas I really enjoyed included:

Finally, the last thing I noticed in the world of tea was the number of energy teas. Steaz had an organic energy drink made from green tea, yerba mate, açaí and guarana (it tasted a lot like red bull, but without the lingering aftertaste). Whereas the folks at TeaTech, had Jackie Chan's XGT (a green tea energy drink mix complete with Jackie's face on the packet).

Click on an image to view some of the teas we saw:

View 14 Photos ›

Snapple to Debut Redesign and HFCS-Free Formula

partysugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:30:34 -0800

Last week the New York Times announced that iced tea brand Snapple is redesigning its look and formula. The font is more modern, and the new bottle will be slimmer, so it can fit into cup holders. Real sugar will replace the high fructose corn syrup and lower the calorie count by 40 calories. The label will highlight the type of leaves - green and black tea leaves - used to make the drink and points out that it's "all natural."

With fierce competition in the specialty tea industry, Snapple hopes the more contemporary look will increase sales and popularity. The changes are set to hit supermarket shelves over the next few months. Snapple isn't the first brand to update its look to showcase the wholesomeness of ingredients - Heinz ketchup did it last month.

Do you drink Snapple? What do you think of the changes?

Source