What Else Do People Use Tea For?

By Tuong Pham

Well, you have heard so much about tea drink and all of its wonders and interesting things. But now, let's switch gear a bit and talk about other uses of tea drink. Tea has many wonderful aspects, so what I'm about to tell you is probably the practical side of tea leaves.

One of the major use of tea leaves besides being brewed and drank is the fact that they can absorb the smell and fragrance very fast. This is disadvantage if you try to drink the tea. If you are a tea drinker and you are not storing tea the right way, the next time you open the lid, a weird smell would punch right to your nose that make you wondering what happend to the fresh tea leaves I just bought three weeks ago...?. That's a very bad thing. But you can use the tea leaves' nature to your advantage. That means you can use tea leaves to remove any smell or odor that you don't want around the house. Not fresh tea leaves, but used tea leaves. You would just probably throw them away, so why don't you use those for something else. Stretch your dollar a little further.

Two suggestions would be the refrigerator and the shoes. Almost everyone has a refrigerator and more than once when you open the refrigerator, you can smell the sandwiches or the half-rotten apple that your spouse of your children ( or roomates) left from last week. That's very uncomfortable. Sometimes, a little thing like an orange juice spill would make the refrigerator smell unpleasant. Well, you can reduce the unpleasant smell by placing a container or a open bag of used tea leaves in your refrigerator. But you should remember to remove the tea after 2-3 days. Don't leave one container of tea too long in the frige, replace the tea whenever you finish brewing the next cup of tea.

Now talk about shoes. You can apply the same thing. But this time, you should use dried tea leaves, not used one. This is common sense, the shoe gives unpleasant smell because of the moisture of the feet or outside ( like the rain). It wouldn't make sense if you then put wet tea leaves into shoe. But if you can leave a tiny bag of dried tea leaves into you shoe for a night, the tea can absorb the odor and leaving your shoes smelling fresh ( and a bit grassy like you just walk on a meadow, but it's still much more pleasant than the "fragrance" from your son's shoes after he had soccer practice...).

Other thing you can do is to use tea leaves to clean the dishes. If you want to try something more interesting, you can take a tea bath. You can just throw some tea leaves into your hot bath just to see if it's anything different. One thing for sure that you will acquire a somewhat grassier fragrance. Who knows, your family would just think you just bought a new perfume...

Mr. Pham is tea enthusiast. He has created Nature Healthy Tea to share his knowledge on this healthy drink. More information on black tea.

Do You Make These Five Mistakes Hosting Your Afternoon Tea Party?

By Sharon Mahoney

An afternoon tea party owes its roots to Anna Russell, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford, who began a simple event with friends in the 1840's. The idea caught on with more royalty and soon even the working class held tea parties across London. These tea parties are still very popular today across the world and carry proper, formal traditions.

Having your own tea party is a great way to connect with friends, family and neighbors.
However, you can be easily embarrassed if you don't watch out for five common mistakes. When you hold your tea party, do you make these five mistakes?

Invitations: What Not to SayIf you want your guests to arrive prepared, make sure their invitation states that they are invited for an afternoon tea party. Don't put down the wrong date or the wrong time. Don't invite your guests for a cup of coffee. A tea party serves tea. It may seem silly to point this out, but you would be amazed how easy people get off track.

Timing: When Not to Schedule the Tea PartyDon't schedule the tea party in the morning or evening, or even the early afternoon. Depending on the region, afternoon tea is served from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Henry James wrote, "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as an afternoon tea." Make sure to schedule the party at an afternoon time that will give your guests a chance to take a break during a busy day and socialize with each other.

What Not to DrinkDon't serve coffee, lemonade, wine, beer or other drinks at your tea party. You would be surprised how often an afternoon tea party is planned without thought to the beverage that will be served, the tea. Since there are different tastes, offer your guests a wide range of black teas from around the world. Make sure that you have enough tea to go around;
don't be embarrassed by not having enough to drink. Keep your guests' tea cups full of tea, your trays filled with delectable treats, and be a gracious hostess.

What Not to EatDon't serve pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, spaghetti or other entrees at your tea party. Traditionally, a full Afternoon Tea serves very light, delicious and small treats, like tea sandwiches, cookies, scones, cucumber slices, and even sardines. An afternoon tea party should include a variety of bite-size, dainty sandwiches with the crusts removed, a variety of home made cakes and pastries, freshly baked scones with whipped cream and jam.

What Not to UseDon't set out styrofoam or paper cups and expect to please your guests. And if you have a motley collection of tea cups, keep them in the cupboard. An afternoon tea is a formal affair, so it's time to put out your finest china, shined silverware and best linens. If you would like a memorable tea party, when you invite your girlfriends, ask them to bring their favorite tea cup and saucer.

Steer clear of these five mistakes and your guests will have a pleasant time at your party.
Lastly, don't get caught up so much in the details that you forget to have fun. An afternoon tea party is a social event for you to bond with your friends. Make sure to drink deeply of the gift of your relationships.

Sharon Mahoney is a lover of teas and sharing a relaxing cup of tea with others. Learn more about afternoon tea gift baskets at Sharon's website, www.tea-gift-basket.info.