Fly Awake Tea Garden

Kevin, brewing tea at Fly Awake Tea Garden

One could call Fly Awake Tea Garden a dream come true for Arati and Kevin, the owners.  I mean that rather literally because they both use dream work as a tool in their lives (and help others learn to do so).  But that doesn't mean the journey was easy.  Kevin and Arati worked very hard on the practicalities of making this dream a reality.  For example, dealing with zoning and construction and all the minutia of starting a business.

So what exactly is this space?  It's several things at once.  To start, it's a mobile tea cart that serves tea in the garden in nice weather and tea in the converted garage when it's rainy or cold.  Beyond that, it's a community space, a performing arts space, a discussion group space, a hangout for the regulars and a welcoming space for first-time visitors like me.

Come rain...

I visited recently, expecting to spend a half hour with a bit of tea. I ended up staying an hour and a half, enjoying my conversations with the other tea drinkers.  We discussed tea, of course, but also the making of fig preserves and lacto-fermented foods, the precarious position of tea drinking culture in the US, lucid dreaming and much more.

Or shine...peaceful tea-drinking space is there!

I hope to return soon!

Wu-Wo Tea with My Niece

I've been away enjoying some time with my family.  Of course, this involved tea.  I *love* these photos.  They are dear to me because they combine things important in my life - family and tea.  That's my niece with me. We are having a Wu-Wo tea ceremony.  Above, we are brewing the tea together.  Below, we are serving tea to the others in the group.  (Everyone brews tea and shares with three people to the left.)

And finally tasting!  My niece was an adventurous girl, I'm so proud!  She tasted all the teas and we enjoyed quite a range.  She liked the white tea best.  Also pictured above are my sister and two tea friends.  Special thanks to my mom for the photos!  She hasn't lost her touch (and is my photography inspiration).

Sage (doll) joined us, too.  No matter how you do it - afternoon tea parties, tea like this or with a simple mug - tea is a wonderful way to spend time with kids, to expose them to other cultures, to let them play and to make memories.

My Tea Story

Updated 7/15/14

From time to time, I get asked about my tea journey and so I thought I'd share it here...

When I was a child, my Grandma T would visit yard sales and find beautiful old china for my sister and me. Grandma fostered my enchantment with teacups, and as I grew up, it became a passion. Both of my grandmothers had tea parties with me and I remember them fondly!

I grew up on a horse farm in the Midwest, drinking hot tea as a treat in the wintertime. My father, mother and grandmother all enjoyed taking tea. In 1997, my husband (the DH) and I moved to New Mexico where teacup collecting became a serious affair. In 2001, I finished my MBA (while working full-time at a high-tech company) and started Serendipity Teas. I had all these lovely teacups that I wanted to share! I became a Tea Etiquette Consultant, trained by the Protocol School of Washington. I hosted tea parties where I brought the program and tea into homes, and I taught tea classes through the University of New Mexico's continuing education.

In late 2004, the DH and I moved back "home" to the Midwest. I re-focused my tea business to emphasize the tea classes and tea tastings. The in-home work was too expensive and time-consuming to be profitable (I'm not a licensed caterer), and it was becoming less fun. A key lesson for me - keep it fun!

In March of 2007 I indulged in the Tea in London tour. This trip was a gift to myself for working and surviving 10 years with my "day job" company. One of the highlights  was completing the Tea Master's Class, sponsored by the UK Tea Council. I met Jane Pettigrew and Tim Clifton, amazing people and tea educators who are influencing the tea world today!

Over time, my tea knowledge, experience, skills and preferences have evolved.  I am now drinking mostly oolong tea in all its range of glory, as well as Japanese and Chinese greens and pu-erh.  Tho a good Earl Grey is always a comfort.

In 2010,  the DH and I moved to the Pacific Northwest.  Here, my tea life has blossomed in ways I never imagined.  I joined the Wu-Wo group (for brewing tea outdoors, together) and through that have enjoyed an amazing tea community.  In 2011 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to China, India and Tibet and in 2013 to Taiwan, both trips focused on visiting tea farms.  I also began studying chanoyu in January of 2012 and that has been a portal into yet another world of tea.  May the journey continue!

Tea is more than a hobby for me, it is my passion and part of my spiritual journey. With each kettle that boils, I try to pause and be no where but in that moment.

Great Video on Chinese Tea Brewing

This is a really great video about Chinese Tea brewing.  Stay with it after the Food Curated logo.  At 9 minutes in, he talks about bowl style tea brewing.  Click the image below to launch the video.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!!

Easy, Pretty, Delicious: Gluten-free, Dairy-free Trifle

I recently made this trifle and it came together in a snap, thanks to the gluten-free angel food cake I found at Whole Foods.  I'm not GF, but have friends and family that prefer or need this.  I love to find foods that please everyone at the table.  This one is a definite winner!  

The GF angel food cake is in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, near the deli.  There's a coupon for it in the grocer's flyer for the next 2 weeks, as well.  I simply tore it into bits and then added a layer of whipped coconut cream.  I added 1 Tbsp of of sugar and a bit of vanilla paste to the coconut as I whipped it.  If you look closely, you can see the tiny little vanilla seed flecks.

Then I added cherries and nectarines, which had also been stirred together with 1 Tbsp of sugar to make them juice.  I made two layers and done!  So easy and SO  good!

Tea at the Ritz, Buckhead (Atlanta)

I was recently in Atlanta for a work trip and was happy to squeeze in time for Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton in the Buckhead neighborhood.  Kudos to the Ritz for a beautiful tea experience and for getting the name "Afternoon Tea" correct on the webpage.  :-)

Thank you Angela for the suggestion to go here!  The ambiance is old-world elegance and I was delighted when a group of hatted ladies sat nearby.  I also want to brag on my server.  She did a fantastic job!  She offered tea suggestions and was very gracious in her manners. She's been working Afternoon Tea for about a year and seems to really enjoy it. I think that enjoyment makes so much difference.

 As one would expect from a Ritz, the food was both attractive and delicious.  The tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with American caviar, cucumber dill with lemon ricotta dill, prosciutto with melon canape, egg salad, turkey with orange marmalade and Georgia shrimp profiterole.

I enjoyed two scones:  cream and currant, served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

And the selection of desserts was equally wonderful.  My favorite was the most simple - the little financier cake in front on the top rack.

A perfect place to rest and regroup in the midst of a busy week!