Better World Scones: Enjoy tea and scones without dairy or eggs and with fair trade and organic ingredients

 

Book review

This book is for those who love tea and scones and also want to make every choice count toward a better world; comfort with hope. It is written to show how very small choices can make a difference. It does this by including recipes for scones made without dairy or eggs and using fair trade and organic ingredients. This books includes recipes for fifty scones, tips for making the perfect scones and tips for baking without dairy or eggs. A history of tea as well as tips on how to brew tea is also included. Resources for obtaining fair trade and organic ingredients are provided in the back.

About the Author

Enjoying a cup of tea has always been a great comfort and joy to Linda O'Brien Hanley. Having a scone with her tea is an additional treat. When she decided to try to live her life by participating in as little exploitation as possible, she was determined not to give up this cherished experienced. She had to learn a new way to continue her love of baking and how to continue to enjoy the tea experience. This experience motivated her write this book and share what she learned with those whose share the same joys.

Tea-smoked scallops

Serve the scallops hot with green fettuccine tossed in walnut or olive oil. The scallops also make great cocktail hors d'oeuvres, speared on toothpicks and served at room temperature.

Ingredients: 

1 pound large sea scallops 

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons sea salt

Water

2 tablespoons Ceylon or Indian black tea leaves

Directions: 

Discard tough crescent-shaped muscles from 1 pound large sea scallops. (Muscles adhere to side of scallop.) Rinse scallops, drain and dry on paper towels. 

Mix brown sugar with sea salt, toss with scallops and chill about 10 minutes. 

Pour cold water to cover 2 tablespoons black tea leaves and leave to soak 10 minutes also.

Drain leaves and spread in bottom of a wok. 

Set a rack on top. 

Rinse scallops, dry on paper towels and arrange on rack so they do not touch each other. 

Cover wok with a lid or foil and put over medium heat. 

Watch until you see wisps of smoke, then allow 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time, depending on size of scallops. 

They should remain translucent in the center. 

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Chai Naya

Ingredients: 

2 cups good-quality Russian vodka
5 to 6 teaspoons fruit-flavoured loose-leaf black tea (try citrus blends, Earl Grey, red fruit blends, apricot, black currant, blackberry, or any other flavour you prefer, but be sure the tea is flavoured with natural flavours or pieces of fruit, not artificial flavourings)
1 or 2 clean, dry, glass bottles or jars with tight-fitting lids

Directions: 

Combine the vodka and tea leaves in the bottle or jar. 

Shake gently a few times, then let the mixture rest at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 24 hours. 

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh tea strainer into the second bottle or jar. Or strain the liquid into a dry bowl, then pour it back into the bottle or jar. 

Do not rinse out the bottle or jar because you don't want to add water to the mixture -- if there are a few errant tea leaves left in the bottle or jar, either remove with a dry tea towel or leave them there and don't worry about it. 

Store the vodka mixture in your freezer; it should last indefinitely (unless you drink it, of course!). 

Serve in small glasses without adding ice.   

Recipe with thanks to www.warmthoftea.com 

High Time for a Tea Party

As a long time Tim Burton fan, I can hardly contain my excitement about the opening of Alice in Wonderland tomorrow.  The dark, dramatic and macabre beauty of Burton’s work should put an interesting spin on this psychedelic tale.  To celebrate this fantastical 3D visual adventure, a tea party is in order.  Here is some tea party paraphernalia to inspire a little wonderland in your world.

I absolutely prefer to drink my tea from a bone china cup but the Tea Forte teabags look sabsolutely beatiful in their own teacup.

Tea Forte Sontu Tea Cup & Saucer

Tea Forte Stand up tea bags 

You can get the teabags through this link

Tea Forte Event Boxes are the most cost effective way to purchase Tea Forte gourmet tea. Each box contains 48 silken tea infusers.



Choose from teas like Vienna Cinnamon, Raspberry Nectar, Coco Truffle and ... Belgian Mint.