tea with Rose and Laura | the Duck and Bunny

This month Hillary and I decided to mix up the tea tour a little bit - we went out for brunch and invited our friend Laura along, too. The Duck & Bunny was our destination of choice, and it was a beautiful fall morning so we chose to sit outside on the patio. Sitting outside always makes me feel better with a toddler in tow... Ezra can climb on the chairs and jabber incessantly without it being disruptive to other diners, which is always a good thing. I ordered a personal pot of pomegranate pear tea and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was sweet and flavorful even without the addition of sugar, and the pretty pink color didn't hurt either. You should know that I'm a sucker for tea in a little teapot, too.

My meal consisted of the most delicious truffled pomme frites (better than any I had in Paris!) and brie with fig spread and pecans on multigrain bread from Olga's.

The toast points were delicious, but I could have done with another order of fries and been plenty full and perfectly happy.

Random shot, I know, but I had to share it because when I saw it I laughed - Ezra took it when he was fiddling with my camera. He has quite the eye for detail, don't you think? Like his dad :) Before you read on, don't forget to click over to read Hillary's account of our morning. 

I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying our tea tour immensely. The tea is always nice, but it's even nicer to have time set aside to spend with friends. It's so easy to get busy and complacent going about our lives, but I'm beginning to realize how important it is to make the time. Do you feel like that, too?

a visit to a New England cider house

A couple years ago Matt and I went to Mystic for a long weekend and visited an old-fashioned cider mill and I just realized I never shared the pictures here. It's called B.F. Clyde's and you can watch the whole process, from the avalanche of apples tumbling off the truck to the clear brown liquid being poured off the press, all inside the little cider house for free.

The press is powered by a small steam engine, the oldest in the country. I love having so much history right in our backyard. It's one of the best things about living in New England, in my opinion. 

You can stand (elbow to elbow with everyone else) inside the cider house while the press is run by the sixth generation of the Clyde family.

Be sure to stop in shop afterwards to get yourself a steaming cup!

tea with Rose | Teas and Javas

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Paris program for this important message: the tea tour continues! Hillary and I went out for tea in August just before we went on vacation, but we didn't get around to posting before we left so this is a bit of old news. However, it's still totally worth sharing! We checked out the (then) brand new Teas and Javas, a new venture from the people at Alex and Ani, on Wayland Avenue in Providence. We both loved the atmosphere and thought the place was really cute and well decorated, and it was especially nice that the store front was open to the sidewalk. Sidewalk seating is so Parisian :) Anyway, we ordered our tea (iced this time - it was a scorcher!) and sat for a few minutes while we waited for it to brew.

The tables were dark granite and the walls were covered in white subway tile which contributed to the overall feeling of calm. Hillary and I ordered peppermint alfalfa tea (by Irie Tea) as we both tend to stay away from caffeinated teas and the herbal offerings were somewhat limited. That was kind of disappointing, but I did really enjoy the peppermint alfalfa - it was cool and refreshing. Ezra probably drank half of it even though I got him a cup of water. 

There was a case full of yummy looking cupcakes and cookies, and my friend Karissa said she and her husband went for lunch one day and they loved the roast beef focaccia. After perusing the menu online, it looks like I'll have to go back to try the French brie sandwich... we'll see how it measures up to all the brie baguettes I enjoyed in Paris!

Don't forget to check out Hillary's post about tea tour stop six right here!

tea with Rose | Teavana

Our tea tour continues, this time at Providence Place. We'd been to Teavana a couple times before and knew we had to include it here... with so many choices there's something to please everyone. Just look at all those tins!

As I've mentioned before, I almost exclusively drink herbal tea so when the girl working at Teavana asked what I'd like I told her that I wanted something caffeine free. She informed me that rooibos tea blends don't contain caffeine, and that she had actually just brewed a new blend for one of the store samples - citrus lavender sage combined with opus rouge rooibos. One sip and I was sold. 

I forgot what http://telloandrose.wordpress.com/ chose, so you'll have to read her take on Teavana right here. 

After we made our purchases we had to stop at J.Crew to do a little shopping. Ezra and Hillary hid out behind some pants while I browsed above them.

While these Vans were a little big for Ezra, he definitely proved that he can rock them. 

Note to self: will have to pick up a pair when he's a little bigger.

All in all, this was my favorite stop on the tea tour yet. I may even head back to Teavana to get myself a couple ounces of tea to brew at home, and at about $10 an ounce, that's saying something. I'm already looking forward to our next cuppa.

tea with Rose // Tealuxe

Hillary and I decided to go to an old favorite of ours last week for our tea tour - Tealuxe. It's probably the most well known place to get a cup of tea in the state so of course we had to include it in the tour.

We met up on Thayer Street at about 9:00 and placed our orders - I chose an iced papaya and pineapple and had to wait a few minutes since it was custom made. Not a problem as I took the time to poke around the cafe while Ezra sipped on water.

I was tempted to get the 'half & half' but I decided that drinking tea blended with lemonade would be cheating since we're supposed to be on a tea tour. I refrained. 

The papaya pineapple was a bright blend of fruity flavors that almost tasted sweet even without the addition of sugar or honey. Getting it iced was a good call because the day was already warming up and we headed to the playground after so Ezra could run around. It was the perfect refreshment for sipping while I watched Ezra climb and jump and pick up every piece of litter he found. I'm not kidding. He picked up every piece in sight and wanted me to lift him up so he could reach the trash can. Someone get this kid's college application started because he's already doing volunteer work. Anyway, I would definitely get the papaya pineapple again. I might even buy some loose tea so I can make it at home. Maybe it will be the official beverage of summer 2012.

As you can see, Ezra snagged my tea and downed the last inch or so. I think he felt pretty cool drinking it, although he did add a few wood chips later on. Wouldn't be my first choice for a garnish but then I'm not eighteen months old. Read Hillary's post about our trip to Tealuxe right here, check out our other stops on the tea tour, too!

P.S. Hillary used instagram to capture this shot of Ezra looking all moody. I kind of love it.

tea with Rose // Felicia's

Felicia's Coffee in East Greenwich was the next stop on my tea tour with Hillary. We headed south because Hillary was on her way to drop off some merchandise at a shop where she'll be selling some of her jewelry.

I ordered a medium blackberry sage tea as soon as we arrived (it's by Republic of Tea) and was disappointed to find out it was black tea after taking a sip. I think I've mentioned it before, but I don't drink anything caffeinated so I was expecting an herbal blend. I added some lemon and that helped, but also masked the flavor. Bummer.

Despite the black tea disappointment, we enjoyed our time at Felicia's. It has a real neighborhood feel and people were constantly streaming in and out the doors throughout the hour we spent there. The noise level was on the moderate to high end - always good when you have a toddler with you. Ezra didn't bother any one since his babbling and shouting just blended in. I think.

It took all my will power to resist a raspberry chocolate chip cookie at 9:30 in the morning. I'm thinking I should have caved...

Read Hillary's post about our morning right here. 

tea with Rose // Coffee Exchange

It's our second stop on the tea tour around Rhode Island, and while a place called Coffee Exchange doesn't sound like it belongs, I can assure you that it does. 

Hillary and I met up on a Thursday morning and sipped our tea slowly as we talked and I tried to keep Ezra contained. (There was only one highchair and it was already in use.)

I enjoyed a cup of echinacea sunshine tea, an organic herbal blend of echinacea, lemon, lemon verbena, ginkgo leaf, rosehips, and spearmint. It was a refreshing start to my day and I know I reaped the psychological benefits of drinking an immune booster. I felt healthy all day! They were all out of Hillary's favorite, peony white, so she ordered a green tea instead, jasmine amber.

I've been to Coffee Exchange lots of times in the past, but this was the first time I had been in the morning. The shop was pleasantly busy and the service was good in spite of the hustle and bustle at the counter. Ezra loved the music and ended up grooving with a little girl at the next table. Another successful tea drinking adventure in our tiny state. Read Hillary's account of the morning here. 

tea with Rose // Brewed Awakenings

My friend Hillary and I have recently decided to guide ourselves on a tea tour of Rhode Island, sampling steaming mugs of the stuff all over our little state. We started a couple weeks ago at a place in Johnston called Brewed Awakenings, somewhere I used to go all to all the time in high school and college. It's a great place to meet friends, catch up on some reading, hear live music, and of course, have a cup of tea. They also serve lots of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and even cheesecake from none other than The Cheesecake Factory. I'll admit it - I was tempted to have a slice for breakfast.

We ventured out early on a Thursday morning and Brewed was pretty busy with lots of people crowded at the tables, lounging on couches, and standing at the bar. Ezra and I arrived a little earlier than Hillary so I placed my order - a small spiced chai - and it was ready by the time I had Ezra buckled into a high chair and situated at a table. My chai was really good, but I must confess that it turned out to be made from one of those mixes. Boo. Hillary got there soon after (she chose ginger peach tea) and we talked about lots of blog type things - ideas for posts, gaining readers, what our husbands think about our online ventures - stuff that most people aren't interested in, so it was nice to have someone to relate to. I'm looking forward to the next stop on our tea tour already.

Be sure to check out Hillary's post today over at tello & rose...

passion tea

Iced Tazo passion tea from Starbucks is my new passion (har har).  It's so refreshing and a pretty ruby hue.  Ezra is always trying to grab my straw.  I could make it myself at home for much cheaper, so Matt ever so kindly ordered me a supply in bulk from amazon.  I love Matt, passion tea, and amazon (in that order).

smooth move

(images by Grant Cornett for Real Simple)

Now that spring is here I can't wait to begin making lots of smoothies with fresh fruit again.  I love these smoothie ideas from last month's issue of Real Simple.  First on my list to try are the mango, kale-apple, and raspberry and nut smoothies.  Whole Living also has some tasty looking smoothie recipes, like avocado pear.  What are your favorite combinations?

la la lemonade

As an intermittent but long-time Del's Lemonade employee I have a deep love for lemonade and all things lemon-y.  I start driving a lemonade truck next week and before I'm tempted by the sugary, frozen goodness that is a Del's, I wanted to make my own lemonade.  My search at tastespotting turned up this yummy sounding drink - Lavender Lemonade. 

 I began by gathering my materials - cutting board, santoku knife, hand juicer, measuring cups, small saucepan, wooden spoon, and um, anything else I needed.  I set the water to boil with the sugar and lavender and then I got to work cutting and juicing lemons.  It was quick work and in fact the longest wait time was while the syrup was steeping.  

After 45 minutes of lavender and sugar happily mingling in hot water I combined the syrup with the lemon juice and then added a little water to dilute the mixture.  Voilà!  Lavender lemonade.  It was a nice surprise to see that the syrup took on a pink hue as the lavender steeped and, happily, I ended up with pink lemonade!  Lastly, I made a quick trip out the side door and into the front flower bed to pick some more lavender as a garnish and I had a wonderfully refreshing first-day-of-summer-vacation drink. 

As you can see, my first glass didn't last long.  Luckily the recipe makes a decent amount so I can enjoy this tasty treat all weekend!