It’s tea time, and don’t forget to slicker the pot!

The art of making an excellent tea is something we Americans have truly no clue about (generally speaking). Coffee is more our thing. But tea is an awesome drink if made properly. It also can have some health benefits depending on the brew you choose. If you take medication always check for drug interactions with the ingredients of your tea! It’s especially nice on a chilly fall day (or when you forget to buy coffee at the grocery store lol). We try to drink things other than soda. So coffee and tea are good places to start when you are trying to kick the soda habit.

First you need to choose the right pot and use loose leaf tea. Also a tea strainer is needed. For more delicate teas a porcelain pot is best. For more robust blends a cast iron teapot is fine. What’s the difference? Cast iron retains the heat from the boiling water and if you use certain teas steeped too long in super hot water it will begin to get a bitter taste. I prefer a vintage porcelain tea set. Not only does it make a great pot of tea but it looks chic! And if you look in the thrift stores you can pick up a previously super expensive fine porcelain china set like the one it the photo (which also has matching snack plates) for about $5!

Boil the water separately. “Slicker” your porcelain tea pot and cups by running them under some hot tap water. Warming the pot and cups will help maintain the temperature but also avoid breaking your teapot and cup by extreme temperature changes when you add the boiling water.

Add some loose leaf tea leaves to your tea pot, then the boiling water. Let steep for a bit then pour using your tea strainer. The person pouring the tea is traditionally called “mother”. So if someone asks “shall I be mother?” You know they are asking “shall I pour?”

After you have finished your tea, save the leaves and place them on a cloth towel to dry. Once dry add equal amounts of tea leaves and baking soda to a sprinkle type container with large sprinkle holes. You have just made some excellent carpet freshener using a very old and time tested recipe. Sprinkle it on your carpets and wait 20 minutes then vacuum. If you want to go pioneer style haul that rug outside and beat it with a rug beater lol. This removes smells and loose dirt (and Conestoga Chuck’s fur!) , not stains. If it still smells like dog… try a vinegar, baking soda, essential oil (I like rosemary) spritzer air freshener. Recipe for this was previously posted.

These cleaning methods have never failed me and I have asked some very truthful (aka not afraid to speak their mind) friends “does it smell like dog in here?” And they always say no. I even had a realtor who was going to help sell my house once say “you have pets? But it doesn’t smell like you have pets!” And she was standing 2 feet away from the cat’s litter pan at the time (I previously posted about a litter system that really works to keep the smell away). So I assume my methods are working lol. And BTW the house sold within minutes of it going on the market! Yay!