Boil your Rooibos! Boil your red tea!

Red Tea.  Or not a tea at all?

Tisane? Or not herbal?

Rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss) has been enjoyed for centuries by indigenous peoples of South Africa. Rooibos is a broom-like plant of the legume family growing in South Africa. The generic name comes from the plant Calicotome villosa, aspalathos in Greek (scientific name is Aspalathus linearis). This plant has very similar growth and flowers to the redbush.

Rooibos teas can be herbal infusions made from a South African red bush and other ingredients like ginger, blueberry, mint, chocolate, chai, and on and on. Rooibos by itself is sometimes called "red tea." There are also green Rooibos teas that are just as delicious as the popular red teas but much harder to find on the regular market.

Now for the part that will set your sensibilities alight – boil the rooibos! Yes, boil! If you have had rooibos in the past and you “just couldn’t get over the taste” then you obviously made it like tea (you know, that Camellia Sinensis leaf). If you boil tea, it turns bitter. We all know that. But rooibos is not tea.

Try this. Take rooibos and brew it like tea. Steep it for about 3 to 4 minutes. At the same time, take some of the rooibos and add it to boiling water and boil hard for about 2 minutes. Strain.

Taste both. You may find you like the boiled rooibos much MUCH better.

Now grab a good book, turn your mobile device off for an hour and enjoy your boiled rooibos!

The Season of Silver and Gold - Shining Silver

The Holiday Season is the time of year when your favorite silver pieces appear after a long year in storage.  You may have Sterling, or you may have silver plated.  Regardless, you are now faced with the task that so many have before them this time of year - shining the silver.  Of course, if you use the silver all the time, the shining is much easier.  Using silver frequently does not allow the tarnish to build up.  But, for the sake of today, let's assume you do not use your silver all the time and treasure it for once-a-year-use - like the Holidays!

The first and strongest tip is to keep rubber away from your silver.  ALL RUBBER.  Don't use rubber gloves, no rubber bands, and whatever you do, do NOT place the items on a rubber mat when drying.  Rubber causes tarnish that is almost impossible to get off. 

OK, that warning aside, let's move on.  You can buy expensive and caustic cleaners that shine well.  But why?  Just get a pair of plastic gloves, open your fridge and take out the baking soda.  Yes, baking soda.  You use baking soda for so many other things, is it any wonder that you can use it to shine silver as well?  Make a paste of the soda and water and work it gently into the silver.  You can use a soft toothbrush to get into the cracks if you wish to take away all of the patena.  Wash gently with soap and water, and allow to dry.  Buffing with a soft cotton cloth is all that is left to do!

Have you seen those electrolyte trays you can buy to clean silver?  If you have had  a sleepless night this time of year, you have seen those magic trays that take all tarnish off.  You can spend the money, or just go into your pantry and pull out the aluminum foil and, you regular table salt.  Lay a sheet of aluminum foil in a glass pan (shiny side up works best).  Place your silver items on the foil.  Add a quart of very hot to near boiling water and a 2 tablespoon of salt.  You will see the tarnish lifting off.  Note:  if you have raised items on your silver and you love the black lines highlighting the decoration, this method will remove all tarnish...ALL TARNISH. 

There you have it!  No chemicals and as the perfect host or hostess, your silver will be shined and beautiful to match your napery and table settings.  Now that you ahve saved all this extra time and don't have to spend hours and hours hand shining your silver, get out there and PARTY!   Happy Holidays Everyone!  :)

More Holiday pictures of Fancy That's Shoppe!

This photo (c) Jamie R Doyle Photography

Holiday Orders for Tea Bread - NOW is the time!

Reminder, we're now taking holiday orders for Tea Bread! Place your order by December 18 and your freshly baked tea bread will be available for pick-up on Saturday December 22. Choose from the following yummy flavors: Lemon Zest, Almond Orange, Cinnamon or Pumpkin!

(Need your order sooner? Just give us three business days notice) 888-323-2TEA.

Starting the Holidays - Some pictures of our Shoppe

As we start to get ready for the Holidays, we thought we would give a sneak peek at our tree!  :)

We wanted to get our Wedding Cake Topper out before the Holidays.  Tucked nicely in the corner, sits our wedding cake topper.....not bad after 12 happy years!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!