Reading the Tea Leaves of Tea Leaves

Tasseography is the method of predicting our futures through interpretation of tea leaf patterns, or, simply, Reading Tea Leaves! "The process of tasseography stimulates the imagination to create individualized interpretations and solutions to patterns in tea leaves. Tea leaf reading is a fun, healthful and creative way to listen to yourself." (http://tasseography.com) I’m going to talk about the method just a little bit for the fun of it, but my real purpose in this blog is to discuss what to look for in quality teas.

There are a few basic steps for reading tea leaves

•         Preferably start with a white teacup and brew any loose leaf tea;

•         While the tea steeps, enjoy quiet time and relax;

•         Once your tea is steeped, sip as usual except for one important thing, use your left hand if you are right-handed, and vice-versa. As you clear your mind and relax, find that one thought that just will not go away and focus on that;

•         When you have almost finished your tea, swirl it three times, then put your saucer over the teacup and invert carefully discarding the remaining liquid. Take three cleansing breaths and remove the teacup;

•         Identify symbols in the tea leaves. (This is a little bit like  finding forms in clouds!)

•         Determine your reading. (I found this link you might enjoy: http://www.teausa.com/14531/reading-tea-leaves

Interestingly enough, as I researched this fun topic, I found that most writers were adamant about using quality teas. Many companies that produce and sell teas do not taste, or "cup", each shipment and the result is that sometimes there are twigs and leaves as well as much powder in their teas. Finding companies that are as passionate about the quality of their teas as you are about enjoying a perfect cup is vital to your enjoyment of the time-honored ritual of serving, drinking and enjoying tea.

Be careful of companies that try to sell you "things" to add to your tea. While sugars and honey might be what you like in your tea, I believe you should taste the tea by itself to determine its quality. Some stores will sell you tea in bulk, or package it for you from large containers. While this is a great way for retailers to interact with their customers, make certain that they, too, are exercising the best quality control possible. For example, how are they handling their teas? How do they store it at the end of the day? Do they add tea to the "end of the barrel" or do they bring the older tea to the top?

We used to measure out bulk teas at our store, but over the years we have become great fans of pre-packaged tins and have opted for five outstanding companies that have proved the quality of their teas over and over to us and our customers.

In short, educate yourself about the teas you purchase. Take the time to relax and enjoy  the moment. After all, this is what tea time should be all about. And, if the tea leaves "speak" to you in a moment of reflection, you might want to listen to your inner self!

Ana Hernandez is the owner of All Spiced Up in Jacksonville, Florida.  Visit her website at  http://spice-blends.com

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Oh, Honey!

You might think that all honey is created equal, and all good for you. Not necessarily. Most honey that you find on your grocery store shelves has been cooked at high temperatures and filtered through tiny filters. This removes many of the beneficial enzymes we are looking for and which are present in naturally harvested honey. Honey is treated to extend its shelf life only in the sense that it prevents crystallization. These processes kill many of the honey's health benefits.

Raw honey is collected straight from the hives and is unheated, unpasteurized and unprocessed. This ensures that we receive all of the benefits of this heavenly product: A natural energy-booster, a substance that helps build our immunity system, heal wounds, help sore throats, induce sleep and might even help fight cancer. As I did research for this blog I even found a hangover remedy (at http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/health-benefits-of-honey.html)!  

When you get a hangover from drinking too much alcohol, combat its effects by applying honey remedy. Honey is gentle on the stomach and contains a mix of natural sugars such fructose which is known to speed up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver, acting as a 'sobering' agent. Follow this recipe: 15ml of liquid honey with 80ml of orange juice and 70ml of natural yogurt. Blend them together until smooth.

Don't be fooled by any honey that claims to be "organic." No one can guaranteed that the bees will only work in pesticide-free flowers because bees wander and work in a three to four mile radius from their hives.
Now that we know how totally awesome bees and honey are and how important to our well-being, we must talk about the plight bees are facing right now.
There is a lot of speculation as to the causes for the massive loss of bee and bee colonies. Most scientists believe it is due to a condition called colony collapse disorder (CCD). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130510-honeybee-bee-science-european-union-pesticides-colony-collapse-epa-science/
Our friend and president of Yaupon Asi Tea, Bryon White, explains further:

Once bees reach maturity, they generally only live about four weeks. Everything about bees is programmed into their little brains. They are one of nature's most perfectly designed creations. This life cycle is designed in part so that bees will not naturally die in the hive. For the first two weeks of life, the worker bee will perform house-keeping tasks. For the last two weeks, the bees will forage for pollen and nectar in the field, where they will eventually die as their wings wear out. Many beekeepers believe CCD is caused by this life cycle being altered for some reason or another...perhaps the bees are leaving too early, and after two weeks or so, their wings wear out and they naturally die. A big problem with being part of a perfectly intricate design, is that if one component is altered the whole place falls to pieces. Hence the devastation of CCD. Another especially devastating component is the application of neonicotinoid pesticides. These chemicals have had a brutal effect on bees, especially in Florida, which is one of the largest honey-producing states. Some science suggest that these chemicals are responsible for some broad-reaching environmental impacts which sadly go far beyond their effects on honey bees.

Bryon adds: "I'm lucky enough to have a great friend who teaches me these things. Doug McGinnis, of the Tropical Blossom Honey Co, Inc., has been working with bees his entire life and his company has been in the honey business for over 70 years. I'm glad All Spiced Up is now carrying both of our products!" Here at All Spiced Up, we love our honey products and carry the following honeys: Yaupon's Palmetto, Jimeez Beez' Wildflower, Third Coast's Jalapeno, and Tropical Blossom Honey Company's Mangrove.

We should all tip our collective hats to the many small companies that are taking such good care of the bees we so desperately need, not only for the honey they produce, but also for the many products (fruits, vegetables and beans) we would not have if these plants were not pollinated by bees.

Ana Hernandez offers recipes, cooking videos and her signature spice blends at

http://spice-blends.com