Holiday Celebrations at The Canon City Queen Anne

Thank you for supporting the Queen Anne business during this past year. If you click on the Queen Anne website and then double click on "movie," you will get a two minute video showing some of the anniversary, birthday customers the Queen Anne had for Christmas teas this year. There is an overwhelming number of genuine smiles within the video and Al and Linda hope the customers had a couple of hours of peace, sense of order, during these hectic times.

Submitted by Al and Linda Ballard of The Canon City Queen Anne

Buy Locals Week

Buy Locals Week is right around the corner!

The Buy Local Week Kickoff Event will take place on Saturday, November 28, 6:00PM. Join Mile High Business Alliance Members, local business owners, community leaders and lovers of all things local. A reception with complementary food and drinks, live auction and entertainment.

If you would like more information about the Mile High Business Alliance visit their website at http://www.milehighbusinessalliance.org.

The World Tea Fair

THE WORLD TEA FAIR
Join the Rocky Mountain region’s oldest international school’s celebration of tea, the world’s drink. Learn more about other cultures and the healthy, aromatic drink itself from tea experts. Sample an array of teas and teatime treats in a vibrant setting offering fun for everyone.

WHEN: 2-5 p.m., Sun., Jan. 31
WHERE: DMIS’ Gymnasium, 206
Red Cross Way, Denver

COST: $10, adults. $5, ages 3-17.
TICKETS: Reserve yours at either
(303) 340-DMIS or info@dmischool.com

Thanksgiving at the Cañon City Queen Anne

“Sit Down Dinner”

Thursday, November 26, 2009



11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

Seating for thirty (30) per meal.



“RESERVATIONS REQUIRED”

(719) 275-5354



The Queen Anne Tea House and Special Events Center, “Sit Down Dinner,” will be a time to enjoy family, friends in the beauty of a themed tea room, with a complete meal prepared and served, allowing you to enjoy the day.



Adult “Sit Down Dinner,” $21.99 per person,

- Arrive at your table to a High Tea setting, a tier of devonshire filled mini holiday scones and strawberries, (see descriptions below,) for each person or child; as well as a cranberry salad, relish platter. Order hot, loose leaf tea from a vast selection, one pot per two seating’s; coffee, iced water.

- Upon completion of your salad you will receive your Thanksgiving plate to include; 12 oz. of meat; six oz. of white turkey, two oz. of dark turkey, and four oz. of sliced ham with cherry sauce. Turkey dressing; mashed potatoes with turkey gravy; sweet potatoes; green bean casserole; dinner rolls, condiments.

- Dessert options, one serving per seat, Dutch Apple Pie and cream; Pecan Pumpkin Pie and cream; Pumpkin Pie and cream.


Child “Sit Down Dinner,” $10.99 per child (10 and under,)

- Same dinner items, 50% reduction in portions.



Queen Anne Holiday Strawberries – a king size strawberry, cored and filled with devonshire cream, then dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Take Home or gift mailing services available. Options: package of six strawberries; package of twelve strawberries; or mixed package of six (3 Holiday strawberries, 3 Mini Holiday Scones;) mixed package of twelve (6 strawberries, 6 Mini Holiday Scones.)

Queen Anne Holiday Mini Scones – a bite size scone, cored and filled with devonshire cream, drizzled icing. Take Home or gift mailing services available. Options: package of six mini scones; package of twelve mini scones or mixed package of six (3 Mini Holiday Scones, 3 Holiday strawberries;) mixed package of twelve (6 Mini Holiday Scones, 6 Holiday strawberries.)

Reservations will require a credit card deposit equal to fifty percent of the reservation number over two seating’s.

Submitted by the Canon City Queen Anne"

A New Experience at The Shawnee Tearoom

To Susan Frazer and her daughter Caitlin The Shawnee Tearoom is very much a labor of love. By no means would the mother/daughter duo claim themselves to be tea connoisseurs. "We both truly love tea," Susan explained.

The family feels very blessed to be able to open in the Shawnee historical district. The tearoom is definitely not a white glove kind of establishment rather a comfortable gathering place for the community. The tearoom is open to everyone, from the old men who have been meeting in the building every day for years, to the high school students up the street.

The tearoom hosts tea parties for just about every occasion you can think of, we are looking forward to hosting open mic nights, book exchanges in our back library, theme nights, children's events, and holiday parties. Your choice of tea could be served in a two, four or six cup teapot along with pasteries, candies and other snacks.

The grand opening for the The Shawnee Tea Room is October 31.

Join the Tea Time Colorado meetup group. We will be scheduling a meetup to The Shawnee Tearoom during the month of November.

The Shawnee Tearoom
Susan Frazier and Caitlin Frazier, Established 2009
56048 Old Highway 285
Shawnee, CO 80475
phone 303 816-0000

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday

Tea Time Colorado Now on Meetup

Tea Time Colorado, LLC joined Meetup an online network that provides an outlet to connect with like minded individuals in specific areas of interest. Join the Tea Time Colorado meetup group.

Tea Time Colorado on Channel 7

The video of the Best Teahouses in Colorado with Gabby Gourmet on Channel 7 is now available. Visit the following link to view this short clip. Also listen to Gabby Gourmet on 630 AM KHOW on Saturday from 1PM to 3PM.

Tea Time with Channel 7

Today five local tea businesses provided Channel 7's viewing audience with an eye catching, tasty looking display of scrumptious finger sandwiches and paninis, quiche and soup, cakes, bars, tarts and more! The spread was amazing and I am certain the Channel 7 crew devoured every last morsel that each tea establishment left behind after the tv shoot! Visit the Gabby Gourmet to read a few quick blurbs about the restaurants. Thank you to Gabby for providing me with the opportunity to plug my book and the five restaurants that were highlighted today. The video clip will be available soon through Channel 7. Stay tuned!



From left to right:
Capital Tea
Lisa Biro, Owner
1450 South Broadway | Denver, CO 80210
www.captea.com | lisabiro@comcast.net | 303.777.2255

The Denver Tea Room
Margo Seymour, Proprietor
"Where we bring the party to you"
www.thedenvertearoom.com | 303.550.4377

The House of Commons
Jessica Avery, Owner
2401 15th Street | Denver, CO
www.houseofcommonstea.com | 303.455.4TEA (4832)

Silver Plume Tea Room LLC | Tea Room and Antique Shop
Sarah Franklin, Owner
940 Main Street | Silver Plume, CO
www.silverplumetearoom.com | 303.569.2368

Wisdom Tea House
Tom and Diane Wisdom, Owners
far right Maryanne, Wisdom Tea House Chef
65 Second Street | Monument, CO 80132
www.wisdomteahouse.com | 719 481-8822

In the News

Several months ago I contacted Pat Miller, better known to some food enthusiasts as the Gabby Gourmet. I was interested in learning a few things from the gab. A woman with a long history as one of Denver's top food critics, I figured she would be a great person to learn from. Of course I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to meet with me!

During our lunch at Capital Tea the gab asked me if I would be willing to compile a list of five area tea businesses that served some tasty dishes for an upcoming television segment on teahouses and tearooms. Of course I jumped at the opportunity!

Gabby will be featuring food from Capital Tea, The Denver Tea Room, Wisdom Tea House, Silver Plume Tearoom, and The House of Commons this Wednesday, October 7 on Channel 7 during the 11 o'clock news.

Check out the treats these local tea businesses are dishin' up!

Deals to Steal

Last week I met Caroline a woman from Ecometro who presented a fabulous fundraising idea to me. Printed EcoMetro guides are annual green living coupon books that support local businesses by giving shoppers valuable financial incentives to buy green products and services with reduced environmental impact.I decided this would be a perfect fit for a funderaiser for the 8th grade students at my school that would like to go to Washington DC in the spring. As I thumbed through this publication I discovered some fantastic deals to some of our local tea favorites including Wystones World Teas where they are offering one FREE dinner when you purchase one of equal or greater value. Other tea deals to sip to include a discount to The Tea Spot on a tin of tea, savings when you purchase Stash tea, a coupon for Numi Puerh Tea or some organic Guayaki Yerba Mate products at one of your local tea stops or grocers.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the EcoMetro guides to take advantage of the many local green deals, please drop me a line at dianedeering@hotmail.com. Your support will help fund scholarships for students to take their education beyond the classroom and experience our American History on a trip to Washington DC.

Present for Your Thoughts

My list keeps growing and growing of tea experiences throughout the state of Colorado with a list well over 100 experiences. I am searching for some of those very unique, off the beaten path tea spots that may not be on my list. If you think you have a place that I may have overlooked now is the time to submit your suggestions.

Here is what I am looking for. My book will highlight local Colorado tea experiences from tearooms, teahouses, tours, educational tea experiences, emporiums, tea bars and more. They must be local and tea must be the one thing that helps to make the experience what it is whether the place serves one type of tea to four hundred.

In exchange for your thoughts I will provide the contributing individual with the following if my list does not currently have the tea experience you suggest:
~Credit on my blog for suggesting the location
~A fun assortment of treats and surprises from several of the local businesses included in the book
~An autographed copy of Tea Time: Colorado A Travel Journal Guidebook for Tea Lovers once the book is published late summer 2010.

So put on those thinking caps and submit your suggestions to:

Diane Deering~Gaston
dianedeering@hotmail.com

Include in the subject line Tea Time Colorado suggestion

Tealicious!

Tea is not just for drinking The Tea Spot, a Colorado Locals resource for tea tastings, tea cuisine classes and other local tea events will be partnering with Whole Foods during the month of August. Classes will be offered in the Denver and Colorado Springs area. Click here for more information.

The Cultural Impact of Tea Class


JOIN US FOR AN AMAZING TEA CLASS

iN-TEA

8174 S Kipling Pkwy, #170

Littleton,CO 80127

(720) 981-2512



"THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF TEA"

The drink that changed the world!

Tea Specialist - Judy Williams (www.teatalks.com)

Judy will host a class and discussion this August 8th, Saturday 6-8 pm

Taste teas from various parts of the world as you learn about the amazing impact tea has had on our world's economy, politics, policies, social customs, art and more!

An interesting and often times overlooked part of history!

$15.00 pre-registration encouraged (maximum 10 participants)

Register on-line at iN-TEA or Call (720) 981-2512

Colorado Tea Bloggers: Recent Additions to Tea Time Colorado

Several Colorado tea businesses are continuely updating their tea blogs with fascinating and useful information, recipes, drawings for prizes, events and more. Here are the most recent additions to the Tea Time Colorado blog listing. In the future these links may be found on the right side of this blog or you may just want to bookmark your favorites now!

Bernideen's

Urbanistic Tea and Bike Shop

Two Leaves and a Bud

A Golden Tea Time

As I continue my book research throughout the state of Colorado I am continuely reminded of the social aspects of taking tea. During a recent solo visit to Golden Tea Time I had conversations with several fine groups of ladies having afternoon tea. Whether they were treating an out of town guest to tea, reuniting with friends or simply slowing down over a cup of tea. The tea room was filled with wonderful conversation...who knows maybe one of the guests that I spoke to will make her dream a reality and start her very own tearoom!
Anything is possible!

Golden Tea Time is located at:
Golden Tea Time Tea Room
908 Washington Avenue
Golden CO 80401

Jackie Kowal, Owner
303.271.3650

Reservations are highly suggested.

Denver's 7 A-List

Did you know that Channel 7 has an A list for the best teahouses in Denver?
Now is your chance to vote. Is your favorite tea stop in Denver missing from the list? Nominate them today! Support your local favorites. The contest ends on September 19th!

The Reality is Teacherality

With mind boggling statistics of teachers leaving the teaching profession within the first three to five years of teaching educators, Pamela Gordon and Carole Jacobs, came to a profound realization. Our teachers are a national treasure that needs to be honored and protected.

Their Vision: Teacherality is an innovative professional development program aimed at helping educators recapture, protect and celebrate their passion for teaching with tools, talk ... and tea.

You may become involved either as a student of a Teacherality program or even become a Teacherality Curator.

Currently curator trainings are being offered from now until the end of 2009 with additional dates to be added in 2010. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of Teacherality and a Curator in Colorado please contact:

Pamela J. Gordon
303.779.0227
Pam@teacherality.com

Visit the Teacherality website for more information.

Wanted: Free Scones

The Canon City Queen Anne is offering a special deal to anyone partaking in tea at the Queen Anne. Click here to print the post card to receive four free scones and devonshire cream to take with you after your tea time. This offer is good during the months of July and August.

In addition to afternoon and high tea at The Canon City Queen Anne, Al and Linda have organized several baking and cooking classes that you will not want to miss! Enjoy meeting with special guests and instructors for these classes.

The Canon City Queen Anne is located at:

813 Macon Avenue
Canon City, Colorado 81212
Reservations (719) 275-5354

Al & Linda Ballard
email: linda@thecanoncityqueenanne.com,
al@thecanoncityqueenanne.com

Wisdom Teahouse

With the excitement and popularity continuing to increase with tea consumption, one may be looking at an affordable way to try a number of loose leaf teas at an affordable price. Currently Wisdom Teahouse is providing half priced teas due to an overstock of blends. Visit www.wisdomteahouse.com for upcoming events and happenings at Wisdom Teahouse in Monument, Colorado.

A Weekend Getaway to Cripple Creek

With more people staying closer to home this summer, venturing out on short road trips for the weekend or the day has increased significantly with families, friends and couples. There are fun and affordable options right in our backyard to be had.

When exploring your options for tea one must visit Creations Everlasting Tea Room and Resale Shop. By far the best deal for afternoon tea and quite possibly a good hour or two purusing for hidden treasures to buy in the resale shop. With a complete spread of tea sandwiches, tarts, scones and tea all for $10.49 per person. You will find this afternoon tea to be tasty, affordable and an all around pleasant experience. Stay awhile to explore the building. With a grand staircase leading up to the second floor, the owners Edie and Mike Smith welcome your exploration and questions.

Visit the Cripple Creek Chamber of Commerce to plan your weekend adventure for the Donkey Derby Days later this month, a July 4th Celebration, in August a weekend designated to honoring our armed forces or a September Cruise Above the Clouds Car Show.

Creations Everlasting is located at:

123 Bennett Ave
(Next to the Butte Theater)
Cripple Creek, Colorado

Walk ins are welcomed. Large groups arriving for tea are requested to call for reservations at 719.964.3502.

Tea With a Twist

I recently received a copy of Tea With a Twist Entertaining and Cooking with Tea by author Lisa Boalt Richardson. What a fun and creative collection of tea party ideas. My favorite themed parties in this book are the Tropcial Party, Southern Tailgate Party and the All About Chocolate Tea Party but don't take my word for it. Pick up your own copy with fabulous recipes, great stories and lively photos for your own entertaining and reading enjoyment.

Mrs. B's a New Addition to the Littleton Tea Community

During a quick meeting with Jolynne, owner of Mrs. B's Tea Parlour in Littleton, CO the desire and passion for owning her very own tea business has been a dream for years. The grand opening will be taking place on Thurday, May 28, 2009. It may be difficult to land a reservation with this new establishment so call early for the dates you are interested in partaking in your afternoon tea.

Myth Busters of Tea

I had a very interesting discovery during a conversation with a young woman earlier this week. I mentioned my book that I am writing which lead into further discussion about tea. During our conversation I explained how there are hundreds of types of teas. This woman was baffled! She thought that tea was thee process of steeping herbs. She also had no idea that there was an actual tea plant. This interesting discovery shed some light onto some of the basics that will need to be covered or addressed in my book about tea experiences.

Do you have any misconceptions regarding tea? If so I would like to hear your thoughts.

Balcony Gardening at the Top of the World

Growing up my family would pick fresh carrots, peas, apples, cucumbers and more from our family garden. Moving to the city this was one simple pleasure that I realized I may have taken for granted.

I live in a high rise building in a unit with plenty of balcony space. Our HOA President, Dal Bradley was very interested in starting a Green Committee. I jumped at this opportunity to lead the efforts in our building to be the Green Committee Chair. One of the projects that I started was bringing in a guest speaker from Living Earth Center in Denver to teach our homeowners how to balcony garden. We were taught about irrigation, pot placement, proper plant selection, soil use and more.

With over 300 days of sunshine in Colorado it made sense to start my own balcony garden with herbs of mint, oregano, basil; vegetables including radishes, peas, broccoli and cucumbers as well as attempting to revive some hops stems to provide shading on our balcony oasis. I even planted sunflowers as this is a plant that loves a great deal of sun!

One future plan for our building that I would like to implement later this summer...when we begin to "harvest" our vegetables have a progressive tour of our balconies. Each homeowner preparing an appetizer, drink or dessert with something that was grown in their balcony garden. This will also create an opportunity to become better acquainted with other homeowners in our community. Who knows what creations I will come up with for parties and celebrations. Maybe even trying my herbs to blend with various teas that I drink. I am ready to experiment and to have fun with my balcony garden oasis.

World Tea Expo Cocktail Competition

What an exciting opportunity to attend my first World Tea Expo in Las Vegas! My brain is on overload with the collection of information that I gathered...but well worth it! On Sunday the World Tea Expo held the Tea Cocktail Competition that I had the pleasure of watching as well as sampling the top five finalists beverages. With creations that were infused, stirred, blended, steeped, chilled, ground and shaken with a wide collection of teas from around the world it truely is amazing how one plant is tranformed into a variety of delicious, eye catching and healthy surprises. The Tea Expo provided the recipes for the top fifteen competitors that went head to head in a cocktail preparation that could be completed in 2 minutes or less. Visit The World Expo for the top five finalists and the recipes. My favorite out of the top five finalists would have to be the Chocolate MarTEAni. Are you surprised?

Photo found on Google Images

The Journey-Telluride and Back

I returned home on Friday evening from my journey to explore tea experiences. I cannot help but think about all of the great people I met along the way and the amazing experiences these fascinating individuals have to share with each of us about tea.

No two experiences were exactly the same. There are so many, fresh and exciting ideas that are blossoming into something really great and wonderful.

I think the best part of my journey was discovering that I could help to make a positive difference in many individuals lives across the entire state of Colorado! This alone motivates me and drives me to continue to venture down the path that I have choosen.

If I haven't visited your business yet, I am excited for the journey to continue and to be inspired again and again by the passion that each of you have for your craft.

Always remember....Life and Learning are adventures! Never stop exploring!

Tea Time: Colorado

I will be venturing out to explore tea experiences throughout the state of Colorado. I am excited. There are some parts of my trip that are planned out to the tee. However there are other legs of the adventure where I will be flying by the seat of my pants in hopes that I will find something unique for my book.

Morning Serenity and My Addiction

Each morning when preparing my tea I organize my teapot, the tea selection that I have decided to drink that morning with my tea cup on a small tray. This is a ritual that I treat myself to each morning. It feels special. Somedays I feel like curling up with my book in the chair in the living room, or at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and soon when the weather is pleasant enough at 5:45am, I will take my tray prepared especially for me out to the balcony. Watch the amazing colors of the sunrise shoot through the clouds and reflect off the mountains.

My mornings seem to be more pleasant with a simple pot of tea.

Lately there has been one tea that I cannot get enough of.

I am addicted. Believe it or not to a white tea. I discovered this blend at SerendipTEA in Littleton, Colorado. The tea is Wedding from Harney and Sons. The Chinese Mutan White tea buds, with lemon-vanilla and a collection of pink rosebuds and petals jolts me out of bed each morning since I discovered this refreshing blend.

Between having a wonderful tasting tea while enjoying the morning serenity, add a little reading of my favorite book makes for the perfect tea time for one!

A Healing Remedy

For the last year and a half my mom has been experiencing serious body aches, pains, weakness, and swelling. These are only but a few of the symptoms she has been experiencing. After seeing many Doctors, dieticians and alternative medicine professionals there have been several assumptions as to what might be the illness. Suggestions include lymes disease, arthritis and pesticides in food could be causing a reaction in my moms body.

I am a strong believer in natural remedies and healing. As my mom visits countless professionals one comment she has made from day one of all of her treatments was the unsettling feeling she has when a Doctor gives her a prescription for unnatural drugs to deal with her illness. What is even more unsettling is the fact that they are giving her drugs for only assumptions for what she has. With a smoresborg of drugs that have been prescribed I decided to stop by a local tea house called Seven Cups. The staff is always quite knowledgable about what healing benefits a certain tea might have. I explained my moms symptoms to the Tea Specialist.

The recommendation lead me to a chinese Tuocha Tea where the tea leaves are compressed into a nugget shape, is rich in flavor and provides a dark brew. This tea is suggested to help will swelling of the muscles and easing joint pain. Although my mom is not much of a drinker of alcohol one could also use this concoction to help ease the pain of a hangover.

Rose buds were also reccommended for her ailments as well as rolling the hot cup between her hands. Along with these two tea options and suggestions I purchased a filter cup which was called Lucky Fu. Hopefully these tea selections will help to provide the luck she needs in her healing process or comfort her as much as possible for the time being.



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