Thinking Outside the Teapot

As a tea priestess, one of the things people always 
ask me about is if I only drink tea.  Heck no!  I'm totally 
obsessed with tea and I'm always looking for more ways 
to get it into my life!  Here are my current top 3 favorites:  

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Tea Infused Syrup

Make a tea syrup to sweeten your tea, make your own tea lattes, flavor lemonade or any 
other hot or cold beverage you’d like!  Hey! how about drizzling it over pancakes or fruit? 
Sooo good!

4 tsp of loose or 4 tea bags (your favorite)
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water

In a pan bring water to boil.  Remove from heat and add tea allow to steep
 4-5 minutes (if I’m using loose tea I just put the leaves in the water then strain 
them out after brewing).  Return tea to stove adding sugar stirring until completely
dissolved.  Allow to cool and store in the fridge in an air tight container.

P.S. It will last in there for about 6 months. Stir in 1 oz. of vodka as it cools if you want it to 
last longer than that

Tea Infused Eggs

Also called Marbled Eggs, my daughter told me while visiting Japan she often saw these little beauties being sold in their convenience stores. I tried them and am pleased to report they are super delicious and are currently taking up residence on my personal tea party plates:


6 Eggs
3/4- 1 Tablespoon of black tea or 2 black tea bags
1-2 tsp Salt or Soy 

Hard-boil eggs then run them under cold water until you can easily handle them.  
Gently crap the egg shells making sure to keep the shell on the egg!  The more you 
crack them the more intricate the finished marble design will be.  In a large pan add 
eggs in a single layer with enough water to cover them, black tea, and  salt or soy sauce. 
Bring water to simmer.  Remove from heat, cover, and allow eggs to steep for 1 hour or 
longer for more colored eggs.  When cool, drain and remove the shells or leave shells on, 
wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge until ready to serve!

P.S.  Try different herbal tea blends for different colors!
P.P.S.  You can use tea as a natural Easter egg dye!  
Just add 1 tsp of vinegar to a cup of hot tea.  

Ochazuke

Japanese green tea rice ('ocha' means 'tea' in Japanese)  is commonly served at the very 
end of an elaborate Japanese full course meal. It's also favored as a midnight snack, a 
hangover cure, or just when you want something hot and filling.  I use it as a way 
to eat up leftover hanging out in the fridge rice.  If you have a green tea that tastes too strong 
for you to drink, it will be perfect for this!  Another awesome thing?  You get the antioxidents 
of the tea!  Another awesome thing?  Though more Japanese ingredients will make this more 
authentic, I've found this is a totally forgiving recipe so you can use just about any you like!  

1/2-1 cup rice per person
1-1/2 cups of green tea per person  
**Any non flavored green tea will do but I recommend genmai-cha 
which has toasted brown rice with a 'popcorn' like taste 
or go traditional with ho-ji cha a roasted green tea**
Various veggies, tofu, and or meats
Soy sauce to taste

Place warm (or reheated) rice in a bowl, add a cup or two of hot green tea, 
top with other warmed ingredients, add a splash of soy sauce and serve!


There you have it 3 of my favorite ways to use tea other than just drinking it!  
I hope this has inspired you to think outside the tea pot and try using tea for other things!  

Your turn!  Do you use tea other than drinking it? 

Have a tea recipe you’d like to share?  Give me the details!