Iced Tea from Great Lakes Tea & Spice and Mariage Fr?®res
It’s Bastille Day. What better way to celebrate the birth of the French Revolution than by drinking all-American iced tea? After all, we’ve helped each other out of a few scrapes in the last 200 years or so. It’s time to celebrate the things we have in common. In this case, tea.
There are two establishments that sell the very best tea in the world. One is in France, the other here in Michigan.
Let’s start in France with Mariage Fr?®res. This tea emporium has several tea houses around the world where you can dine and drink tea chosen to go with your meal. For them, tea is like fine wine. In fact, they’re currently selling Darjeeling nouveau. You can purchase from their website where they sell teapots and an iced tea blend (shown above).
Over here in America, the place to go is The Great Lakes Tea & Spice Company. They’ve put together special iced tea blends made with Assam tea from India – the best for holding up the flavor with melting ice. If loose tea isn’t your thing, you can buy muslin tea bags, too. Not only are their teas special and superb, the company is, as I said, from Michigan. Yay!
If we’re lucky today, misterarthur (who is in Annapolis today) will give us his secret for making the best tea. While we anxiously wait for his tips, let’s share our own. How do you feel about Sun Tea?
Create a colorful table for outdoor dining
It’s summertime and the living is easy. Dining should be too, don’t you think? A summer salad, grilled fish, fresh fruit and a glass of chilled Sangria are on the menu. What’s on the table?
I came across this beautiful photo of an outdoor picnic in Cote Sud and it inspired me to recreate its breezy, cheerful and, (best of all) laid back style. Brights are on the menu for my version.
I’m starting with a beautiful tablecloth made from Brunschwig & Fils’ Fawkes cotton print. The table is set with:
- plates from Gracious Home. Their Benidorm melamine dishware ($15 each) comes in a variety of bowls and dishes.
- We’re drinking our sangria in Juicy acrylic glasses from Target ($$19.99 for a set of four).
- The blue, striped flatware is from Nautical Luxuries ($320 for a set of four, 5-piece settings) is imported from France. Ooh la la.
- Finally, our Francesca Orange napkin can be found at Roberta Roller Rabbit ($8.00 each).
But we’re not finished. We need a centerpiece and some accessories.
- I love this centerpiece, made from recycled pop cans.¬† Would real flowers, picked form your own garden fit our scene more perfectly? Err, yes. But I like it, so it’s in. My fake flowers are from Eco-Artware ($24 for six flowers).
- This set of colorful, melamine stacking bowls are perfect for our fruit and salads. They’re from Apartment 48 ($65).
- I also love this collapsible cooler - just the thing to keep our sangria cold. It comes in two colors. You can find it on sale at Sur La Table ($31.96).
- Now for the chairs. Maine Cottage serves up several styles that come in just about any color you like. Their Edna Chair sells for $350.00.
Outdoor Dining Tip
Please don’t hesitate to take your indoor furniture outdoors for an evening. There’s something about a wooden table and chairs that create a romantic atmosphere. If you can fashion a canopy, keep the furniture out all summer. If not, be sure to cover the set table with an old sheet until your guests arrive. This will keep the leaves and birds from making a mess of your beautiful tablescape.
Do you think it’s important to have a separate set of dishes for outdoors?
