December...

How did it get to be December already? Maybe it's time to slow down, breathe, take a moment and have a cup of tea. Perhaps share a pot with a friend nearby, or you can send them a gift of tea through the mail.

I'd be happy to offer some suggestions on blends seasonal or otherwise that you might like.

For an easy way to shop on these cold winter nights, you can order direct from my Tealightful Teas link. https://tealightfultasters.com/dawnella

Blue

Here is the guest we had at the Sugar Tree Cottage today for his own sort of "Tasting Tuesday" event.  We were sipping our tea on the porch while he was dipping his break in the brook. Sure hope he often decides to take his tea time here at the cottage!

Kneading Conference Artisan Bread Fair

Had a wonderful time again this year at the Maine Artisan Bread Fair, always one of my very favorite events!  The Sugar Tree sold out of a number of popular items, but rest assured we'll be re-stocking those and more in the etsy shop very soon!  Thank you all for supporting local small business!

Sugar Tree Cottage

The Sugar Tree is very excited to be offering "Tea Tasting Tuesdays" and other events this summer at this cozy brookside cottage, just steps away from Lakewood Theater on Wesserunsett Lake!! For more information, you may want follow me on facebook if you aren't already doing so. 

Hope to be sharing a cup of tea with you soon!

Magic Hour Ceremonial Tea

     

Teas beyond description, packaged so beautifully, meditations that inspire and calm, fantastic resources for tea ceremony... all brought to you by the woman (and the women surrounding her) behind Zhena's Gypsy Tea. You'll have to see and experience for yourself. I am over the moon to be a  Magic Hour affiliate and be sharing these teas with you. 

DIY Tea Herb Garden Kit

This is an adorable little do-it-yourself Tea Herb Garden  kit from Grow and Make.  It includes peppermint, tulsi, chamomile, thyme, and echinacea seeds, a tiny greenhouse tray, and not only paper tea bags but a stainless steel strainer to for making tea! Beautiful and simple. 










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More yummy teas

Tea blends created to inspire you to live in the moment: in the belief that tea can take you to a place of peace so you can be present in the moments that matter most. 

https://www.tealightfultea.net/DawnellaS

Have Tea, Will Travel

Getting ready to share some of my favorite autumnal Tea Queen flavors... equipped with my very own rose crown, designed and cross stitched by MJ at EmJSee/Wee Willow! Excited to be doing some tea tastings, tea classes, and generally sharing tea! (it's my favorite thing to do)

Kitty Cup

How cute would it be to see this little kitty reveled at the bottom of your cup as you drink your tea?  Or a bunny, or frog. octopus??  There are many choices at Creature Cups! 








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Autumn Tea

September in Maine: Cooler weather, warm tea, richer flavors... it's my favorite time of year for tea!

Spiced tea is good in any season (think chai!) but let's face it, when the cooler winds blow, the leaves start to fall, frost on the pumpkin, we wrap ourselves in our favorite sweaters and settle down with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice in our cups. These spices are comforting.

Have comfort.   

- Dawnella Sutton, Tea Queen

Audrey II Tea

Strange and interesting indeed! This tea was specially blended in honor of Little Shop of Horrors at Lakewood Theater, the Sugar Tree Cafe presents "Audrey II Tea"! A little flowery, a little bitter, and definitely green... contains hibiscus flowers, rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, spearmint leaf, rose petals, and stevia leaf.

The very entertaining musical, "Little Shop of Horrors" will be performed on  June 21st - 23rd at 8pm, 24th at 4pm, 27th at 2pm &7pm, 28th - 30th at 8pm.   For tickets and more information, call 474-7176 or visit http://www.lakewoodtheater.org

Audrey II Tea will be available for purchase at Bigelow Brewing Company's Cheese, Brews, and Bread event on Sunday, June 24th, from noon-4 pm. Show your Lakewood Theater ticket from either Incorruptible or Little Shop of Horrors, and receive 20% off all teas purchased at the booth that day!

Berry Sangria Tea for Lakewood Theater

The Sugar Tree is blending some teas for the Lakewood Theater's 2018 Season! Women in Jeopardy* opens May 24th, with  Berry Sangria!

Elderberries, raisins, hibiscus, and orange peel make this sweet and sassy too!

A selection of wine is available at the Shanty, though I recommend Merlot to bring out the richness of the fruit, or Pino Grigio for a lighter sweetness, and either is ready for sipping within the first act... but the longer you let it steep, the deeper the taste.  If you aren't interested in doing a true Sangria, you can grab a ginger ale and a cup from The Shanty to steep in and you've got a fresh sparkling treat!  Or, a traditional hot cup will fill you with a feeling like summer sunshine! 

Taking your tea home or giving as a gift? The suggestions above work just as well, in addition to steeped and served cold as a wonderful alternative to sugary drinks; or you may wish to experiment making "tipsy tea" by infusing a glass of vodka, or gin, or other favorite spirit. Using nothing but 100% fruit and flower in this blend, you can even grind it up dry and use it to add flavor to your pancake batter, or wet after steeping you can eat the fruit straight or add it to a batch of muffins for breakfast - as I say in some of my Sugar Tree classes, "tea isn't just for hot water."

*You can purchase tickets to see 'Women in Jeopardy' or any of the other productions this season at Lakewood Theater by calling  474-7176  or you may place your order online through  http://www.lakewoodtheater.org/theater/Tickets 

Cheese, Brews & Bread

The Sugar Tree will be having a booth at this festival!

When: June 24, 2018

Where: Bigelow Brewing Company

Time: 12p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

Come enjoy an afternoon filled with samples from some of Maine's local cheesemakers, bread makers, and one of Skowhegan's local breweries, Bigelow Brewing Company. Demonstrations of bread making will be going on throughout the day as well as special cheese, wine, and beer pairings! Cheese, bread, and beer will all be available for purchase. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how your local cheese and bread are made. 

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All proceeds of the event benefit projects of the Somerset County Rural Cultural Plan, the strategic cultural plan of Wesserunsett Arts Council.

Baked by Melissa

Mini cupcakes and macaroons, including a selection of gluten free ones, Baked by Melissa. Perfect with tea. I promise you'll get a chance to sample some at Sugar Tree tea tastings in the future.

You can have them delivered, by mail, anywhere. You should try these baked goodies! In fact, you can save 10% on orders of $60 or more with code CUPCAKELOVER20 at Baked by Melissa


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Perfect Tea

Here is a simple chart with steeping times, recommended water temps... and a few other great tips! 

Etsy Shop Teas!

Loose leaf teas from the Sugar Tree Cafe over on the Sugar Tree etsy shop!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/sugartreecafe

Unity Barn Raisers

It has been my honor as Mothers Moon to be a 'Supporting Business Member' of the Unity Barn Raisers since 2006, and I'm so happy to also now be renting the Community Kitchen for a bit of Sugar Tree Cafe tea blending!

Bullets Over Broadway!!

In celebration of Lakewood Theater's production ofBullets Over Broadway The Musical!, the Sugar Tree Cafe has created a special tea blend called "Bees Knees"... For a flavor based upon it's namesake cocktail of gin, lemon and honey, this tea is a blend of honeybush tea*, maté tea**, lemongrass, and calendula petal. It will be sold for a limited time***, $18 (plus shipping if applicable) 6oz. Contact me for ordering information.

*Honeybush tea is imported from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa; ethically harvested and fairly traded. Naturally sweet and caffeine free.

**Maté is a South American herbal tea, ethically harvested and fairly traded. Naturally sweet and with a medium level of caffeine.

***The limited time is the run of Bullets Over Broadway at Lakewood Theater, August 17th - 26th

Lake George Regional Park Spring Celebration

The Sugar Tree will be one of the vendors at this wonderful event on June 4th, celebrating Lake George Regional Park's 25th Anniversary Year.  It will be taking place at the Lakewood Inn Restaurant, which is one of my personal favorite places to be; with a percentage of sales going directly to Lake George.

I'll have some of my wooden kitchen tools, felted goodies, hand blended loose leaf teas, and maybe a few other surprises!

4:00 Happy Hour, "Cocktails and Fine Craft"
SHOP with members of Maine's artisan craft, food, and farming community, with a portion of all evening proceeds to benefit Lake George!

5:30 Dinner with lively auction to follow

$30/person
(207) 474-1292

In lieu of printed tickets this year, your name will be entered on a reservation list at the door! Hope to see you there!

The Same Plant!

Did you know? White, Green, Oolong, and Black teas are really the same plant (as is Matcha) simply dried or fermented differently! And here are the “other” teas:

Mate` is a South American herb with high levels of caffeine & antioxidants. Containing amino acids and over ten different vitamins and minerals, it gives you a boost of energy without the jitters.

Tulsi is an Indian herb that is caffeine-free and offers many calming benefits for your body and mind.

Honeybush & Rooibos are red bush varieties grown only in South Africa. They aren’t technically “tea” at all. They contain no caffeine and offer a variety of health benefits.

Matcha is actually indeed made from Camellia sinensis, but is from  leaves that are grown in the shade to bring out fuller flavor. The youngest leaves are selected and their veins removed before being stone ground into a fine powder. Matcha contains more caffeine and vitamins than other teas because the whole leaf is used.