Some people say that I have a problem. I say they’re jealous.
Meet my new dainty little set that I found at a local op-shop for $5. Stamped with “Haviland France” and “Haviland & Co. Limoges.” this delicate china cup and saucer is quite fine, with wear from love. A brief investigation seems to place it somewhere between 1894-1941, but being a noob and having no actual idea, I’ve sent some pics to the Haviland Collectors Foundation for pattern identification. She’s a precious little thing that talked to me when I saw her. Lets call her “Gloria”. Who do you think owned her? Was this forgotten relic a wedding gift? A memento of an overseas trip?
How many conversations did she listen in on? Or did she offer company while taking tea in solace? Our lady Gloria keeps her secrets, but perhaps we will be able to give her a rough date of manufacture.
I decided to welcome her with a herbal tisane, T2’s Peace, Love and Peppermint.
I’ve no idea how long I’ve been holding onto this sample for and I can’t see it on T2’s website so it might be either out of production for the moment or it’s something they’ve yet to release. See, they have promotional teas which come and go. They do reruns of popular blends and some are limited-time-only. So if you like the look of this one you could contact T2 via their facebook page and ask them if they are bringing it back or whether they could recommend something similar for you.
According to the sample packet ingredients list it includes apparently just about everything.
Chamomile, silve lime flowers, apple, peppermint, spearmint, rose petals, sweet blackberry leaves, chicory root, citric acid, lavender, rosemary, cornflower petals, flavouring, lemon verbena.
I opened the packet to discover a lively aroma reminiscent of younger years where I dabbled with herbal teas. I brewed it at 100°C for 3 mins for this pretty yellow brew. It presented an abundance of flavours, notably the chamomile, spearmint, peppermint and a touch of rose, although it wasn’t overly floral. I was sceptical, thinking the flavours might fall in discord with one another but oddly they seemed to work fine. It very much reminded me of my late teens when I made a habit of using chamomile to sleep at night and peppermint to settle an upset tummy.
All in all it was pleasant enough, but I wouldn’t choose it over a black tea or a rooibos.
I also baked some of these chocolate peppermint bites from an older AWW cookbook, Wicked, Sweet Indulgences. They’re basically a bit of a cakey brownie with peppermint icing. Fairly reminiscent of mint slice.
You wish you were me.