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Review of Witches Brew in West Hempstead

This Review of Witches Brew in West Hempstead, NY, highlights this eclectic cafe with its substantial tea menu, tasty vegan and vegetarian food, and fun goth and Victorian décor.

I’m finally sharing a blog review of Witches Brew on Long Island after over two decades of enjoying their tea, food, and vibes.

Witches Brew in Hempstead, New York a coffee house that serves tasty vegetarian and vegan food, desserts, coffee, and tea. For this tea blog, I’ll focus on their tea, the space, and food. I’ll also share some tips and insight on parking.

The exterior of Witches Brew on Long Island--the building has gray wooden planks
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Blog

Review of Safwa Coffee & Teahouse

I’m sharing my review of Safwa Coffee & Teahouse.

As I write this, Safwa has two locations–one in Somerset, New Jersey; the other in Westbury, New York (on Long Island). I’m reviewing the Long Island location.

Safwa carries a wide range of coffees–espresso, cortado, flat white, etc. Since this is a tea blog, however, I’ll focus on their tea, the space, and the food.

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Blog Tasting Notes

Tea Ice Cream at Van Leeuwen

As I write, there are two flavors of tea ice cream at Van Leeuwen that I love.

Van Leeuwen is an ice cream chain that started in New York City. Now, you can find scoop shops across a large swatch of the United States and in Korea. According to their website, in the U.S. their name is pronounced “Van (like the car) Lou (like the name) Inn (like the hotel).”

Medium brown, Early Grey tea ice cream at Van Leeuwen sitting in a cup that says "Van Leeuwen" on their yellow countertop
Scoop of dark brown Hojicha tea ice cream at Van Leeuwen in a pink cup with a spoon sticking out of the scoop.
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Blog

A Cup Full of Compassion

This post shares a story about tea served as a cup full of compassion.

In July, a beloved member of our family was hospitalized, then moved to hospice care. It was an emotionally and physically tense time all around.

The day she moved from the hospital to the hospice was especially stressful. For several days, we didn’t know when the hospital would transfer her or where she would be placed. Then, it was suddenly happening.

pink blooming water lilies with lily pads
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Blog

T Handle Mug Review

This post shares, from an accessibility perspective, a T handle mug review. The mug is made by Carter Designs. I share my thoughts and a loved one’s experience. 

Accessible Mugs Can Be Helpful

Swelling, strength, mobility issues with fingers or hands–among other things–can make it very helpful to have a mug that works for your body and circumstances.

This T Handle mug is the third type of mug that I’m reviewing for accessibility on the blog. I bought it, paying retail price, from The Wright Stuff.

White porcelain mug with a T handle next to a yellow measuring tape measuring the height of the mug.
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Blog

Enjoy Drinking Less Tea

How to enjoy tea when you can’t drink much of it

Why I’m Drinking Less Tea

There are many reasons you might find yourself drinking less tea. Here’s mine…

In recent years, normally I enjoy one full tea session a day (about 3g of tea). Sometimes, I creep up to double that. Recently, however, I’ve radically reduced my tea consumption due to an acid reflux flare. Tea is usually mildly to moderately acidic. Also, caffeine can “loosen up your lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle between your esophagus and stomach,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.

navy and burgundy tea bowl with white interior. A handful of leave leaves are floating in water in the bowl. A pink orchid and variegated ivy are nearby.

So, I’ve worked my way down from the higher end of my caffeine range to less than half a gram a day. I’m sincerely hoping this reduced tea consumption will be a temporary measure and I am consulting with doctors. But, while I’m here, I still want to enjoy drinking less tea.

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Cold Brewing Tea

How To, Why, and Tips

Cold brewing tea usually involves putting tea leaves (or tea sachets) into room temperature or cold water. Then, you store it in the refrigerator from a few minutes to 12 hours to allow it to steep. You never use hot water. This method is called mizudashi (水出し) in Japanese, according to the Global Japanese Tea Association.

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Blog

Starry Sky Tea Set from Umi Tea Sets: Review

I’m delighted to share my experience using the Starry Sky tea set from Umi Tea Sets.

On the Umi Tea Sets website, the full name of this teaware is “Chinese Starry Sky Jian Zhan Tea Set.” The version I am reviewing includes a teapot, six teacups, a fairness cup (sometimes called a fairness pitcher), and a two-piece ceramic tea strainer. It arrived in a beautiful deep blue “gift box” with multicolored fabric on the top.

Blue glazed teapot from Umi Tea Set Starry Skies Jian Zhan Tea Set. The teapot sits on a rock and daffodils are in the background.
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Blog

Tea Practice Poem

A tea practice poem? Have you ever heard of a gatha (pronounced GAH-tuh)? It’s a short poem used in some Buddhist traditions to redirect our mind to the present moment. Think of it like a “[meditation] practice poem.”

In honor of national poetry month, I thought I’d share Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice poem, or gatha, for mindfully preparing to drink tea. I use it a lot! In fact, if you have attended any of my Tea Mindful Together virtual meditations, you may have heard it before. (Subscribe to my newsletter to find out about these events and more.)

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Blog

Zojirushi Thermos Review for Traveling with Tea

This post reviews a Zojirushi Stainless Mug (basically a Zojirushi thermos) that I bought and used for outdoor and traveling with tea.

Preparing for a trip during which I knew I’d be drinking tea mostly outdoors, I decided to take a good thermos. That way, I could fill it with water to drink or hot tea–one vessel would work for either. This was going to be a more rugged trip than my usual traveling style, so I didn’t pack as much teaware as I usually do.

My old thermos leaks, so I wanted something better. I’d heard good things about Zojirushi, so I bought their 16 ounce “stainless mug.” I don’t know why they call it that and not a thermos!

Zojirushi thermos or stainless mug--lavender--next to a white teacup with a teabag on a tree stump
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