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Cheyenne Black

I was browsing the net the other day and I found this tea company called Sip-t. So I decided to feature them! Here is what I found out!

Sip-t Tea Co. is owned by a mother/daughter team who hand craft artisan teas out of the finest available organic and fair trade ingredients forming delectable, unique teas with a focus on quality, the environment, and their community.

Sip-T began from one recipe and now the pair boasts 15 unique and amazing teas that they hand produce in beautiful Bellingham, WA. Each tea begins with hand sourcing the ingredients, assuring each has only the finest in organic and fair trade components, and then is hand blended with an exacting recipe in a batch that never exceeds two pounds so as to bring every tea fresh to the hands of their loyal fans.

Sip-T is a Toward Zero Waste company, that is constantly seeking ways to reduce their impact and maximize their contribution to the community they love.

Sip-T Tea Company Announces New 99% Waste-Free Packaging!

Just one small staple – that’s the only thing in Sip-T Tea Company’s new packaging that can’t be composted. Cheyenne Black, co-owner with her daughter Kamea, noted that although the company’s original packaging was 100% recycled content, they are always striving to do better.

“Our new packaging is tree-free – it consists of hemp paper, a plant-based compostable cellophane, and a reusable cotton tea infuser, grown and sewn in the USA,” Black said. “Everything except the staple is biodegradable, compostable, and tree-free – and our customers get a reusable tea infuser, too!”

Sip-T is among the Sustainable Connections business members participating in the Toward Zero Waste Campaign. ” I think we’ve created something usable, and something that will provide real value to our customers,” Black added. “Reusability is where it’s at — you can’t get less waste than to reuse it and keep it out of the waste stream altogether. “When we first went into business, I had no idea how much of my time would be dedicated to packaging. It’s our image, it’s the feel in the hands of our customers at stake, and it’s the inherent usability of our product,” she explained. “It’s definitely more time-consuming to package this way, because there are many more steps involved, but we believe that tree-free and compostability are incredibly important. As with our original packaging, every unit is packaged by hand, so it’s a bit all-consuming for us on packaging days, but we are incredibly happy with this new stride forward!”

Kamea Black

The Bellingham-based, family-run company, founded in January 2009, handcrafts a range of Passionately Delicious Artisan Tea™ in micro batches of two pounds or less. “This means that our teas are always fresh and never stored for long periods of time,” she explained. “The leaves aren’t crushed or broken in the blending process, so the full flavor remains intact.”

Sip-T uses only certified organic and fair trade tea leaves, and additional ingredients are also certified organic, such as the mango, ginger, and lime in the Tiki Nui Mango Lime Island Tea. Sip-T is a green company, both in product and purchasing choices.

Where to find them:
Sip-T chai teas, black teas, caffeine-free teas, green teas, oolong tea, white teas, and rooibos “red teas” are sold at the Bellingham Farmers Market (both the Saturday market at Depot Market Square and the Wednesday market at the Fairhaven Village Green), and online at http://www.sip-t.com/. For Wholesale pricing call: (360) 220-8100

What is a Chocolate Truffle?

Chocolate Comments Off

Jan 102011

What is a box of assorted chocolates without a truffle? This tasty confection is traditionally filled with chocolate ganache and coated with chocolate or cocoa powder. Truffles are usually shaped like a sphere and can have other centers besides ganache, such as caramel, nuts, nougat, toffee, mint, marshmallow, berries, and even liqueur.

Different Types of Truffles

The credit for creating the first chocolate truffle goes to M. Dufour of Chambery, France in 1895. However, recognition of the sweet treat didn’t truly spread until the establishment of the Prestat chocolate shop in London, which to this day, still sells the original recipe for ‘Napoleon III’ truffles. Today, you can choose from three main types of chocolate truffles in the world: American, European, and Swiss.

The “American truffle” typically uses a blend of dark or milk chocolates with butterfat. It comes in a half-egg shape coated with chocolate. In Canada, graham cracker crumbs and peanut butter are added to what is called the “Harvey truffle.”

Cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other ingredients are paired with syrup to create the “European truffle.” At least 10% of the truffle should include butter, which is then mixed with ganache cream. Butter creates an enhanced flavor and a melt-in-the-mouth experience.

Melted chocolate combined with a boiling mixture of dairy cream and butter creates the base of the “Swiss truffle.” The mix is then poured into molds to set. A sprinkling of cocoa powder finishes off the confection. It is a must to eat this kind of truffle within a couple of days.

Ways to Vary Your Truffles

If you are interested in making chocolate truffles from scratch, there are plenty of ways to spice up your recipe. Add Frangelico to your chocolate and cream mixture to create a hazelnut-flavored truffle, and then coat with chopped hazelnuts. Truffles with a coffee flavor are achieved with the addition of one tablespoon of espresso powder into heated cream, and Kahlua to the truffle mix. Adding two tablespoons of fruit puree or jam to a recipe will make fruit-flavored truffles.

National Pie Day is coming on January 23rd. Are you ready? In the following days we’ll be featuring a few award-winning pie recipes courtesy of the American Pie Council®.

photo courtesy of the American Pie Council

Chocolate Raisin Walnut Pie
Best of Show Professional Division, 2010
1^st Place Raisin
Andrea Spring, Bradenton, FL

CRUST
1-1/2 cups Crisco shortening
1 tsp white vinegar
2 T milk
½ cup hot water
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 T cornstarch

Combine shortening, vinegar and milk. Pour in hot water. Mix well. In separate bowl, mix together flour, salt and cornstarch. Combine flour mixture with shortening mixture until dough forms. Separate into four equal balls. Wrap in film wrap and refrigerate 1 portion and freeze remainder for future use. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.

FILLING
3 eggs
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup dark corn syrup
¾ cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dark raisins
¾ cup chopped walnuts

Mix eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, butter and corn syrup until well blended. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, mix well. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Roll out one portion of pie dough. Place in 10” pie pan. Sprinkle raisins over bottom of pie shell. Carefully pour filling over raisins. Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F. Lower temperature to 350°F for 30 minutes or until center of pie is just set.

Frosted Reindeer Cookies Recipe

Recipes Comments Off

Dec 242010

Today I’d like to share with you a yummy recipe from our friends at Pillsbury.com! It’s easy to make and the result is incredibly cute and delicious! When you get to the decorationg part, you can ask your children or grandchildren to help! Here we go!

photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
64 small pretzel twists
64 semisweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup)
16 gumdrops, cut in half

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough; work flour into dough until well blended. Shape roll of cookie dough into triangle-shaped log. (If dough is too soft to cut, place in freezer 30 minutes.)

2. With thin sharp knife, cut dough into 32 (1/4-inch-thick) triangular slices; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

4. Frost cookies with frosting. Place 2 pretzel twists on each triangle near corners for antlers. Lightly press 2 chocolate chips into each cookie for eyes and 1 halved gumdrop for nose. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

When it comes to citrus fruits, the sweet, juicy taste of an orange is a favorite of many. While apples and berries seem to get all the glory for creating luscious desserts, don’t count out oranges. If you’re interested in exploring sweet treats made with oranges, consider the following ideas:

Orange Biscotti: The citrusy flavor of orange creates delicious biscotti to complement your coffee and tea breaks. Some recipes call for one large orange and a couple of tablespoons of orange liqueur. Orange juice is also a good substitute for the liqueur.

Orange Charlotte Russe: Dating back to the 16^th century, Charlotte Russe was a dessert made out of sponge cake, ladyfingers, or other types of bread that were layered with creams, custards, and fruit. The dessert is served chilled and often in a large bowl. When ready, the sweet treat is inverted and served upside down. Add citrus appeal to your charlotte by using mandarin oranges and grated orange peel.

Orange Fruit Cake: For a fruity treat, add dried apricots and cherries to an orange flavored cake.

Orange Tortes: Combine orange, walnuts, almonds, and honey to create a delicious torte. Choose a recipe that omits leavening so that the tops of cakes stay flatter.

Orange Chiffon Cake: Try adding orange juice or flavoring to a chiffon cake. To elevate the oranginess, top with an orange-flavored whipped cream frosting. Mandarin oranges can further serve as decoration.

Candied Orange Cake: Bake a cake and decorate with candied orange slices.

Orange Varieties

When preparing for an orange dessert recipe, keep in mind that not all oranges are created equal with some offering different flavors, levels of sweetness, and amount of vitamin C. A few varieties to consider include:

Blood– Imported from Mediterranean countries, the oranges possess a distinct blood-red flesh, and are sweet and juicy.
Navel– The orange receives its name from the “belly button” located at the blossom end of the fruit. The orange has a large, thick skin that is easily peeled – making the seedless, sweet fruit a favorite in the United States.
Pineapple – With an appetizing aroma, this orange is flavorful and juicy.
Temple – This orange is a favorite for juice makers because of its sweet taste.
Valencia – Most juices are made with this widely grown orange.

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Sip-t Tea Company

What is a Chocolate Truffle?

Chocolate Raisin Walnut Pie Recipe

Frosted Reindeer Cookies Recipe

Sweet Treat Ideas for Oranges

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