From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Megara's Brew

Megara is one of the more obscure Disney heroines. She's Hercules' love interest, for those of you struggling to place her. She starts off a little iffy, indebted to Hades, not quite on the up and up,  but she really comes through in the end. This tea blend, on the other hand, is a winner from the very start. Perhaps the way Megara wished it had been for her, definitely the way it was for the gods on Olympus.

All the ingredients of this tea are from the Mediterranean area, so I figured it's something Megara could have concocted. It's so much better if you have the fresh ginger, but dried ginger could be used in a pinch. I love the freshness of this tea and the hearty homey feel it has. It would be perfect with some shortbread cookies or snickerdoodles.

This all-around brew and would be interesting as an iced tea too, as the days continue to stay warm and stuffy in these parts. I hope you decide to try it and enjoy it as much as I do. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Esmerelda's Gypsy Blend

The littles recently unearthed our copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I eagerly put it in the DVD player and then shortly there-after remembered this is not such a happy story! Lots of bad behavior before justice rights the scales. But while we were watching I realized that Esmerelda was the perfect character for a new tea blend I've been working on.

I like a tea with some weight behind it. Herbal teas just aren't my think. So I tend to use a lot of black tea as the base for my blends. This tea is a little unpredictable, a little spicy and very full bodied (ahem). You might be surprised by what's in it. Just like Esmerelda. It's the sort of tea you might drink in a gypsy wagon and then have the tea leaves read to you. It's a blend of black tea and peppermint with a hint of fennel and black pepper. It's bright and smooth and very aromatic. I'm absolutely in love with it right now. I hope you enjoy it too.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Pott's Cupboard | Cinderella's Pumpkin Tea

It's that time of year when everything pumpkin starts appearing in the stores - one of my favorite times of the year! I can't get enough of it and my Trader Joe's runs have become increasingly more orange. So what better princess tea to introduce this month than Cinderella's Pumpkin Tea?! For this one, you may not have all the ingredients on hand, and if not, they are fairly easy to come by, especially right now.

I have mentioned this before, but I do love shopping at Home Goods. They have a terrific baking area with lots of interesting flavorings. That's where I found my pumpkin pie flavoring. You can always purchase yours through Amazon. We are committed to using as much all-natural product in the cottage as we can, and I can vouch for this as being a quality product. If you are in need of Mulling Spices, I highly recommend Penzey's as a great place to purchase them. And they are wonderful to have on hand at this time of year. You can add them to a small pot of boiling water on your stove for an instant shot of autumn.

After tinkering with this blend several times, I realized that this tea really needs a mellowing ingredient. Don't skip the tarragon! It seems weird, I know. But it really helps the entire recipe blend together into a smooth cup. This is certainly one of my favorite tea recipes. I hope you enjoy this princess tea as much as I have. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Jane's Cuppa

We have been on a crazy Tarzan kick around here these days. The two littles are constantly requesting it and the soundtrack seems to always be playing. So with being immersed in all things Tarzan, I decided Jane needed her own tea. Even though she's not technically recognized as one of the Disney Princesses, I think she qualifies as being the queen of the jungle, so to speak.

I know that at first glance this tea seems a little unconventional. In truth, it is; just like Jane! Trust me when I say you need to try it before you decide about the flavor. I was not at all sure this was going to work, but it seemed like the perfect combinations of ingredients for Jane. The Golden Monkey Tea was an obvious choice, and the coconut flavor inspired by the jungle. But there there are the typically British flavor of lavender, as well as the spices that would have been streaming in from all sorts of British colonies at the time. It doesn't seem like it should come together well, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this one! I have to say I like it.

I'd love to know if you give this one a try. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Aurora's Sleepytime Tea

It's summer time here at the cottage and we always have some crazy travel schedules during the summers. Sometimes we get so out of our routine, and find ourselves on the far western boarder of the time zone and we just can't sleep! It's hard when the sun isn't setting until 10 p.m.! We feel like Anna in Frozen: the sky's awake, so we're awake.

We have Aurora's Sleepytime tea recipe to the rescue. In point of fact, there is no actual tea in it, as we don't want to add any extra caffeine into the mix. This tea helps us settle our bodies and our minds and smells lovely while doing it. Sometimes, just the act of sitting with a warm mug of tea in a quiet place helps settle our family down.

I will sometimes leave out the peppermint, and so should you if you find it peps you up instead of calming you down. But I like it for the digestive properties it brings to this tea. If you would like to download a PDF of this recipe, I am happy to share it here with you.

Enjoy this one friends. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Pott's Cupboard | Snow White's Iced Apple Tea

As it's finally warming up into summer I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce the next Princess Tea! Of course Snow White's tea would need apples, but when I brewed it, I could never find just the right combination for the perfect pot. I like to reuse my tea (you can usually get two-three pots from one of my recipes. But either the second pot was too strong and apply, or the first pot was too weak. If you are a fan of very fruity teas, this second pot is almost cider-like, so it could just be "your cup of tea!" But I am not a fan of super fruity teas in general. So I came to the compromise of using this as a one pot tea, hence the Iced Tea recipe. If you have an iced tea maker like the one here, you can simply use a coffee filter, put all of these in the basket, and brew as usual. If not, then brew a strong pot of this tea as you usually would and pour it into a pitcher full of ice. Remember that the ice will dilute the tea as it melts, so a strong brew is recommended.



When I think of brewing this tea my mind immediately goes to the Evil Queen brewing her transforming potion, to make her into an old hag. So to that end....

Begin with a black tea, as black as snow white's hair,

a teaspoon of skullcap & some peppercorns from the evil queen's lair,

add in some rose rosehips, 

as rosy as Snow White's lips,

a dash of spice & a bit of mint for the dwarves good fortunes,

and some apple slices, but be mindful of their origins.

Well, it's a good effort anyway! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Pocahontas' Soothing Tea

With spring upon us, I thought it would be nice to have a soothing pear tea recipe perfect for spring evenings and knitting by the fire pit. At least that's how I like to enjoy this one! This princess tea was inspired by Pocahontas; it's North American in all its ingredients. And all the ingredients should promote relaxation and calming of the nervous system, something I'm sure Pocahontas would have received from Grandmother Willow from time to time, given her propensity for adventure.

This tea comes with a bonus recipe too! I originally tried using raspberries in place of the pear. It was terrific as an imitation Red Zinger tea - something I'm not very fond of! But if you like Red Zinger (very fruit forward and tangy), this recipe includes a variation for brewing Kocoum's Red Zinger. If you would like to download your own recipe page, you can find this Pocahontas Tea PDF right here.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Belle's Frosted Rose Tea

This seemed like the perfect time to introduce Belle's Frosted Rose Tea. It's still chilly, Valentine's day has just passed, and a little tea time pick me up seems in order. When I created this tea I was thinking of the classic scene in Beauty and the Beast where Belle and the Beast are enjoying the snow and the castle staff begin to realize that they just might be falling in love despite themselves. And I do love this "tale as old as time." Perfect for a little post-valentine treat.

Silver Needle is a very mild white tea. It is best prepared with water that is just below boiling. I love theses flavors together. You get all the fullness of the roses, with a hint of spiciness from the cinnamon. I usually don't like a sweetened tea, but the small amount of honey used here is a real enhancement. Don't skip it even if you are tempted to. It really brings out the flavors in this cup.

I hope you enjoy a steaming cup of tea today. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Mulan's Campfire Brew

Today I am pleased to introduce a project I have been working on for months! I am a serious tea drinker. Serious, in that I drink a lot of it, and I know how I like my tea. I would not go so far as to say that I am snobby about my tea; I love a steaming cup of Constant Comment from Bigelow, or Lady Grey from Twinings, as much as I love my French Spice Quartet from Teavana. But I would say this, Starbucks, you have a lot to learn about tea. It is NOT coffee.

As a tea connoisseur, I have been blending my own flavored teas for a while. I still purchase my favorite blends; there is no match for Disney's Mad Tea Party Blend. I always get compliments on it when I serve it at sorority meetings, so I stock up whenever we are in the parks! But I think Disney could do more with princess tea parties and tea blends specific to the princesses. After all, they've done a marvelous job with their cosmetics lines.

So in an effort to accomplish that very task, I've begun blending teas and flavors for my very own teas dedicated to the Disney Princesses. And today we start with Mulan to help celebrate the coming Chinese New Year! If you've never tried Lapsang Souchoung tea, it can be rather surprising. It's a smoked tea and there is no doubt about it. In fact, I had to ask Mr. Photos from the Parks to please store it in the garage while I was pregnant with our last baby! The aroma can be quite strong. But when I'm not pregnant, I love the smoky aroma of the tea. It certainly evokes the feeling of sitting around the campfire. I think it's best when prepared more like a chai. If you've never tried it, I suggest taking a gamble and giving it a go. It's not for everyone, but if you like it, it can be a welcome change in the tea rotation. And if you happen to be in the Animal Kingdom, stop by my favorite Tea Kiosk in Asia: The Royal Anandapur Tea Company and see if they are serving it; I know I've had it on occasion there.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!