Stars and stripes and tea — oh my! Tis the season for red, white, and blue, and so it’s also time for these colors to prevail during your tea time to celebrate the 4th of July. From dishes to foods to linens and beyond. Lots and lots of ideas abound on how to decorate, so I thought I would present a few here. But then I came across a blog post dated May 27, 2013, that already did that. So, instead here are some items of a less than cliché nature that have popped up on Facebook (I haven’t linked directly to these postings, but you should be able to find them fairly easily):

Rock Recipes’ wonderful plum tart as tasty as it looks! (screen capture from Facebook)

Kim Hyun Ji tempts us with this wondrous iced tea photo (screen capture from Facebook)

We may no longer be a British colony, but we can still “go British” at tea time. (screen capture from Facebook)

Williams-Sonoma is getting into the spirit of the occasion with this assortment. (screen capture from Facebook)

Now, THIS is a teapot! Bravo, Teaware & Accoutrements. (screen capture from Facebook)

What would any celebration be without chocolate? Downright boring! Make your own with Chocolate Making Fun! (screen capture from Facebook)

Of course, the owners of this blog feature a host of appropriate teawares and teas for this important occasion. I got creative and formed this US flag out of red, white, and blue Amsterdam teapots:

Here are some red, white, and blue flavored teas and tisanes:

• Blue Lagoon Herbal — Dive in to this caffeine-free herbal beverage that delights whether you serve it hot or cold (in fact, it makes great popsicles for the kids). Made from caramel, naturally dried apple pieces, hibiscus, rosehip, dried orange, and cornflower petals.

• Mercedes Apple Spice — An herbal infusion sporting a flavor that is intensely apple yet mildly sweet and spicily cinnamon. Delicious and full of vitamins.

• Bingo Blueberry Herbal — A full flavored beverage with a strong blueberry character. The liquid color is light burgundy and makes a great iced tea that is, of course, caffeine free!

• Strawberry Tingle Rooibos — Outstanding strawberry flavor in perfect harmony with rooibos. Fruity and caffeine free. Try it chilled or iced!

• Adams Peak White Tea — A high-grown silver tip white tea from the Nuwara Eliya region of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). It is hand rolled, making a delicate, light copper color liquid with a taste of pine and honey. One of the few white teas from outside of China. The little buds are covered with silver hairs, giving them a white appearance. The heady aroma is unique and somewhat piney, and the taste is subtle.

Don’t forget the fireworks! And stay safe.

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles here.

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