Welcome the freshness of spring with our Green Tea-Infused Spring Salad. This light, refreshing dish perfectly marries the healthful benefits of green tea with the crisp, vibrant flavors of the season. Ideal for a wholesome lunch or a delightful side, this salad not only tantalizes your taste buds but also infuses your day with an extra dose of antioxidants. Let's dive into the flavors of spring with a tea-inspired twist.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Salad:

  • 4 cups mixed spring greens (arugula, spinach, and romaine)
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

• For the Green Tea Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup brewed green tea, cooled
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Brew the Green Tea:
   Start by brewing the green tea. Steep 1 tablespoon of loose-leaf green tea in 1/4 cup of hot water for about 3 minutes. Strain and allow the tea to cool completely.

2. Prepare the Vinaigrette:
   In a small bowl, whisk together the cooled green tea, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the mixture is well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Assemble the Salad:
   In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed spring greens, sliced strawberries, cucumber, and red onion. Toss gently to mix.

4. Dress the Salad:
   Drizzle the green tea vinaigrette over the salad, tossing until the ingredients are evenly coated.

5. Garnish and Serve:
   Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and chopped walnuts over the top of the salad. Serve immediately, offering extra vinaigrette on the side if desired.

This Green Tea-Infused Spring Salad pairs beautifully with a variety of teas. Consider serving it alongside a cold brew jasmine tea for a floral complement, or a light oolong tea for a slightly toasty contrast. The natural flavors of the salad will be enhanced by the tea, creating a symphony of springtime delight on your palate.

Welcome the freshness of spring and the joy of Easter with our Lemon Earl Grey Cake. Infused with the citrusy notes of lemon and the distinctive flavor of Earl Grey tea, this cake is a celebration in every slice. Perfect for an Easter gathering or a cozy tea time, it pairs beautifully with our range of teas, enhancing each bite with subtle, comforting flavors.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 4 Earl Grey tea bags
• 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• For the Glaze:
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat and Prepare:
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

2. Infuse the Milk:
   Warm the milk without boiling it, then steep the Earl Grey tea bags in the milk for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags to extract maximum flavor and discard them.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients:
   In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Cream Butter and Sugar:
   In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice.

5. Combine:
   Alternately add the dry ingredients and the infused milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

6. Bake:
   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Glaze:
   Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a smooth glaze. Adjust the consistency with more lemon juice or powdered sugar if needed. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

8. Serve and Enjoy:
   Serve slices of this Lemon Earl Grey Cake with a pot of your favorite tea. The zesty flavors will complement any tea selection, making it a perfect dessert for Easter or any springtime gathering.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: Approximately 20 truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves
• 8 ounces (225g) high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Cocoa powder, for dusting
• Optional for decoration: white chocolate and food coloring

Instructions:

1. Infuse the Cream: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat, add the Earl Grey tea leaves, and allow them to steep for 5 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the tea leaves, pressing on them to extract maximum flavor. Discard the leaves.

2. Make Ganache: Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Reheat the infused cream until it simmers again, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir gently until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If any chocolate pieces remain unmelted, you can gently heat the mixture over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method), stirring until smooth.

3. Chill: Cover the ganache with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until the ganache is firm enough to shape.

4. Shape the Truffles: Once chilled, use a melon baller or a small spoon to scoop out portions of the ganache. Roll between your palms quickly to form balls. If the mixture becomes too soft, return it to the refrigerator to firm up.

5. Decorate: Roll the truffles in cocoa powder for a classic finish. For an Easter touch, melt white chocolate, divide it into small batches, and tint each with food coloring. Drizzle or dip the truffles to add festive colors. Allow to set before serving.

6. Serving Suggestion: Serve these luxurious Earl Grey-infused chocolate truffles with a selection of teas. The complex flavors of the truffles will beautifully complement the tea, creating a memorable dessert experience for your Easter gathering.

As Women's Day approaches, we at Mrs Doyle's Tea take a moment to honor the strength, grace, and resilience of women around the globe. Women's Day isn't just a date on the calendar; it's a celebration of the achievements and progress made towards gender equality and women's rights. It's a day to reflect on the journey of women, from the battles fought by our ancestors to the strides we're making today towards a more inclusive and equitable world.

At Mrs Doyle's Tea, we believe in the power of a cup of tea to bring people together, to offer comfort, and to ignite conversations that matter. Tea has been a companion to women through the ages, a witness to conversations, dreams, and moments of solitude. In many cultures, tea symbolizes hospitality, peace, and community—values that resonate with the essence of Women's Day.

This Women's Day, let's brew a cup of tea in honor of the incredible women in our lives. Whether it's a robust black tea reflecting the strength of women who have paved the way, a soothing herbal blend symbolizing the care and nurturing women provide, or a vibrant green tea mirroring the hope and renewal women bring into the world, each sip is a tribute to their contributions and achievements.

Our range of teas at Mrs Doyle's Tea is crafted to celebrate the diverse roles and stories of women. We invite you to join us in this celebration by sharing a cup with the important women in your life, discussing their stories, dreams, and the change they wish to see in the world. Let each cup remind us of the progress made and inspire us to continue pushing for equality and respect for all.

On Women's Day, let's raise our cups to toast to empowerment, equality, and the enduring spirit of women everywhere. Here's to more conversations, more achievements, and more moments shared over a cup of tea. Happy Women's Day from all of us at Mrs Doyle's Tea.

Black tea has remarkable benefits for the skin, including reducing puffiness under the eyes and freckles on the skin. Drinking Black tea reduces body inflammation because of it has high antioxidant. also, it helps skin and hair health.

Black tea has minerals, zinc, magnesium and calcium. It also contains vitamins E, C and B2. Drinking black tea has unique benefits for the skin. Its mask also has a tremendous effect on the beauty of the skin.

Black tea makes the skin rejuvenate

black tea contains a lot of polyphenols and antioxidants, drinking it helps to relieve wrinkles and facial wrinkles, which also rejuvenates the skin.

Treatment of skin infections

Black tea contains a large amount of flavonoids that prevent and treat skin infections.

Treatment of acne and facial pimples

Drinking black tea can reduce acne or facial pimples on the skin. because it has anti -inflammatory and antimicrobial substance.

 Treatment of skin brown spots

Due to its strong antioxidant ,it detoxifies the body, which can also be effective in the treatment of skin brown spots.

Use black tea as a natural sunscreen

Some dermatologists believe that black tea contains a lot of strong antioxidants that drinking it, protects the skin from UV radiation. It also reduces sunburn.

Treatment of black circle under the eyes

Black tea contains some caffeine that drinks it improves blood circulation in the skin under the eyes, which will greatly help treat black and puffiness under the eyes.

Prevention of skin cancer with black tea

As mentioned, black tea contains a lot of antioxidants, which also improves all types of cancers, especially skin cancer.

Belleek Classic Shamrock Mrs Doyle Mug

Belleek has partnered with the Mrs Doyle's Tea to bring everyone two great branded Mrs Doyle's Belleek Mugs, in the fantastic classic Belleek style !

We think it's time that we all came together and enjoyed the Best Tea on the Island from a beautiful Belleek mug!  

These two great mugs are a modern take on the Belleek iconic Shamrock tableware and they are just perfect for Irish Christmas gifts and new years gifts.

 First the large contemporary mug shape which features a ring of embossed shamrocks and the famous Mrs Doyle logo.

It's really functional and durable, this will make a lovely gift and comes packaged in the classic Belleek green gift box.

•  Unique Gift , Made in Ireland , Measures: 11.4 cmD x 9.2 cmH

Our second Mug is Mrs Doyle's Tall tea Belleek Mug , and it is totally the best way to drink the best tea on the Island ! So Go On go...

• Made In Ireland, Hand painted, Measures 11cmW x 11.5cmH x 325ml/12flozC

Easy Irish Soda Bread recipe

 Sometimes making homemade bread feels like it could be difficult and time consuming, but it's your lucky day. Mrs Doyle's Irish soda bread can be made quickly and easily by almost anyone. Yes this is a shortcut bread but it certainly doesn’t skimp on flavor. 

Irish soda bread is so easy because it only needs a few ingredients, and the one that makes it taste so good is buttermilk. The buttermilk is so important because it reacts with the baking soda and so permits the bread’s leavening, and of course it gives the bread that great flavor, so with a cup of the best Irish tea and a slice of soda bread you can relax and if you are living far away from Ireland or if you are with friends and family you will always feel at home with this great soda bread and a nice cup of Mrs Doyle's tea .  

• Mrs Doyle soda bread recipe gives a bread that has a golden brown crust and also a dense crumb, just lovely. Mrs Doyle's Irish bread isn’t heavy, it’s really tender and soft, the crust is perfectly crisp as soon as it comes out of the oven,  and in a day or too it's even better and it is the perfect bread for an great Irish breakfast , so if you are sending a friend or relative an Irish gift for Christmas or a Irish gift hamper well why not make up Mrs Doyle's Irish soda bread and send it to them as well Go On Go

• So how do you make the best Irish soda bread? The method

• First whisk buttermilk and one egg together, at the same time whisk a little sugar, flour, baking soda, together in another bowl. Now cut some butter into the flour mixture, remember that cutting the butter into the flour is an important step, and this is how you get the great flaky texture. Go on use your hands and mix it up, and then using a very good knife, score the dough, so that heat gets into the center so that the bread will bake well. Also please note that Irish soda bread can be made with out an egg, it's really up to you. However an egg will add a little richness to the soda bread. Feel free to skip it to make a slightly lighter loaf. No other changes necessary, and if eggs are not for you ,simply leave out the egg. Finally  bake until it's golden brown as easy as it gets .

IRISH HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS

It’s interesting to learn that many of the traditions that we all think of as part of American Halloween  have their roots in Irish Halloween traditions. So how did  holloween become part of American culture ? well Irish immigrants to the US brought these fantastic traditions to America, and so an Irish tradition became part of the mainstream of American culture! 

The famous Trick or treating originally  comes when poor Irish children who went door to door to request money and food.  The children would sing prayers and  in reward they would get soul cake which is a kind of bread with lots of  fruits. Turnip  Lanterns were also very  famous in Irish Halloween tradition.  These lanterns were carved from turnips or even  large potatoes.

SLICE OF BARMBRACK TELLS YOUR FORTUNE

It seems  a little filtered tea into at least one of your daily glasses of water could provide you with enough wrinkle-fighting antioxidants and detoxifying botanicals to keep you looking young and also feeling fresher than when you were 21.

Our skin is the largest organ we have, the secret of great glowing skin is to be healthy. Organic green teas have lots of polyphenols which can help fight free radicals and so help prevent skin damage from UV light, which is one of the main causes of  wrinkles. 

When we get a little older we have more exposure to UV light, and your skin can look old and it can even change the skins colour. In some studies Oolong tea has been found to have skin lighting abilities and may decrease the amount of melanin at the cellular level. 

Does green tea help your skin? 

Green tea can help ease the removal of extra fluids and also help accelerate toxin elimination, adding a little hint of grapefruit to green tea gives a sweet kick to the to it , and can also help to even out your complexion.

Perhaps one of the reasons we have a little feeling of pure pleasure is because tea drinking can help lower the post stress cortisol levels. Cortisol is a common steroid hormone and has many roles like controlling blood sugar levels and can act as an anti-inflammatory and also help to influencing memory formation and help control your blood pressure. Also Teas made with cinnamon can help curb some peoples appetite? How cinnamon works is not exactly known but it is believed that it keeps blood glucose levels stable and so reduces cravings, so adding cinnamon to food can help reduce glucose levels after eating .

This month our recommended teas are Chillout tea

 Chill out tea can be a great green tea, its a nice simple mixture of green tea, cucumber, mint, and is crisp and refreshing and helps at working in collagen-boosting antioxidants.

So Go On there are so many good things about enjoying a nice cup of tea,

Go On be nice to your self !