StripTeas by Kamelia:Luxe | Treat yourself ... no strings attached.

Spiced Tea Infused Vanilla Pancakes

2009-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

So now that it's down to 60 degrees in LA (brrr says the Boston girl - how did that happen?), I decided to spend my Sunday morning making a hot cozy breakfast with -you guessed it- tea. There was talk of pumpkin pancakes and all sorts of yummy Thanksgiving varieties last week, but I wanted to try something different for December. I used a standard pancake mix since I figured that's what most people do (?) but you can also just substitute the tea for milk in your favorite homemade recipe with a few additions noted below.

Spiced Tea Infused Vanilla Pancakes

Your favorite pancake recipe without the milk
3/4 c water
1-2 StripTeas tea strips (combination of Kashmiri Kahwa and Masala Chai is nice)
1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
1 T sugar or 1.5 t Splenda

Make your mix as usual, but while you combine the ingredients (aka mix, egg, perhaps oil), make a cup of strong tea that will be your substitute for the milk called for in your recipe. I used one strip of Kashmiri Kahwa and one strip of Masala Chai in 3/4 cup water. Once they steep about 6 minutes and make a nice dark tea, add 1/4 c milk to the mug and let it sit another few minutes, swirling the strip a few times while your griddle or pan heats up. Add the vanilla and the sweetener to the bowl.

Once the tea mixture is fragrant and strong, pour over the other ingredients and whisk. Once pan is hot, cook your pancakes as you usually do. The pancakes will be slightly darker in color due mostly to the vanilla, but the texture will be light and fluffy as usual.

Serve hot with your favorite toppings. I prefer applesauce, but maple syrup or plain yogurt sprinkled with slivered almonds is delicious too.

Enjoy!

TeaEscapade Review of Pushkar Rose

2009-04-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Nikki, for reviewing our Pushkar Rose blend. Reviews of Kashmiri Kahwa and Mint will follow soon!

http://tiny.cc/VtuPO

StripTeas on DailyObsession.net!

2009-04-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks Carolyn for the great write-up on Daily Obsession! We love your site!

"I’m sure founder Emily Koteff didn’t quite have this in mind, but StripTeas is my favorite new…office gear. It’s true- I’m loving the uniquely packaged, delicious tea strips (love a good play on words too) and it looks so cute and fits right in with the rest of my colorful desk decoration. Plus it provides a nice (and often necessary) pick me up at various points throughout the workday- say when my computer crashes or when people are sending me super annoying emails.

I love that I don’t have to deal with the mess of tea bags and being able to swirl the tube in my cup. According to StripTeas, that actually makes the tea taste better because it allows the leaves to move about and the flavor to come out. These are certainly some of the tastiest teas I’ve had, so they must be right! Plus, my coworkers are always asking me what I’m drinking and equally impressed by the clever packaging. Check out the 7 flavor variety pack for $12.95. They were all so yummy I couldn’t pick a favorite!"

www.thedailyobsession.net

Jamie's Precious Peas Winner

2009-03-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Natasha of Alexandria, TN who won a box of StripTeas through Jamie's Precious Peas blog. Enjoy!

I just stubbed my toe

2009-03-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

I know, I know -- that's one of those phrases you see on Twitter and think, Really? But I just stubbed my toe on the leg of my grill and I am pretty excited about it. It means that I am outside barefoot, which seems like a small thing, but after spending a week on the east coast where snow was still on the ground and I had to pile on the comforters, it actually made me smile rather than wince. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing to complain about after spending a week with friends and family, planning my wedding and seeing my fiance's film on the big screen in New York City.

But we've had some ups and downs in our lives lately that make you stop you in your tracks and remind you to be grateful. So that's what I'm doing -- being grateful for stubbing my toe.

What does this have to do with tea? Well, nothing really. Except that now I'll be coming up with some fun iced tea recipes and sharing the good ones soon. My latest vision is StripTeas Sangria. We'll see how that one turns out....

Heavy Tea Drinkers Have Lower Stroke Risk

2009-02-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

Some interesting health news from my hometown Boston news channel ...

"The more tea you drink, the less likely you are to have a stroke, according to a new study. Researchers from UCLA found that people who drink three cups of tea a day are 21 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who don't drink any tea. Study author Lenore Arab said it did not matter if people drank green tea or black tea, though herbal teas were not associated with a risk reduction.

To come up with the result, Arab and her team reviewed nine studies, which had 195,000 patients and more than 4,000 strokes in total. She said that if people added three more cups of tea a day, their risk would drop another 21 percent. Arab suggested that antioxidants in tea could prevent coronary artery disease and prevent strokes, though that has not been confirmed. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Stroke."

Scarlet's Letter Review

2009-02-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Amber, for trying out my teas and writing such a great review of the line. And congratulations to Nikki and Donna, Scarlet's Letter readers, on their win of a box of tea of their choice!

"I love tea. I like to say that it's part of the reason I haven't had a full on cold in about two years. I don't drink soda, I haven't had one sip in the past 5 years, so tea is an awesome alternative for me. I also love cute girly things, like lipstick and flirty designs. So when I recently stumbled upon StripTeas I was seriously smitten. How cute are these?? Just what is a StripTeas, you ask? Not your average tea bag, that's for sure! StripTeas is a cute single serving of tea in a recyclable aluminium package. They literally look like cute "strips" that you can dunk into your mug and brew some delicious and exotic tea for yourself, one serving at a time. StripTeas was started by Emily Koteff. Emily came up with the awesome idea to bring these fun single serving tea strips to America after venturing to India and seeing how much love and quality goes into the tea there, the exotic scents and flavors of the tea. Discover flavors such as Darjeeling, Sweet Khus, Mint, Masala Chai and more. These teas are a cute alternative to the regular tea we see in many stores today, and these would even make awesome gifts for baby showers or bridesmaids. StripTeas even has their very own blog!

Visit Amber's blog: www.scarletsletter.net and see what other fun products for women she loves - both naughty and nice :)

Old news is new to me!

2009-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Google, for alerting me to this review, written by Chelsea in Seattle last October when my teas were first making their way into the world. I now offer seven blends instead of six and have moved from Seattle to Los Angeles, but I love what she had to say!

"I was visiting my favorite coffee shop, Muse Coffee Co. this weekend on Queen Anne and discovered Brent is carrying a new, hip, spectacular, fun, yummy tea called Strip Teas.

The design of these little puppies is just ingenious. In a tall aluminum foil perforated pocket, the entire tea "strip" is environmentally sound and 100% recyclable. The unique shape allows for the tea leaves within to unfurl releasing the fantastic flavors into the water and is the perfect shape to act double duty as a stir stick!

Packaging is just charming and the teas come in six spectacular flavors including Masala Chai (a black tea with ginger, pepper, basil and a touch of cinnamon), Pushkar Rose (just as it sounds, flavored with rose) and Maristar (with marigold petals and sweet anise).

Strip Teas is the brain child of Emily Koteff who lives here in Seattle, so support a local business woman and pick up a cup of Strip Teas at Muse Coffee Co. today"

From ILikeGranola.com

2009-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Jamie, for featuring StripTeas on your blog!

To embrace your inner stripper and get everyone in the mood for a fun class, start the night off with some tasty and totally girly teas from Kamelia: Luxe called StripTeas. Kamelia Luxe’s line of StripTeas is anything but ordinary - not only do these fun little tea strips taste great, but they have unique packaging as well. Instead of a regular old tea bag, StripTeas are whole leaf teas that come in aluminum tea strips that you simply drop in your cup, let seep and then enjoy. No strings attached just like your Valentine’s Day night out with the girls. Get 10% off your order of a 12 pack of Kamelia Luxe’s StripTeas (which includes all seven blends: Darjeeling, Kashmiri Kahwa, Maristar, Masala Chai, Mint, Pushkar Rose, and Sweet Khus) by using this discount on all orders before February 7: Feb14VIP.

Strip Teas Giveaway

2009-01-27T15:40:00.001-08:00

As if a fabulous feature wasn't enough, LAPretty.com is giving away three boxes of StripTeas before Valentine's Day! Enter to win on their site!

http://www.lapretty.com/2009/01/stripteas-giveaway.html

"Give your bf that StripTeas you've always promised" - LA Pretty

2009-01-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today on the fabulous LAPretty.com:

"As you may have guessed from our last post, we LA Pretties are getting pumped up for Valentine's Day. I even started my day off with a super sexy breakfast compliments of LA-based StripTeas.

StripTeas is the culmination of an East-meets-West partnership between LA Pretty Emily Koteff and genuine tea guru Mridul Tiwari from Jaipur, India. Available in 7 flavors, the teas were personally created by Tiwari who also creates teas for the five-star Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, the exclusive Trident Hilton and the luxurious Palace on Wheels.

These teas are far too special to be served up in plain ol' bags! Their fresh, whole leaves and exotic herbs instead come in cute "strips" which allow for the tea leaves to move around in the hot water so that their flavors come alive. Want an even more intense flavor? Then swizzle that puppy around and give those yummy tea leaves even more room to move.
Regular tea bags can also contain adhesives and even bleaches which will compromise flavor. Instead, StripTeas use aluminum foil to package their leaves, the same material used for organic coffee and fine chocolates.

Pick up some boxes, including one that contains all seven varieties, from their online store (enter Feb14VIP before 2/7 and get 10% off your order!), or from Clever (2823 Main Street, Santa Monica)."

http://www.lapretty.com/2009/01/you-can-finally-get-your-bf-that.html

Mention on Gifts & Decorative Accessories Market Report

2009-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

So excited to see StripTeas (one-month-old, seven-months-old ... close enough right?) on the Gifts & Decorative Accessories Market Report from the Dallas Gift Show on www.giftsanddec.com.

"One-month-old Stripteas by Kamelia Luxe offers flavored teas in recyclable aluminum. The line includes flavors like Pushkar Rose, Darjeeling and Sweet Khus. The teas come packaged in a set of 12." The best part is the photo, one of only a few from the whole market!

To read the whole article, click here: http://www.giftsanddec.com/article/CA6630697.html?nid=2401&rid=3543587

Happy New Year

2009-01-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

Only two weeks late, right? :/

There has been lots going on, most recently a fabulous tea party at Clever in Santa Monica. Over a dozen lovely ladies showed up for tea, scones, finger sandwiches, and champagne. It was a delight to meet everybody and I hope to host more tea parties soon. Thanks so much to Radka, owner of Clever, for such a great night out.

I'm also pleased to announce that StripTeas will be making its first appearance at a trade show this week at the Dallas Gift Market! Apparently 250,000 people come to shop each year - yikes! I'm thrilled to be in the Portico Collection showroom with other fabulous lines hand-selected by a wonderful group of women, all veterans of the retail industry, whose taste and style are obviously top notch :)

And lastly, I want to thank James Lemmo for his beautiful product photography, which is now featured on my website. I also never thanked Beau Gunderson for the wonderful close-ups of the teas, as well as the time and effort he put into my site's launch. Couldn't have done it without him!

I'm currently perfecting a delicious Maristar cocktail once teatime is over and happy hour begins, so check back soon for the recipe!

Buy Strip Teas locally!

2008-12-08T20:15:00.001-08:00

I am thrilled to announce that you can now purchase Strip Teas locally in Santa Monica, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY!

But if you are anywhere else, don't forget your 15% off coupon code when purchasing online (VIP2008) ...only for those in the know :)

Muse Cofffee, Seattle
There will forever be a soft spot in my heart for Brent Martin and his fabulous coffee shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Brent was my first ever order, and if you just want to enjoy a cup of Strip Teas tea prepared by one of the nicest guys on the planet in a super cool setting, head straight over to Muse @ 1907 10th Ave W. Tell him Emily from Strip Teas sent you!

Clever, Santa Monica
Clever is an adorable boutique on Main Street in Santa Monica featuring fabulous gifts, apparel, and accessories for just about any woman in your life. It is one of those stores where you feel like you could buy everything in sight because the merchandise is so carefully selected and beautifully displayed. I feel so honored to be included in owner Radka Opalka's array of beautiful things. When you stop by, be sure to check out Radka's jewelry collection - her work is gorgeous. And did I mention the live music, cocktails, and cookies Radka dishes out on a regular basis? I'm not sure it gets any better.

Brunette Mix, Seattle
Part hair salon, part boutique, Brunette Mix is a great find in West Seattle. And I'm particularly happy to be on the shelves of Brunette Mix because of its location in Seattle, coffee capital of the United States. Owner Bj Prokopof has beautiful jewelry, candles, books, bags, and other unique finds in the front of her shop and a full-service hair salon in the back. When I visited Bj the first time, it instantly felt like Brunette Mix was a neighborhood hangout. The women, both working and the customers, were laid back and obviously enjoying each others' company on a cozy, rainy Tuesday morning. I was so encouraged by their enthusiasm for Strip Teas and I hope you will stop by and visit them (and buy some tea of course!).

Museum of Sex Gift Shop, New York, NY
Yes, you read that right. For those of you who didn't know, yes, there is a Museum of Sex in Manhattan (5th Avenue no less) and yes, they have a gift shop and yes, you can buy Strip Teas there! According to their website, "In 2008, The gift shop at the Museum of Sex was voted the “best place to shop for a Last-Minute Gift” by New York Press." So let your curiosity get the better of you and stop by next time you are in town. I highly recommend a visit to the museum itself and of course, to the gift shop. :)

Welcome to StripTeas!

2008-10-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

For all of you who were trying to search for "strip tease" and just spelled it wrong, sorry to disappoint ;)

I am so thrilled to launch my company and our flagship line of teas: StripTeas. Our whole loose leaf teas are amazing and our packaging will leave you asking why no one has done this sooner! Check out our online store: originalstripteas.com and take a look around. You'll love what you see!

I'll be posting some of our favorite ideas, new developments with the business, products, other businesses we love, and who knows what else here in the upcoming days and weeks.

Thanks for visiting and hope you check back soon!

Emily Koteff, owner
StripTeas by Kamelia:Luxe