September 2023 Newsletter

Hello all!

Just a reminder that the shop is currently closed through Wednesday 9/13 for our last break of the year.

So sorry I meant to get this newsletter out last week several days before our break, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. It is hard to believe that summer is almost over and autumn is just around the corner. I continue to prepare for autumn and our seasonal teas will be available on Thursday 9/21. See the New at the Shop section below for the list of returning customer favorites. And you've asked....I am finally able to deliver - Organic Butterfly Pea Flowers! This is the main topic of this month's newsletter, so you will soon be acquainted with this tisane, if you aren't already.

I am honored and excited to have been selected as an exhibitor at the annual Women's Expo! This will be my thirteenth year exhibiting at the event that showcases women entrepreneurs from Suffolk and Nassau Counties. See below for Expo details and I hope to see you there! :)

Gong Fu Tea Service continues and our summer menu will remain available through the end of the month. Appointments for this seated service are being accepted and I look forward to preparing tea for you during this relaxing and culturally enriching experience. Please see details below :)

I've been organizing the "warehouse" as times allows over the past few months and continue to find a lot of cool pieces of teaware that I forgot I had in inventory. All are one-off pieces that are defective in some way - designs are a little off, minor chips, missing parts, etc. - but all are perfectly functional as teaware or can be used creatively as planters or bird feeders/houses. They'll be offered in the shop at discounted prices for very minor cosmetic issues and clearance prices for everything else. Be sure to check them out during your next visit and see if there are any treasures that you can use before they are all gone.

I again appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you much health and great tasting cups of tea in 2023!

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Blended up fresh batches of Guayusa Sage Lavender Organic Herbal Tisane and Turmeric Spice Organic Herbal Tisanes! :)

Be sure to attend this year's Women's Expo!! :)

This annual event showcases the creativity and talent of women entrepreneurs from Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The timing is perfect for the upcoming holiday season, so be sure to stop by to show your support for all of the exhibitors and get some gifts knocked off your list.

When: Thursday, October 5th

Time: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Where: Middle Country Public Library

101 Eastwood Boulevard, Centereach

Check out the event's website womensexpoli.org or Facebook page Women's EXPO LI

***Please note that the shop will be closed this day, since I will be exhibiting at the Expo! I will only have about 80 of my 500+ teas and tisanes and a few accessories and tea ware items for sale, so if you're planning on stopping by to pick up anything particular, please place your order in the online shop and indicate Women's Expo in the Comments section. Please be sure to place your orders no later than Saturday 9/30. After this, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to pull your order together in time to bring with me.***

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And another event to add to your calendar. The West Sayville Fire Department is hosting a Charity Craft Fair and Chinese Auction on Saturday, September 16th. The event is being held in their parking lot (just a few steps east of our shop) from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. All proceeds will be donated to Paws of War, a wonderful organization that gets service dogs to veterans and first responders in need of such a companion. The rain date will be Sunday, September 17th.

Shop Schedule

Please note that the shop is currently closed through Wednesday 9/13 and will be closed on Thursday 10/5 for the Women's Expo.

As a reminder, current hours, along with future long-term schedule changes and policies, can always be found on our shop website infuseteabarny.com.

Gong Fu Tea Service

This Chinese method of tea preparation means "done well" and it requires time and focus, delivering a more aromatic and flavorful infusion than those prepared using the more familiar western method of tea preparation. I am happy to be able to offer this cultural aspect of tea and guide you further through your own tea journey.

This is an appointment only, seated service and, at the moment, is limited to four appointments at a time. Each session lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours (allow 2 hours in case it runs long) and costs $30 paid upon booking. It includes multiple infusions of the tea that you select from the Gong Fu Tea menu and there are 4-7 infusions, depending on the tea selected and as time allows. It also includes a Gong Fu lesson, if you like, so that you may incorporate this method into your own tea ritual at home.

The menu is crafted and rotated seasonally and curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. The summer menu is now available:

• Bi Luo Chun Green Tea - Jiangsu, China
• Tan Huong Tea Co-op Green Tea - Thai Nguyen, Vietnam
• Himalayan Organic White Tea - Nepal
• Jasmine Scented Silver Needle White Tea - Fujian, China
• Si Jie Chun Formosa Wulong Tea - Zhushan, Nantou, Taiwan
• Huang Jin Gui Wulong Tea - Anxi, Fujian, China
• Wild-Grown Hand-Made Black Tea - Georgia (Asia)
• Champawat Estate Organic Black Tea - Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India

Gong Fu Tea appointments are available:

Thursdays & Fridays - 11:30 through 3:00

Sundays - 11:30 through 2:00

Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays.

If you would like to make an appointment for this unique experience, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or reply to this email and put "Gong Fu" as the subject. I look forward to preparing tea for you! :)

Pre-order Reminder

As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop pleasuresoftea.com.

• Please place orders at least 24-hours ahead of desired pick up time, if possible, to ensure that it will be seen in the portal and there is enough time to pull it together in time for your arrival.
• Indicating the approximate date and time of pick up in the Comments section in the Cart helps ensure that your order will be ready for you upon arrival. Pick-ups can only be done during shop hours.
• If you plan to browse at the shop or grab a cup of tea, then please do not pay online - select the Pay at pick-up option. You will receive an emailed notification once your order is ready for pick-up.
• DO NOT send orders to my email or leave on voicemail - they will be lost and most likely will not be seen until weeks after you are looking for them.

Thank you for your continued assistance in helping to serve you in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible! :)

Butterfly Pea Flower Herbal Tisane

Also known as Asian pigeonwings and blue pea, the scientific name of this botanical is Clitoria ternatea. The plant is a member of the pea, bean, and legume family, Fabaceae, and is native to the equitorial areas of South and Southeast Asia. It has been introduced to Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Butterfly Pea is a vining or creeping plant that loves moist, neutral soil.

What is most striking about this plant is its beautiful blue flowers, but sometimes they can be pink or white. It is commonly used as an ornamental due to its attractive flowers, but is also useful in revegetating soils. It can be used as food, as a dye, and, of most interest to us, as a tea.

There are several phytochemicals of note that are present within the colorful flowers. First and foremost are anthocyanins, an antioxidant flavonoid pigment that is the source of the beautiful blues and purples in butterfly pea flowers, blueberries, eggplant, black rice, red onion, and many others. Other primary phytochemicals in the flowers include quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin glycosides, all of which provide antioxidant actions in the body. In addition, there are most likely other as-yet-to-be-identified constituents that are beneficial to human health.

This herb has been used in the Ayurvedic tradition of medicine to address several issues. It is purported to enhance memory and cognitive function, along with improving anxiety and depression. The flowers have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. The root has been used with liver, intestinal, and skin issues. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the flowers have been used to enhance female libido.

In Asia, Butterfly Pea Flowers are often used in culinary and beverage applications to impart beautiful blue or purple hues to the creation. The flowers are often infused along with lemongrass and honey and can be consumed hot or iced. Probably the one thing that has brought Butterfly Pea Flowers out of the shadows of Asia is its "magical" color-changing properties. Add a squeeze of lemon to the infusion and it turns from blue to purple, but it can change to other colors depending on what is added to it.

Our whole organic Butterfly Pea Flowers are from the Petchabun Province in north-central Thailand. The tisane has a soft, sweet, floral aroma and a delicate and pleasantly sweet taste. This herbal tisane will be available in the shop and online shop within a week.

I don't usually do this, but if you would like to help.....

Rosemary Gladstar was one of my first herbal teachers and the sanctuary in Vermont that she created was tremendously impacted by the flooding that took place in the NE last month. I am sharing here the message that was sent out from the sanctuary, which has spearheaded such important work in the world of herbalism for many decades.

​Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary has been a heartstone of the herbal community for over 35 years. As the home and teaching center of legendary herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, this land has not only touched thousands of herbal students but has made a positive impact reaching far beyond its six hundred acres of forest, including its role in the founding of United Plant Savers and catalyzing the medicinal plant conservation movement.

On July 10th, a historic and catastrophic thousand-year-flood swept through Central Vermont. The road to Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary turned into a raging river, stripping the road all the way down to the bedrock.

For decades, Sage Mountain has been a sanctuary to plants, animals, and people. For five years, our 501c3 nonprofit has continued herbalist Rosemary Gladstar's legacy of conservation, education and healing, through wildlife advocacy, botanical research, on site programs and retreats, and afterschool and summer outdoor education for low-income and at-risk youth.

The flood has cut off Sage Mountain's access to the outside world, and forced the cancellation of all of our 2023 revenue-generating programs - revenue which we rely on generating each summer to fuel our entire year of expenses.

Your tax-deductible donation will help sustain the Sanctuary through this long-term disruption. Your contribution not only provides a source of revenue to maintain the Mountain during this time of recovery, but also ensures that we can continue to our most vital programs that support the youth in our region - especially during this time of great community need - by funding the continuation of youth programming in spite of the interruption to our road access.

Each donation - large and small - sustains the work of Sage Mountain during this time of recovery and rebuilding. Thank you for your generosity!

Do you or someone you know need a personal health detective to address chronic wellness issues that can't seem to be resolved? If you haven't tried the FDN approach, then you haven't tried everything. Make 2023 your best year yet!

As a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner, I help clients get to the root of their health and wellness issues and reclaim the vitality that they very much deserve. I offer fully customized, programs that are unique to each client and that incorporate holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past fifteen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and personalized level than I can offer in the shop. In addition to the new tools in my toolbox, I will continue to draw from my experience in using tea for health, along with my herbalism training, during the development of the comprehensive protocols that will be specific to the bio-individualized needs of each client. I will educate and empower you to make the choices that are best for YOUR health so that you can be your own health advocate moving forward. I look forward to showing you what I can do to help you achieve your wellness goals and enjoy continued vitality well into the future!

To learn more, please visit https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. If you are ready to make the investment in your wellness, then I would be happy to discuss the potential opportunity with you. You may book a complimentary discovery call directly through the website so I can learn about your issues and you can learn more about how I work and how my approach is different from the conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches that you have already experienced. I also have an email address specific for Vitality Holistic Wellness business and I ask that all inquiries regarding these services be directed to kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net.

The website also shares My Why - the reasons why I am so passionate about this approach to health and wellness. This is a very personal experience for me and I share my 32-year journey toward finding health and wellness and dealing with autoimmunity and a compromised immune system, among many other issues that you or someone you know may be experiencing. I hear from so many of you about your own chronic wellness issues and I share my story as a way to connect and open the door and show that there is hope…even after 32 years! If you would like to read my health story, please click here. It is long, so make sure you have a big mug of tea :)

I also email out a newsletter with health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving the Vitality Newsletter, then feel free to sign up while you're at the website!

New at the Shop

Your favorite autumn blends will be available on Thursday 9/21! All of the following are returning: Apple Molasses Black Tea, Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black & Green Tea with Yerba Maté Blend, Maple Walnut Green Tea, Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Crème Herbal Tisane, and Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane. And also Butterfly Pea Flowers Organic Herbal Tisane. All will be available in the shop and online shop by 9/21.

Pumpkin Pie Macarons and Apple Cranberry Walnut Povitica will also be back in stock in time for the first day of autumn!

A limited supply of the following summer teas are still available: Minted Coconut Lime Green Tea, Coconut Fruit Punch Fruit Tisane, Kiwi Peach Fruit Tisane, and Watermelon Fruit Tisane. All are available in the shop and online shop, so be sure to grab them before they are gone!

Infuse Tea Bar & The Pleasures of Tea

106 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

www.infuseteabarny.com - shop

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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500+ Loose Leaf Teas, Herbal Tisanes & Functional/Medicinal Herbs

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Forever Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, MRC Healthy Gut Practitioner & Certified Terrain Advocate - Vitality Holistic Wellness