The Steeping Chronicles

I'm Erica. I'm a tea sommelier here in San Antonio, a mom of five, and this all started at my own kitchen table in a season when a hot cup was about the only thing I could manage. Then my kids started sitting down with me. We talked. This is where I put the things people actually ask me: how to host a tea party without losing a whole week to it, what to send when you don't know what to say, and why your green tea tastes like regret. Pick the part you came for.

A cup of green tea poured for a daily habit, not a diet
Know Your Tea

Green Tea and Weight Loss. It's NOT A Diet

Diets are temporary. Habits are life. Here is how green tea became part of my everyday rhythm, and what it actually does for energy, stress, and cravings.

Know Your Tea

Green Tea and Weight Loss. It's NOT A Diet

Diets are temporary. Habits are life. Here is how green tea became part of my everyday rhythm, and what it actually does for energy, stress, and cravings.

Cup of green tea in a teacup and saucer, brewed smooth instead of bitter
Know Your Tea

It's Not Bitter, You're Just Brewing It Wrong. The Truth About Green Tea

Bitter green tea is nearly always a brewing problem, not a tea problem. Cooler water, a shorter steep, and better leaves turn the same cup sweet.

Know Your Tea

It's Not Bitter, You're Just Brewing It Wrong. The Truth About Green Tea

Bitter green tea is nearly always a brewing problem, not a tea problem. Cooler water, a shorter steep, and better leaves turn the same cup sweet.

“Stop Eating So Healthy”: Why I’ll Sip Green Tea and Smile Every Time
Know Your Tea

“Stop Eating So Healthy”: Why I’ll Sip Green Tea and Smile Every Time

A green tea daily ritual built on joy, not guilt. A Texas tea party host on why one small cup beat every January resolution she ever tried.

Know Your Tea

“Stop Eating So Healthy”: Why I’ll Sip Green Tea and Smile Every Time

A green tea daily ritual built on joy, not guilt. A Texas tea party host on why one small cup beat every January resolution she ever tried.

Erica Powers and her family at Christmas, the story behind A Tea Party In A Box
Pour Into Yourself

My Christmas Story

My son's favorite memory is the last snow before everything changed. This is the story of the Christmas that broke, and the cup of tea that started putting us back together.

Pour Into Yourself

My Christmas Story

My son's favorite memory is the last snow before everything changed. This is the story of the Christmas that broke, and the cup of tea that started putting us back together.

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps
Pour Into Yourself

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps

The Steeping Chronicles, REAL side. The yearly debate with my mom about traveling for Thanksgiving, why I am choosing gratitude anyway, and the teas I am packing this year.

Pour Into Yourself

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps

The Steeping Chronicles, REAL side. The yearly debate with my mom about traveling for Thanksgiving, why I am choosing gratitude anyway, and the teas I am packing this year.

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion
Host a Tea Party

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion

Ten tea party outfit ideas, from big hats and fascinators to pearls, blazers, and wide-legged pants. Plus the exact wording to put the dress code on your invitation so no guest has to guess.

Host a Tea Party

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion

Ten tea party outfit ideas, from big hats and fascinators to pearls, blazers, and wide-legged pants. Plus the exact wording to put the dress code on your invitation so no guest has to guess.

Questions I get asked

Who writes The Steeping Chronicles?

I do. Every word. I'm Erica Powers, the tea sommelier who packs the boxes and sets the tables. The blog shares its name with my newsletter and it has the same 2 sides: the sweet side, and the real side where the honest stories live.

What kind of tea party do you write about?

The kind you can actually pull off on a Saturday. Bridal and baby showers, birthdays, church and senior groups, office gatherings, Galentine's, watch parties, and a table set for one on a Tuesday. I write for the woman hosting it, not for a magazine shoot.

Do I need china and a teapot to host a tea party?

No. You need hot water, something to steep in, and a table people can sit at. My own collection started as mismatched cups I picked up one at a time. If you want the vintage look without buying 40 of them, I rent china around San Antonio and my team washes every piece afterward.

Where do I start if I have never brewed loose leaf tea?

Start in Know Your Tea. Water that is too hot and leaves left in too long are what turn a good cup bitter, and both are easy to fix. Then pick 1 blend and brew it 3 times before you decide how you feel about it.

Send Someone a Tea Party

I started packing these boxes so I could send my kitchen table to people I could not get to in person. Every one holds loose leaf tea and something to do while it steeps, because the part that matters is the hour you sit down for. Pick the one that sounds like the person you are sending it to.

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