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.

Tea tasting at home: 3 matching cups of Rooibos, Apple Pie and Chai with a notepad
Know Your Tea

How to Do a Tea Tasting at Home: A Sommelier's 3-Cup Method

3 teas, 3 matching cups, one timer. How a tea sommelier runs a tea tasting at home, with a simple score card and a way to taste together on screen.

Know Your Tea

How to Do a Tea Tasting at Home: A Sommelier's 3-Cup Method

3 teas, 3 matching cups, one timer. How a tea sommelier runs a tea tasting at home, with a simple score card and a way to taste together on screen.

Three teapots on a table set for a tea party with mismatched teacups and a tiered tray
Know Your Tea

Which Tea to Serve at a Tea Party: Black, Herbal and Dessert Blends by Guest

3 teas for up to 10 guests, 6 for more, and always 1 without caffeine. Which blend to hand which guest, and how many sachets go in the pot.

Know Your Tea

Which Tea to Serve at a Tea Party: Black, Herbal and Dessert Blends by Guest

3 teas for up to 10 guests, 6 for more, and always 1 without caffeine. Which blend to hand which guest, and how many sachets go in the pot.

Apple tea recipe: an Apple Pie tea latte with cinnamon foam beside the tea box
Know Your Tea

Two Fall Harvest Tea Recipes: Apple Pie Tea Latte and Hot Spiced Cider Tea

Two fall drinks I make with 1 sachet and what is already in the pantry: an Apple Pie tea latte, and a hot spiced cider tea built on a Fireball sachet.

Know Your Tea

Two Fall Harvest Tea Recipes: Apple Pie Tea Latte and Hot Spiced Cider Tea

Two fall drinks I make with 1 sachet and what is already in the pantry: an Apple Pie tea latte, and a hot spiced cider tea built on a Fireball sachet.

Kitchen table with one cup of tea poured and a chair pulled out, a gift idea for busy moms
Tea Gifts

Holiday Gifts for the Mom Who Never Sits Down

She does not need another thing to manage. She needs 20 minutes and a reason to take them. Holiday gift ideas from a mom of 5 who knows.

Tea Gifts

Holiday Gifts for the Mom Who Never Sits Down

She does not need another thing to manage. She needs 20 minutes and a reason to take them. Holiday gift ideas from a mom of 5 who knows.

Pink tea party ideas for October: a table set with blush napkins and 1 flower at each place
Host a Tea Party

How to Host a Pink Tea Party in October (Gentle, Not Heavy-Handed)

Pink in the pot, a flower at every place, and 1 good question. How I host an October tea party that feels kind instead of clinical.

Host a Tea Party

How to Host a Pink Tea Party in October (Gentle, Not Heavy-Handed)

Pink in the pot, a flower at every place, and 1 good question. How I host an October tea party that feels kind instead of clinical.

Holiday tea party table with mismatched teacups and a tea bar in place of a drinks bar
Host a Tea Party

How to Host a Party Without Alcohol (and Have People Talk About It for Weeks)

The drink is not the party, the table is. A tea bar, a hibiscus mocktail, and the game that gets everyone talking, from a host whose parties are alcohol-free on purpose.

Host a Tea Party

How to Host a Party Without Alcohol (and Have People Talk About It for Weeks)

The drink is not the party, the table is. A tea bar, a hibiscus mocktail, and the game that gets everyone talking, from a host whose parties are alcohol-free on purpose.

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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