"There's an Imposter at my Tea Table!"

     If you’ve ever found yourself with loose tea and no strainer, don’t despair. It’s coffee filters to the rescue! There are two ways to catch those loose tea leaves and keep them from littering your teacup. 
     One method is to drape a coffee filter over the edge of your teacup or mug, creating a well with the center of the filter inside the cup. Spoon your loose tea leaves into the filter and pour your hot water over them. When your tea has steeped the appropriate amount of time, simply gather up the filter, being careful not to spill any of the wet tea leaves, squeeze the "tea bag" gently and remove from your teacup or mug.
     The second method is to lay out a coffee filter on your table and spoon your loose tea leaves onto the center of it. Gather up the edges of the filter and tie your "tea bag" tightly with kitchen twine. Leave an extra length of twine to tie the "tea bag" to the handle of your tea cup, mug or teapot to easily remove it when your tea has finished steeping.
     So if you have just purchased that exotic new blend of loose tea leaves and forgot to pick up a tea strainer while you were out shopping, don’t fret. Pull out a coffee filter from the pantry or cupboard and brew away!