End of Hot Tea Month

I hope you all had a nice Hot Tea month! I enjoyed knowing that the special-month-assigners placed such an important emphasis on tea. >-)

Living Below My Means

This post brings me back to an update on my efforts at living simply....
As I was having my morning cup of tea today, I was perusing a magazine called Debt-Proof Living*. http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/. This is a great monthly source of ideas for living life without financial hassles.

The way that the DH and I came to discover this magazine is an interesting story of living below our means. We recently canceled most of our magazine and catalogue subscriptions. We had too many! While enjoyable, they are extremely wasteful, from an environmental perspective. Plus, we didn't need to fork out the $$. It's not as if we're strapped for cash. We're actually ahead of the curve in terms of savings. Nonetheless, we constantly strive to reduce our consumerism. It's an ethical matter. This magazine reduction was one way to continue bringing our lives into alignment with our values.

Now, we both really enjoy reading magazines. So, how to continue this interest w/o spending the cash or amassing mountains of glossy paper? We head to the library! Our library contains an incredible diversity of magazines, and we can check them out. The selection is much greater than if I were to buy them myself. I've been reading everything from Utne Reader to Debt-Proof Living.

We're quirky people - I know that and I don't mind. We pay off our credit card every month. We own our car, and we're considering life without one. When we purchase a house within the next year or so, we plan to get one smaller and priced below what we can afford. We want to pay it off ASAP. We just don't spend like the average family. Thank goodness!

I've still got my challenges! I'm a fan of clothes and tea stuff. Those are my weak points! But I continue to cull my closet and resist temptation...with occasional indulgences.

If you've got tips for living below your means, please share them!

* Formerly called Cheapskate Monthly. Debt-Proof Living is a monthly publication of DPL Press, Inc. PO Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723-8135. http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/

Tea Review - Snow Mountain Jian

The DH (dear hubbie) wanted his own pound of green tea. I guess he got tired of my rations and wanted one he could control all by himself! >-) So, out comes the wholesale books for him to peruse. He chose Snowy Mountain Jian, and he has been kind enough to share.














My first tasting experience with this tea wasn't that great, but it's my own fault. I was exhibiting bad tea tasting behavior. It was early and I was multitasking (making pancakes - not a normal morning event for me). I didn't pay attention to my tea leaf-to-water ratio. I over-steeped. Not in the sense of time, but I had too many leaves for the amount of water I was using. My first experience of the tea was that it had a smoky aroma and was rather bitter. The bitterness was my fault.

When you taste a tea for the first time, it really is important to give the tea 3-4 different steeps. Use different water temps and steeping durations to see what you prefer. (When I'm tasting a tea for the first time, I only reuse the leaves twice. I might keep them for a third steeping later, but not for the purposes of really "getting" that particular tea.) I keep a notebook with my tasting preferences and observations.

Round 2 worked much better for me with this tea. The tea had my full attention. That's always a plus (and a moment to be centered). I steeped the same leaves for 2.5 minutes and used more water. I am enjoying this cup. The smoky aroma is still there. However, the bitterness is gone. The tea does have a pungency to it. It's manufacturer's description indicates that, while this is a green tea, it is allowed to ferment very briefly to give the leaves a dark hue. They indicate the taste is "much smoother than traditional green teas." I'm not sure I would define this as a smooth tea, but I do like it. The aftertaste leaves a sweetness on my tongue. Quite the combo - a mildly pungent flavor, but a sweet aftertaste.

I am also considering whether I should carry this tea in my Serendipity Teas line. The jury is still out. I will compare tasting notes with the DH. I find that many of my customers prefer really soft greens (like my Darjeeling Green), and this one definitely doesn't fit that profile.

On a slightly related topic, I am really pleased with the tray and fish bowl shown above. I picked up the very light celadon green tray at Cost Plus World Market in Albuquerque. I found the matching fish dipping bowls here in Bloomington! I needed something to showcase teas, and I needed a very light background. This one seems to work and the fish bowl is just adorable!

Happy Friday!

Yin and Yang of Tea

For those of you who have had trouble with green tea, read on! Here's another blog post that explains a potential reason. Thanks a bunch to Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea for sharing this!

I tend to be of a fiery personality (Aries and tending toward Yang). I also am choosing green teas more and more frequently. On any given day, there's a 70% chance I'll be drinking a green (or a "soft" oolong). So, this is good news for me - my body has wisely chosen a tea for me. I do tend to drink black tea more in the winter, which would be appropriate to add more "fire."

Interesting stuff.

Afternoon Tea Serendade

I've been enjoying the book and accompanying CD, Afternoon Tea Serenade, by Sharon O'Connor. This is an interesting book. The author has picked classical music (mostly chamber music) that goes well with tea. She's also researched famous tea spots and has included recipes from them. It's fun for me to peruse through and say, "Oh, I've been there!" or to make my wishlist for future trips.

This book was a gift from a friend - thanks a bunch!

Good Summary Article on Health Benefits of Tea

This article was sent to me by a fellow blogger and friend. I think it's a good summary of the health benefits of tea.

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12683&category=eat_right&num=1

A Big Post: Dove Promises, Shortbread Cookies, and Wild Weather

I got a bag of Dove Promises for Christmas (two kinds! milk chocolate and caramel). I enjoy eating one a day, and the messages inside the foil are fun, and sometimes right on the money. For example, yesterday's message said, "Don't think about it so much." Wow - that's the truth for me. I tend to over-think things, and I often lie in bed thinking and not sleeping. Today's message was, "Send a love letter this week." Good advice.

I had my first experience this week of using a shortbread cookie mold. I love and have made shortbread, but never in a mold. This lovely mold came from a friend in NM.

There are some definite best practices when it comes to shortbread molds. First, my shortbread coach explained I needed to both oil and flour the mold before using. The flour is important! It keeps the oil from acting like glue. Second, you have to "bop" out the shortbread once it's pressed into the mold. To do this, whack it on a cutting board that has been padded with a doubled-over dish towel. I found that 2-3 perpendicular bops did the trick. However, I had to re-build the handle each time. I think I need to keep practicing! >-)

This mold is large, so one batch of shortbread (recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook) made 4 cookies with a little extra for a free-form shape. Mmm, the cookies tasted good with a cup of tea!














The weather has been a little wild here this week. We has snow on Tuesday/Wednesday. Yesterday, the snow melted and the temps reached 59 degrees! I took this photo on Wednesday. I think this tree with the red berries looks so pretty dressed up in fresh snow!

Delsey Luggage

A few of you were interested in my Delsey Helium luggage. I have the 21" suiter and the personal bag. There seems to be a line of Delsy Helium a step above what I got, as well. Go here for details - I'm pointing you to what I got, but you can do a search and see the other Delsey items.

I am quite pleased with the luggage, for these reasons:

1 - It's light-weight.
2 - It has a lot of pockets.
3 - It holds its shape.
4 - The roll-on expands and you can smoosh a whole lot of stuff into it! (As witnessed by the amout of stuff I brought from NM!)
5 - It rolls nicely and the personal bag stacks on top well.
6 - I got the red, and I like the color.

The only thing that I haven't liked so far is that it does show travel wear. For example, I now have a small black smudge on the front, probably from the conveyer belts.

I do recommend it.
Steph

January - National Hot Tea Month!

Let's celebrate!!!
And, thank you to Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea for the images!

An Open Letter to My NM Friends

To me, this is tea: beauty, centering, and celebration.

The beauty of your friendship, of the time you made for me and shared with me, of your kindness and generosity. The beauty of lives I admire.

The centering of a place I have called home, the place that is home to many of my fondest moments. A place of sunlight and air and majesty.

The celebration of life in its full package - of accomplishments and losses. Of transitions, growth. Of letting go. I celebrate my relationship with you and I want you to know that.

To me, this is tea: beauty, centering, and celebration. Thank you for helping me to see this.

1-14-2006

Green Tea Gum

Hello from sunny and warm New Mexico! A little warmer than normal for January, but I'll take it! I am here to visit with friends and for a professional meeting. I popped into a drug store yesterday, and noticed something in the toothpaste aisle...green tea gum. It comes in two varieties: one for weight-loss and one for antioxidants. Amazingly, the green tea flavor has been changed to peppermint. I didn't take home a pack. :-)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! This lovely amaryllis is brightening my desk. A much-appreciated companion!

I was off last week visiting with family and friends. I hope you had a nice break. I'll get back into the swing of blogging soon. :-)

Happy Winter Solstice!

Happy Winter Solstice! During these 24-hours of 2005, we have the most "night." Instead of mourning the darkness, I like to think about having more time to look at the stars. To celebrate, the DH and I went for a walk this morning to watch the sun rise. I came back and had a yummy bowl of oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, and Black Pearl tea.

We'll mark the sun set tonight, as well. Actually, that would be about now.

Starting tomorrow, all of us in the Northern hemisphere begin the slow tilt toward the sun. Reminds me of the song, "Here comes the sun...."

Gotta go catch the fading light!

Easy Almond Biscotti Recipe and Kitchen Mishaps

Thanks to all who made comments to my Chai post!

I spent a lovely evening with my neighbor eating cheese and crackers, drinking hot cocoa (with Irish cream), oolong tea, and an artisanal green with a red clover inside. We also made yummy almond biscotti. (Thanks for your help & companionship, neighbor!)

After a few slight mishaps that the DH (dear husband) corrected, the biscotti continued along just fine and turned out lovely. (Mishaps: I forgot to take the baking stone out of the oven and it was smoking up the entire house! Plus, I put one of the biscottis on the lowest rack of the oven and it almost burned (this added to the smoke).) This was my first attempt at biscotti. Let me just say that next time, I'll know the ropes. >-) Remember, I'm NOT the master cook in the family. That title happily belongs to the DH.

Here's the recipe...

*Basic Almond Biscotti*

3/4 cup Butter1 cup Sugar
Dash almond extract4 Eggs3 cups all-purpose flour3 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon Salt1 teaspoon Anise seed1 cup Almonds -- coarsely chop
Two greased cookie sheets

Preheat oven to 350 and TAKE OUT the cooking stone. >-) Cream butter and sugar until light; add almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition; continue beating until very light and fluffy.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and anise seed together, then mix into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, divide dough into half.

Form dough into 2 loaves, 1 1/2 inch wide and the length of each baking sheet. Place onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350~F for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut loaf diagonally into 3/4 inch slices.

Return to oven, bake at 375~F 10 minutes longer, or until toasted and crispy.Variation: Omit anise seeds; add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon orange zest; when baked, slice each loaf diagonally and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes to brown.

My Perfect Chai - What's Yours?

I'm hoping to get some comments from this post. What's your "perfect chai" recipe? I've found that each chai drinker has his/her own magic formula.

Here are two of my favorites. This was actually from an earlier Newsletter on my Serendipity Teas site.

"I am on a quest for the perfect chai. I have taken a dislike to those premixes. They’re too sweet or too milky or not spicy enough, or something! I’ve finally found two that, for me, are always a success! I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

Black Chai (without milk or sweetener)
For when I’m in a spicy – and not sweet – mood.
1+ teaspoon Serendipity Teas Chai Spice
6 - 8 oz water
2 - 3 slivers fresh ginger root, peeled
Pot for boiling
Strainer
Tea cup

Add the peeled ginger root to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the Chai Spice tea and turn off the burner. Steep until desired strength. (I prefer about 3 minutes.) Pour the liquid (through the strainer) into the tea cup. Enjoy!

Chai Latte (with milk and sweetener)
For when I’m in the mood for an indulgence.
1+ teaspoon Serendipity Teas Chai Spice
6 - 8 oz water
1 teaspoon maple syrup (the real stuff - honey is OK, too)
Tea sock or filter
Large mug
Milk (Rice and soy work, too)
Frother (Pampered chef sells a nice one)

Bring the water to a boil. Add the Chai Spice to your tea sock or filter. Pour the boiling water over the tea sock/filter in the large mug. Steep until desired strength. (I prefer mine about 3.5 minutes. I make it strong because I’m adding to it.) Stir in 1 teaspoon of real maple syrup. Once the steeping is complete, top off with milk – to taste. Froth the liquid until a nice foam forms on top. Trust me, you’ll need a big mug with plenty of space on top for the frothing. Indulge!"

Tea Linked to Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk

Review this article from Med Page Today for the details.

Zip Plus Four

Doing some holiday shipping? Review this yahoo article on what those extra four digits at the end of a zip code will do for you. http://ask.yahoo.com/20051209.html

Holiday Tea Table

Happy Monday! I was browsing through some old photos, and came across this snapshot. It's one of my favorites! This lovely tea table is from a tea party I hosted (via Serendipity Teas) a few years ago. Notice the tree-shaped napkins? Those took me forever to fold! Lots of ironing included.

Moments of Clarity...

I walked to get my hair cut in the sleet today. About a mile and a half. Wind in my face. On the way there, I was in a grumbly mood. I was thinking, "Why am I working so hard to save the environment for other people's children?" (I was having these thoughts in response to the number of SUVs I saw pumping out noxious black fumes and driving way too fast in the sleet.) Something must have happened during the hair cut, because on my way home, walking in even heavier sleet, I had one of those precious experiences in which I knew the moment was perfect. I needed nothing more in life than to be walking in the sleet. In all seriousness, I could have died at that moment and felt utter contentment. The moment passed, as these moments do for me. (Maybe someday I'll figure out how to have them stick around!) But the story wasn't over for me. When I returned home, an e-mail from a friend was waiting for me with this quote (from a Howard Zinn documentary).

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness... And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

Quite serendipitous, I think. Ponder that with a cup of tea.

Etiquette Tip #3 - Inside Voices, Please!

Here's the scenario: I'm in a restaurant enjoying lunch with a friend. We're having an in-depth conversation about something important. However, we keep needing to ask each other to repeat what we've said because the occupants of the table next to us are talking very, very loudly. This is a prime example of grown-ups forgetting to use "inside voices." It's a problem I'm noticing at an alarming rate!

The DH believes part of the problem is due to the constant sensory bombardment in our society. He thinks that folks are so often "plugged in" that they forget what it's like to have quiet conversation. Reference points become talking over an iPod, rather than over a table in a public setting. It's a plausible theory.

In terms of proper etiquette, your conversation in a restaurant should reach the ears of your table partners, but not beyond. Even though you're in a public setting, your conversation should be private. The same philosophy goes with cell phone use. Please, do not subject me to your latest boyfriend breakup or plans for the weekend. If you need to make a cell phone call, the best option is to find a private location and keep your voice down. In restaurants, cell phones should be off or on vibrate. If you have to make a call, step into the lobby or, even better, outside. And please, keep your voice down!