Funky Legs Friday

Happy Halloween! This is part of my witchy woman outfit. I can't really call it a costume, because it's my normal clothing. Just witched up a bit.

About Funky Legs Friday...
I need a little fun in my life right now. SO, let's talk about tights.

Here's the deal - I like wearing skirts, and I like to wear them year-round. My lifestyle is such that I walk a lot, even in cooler weather, and so I'm always looking for fun and functional legwear. My rebel/playful side comes out in this realm. To add a little spunk to my week, I'm starting Funky Leg Friday! Each Friday through November, I'll show a pair of gams in funky leg coverings.

The tights in the picture above are wonderful! They feel like a soft, crocheted shawl. They're a rayon/nylon/spandex blend that feels like cotton. They're heavier and warmer than the typical tight. They remind me of the material from little girls' tights. I got them at Target, which has, by the way, quite a selection of cool tights these days.

I hope you're enjoying Halloween! I'll try not to eat too much candy.

Photo by the DH

A Quilt of Memories

This quilt was made by my Grandma Tressie. (Isn't that a wonderful name?) It is hand pieced and hand quilted. I've had it in my hope chest for years and years and years. I think the hope chest was supposed to be for gathering up stuff to use when I was a married woman. Well, I've been so for 13 years now. I guess it's time.

I haven't used the quilt before because it's so precious to me. I don't want it to get damaged. Yet, the quilt is meant to be viewed. It's a storybook of memories. Many of the fabrics she chose (scraps I'm sure) were from clothing that she had also made for me. For example, Grandma used this plum calico print to make a "prairie dress" and matching bonnet for me. A bona fide bonnet! My class, maybe in 2nd grade, was taking a field trip to a log cabin village. I wanted a bonnet with intense desire that I can still feel. (I was in a Little House craze those days.) I no longer have the dress or the bonnet, but I have this quilt. What a gift! She was a wise woman to know I would one day treasure this.

I'm not sure why the idea came to me recently to pull out this quilt. It has been safely tucked away for a long time. Maybe because the nights are cooler now. Maybe because Grandma's birthday was this month. (She passed away in the late 1990s, herself also being in her late 90s.) Maybe because we're in that time of year when the spirits are said to be close to us. For whatever reason, I wanted to put it to use. Such a quilt full of memories!

Spicy Herbed Vinegar

I've been making spicy herbed vinegar, and I'm loving it! It's a simple recipe from the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving (thank you, Library!) The peppers are from the Farmer's Market. The rosemary and garlic are from the garden. The vinegar is the plain white stuff. (You could use fancy vinegars. However, the white stuff works well and is very economical.)

The vinegar is very versatile as a condiment or finishing splash of flavor. Consider using it on:

• Kale chips , my favorite way to use the vinegar! I use it in the wet mixture, as well as splashing it on the baked chips.
• Raw or steamed veggies, as a flavor splash.
• Rice, as a flavor splash.
• Salad, mixed with oil as a dressing.

It's a fun and colorful way to put the summer herbs to use before the frosts come!

An Autumn Walk

Hoagy in the rose garden

The DH took this photo, and the next one

Yep, that's me, celebrating life and fall leaves

Halloween Costumes, Tea-Themed

If you're still thinking of a Halloween costume, consider these tea-themed ones. (Images from various places on the web.)

A paper mache teapot! SO cool! Read about it here.

Mad Hatter costume, from Amazon


Pebbles, serving tea

Seriously, though, my favorite costumes are those creatively put together (like the paper mache teapot), not the purchased kind. Here are some that would be easy to pull together:

• A matchmaker serving a brew guaranteed to bring love into your life
  
• A gypsy (with a fish bowl for a crystal ball - I did this one year), reading your tea leaves
  
• Mary Poppins (black dress, umbrella), serving tea
  
• Instructions for sewing a tea bag costume

OK, clever readers, what tea-themed costume ideas do you have?

Your First Memories of Tea

My first memories of tea involve cold mornings, coming in from having fed the horses with my father. We'd walk back from the barn on a wintry Saturday in January. Mom would make us Lipton tea in brown earthenware mugs. (She still has a few, and I love them!) I remember adding two spoons of sugar, then wrapping my hands around the heated mug and breathing in the warm steam. Mmmm...it smelled and tasted so good and warmed my belly!

What are your first memories of tea?

Loved and Lucky!

To borrow a phrase from my good friend CC, I'm a "loved and lucky" woman. I came home to these lovely zinnias (the last of them) all over the house. Flowers are magical!

In Blackwater Woods

I've been (and still am) with a dear friend, her family, and her band of angel friends for the past few days. It's not my story to tell, other than this: I've seen us - fragile, strong, imperfect humanity - at our most real and best.

Here is a poem that means a lot to me.

By Mary Oliver

In Blackwater Woods, excerpt

To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

Back in a few

I'll be offline for a few days - back in a few!

Planning Ahead

NaBloPoMo - November is the original National Blog Posting Month. The idea is that you post on your blog every day for the month. I've done it the past two years. I'm considering my availability for this year. You can find more info here. NaBloPoMo has expanded beyond the original November month to be available any time of year. Join up whenever you like. And, my hat is off to those bloggers who post daily as a habit!

Halloween - I like to dress up for Halloween, but I'm not sure if I will this year. I may just settle for a walk around town to be entertained by the college students. If I do dress up, it will be a last-minute affair. Those are often the best costumes!

Christmas - I used to refuse to discuss Christmas before Halloween, but as I've moved into more of a crafting mindset, I realize that homemade gifts take time! So, I plan ahead! This year, I may not make as much by hand because of some time constraints, but I'm trying to find local gifts. In addition, here's something I'm drooling over. I've mentioned it to Santa (always my Mother): 2010 Datebook by KellyRae.

What are you planning for the holidays?

Pears and Cheese

Since I'm on the topic of old-timey foods, let's talk about pears. There are many varieties of heirloom pears. In fact, according to one article I read, many pears in the stores today are still heirloom. That's cool! Around where I live, old farms often have a pear tree quietly producing somewhere. It was once loved, if not still.

Pears were (and are) valuable because they ripen off the tree. This means you can keep them around for awhile, a handy feature before supermarkets. We're trying a method of wrapping the pears in newspaper and keeping them in a cool place. So far, so good. We'll see how it goes.

One of my favorite treats is a pear with cheese. Here, I'm enjoying a green pear (I don't know what kind; we picked it from a kind person's yard) with swiss cheese from a local dairy. It is so yummy!

A Perfect Fall Cookie

We have a persimmon tree near us, and I love persimmon pudding! It reminds me of Grandma. I wanted to branch out this year beyond the pudding (a moist cake), and so I tried a persimmon cookie recipe. I am a fan! These cookies are deliciously sweet and spicy, and pair perfectly with a cup of strong black tea.

In the Midwest, we have American persimmons. The American persimmon is very soft-sided and thin-skinned, not at all like the firm Asian ones you see at a grocery store. You'll seldom see an American persimmon at the grocer's because they're no good unless very ripe and that makes it hard to transport them. You may find persimmon pulp at farmer's markets. The best way, however, is to walk around in the woods and find a tree. You won't have much competition for the fruit (except from the critters) because not many two-leggeds know how to use persimmons any more. It's definitely an old-timey food. The genus name of this tree is Diospyros and it means "fruit of the gods." Persimmons were important to the fall diet for Native Americans and early settlers.

I used this recipe for the cookies, with a few modifications. I left out the raisins and nuts (on purpose) and inadvertently left out the egg. I detected no negative impact without the egg, so the recipe could easily be converted to vegan. I added a dash of ginger powder. I also replaced the sugar with honey, and used about half the amount listed. Of course, I used whole wheat. The recipe is a keeper. I must have made large cookies, because I got 24 out of one batch (compared to their 90!)

Weekend Meandering

It's been a great weekend! Not much planned, which is rare for me, and something I think I need more of.

Yesterday I meandered through the Farmer's Market, purchasing some local, unpasteurized Swiss cheese and hot peppers. Then I happened by the French window. I gave in to the siren's call of hot chocolate. The conversation was as delicious as the drink. "Oh, you want some hot chocolate? Good! My hot chocolate is wonderful. It is bitter." She says this with a French accent as she's plopping on whipped cream from the bowl it was whipped in. Mmmmm. And she was right. The bitter chocolate worked well with the sweetness and the cream. Wish I'd had my camera! I don't know her recipe, but I think this one might be close. See the first recipe on the last page, but the full article is worth the read.

I came home from the library with a stack of books about living in small spaces. I spent some autumn sun-drenched time browsing through them with the DH. I look at the general concept and he goes for the finite details. He points out what he likes and how he envisions it (he's way more visual than I). He also shows me how we'd never see what's in the photo in real life because they've manipulated the furnishings. Or look - that mirror was anchored so poorly into the dry wall, it's gonna fall down! It's refreshing to walk away with an inspiring concept, but to realize that these house photos are fantasy. No doubt they have a foot in reality, but they shouldn't be compared to real life. And somehow, it's very funny.

Dreaming and laughing is good medicine, because it keeps me from getting in a twist about things I can't control, but desperately want to. Like Corporate America and the economy.

Last night, we went to a bonfire. I think at least one of these each year is good for my soul. There were about 20 or so people, and I was entertained by the wide variety of s'mores making. Some people were burners, others the patient lot (that's not me), waiting for the marshmallow to turn golden brown all around. I tried a new s'mores variety - with Reese's cups. I recommend it!

I've been tempted, but have resisted, checking my work e-mail.

Today, we're just hanging around and then taking a long bike ride through the hills and bottoms that I dearly love. I hope you're enjoying the weekend!

Tea and Breast Cancer Awareness

It's October, and that means it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As you've likely heard, the antioxidants in tea (especially green tea) called catechins may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Why do I use the word "may"? Because human tests have shown mixed results. In lab tests, results are often promising, but with humans, lifestyle variables such as diet and exercise cloud the view. The results are promising enough for me to believe that when I'm drinking green tea, I'm investing in my health.

Read more here and here. (A note about these articles: I felt they were balanced reviews of the research. I tried to cite only reputable research organizations. There's a lot out there on this topic, so be cautious and look into the rigor of the research.)

If you're looking for a way to support the cause, I recommend getting physical and joining a local walk/run. Find one near you. In addition, here are some retail items you might enjoy:

• Republic of Tea has its Sip for the Cure tea collection. A portion of the proceeds from sales go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization.
• The National Breast Cancer Foundation offers a pink polka dot, pink-ribboned teacup and saucer.
• The Breast Cancer Site has lovely pink glass, pink-ribboned teapot ornaments.
• And I'm sure there's more!

And one other note - the temperature of your tea matters! Some studies indicate that people who regularly scald the throat and esophagus with hot beverages (including tea) have an increased chance of cancers in those areas. So let that tea cool a bit and don't burn yourself with it.

Here's a special {hug} to all the women and men who have battled cancer of any type, and to their families and friends.

Tea and Bikes and Life Choices

Tea and bicycling, two of my favorite things. The cover of this month's Adventure Cycling magazine features a woman riding her bike through the rolling hills of a tea plantation. It's gorgeous and very green! It makes me long for a tea tour to Asia. This has been my plan for my next sabbatical, in two years. My company is generous in that, every 7 years, employees get 2 months off (in addition to vacation). No strings attached. Just go and refresh and come back and be productive.

This dream of an Asian tea tour during sabbatical has been shaken. The work mothership calls me home, so to speak; it wants me to move. The song refrain, "Should I stay or should I go?" plays daily through my head. Weighing pros/cons, balancing heart/logic, squelching fears/negativity, cultivating gratitude/trust...these are where I'm spending much of my free time in thought. Even progress on my tea book has come to a halt as I figure out next steps for my future.

Fortunately, the DH and I are working through this together, much like two cyclists on a tandem, pedaling in rhythm, standing and sitting together, working our way through the hilly tea plantation. It's not easy, but if I take a deep breath and look around to where I am right now, this very moment, all that I have, it is beautiful.

Cheater Pizza

The DH and I got home on Sunday evening about 7 pm. We went for a walk, as we often do, to restore ourselves after 3 hours in the car. At the end, we were hungry, so we picked up a frozen pizza. We came home and made a decent pizza into a great one. We added chard, zucchini, tomatoes, herbs and Parmesan. It was really, really good and pretty darn fast. And even better, we upped the nutritional value. What cheater recipes do you have that are fast AND nutritious?

Cowgirl Jumper

I made this little jumper for my favorite 2-year-old cowgirl! It was fun to make, and I had to learn how to do pleats and button holes, so it was a good project for me. I'm just so happy I got it done in time for the birthday party!

The pattern is a vintage one I picked up at a thrift store for 50 cents. What a bargain! Here she is, in the jumper. It was a hard thing to find her still for half a second, to click the shutter!

Sparkly Tea

We celebrated the DH's birthday recently, and we popped open a can of bubbly....tea! I'd been waiting a long time to try sparkling tea. I'm not sure why I waited so long.

The tea, by Steaz, was sweet and lemony. If I closed my eyes and concentrated, I noticed a light green tea taste. That's not to say it wasn't pleasant, just not heavy on the tea flavor. Still, a nice beverage. I like that it's organic, sweetened with cane sugar (instead of corn syrup), and is fair-trade certified.

I wonder if I could make my own sparkling tea with the soda siphon and plain tea, sans sugar. What do you think? That might be another post! And speaking of celebrations - I'm off to party down with a 2-year-old.

Tea by the Seasons

I'm being drawn to oolong teas this fall season. In the spring and summer, I opt for lighter white and greens (not every day, but often). As the weather mellows in the fall and we start to get more rainy days, I enjoy oolong tea, that master of night and day. Oolongs are among my favorites. I love how they combine the properties of green and black.

Do you change your tea with the seasons? Take the poll on the right, and happy autumn!

Beware the Biscuit!

"More than half of all Britons have been injured by *biscuits ranging from scalding from hot tea or coffee while dunking or breaking a tooth eating during a morning tea break, a survey has revealed."

Read the full article. And as a friend of mine says "Hey, isn't it a good thing they have universal health care?!" ;-)

*Biscuit = Cookie

Another Blog...

I'm contributing monthly to another blog, called the Poplar Grove Muse.
Check it out! I have a posting up today.

The Poplar Grove Muse is a group blog for a community of women writers. I've been taking classes through this community. "Class" isn't the correct word, as it doesn't nearly describe what happens. First, we don't critique the writing. We are free to write about whatever we want, and the range is very diverse - from journal entries to poetry to memoir to fiction. It's a writing circle, where we lift up and encourage the words of the other writers. For more info, see Women Writing for a Change.

Mighty Leaf Mug Winner

Congratulations to Beth, from the Tea and Chocolate blog! She is the lucky winner of the Mighty Leaf mug. I took my mug last week to CA. It worked like a charm! Even non-Mighty Leaf bags stayed in the dome. The technique I used was to give a gentle tug to pull the tip of the bag through the slit. The bag then sit up there perfectly, allowing you to drink tea that is steeped "just right" - neither weak nor bitter. The tea stayed hot for a long time, too. Enjoy, Beth!

Hyacinth Beans

I've become enamored with this lovely fall plant. It's called hyacinth bean. We don't grow it as an edible, tho it could be. Just check carefully because it's one of those "careful how you eat this" foods. (See the link above.) The foliage is very prolific and grows quickly to fill a trellis. The purple flowers give way to the bright purple bean pod with very leathery and shiny skin. The pods make great "flower" arrangements, either as a supplement to a larger arrangement or on their own. The bean pods last a long time, too.

Chestnuts

I've got a secret source of chestnuts! Oh, they delight me. I gather the shiny, brown treats as I compete with the squirrels, busy with their fall foraging.

To prepare, I use a sharp knife to cut a slit into the leathery shell, then roast in my toaster oven for about 15 minutes. Peel and enjoy. It's almost like eating a cookie, they are so sweet. They also freeze well for later roasting. They're the only nut that contains vitamin C.

Do you have a secret stash of wild nuts or fruit? Please tell us about it (but not where, of course!).

Give Me Holes in My Apples...

Riddle me this: What song am I referring to in the title of this post? (Answer at bottom.)

Where I live, in the Midwest, it's definitely starting to feel like fall. The temps are cooling, the sun comes from a different angle and changes color, the college football games have begun, and the apple tree in our backyard is dropping its fruit.

I love holey apples! The DH has this big bowl to himself, as I'm out of town. The cider (which he let me have the last of) is from our CSA. It was pressed last week. Wow, yummm!.

Answer to the riddle: Big Yellow Taxi, originally by Joni Mitchell. I love the song!

Are you seeing signs of autumn?

Might You Want One of These? (Mighty Leaf Thermos Giveaway)

Mighty Leaf teas has been mighty kind to me by sending me occasional tea samples. This week, I got a box in the mail (prompting a little happy dance from me). Inside was this double-ply stainless steel thermos. Mighty Leaf asked me to review the thermos, and they're offering another one as a blog giveaway! Yippee! These sell for $12.95, so it's a nice giveaway.


The thermos has a clever design. A tea bag string fits through the hole in the top, allowing the drinker to pull up the bag and snug it in this little recessed area in the top. No longer do you have to deal with over-steeped tea in your thermos because your commute is a few minutes too long. It works well; I like it.

The only thing I could find to pick on about this thermos is that it doesn't close. The sip hole is always open, so be careful as you carry it into work. But even that has an advantage...sometimes the tea in a thermos is too hot for me to sip immediately, and this hole will help it cool just a wee bit faster.

I'll be on a work trip next week, and you can bet a pound of tea this thermos will be with me.
More info about the thermos is here.

To qualify for the giveaway, leave a comment telling me where you'd take this thermos. I'll use a random-number generator to pick a winner. And send your thanks to Mighty Leaf!

Harney & Sons Tea Tasting: Silver Tips and Bai Mu Dan

This is the second pairing of white teas in the Harney & Sons Guide to tea. This pairing concludes the four teas of the white tea chapter. (See the other two here.)

I tasted Ceylon Silver Tips (from H&S) and Bai Mu Dan (Pai Mu Tan, from Upton). Silver Tips are on the left and Bai Mu Dan on the right in both photos. As you can see, these teas look very different. That carries through to the taste.

For the tasting, I brewed both at 175 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes.

The Silver Tips aren't actually leaves, but rather the tender buds. These are a little less fuzy than other "silver" teas. The flavor is fresh, light and lightly sweet. I got a bit of spicyness in the finish. The tea left my mouth feeling clean. An interesting tidbit about this tea is that it comes from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Most white teas of any quality come from China, so this is a lovely exception.

The Bai Mu Dan (called Pai Mu Tan from Upton) is a mixed bag, literally. Some tips and some green leaves. The brew is darker and the flavor very different than the Silver Tips. The DH described the flavor, "like chewing foxtail grass stems." The aroma, for me, had a definite roasted smell. This is likely due to being dried in an oven or over charcoal. This is a nice hybrid tea; it holds the white sweetness but leans into the essence of a green grassy flavor. According to Harney, the Bai Mu Dan is a much more common tea than the other three.

End of Summer Pleasures

I hope you had a restful weekend. Mine was just what I needed. I spent some time celebrating, some restorative time at home puttering, and some heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul time with the DH (dear hubby).

We have lots of tomatoes (thanks to our neighbor)! I've made two batches of fresh tomato sauce. (My recipe is here.) This year I added fresh basil, too.

It's been a divine summer in terms of weather. I took advantage of the pleasant weather this weekend and spent time sitting on the front porch, writing letters. I enjoyed blackberry cobbler with ice cream and a cup of strong black tea.

Yesterday, the DH and I went on a bike ride through the country and saw lots of fall wildflowers. I'll try to get some pictures soon. They're so lovely!

I hope your transition into fall is going smoothly. How do you make time for yourself in this hustle-bustle season of beginnings and endings?

Beehive Cake

Yesterday was Sweetcakes' birthday, and I enjoy making a cake for the woman who makes cakes for everyone else. I got the inspiration for this beehive cake recently when I was sorting through some older magazines. I saw the cover a of a Martha Stewart Living that featured this cake. I recalled how much Sweetcakes loved the idea of this cake. I knew I had my cake (and my gift, too - the mold!)

The cake mold came from Amazon. Here is Martha's recipe. It's a spice cake that you drizzle in a butter-honey glaze and then finish with a powdered sugar glaze. It's very tasty and lovely. We enjoyed it last night on the outdoor patio of a restaurant, looking over a lake and watching a fat, orange moon rise. Mother Nature always outdoes our feeble human efforts. :-)

Public Art

A giant table and chairs near the Farmer's Market. Made of local limestone. I love this one! When you look closely at the scrolling in the chair legs, you'll find all kinds of critters.

I've had cause to assess my hometown in a new context lately. What this has done is made me appreciate the place even more than before, if that were possible. One of the things I've noticed is the prevalence of public art. We have a lot of it here! I love public art because it's accessible to everyone, regardless of socio-economic standing. It amazes us, provokes us, challenges us, soothes us, enlightens us. It reflects us.

Metal artwork with a background of sheet music

Colorful, whimsical animals

What is your favorite public art?

Tea Scholarship Video

A friend of a friend's son entered this video in the Calm-a-Sutra tea video scholarship contest. It's very fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYY9cCTP_0g

More details on the scholarship contest. The deadline for submission is past, but I looking forward to seeing the winner!