Otsukimi, Moon Viewing

Otsukimi is the annual moon viewing festival, celebrated generally on the full moon in September (it's based on a very old calendar system, so this can occasionally fall in October).  I am so lucky to live near the Japanese Garden in Portland!  The Garden hosts a special moon viewing event for three nights.  It's a rare opportunity to be in the garden after dark.

I was honored to be able to help my senpai (Sr. Students) with the tea ceremony demonstrations last evening at the tea house in the garden. We did three rounds.  During the first round, I was a guest and got to enjoy a delicious bowl of tea and the sweet shown below.  During the second round, I made tea.  Here are some photos from the garden and the tea house.

The tea garden, lanterns lit

Special seasonal sweet, named kikuyu, a fall grass that many of us know as balloon flower

Tokonoma with scroll that invites us to stop and listen to the wind in the pine

Flowers

Utensils

Join Me at Tea's Me - Hillsboro, Oregon

My family at Tea's Me

Please Join Us! 

Sunday, September 21st

Tea's Me in Hillsboro, Oregon

2 pm

Afternoon Tea

Tea 101 Class

$25 (cash or check)

RSVP to (503) 547-8617

I'm delighted to be partnering with Julie of the Tea's Me to offer a Tea 101 class. Julie will provide a delicious afternoon tea menu and of course a pot of tea! I will discuss the history of tea (fascinating and scandalous!), types of tea and photos from around the world, tips for brewing, a bit of etiquette and my forecast for tea's future. Please join me!

Bat Brew

I was brewing some tea with friends in a park last evening, in a quiet clearing circled by tall pine trees.  It was dusk and the light was fading. (The mosquitoes were making themselves known.)  My fellow tea fanatics and I heard this rustling noise above us and spotted bats flying overhead.  Soon, we could hear their clicking sounds (they were using "echo location") and an occasional squeak. It was so cool!  After about 5-10 minutes of this other-worldly show, they disappeared.  As my DH recently said, "Nature participates."  Yes, and in very cool ways!

The photo above is of the brewing session.  We're drinking a tea from Global Tea Hut.  It's a "Kingfisher Jade" - Tsiu Yu - hybrid that was developed in Taiwan, one of the "Three Daughters of Taiwan." I liked it very much. It's a lighter oolong, on the greener side but not without some depth.

Chai Blossom - Really Good Tea Mocktail

This tea mockatil is really, really good!  It's perfectly refreshing on a hot day, and the warming spices will help it transfer well into the fall and winter, too.  The recipe comes from Bon Appetit.  I made the following variations:

• I used loose leaf tea with chai spices
• I used fresh lemon juice (because I had it from the lemon twist), but I think lime juice would be great 
• I used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2 cup; I like tart drinks and I found it to be the perfect amount for me

I can think of so many variations!  I think grapefruit or blood orange would be interesting near the winter solstice.  If you like citrus and you like chai, you'll love this!

Summer Flash

Summer is starting to give way to fall here and it's promising very nice weather this long weekend!  Sunshine and mid-to-upper 70's. I think of this as summer going out with a flash of glory as fall nudges it along.  I'm drinking a Japanese green tea in these photos, feeling a sense of urgency to drink up my "summer teas".  Of course I can (and do) drink this in the winter, and yet it's more what I crave when the sun shines long. 

While my tea is green and fresh, the colors of these photos suggest a fall scene. These transitional periods are very interesting times.  I find them full of energy and opportunity.

What teas are your drinking as we make our way from one season to the next?

Passion Fruit and Coconut Curds

Coconut and Passion Fruit curds

From West Coast to East Coast, these curds connect me to special tea friends.  The passion fruit curd began as a conversation between two mutual tea friends.  One had a  vine full of the exotic fruit.  The other wished she could grow her own to make passion fruit curd.  Alas, she didn't have the climate for it.  Very soon thereafter, a box of fresh passion fruit (just picked from the California garden!) arrived East of the Mississippi.  Wow!  The longed for passion fruit curd became a reality.

I had a chance to visit the maker of the passion fruit curd recently and it was spectacular!  She has also been experimenting with coconut curd and I tell you, it's also stellar.  Some of each came to my house. I've been eating these (regularly) with a hearty cookie.  Literally finger-licking good!  Also wonderful with scones, of course.  Thank you to both of my friends for sharing this bounty with me.  XOXO!

Sunshine on the Water

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.

~John Denver

(Now we'll be singing that song all day!)

Thinking of my family today and the happy times we spent recently at the ocean where we took these photos.  

"Chief Encouragement Officer" - Thoughts on Marriage

The DH and I enjoyed a few quiet moments together, sharing an herbal tea, as part of our anniversary celebration

The DH (dear hubby) and I recently celebrated 18 years of being married.  It feels good, really good.  I know you're thinking, "Why, Steph you must have been married at 14!"  Not quite that young, but as grown up as I thought I was at the time, I had so much to learn.  It's a serious thing to be an adult living in a committed, conscious relationship with another human.  The DH and I still have our challenges.  But they're much fewer and more preventable now,  if we each stay conscious about our own "stuff".

We've worked hard at making our marriage good and that includes seeking outside help for enrichment and for managing the tough times.  One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is that what my partner needs most from me, and me from him is to be each other's "Chief Encouragement Officer."  He doesn't want or need me to be his mother.  Nor should I be.  I've learned over time that's not my job.  Instead, it sure feels good to have a life partner on my side to believe in me and cheer me on through it all.  That's what he wants from me, too.  We sometimes disagree or need to hold one another accountable.  But for our marriage to work at its best, the ratio of encouragement/praise/thanks/celebration/support/dreaming far outweighs the complaints and dissatisfaction.  And here's the real secret - it's up to me.  Where do I put my focus*?

If you've been in a long-term relationship, what is your #1 tip for going the distance?

*Please note - I'm not suggesting we overlook destructive behaviors.  

Sanctuary

From one of my favorite authors, Alexandra Stoddard:

"The 'art of tea' is a spiritual force for us to share."

and

"If we could make our house a home, and then make it a sanctuary, I think we could truly find paradise on Earth."

My Brew This Morning

I have a mix of folks who read this blog...first, of course, there's Mom and other family and friends.  :-)  Then there are people who enjoy Afternoon Tea.  In addition,  some readers  are interested in Chinese or Japanese style tea.  And then there are the "all of the above" readers.  I try to write about a mix of topics, to hit on something interesting for everybody now and again.  

Today's article is for those of you who are interested in dipping your teapot in the water of "small pot" or "gong fu" style brewing.  I wanted to show how easy it is to get started. This is how I brewed this morning. (Here's another similar posting.)  I'm brewing an Alishan tea (a high mountain oolong, very aromatic).  I pre-warmed this small little porcelain pot in a bowl and poured out the liquid into the bowl so that the pot could sit in the bath and stay warm while it brewed.  The towel is used to blot the bottom of the teapot before I pour.  I'm not using a serving pot here (also called a "fairness pot") because I'm pouring straight into my cup.  That's it!

And then again, there's always more. A few tips:
* This style of brewing uses a lot more tea and less water (in proportion) than a typical large teapot.  That means the steeping happens fast and you'll want to pour off quickly.  I typically pour off the first brew between 30 seconds and 1 minute, depending on the tea.

* These little pots each have their own pouring quirks.  Play around until you know how to minimize drips.  And keep a towel handy.  Drips happen.

* For a starter pot, I suggest glass or porcelain.  That way, you can use it with a variety of teas.  

* In the brewing style above, I will generate a fair bit of water in my small bowl quickly and need to dump it into the sink or a larger container.

* Be sure to look at the leaf - both dry and wet.  And smell the tea.  These things will enhance your enjoyment.  

* Try to brew in this style when you can focus on the experience.

* Just Go For It!  The spirit of gong fu brewing is to practice,  learn and improve.

What other questions do you have or what other tips would you give?

Hello Kitty Chabako (Traveling Tea Box)

My friend is serving a bowl of matcha which she has made using her Hello Kitty chabako set

I recently spent a glorious Oregon summer afternoon in the company of a tea friend and fellow chanoyu student.  She is my senpai (senior student) and invited me for a hike and tea.  Well, that's perfection!  

Me, in the Tree House

We decided to wear yukata, casual summer kimono.  The sun was out, there was a light breeze, we were in nature and on our way to have tea.  I was definitely in my happy place!  We hiked in the Hoyt Arboretum to the Tree House.  It's a small grove of trees that form a canopy over a secret hideaway.  There we settled.  We began with a  picnic of tea eggs and onigiri (sticky rice balls) with roasted barley herbal tea.

Onigiri

Then it was time for the tea (matcha) and sweets! My friend brought her fun chabako set.  A chabako is a portable, lidded box that contains the necessary equipment for making tea - bowl, tea container, scoop, whisk, sweets container, etc.  All you need is a thermos and you can host a traveling tea ceremony!

This wasn't any ordinary chabako set (not that any are really ordinary).  This set was brought to life by my artistic friend who put her skills to good use! She used Hello Kitty as her theme then made and re-purposed items in creative ways to make a whimsical and yet functional chabako set!

My friend and the basket that held the thermos and chabako box

This natsume was originally a toy from a vending machine!

Setting things out to make tea

Whisking tea

The Hello Kitty chawan, tea bowl

There are so many details that I'm leaving out, yet I hope you can get the idea of how clever this chabako kit was and how lovely of an afternoon!  It is an experience that I am still savoring.

Little Things

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."  ~Khalil Gibran

I really do have wonderful friends!  One of them once observed that I choose little things for my tea equipment.  I hadn't thought much about it and began to take an inventory.  She was right!  I'm drawn to the demi-sized stuff.  Partially because I like the look and partially for practical reasons.  I simply don't drink a lot. Left to my own style, I drink several tiny cups of small amounts of tea in one sitting.

I have a number of small pots useful for brewing in the Chinese style, and yet I didn't have one quite small enough for when I'm brewing solo.  Now I do, thanks to another friend who knows my tastes well.

This diminutive brown yixing teapot (zisha clay) is from the early 1980s.  It holds 70 ml of liquid (just short of 2.5 oz), as compared to the one behind it which holds ~150 ml (a more typical volume).  One little pot produces 3-4 of my thimble-sized cups in one steeping.  At this rate, I can do several rounds.  ;-)  Perfect for me!

Another little treasure: This rock, which I brought back recently from the Oregon coast, has a tiny hole just big enough for one blossom or a very small bouquet.  I'm borrowing from a lesson I learned in my chanoyu studies.  In the summer, suggest coolness...and thus, the dribble of water on the rock.  It reminds me of being at the ocean.

Fly Awake Tea Garden

Kevin, brewing tea at Fly Awake Tea Garden

One could call Fly Awake Tea Garden a dream come true for Arati and Kevin, the owners.  I mean that rather literally because they both use dream work as a tool in their lives (and help others learn to do so).  But that doesn't mean the journey was easy.  Kevin and Arati worked very hard on the practicalities of making this dream a reality.  For example, dealing with zoning and construction and all the minutia of starting a business.

So what exactly is this space?  It's several things at once.  To start, it's a mobile tea cart that serves tea in the garden in nice weather and tea in the converted garage when it's rainy or cold.  Beyond that, it's a community space, a performing arts space, a discussion group space, a hangout for the regulars and a welcoming space for first-time visitors like me.

Come rain...

I visited recently, expecting to spend a half hour with a bit of tea. I ended up staying an hour and a half, enjoying my conversations with the other tea drinkers.  We discussed tea, of course, but also the making of fig preserves and lacto-fermented foods, the precarious position of tea drinking culture in the US, lucid dreaming and much more.

Or shine...peaceful tea-drinking space is there!

I hope to return soon!

Wu-Wo Tea with My Niece

I've been away enjoying some time with my family.  Of course, this involved tea.  I *love* these photos.  They are dear to me because they combine things important in my life - family and tea.  That's my niece with me. We are having a Wu-Wo tea ceremony.  Above, we are brewing the tea together.  Below, we are serving tea to the others in the group.  (Everyone brews tea and shares with three people to the left.)

And finally tasting!  My niece was an adventurous girl, I'm so proud!  She tasted all the teas and we enjoyed quite a range.  She liked the white tea best.  Also pictured above are my sister and two tea friends.  Special thanks to my mom for the photos!  She hasn't lost her touch (and is my photography inspiration).

Sage (doll) joined us, too.  No matter how you do it - afternoon tea parties, tea like this or with a simple mug - tea is a wonderful way to spend time with kids, to expose them to other cultures, to let them play and to make memories.

My Tea Story

Updated 7/15/14

From time to time, I get asked about my tea journey and so I thought I'd share it here...

When I was a child, my Grandma T would visit yard sales and find beautiful old china for my sister and me. Grandma fostered my enchantment with teacups, and as I grew up, it became a passion. Both of my grandmothers had tea parties with me and I remember them fondly!

I grew up on a horse farm in the Midwest, drinking hot tea as a treat in the wintertime. My father, mother and grandmother all enjoyed taking tea. In 1997, my husband (the DH) and I moved to New Mexico where teacup collecting became a serious affair. In 2001, I finished my MBA (while working full-time at a high-tech company) and started Serendipity Teas. I had all these lovely teacups that I wanted to share! I became a Tea Etiquette Consultant, trained by the Protocol School of Washington. I hosted tea parties where I brought the program and tea into homes, and I taught tea classes through the University of New Mexico's continuing education.

In late 2004, the DH and I moved back "home" to the Midwest. I re-focused my tea business to emphasize the tea classes and tea tastings. The in-home work was too expensive and time-consuming to be profitable (I'm not a licensed caterer), and it was becoming less fun. A key lesson for me - keep it fun!

In March of 2007 I indulged in the Tea in London tour. This trip was a gift to myself for working and surviving 10 years with my "day job" company. One of the highlights  was completing the Tea Master's Class, sponsored by the UK Tea Council. I met Jane Pettigrew and Tim Clifton, amazing people and tea educators who are influencing the tea world today!

Over time, my tea knowledge, experience, skills and preferences have evolved.  I am now drinking mostly oolong tea in all its range of glory, as well as Japanese and Chinese greens and pu-erh.  Tho a good Earl Grey is always a comfort.

In 2010,  the DH and I moved to the Pacific Northwest.  Here, my tea life has blossomed in ways I never imagined.  I joined the Wu-Wo group (for brewing tea outdoors, together) and through that have enjoyed an amazing tea community.  In 2011 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to China, India and Tibet and in 2013 to Taiwan, both trips focused on visiting tea farms.  I also began studying chanoyu in January of 2012 and that has been a portal into yet another world of tea.  May the journey continue!

Tea is more than a hobby for me, it is my passion and part of my spiritual journey. With each kettle that boils, I try to pause and be no where but in that moment.

Great Video on Chinese Tea Brewing

This is a really great video about Chinese Tea brewing.  Stay with it after the Food Curated logo.  At 9 minutes in, he talks about bowl style tea brewing.  Click the image below to launch the video.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!!

Easy, Pretty, Delicious: Gluten-free, Dairy-free Trifle

I recently made this trifle and it came together in a snap, thanks to the gluten-free angel food cake I found at Whole Foods.  I'm not GF, but have friends and family that prefer or need this.  I love to find foods that please everyone at the table.  This one is a definite winner!  

The GF angel food cake is in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, near the deli.  There's a coupon for it in the grocer's flyer for the next 2 weeks, as well.  I simply tore it into bits and then added a layer of whipped coconut cream.  I added 1 Tbsp of of sugar and a bit of vanilla paste to the coconut as I whipped it.  If you look closely, you can see the tiny little vanilla seed flecks.

Then I added cherries and nectarines, which had also been stirred together with 1 Tbsp of sugar to make them juice.  I made two layers and done!  So easy and SO  good!

Tea at the Ritz, Buckhead (Atlanta)

I was recently in Atlanta for a work trip and was happy to squeeze in time for Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton in the Buckhead neighborhood.  Kudos to the Ritz for a beautiful tea experience and for getting the name "Afternoon Tea" correct on the webpage.  :-)

Thank you Angela for the suggestion to go here!  The ambiance is old-world elegance and I was delighted when a group of hatted ladies sat nearby.  I also want to brag on my server.  She did a fantastic job!  She offered tea suggestions and was very gracious in her manners. She's been working Afternoon Tea for about a year and seems to really enjoy it. I think that enjoyment makes so much difference.

 As one would expect from a Ritz, the food was both attractive and delicious.  The tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with American caviar, cucumber dill with lemon ricotta dill, prosciutto with melon canape, egg salad, turkey with orange marmalade and Georgia shrimp profiterole.

I enjoyed two scones:  cream and currant, served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

And the selection of desserts was equally wonderful.  My favorite was the most simple - the little financier cake in front on the top rack.

A perfect place to rest and regroup in the midst of a busy week!