Obon Festival

Obon Festival Folk Dances

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our local Obon Festival this past weekend.  Obon is a Japanese custom of honoring one's ancestors.  It's celebrated with wonderful food, arts and performances and dancing. The stately woman leading the dances above is Sahomi Tachibana, grande dame of Japanese traditional dance.

It was fun to wear a yukata (casual cotton kimono) with a fancy-tied obi (thank you MK!).  The orange fan is used for fanning as well as in some of the folk dances.  I even tried my hand at some of the dance, great fun!    

The wooden platform shoes are called geta.  They make a nice clack-clack sound when walking.  The ones shown below are covered in black lacquer.

Many people wore kimono and looked simply stunning!  It was lovely to see the young men and women dressed in bright blues and whites,with colorful obi.

And green Nike's.  ;-)  This young man is participating in a multi-generational folk dance.  How cool!

And now, the food...many delicious choices, including noodles, spam specialties and deserts called manju.

My friend MK was incredibly generous and made a bento lunch for me.  Delicious!  And to top off the day, I enjoyed shaved ice with guava and lychee syrup.

A wonderful day full of cultural treasures.

Foolish Projects

A foolish project

Start a huge,  foolish project

like Noah.

It makes absolutely no difference 

what people think of you.

-Rumi

I've been taking this really great online class, Start a Foolish Project, with Andrea Scher.  The idea was to say YES to a project that INSPIRES and DELIGHTS me, and to do it for the JOY of it!  I'm so glad I jumped in!

My warm-up activity was the Take What You Need experiment (image below).  I am  happy to report that all of the paper slips were pulled at the sign posted at my nearby market. I nearly jumped up and down clapping my hands the first time I walked by and some were gone.  ;-)

Next was the "guerrilla goodwill" activity (image at the top).  I made slips of inspiring quotes and affirmations and placed them in library books and on the back of public restroom stalls.  (Two of my favorite authors, Alexandra Stoddard and Sarah Susanka, were next to each other at the library, how serendipitous!) I love the anonymity of it.  It's also very fast. I spent 20 minutes making the slips from leftover scrapbook paper. It takes only 30 seconds to stick on a door or in a book, and my mood is lifted for a couple of hours.  It feels like I'm getting away with something, but in a good way!

My final project was to organize a neighborhood potluck picnic.  The DH (dear hubby) and I are relatively new here and I wanted to get to know more neighbors.  This was the project that really pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I'm a sociable person, but I had to be brave going door to door to introduce myself and hand out the invitations.  I dressed carefully, put on my best smile and headed out.  My opening line, "Hi! I'm Stephanie, your neighbor..." speaks to my nerves. Would they even open the door?  Think I was a solicitor? Ultimately, I found great value in this invitation process.  I met four new neighbors and learned that two of them have lived here for some time and yet didn't know many people.  That validated my cause.

Last Sunday evening was the picnic potluck.  We met in the nearby park.  I took over vases of flowers from the gardens.  I pulled out pretty tablecloths, but aside from that, this was simple because I chose to host in a public space (I highly recommend!).  Nonetheless, I had to remain calm as I made my way there and spied another neighborhood group using the picnic tables I had desired (in the shade). I had been watching the tables for a month...no one ever used them, not once!  Fortunately, there was another table available and we set up a portable table and carried on.  We had a lovely time with 12 of us in attendance.  I know these neighbors by name now. We shared food and smiles, and that is foolish magic!

Breathing Tea



Picking tea in Muzha, Taiwan

Happy Friday!  Just breathe in deeply and smell the fresh tea leaves.

Breathe out and let your breath become part of the tea itself.

One big circle.

Brown Bobby

As a tea lover, you probably know of the Brown Betty teapot.  Have you ever heard of the Brown Bobby?  It's a triangle-shaped donut that was popular in the mid 1920's.  The donut-making machine was advertised in Popular Mechanics as a means to start a cottage industry.  My neighbor has inherited one of the Brown Bobby machines from her mother and she enjoys sharing the donuts.  Lucky us!  We enjoy these tasty morsels from time to time. 

A note about the toleware tray above.  It's another treasure from a neighbor.  I recently picked it up at our community's annual yard sale.  The gorgeous teacup and saucer was sent by a friend who picked it up at an auction.  It has become one of my favorites.

A Crack in Everything

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack,

A crack in everything

And that's where the light gets in.

From Anthem, Leonard Cohen

I've committed this poem to memory.  It moves me deeply.  It speaks of the beauty of imperfection.

Just like these tea wares.  They have scars, they've been patched up. 
But now aren't they even more precious?  They are to me.

Tea's Me

The day before 4th of July, a friend and I had the opportunity to visit a new tea room called Tea's Me.  We visited with owner Julie (below) and her excitement and enthusiasm were contagious.  We discussed both the challenges and joys of being a small business owner, and her hopes for the future of this business (which include an occasional day off!). 

The first thing we noticed about the facility was how well it captured the natural light, an important quality for Oregon.  Inside was cheerfully and yet elegantly decorated.  I appreciated the modern colors and upholstery.  

One of the best features of this tea room was the diverse menu, allowing us to choose from a lengthy list of tea and meal options.  Julie has an afternoon tea appropriate for everyone - from the hungry gal to the nibbler!  In her menu creation, she even considered seniors on a fixed income.  My friend and I each chose the Duchess and it was plentiful.

We began with mango-peach sorbet and cups of hearty black tea.

Our finger sandwiches included chicken salad, ricotta and feta cheese stars and turkey with Havarti cheese on croissant.

The cream and blueberry scones were served with real clotted cream, lemon curd and tayberry jam.  Desserts included fruit skewers, strawberry layer cake and cherry tarts.  Definitely making the best of Oregon fruits.

I wish Julie much luck in her endeavors and I'm sure I'll be visiting often!

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Season!

It's zucchini season and we're eating it at nearly every dinner.  Here are a few of our ways to enjoy this bountiful vegetable (in the culinary sense; technically, it's a fruit).  Above, chopped and raw on a salad.  With this, we also had homemade pizza with zukes, walnuts, kale and cheese (no sauce).  

We had this for dinner last night...quinoa with garbanzo and black beans, corn, onion and chopped (raw) zucchini topped with salsa and canned or fresh tomatoes, a tiny bit of salt, and pepper.  Delicious!

We've also been throwing zucchini on top of nearly every dish...sauteed in olive oil (or just water) for topping pasta of all sorts, dipped into dressing or hummus, and of course shredded and frozen for use in zucchini bread in the winter.  I love grilled zucchini, too.

How do you use zucchini?

Tea Celebrations, Alexandra Stoddard

"Let the world boil down to just this cup, this moment, and let the warmth slowly spread
from your fingers throughout your whole body to your soul."

~ Alexandra Stoddard, Tea Celebrations

I've recently re-read Alexandra Stoddard's Tea Celebrations book.  It's a favorite.  She writes with a passion and self-knowing that I admire.  The book shares beautiful stories about how tea has helped Alexandra find a place of centerdness in her life, and it gently encourages us in this direction.  Comforting, soothing, inspiring and beautiful.  I've made notes in this book for my niece.  Someday, it will be hers.

I discovered Alexandra nearly 13 years ago when I picked up her book, Living a Beautiful Life, at a B&B.  Her philosophy is to make every moment beautiful, even the mundane tasks of life can be made enjoyable with a cup of tea, a flower, a nice pen or beautiful music.  It's a lesson I took to heart.

Do you know Alexandra's work?  Has her work inspired you?  What other authors inspire you to live a life full of beauty and/or centerdness? 



Take What You Need

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - Kindness - Goodness - A Cup of Tea - A Hug -
A Listening Ear - A Do Over

Today, I need a do-over.  :-)  What do you need today?  (You can add your own word.)

I created this poster and hung it in my neighborhood (along with mailing out a few) as a result of an online class I'm taking with Andrea Scher called Start a Foolish Project.  LOVE the class and LOVE the idea of a foolish project, one that I do just for the joy of it!  That makes me feel alive!

In the next few days I will decide what my class project will be.  I got my feet wet over the weekend with this one.  Inspired by Kelly Rae Robert's project, I dove in.  I knew I wanted mine to be done quickly, to achieve a sense of momentum, so I kept it to an hour.  The result was long lasting joy!

Old Mill House Inn, Vernonia

Old Mill House Inn

The DH and I recently took a mini vacation to Vernonia, OR. It was great!  We are riding our bikes both Saturday and Sunday these days, training for an event, which leaves little time for much else. The DH (dear hubby) came up with a very clever way to fit in a little pampering.  We worked in our bike training on the way to a B&B. Taking the long way there, our ride was 4 hours including 21 miles on the Banks-Vernonia rails-to-trails path.

We stayed at the Old Mill House Inn, which I recommend. A lovely home and very friendly hosts who lovingly restored this abode to its present beauty, rescuing it from neglect.

Breakfast was delicious and filling!  And we enjoyed learning about the home's history.

That's me, still standing after a long ride here!  The back yard of the Inn is beautiful with a peaceful deck to sit and let your legs rest. ")

It Was Passed from One Bird to Another (or New Tea Jar)

This tea jar is one of the treasures I brought home from Taiwan.  I fell in love with the pretty little bird and the fact that it had two vignettes, front and back.  It's from the "spring scenery" line of products made by the Eilong company.  And the little blue bird on the right is a special gift from a very sweet friend.  It's Iranian glass.

Here's a favorite poem about travel (and birds) to celebrate my new treasure.  I added the bold emphasis.   It's how I want to re-member my travels, the gift of a day, suspended between sun and geography.

Bird
by Pablo Neruda
It was passed from one bird to another,
the whole gift of the day.
The day went from flute to flute,
went dressed in vegetation,
in flights which opened a tunnel
through the wind would pass
to where birds were breaking open
the dense blue air -
and there, night came in.

When I returned from so many journeys,
I stayed suspended and green
between sun and geography -
I saw how wings worked,
how perfumes are transmitted
by feathery telegraph,
and from above I saw the path,
the springs and the roof tiles,
the fishermen at their trades,
the trousers of the foam;
I saw it all from my green sky.
I had no more alphabet
than the swallows in their courses,
the tiny, shining water
of the small bird on fire
which dances out of the pollen. 

Afternoon Tea in Washington Park

Today, I'm going to point you to my good friend Marilyn's blog for a summary of an Afternoon Tea event we enjoyed yesterday.  Photo by Marilyn.

Photo by Marilyn

Afternoon Tea and Black Tea in Taiwan

Back to Taiwan travels!

Most of us think of oolong tea when we think of Taiwan, but the island has a long history of producing black teas.  We visited the popular Sun Moon Lake area where we were treated to black tea made from bushes of old growth plants dating to the Japanese occupation era (late 1800's into mid 1900's).  I've grown really fond of this tea.  It's delicious straight up, with no need for milk or sugar.

We stayed at a small inn a few miles from the tourist area of Sun Moon Lake.  The inn showcases the black tea production in the area and plays on a European theme.  They offer a British-style afternoon tea.  

We of course participated in afternoon tea! We enjoyed quiche and this delicious chocolate molten cake with cranberry and tea leaf garnish, along with many cups of the delicious black tea.  The photo below shows the accommodations.  We also had the chance for a Wu-Wo tea session in the front yard while staying here.

 I love the picture below of Shiuwen, our tea expert and guide.  Her laughter captures the moment well.

This afternoon tea experience was a nice surprise for us!  After drinking cup after cup after wonderful cup of tea made in the Taiwanese style, this experience reminded me of tea's diversity and flexibility.  It was also fun to see a "Western" cultural item translated into another peoples' context.

Perspective

I like the challenge of this photo.  It makes my brain work hard to truly see it.  The gaiwan on the right is the apparent focus, with its bright color and crisper image.  Yet my eye is pulled toward the soft focus of the teapot on the left.  I have a hard time reconciling the two. The challenge gives me a reason to study the photo at length. The color contrasts, light reflection and textures play into this, too.  I see this picture best when I push my chair away and look at it from a distance, with a new perspective.  When I'm too close, my brain can't make it make sense.

Sometimes my life is like that, with parts that don't quite fit together, each pulling for attention in different ways. I see things better when I remember to push the chair away and look at them from a distance.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Bergamot Lemon Curd

Busy Day Cake with bergamot lemon curd and garden strawberries

I made another batch of the Bergamot Lemon Curd over the weekend. What I didn't immediately lick off my fingers got used in the cake above or frozen for a burst of sunshine throughout the year.

Lemon curd makes a great topping for a simple cake. (One of our favorite cake recipes is Busy Day Cake, a recipe from an old Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. That's what I'm using in the picture above, tho I've added whole wheat. We often make it vegan using vegetable oil or vegan margarine and flax seed meal/water to replace the egg.)

Here's my recipe for Bergamot Lemon Curd:

* 1 Tbsp (or more) bergamot citrus zest (it freezes well)
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup bergamot citrus juice (it freezes well; OK to augment with a bit of regular lemon juice if needed)
* 4 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces
* Double boiler or a pot-over-pot method for cooking
* Bowl with ice, ready for cooling (store in fridge until needed)


Get out the double boiler or pot-over-pot and bring the water to a boil. In the mean time, place the sugar and zest into a food processor and whirl until the rind is well dispersed throughout the sugar mixture.

Turn the water down to a simmer (low). Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the sugar/zest and lemon juice while whisking. Then pour into the double boiler and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until thickened, approximately 7 - 10 minutes. You may need to skim some foam and if any bits of egg coagulate and form chunks, fish them out. Stir in butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it's well combined. Then set over a bowl of ice to cool. Give it a stir every now and then.

Stores well in the fridge for a week and freezes well, too.

Quiet Time

I'm married to an introvert.  Over the years I've come to acknowledge, then accept, then appreciate and now admire his need for quiet time. In fact, even though I'm an extrovert I need and crave quiet time, too.  (Watch this Ted Talk by Susan Cain, author of Quiet, to learn more.) 

One of the things I love about the Wu-Wo tea ceremony is its mix of social time and quiet time.  There is designated time and space for both.  What a great blend!

When I was touring Taiwan, I had several opportunities to drink tea in silence (Wu-Wo and other times).   I found it peaceful, centering and sometimes challenging.   When I came home, I served tea to the DH and we sat with it in silence. 

Drinking tea in the quiet is a great way to reconnect with ourselves.   

Strawberry Scones and Bergamot Lemon Curd

Our garden has been generous with providing amazing luscious strawberries!  I also had frozen bergamot citrus juice and rind I'd been wanting to use.  Over the weekend I made strawberry scones and bergamot lemon curd.  This combination was stellar!   

Bergamot is the Mediterranean citrus that is used to scent Earl Grey tea.  The scent comes from the rind.  To make this curd, I used the food processor to disperse the rind in small pieces throughout the sugar before adding to the custard mixture.  It worked well.  The bergamot aroma is subtle but prevalent.  It invites you to take a bite, close your eyes and smile.  It also balances the sweetness of the strawberry scones very well.

Meatless Monday: Green Hummus

It's been some time since I wrote about a Meatless Monday, and with the garden producing so much, I thought I'd get back to it.  We've grown fava beans for the first time this year.  LOVE them!  Not only do they fix nitrogen in the soil, but they produce this wonderfully plump and flavorful bean. 

The DH made up a recipe for this "green hummus":  fava beans (shelled and raw, skins included), parsley, lemon sorrel, lemon juice, tahini, dash of salt.  The parsley and lemon sorrel are also from the garden.  The raw fava beans are quite starchy and the other ingredients help balance that out.  It was very delicious!

Do you like fava beans?  How do you make them?  You may also know them as horse beans or broad beans.

Tea 101: Lu Yu (and Giveaway Winner!)

Congratulations to Caranam, who has won my blog giveaway!  I'll be in touch.

Lu Yu is an important character in tea's history (Tang dynasty period).  He is most known for writing the first book of tea (Ch'a Ching, called The Classic of Tea) and discovered the importance the quality of water makes when brewing tea.  He was also a bit of a rebel, which appeals to me.  :-) 

Tea Making Process and Stirring Green Video (Alishan)

Son-in-Law, Tea Farmer, considering his freshly made tea

At the Alishan tea farm, the Son-in-Law (that's what we called him) has stepped into the role of primary tea farmer.  He's tall, handsome and kind.  He has a sense of calm presence beyond his age (38).  He was our guide through the tea making process. 

The tea farmer works closely with the experts at the processing factory.  The tea waits for no one.  It's round-the-clock work once the tea is picked.  To make Alishan tea, it takes two days and one night.  Processing is done in small batches; in our case it was specific to a day's picking.  Each day of picking has a different shining quality (aroma, broth, mouth feel, etc.)  and therefore should be processed specifically to bring out its best features.   

Process for making tea, shown to us by the owner of the facility

The process for making Alishan tea:
1 - Tea picking
2 - Outdoor oxidation
3 - Indoor oxidation
4 - Stirring green
5 - Killing green
6 - Shaping
7 - Drying
8 - Fixing the product

Tea that is oxidizing, a very crucial part of the process that turns the raw leaf into magic

This tea processing facility is ISO certified at 4 stars.  (ISO is an international quality standards body and I know from work experience how big of a deal this is.) It seems as though only 5 Taiwan tea processing factories have 5 stars.

It takes 3 - 5 years for a talented person to become good at this tea making work.  It requires sensitivity to many factors including:  temperature and humidity, tea varietal and season, preferences of the tea maker, and of course the leaf itself.  Listening to the leaf is done in many ways, and a lot of it is done through the nose.  The tea makers use the tea aroma as an indication of when it's time for the next step.

For a tea geek like me, it's really exciting to have been there, in the quite literal middle of all of this.  The aromas of the withering teas, the hard work, the rhythms of it all.  Such anticipation for the first taste (see top photo).

Here's a video of "stirring green" which helps the "water travel" in the tea.  It's awesome to watch these guys do their thing.  (And you can go here for some pics of "killing the green.")