Put the kettle on…

Tags

#whatsinmycup, etiquette, food, tea

“Leonard: Howard’s gonna sleep here tonight. He had a fight with his mother.
Sheldon: Did you offer him a hot beverage?
Leonard: No.
Sheldon: Leonard, social protocol states when a friend is upset, you offer them a hot beverage, such as tea.
Howard: Tea does sound nice.
Sheldon: You heard the man, Leonard. And while you’re at it, I’m upset that we have an unannounced house guest, so make me cocoa.”
Big Bang Theory, Season 4, Episode 16

“I’ll put the kettle on.”  It’s become protocol, a cliché…to offer someone a cup of tea when they are upset or sad. And I cannot find any information on where it originated. Is it from the Victorian era, when tea was a socially acceptable beverage to offer guests, particularly a lady? Let’s be honest, there aren’t too many depictions of highborn ladies sucking back a brewsky.

http://www.Pinterest.com

I said there aren’t too many – I didn’t say they didn’t exist!

Was it during prohibition when tea was more accessible than hooch? Was it with the dawn of television? In the living room of I Love Lucy as a spunky redhead wailed to her beloved friend Ethel over the latest calamity?

* * *

In a crisis, the “fight or flight” response kicks in, suddenly releasing adrenaline into the bloodstream. Oxygen to the brain ad muscles increase to allow our bodies to cope with the impending threat. But the result can leave a person jumpy and emotional, with a reduced ability to focus and make decisions. Taking the time to cool and sip a cup of tea gives the body time to settle, and the person time to process and decide on their next course of action.

According to goldenmoontea.com, tea also has an amino acid called theanine, that reduces stress. With the addition of caffeine, it boosts brain activity and mood, increasing a feeling of relaxation. Theonine also helps boost white blood cells, which helps prevent illness.

Whatever the reason, there is something soothing about the invitation to sit together and to talk through troubles, while savouring a hot beverage. It’s time to put the kettle on…

There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. – Bernard-Paul Heroux

* * *

Do you have a theory? I’d love to  hear it!

 

 

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Pink Roses

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, pink, tea

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles. Audrey Hepburn

3-footed Reticulated Rose Design Castle China, Made in Japan

Demitasse tea cups originated in France in the 1800’s. Demitasse means “half-cup”, and was meant for drinking stronger coffee like espresso or cappuccino, typically served after dinner.

In addition to the glaze inside the cup, which reflects a rainbow sheen in the right light, this tea cup and saucer has a gold, or gilt edging. This luxurious detail was often painted on the edges of plates, cups, bowls, and other pieces. Depending on the age and condition of the piece, the gilt edge may be worn or spotted.

At one time, in an effort to create unique designs for upper class tea drinkers, designers added pedestals or feet to their teacups. Little feet (3 or 4) were a delicate addition as they were pieces added by the potter, and more prone to breaking off. They certainly became a conversation pieces to impress “sophisticated” guests.

* * *

My mother-in-law passed away suddenly this weekend, and we are all in shock. She was a sweet lady with a wonderful giggle. I shared many cups of tea with her over the past 20 years and she will be sorely missed by her family. It only seemed appropriate that today’s post would be pink roses, because of all the colours in the rainbow, her favourite was pink!

Resources:

http://demiq-demitasse-cups-saucers.blogspot.ca/2011/03/history-of-cup-saucer.html

https://blog.englishteastore.com/2013/03/26/why-do-some-teacups-have-feet/

Queen Anne Yellow Roses

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, tea

Queen Anne bone china, footed tea cup and saucer – Yellow Roses pattern.

Anne (1665-1714) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (which changed to Queen of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union, when England and Scotland merged as a single state) from 1702 until her death in 1714. She married Prince George of Denmark in 1683, but despite being pregnant over 17 times (and giving birth 12 times), she died with no living heir.

* * *

This tea cup belonged to my Grandmother, who always loved yellow roses. It was produced by Shore & Coggins Limited of Longton, England. The firm, Shore & Coggins Limited of Longton, England dates back to 1887. It was in the late 1940’s that the Queen Anne trade name was introduced and was used until the firm closed in 1966.

The rose is the flower and handmaiden of love – the lily, her fair associate, is the emblem of beauty and purity. – Dorothea Dix

Cheers!

Ice, Ice Baby

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, humour, tea

Fall may officially be here, but it seems Summer isn’t ready to release it’s grip. For the last year, I dreamed of sitting by a pool in my new bikini, a good book in one hand, and an ice cold glass of tea in the other. Where was this glorious sunshine during my one week of holidays?

The temperature soared over 30C this past Saturday, and with no kids in the house to scar for life, it was my last opportunity to enjoy a taste of Summer. If any of the neighbours were looking, they only looked once…because I blinded them!

Nothing satisfies quite like a chilled glass of homemade iced tea on a hot day. You can control the flavour and the amount of sugar to suit your own tastebuds, using whatever tea bags you have tucked into your cupboards!

It’s important to use enough tea bags to get a strong flavour, and better an extra bag than a longer steeping time. Tea that has steeped a long time tends to be more bitter. A green tea or an herbal (like Tetley’s Pina Colada), will require more tea bags in order for the flavour to come through.  Canadian Living Magazine recommends 2 bags for every 3 cups of water.

Allow the water to cool naturally before chilling it in the fridge. Tea that is put into the fridge when it is hot tends to become murky.

Iced tea can be sweetened or flavoured with sugar or lemon. I don’t sweeten my iced tea but if you do, add the sugar to the water when it is still hot in order to dissolve it. Alternatively, make a sugar syrup and add it to cold tea.  Lemon wedges should be added once the water has become tepid or squeezed in just before serving. Fresh lemons are always preferable to artificial lemon juice from a plastic squeeze bottle!

I like my tea really strong, so I don’t add a lot of ice to my glass. As the ice melts, it dilutes the flavour. Chill the glass before adding the chilled tea, and it’s just as refreshing! Cheers!

“Iced tea! Nothing is half so refreshing as a glass of black tea piled high with ice! More than a quencher of thirst, it is a tamer of tempers, a lifter of lethargy, and a brightener of smiles. It is a taste of Winter’s chill, magically trapped in
midsummer’s glass.”
― Paul F. Kortepeter, Tea with Victoria Rose

 

 

What’s In My Cup?

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, tea

Happy Monday! It’s tea time!

Making a cup of tea should be simple. All you need is a cup, hot water and tea bag, right? One would be inclined to think so…until you start to dig a little deeper.

Apparently there are a number of variables to  consider when brewing the perfect cup of tea – the flavour of the water, the temperature of the water, the vessel the tea is being made in, the steeping time, and the vessel the tea is being served in. Scientists have researched them all. They’ve also tackled the debate of adding milk before adding the tea or after adding the tea to your cup, as well as the advisability of sweetening with lemon or honey.

Then there are the different types of tea to consider – black, green, white, red, pu’erh, oolong…is anyone else feeling overwhelmed?

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. (Japanese Proverb)

It’s a lot to take in and I have a lot of research to do. So here’s what I think we should do! I think we should all boil our kettles and make a pot of our favourite tea in our usual pot, and serve it in our usual cup or mug, and reconvene next week!

So what’s in my cup today? I’ve just brewed a cup of my usual Red Rose black tea in my usual red teapot, served in my usual flowered china mug!

Next week, we can start to unravel the mystery of making the perfect cup of tea together. Deal?

I think we should start with: To Be or Not To Be China.

One thing experts all agree on, however, is that  making the perfect cup of tea requires patience. With that in mind, cheers!

Welcome to “What’s in My Cup”!

Tags

#whatsinmycup, family, food, tea

Summer is over and quite frankly, I feel kind of cheated and tired, and totally unprepared to swing into action. Welcome to September! I need a cup of tea!!

Every Monday this Fall (and longer if it’s a success), I’m going to indulge in tea (& warm socks) and share them with you! “What’s in my Cup?” will be a composition of tea reviews, tips & trends, recipes, quotes and photographs.

It was my Nana J. who poured my first cup on a Sunday afternoon. We were sitting around the table after a hearty meal (that almost always included pie) and she poured me a cup of “calico tea” – a teacup of milk with just enough tea to colour the milk and take the chill from it.

Tea is synonymous with the comfort and security of family.  Growing up, we had tea at large family gatherings, and when my grandparents just “popped by for a minute”. I have shared endless pots of tea and deep conversations with my Mom, and I have laughed over cups of tea with girlfriends. It’s the first thing I reach for when I drag out of bed in the morning, and the first thing I want when I’m tired or I’m sad. I lose cups of tea in odd places in my home. Tea is an integral part of my life, and this feature just makes sense.

So I’m inviting you to pour yourself a cup of tea and join me in making “What’s in My Cup?” an indulgent and integral part of your Mondays!

Cozy Indulgence: “All you need is tea and warm socks.”

***

(Feel free to share “What’s in your cup” – your tea stories, tea topic requests, and photos too!)

Wordless Wednesday: Strawberry Patch

Tags

food, photography, Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Future Chef

Tags

children, food

My friends on Facebook already heard this news. What good is Facebook if you can’t brag a little about your kids from time to time?!?

This week I tried a couple more new recipes – and they were disasters!

First, I tried to make a dessert using strawberries and rhubarb. The shortbread crust was a beautiful golden colour, but it crumbled when I tried to put it on the plate. And my tart compote wouldn’t thicken. What’s a girl to do?

When the freshly baked cookies crumble, put them on ice cream – jennsmidlifecrisis

The second recipe I attempted was cauliflower fritters. Despite sticking to the non-stick frying pan, the texture was spongy and soggy, and just…wrong! Surprisingly, the one person in our family who won’t eat cauliflower thought they were delicious. My Dad (a fellow cauliflower-hater ) would disappointed!

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.- Mark Twain

Thankfully, Little Guy’s baking attempt fared much better.

This week, his class held a Bake-Off! In addition to researching the nutritional value of their healthy meal or dessert, they had to bring in and display their goodies for 6 judges. Here’s where the bragging comes in: Little Guy won the title of Jr. Chef Champion for 2017, which included a chef’s hat and apron, and the coveted Golden Spoon Trophy!

He was pretty excited! Me too! Thank you to Mama Wears Mascara who shared this recipe a few years ago:

Black Bean Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)

1 (14oz) can organic black beans
4 eggs
1/2 cup agave syrup or honey, or 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. safflower or sunflower oil, or coconut butter (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cups.

Drain and rinse black beans well.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until beans are fully pureed.

Pour the batter into cups and bake 20-25 min. or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

I didn’t get to taste a single cupcake! I hope I can talk my future chef into making more!

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
-Charles M. Schulz

T is for…

Tags

#atozchallenge, food, photography, sweets

I know…everyone who knows me is shocked right now because I didn’t write T is for Tea. They know I’m a huge “tea granny” – black, green, red, white, matcha, oolong, flavoured, herbal. It’s the first thing I consume in the morning, and often the last thing too. I have my own kettle and tea pot in my office. I even have a “supplier” who often offers to pick it up for me mid-day.  It’s not uncommon for my family to find cups of tea all over the house, and forgotten in the microwave. But writing about tea seemed too easy! This is suppposed to be a challenge!

My next thought was trees. My oldest son has every little boy’s dream job – he climbs trees for a living.

 Great idea…no time! The day got away on me, and as supper bubbled on the stove, my eyes roamed around the kitchen looking for quick inspiration. And I found it!

Salt Water Taffy.

Years ago, my grandparents would travel to Florida every March, and they would return bearing gifts, sometimes including salt water taffy. I’d unwrap the white wax paper and bite into the soft, sticky taffy, while Grandpa grinned at me. I would tuck my handful of pastel-coloured treats in a safe place, and savour them for months.

Last year, my parents brought me a bag from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (their March haunt)…and I’ve been savouring them all year!

“It’s strange how memory gets twisted and pulled like taffy in its retelling, how a single event can mean something different to everyone present. – Lisa Unger

K is for Killaloe Beaver Tails

Tags

#atozchallenge, food

 

It’s a Canadian thing and they are delicious. I look for them at every Fair and every amusement park! Beaver Tails! No, not this!

By Steve from Washington, DC (American Beaver) (CC by-sa 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

 

This!

 

BeaverTails are fried dough pastries, hand-stretched to resemble a beaver’s tail.

They originated in Killaloe, Ontario in 1978. By the beginning of this year, there were 119 franchise and license locations in five countries: Canada, the United States , Dubai, South Korea and Japan. 

They come with different flavours! Last year, Little Guy had one with icing and chocolate cookie crumble. But my favourite is the Killaloe Beaver Tail – sugar, cinnamon and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Yum!