What’s In My Cup: Citrus Burst

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#whatsinmycup, food, photography, summer, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, what's in my cup

I’m still recovering from the Death Flu (not covid, thank goodness), and it kinda stole my taste for tea. I’m sure it will come back, and it’s not all bad because it has cut my caffeine consumption considerably. I’m replacing it with plain old water, and the occasional cup of orange juice for the vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a natural diuretic, and is known for its cleansing properties. It’s vital to healing and as an antioxidant, protects cells against heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Vitamin C helps your body absorb and store iron, and is a  necessity for the formation of blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones.

Citrus Burst, from T.Kettle, may not be high in Vitamin C, but it is lower in caffeine. It contains oolong tea, apple, grapefruit, hibiscus, pineapple, rose petals, papaya, and cornflower petals.

The colour was a bright yellow and the strongest aroma was grapefruit. I found it bright and invigorating, with the tart and slightly bitterness of citrus fruit, and in this particular case, grapefruit! I don’t like teas that taste like soap or perfume, but this had a lovel, light floral note that enhanced the citrus flavours. The second cup I made was steeped for a very long time (I got busy and forgot about it), so it was quite bitter, so maybe don’t do that unless you like your grapefruit strong and sour.

This tea was enjoyable both as hot and an iced tea (and I tried it as an iced tea, not just as the cold tea I left on the counter)! I think it will be quite refreshing in the summer months.

This tea was gifted to me by a sweet friend (actually, her Hubby shopped for it and he has excellent taste in tea…and women)! It reminds me of Tetley’s Citrus Kiss, which was lemon and grapefuit with a green tea base. Both were delicious but I think I prefer the unique pairing of grapefruit and floral with an oolong base because it had more depth to the tea overall. Plus none of the grassy notes that can come through in green tea, or the bitterness from oversteeping green tea.

Spring arrived while I was sleeping, but I’m wide awake now and soaking in the sunshine. At least I did this weekend. It’s raining today. Citrus Burst is definitely going in my summer favs list as my tastebuds turn to all-things fruity and fun! Happy Monday!

I’m gonna soak up the sun
I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up

Sheryl Crow, Soak Up the Sun

Family Day

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#whatsinmycup, family, food, photography, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, whatsinmycup

Family. Like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions but yet our roots remain as one.

Happy Family Day!

What’s In My Cup: Passion

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food, photography, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, Valentine's Day

If there’s something out there that you feel like you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and do it!

Wanda Sykes

Okay Wanda, I’m passionate about chocolate and there’s a tray of chocolate cupcakes in my kitchen that I feel like I should be eating. Does that mean I can stop wishing and do it…because I’m passionate?

Probably not!

Instead, I went in a different direction and steeped a bag of Passion tea by Tazo. This bag was gifted to me by a friend who shares my passion for tea. We exchange a tea bag or two in our annual Christmas card. I’m shouting out a BIG thank you for this one!

This caffeine-free “plunge into paradise” (promised on the sachet) really was a plunge into flavour! It contains hibiscus, licorice root, orange peel, cinnamon, rose hips, lemongrass, and hibiscus and elderberry extract (for colour). It seems like an odd pairing (licorice and flowers?) especially considering it describes itself as “passion fruit flavoured”. There was no passion fruit listed.

But here’s what I discovered! First, since the sachet was a white and purple combination, I expected a rich colour, like David’s Just Beet It. Instead, it was a charming peachy-pink tisane, which was very inviting. Second, it smelled floral, almost like roses with a whisper of fruit.

My first impressions deceived me. This tea was bold and vibrant! It was slightly tart and mouthwateringly delicious with a fruity intensity and warmth from the cinnamon. Yes, there were floral undertones and a zing from the licorice root, but the fruitiness was a bright star. One sachet made a medium-sized pot and my tongue sang all the way to the last drop.

Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love… the clarity of hatred… the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.”

Joss Whedon

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pixie Dust

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food, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea pots, tea time

All you need is faith, trust…and a little pixie dust.

I have always loved ballet, and as a little girl, I aspired to be a prima ballerina. But I lived in a small town with no dance studio so I happily passed the hours in my pink tutu and pink leather slippers, pirouetting to The Nutcracker, on vinyl. It wasn’t very good for the vinyl! I also endured the endless ridicule of my big brother, who would prance around the house wearing my Dad’s work boots and call in a high, sing-song voice, “look at me. I’m a ballerina”. I hated it, but I also refused to let it dampen my joy.

I still pirouette from time to time, when no one is looking…and carefully. I may still have aspirations to be a ballerina, but definitely not the body to succeed. Still, there is something magical when we engage in an activity that we enjoy, or allow our minds to dream in ways that delight us. It lifts the spirit and lightens the load so we can take a deep breath and move forward. I think “tea time” can be one of those magical moments…and on the plus side, it doesn’t make you dizzy.

As we bask in the final moments of this holiday season, take some time to reflect on the past and rejoice in your blessings. Consider what brought you joy and in your mind, sprinkle it with pixie dust, and carry it with you into the new year.

We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.

Henri Nouen

Happy Monday!

Use the Good Dishes

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family, food, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, tea pots, tea time

The holidays tend to be the only time when the “fancy” plates and “good dishes” come out. I think that’s a shame! Beautiful things should be enjoyed more often. While I haven’t had many occasions to use my silver tea set, I have used it a few times, and not just for holidays.

Silver tea sets were used for afternoon tea, a tradition that began in the 17th century. A basic set, like mine, included a tea pot, creamer, and sugar bowl. More elaborate sets might also include sugar tongs, plates, and tea cups.

They are certainly less popular than they used to be. Silver and silver-plated dishes tarnish terribly, and require careful cleaning on a regular basis. I don’t do so well remembering to clean and polish on a regular basis, but I do it because my set is special. It was a gift from my paternal Grandmother at my bridal shower. If I got the story right, she won the tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl in a raffle from the store where my grandfather purchased their wedding rings. The silver tray was a new addition just for me.

June 1996

My grandmother was one of 6 daughters. Her father was apparently quite a woodsman, and I wonder what he thought about 6 daughters! When one of her younger sisters was born, she was sent to an older, childless couple while her mother recovered. It was a long recovery, involving a move to a nearby large town. When they brought Nana to live with her family, she was so distraught at being separated from this older couple, who had cared for her for so long, that she was returned to them. She kept in touch with her family, but was happier in a quiet setting. She cared for this couple as they grew older, leaving school to take a job in the local store.

There she met a quiet guy who lived with his parents on a farm in a nearby village. His parents were not ecstatic about the match and tried to dissuade him from marrying her, but he was smitten!

Years ago, I gave my grandmother a journal and asked her to write about her life. She didn’t begin to write as much as I had hoped, but she wrote this entry in April, 2003:

Today would be our 65th wedding anniversary. Much like today, cold, damp, slight rain. Met at A. [Anglican} Church in E. at nine AM. In attendance, Roy’s parents, brother Ray and wife from T, Mr. & Mrs. Fenwick. Rev. Posture officiated.

Since the soap the villagers put on the windows froze, and by the time we got to C., decided to return home by D. and clean the soap and remove the tin cans.

We stopped in N. and had our pictures taken, a custom in that day. We drove to T. to Ray’s, and stayed 2 nights. Returned home and I baked for the wood sawyers the next day.

We saw one movie on the way “Ebb Tide”. Doesn’t sound very exciting, that was usually the style then, we didn’t have money for a lavish wedding, and we didn’t borrow in those days.

Roy had a tip top taylor suit which cost $24.00. I had bought a deep blue dress, bought material to add sleeves to it. You didn’t get married without sleeves and a hat.

Nana and Papa were married 38 years. Life on the farm was difficult, with aging in-laws, extra relatives during holidays, 2 children, and all the duties of household and livestock.

This year we celebrated our Silver Anniversary – #25!

I asked her once if she ever thought about getting married again and she chuckled. “No,” she said, “once was enough”. I’m inclined to agree.

Why do we save the good stuff for the guests?  Why are we not important enough to use the good dishes?  And the white towels? So, I have decided that we are using the good dishes. 

aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com

Happy Monday!

Serendipi-tea

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art, food, photography, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, tea quotes, tea time

My tea drinking will never be “should”.
When I drink tea, it is all about a moment of indulgence – a little surprise in the every day.

Unknown

Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. Don’t forget to play!
Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Mulled Apple

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food, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, tea time

It’s the day after Halloween and for some anxious people that I know, they now have free reign to celebrate all things Christmas. Knowing that there are only 8 weeks left until Christmas, quite frankly, stresses me out! And a great way to destress is a hot cup of tea!

While there’s often a direct correlation between cost and quality, not every cup of tea has to cost a lot. I was gifted a sachet of President’s Choice Mulled Apple Herbal tea, and yes, it was by one of those people who like Christmas. A lot!

Mulled wine is traditionally served at Christmas time. It’s usually a red wine that is steeped in seasonal spices like cinnamon, clove and star anise, and served hot or warm. This tea simply lists “spices” in it’s ingredients. It also contains cinnamon bark, dehydrated apple granules, hibiscus flowers, orange peel and leaves, roasted chicory root, licorice root, and citric acid. I definitely tasted apple, and cinnamon but it had a big hit of licorice. It did remind me of apple cider, but it lacked the tartness and sweetness of cider. It said to steep for 5 minutes, but I found it was still weak and dull, so I steeped it longer. The longer steeping certainly helped. And oddly, I let it cool, gave it a stir and reheated it (because I was working, not sleeping) and it got even better. The colour was a warm amber and it smelled like spiced apple cider.

Overall, there are apple cinnamon teas that I like better, like David’s baked apple chai, but if you want something more affordable and easier to find, this is not a bad pick!

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

Dr. Seuss, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Orange & Cinnamon Spice

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#whatsinmycup, food, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea quotes, tea time, whatsinmycup

The shift between Summer and Fall seemed to happen overnight. One day I was wearing cotton sundresses and the next, flannel shirts and leggings. This sudden shift in season reminds me that pretty soon I’ll be “denning up” inside, and while each season has things that make it special, summer will live always in my heart.

Thank goodness some things never change – like my love of a good cup of hot tea!

It was gray and dreary most of last week. It rained…a lot! I no longer craved Summer’s fruits, but Autumn’s spices, and what better spice than cinnamon. I paired my homemade cinnamon waffle with fresh apple, and poured myself a cup of Twinings Orange & Cinnamon Spice tea.

This tea has only 3 ingredients: rooisbos leaves, vietnamese cinnamon, and orange peel. There are different types of cinnamon and vietnamese cinnamon is a stronger, spicy/sweet cinnamon, usually used to add warmth and depth of flavour. Cinnamon has some health benefits, but like any number of things, should be consumed in moderation. Since this Twinings tea is a rooibos-based tea, it is naturally caffeine-free.

I found the cinnamon warming on this chilly afternoon, but I think the orange peel tricked my brain into thinking it was orange pekoe, and as a result, I was disappointed that it wasn’t more robust. But it is an herbal and they are often more delicate than a black-based tea. Even so, it had an inviting aroma and a pleasant citrusy taste.

I have also tried Tetley’s Warmth: Cinnamon Spice tea, which is also a rooibos-base, and contains cinnamon, sweet blackberry leaves, orange peel, licorice root, cardamom, cloves, orange blossom and star anise. Pregnant women should avoid licorice root. I found it had a much stronger spice flavour and reminded me more of chai or a holiday blend. Certainly, in terms of availability and cost, Tetley wins!

While I usually think of pairing apple with cinnamon, the orange was a charming change. Hopefully it will help me to ease into the Fall season gently, and encourage me to embrace the changes.

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit,
and resign yourself to the influences of each.

Henry David Thoreau

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Blueberry Fields Forever

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berries, family, food, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time

What do you call a sad strawberry?

A blue berry.

Don’t be sad, because even in the midst of winter, you can enjoy the delightful taste of summer’s blueberries.  They’re the most nutrient-rich berry, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium, and plenty of healing properties.

I brought in another tea connoisseur this week: my Mom. We did a taste comparison of David’s Blueberry Fields Forever tea and David’s Blueberry Jam. While we liked both teas a lot, both we each had a favourite!

Mom’s pick was Blueberry Fields Forever. This tea blend has an oolong base and includes apple, bean peels, blueberries and blueberry leaves, elderberries, hibiscus blossoms, violet blossoms, cornflowers, butterfly pea flowers, natural flavouring and stevia extract. It had a delicate, fruity scent and the butterfly pea flowers, a Southeast Asian flower, gave it a rosier hue. Just what you’d expect from blueberry tea! Mom felt this tea had a more natural and sweet, spirited blueberry flavour.

My pick was Blueberry Jam. This tea has a black tea base, and some of the same ingredients. Blueberry Fields has more florals and therefore was slightly sweeter. Since black tea is oxidized longer than oolong, it was a darker hue, more akin to plain black tea. The aroma was stronger and I thought the flavour was more a blend of various berries, not just blueberry, but still rich, vibrant and delicious.

Royal Albert Morning Glory

Both blueberry teas are fruity and flavourful…and caffeinated! Blueberry Fields is less expensive than Blueberry Jam, but not “less than” in terms of taste. The difference is likely that Blueberry Jam’s ingredients are organic and Fairtrade. Blueberry Fields’ oolong tea supports the Ethical Tea Partnership program.

In terms of tea, neither blend left us feeling blue!

Forget who you are and why you’re here-all that foolishness.
In the woods the bushes are full of blueberries; go and pick some.

Marty Rubin

Happy Monday!

For the Feathered Friends

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birds, humour, nature, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, teacup

I have a Love/Hate relationship with Pinterest.

I love all the amazing crafty ideas (and I confess, the pet shaming memes). Like watching baking shows, it stirs my desire to create while instilling the misbegotten belief that I can do this…and do it easily. My misplaced confidence is shattered when my final product fails to impress.

A recent tea/ garden project was no exception. It looked so simple.

First, I went to the dollar store and purchased 2 tea cup shaped mugs and a set of spoons. I would be making the cutest bird feeders in the neighbourhood!

Next, I coerced asked my patient Dad to glue those spoons inside the mugs. The shape of the cups made this a time-consuming task (for him), but the glue made me feel very relaxed.

Dad carefully boxed my mugs for the car trip home.

They made it in one piece.

The final step, before adding bird seed and admiring my feathered friends, was to hang these mugs in a tree using string or a ribbon.

Excitedly, I grabbed the pink mug first (because it was the prettiest) and a roll of string from my garden tool box. I wound the string around the handle before reaching (shakily with my frozen shoulder) to tie the mug to a branch. Instead, I watched it fall in slow motion and smash on the ground.

Dad should be pleased. The spoon was still firmly glued in place.

I forgot to test the string. A mosquito landing on it could shred it. I went in the house, convinced nothing I did worked and vowing to never look at Pinterest again.

A few days later, with my ego still bruised and a new roll of string, mug #2 made it in the tree (one with grass under it, not cement, just in case).

My creative Auntie M made this for me for my birthday using a tea cup and saucer that was my grandma’s. Maybe I should start sending her my find Pinterest finds…when I break my vow. It’s only a matter of time.

If everything I pinned ended up in my house, I’d be on an episode of hoarders.

Unknown

Happy Monday!