Nectar of the Gods

25 Monday May 2020

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Our top secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as…honey!

Busy bees collect nectar from different flowers. Nectar is broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The honeycomb design and fanning from the bees’ wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Wax made by the bees seals the honey in each cell.

Beekeepers harvest honey by removing the wax seal and extracting the honey, which is strained and stored in jars, ready for things like “lad-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments” (Barry B. Benson, The Bee Movie).

Honey’s color and flavor varies based on the nectar collected by the bees.

honey

High quality honey contains antioxidants, which helps reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and some types of cancer. It may help reduce blood pressure and triglycerides, as well as improve cholesterol . Honey may also promote eye health and topical honey treatments promote healing for burns and abrasions. Honey will help suppress coughs in children Buckwheat honey is one of the best types (& my personal favourite)!

High quality honey is better because lower quality may add syrups, increasing the sugar content. And while it may be a healthier option for sweetening your tea time treats, it still contains sugar and should be consumed in moderation. Nutritionally, 1 tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, including fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose.

honey tea

When adding honey to your tea, starts with 1 teaspoon of honey, which is slightly sweeter than sugar. Stir well and add more honey if necessary. When baking, substitute honey for granulated sugar in recipes by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar in the recipe and reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. Finally, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent overbrowning.

A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside. A.A. Milne

Happy Monday!

Resources: www.honey.com

Irish Hospitality

16 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Foolishness, Photography

≈ 2 Comments

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family, st .patrick's day, tea, tea cups, tea quotes

In Ireland, you go to someone’s house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you’re really just fine. She asks if you’re sure. You say of course you’re sure, really, you don’t need a thing. Except they pronounce it ting. You don’t need a ting. Well, she says then, I was going to get myself some anyway, so it would be no trouble. Ah, you say, well, if you were going to get yourself some, I wouldn’t mind a spot of tea, at that, so long as it’s no trouble and I can give you a hand in the kitchen. Then you go through the whole thing all over again until you both end up in the kitchen drinking tea and chatting.

In America, someone asks you if you want a cup of tea, you say no, and then you don’t get any damned tea.

I liked the Irish way better. – ― C.E. Murphy, Urban Shaman

I can say by experience, I behave the same way, asking if my guest is sure, and assuring them it’s no bother. My Irish mother-in-law, was just the same, quickly learning that I would never decline tea at any time, and so we always got along just grand!

Irish prayer_ed

Happy Monday & Happy (early) St. Patrick’s Day!

Lustreware Tea Cup

20 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

≈ 2 Comments

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tea cups, tea quotes, teacup

Lustreware is a type of porcelain with a metallic glaze which creates an iridescent effect. It was first developed in Iraq, and was first produced for the royal courts. This cup and saucer was made by the Japanese company, Nippon Yoko Boeki Co., which continues to operate. The distinguishing mark on the bottom is a wreath with a bow at the bottom and a clover, with “Japan” printed in black. This particular clover mark was used from 1891, but it would appear that this particular cup dates closer to the late 1910’s to 1920’s.

This teacup has a full o-ring handle, but with an additional semi-circle on top, which is an uncommon feature. In fact, I could not find any like in my research on tea cup handles.

It is a pedestal-footed tea cup. Tea cup styles matched the times, and designers were always looking for new ways to help sophisticated tea drinkers impress their guests and create “conversation pieces”. One way to do this was to add to the height to a delicate teacup, and a pedestal was an easy and stable way to do so. It’s hard to see in my photo, but this is actually a larger tea cup than most in my mother’s cupboards.

1017B (1)_ed

If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.
― William Ewart Gladstone

Happy Monday!