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What’s In My Cup: Live Wire Lemon

20 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

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#whatsinmycup, humour, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea review, tea time, what'sinmycup


It’s the Monday after the March Break, and for some, a weekend of partying to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! We celebrated with Shamrock Shakes. So while the sun is shining and there’s a hint of Spring in the air, Youngest Son woke up as a thundercloud. I can’t say there was much spring in my step either.

After my life-saving caffeination infusion (saving others’ lives) and in an effort to cut back on caffeine, I decided I wanted something sunny and lemony, to go with my homemade lemon tart. So I steeped a tea of David’s Tea LiveWire Lemon, totally choosing to ignore the fact that it is marketed as a “stimulant” tea.

It’s morning. It’s Monday.

This tea strongly reminds me of the grassy notes of chamomile tea. The lemon is actually very subtle, not overly sweet or tart. And definitely, there is a bright and warming heat from the ginger. This blend consists of apple, ginger, lemongrass, yaupon, and lemon peel. Yaupon is similar to mate with energizing properties, and is a sustainable plant native to North America.

This tea actually retired pre-covid but I went looking for it anyway. I couldn’t find it on David’s Tea’s website but in a wicked twist, I actually found it on David’s website through Amazon. It’s gone up in price…$30 for 2 ounces or $1.87 per gram!

I was going to say that if you wanted something similar, check out The Buzz, but it’s been retired too!

I hate Mondays!

Garfield

Earl Grey Glaze

13 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

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#whatsinmycup, baking, food, humour, scones, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea party


I think I’ve demonstrated well over the last 10+ years that I’m not a great baker! Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I end up with burnt offerings. What is consistent is that I always celebrate or deflate with a cup of tea.

Last December, I was helping host a Ladies’ card-making night at the church, and my contribution (against the committee’s better judgment) was to provide refreshments. What a perfect opportunity to showcase some goodies! If I got lucky, that was…

So I baked brownies and decorated them with little white snowflake sprinkles…and then I forgot most of them at home. I also baked shortbread cookies, which I decorated with edible glitter, pink and purple meringue “unicorn poop” kisses, snowy meringue rings, and best of all (because it actually worked), blueberry scones with an Earl Grey glaze.

A glaze is simply a mixture of icing sugar and a liquid of choice thickened to the desired consistency to provide a thin, sweet layer over your confectionary. Sometimes butter, margarine, honey or corn syrup is added to make it thicker or glossier. Vanilla is often added for flavour, but other juices, syrups, extracts or, as in this case, flavoured tea or coffee may also be used. The glaze can be applied thickly or thinly, almost like a syrup, and will dry to varying degrees of stiffness, but harden completely. It’s perfect for things like pound cake, hot cross buns, doughnuts, and scones…when you want to add a little sweetness.

Earl Grey tea is a blend of black tea and oil of bergamot, which is an unmistakable, highly floral aromatic. The oil is extracted from the rind of the citrus fruit grown on bergamot orange trees.

The recipe I had, which I can’t find now, suggested steeping 1-2 bags of Earl Grey tea in a 1/4 cup of boiling water for 5-8 minutes and allowing it to cool before combining with the icing sugar. I also added purple food colouring. It was really simple to make while sounding complicated!

Earl Grey pairs well with bright flavours like lemon or blueberry so this glaze added sweetness and a floral hint to these ordinary blueberry scones. They also looked pretty on the plate!

Tea parties aren’t just for little girls with imaginary friends!

March, 2023

06 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food, Foolishness

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, humour, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time, what's in my cup


March is a capricious month. It’s moody and volatile, just like the kid next door (aka Thunder nugget). She’s 4 going on 16! We often hear her shrill rendition of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits through the walls. At the drop of a hat, it can alarmingly switch to shrill screaming in a full-blown temper tantrum. I’ve heard her talk back with more sass than a valley girl.

But I digress.

It’s March. Already. And what do we have to show for it? Hunched shoulders from cold temperatures. Floors covered in de-icing agents. Nose prints on all the windows from when we checked to see if it was time to once again shovel the driveway. In my case, it’s to see if Hubby is still alive, since I can’t help this year.

“Hope springs eternal,” they say. I say it wafts, like the smell of our permanently wet winter clothing moldering in the closet.

But it never truly dies.

Just like the bulbs I planted in the garden (unless the squirrels have eaten them all), hope rests just under the surface waiting for warmth and light to help it burst through the ground, and bloom.

So turn the lamp on and keep warming your hearts with love and laughter, and a few cups of tea.

Every cold and dark phase ends and hence begins a beautiful phase of warmth and vibrance.
Don’t believe? Just notice March.

Anamika Mishra

What’s In My Cup: Red Vanilla

14 Tuesday Feb 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

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#whatsinmycup, food, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time, Valentine's Day


Red tea just seemed appropriate on Valentine’s Day, a day that I always wear black, so I steeped one of my favourite rooibos teas, Tetley’s Red Vanilla. It’s a great blend of earthy sweetness from the rooibos with the intoxicating taste (and smell) of vanilla. It’s a rich mahogany in colour but not “rich” on your wallet, which means “bang for your buck”. Now I have some extra cash to buy some leftover Valentine’s Day chocolate.

Rooibos tea is an herb that comes from an evergreen South African shrub from the legume family. Sometimes it’s called Red Bush tea, and it is only grown in the mountainous regions South Africa, just north of Cape Town. There is no caffeine (so I will be steeping some black tea shortly) and fresh leaves are high in Vitamin C, something we all need to hold off February sniffles.

I will never be a fan of Valentine’s Day, but I will always be a fan of this!

And you…I’m a big fan of you! 😉

May you always have a warm pot of tea on the table and someone you love with whom to share it.

What’s In My Cup: Raspberry Thriller

06 Monday Feb 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

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#whatsinmycup, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea review, tea time, teacup, what's in my cup


I recently attended a Ladies craft morning. There was more chatting than crafting, and of course there was tea! My friend suggested I try the President’s Choice Raspberry Thriller!

Raspberries are low in sugar and high in fibre, although you won’t really benefit from either in this tea. In fact, the only raspberry in this tea comes in the form of powder. However, the blend of dried flowers and herbs still provides a bright, sweet, and slightly tart berry tea to brighten any part of the day or night. Hibiscus and rosehip give your cup an inviting rosy hue. Other ingredients include orange peel, chicory, cinnamon, licorice root, blackberry leaves, and citric acid.

PC’s Raspberry Thriller tea was a nice change from seasonal cinnamon, clove and cardamom. It was warm and refreshing, and I suspect would make a bright iced tea in the summer. It’s easily found in grocery stores and pharmacies, and best of all, it’s an affordable option. Who isn’t looking for a good deal? Each box contains 20 sachets.

I had hoped to compare this tea with Raspberry Rendezvous, an herbal tea produced by the London Fruit & Tea Co. It had the same lovely warm hue. However, I only had one tea bag left and it had obviously sat in the bottom of my drawer for far too long. It was so musty tasting that I couldn’t drink it. I guess I should have taken my own advice about storing and saving tea!

I should probably see what else in that drawer needs to be used, but housework isn’t thrilling. I’d rather craft!!

Cleaning is just putting stuff in less obvious places.

Unknown

Irn Bru

30 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food, Foolishness

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

#whatsinmycup, family, gamers, games, gaming, humour, tea time


We accumulated a lot of snow in the last week and I really shouldn’t be so surprised. It’s winter and I live in Canada! It was the perfect time to put on the kettle, watch the snow fall, and be grateful…that I have a husband who meticulously clears it from walkways and cars. If he spent as much time with me as he does our driveway, I’d either be a really happy wife or the “dripping tap” kind.

Let’s not find out which it is.

How does any of this relate to today’s beverage? It’s an silly segue from snow to Christmas, when Eldest Son was gifted this beverage from his savvy Auntie M! She knows where to find really cool or unusual stuff.

Iron Bru is not a tea-based beverage, but it does contain caffeine. It’s a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as “Scotland’s other national drink” (after whisky, of course!) It was first introduced in 1901 (though documents point to its inception and sales at least 2 years earlier) by A.G. Barr of Glasgow. It remains the top-selling soft brand drink in Scotland, beating out global brands like Coca-Cola. It even has its own tartan!

As with many products, it has undergone some changes since its first batch, but it continues to retain its bright orange signature colour and its iconic strongman logo. It was the only soft drink on sale at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, due to a sponsorship arrangement. It received mix reviews.

Eldest Son shared a can with us at Christmas. It looked and tasted like bright orange pop, with a slightly metallic aftertaste, likely from the artificial sweeteners. It’s sweetened with acesulfame-potassium, aspartame and sugar. It also contains caffeine and quinine, which is also an antimalarial drug. Not really a concern here in Canada…or Scotland.

This weekend was a highly anticipated (mostly by me) family get-together, which I’ll share in my diary on Thursday! While we didn’t consume any Irn Bru this weekend, we did pass the can to keep track of whose turn it was during several long games of Airport!

I won 2 of those games.

Wishing you always walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, and the love and laughter of those you hold dear.

Scottish Blessing

Mennotea

23 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food, From Friends

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#whatsinmycup, food, friends, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea review, tea time


I am really excited today to share a link to a recent tea post from writer, Marian Beaman.

I adore Marian.

Marian and I met through our blogs and she has been a huge encourager (and a kindred spirit). You can find her over at Plain and Fancy Girl, where she shares inciteful posts about life, literature and legacies. Marian recently published her book, Mennonite Daughter, which chronicles her early “plain” years growing up in the Mennonite community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Her book is filled with stories of farm life, as well as the tension of honouring her family and heritage, while desiring a little something more. Her gentle storytelling keeps you glued to the pages! I highly recommend it!

Marian is poised to release her second book, My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir, stitching together memories and wisdom from her early years with her “fancy” man.

Last week, she posted about MennoTea, a Christmas special gift from her sister, in her post entitled Brewing Tea, Recycling Specs, and Feeling Happy! So I invite you to fix your cup of tea and pop over and visit Marian, and if you’ve got time, hang out with her for awhile. (Or sign up to receive her weekly posts!) 😉

Did I mention I adore Marian?

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Heigh-Ho Silver!

16 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Foolishness

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#whatsinmycup, cleaning, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea party, tea photography, tea pots, tea time, what's in my cup


My house is slowly returning to its natural state after the Christmas holidays. The tree and most of the decorations are packed away, the surfaces are dusted, and most of the needles are swept up. There will always be a few that will make an unexpected appearance throughout the year.

I missed a “December job” in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays and it’s always nice to start the New Year fresh. I polished my silver. My silver tea set was a wedding gift from my grandmother and I need to polish it about once a year.

Let’s say you’ve had a tea party…but the party is over! You need to clean the pot, creamer and sugar bowl.

First, remove your jewelry (i.e., rings, bracelets) so you don’t scratch any surfaces. You may want to trim your fingernails too. Most silverware isn’t pure silver and the other materials used can be soft and scratch easily.

Dishwashers are out. The high temperature and rough action of a machine can discolour or damage it. Hand wash it gently in soapy water with a soft cloth (preferably cotton). Abrasive cloths can cause damage but so can forceful rubbing. Don’t use a detergent that has citrus in it because it can cause spotting. Always wash silver by itself; other dishes an cause damage and other metallic pieces can cause discoloration.

Rinse it well with warm water and dry it well with a soft towel before putting it away. Some experts suggest wearing soft gloves whenever handling silver, except for pouring at your party. This reduces oils and other substances from smudging the shiny exterior and accelerating tarnishing.

Silver tarnishes or changes into copper or black, when it comes into contact with moisture, sulfur, and other components in the air. It will tarnish faster in places with higher humidity or higher levels of air pollution. Silver kept in a box will tarnish slower and it may be several years in between the hard work, but why store it when you can use?

Anyone who has ever seen a period piece, like Downton Abbey, has most likely witnessed the “staff” polishing the silver. While regular maintenance decreases the time-consuming task of cleaning a blackened item, who really has the time (or the staff) to polish silver?

Removing tarnish is pretty much the same process as washing: No jewelry, soft cloths, and warm water.

I use a commercial silver polish. Mine is a cream, but they also come in liquid form. I moisten my cloth and rub it lightly on the silver. As the colour is transferred to the cloth, I switch sections on the cloth so that I’m not wiping “dirt” with “dirt”. I use warm water to rinse, and rinse it well. Sometimes, I have to repeat the whole rub and rinse process to ensure I get it all or so I can see where I missed! I dry the silver very with a soft cloth.

Some silver pros insist on back-and-forth motions, while others insisted in small circles. Do what works for you!

Alternatively, commercial grade “dips” are available but they use very strong chemicals and could damage the silver, so read the instructions carefully. They can often be used the same as polish if you want to reduce the risk.

I was given a homemade recipe for a “dip” process. I tried it once, but didn’t find it very effective. The first item was a silver bell and it was badly tarnished, so this recipe may not have been strong enough to tackle the years of neglect. I also found it less effective for larger items, like my tea pot, because I could only fit so much of the pot in at a time, and it had awkward angles. But here it is for the adventurous:

Cover the bottom of a glass or plastic pan with aluminum foil. Add 1 cup of boiling water, 2 tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp. salt to the pan. Drop the silver in the liquid, making sure each piece is touching. Rinse and buff dry. Repeat as necessary.

It can be labour intensive, but with proper care, your silver can always stay shiny for years to come. Don’t be afraid to use the good dishes!

Here, on this clean balcony, white and impersonal with centuries of sun, I think of half-past-four at Manderley, and the table drawn before the library fire. The door flung open, punctual to the minute, and the performance, never-varying, of the laying of the tea, the silver tray, the kettle, the snowy cloth.

Daphne Du Maurier

2022 – A Year In Tea

02 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

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#whatsinmycup, davids tea, food, fruit infusion, green tea, herbal tea, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea review, tea time, what's in my cup


The year was certainly a doozy. For a lot of people. Thank goodness there’s tea!

I’m not sure I would have survived without it.

First making an appearance on September 4, 2017, my regular Monday morning “What’s In My Cup” feature has been going for over 5 years. It’s hard to believe there could be so much to talk about, and I’ve hardly scratched the surface.

Let’s review last year.

In 2022, I sampled and reviewed 22 different flavours of tea from David’s Tea, Tetley, T’Kettle, Puck, Stash, Yorkshire Tea and President’s Choice. They included black, green, and white tea, rooibos, and herbal infusions. Of those, I’m most smitten with T’Kettle’s Citrus Burst, a refreshing grapefruit based fruit infusion. Youngest Son shared his London Fog Bubble Tea with me. I’m still not a fan of bubble teas, but teas with an alcoholic Twist weren’t too shabby. In May I tried 7 brands of chai in The Great Chai Challenge. Of those, my favourite belonged to Tetley, both for flavour and cost.

Tea is best shared with friends, so in 2022, I called upon my friends to participate by share their favourite tea and/or drinking vessel in a monthly Monday feature. Unfortunately, I don’t have any friends.

That’s not true.

But getting friends, family members, and acquaintances to agree to write was challenging. I’d like to extend my thanks to 5 fabulous folks who did:

Mom – Tetley Lemon Ginger

Sam – Jasmine

Nicole – Tazo Chai

Jacob – Puck Earl Grey

Elena – Celestial Sleepytime (who also wrote a beautiful poem)

Auntie M also introduced me to Yorkshire Tea, where I discovered “The Tea Song” as well as the introduction of the “Tea Emoji”!

I shared some repurposing projects, including my tea kettle succulents, and I wrote about the tissue transfer technique after watching The Great British Pottery Showdown.

It might have been time, laziness, business, laziness, lack of motivation, or laziness, but I featured more Tea photographs and quotes this year. “Setting the scene” for these photos may seem like a pretext to avoiding work, but each one required forethought and fussing so they don’t look as amateurish as I think they do.

Of course, Tea Time wouldn’t be complete without tea time treats, and this year, instead of focusing on scones, I tried Peanut Butter Bread, Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake, Date Almond & Yogurt Bread, and Chocolate Babka. The Babka was a 2-day challenge.

I have no idea what 2023 will hold. Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. As always, I’m open to suggestions and I’m willing to share my space. So put the kettle on and pull up a chair. Let’s sip away our sorrows, share our secrets, and swap some stories. All with a good cup of tea!

Happy New Year!

What’s in My Cup: Buddha’s Blend

13 Tuesday Dec 2022

Posted by jennsmidlifecrisis in Food

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, peace, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, teacup, what's in my cup


I’m a day late! That’s because life happened and plans changed, but it was all good.

Eldest Son texted in the early hours of my morning to see if it was OK for him to bring his girlfriend and crash for the night. They have a funeral today. I’ll take any chance to see my kid even if it means panic-cleaning my bedroom, bathroom and living room. I packed my bag and moved into the office before I dashed out the door for a highly anticipated meeting at a nearby Tim Hortons with a special person.

During Covid, we have both been extra careful. And as a caregiver she’s chosen to like a hermit. I was so excited to throw caution to the wind to meet in a less busy place. We sat by the fire in the corner, in comfy chairs, and chatted away a good portion of the afternoon.

By the time I got home, I didn’t feel like doing much. Including cooking dinner. I stretched leftovers and cooked sweet potatoes, and just so I couldn’t feel guilty, I made butterscotch peanut butter marshmallow squares. I have a baking wish list that would require me to bake something everyday between now and Christmas, and with a sewing order still to complete, my list may have to be edited. Hubby will also be off as of Friday, for the remainder of the month, and as much as I love him, I really like the peace and tranquility of being home alone when there’s lots to do.

So I decided to take some time to enjoy just that – peace and tranquility, with a hot cup of David’s Tea Buddha’s Blend…and some candles.

Buddha’s blend is a mixture of white tea, green tea, jasmine pearls, white hibiscus blossoms and artificial peach flavouring. This tea supports the Ethical Tea Partnership, which promotes safe and fair working conditions and sustainable resources.

White and green tea leaves share the same plant, but white tea is harvested before the buds are opened. They are usually plucked by hand because they require delicate handling. Both green and white tea leaves undergo little processing, but white leaves are not fermented, therefore retaining three times more beneficial antioxidant properties than green tea. Antioxidants help strengthen the immune system and with seasonal sniffles around the corner, we could all use a boost. One cup of white tea contains approximately 12 times as many antioxidants as fresh orange juice, and contains less caffeine than green tea.

I had this particular tea in a pre-fabricated tea bag made of a fine, silky mesh, rather than loose leaf. However, the bag is large enough to allow the water to permeate and move the tea leaves for better steeping. It was also fun to watch the leaves uncurl and expland.

The dry tea smelled deliciously fruity. It had both delicate floral and peach notes. I had trouble identifying the fruit until I read the ingredients on the website. The sachet just said artificial flavour. It also had that distinctive grassy note from the green tea, but when it was hot, it wasn’t overpowering.

As it cooled, however, the green tea became more pungent and bitter. Here’s why: I didn’t follow my own advice when it comes to steeping green or white tea. I heated the water to a whopping 212F and both green and white prefer less heat. The website recommended 175F. I also steeped for more than the recommended 1-2 minutes. Neither of these instructions were on the sachet.

Several reviewers commented on the timing. One commentator even posted: “…when brewed incorrectly, even by just a few degrees or extra seconds, the tea quickly becomes a bitter mess. The bitterness is so bad that I’ve had to dump out several cups”.

I may have done it wrong but it wasn’t that bad! On the plus side, both white and green tea can be steeped 2-3 more times, so I can try it again. With each steeping, the flavour decreases, but I don’t mind. I’ll just sit quietly for a minute or two, sipping slowly and watching the snow fall.

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Desmond Tutu

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Recent Musings

  • What’s In My Cup: Live Wire Lemon March 20, 2023
  • Dear Diary – Week 11 March 16, 2023
  • Earl Grey Glaze March 13, 2023
  • Dear Diary – Week 10 March 9, 2023
  • March, 2023 March 6, 2023

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