“There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I used to marvel at my grandmothers tea cup collection. I would spend hours looking at all of the beautiful cups and saucers hanging from the display rack above her buffet. My sisters and I would take special care to pick out our favorite sets.
Tea was always a staple in my grandmothers home, but it was never a formal event. My family simply perfected iced or sweet tea and sun tea. I found myself using teas in the winter to soothe my cold body and at times when I needed to calm myself for a good night’s sleep. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I had the pleasure of experiencing an actual formal English tea party. I found a new appreciation for the power and formality of tea.
After that amazing experience, I was given a starter tea set which sent me on my way into a life of tea. Recently, I happened upon a tea shop while relaxing in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Hooker Tea Company is a wonderous place. They carry over 100 varieties of premium loose teas. Green, White and Black teas, Oolong, herbal and fruit blends, Mate, Roobios, Pu-erh and more in simple silver tins which line the walls making a subtile statement of elegance. The smell of freshly brewed teas steeping fill the air.
I began to get overwhelmed just flipping through their extensive tea menu. The helpful clerk kept bringing over tin after tin letting me smell each tea that caught my eye. With 2 ounces here and 2 ounces there, I ended up with several new favorites. I purchased three amazing teas to enjoy at home:
Blood Orange Pu-erh- Pu-erh filled with hints of orange and grapefruit Forty Winks Herbal - Chamomile tea with orange peel, spearmint, lemongrass, rosehips and lavender Coco Star Black Tea - Blends anise, coco and coconut
I am in love with each of these teas. Iced or served hot with milk and sugar, each tea is an amazing experience. Beyond using tea as a drink, there are medicinal properties to behold as well. Herbal teas can be used to fight off a cold, ease stress, soothe the stomach and more.
I implore you to dive into a cuppa. Join me in the art of enjoying the world’s most popular drink.
So many things I’ve wanted to blog about in the past months, but haven’t had the time. I promise it will be more often in the coming months.
An email came across my desk with an interesting video attached. I received this from my mother and thought I should share it with you all. It amazes me the things we are still learning about our planet and energy.
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a new blog entry. I have to say that I often thought of writting something here and there, but I just couldn’t find the time. (Time being totally my issue at the moment.)
Anywho, I thought I would give you an update on the status of my latest endeavour. The cookbook is coming along slowly but surely. We have defined the sections of the cookbook and listed multiple dishes that we are going to convert into healthy/vegan/easy recipes.
Being the person that I am, my brain has fast forwarded to the book design and title. I definitely know that I am jumping the gun, but it’s fun to dream, so I tell myself that I’m visioning. I told my writing/cooking partner that she needs to keep me on the ground throughout this process. To that, she just laughed.
We’re heading to the next step, which is the fun creative portion of the process….the cooking and taste testing. I think that we are going to try out most of the recipes on our friends and family within the next few months.
I have also decided to include an old wives tale/home remedy/quick tip in each issue of the Terra-zine. I think it will be fun to answer peoples questions, provide a new/old way of doing something and give tips on greening your lifestyle that can be done in less than 10 minutes. If you are interested in these concepts, make sure to register on my website to receive the weekly Terra-zine.
I will blog more frequently and share what’s happening with me and TheEcoDivas.
I’m really struggling with all of the information that my brain is processing after watching the documentary Food, Inc. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Food, Inc., let me give you a brief description of the movie taken from the official website.
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.
To be honest, I can’t express to you the importance of being informed on all aspects of life. We need three things to survive….Air, Water and Food. Food, being one of those three, means we should be very concerned on what is in it and where it comes from.
I already eat pretty healthy, but I never realized that if you’re not buying certified organic, farm raised, grass fed, hormone-free, local and free-range you are eating horrible things. The short list contains such delicacies as feces, steroids, hormones, methane, various cancer causing chemicals and (oh yeah) Ecoli. If you didn’t already know, they are even selling genetically engineered meats in supermarkets which means cloned animals are ending up on your plate. I say…..YUCK!
Please Do Not Take My Word For It…. Watch it for yourself! I’m loaning my copy to friends and family but you can get it from your local library or buy it online or at your local store. I always say, “Education is the key to change.”
This has been an interesting week of experimentation with adding dairy and seafood/fish into my daily diet. Unfortunately, my body has told me time and time again that dairy of any kind isn’t welcome. I think that in the back of my mind I knew this would be the outcome of my little vegan experiment, but I truly hoped that I could detox then return to the love affair I’ve had with cheese these many years.
Those days are gone forever, but I will remember my time with cheese fondly. Brie, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Swiss and all of my other international relationships will be missed. Although, there will be occasions when we will meet again which can not be avoided. I will have to smile, say ”Hello friend” and enjoy. To turn it down would be unheard of and after all, it’s cheese!
