Tea Thoughts, and Food...

[shiredancer]

Mmmmmm, tea. Just had my first cuppa in a long, long while -- all the recent heat wave put me right off it. (Although, I fell seriously in love with Starbucks' blended chai over the hot spell -- I'm actually missing the excuse for drinking it daily...)

bodhifox, please don't tell me that Celestial Seasonings is of Teh Evol! (Okay, if it is, tell me.) Because I just counted, and I have 27 varieties of tea in my office now -- most of which are from Celestial Seasonings. I just tried their Chocolate Caramel Enchantment, which is not quite as flavorful and good as their Vanilla Maple. Then there are the teas at home, probably about as many (and only a few of them are the same... O_o).

I seem to collect things around tea. Like mugs to drink it in -- I *heart* my THoU mug and my handmade ones from the pottery sales here on campus. And at home I have a collection of teapots. I love teapots. I wish I could afford more, and had room for them. On the other hand, I wish I actually *used* them. They mostly collect dust.


I also collect pottery bowls and vases. At the same campus sales, I can get a beautifully made, oatmeal-textured mixing bowl for $5 -- who can resist? The more earthy, pebbly, and/or oatmealy, the better. Bowls fill my cupboards and almost spill out; the last vase I bought (a nice round one with a deep green shade, all iridescent-glazed) has no home yet. It will have to live on the bookcase, I guess. My husband is constantly amazed at how I find room for my pottery. He doesn't understand -- I can do *anything* (cues Helen Reddy).

The tea and the pottery, for some reason, have me thinking of Fall, and longing for it. I'm ready for change, I think. I want the crisp air, the bright, hard sunshine, the late harvest vegetables, the apples and cider and pumpkins... even in California, we have some leaf-color going on then, and a true Fallish feeling. Not quite New England, but it'll do.

Yesterday I was such a good wife and mother. I put in my five hours at work (one of my short days), picked up Kidlet for her orthodontist appointment, took her home, and went grocery shopping. First I went to the farm stand, then the health food store, and then the Mainstream Huge Mega-Store -- getting a little less PC with each visit. I bought so many pretty vegetables! Then I cleaned up the kitchen and gave my hands a fabulous spa treatment (that's code for doing the dishes. See, I lather them up with a nice lotion, put on rubber gloves, and wash the dishes in really hot water so the lotion gets really soaked in to my skin. It's one of my lemons-to-lemonade, Pollyanna-from-Hell things *snicker*) Then I made Spicy Orange Shrimp with Broccoli, complemented with the leftover Mango Salsa from Monday on half an avocado. It was yummmmmmm. The mango salsa was originally served over Chilean Sea Bass, which is the best fish in the world for eating -- just melts in your mouth. Pricey, though, so a rare treat. Tonight will be green salad and steamed artichokes, and if I have time I'll make vegetable soup. Oh, and these have all been Weight Watchers recipes -- surprise, surprise. I'm in *such* a cooking mood lately -- best take advantage of it, before I return to my normal programming. Yep, I'm ready for Fall!

Comments

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

Jeesh did I lay that on too thick? Sorry... I won't say anything about Starbucks, no, I *won't*, no way! I like their chai too. Since we have no other coffee shop in town I do give them my patronage.

Now dear lady, this is exactly the kind of soul-nourishing post I like to see you write. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love the pottery bits, autumn and yes even the spa treatment. Now I shall have to stay up tonight after work and do some of my own writing.

BTW, Celestial was headed for the dark side but they were prevented doing so by a Bigelow lawsuit, so rest easy and enjoy your tea ;) I love their boxes!

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

No, no, you did not lay it on too thick. I like the way you think about these things. (Love the icon, too. Question Authority!) And I wonder how you know about them! Is there an online source, that sort of rates the "greenness" and "fair tradeness" of various popular corporations? Or do you just keep up with it on your own? Inquiring minds want to know. And I'm always willing to have my consciousness raised. If a boycott is called, I boycott.

I *am* rather relieved to have CS in the clear, though! Would hate to waste all that tea. There are plenty of other sources, of course, but still. And if you've never tasted the Vanilla Maple, you owe it to your future state to do so.

Yeah, Starbucks -- I actually am not that attached to their hot chai drinks, it's just that frozen one that got me. There are a couple of local sources to support here too, so in the cooler weather that's just what I'll do.

Re the CS boxes (note the icon) -- I cut out and saved the picture from the original Sleepytime box, before they added a family for the bear. I saw the newer boxes and realized my old box was about to become history, so I decided to give it an honored place in my china hutch, next to my best teapot. I *heart* it.

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

"Is there an online source, that sort of rates the "greenness" and "fair tradeness" of various popular corporations? Or do you just keep up with it on your own?"

I'm sure there are sites like that but I do my own research when I'm interested. That's what I do for the day job too. Research in legal and property matters now. I love finding things out. BTW I put up a picture of your donkey on my LJ...

[aerianya.livejournal.com]

Celestial Seasonings is of Teh Evol!
Oh noes! I won't give up my Black Cherry Berry nor my True Blueberry,I guess I could live without the Wild Berry Zinger and Mandarin Decaf Green Tea but it would be a sacrifice.
Now that you've made me feel sufficiently guilty,I must pull down my dusty tea sets and clean them.
Man I give about anything to have some fish other than Salmon or Halibut right now.
I, however am not ready for fall, we didn't really get summer this year!

[aerianya.livejournal.com]

If this reply was an example of a decaffeinated brain, I am in so much trouble. I really should read comments over before hitting the post button. sheesh!
"A mind is a terrible thing to lose"

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

No, no, according to my expert source, apparently Celestial Seasonings is in the clear. We may drink with clear conscience! Thank goodness, too. I love so many of their teas. Sounds like you like the fruity ones, huh? Uh, that's not a slur or anything *snicker*. I've gravitated toward their cream and chai teas and have taken to drinking it English style, with milk and sugar (only for me, it's soy milk and Splenda, but you know...).

Tea sets? You have whole tea sets? *Is jealous* We'll have to share pictures sometime, for the vicarious thrill of it all.

Salmon is my next favorite, and more affordable than the sea bass. I like halibut too, but not as well. I have a wasabi-soy glaze recipe for the salmon, and a maple one -- they're delicious! It was Alaskan salmon that made me decide not to be a full vegetarian, but a pescetarian (one who eats seafood) instead.

[aerianya.livejournal.com]

My mom started me on the tea sets years ago. I only have three I think, and don't really use them so much any more. The one teapot I use sits on the counter and has been lonely all summer. We have been making iced green tea in the tea maker (another one of my Mom's things she thinks I must have really been using it too, so she must have been right). Two differnt kinds of iced tea in two BIG plastic tea pitchers. Although I do miss the days of the tea in the glass, ceramic or pottery pitchers.
I really do like salmon but a couple of years ago I went out with relatives on Resurection Bay and caught about five BIG ONES. Now that would not be a problem if anyone else ate it except the grumpy guy and me.Got a little tired of it there for a while.
My favorite is Honey Dijon Salmon with a pecan crust. hmm* Been craving fish all week too, must be why I keep coming back to this thread.
None left now though.*sigh

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

That is the most adorable icon ever! Since I'm asking everybody lately if their icons are snaggable, guess I'll ask you too. Is it snaggable, perchance? *g*

[aerianya.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! all my icon are snaggable.The icons with other user names must be credited back to them though.All others are mine or free web type graphics.
So help yourself.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Phew - I was having a moment of panic over the Celestial Seasonings there... I need my almond tea; for one terrible moment I thought I was about to be told it was responsible for the global ice melt or something. ::pets the pretty box::

I too have the bowl fetish. I try not to buy them, but they sort of wave to me. But bowls are useful. You can put - well, things in them. So, not a waste of money or space. Nope, not at all *g*

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes -- bowls are simply *important*! And I eat just about everything out of bowls, so obviously, they are useful. And so pretty with, say, some fresh lemons in them! I have a lovely, simple, textured bowl with lemons -- just so pretty to look at.

And thank goodness for the narrow escape with Celestial! Anybody with boxes like that just *has* to stay PC, don't you think?