....for now anyway. I'm sure in a few days I will find something else that bothers me and fix it, only to end up completely changing the layout again.
Oh well.
There is absolutely nothing tea related about this post.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Now that I've regained the will to blog...
So.
I originally had a bigass post all done up, and one little finger twitch had me closing the page. With no prompt if I wanted to leave, and nothing recovered when I came back, it was all lost.
I hate having to go back and do something over, so here's the short version:
Was inspired by the tea hair rinse described here at Crunchy Betty (seriously, love that blog liekwhoa) and was asking Phil at World Tea House which would be better to get a concentrated tea: To steep the tea longer, or to use more tea? He said that since I wasn't using it to drink, I might as well just steep it longer.
Then he said that you could even simmer it for a while.
Then he said that you could even just boil it down to get everything out of those tea leaves.
Thanks for the beauty tips, Phil! *gigglesnort*
So a good boiling is what I did. I boiled down some black tea, and after I was done boiling it down to a bit less than one cup, I added some honey and lemon. After washing my hair rinsed it out with the tea rinse and had myself a lovely, lovely bath using the rest of the coconut milk and some more honey. Used a little bit of the tea concentrate with some water and used it as a toner, since tea is astringent. Mostly I tried it because a) I had some already and b) it smells about a million kajillion times better than apple cider vinegar. After all that, I was pretty much soft as a baby's ass from head to toe. Managed to stay that way when I woke up too, although I was significantly less damp by morning.
Don't ask me what tea I actually had to drink that day, since I had a list of it all, and then lost it with that little finger twitch.
Anyway, yesterday I had a pot of Hot Rod while at home, which I re-steeped once, and a cup of lukewarm rooibos chai while I was at my dance class. A new pot was needed by then, but the tea balls couldn't be found. Oh noes!
Today so far it's been:
Pot of ginger-mint (I drank that in the morning instead of Hot Rod in the hopes that it would clear up my nose. It kind of did.)
Cup of Vanilla Black at work. (I was in a rush after my yoga class, which was just before I started work today, so I didn't get a chance to grab a cup of tea at the studio like I usually do. That's too bad since it was White Coconut Creme today - one of my favorites!)
Cup of a new tea at World Tea House: Coconut Cocoa Pu-ehr.
Re-steep of the vanilla black
That's where I'm at now. Now I must talk about the new tea: It's not actually up on the shelves yet, but I got to try a cup and I must say that I really, really like it. I don't mind the usual dirt taste of Pu-ehr, but it's not my favorite. This though is a nice chocolatey tea with a bit of coconut. It's like the cocoa and pu-erh just kind of blend together. I would absolutely love to try that in a latte. I think it would be fantastic.
That's all for now. Til' next time!
I originally had a bigass post all done up, and one little finger twitch had me closing the page. With no prompt if I wanted to leave, and nothing recovered when I came back, it was all lost.
I hate having to go back and do something over, so here's the short version:
Was inspired by the tea hair rinse described here at Crunchy Betty (seriously, love that blog liekwhoa) and was asking Phil at World Tea House which would be better to get a concentrated tea: To steep the tea longer, or to use more tea? He said that since I wasn't using it to drink, I might as well just steep it longer.
Then he said that you could even simmer it for a while.
Then he said that you could even just boil it down to get everything out of those tea leaves.
Thanks for the beauty tips, Phil! *gigglesnort*
So a good boiling is what I did. I boiled down some black tea, and after I was done boiling it down to a bit less than one cup, I added some honey and lemon. After washing my hair rinsed it out with the tea rinse and had myself a lovely, lovely bath using the rest of the coconut milk and some more honey. Used a little bit of the tea concentrate with some water and used it as a toner, since tea is astringent. Mostly I tried it because a) I had some already and b) it smells about a million kajillion times better than apple cider vinegar. After all that, I was pretty much soft as a baby's ass from head to toe. Managed to stay that way when I woke up too, although I was significantly less damp by morning.
Don't ask me what tea I actually had to drink that day, since I had a list of it all, and then lost it with that little finger twitch.
Anyway, yesterday I had a pot of Hot Rod while at home, which I re-steeped once, and a cup of lukewarm rooibos chai while I was at my dance class. A new pot was needed by then, but the tea balls couldn't be found. Oh noes!
Today so far it's been:
Pot of ginger-mint (I drank that in the morning instead of Hot Rod in the hopes that it would clear up my nose. It kind of did.)
Cup of Vanilla Black at work. (I was in a rush after my yoga class, which was just before I started work today, so I didn't get a chance to grab a cup of tea at the studio like I usually do. That's too bad since it was White Coconut Creme today - one of my favorites!)
Cup of a new tea at World Tea House: Coconut Cocoa Pu-ehr.
Re-steep of the vanilla black
That's where I'm at now. Now I must talk about the new tea: It's not actually up on the shelves yet, but I got to try a cup and I must say that I really, really like it. I don't mind the usual dirt taste of Pu-ehr, but it's not my favorite. This though is a nice chocolatey tea with a bit of coconut. It's like the cocoa and pu-erh just kind of blend together. I would absolutely love to try that in a latte. I think it would be fantastic.
That's all for now. Til' next time!
Live, from Serpintine Studios!
Aw yeah, guess which awesome studio has wifi!
So, I had a big long post about tea that I'd had and a tea hair rinse and toner I made, but I lost the entire post and I haven't had the will or time to re-write it since then.
So instead, let me talk about a dance studio that I go to. It's Serptentine Studios. Right now I'm taking two bellydance classes, a hula hoop class twice a week, and I mere minutes away from my first yoga class here.
What does any of this have to do with tea?
They serve tea from World Tea House here. And every time there's a new pot of tea, it's usually met with great joy. Which makes me wonder: What is up with bellydancers around here and tea? Is this a common thing in other places, or is it just Halifax?
Anyway, I just finished my cup of ginger mint to clear out my nose this morning. Now I'm off to fill up on a fresh cup of White Coconut Creme. Yay tea!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Live, from World Tea House!
Hello, it's been a while.
Like, a long while.
Like, a looooooong whiiiiiiiiile.
But that's ok, because I still like tea, and I still want to write about it. Also, I now have the ability to update my blog WHILE I'M OUT DRINKING TEA.
....as long as I have my laptop with me, anyway.
Like right now? Cuppa Earl Grey. It's perfect for rainy days, of which we are supposed to have in abundance this week.
Besides drinking tea, I've also used it in a few other things like cookies and even a face mask. (My skin was baby's ass soft afterward, btw)
In short, I am back, drinking more tea than ever, and better able to keep track of it all. Expect lots of posts.
Like, a long while.
Like, a looooooong whiiiiiiiiile.
But that's ok, because I still like tea, and I still want to write about it. Also, I now have the ability to update my blog WHILE I'M OUT DRINKING TEA.
....as long as I have my laptop with me, anyway.
Like right now? Cuppa Earl Grey. It's perfect for rainy days, of which we are supposed to have in abundance this week.
Besides drinking tea, I've also used it in a few other things like cookies and even a face mask. (My skin was baby's ass soft afterward, btw)
In short, I am back, drinking more tea than ever, and better able to keep track of it all. Expect lots of posts.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
I've been busy doing stuff.
Ok, I haven't really been so busy that I couldn't update ever, and I haven't actually been keeping track of what I've had to drink every day. Here are, however, a few notable experiences I've had lately with tea:
Russian Potatoes. I've been saying I wanted to try them for a while, but I only just got to trying them now.
Oh, and my ability to write a recipe down is pretty shit too, so forgive my vague instructions.
First try went...alright. I used some of my Russian Caravan from World Tea House. The idea was to brew it strong, but got impatient and didn't really wait long enough. Plus, I was using my friend's IngenuiTea Teapot and for those who don't know, the tea comes out of the bottom when you press it up against your cup (or in my case, pot of mashed potatoes). I accidentally pressed it up against the side of the pot while trying to put it away and splashed way more tea than I actually wanted. I ended up with rather watery potatoes.
So I made it a stew instead.
Russian Stew!
I'm staying at said friend's place for a bit, so I didn't have as much food to choose from as I would like. I just threw in the few veggies I had around, and some leftover chicken mom had given me. The veggies were all steamed ahead of time and then thrown together rather than actually cooked in the stew because I had never actually intended to make a stew in the first place.
So, my recipe for this looks a bit like this:
Cook Potatoes.
Make tea
Get impatient with tea and add it too early
Mess up and add too much tea
Give up and throw everything in one pot
Eat.
It was actually pretty delicious. It made my chicken taste smokey. <3
Oh, note to anyone considering this, do not brew Russian Caravan (or anything else with a Lapsang Souchong base) in a plastic pot without immediately rinsing it out. I had to give it a looong bath. Live and learn I guess.
Second attempt went much better. Basically I didn't mess up on all the things I messed up on last time:
Brew tea ahead of time.
Start mashing potatoes first.
Only add enough tea to make them more mashable
Do whatever the heck you want with your veggies.
Serve with other things. And corn. Always with corn.
Nom.
Up next, cookies!
So, I decided yesterday that I would make cookies. I was going to bake something, and it was going to be delicious. Nothing would stop me from baking something, nothing.
Also, I haven't baked anything besides apple crumble in forever and I basically have no idea what the fuck I'm doing.
Yesterday was vanilla almond cookies with a bit of Earl Grey. which eventually just turned into one giant cookie while baking. Live and learn....
So, next time I want to try making a chai-spiced cookie (possibly with some black tea added, but probably mostly just cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom).
I also just picked up some matcha powder for baking. A quick google search brought me to This Blog where I found a recipe for neat looking matcha cookies.
The matcha cookies are next on my list of things that I will bake. Nothing will stop me. Except maybe work. And wedding showers. And cleaning. And more work.
But once I have some free time, I promise you, there will be more cookies. >:|
And in the future: Cupcakes. I will make adorable cupcakes someday, just you watch me.
That's it for now. I will share more news on my tea-cooking when I have more news to share.
Russian Potatoes. I've been saying I wanted to try them for a while, but I only just got to trying them now.
Oh, and my ability to write a recipe down is pretty shit too, so forgive my vague instructions.
First try went...alright. I used some of my Russian Caravan from World Tea House. The idea was to brew it strong, but got impatient and didn't really wait long enough. Plus, I was using my friend's IngenuiTea Teapot and for those who don't know, the tea comes out of the bottom when you press it up against your cup (or in my case, pot of mashed potatoes). I accidentally pressed it up against the side of the pot while trying to put it away and splashed way more tea than I actually wanted. I ended up with rather watery potatoes.
So I made it a stew instead.
Russian Stew!
I'm staying at said friend's place for a bit, so I didn't have as much food to choose from as I would like. I just threw in the few veggies I had around, and some leftover chicken mom had given me. The veggies were all steamed ahead of time and then thrown together rather than actually cooked in the stew because I had never actually intended to make a stew in the first place.
So, my recipe for this looks a bit like this:
Cook Potatoes.
Make tea
Get impatient with tea and add it too early
Mess up and add too much tea
Give up and throw everything in one pot
Eat.
It was actually pretty delicious. It made my chicken taste smokey. <3
Oh, note to anyone considering this, do not brew Russian Caravan (or anything else with a Lapsang Souchong base) in a plastic pot without immediately rinsing it out. I had to give it a looong bath. Live and learn I guess.
Second attempt went much better. Basically I didn't mess up on all the things I messed up on last time:
Brew tea ahead of time.
Start mashing potatoes first.
Only add enough tea to make them more mashable
Do whatever the heck you want with your veggies.
Serve with other things. And corn. Always with corn.
Nom.
Up next, cookies!
So, I decided yesterday that I would make cookies. I was going to bake something, and it was going to be delicious. Nothing would stop me from baking something, nothing.
Also, I haven't baked anything besides apple crumble in forever and I basically have no idea what the fuck I'm doing.
Yesterday was vanilla almond cookies with a bit of Earl Grey. which eventually just turned into one giant cookie while baking. Live and learn....
So, next time I want to try making a chai-spiced cookie (possibly with some black tea added, but probably mostly just cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom).
I also just picked up some matcha powder for baking. A quick google search brought me to This Blog where I found a recipe for neat looking matcha cookies.
The matcha cookies are next on my list of things that I will bake. Nothing will stop me. Except maybe work. And wedding showers. And cleaning. And more work.
But once I have some free time, I promise you, there will be more cookies. >:|
And in the future: Cupcakes. I will make adorable cupcakes someday, just you watch me.
That's it for now. I will share more news on my tea-cooking when I have more news to share.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Victory will be mine!
But before I talk about my inevitable victory that is one free cup of tea, I will share the tea I've had for the past little while:
Aug 6
Started off with masala chai (in the McGuyver'd mug that I posted about last time)
Had a cup of Rooibos Vanilla for lunch
I didnt' write it down, but I'm pretty sure I had a re-steep at some point of the chai. Or not, maybe I'm just remembering wrong. That happens a lot.
Aug 7
Surprise! Guess who didn't get a lunch break with not notice! Again! If you guessed me, YOU GUESSED RIGHT.
So I went to get a pot of Ginger Tea after work to get un-cranky before heading home. It is never a good idea to face my mother while cranky. No matter how cranky, how pissed off, how totally bitchy you are--even if it's totally justifiable bitchyness-- She will beat you. She will out cranky-you and she will utterly destroy you.
So yeah, tea was a good idea. I got a little bit more writing done. Writing the past few days has been really frustrating; A little while ago I sat down to write and two children's stories popped out of my head. They're cute little stories, but I have no idea where they came from. I don't even know any young children that I would write it for. Weird.
Anyway, since then it's always seemed like a let down when an entire story doesn't magically manifest itself.
On to other more tea-related things: VICTORY! My adventure card at World Tea House is full, so Imma get me a free cuppa today. Assuming I get a lunch break that is.
You know what's really, really awesome? Lunch breaks at the times you're told you'll get them. Not that I'm still cranky or anything.
Aug 6
Started off with masala chai (in the McGuyver'd mug that I posted about last time)
Had a cup of Rooibos Vanilla for lunch
I didnt' write it down, but I'm pretty sure I had a re-steep at some point of the chai. Or not, maybe I'm just remembering wrong. That happens a lot.
Aug 7
Surprise! Guess who didn't get a lunch break with not notice! Again! If you guessed me, YOU GUESSED RIGHT.
So I went to get a pot of Ginger Tea after work to get un-cranky before heading home. It is never a good idea to face my mother while cranky. No matter how cranky, how pissed off, how totally bitchy you are--even if it's totally justifiable bitchyness-- She will beat you. She will out cranky-you and she will utterly destroy you.
So yeah, tea was a good idea. I got a little bit more writing done. Writing the past few days has been really frustrating; A little while ago I sat down to write and two children's stories popped out of my head. They're cute little stories, but I have no idea where they came from. I don't even know any young children that I would write it for. Weird.
Anyway, since then it's always seemed like a let down when an entire story doesn't magically manifest itself.
On to other more tea-related things: VICTORY! My adventure card at World Tea House is full, so Imma get me a free cuppa today. Assuming I get a lunch break that is.
You know what's really, really awesome? Lunch breaks at the times you're told you'll get them. Not that I'm still cranky or anything.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Like a warm blanket
I realized this morning that I had forgotten my travel mug at work.
So I just grabbed another travel mug.
When I opened it up to make sure it was clean, I was hit with the smell of Masala Chai, and I thought "Hey, it's been a while, Chai. I'll choose you today."
I forgot how comforting Chai is in the morning for me. It's like a warm fuzzy blanket. Only, you know, liquid form, and a lot less comfortable to actually cuddle (although my mugs do often double up as hot water bottles when I am stiff or cramping.).
There was just one problem. The basket wouldn't stay up out of the water. (DUN DUN DUUUUUN)
This isn't hugely surprising, I think this was the first mug I got out of my small collection, and it didn't really stay up all that well when I first got it. Add a few drops on to cement and I'm kind of surprised this thing even closes properly. The real problem was mostly that I didn't notice this until I was on my way out of the apartment and didn't have time to transfer to another mug.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see this bright pink paperclip, and then...
Now I can enjoy my comforting tea. I just need to make sure I don't poke myself in the face with a paperclip while I do it.
So I just grabbed another travel mug.
When I opened it up to make sure it was clean, I was hit with the smell of Masala Chai, and I thought "Hey, it's been a while, Chai. I'll choose you today."
I forgot how comforting Chai is in the morning for me. It's like a warm fuzzy blanket. Only, you know, liquid form, and a lot less comfortable to actually cuddle (although my mugs do often double up as hot water bottles when I am stiff or cramping.).
There was just one problem. The basket wouldn't stay up out of the water. (DUN DUN DUUUUUN)
This isn't hugely surprising, I think this was the first mug I got out of my small collection, and it didn't really stay up all that well when I first got it. Add a few drops on to cement and I'm kind of surprised this thing even closes properly. The real problem was mostly that I didn't notice this until I was on my way out of the apartment and didn't have time to transfer to another mug.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see this bright pink paperclip, and then...
Now I can enjoy my comforting tea. I just need to make sure I don't poke myself in the face with a paperclip while I do it.
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