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#TeaTuesday Rooibos Jasmine
June 27, 2017
— 5 Comments
my front yard jasmine
my front yard jasmine
my front yard jasmine
I am drinking some iced rooibos tea lightly laced with natural jasmine flavor. Rooibos Jasmine tea is a floral tea for special occasions. I love it, but find it is a taste for which I have to be in the mood. The taste of jasmine is slightly lighter than the typical black jasmine tea. The caffeine free rooibos herb from South Africa has a toasty, nutty finish that also distinguishes it from the typical jasmine tea. I am enjoying it today because I am also enjoying the last of three jasmine varieties that bloom in my front yard over a period of about 2 months. This Asian Jasmine plant is close to the front door and the walkway, so visitors are wafted with the strong scent when they approach the entrance to our home. Come on in and try the jasmine tea.
The thirst quenching qualities of this delightful beverage are awesome. The lingering floral taste is refreshing and invigorating. I normally drink this tea hot because the aroma from the cup is a major part of the experience. The heat releases the smell for the drinker as well as anyone in the room at the time. It is never cloying or overbearing on the floral notes. The perfect amount of flavor picks up, but does not cover, the taste of the herb. Over ice the floral notes come across as much more muted, with less of an aroma. The jasmine hits you after you swallow the cold version of the drink.
I like almost every rooibos and honeybush tea blend based on the fact that the herbs themselves are healthy and delicious. This floral version is great for any time I feel particularly floral. It goes with sweets in my mind, but I suppose I could imagine it with savory foods like goat cheese. I drink it solo for the good feeling of the floral aromatherapy. Try it if you like a caffeine free flower shower in your tea time. It perks me up and makes me feel a little decadent when I taste it because the jasmine flavor is so rich and exotic.
Jasmine
#TeaTuesday White Strawberry
June 20, 2017
— 2 Comments
White Strawberry Tea
This week I want to tell you all about a tea to which I have become very attached. I have been brewing up iced white strawberry tea this summer to beat the band…and the heat. The combination of teas, flowers, fruits and vanilla creates a lovely flavor profile that is complex and delightful in summer. White tea from China is mixed with roiboos tea, apple pieces, blueberries, hibiscus, natural strawberry flavor, strawberries, blue cornflowers, rose petals, and natural vanilla flavor is amazing on the taste buds. If you close your eyes and concentrate you can pick out some of the individual ingredients. The white tea itself has a natural mild melon taste. It is the most subtle of teas, and the least processed. It contains more antioxidants than black or green tea. I adore the flavor of it.
We are suffering in the great southwest from a severe heat wave. We have to drink copiously and frequently to avoid severe health problems. It is the most serious heat streak we have experienced in decades. One must continue to drink water along with the tea of choice to stay in balance. The choice of tea is also important, since caffeine has the effect of dehydrating the system. The white strawberry is an excellent choice since most of the ingredients contain no caffeine. The resulting mix is a beverage very low in caffeine and high in antioxidants and minerals. Roiboos tea is rich in minerals, and contains antiviral and anti inflammatory agents. The berries also provide antioxidants as well as color and flavor. This is a lovely tea to both smell and see before it is brewed. The scent is heavenly, and the flecks of blue cornflower and red rose petals add beautiful accent colors.
I have not tried this tea as a cocktail base, but can imagine a strawberry daiquiri style drink made with it. It would also be great with the addition of a whipped vodka shot, but then what isn’t? I just drink it all day as my go to chiller. I find myself brewing this favorite at least twice a week since the heat became so oppressive. It lifts my spirits, even without any additional spirits. I recommend it. I toast your good health on this first day of summer, gentle reader. Cheers! Stay hydrated, my friends.
white strawberry
#WeekendCoffeeShare Cannabis And Lavender
June 17, 2017
— 11 Comments
Red Rock Lavender Farm
If we were having coffee this weekend I would offer you a large helping of iced tea. The heat is scorching with no end in sight. The heat draws the moisture up from the south to create our monsoon season, but so far there is a tragic lack of moisture. We are baking in the desert. Stay in the air conditioned comfort and drink loads of tea to stay hydrated during your visit. I will send you off on your trip home with fresh watermelon juice, which I find is the most cooling beverage in the world. Relax and tell me about your week. Did your writing go well? How about life?
If we were guzzling iced tea together I would tell you how much fun I am having at my new job. I am now licensed as a dispensary agent by the state of Arizona. I work at a medical marijuana grow harvesting and trimming weed. I only work 12 hours a week in that capacity, but I am developing new ways to serve the patients. I want to create a cannabis catering department as well as an excursion department. I am new at this business, but have lots of experience in the travel industry. I believe the patients are a perfect group of people to put on a party bus for short trips.
The best part of my job is getting to know all my new colleagues. They know a lot about cannabis, but I have miles to go before I will understand all the various new concentrates being made, and the various strains being cultivated. I learn every time I go to work for my four hour shifts. It is surprising to me how much finesse is required to trim buds. Each variety has different qualities and must be handled differently. It takes focus, but we can still chat and listen to music as we work. The people with whom I work are very good natured (as you might expect). I plan to feature short educational segments on Wednesdays, #WeedWednesdays, featuring our expert grower. There is endless information as well as interest in this subject.
Cannabis
Big Farma
If we were on our third glass of iced tea by now I would tell you about our plan to escape to the White Mountains of Arizona next weekend. We are going to a lavender festival near the town of Snowflake. Just saying the word Snowflake is pretty exciting when it is 115 outside. We will drive up on Friday and stay in Show Low, AZ. On Saturday we will attend the Lavender Festival at Red Rock Farms. This event promises to be the exact opposite of burning up in the heat. We will romp through the fields of lavender on a pick your own adventure, then attend cooking demos and wine tastings at the farm. I can’t wait!!!! Saturday night we will check in to an historical bed and breakfast downtown Snowflake, which I will also like a lot. We have to drive home on Sunday, but we can linger in the mountains on the way back. We need to make the most of our “cool down” because the following week will be a furnace down here.
Thanks for joining me today. Use sunscreen on the way to your vehicle. You would not believe how quickly you can be burned to a crisp. Please visit our hostess Emily at Nerd in the Brain for more coffee shares. This movable feast takes place every weekend. Join us to read, comment, or submit your own digital beverage post.
#TeaTuesday Peppermint Butler
June 6, 2017
— 2 Comments
I have rediscovered Peppermint Butler tea this summer. I ordered it in the winter, enjoying it immensely as a cup of hot tea. It is mildly caffeinated, so I sometimes drank it instead of morning coffee for a change. It contains vanilla flavored Ceylon tea, vanilla flavored oolong tea , peppermint, and candy canes. Even though it has been in the tin for a long time, the mint flavor is still strong, probably because of the candy canes crushed in the mix. It is not overly sweet or too minty, but has a unique taste. It is my current favorite iced tea. Summer is intense in Arizona, so we need cool and refreshing beverages. This tea lifts my spirits as well as my taste buds.
I had no idea this tea had been named for a cartoon character until I started to write this review. This is one of Adagio’s signature blends, which I like to sample from time to time. They are more complex and exotic combinations, more expensive ingredients, with a slightly higher price point. I have never been disappointed with the quality of the signature blends. They pack a punch that makes them worth a few extra cents per cup. Peppermint Butler is an excellent example of that value for dollar. The 5 oz tin, which I purchased, is priced at about 38 cents a cup, very reasonable, especially in comparison to tea you purchase in a bottle, already brewed and shipped across the country. Adagio lets customers create their own custom signature blends. This lets you become a tea blend expert with the highest quality ingredients.
If you are looking for some new iced tea excitement this summer I highly recommend this blend. The creamy minty taste goes down well all day long. It compliments salad, chilled soup, and sandwiches very well. Today I will pair it will chilled corn vichyssoise for lunch. The crisp tea will be a nice contrast to the rich cool soup. Both have a richness that make them a good couple on a hot day.
Peppermint Butler Tea
#SelfCareSunday Define Indulgence
June 4, 2017
— 1 Comment
pool with rainbow
This Sunday I did some work very early in the day to free myself for the rest of the day, and into tomorrow. I have my big indulgence of the month scheduled for tomorrow morning, my facial. This is my biggest self indulgence, without which I believe I would feel deprived. I go to a fantastic esthetician I have trusted for many years. She is the bomb. When I worked at spas I indulged in body work, facials, and all kinds of treatments on a very regular basis. I no longer feel the need for the entire high maintenance line up, but my skin and my mental attitude really benefits from my facial.
One reason I reduced the time and money spent on spa and health endeavors was budget. However, once I noticed how much time was returned to my schedule for any activity I choose I think I reduced my consumption more just to regain the unscheduled time. If I had unlimited funds to spend on treatments I would add a few things, but would probably not want to devote as much time as I used to for that sort of thing. I would rather have time to go to the gym and the steam room regularly because that is essential to my wellbeing. I would probably also spend large chucks of time at hot springs. For now I am happy with my condo village’s pool and jacuzzi, which I access with only a short walk. When I get up before dawn and watch the day begin from the deep end all is right with the world.
I think it is important to indulge oneself in healthy ways. The real question is what is indulgence. I know I have redefined it for myself and am happier for it. I had a large carbon footprint and the “need” for all kinds of services when I was younger. Now I like a good walk in the botanical garden with my neighbor better than a class, and a long soak in my own tub on Sunday evening better than any spa ritual I have bought and paid for in the past. The kingdom of spa is within you.
What is your best and favorite indulgence? Have you changed the way you look at that over time? I think it is good to compare value for time/money with everything in existence in order to hone one’s own best ways to pamper and sooth body and soul.
#WeekendCoffeeShare Pool And Protest
June 3, 2017
— 6 Comments
pool with reflection
If we were having coffee this weekend in Tucson I would bring a pitcher of water and another of iced beverage of your choice out to the pool. The only place to be on a day when the temperature reaches 106 degrees is in the pool. I have all manner of flotation devices, and there is a table in the shade where we can sit for a chat after we get wet. If you feel energetic we could chat while we do some exercise in the water. I have taught swimming and water exercise for years, and although I am not currently certified in lifesaving I will keep you safe. Come on in. The water is perfect.
This week was relatively uneventful, if you exclude all the political action in Washington, DC. I do watch with interest while Micheal Bloomberg, the states, and cities step up to fight climate change. I am happy to see all the marchers for science but in Arizona this is not possible at the moment. We must protest fro the pool. I think the best way for me to contribute to the entire issue of environmental protection is to act personally. I think I am carbon conservative, but there are probably a few more items I could buy locally or go without for the good of the planet. Rather than review the international scene, although that is of interest, I am looking for ways I can reduce my personal consumption of water, gasoline, and electricity.
While I fill your ice water glass again please tell me about your writing projects and your week. Did you finish or start any new writing? I admire those of you who write long works of fiction. I may attempt it someday, inspired by your success. It takes discipline as well as talent to do a long write. I have written a few short pieces of fiction, but this week I created a poem in response to Sue Vincent’s photo prompt. It was about death, and was fully depressing like the previous week’s. I do wonder at my creative self when I come up with all this dark gloomy haunted stuff. I also wonder if that is a direction I should try to go for a longer story..haunted and creepy is a genre, after all. I also wrote about my ancestors and tea, so it was not all gloom and doom…except the ancestors are dead, of course. I wrote about some from the Byzantine Empire this week.
I think perhaps I am haunted by the politics playing out before me, but that does not matter. Creative responses to horror and terror have always been used to change things. Satirists are having a having a hay day with all the crazy times in which we live. I wish I could draw cartoons, but I think this talent will be for another lifetime. I will have to stick to poems to express my distaste, rage, or general revolt. How do you best protest, gentle reader?Do tell, what makes you revolt (silently or otherwise)?
If you are in the mood, feel free to cannonball before you go. Hydrate fully, and stay safe. Please join the coffee party on the weekend hosted by Emily at Nerd in the Brain. Contribute a post, or read, comment, and visit here.
Weekend-Coffee-Share-Pic
#WeekendCoffeeShare Gourmet Staycation In Tucson
May 28, 2017
— 3 Comments
Coronet cinnamon rolls
eggs Florentine
poached eggs on grits
Coronet cocktails
If we were having coffee this week in Tucson I would point out to you how dead the city is now. Obviously people leave to escape the heat. The snowbirds, the students, and everyone who can afford to go elsewhere for the summer have left the city. The businesses cut hours and do what they can to stay in business when their regular customers are basically all gone. If you were here now I would recommend you spend the night in a resort for less than half the winter rate, or dine at one of our fancier restaurants offering a summer special. For those of us who stay all year, this is a time to take advantage of the off peak bargains and less crowded streets. Everything is air conditioned, so you will not melt.
Please sit down and let me pour you some iced tea from the extensive collection. I have place an order for new teas, arriving any day, so I am taking inventory of all the teas I need to use in the order they were purchased. I have so many flavors, but this is a basic pleasure in our lives, as well as a healthy way to consume herbs and water. I get really excited about the prospect of new teas I have not tried. Next week my collection will have expanded to about 40 choices. I am drinking a honey bush mango with a fruity taste. What is your favorite kind of tea? I probably have it on hand. I hope you like the Allman Brothers Band. I am playing a tribute until further notice. I will turn down the volume because I want to listen to your stories. What is happening in your life and writing this week? I had an average writing week. I took one day off (yesterday) and produced nothing of great note. I wrote anther tea review, and am starting to like that segment. Are you trying any new ideas in your writing?
Coronet retro decor
Coronet retro decor
The Coronet retro decor
The Coronet
We enjoyed a superb brunch downtown yesterday in the spirit of off-peak excursions. We went to the Coronet, a restaurant we really enjoy but seldom frequent. We like the decor in a restored historical property. The service is always excellent, but with fewer customers it is even better now. The real reason we go is for the innovative menu and bar choices. Yesterday’s brunch was a perfect example. Bob loved his eggs Florentine with gravlax. I had a wonderful dish of poached eggs over grits served with black beans. Bob’s Bloody Mary had fabulous garnishes, including a picked tomatillo. That is the item I plan to knock off and use at home. I had never thought of doing that, but am a huge fan of the tomatillo, a green fruit that is NOT a tomato. We not only had the restaurant almost to ourselves, but the entire 4th Avenue shopping district was empty. We spent some time in a used book store, where I managed to buy just a single book. On the way home we stopped for ice cream at our favorite parlor, The Screamery. We each had full punch cards for a free scoop. We loved our dessert then took home a pint of blueberry cheesecake. All in all, it was a superb little holiday with all the gourmet trimmings. I am in the minority but I honestly love summer in Tucson. The hot ghost town suits me perfectly. You may want to jump in the pool before you head out. Stay hydrated. Take an iced tea with you. By any measure it is hot outside. You may want to stop and get some ice cream.
book shopping
ice cream
This movable digital beverage drinking party is hosted each week by Emily at Nerd in the Brain. Please join writers from around the world for a chat and a digital drink each weekend. Read, write, comment and share.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
#WeekendCoffeeShare The Heat Is On
May 20, 2017
— 6 Comments
vintage cookbook and tickets
If we were having coffee in Tucson today I would invite you to take a dip in the pool because it will reach 100 degrees this afternoon. I am drinking coffee in the early morning as we prepare to spend the day in Phoenix. I know it sounds counter intuitive to go down to the valley of the sun when the heat is cranking up. Here is my logic. This weekend will be a slow one at the Heard Museum, where there is a special exhibit of the paintings of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The universities have graduated the student population, and the snow birds have gone back to the north woods, so this is SLOW season in all of Arizona. It will reach 100 for the next 5 days in a row, which will just be a warm up (pun intended). We get good deals on hotels and other things in the summer. Natives handle the heat by going inside to air conditioned comfort in the middle of the day. Our reservation for the Rivera/Kahlo show is at 1 pm, which gives us time to see the rest of the museum. We have not been there for many years. The permanent collection has some amazing Native American art, including Barry Goldwater’s kachina collection. I am a real museum nut, and Bob does not mind spending lots of time checking out every detail of an exhibit. After you finish your coffee you can ride along in the red Mustang for the trip if you like. It should be a fun day. I plan to have crepes for brunch up in Tempe.
If we were having coffee today I would tell you a funny story about clearing clutter, about which I write frequently, and actually accomplish with less alacrity. I managed to take a large box of books to the used book store last week. Although they only purchased one book, I left the entire box for non profit organizations that pick them up there. I felt proud because I even managed to ditch some of my beloved, and never used, cookbooks. Yesterday in a Facebook group of people who used to live in the boonies in petroleum camps in Eastern Venezuela folks started saying they would pay to have a certain cookbook copied. I happen to have a copy, much used, and very special to me. The pride in ditching the old books has been replaced by pride in keeping the right one, San Tome Gourmet. San Tome was the name of our petroleum camp in Estate Anzoategui. It does contain some killer recipes. I have preserved history and culinary authenticity in my cookbook hoarding practice, so it is now very cool.
vintage Venezuelan cookbook
vintage Venezuelan cookbook
vintage cookbook
Tell me how your week and your writing has been. I have skipped too many days posting here this week, but did manage a couple of poems. Maybe next week I will be more productive and creative. I am calling on my summer muse to show up and inspire. She always shows up sooner or later…she is a little late. I hope your muses are serving you well and keeping your creative juicers flowing. Thanks for visiting this week. For those of you who want to keep up with bloggers around the world each weekend, check Nerd In The Brain for party invitations. Read, comment, or write your own digital beverage post. All are welcome.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
#WeekendCoffeeShare Ignorance Crisis
May 14, 2017
— 3 Comments
the web woven
sticky business
If we were having coffee this weekend I would serve you a long tall glass of iced tea. I am enjoying dewy cherry, a strong fruit flavored herbal tea with long lasting flavor. It is refreshing and beats the hell out of artificial cherry anything. I switch the flavor of tea daily so we never get tired of any one of them. It is also the time of year when we start of consume a lot of fresh juice. I can offer you watermelon, cucumber, tomato, or a combo of any of these juices. I went to the produce site yesterday where I pick up 60 pounds of produce for $10, and decided to score to boxes for $20. We are once again loaded with honeydew, watermelon, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I am cooking up a storm, and drying tomatoes for the future. This non-profit does not operate in the summer, since most of the Mexican produce they bring is not crossing the border in the heat. It makes a big difference to our budget when we have to go back to paying up at the grocery store for our fresh fruits and vegetables.
If we were visiting today I would tell you about the latest installment of the attempt to complete my non-fiction book. I have written this book over the course of many years and published it here on this blog in real-time, as the story developed. It could have been a short story about justice triumph and community policing. Sadly it is a true story about how the local police department accidentally used their “neighborhood watch” program to promote felony crime (charity scamming by the HOA board using our corporate property, our corporate treasury and our corporate lawyer) in the hood. It does sound like an incredible tale, and I wish it were not true. I have published each part of the book and sent the evidence to the city of Tucson since 2013, but the criminal activity has gone on much longer than that. Each time I reported the crimes I thought it would be the last time I would need to do it because I thought the city would want to stop supporting and promoting the most obvious crime in our neighborhood. Alas, the police do not understand that HOA fraud and charity scamming are against the law. They encouraged the scam, and even promoting cramming the fire lane full of cars in order to run the 24 hour donation drop off for the scam. They thought this was a community service. They thought they were serving us by protecting and promoting felony crime (including postal fraud) in front of everyone here for almost a decade. They thought that by setting up an illegal knock-off of the food bank in the fire lane of a residential condo village they would serve our community. They never understood that their actions were very detrimental to safety, property value, quality of life, and certainly did a lot of damage to respect for law enforcement officials. They flaunted obvious obstruction of justice for years and told us it was community service. They might be that ignorant, but the people in this ‘hood are not.
The national political scene is all a-twitter about a constitutional crisis caused by all the latest developments. There is nothing new happening. With all due respect to anyone who thinks they can fix national politics, I believe the crisis is one of extreme national ignorance. The governed have no idea how government is supposed to work, and neither do the folks who work for the government. If anyone knew how the justice system was intended to operate, it would be something other than a for profit prison system that fails enrich or protect the community. If people knew what the presidency was supposed to do, they would shape that mandate in the voter’s booth. I think our position in the world today is a result of a long era of willful blindness and withdrawal of education to the masses. If they can’t read, write, spell , or do math, they will probably not challenge the powers that be because they don’t even know what and where they might be. Ignorance and willful blindness are the enemies, gentle reader.
And thus I will conclude my political rant against ignorance in the United States. I have advised the city of Tucson that there are laws against charity scamming and HOA fraud, as well as blocking the fire lane with traffic for a decade in front of my house. They have yet to respond, so I can’t have a happy ending to this book. It is about the truth, and the truth is that they still think they have the right to come out here and mislead people in order to promote crime. I will end the book and let you know when they finally respond. They do not have the right to remain silent, but the continue to do so. I rarely go on political rants, in fact I consider this to be an education rant.
Thanks for joining me today while I let off steam. Please read, write or comment on the state of your personal affairs at the weekly party hosted by Nerd in the Brain. Enjoy sipping digital beverages with bloggers from all over the world each weekend. Please pipe up with your own stories.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
#WeekendCoffeeShare Yogini With Donkey
May 6, 2017
— 4 Comments
Gita and Bingo
Gita and Bingo
Gita and Bingo
If we were having coffee this weekend I know you will want your beverage on ice because we have hit triple digit heat. I don’t really mind it too much, but it is too much for most people. I am drinking a lovely white pear iced tea with a hint of fruity aftertaste that cools the tastebuds if not the entire body. If we were drinking tea this weekend I would tell you I did manage to write my first tea review, and found it to be easier than I thought it might be.
If you want to know the most interesting part of my week I have to tell you about my friend Gita. I was invited to a pot luck dinner party in honor of an old friend who now lives outside Guadalajara, but lived in Tucson for years, and visits here frequently. She was my mother’s lawyer, and a brilliant one. She had been a fancy tax attorney in Chicago when she decided to become a yoga teacher. She studied at Kripalu and later moved to Tucson where she developed a large following of devoted yoga students. She practiced law on the side, and was doing very well in life when she learned she has Parkinson’s Disease. She lost much of her physical strength and abilities, but still she persisted.
She became a teacher of laughter yoga, and developed a following in that innovative for of yoga, calling on her vast experience in al forms of yoga. I admired her greatly for shifting to accommodate anything that came her way. Since she moved to Mexico I had not seen her, and I assumed her Parkinson’s would be much more difficult to handle with time. I did not make the dinner party, but scheduled a private visit to catch up with her. She fit me into her busy social schedule for a visit before her donkey photo shoot.
Much to my great surprise I found my friend healthy happy, and showing no symptoms of her disease. She now spends her time studying and dancing the tango. I was shocked to see how great her recovery has been. She found a Mexican doctor who put her on the right drug, and then performed brain surgery. After ten years of pain and downhill slide, she got her life back. She drives, lives on her own, and will join a group of tango aficionados on a trip to Buenos Aires in the fall. I asked her if she felt bitter after 10 years of failure with the medical pharmaceutical industry. Her response has blown my mind and made me think about what it really means to be a yogini. She said she had been bitter during the 10 years, but then medicine gave her back her life. Parkinson’s taught her patience and gratitude. Once she got her strength and ability back she knew he just wanted to dance for the rest of her life. Gita is by far the greatest yogini I have ever met ( and I have known many great ones). Yoga is not flexibility of the body..it is strength of mind and character.
Her custom now is to meet a donkey in each city she visits and have a photo shoot. I had not planned to go along for the donkey photo shoot, but it turned out to be the icing on the cake. Here is a woman with a donkey, but not just any woman. This picture captures an ascended master with a donkey, enjoying the great cosmic joke. Dance on, Gita. Your insight and sense of humor are precious. You embody the meaning of yoga.
Let me pour you another glass of iced tea while you tell me about your week and your writing projects. I enjoy keeping up at these digital beverage parties. Read or contribute to the party at Nerd in the Brain’s party link. This movable feast takes place every weekend, rain or shine. Join us.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
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