September 21, 2017
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Tea :: Hours
Prayer. Tea. Tea. Prayer.
They are somewhat intertwined in my life. And just like I have prayer books, and a space for prayer, and implements that help me pray... I have tea books. And a tea drawer. And six tea pots, and four water kettles.
Wait, I have FOUR kettles for boiling water?!
Green tea in the morning
Right now, my favorite is a whole leaf green that is fresh, herby, and slightly sweet tasting that we purchased in Finland. But some others that I love, and almost always have on hand are pearl jasmine, coconut green, genmaicha, and a hachija tea that I buy from a local Japanese market.
Black tea in the afternoon
I'll make a cup and take a break from my writing or helping with homeschooling, and sit outside on the back steps and sip. If it's an afternoon when I'm driving around, I'll brew it and put it in my thermos to drink at horseback riding, or in the car at group therapy, or in the studio at piano... Earl grey. Sometimes I'll go with an aged black, cake pu'er, which has a fermented, smokey flavor that I love. Or I'll warm up some of my homemade chai masala that I keep in the fridge.
Herbal tea at night
I'd say half the time, we simply pick fresh mint leaves from our backyard and boil them for a mint infusion. On the other nights, when we want something that sends us more toward sleep, we brew a blend that we buy locally. Always, we make a giant pot of this herbal tea, and each person usually drinks at least two small cups. There's something really lovely about an evening tradition where everyone joins in.
Speaking of everyone! What is your favorite tea? Please share, because there are plenty of opportunites for another cup (and prayer) somewhere in my day! And in case you're an avid coffee drinker, I dare you to take a look at the Bellocq website and not start to shift--at least slightly--in your thinking...
Cheers, friends!
Published: September 21, 2017 | Filed under: Home
Oh how a lovely afternoon tea always does the trick! Like you Jane, a wonderfully perfect cup of English Black tea is where my heart lies and the ability to look forward to making it once the girls get home from school is something that I look forward to every day. I drink it out of a large yet fragile painted china cup and just sip to my hearts delight. At the end, I wish that the tea wasn't gone, but know its time to get back to work....round 2 of the day! Let's sip tea together sometime soon. Lots of love to all the beautiful Meyer's!
Tea next June? Let's get something on the calendar :)
My heart belongs to coffee. That being said, my favorite teas are: green anything, but especially hojicha, a robust organic black tea, like Mighty Leaf or Harney & Sons, and African redbush tea. Night time calls for loose leaf chamomile or an herbal blend that is soothing. Hopefully at our new home I can have the space for a tea ritual. I really can't drink tea out of a thermos. For some reason, I really dislike it. :)
Your new home... I'm getting over my selfish wish to keep you near, and getting excited for your upcoming adventure! We should have tea before you leave... And totally with you on not drinking out of the thermos. I bring along a tiny ceramic cup to drink from :)
I feel so flattered! I would love to have tea before we leave.
I really want to learn more about the 4 kettles part of tea - :) - lovely pictures! lovely tea pots! I have many too (9 I think) and 1 stove-top red kettle and 1 electric kettle (also red!). I have SO MANY teas in my pantry. I keep wishing I had more people to have tea WITH at my house. That said, let's see, I have a variety of chai teas, some really fun more robust blacks (like earl grey by H and Sons and Welsh breakfast via Tasha Tudor), My husband has chamomile lavender at night; I have a black tea with rose and lavender, from pikes place market in Seattle, a gift, and I hope to try to replicate it at least somewhat. I am still figure out how to do so. I make a chai tea mix for Christmas as gifts. we often drink lemon-ginger and also make ginger tea from scratch (peeling and cutting fresh ginger)... when ill with sinus stuff we have various traditional medicinal teas that I keep on hand. I have black flavoured teas (from chocolate to apricot), as well as an organic one called chocolate spice; I like licorice/fennel in my teas, a natural sweetner! So Stash's licorice spice + many others is a nice change. Mint and camomile or mint with rose petals is another. I could go on! :) I have friends all over the globe and I often wish somehow we could just 'tesser' over to each other's place for tea! :) ~ Elizabeth https://eroosje.blogspot.com/
Tea sisters. Some day, with God's help, we'll get to have tea together in person... Four kettles! Yes, how dare I? Well, we kept our old one that started to rust--not sure why--it's up in a cabinet looking forlorn. And then in Finland we bought two antique copper kettles cause we just couldn't resist (and one is a gift--don't tell!). I don't like having a lot of stuff in my house, and am always, always getting rid of things, but somehow that rule doesn't apply to my tea and tea things, does it?!
The rule of minimalism does not apply to tea/coffee accoutrements, mugs, or yarn. It just doesn't!
That beautiful, warm, wonderful Meyer home!
now tea with you would be very nice Jane! I am glad you have the special pots from Finland! :) I tend to not get rid of things too quickly, but yes, hard to not have lots of wonderful things for tea! if you are ever in the NYC area and I am still here, I hope we can meet! :)