Tea in Nature

Sometimes locals say we live in a desert, but that's really not true. Spring is the time of year that illustrates best that we live in a region that is shrub-steppe instead. Shrub-steppe depicts an area with low rainfall and natural grassland. This type of region has sufficient moisture levels to support a cover of perennial grasses or shrubs. That, combined with the rich volcanic soil of southeastern Washington, creates ideal conditions for grazing or raising crops of dryland wheat. With the addition of irrigation water, orchards and other crops grow very well. A drive through the countryside is prettiest in April and May because of the vibrant green of new growth. When it starts getting hot, everything turns brown and beige instead.

Erosion during the Missoula Floods caused deep canyons in some parts of the landscape. It is not unusual to find flood-created coulees, cataracts, plunge pools, potholes, rock benches, buttes, and pinnacles in this part of our state. They have a unique beauty all their own.

As soon as the weather warms up each spring, it has become tradition that our family take a day trip to Palouse Falls. It involves a drive through flat, shrub-steppe lands, past wheat fields and through fields of cattle. Pretty farms and ranches dot the landscape. Eventually a small sign indicates a turn onto a dirt road. Washboarding through a cattle pasture is a bumpy experience! But it leads to a magnificent sight!

Out of nowhere a deep canyon appears and with it a beautiful waterfall! The Palouse River flows through the shrub-steppe and suddenly falls 198 feet to a basin below the canyon wall. A picture cannot do this waterfall justice! Humans who hike to its base (and fish along the pools shore) look like tiny dots from the observation area at the top of the cliff.

Mock orange and other flowering shrubs provided beauty and much contrast to the basalt rocks and grasses nearby.

We enjoyed viewing the falls, looking at marmots as they ate and played, and observing all the other humans who came to enjoy the view!

The view to the left, the falls. And if you look to the right, a canyon with the Palouse River winding along for four more miles where it joins the Snake River.

Here's another description of the falls. The writer who shares hiking information with others notes that the paved paths that lead to the observation site are appreciated by bull snakes and rattlers on a warm day. Yikes!

Yellow-bellied marmots thrive in their rocky homes between the safety fence and the edge of the cliff. They are quite immune to being bothered by humans, generally ignoring those who come to view them. The babies were especially cute and fun to observe!

Such a pleasant excursion, topped off with lunch and a cup of tea back at the car. Life is good!

Tea Instructions

Tea Instructions

Brewing instructions from our local tea shoppe.

Bring fresh drawn cold water to a rolling boil (212') for Herbal, Black & Chai teas and between 160' - 185' for Oolong, Green, White & Darjeeling teas. 

Use approximately one teaspoon of loose tea per 8 oz. of water. One teaspoon of loose tea equals one tea bag. 

For iced tea - double amount of loose tea (2 tsp. per 8 oz. water).

Pour water over tea and steep-infuse using the following guidelines or according to personal taste.

• Black/Chai Tea - 4 minutes
• Herbal Tisanes - 5 - 7 minutes
• Green Teas - 1 - 3 minutes (can re-infuse leaves) 180' - 185' degrees water temperature
• White Teas - 1 1/2 to 4 minutes (can re-infuse leaves) 180' - 195' degrees water temperature
• Oolong Teas - 3 - 3 1/2 minutes (can re-infuse leaves) 190' - 195' degrees water temperature

Festival of Afternoon Tea

"Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose."  

George Gissing

A Quarter Past Four

The return from the walk, and the arrival of tea, should be exactly coincident, and not later than a quarter past four.

C.S. Lewis
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, 1955

Jam Tea

This morning I enjoyed a gentle cup of jam tea! It was so delicious and the amber liquid slid down my throat with such ease! It's the kind of tea that children enjoy at tea parties with their dolls, teddy bears, and miniature cups and saucers. Yet, it appeals to adults too. The recipe is simple and I will share it with you here:


Jam Tea

• 1 cup of hot plain tea
• 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam (I used a fruit sweetened apricot this morning)

Stir together the hot tea and jam. The jam will melt into the amber liquid and you'll have a sweet treat to enjoy!

A Steamy Tea

My kettle coughs a steamy tea. 

Terri Guillemets

Quilt Hopping and a Teapot

 

I spent a month hostessing a teapot that traveled throughout North America for a year and a half. The little teapot has kept me very busy! But I enjoyed the experience and the way that the little plum teapot opens doors for conversation with people along the way.

Karleen took me {and the teapot} along on a trip to a quilt shop so she could get her beautiful kaleidoscope quilt machine quilted.

 

We met some lovely tea ladies along the way. Tea people are such wonderful people.

 

Quilting people are pretty awesome too!

 

Funky Fennel Tisane

This tisane works as a gentle digestive and calmer of nervous and anxious stomachs. Green fennel seeds work best, but brown or gray work well too. If you have green fennel fronds, they also work well for this tasty beverage.

Funky Fennel Tisane

• 2 - 4 Tbsp. fennel seeds (or a handful of fennel greens)
• 4 cups of boiling water
• Honey or stevia for sweetening

Use a mortar and pestle to bruise the fennel seeds so that they release their fragrance. If using fresh fennel greens, squish them in your hands.

Place the seeds or greens in a teapot. Cover with boiling water and steep for about ten minutes. You can steep longer if you desire a stronger tea. Because this is a tisane, it will not become bitter with a longer brewing time.

Serve hot or cold. Sweeten if desired, but fennel has a natural sweetness that you might enjoy all alone.

Mouse Ear of the Woods

Forget Me Not teacup
Clare Bone China ~ Made in England

These dainty little flowers have the botanical name Myosotis sylvatica which has the adorable meaning "Mouse Ear of the Woods". They are probably better known, though as Forget Me Nots. They can be identified by their five petals, a flat face, and a yellow eye or center. They are commonly baby blue in color, but can also be found in white and pink. They are native to England but can be found in woodland areas in many parts of North America. They are easily cultivated and make a pretty addition to flower gardens. 

The tiny blossoms of this plant are edible and can be added to salads to add variety in color, shape, and flavor. And like violets, violas, and pansies, they can be candied or sugared and then used to decorate baked goods and confectioneries. Excessive ingestion of this delicate blossom is not suggested, as it contains minute amounts of pyrrolizidine, an alkaloid that is found in several common herbs like borage, comfrey, and coltsfoot. Don't let that scare you from trying this tiny blossom, though. Honey, grains, milk, and eggs are also sources where this naturally occurring chemical can be found. Moderation seems to be the key.

Historically, this flower was selected to be the one representing King Henry IV of England. He was exiled in 1398 and holds a colorful and romanticized place in chronicles of the time. It is thought that the flowers represent faithfulness and enduring love because of the life of Henry IV. This English king was the principle in a play written by William Shakespeare entitled "The History of Henrie the Fourth". Such interesting tidbits of history and information can be gleaned simply by researching a simple, blue flower from the garden.

Forget Me Not teacup
Queen's Fine Bone China ~ Rosina China Co. Ltd. ~ Made in England

Finding recipes that use forget me nots as an ingredient in food is uncommon, but the little blue flowers make beautiful decoration on baked goods. They can be arranged on cupcakes or frosted cookies. Cookies decorated with icing sugar "forget me not" flowers are pretty too. Examples can be found on Pinterest and are fun to look at. 

Forget Me Not teacup
Hand-painted Porcelain ~ No Marking

Forget Me Not Cookies

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/16 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Makes 16 cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Be sure the oven rack is set in the middle position. Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Slowly add sugar and beat until peaked. An electric mixer works best for the whisking process. Then, fold in salt, chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla.  Using a teaspoon, drop cookies on baking sheet. Then place cookies in preheated oven. Close the door and then turn off the oven. Allow cookies to sit in the oven for six to 10 hours. Then, open oven door and remove. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from the parchment paper.

Nut Tina's Sandwich Spread

Nut Tina's Sandwich Spread

• 1 1/4 cups garbanzo beans, cooked, reserve liquid 
• 2/3 cup olives, chopped
• 1/3 cup garbanzo liquid
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 3/4 tsp. Brewer's yeast
• 1/16th tsp. onion powder (or more)
• 1/16th tsp. lemon juice (or more)

Mash the garbanzos completely. Add the remaining ingredients and mash well.  Serve on whole grain bread. 

This spread is similar to a Nuteena spread, a commercial, vegetarian sandwich spread. It is similar to a pate'. After following the recipe above, it's delicious mashed with added chopped dill pickles, green onions, or chopped celery. 

A delightful tea sandwich spread.

{Tulips are the result of were bulbs a gift from Brandon and Sally who honeymooned in  Amsterdam; teapot is Lomonosov, St. Petersburg, Russia, a gift from Rylan}

In a Chest of Tea

So of all the particulars of health and exercise, and fit nutriment, and tonics. Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims, "Inspiration"

The Cue, a Pause, and a Blessing

Victorian Violets teapot, sugar, & creamer.
Hammersley, Made in England

The Sisterhood of Quilters publishes a column called Girlfriend Wisdom. I always enjoy their perspective. Today when I picked up a Country Register magazine and read the column, I realized that their advice went with my day. Listen to this...

"Did you ever wish you had a Peaceful Pause Button? A button that would simply pause all the actions that surround your busy day. Errand running, chasing children, cleaning and cooking, working, working, working. If you had an imaginary Peaceful Pause Button that would de-stress your day, how would it work? What lifts your spirit and stirs your soul?"

Violets Tea Towel
Painted by my mom

They suggested that you think of a word and use that word to cue into mentally pausing during stressful moments during the day. Good idea, but better yet, what about actually taking time to pause. A break from daily routine and doing something that's calm, quiet, and special can do wonders for a person! Tea breaks are good for this. Best are tea breaks with a friend! Add a little window shopping to the mix and you're set to go!

Teacup marked JAPAN
The other teacup is Colclough China,
Made in Longton, England

Since it was Karleen's birthday, the decision was made to take a pause-day; a day away from chores and routine. We started with a tea break on the porch, enjoying cups of white blueberry tea. From Fujian, China, this Adagio tea is very fragrant and deliciously soft. Homemade cinnamon rolls and smoked almonds added energy for the day.

After visiting some of our favorite shops and looking for summer sandals, quilt supplies, vintage ware, and assorted plants and flowers, we took a break for lunch.

Chilled carafes of spearmint water refreshed us while we waited for a pot of Assam tea.

Our shared lunch tray

We decided to share a Mediterranean platter for lunch. It was filled with mixed nuts, assorted salty olives, hummus and dips, pasta salad, crusty bread, crackers, and cheeses.

Chocolate with peanut butter frosting

And since it was a birthday, we walked down the street after eating and enjoyed cupcakes from that sweet little shop I'd found with Dad and Alma last week. The shop carries cupcakes for everyone with options for vegan, gluten-free, and every taste bud.

Searching for a Picasso petunia 

The day ended by another stop for plants and flowers. With a car filled with an assortment of cosmos, petunias, million bells, and more, we stopped one more place before arriving back home. It was to the home of a quilt guild friend. What a sweet little cottage she has. It is surrounded by a fence to contain a friendly dog and happy chickens. An abundance of lilies line the parameter, filled with buds and ready to burst forth in blossom at any time! Some kind of exercise gadget sits on the front porch, and it was appropriately covered with a colorful quilt made just for it! She invited us inside for a chat before we headed home.

A pause. A birthday. A friendship. God's gifts are abundant. How special it is to take a pause so that one can stop and appreciate each and every one. Today, the chores will be a bit easier as a result. Plus, there are flats of plants to get into the ground which is another kind of reprieve. Blessings.

Teakettle Sings

"When even the teakettle sings with happiness. . .that is home!"

Quote on my Susan Branch teapot.

A Tea Sandwich or Salad

Everyone has their own favorite recipe, and today I will share one of mine. It's for a light and fresh salad with the very boring name of "Eggless Egg Salad". I'd rename it, but the title describes it well. We had it for lunch recently, served with crisp romaine, scored cucumber circles, hot biscuits, and almonds. It's great served as salad, and equally delicious in a tea sandwich --- especially if sourdough is involved! Delish!

Eggless Egg Salad

• 1 block extra-firm tofu, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish'
• 1/2 cup chopped olives
• Veganaise, to moisten and hold ingredients together

Mix together until moistened. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary (tofu absorbs flavors, so add more Chicknish' if you'd like).

Completely gluten-free & vegan.

Happy Mother's Day