I love finding out about people and their way of life.
When I travel, I love to have a local guide showing me around areas, especially the suburbs, and telling me about what the locals do; where they work; how the kids are educated; what sort of houses they live and and who lives in those houses.
I am intrigued about the choices /or not that we make regarding where we live.
Are you interested in participating in my little survey?
I would love it if you would email me back your responses and I will put together the outcome and provide feedback once all the information is collated.
1. Where do you live? Rural or Urban (city/country etc)
2. How long have you lived there?
3. Why do you live in that location? (family/job/no choice etc)
4. What type of dwelling do you live in? (House / apartment/ flat/trailer/ tent/room/ retirement village/villa/tepee/houseboat et al)
5. Why do you live in the type of dwelling you do? (finance/ size of family/ tradition etc)
6. What are the benefits to living where you do?
7. Is there somewhere else you would like to live?
8. What would you like to know about how and where people live?
I have been neglecting the ‘HOME’ part of my blog. Of course there is a reason for this; my hold on my home is tenuous at the moment. Those who follow this blog will have read that our house is for sale, going to auction on June 12th, and then the hunt for a new home will be on in earnest.
The past months have been spent reassessing our wants and needs for our next home. We are Baby Boomers; no kids at home and no one else to consider in terms of location, size or arrangement of the new house.
I have found it interesting that many people have an opinion about what we should be looking for, because of our age.
“Why not go into an over 50s village. You will be with people of your own age and be able to do things more attuned to your time of life”. WHAT? While I am sure that these villages are a wonderful for many people, I still want to be in a community that reflects the population - all ages, cultures, types of people represented.
“You will need to downsize, you are at an age where you shouldn’t have to worry about the maintenance of a large home”. Now I can see the point of this comment. While maintenance is certainly an issue – with a very un-handy hubby and a totally unmotivated house cleaner (me) I am well aware that maintaining a large home brings with it problems – BUT, both my husband and I have our interests and each of our hobbies require space. My husband’s interest is photography. He has a large caravan that is his darkroom [outside] but his digital photography requires studio space and spaces to print and frame, inside. My hobbies – paper and fabric crafts require lots of space, well at least a room! So there, we already have 2 rooms required. We also like to entertain; we like to have places for our grandchildren to play happily, where they won’t wreak havoc on the rest of the house. While I realise that many grandies manage to do this all in small spaces, I would rather not if I can help it.
“Live in an apartment”. As a couple, we have not lived in an apartment. I often think about what life would be living in a huge penthouse, overlooking the lovely city of Brisbane. I couldn’t imagine living on the ground floor of an apartment building! Then reality hits with questions like: What if the lift breaks down? Where will Polly (my Maltese) go to do her business? How will I manage with neighbours so close? I am sure that many of you who are reading this will think I am silly. Millions of families, retired people etc live in high rises very successfully. It’s just that for me, at the moment, it is a foreign concept.
There are certain things I am looking for in our next home. Some of my wishes are not priorities for my husband and vice versa. Let’s just put it down to the differing needs/desires of the sexes.
Our selection of house will be dependent on the amount we get at auction, so at the moment we are looking at a range of homes with a wide variety of unique aspects. Going to open homes is certainly an education. Having a sticky-beak into the lives of others; seeing how they live, what they consider is important in terms of furnishings and outdoor entertainment; how people use their rooms; colour schemes [oh don’t get me started here...] and floor coverings, is so interesting and I want to say: ‘I often thought when I went to the furniture store, who would buy this type of furniture/floor rug/drapes/colour paint’! I now know!
While we have spent a lot of time and money getting our present home ready for the real estate market, it is amazing how many people place their properties up for sale with little or no preparation. While following the market, we have seen that these unprepared homes get the price they want in spite of their preparation. What’s with that?
I am really good at packing up the dog and house in 5 minutes flat, when the agent calls to say she is bringing someone over to look at the house. We have open houses, but potential buyers are also able to arrange private visits. Having to keep the house spotless, smelling lovely, no dog poo in the yard, everything packed away and ready for a critical ‘buyer’s eye’, is very stressful.
I tend to get up very early these days (so not fair when one is retired!) so that I can get the house in order and then have to spend the rest of the day, sitting somewhere quiet, where I don’t disturb the order – so that is in front of the computer, hence the generation of posts here presently.
I so wish someone would buy our lovely home before auction! But then I think, ‘where will we go?’ We haven’t identified an actually suburb, property type or price yet ~ HELP!
There is nothing quite as refreshingly good as Fruit Tea. Your sense of smell is hit first which in turn gets your tastebuds ready for the fruity flavour hit.
Hot or cold, fruit teas are a wonderful addition to your tea menu. Have you tasted fruit teas of lemon, peach, orange, mango, passionfruit, blackberry, grapefruit, apple, lime and the rest.
Apart from the amazing fruity flavours, fruit teas lack caffeine which has given them kudos in the area of good health. Ice cold fruit teas are an excellent alternative to soft drinks [and a bit of fizz can also be added];
One of my favourite fruit teas is ginger and lemon – this is wonderful hot or cold. You can either mix your own by blending the teas with an infuser or buy some wonderful tea bags. There are so many fruit teas available commercially; you owe it to yourself to try them all!
You can make your own fruit teas by using dried fruits purchased from your local health food shop. Fruits to place in your infuser [not necessarily all together] could include: citrus peel [orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime]; dried apple, mango or peach; leaves of mint, spearmint; dried berries – especially strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. You can choose to add some regular tea leaves to your infusion. I usually add a darker leaf for berry teas and green tea base to citrus infusions.
For a refreshing summer fruit tea try: Ingredients (serves 4) • 2 cups lemonade • 2 peach and mango tea bags • 2 cups boiling water • 2 cups pineapple juice, chilled • 1 cup orange juice, chilled • 125g strawberries, hulled, finely diced Method 1. Pour lemonade into a jug. Cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours or until semi-frozen. 2. Place tea bags in a heatproof jug. Pour over boiling water. Brew for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool. 3. Pour tea into a large jug. Add pineapple juice, orange juice, semi-frozen lemonade and strawberries. Serve.
Or check out mom’s [not mine] old fruit tea recipes • Rhubarb Iced Tea Drink • Strawberry and Black Currant Tea • Raisin Tea Drink • Lemon Tea à La Russe, Russian Lemon Tea • Iced Lemon Tea Drink • Orange Iced Tea with Lemon And Ice Cream
Fruit teas are a wonderful way to introduce tea drinking to kids. Kids love fruit flavours and what better way to combine their favourite fruit flavour with the infusion into a fruit tea? A strong fruit infusion should be watered down for young children. They will love the refreshing tastes and for those who find it difficult to get your children to drink water – a fruit tea will change all that! No sugar added and no artificial colours or flavours full of vitamin C and important minerals.
My morning cuppa is the start of my tea making day. It starts with me placing my choice of tea leaves (today it is vanilla and rooibos) in my small tea pot.
I am not fond of getting bitter leaves stuck in my teeth so I use a teapot with an infuser inbuilt.
I don’t have a problem with teabags as some tea buffs do, for me they are great to use when out and about, when visiting people who don’t really know how to make a good cuppa or for a quick tea burst; but I prefer for my tea leaves to have space to open up and spread their essence in some type of infuser.
I have a few different infusers, depending on the number of people I am making tea for, the size of the cup/pot and how much I want to ‘impress’ my guests.
There are so many different and unique tea infusers on the market now. I like the elegance and idea of the ‘tea sticks’ but wonder if the full flavour of the leaf can be achieved in such a small space. I haven’t seen them where I shop!
Some infuser designs are really works of art. How brilliant to have an infuser that is the talking piece of the morning tea table.
I like to use the infuser, mainly because it enables me to mix my own brew. I can take a few pinches of leaf flavours that take my fancy at that time, and place them into the tea ball. It then becomes my own special blend.
It has been a bit ‘winterish’ here in sunny Brisbane in recent days. Although the temperatures probably don’t stack up in comparison to winter weather in the northern hemisphere, for Brisbane (Queensland), it is cool!
So, even though we are presently living on very basic, meals that require no cooking or use of utensils or mess making in the kitchen, I am craving some yummy winter warmers – you know the ones that provide that internal ‘big hug’!
Did I mention that we are in the throes of moving home? House goes to auction on June 9th and then who knows where? Because we are having lots of open houses and people coming through the house at all times, the house has to be spotless all the time... it’s hard to maintain this in the kitchen!
I am not the cook – my husband does ALL the cooking, he is good at it. There are only the 2 of us at home now, and although he works and I have the time to do it, I know he wouldn’t eat what I made so I have basically given up doing anything creative in the kitchen, other than dishwasher stacking, cleaning the surfaces and putting stuff away.
I am an appreciative audience for his cooking, so long as it is not fried; cooked in/with oil; has carrots; or have pork or pig products (though I am partial to bacon and eggs on weekend). But, with limited time to prepare meals during the week, I would have to wait until the weekend for more complex meals like those I am yearning for at the present.
Here are some of my favourites
Starters: Pumpkin soup – I have to add a huge dollop of sour cream to the top of this! Ingredients (serves 6)
• 1 (about 1kg) butternut pumpkin
• 40ml (2 tbs) olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 750ml (3 cups) chicken stock
• 1 tsp mild paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
• 250ml (1 cup) creme fraiche
• Pumpkin-seed pesto
• 2-3 tbs roasted pumpkin seeds (see note), plus extra to serve
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese
• 120ml (6 tbs) olive oil Method
1. To make the pesto, place roasted pumpkin seeds, ginger, garlic, basil and parmesan in a food processor, then whiz to a paste. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until combined. Cover and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut pumpkin in half. Place cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking tray and roast for 45 minutes until soft. Scoop out seeds and discard. Scrape out the flesh and discard the skin. Set flesh aside.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add pumpkin, stock, 2 cups water and the spices. Season. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly. Blend soup in batches, then return to pan. Stir through creme fraiche and gently reheat. Serve drizzled with the pesto and sprinkled with seeds and pepper.
Notes
• To roast pumpkin seeds, toss them in a little olive oil, spread on a baking tray and roast at 170°C for about 10 minutes or until golden.
Chicken liver pate – this is something I make really well. Even better than my husand! But I am really the only one who eats it so it doesn’t get made very often! It’s great spread on small pieces of toast and served as a starter. Also excellent for sandwich spread or a dip.
Makes 2 cups Ingredients (serves 12)
• 470g chicken livers
• 200g butter, at room temperature
• 1 large eschalot (French shallot), peeled, finely chopped
• 60ml (1/4 cup) brandy
• Salt & ground white pepper
• 80g unsalted butter, cubed Method
1. When making chicken liver pate, it is crucial to buy very fresh livers. Choose livers that have moist and shiny flesh without any dry patches. Remove from the packaging, place on a plate, cover with foil and keep in the coldest part of the fridge. Use within 2 days. To clean the livers, use a small sharp knife to remove and discard any white sinew. Some livers have greenish patches which must be trimmed or they can give the pate a bitter flavour. Place the trimmed livers in a colander, rinse gently under cold water and then drain. Pat dry with paper towel.
2. Heat 20g (1 tbs) of the butter in a medium heavy-based frying pan over medium heat until it melts and foams. Add half the livers and cook for 30 seconds each side to seal. Cook, uncovered, turning occasionally, for a further 4 minutes for medium-sized livers, or 5 minutes for large livers, or until lightly browned on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. (The moisture from the livers may spatter during cooking, so take care.) Transfer the livers to a plate. Repeat with remaining livers.
3. Add the eschalot to the frying pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes or until soft. Return the livers to the pan and add the brandy. Simmer for 1 minute to remove some of the alcohol, mellow the brandy and help give a full bodied flavour to the mixture.
4. Place the liver mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl with a spatula, for 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer a third of the liver mixture to a coarse sieve over a medium bowl, and use a metal spoon to rub and push the mixture through the sieve. Use a spatula to occasionally scrape the mixture from the underside of the sieve into the bowl. Repeat with the remaining liver mixture in 2 batches, scraping all the mixture from the blade and food processor bowl. Sieving the mixture will remove any small lumps and remaining threads of sinew.
5. Return the liver mixture to the food processor bowl. Cut the remaining butter into pieces and add to the liver mixture. Process, scraping down the side of the bowl once, for 40 seconds or until butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon the pate mixture evenly into two 310ml (1 1/4-cup) ceramic or glass ramekins or small dishes, and use the back of a teaspoon to smooth the surface. Set aside. Place the unsalted butter in a small saucepan and place over medium heat until it just melts. Pour the butter evenly over the surface of the pate. The butter will solidify and prevent the pate from discolouring (due to oxidation) and will lengthen keeping time. Once the butter sets, cover the pate with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set and develop the flavours. The pate can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge. Serve with toasted thinly sliced baguette (French stick), mini toasts, crackers, or with slices of nashi fruit or pears.
Notes
• You can buy chicken livers from the fresh poultry section of the supermarket, butchers and specialty poultry shops.
Macaroni cheese – I haven’t had this in years!
Preparation Time 10 minutes Cooking Time 20 minutes Ingredients (serves 4)
• 400g macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups (300ml) cream
• 3/4 cup (185ml) milk
• 1 1/4 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
• extra 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
• ground paprika, to serve Method
1. Preheat grill to high and grease a large baking dish. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
2. In the same saucepan, place the cream and milk over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then stir in the cheeses and add a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir over medium-low heat until cheese has melted, then return the pasta to the pan.
3. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, then transfer to the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the pasta with breadcrumbs, extra cheese and a sprinkle of paprika. Place under the hot grill and cook for 2 minutes or until topping is golden and crispy.
Notes
• Pasta is always best cooked al dente (just undercooked, so it is soft on the outside but firm in the centre). This lowers its glycaemic index (GI), which will help stave off hunger for longer.
Dessert: Rhubarb Crumble Ingredients
Serves 4
1 large bunch of ripe Rhubarb (1.5 kg.)
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 orange zested to yield 1 dessertspoon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
125g plain flour
140g unsalted butter cut into cubes and chilled
80g dark brown sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Remove the leaves from the rhubarb and trim any brown parts off the stalks. Wash the stalks, stringing only if necessary, and cut into 4 cm to 5 cm pieces. Spread the rhubarb out onto a flat baking tray on baking paper. Sprinkle with castor sugar and bake until tender (about 15 minutes).
To make the crumble, mix all ingredients by hand rubbing the butter into the flour with fingertips. In a buttered soufflé mould (or 4 individual ramekins) place cooked rhubarb in the base, sprinkle with crumble mixture and bake 15-20 minutes (or up to 25 minutes) until golden.
Serve with rich cream.
What is your favourite winter fare? Share a recipe with me!
Yoyo ~ wooden stilts~ Pedal cars ~ Farm animals ~ Dominoes ~ Chess ~ Chinese Checkers ~ Slinky ~ Pickup sticks ~ rocking horse ~ trains ~ tin plate cars ~ China tea sets ~ sail boats ~ comics ~ Disney comics ~ Superhero comics ~ Marbles ~ Service stations ~ Play kitchen ~ Billy carts ~ Matchbox toys ~ Dinky toys ~ Dinky (Aussie tricycle) ~ Roller skates ~ Golden books ~ Tonka toys ~ Mickey mouse watches ~ hula hoop ~ Barbie ~ horseshoes ~ spinning top ~ cowboys and Indians ~ jacks (with real knuckle bones) ~ Mr Potato head ~ ant farm ~ Frisbee ~ bride doll ~ ethnic dolls ~ old maid ~ crystal radio ~ meccano ~ small portable record player ~ monopoly ~ careers ~ chess ~ toy piano ~ wooden alphabet blocks.
If you remember playing with these toys when they were new, you were probably a child of the 1950s – Like me.
Not that I actually HAD most of those toys but in researching things for this post, I was surprised how many ‘enduring’ toys/games came from 1950s inventions. Most of those mentioned are American creations. You lucky ducks over there. The highlighted ones are toys I had as a child [or that I shared with my sister, or that my friends had].
My memory of ‘play’ as a child under 12 (I was born in 1951) was mostly making my own toys. I was pretty crafty even then! I loved to make farms – I had a large selection of plainly coloured plastic farm animals; I created many, many, doll houses – one of my favourites was inside an old wooden mantle clock; I made dolls from dolly pegs and dressed them using doilies and ribbon; I loved to play ‘swaps’ these were pretty (girly) images [the really cool ones were glittered] which I ‘swapped’ with my friends and played with endlessly at home; my outdoor play consisted of making cubbies – we had an under house area [which used to often be flea-ridden] where I loved to create my special private places; swinging on the hills hoist ( an aussie invention); I love dolls – I still do, and I had a few favourites. My best friend, my doll Robyn, is in bits in my cupboard. She is a Bakelite doll who has survived many haircuts and facials and finally her rubber joints gave way – I am sure a trip to the dolls hospital would see her renewed and ready for play! I still have a miniature, metal ‘SINGER’ sewing machine. I so loved to use this to make my doll clothes. It was a manual, turn the wheel sort; I had heaps of books [all hand me downs I got my first ‘own’ book when I was 13 in first year high school, it was Huckleberry Finn], but as a young child I didn’t much enjoy reading about what other people did – I wanted to do it for myself.
Toys I didn’t have and lusted after were: a bike – any bike, 2 or 3 wheels; toy cars – I didn’t have any and so wanted some for my dolls houses and farms [girls just weren’t given them in the ‘50s]; a Barbie – my cousin had heaps of them with all their accessories; and a train set with buildings and tracks that took up an entire room like my neighbours, Robbie & Bruce, had.
What did you play with as a kid?Do you think your kids/grand children would have enjoyed the toys you played with? Do you/would you, enjoy the games and pursuits of kids today?I would! I would have loved to meet people online, look at pictures from around the world, find new craft ideas and play games!
I am sure you have one – or know someone who has one, or have lusted after one. I am talking about a TEA CADDY!
Here I was going happily about my daily business and getting myself a nice hot cuppa before I started the washing – when I spied my lovely elephant, tin TEA CADDY. It holds my earl grey tea and as soon as I pry off the lid the delicious, perfumey smell hits your senses. So as I was enjoying this experience I thought about all those lovely tea containers I have had over the years.
I used to have all my condiments stored in Chinese tea tins – until the tins became too rusty and I found it difficult to tell the difference between the spice and rust! I stupidly, threw these tins out. I have discovered a whole industry in second-hand Chinese tea tins – or tea tins and caddies generally! There are many people around the world who collect tea tins and caddies, as a matter of fact; some people collect all sorts of tea making paraphernalia. Do a Google Search for Tea Caddies/ Tea Packaging, it’s a real adventure.
Packaging design and tea caddies fascinate me. Actually the design of anything fascinates me. How incredible are the packages for tea these days? No longer is tea purchased in small brown paper bags, as it was when I was a kid. Today the choices are endless. Vacuum sealed packages; foil bags; laminated paper; cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes; tins; ceramic containers; finely carved wooden cases; fabric covered plastic packets; zip lock – resealable baggies and many more.
When looking at the tea packages, I tried hard to ignore the ‘tea bags’, but really one shouldn’t their design is amazing! Maybe I will talk about that another time. How does your ‘everyday’ tea come? We mostly buy tea in cardboard boxes, but I like to transfer large quantities into a TEA CADDY, hence my elephant tin [see the pic]
It’s wonderful to browse the aisles of the Asian grocery stores and see the variety of tea packages and containers around. Even today, when the non-Asian shops have dumbed down the packaging into [many] layers of plastic and card, the Asian products are still placed in beautiful tins and jars. It’s even better in the actual countries.
Would you like to send me a photo of your favourite tea package/ caddy? I would love to see it!
High tea is an English meal that gained popularity in the 1600s, especially among labourers. It was often substantial, contrasted with other types of tea where a few cakes might be served. High tea was often called meat tea because hearty dishes were served, perhaps meat sandwiches, or hot cooked food like meat pies, and Welsh rarebit. Cold meats, bread, cheese, crackers and a variety of desserts like cakes could make up part of the menu.
I love to DO,HIGH TEA! If there were no kilojoules or expectation of payment involved, I would be there every day. I love sharing a HIGH TEA with special friends or family.
My most recent HIGH TEA was Mothers Day last, when my 3 year old granddaughter and my daughter and I DID it!
Lulabelle (granddaughter) and I had been practicing being ‘ladies’ in our recent play activities. Lula loves to play at cooking and having picnics in the family room. She likes to make me [pretend] cups of tea and we put our pinky finger in the air when we hold the cup! So she was well prepared to be well-behaved and a little ‘posh’ while she had her first HIGH TEA!
Places providing the high tea experience are popping up all over the place in Brisbane in recent times. When I was working, one of the ways my colleagues and I often celebrated special events eg birthday, babies, engagements, wedding or leaving; by sharing HIGH TEA. I must admit this is mainly with women!
The ‘girly’ in me comes out at HIGH TEA times [it’s deeply hidden at all other times!]. I really enjoy and appreciate the lovely, [usually] floral crockery, delicately assembled sandwiches and tarts, small cakes and scones.
My son once shouted my husband and me to HIGH TEA at the GRAND HYATT HOTEL in Tokyo. Now that was an experience we won’t ever forget! Seeing lovely little Japanese women in their Kimono, seated at low tables that were topped with cake towers about a metre tall. The towers were laden with sweet and savoury delicacies from British cuisine to the Orient. Yes, we had [the Japanese] version of scones and cream, delicious tarts filled with red bean, meringues topped by liqueur creams – oooh, I am salivating with the memories.
We didn’t want the time to end. Actually, every time a layer of the cake tower emptied (because we ate it all) they refilled it with more, and often different, yummy things. I know it cost my son and arm and a leg, but the memories it has left are well worth it from my point of view!
Have you ever had a HIGH TEA? What is your experience? I would love to know and maybe you can promote a location that provides HIGH TEA so that others can experience it too!
I was bought up on black tea –Thank you Mr Lipton! I was taught how to make a cup of tea at Brownies. We spent many times during my guiding life, making cups of tea for visitors, elderly people whose homes we would visit and each other. Brown Owl said, “Girls, boil the water, make sure it’s hot, one teaspoonful of tea for each person and one for the pot.”
So I guess I grew up drinking quite strong tea and it was always hot; Too hot for me. I used to put lots of milk into it and lots of sugar.
At the time I didn’t know of the existence of all the other types of tea. I hadn’t heard of white, green, oolong (wu long). The first, non-black cup of tea I think I had was at the Chinese takeaway at the Gold Coast. I was about 12 years old and on holiday, staying with my cousins. We went to get some Chinese food and while we waited, one of the girls from the shop gave us a small cup of greenish/yellowish, very hot tea. I quite liked it. Very bitter but also refreshing.
When I visited my grandparents, as a teenager, I had my first flavoured tea. I now know it to be Earl Grey. I loved it. For me the good thing about this cup of tea was that I could also have my (beloved) milk and sugar!
Now, I have been fortunate to have had many, many different types of tea. Don’t you just love it when you go to Yum Cha [Dim Sum] and the waiter constantly refills the teapot with delicious Jasmine tea? I quickly learnt the lesson to leave the lid ajar so the waiter would quickly recognise that we needed the refill!
Black teas are oxidized; this means that the leaves are exposed to the air for a precise length of time in order to allow natural chemical reactions to occur. These reactions change the leaves' colour from green to copper and intensify their flavour until it is rich and complex. Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Darjeeling are some examples of black teas.
Green teas are not oxidized; they are merely withered and dried. Generally subtle and pale, they are a wonderful accompaniment to Oriental foods. Because of their slightly bitter taste, they are sometimes best enjoyed after a very sweet dessert. Green teas include Lung Ching, Bancha and Sencha.
Oolong teas are a combination of green and black leaves. They are partly fermented and stronger than green teas, but are more delicate than the fully fermented black teas. Black Dragon and Pouchong (Pao-Chung) are a couple of oolong teas.
China whites, produced exclusively in China and highly prized, are simply steamed and dried, providing light, fragrant brews. These are usually taken without a meal, and are available from only the best specialty stores and importers. White teas include Flowery White Pekoe, Silver Needles and Noble Beauty.
Incidentally, for those who may be wondering, herbal teas are often called "tisanes" or "infusions" by purists, who hate to see them confused with teas from the tea plant. Chamomile and Peppermint are just two of the many herbal teas available today."
I am very fond of the Twining’s blends of teas. There are so many brands and blends of tea around today there is no excuse to just stick to one for your daily brew. You need to be adventurous with your tea drinking.
When travelling in Asia I tried some amazing tasting and looking teas. The flower teas are entertaining to watch. The flower ball goes into the glass and after a few seconds it ‘sprouts’ leaves and finally a flower. The flowers are different colours and shapes, depending on the type. One of my favourite flower teas is Buddha’s tears.
Another I like a lot is Rooibos; again, there are many varieties of this tea. I like vanilla and also cherry! It depends what I am eating at the time and what the weather is.
Sometimes I make a large pot of my favourite tea of the day and wait until it is cool (or refrigerate it) and drink it like cold water. Much better for you than flavoured (aerated) drinks and not as stimulating as cawfee.
Tea is known as nature’s 'wonder drug'. Of late, tea and its healthy benefits have been receiving wide attention in the media. The ability of tea to promote good health has long been believed in many countries, especially Japan, China, India, and even England.
The buzz about tea and its benefits is getting louder and is simply becoming too difficult to ignore. Enlightened tea drinkers are rediscovering the protective and revitalizing benefits of this ancient drink. Ever wonder why the Chinese and Japanese have some of the longest life-expectancy rates in the world. Shhh…here’s the secret: they drink tea a lot.
Polyphenols in tea have been known to:
• Help protect cells from the normal, but damaging, physiological process known as "oxidative stress." Although oxygen is vital to life, it's also incorporated into reactive substances called free radicals. These can damage the cells in our body and have been implicated in the slow chain reaction of damage leading to heart disease and cancer.
• Help prevent blood clotting
• Help lower cholesterol levels
• Help neutralize enzymes that aid in the growth of tumors
• Help deactivate cancer promoters • Help stimulate the immune system
Tea also has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally-sized cup of coffee. Whether decaffeinated tea has the same level of polyphenols, and thus the same health benefits, as regular tea has not yet been studied. Caffeine is a natural component of tea leaves. It is not yet known if removing caffeine also removes polyphenols.
Apart from polyphenols, tea also contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to one's health. These include theanine (an amino acid unique to tea), vitamins, minerals, and methylxanthines. These are the components that are the source of the healthful properties of tea. These are known to:
• Help fight against mutagenic agents
• Delay aging
• Help fight high blood pressure
• Help fight against viral and bacterial infection
• Help improve the functions of the digestive and excretory systems
To sum it up - by drinking 2-4 cups a day of tea, you can reap in the numerous curative and preventive tea benefits.
Well, it’s great to read about the benefits of tea – I drink it for the flavour/s.
I am intrigued about the choices /or not that we make regarding where we live.
