tea: kusmi tea's euphoria

there is something about seaside living that encourages sipping from large earthy mugs of warm beverages. during the warmer months, the urban-scape we moved away from almost a year ago compelled me to visit cafes for large doses of iced remedies packaged properly for a stroll upon blistering sidewalks during a speedy break for lunch with my dear amanda.

days are now spent working from a home office. from undressed windows, i eye the landscape of breezy reeds and the sparkling waves in the distance. please don’t turn away…i still am working and only watching the day pass by out there rather than partaking.

i also sip warmed coffee and tea all year round (well, all almost-a-year round) no matter the outside temperature. i savor the weight of a heavy cup held in hand (or if very lucky to not be otherwise occupied, held in the grasp of both hands) and beverage it’s touting that warms the cup as well as i from the inside out. i am simply soothed by the warmth. eases my mind. slows me down.

as the birds peck through our yard or delay flight for a rest upon the telephone wires or flutter a bath in a puddle evaporating in the sandy road, i punch away at my keyboard and take time with the beverage at hand. my day may be overly booked and my mind spinning with project management, but there’s something about this place that begs indulgence of the simplest moments spent by oneself. (especially when piper and kai are soon at my heels!) 

as cardullo’s, my trusty shop for unique teas, is no longer a step away, i instead peruse the web shops for coffee and tea to stow away. you see, i now have a pantry. and, when one has a pantry it begs to be stocked with goods that entice the pulling of its snappy door and creaking open the hinged shelf to pluck cans or boxes or jars or tins from the somewhat secret shelves in the back where the good stuff should be kept. as i learned this year, when you have a beach house, you will have summer company. all summer. and, if you want something, well, tucked away for yourself, hidden shelves in the back of your pantry are just the spot for such things.

this tea will have a snug spot on one of those shelves… 

 

a lesson in food continues...

Okay folks, I’ve finally gotten around to sifting through my photo work of the past few weeks. I plan to get going on building a proper portfolio site soon after this studio class ends (only two more weeks!) and hope beyond all hope to begin sprucing up my schedule with some photography gigs. Wouldn’t that be grand? Until next time, here’s what I’ve been shooting.

For more, check out my Flickr stream. On tap for tomorrow’s session? The tomatoes, garlic, and fresh rosemary roasting at this very moment.

a remedy

Hello there.

If, like me, you are in a bit of a wintery haze, I may have a remedy for you.

Organic. Ginger. Herbal. Tea. Are you swooning yet?

After months of day-tripping between home and this venture, shoveling my way through ice and snow mounded high upon city streets, and wandering lost in thought about my next moves (on all fronts), well, quite frankly, I’m beat. Don’t tell The Bartender! The poor thing’s exhaustion has rendered him all means of out of sorts and I don’t want to burden him with my grievances. I’ll only tell you, fine readers. And, mostly because, you’ll listen kindly and I’ll reward you with a precious cup of tea. In photos that is…

After playing hostess at our bar every weekend, I cannot stomach my habitual morning cup of java. The taste is off. My stomach cringes. Yet, my body needs to wake and my mind to clear of sleepy dew. Tea it must be. I now begin the morning with a cup of something caffeinated. As the day shuffles on, I crave more. I thirst for the nurturing aroma, warmth and evolving taste revealed in a top-notch tea. Resisting jitters, I steep tisanes.

Rishi’s Tangerine Ginger is an organic herbal tea I requested months ago when in search of a ginger tea that would calm my stomach woes while also offering much more than ginger bite. One whiff of this tisane renders me relaxed. Remember how flintstones vitamins smelled? This herbal blend goes there. Here are the notes I scribed between sips:

tastes tart, citrusy
medium body
ginger sneaks in at end and lingers on tongue, warming
berries
tactile, not wimpy
orange, lemon, cranberry

The canister now rests on my desk at work. Next to the honey bear. At arm’s length. Simple gratification.