Experimenting with Tea

Our relaxed summer schedule is so awesome.

DD13 decided to see what our different teas tasted like over ice.  She brewed several glasses of tea and we were able to come in and sample each one.  Pomegranate Pizzazz was a favorite.  I liked the Earl Grey.  Acai Berry was popular as well.

I think the Vanilla Caramel Truffle would have been good as a latte. 

Who can drink tea without cookies?  Chocolate & White Vanilla Chip cookies that I made yesterday are on the counter. 

 

When Screens are Shut Off

I often ponder the technology in our house [which consists of one - yes, one - TV, computers (3 of those)  and a Wii console.]  When I ponder these things, I wonder how much do we really need them.  A few years back, I put a block on the Disney Channel because I did not want my kids to start talking to me the way Hannah Montanna talked to her dad.  Many people laughed when they heard this, but we held tight to the ban on Disney. 
Recently, I started reading a book by Jen Hatmaker called "7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess".  Wonderful, thought-provoking book.  We have so much in this country that we take for granted.  I daresay, we have too much.  Much of what we have distracts us from the important stuff. 
Although I limit "Screens" at our house, I have taken a stronger approach since the weather warmed up.  It's fun to see what the kids will get into when they are not allowed to veg out in front of a screen.

Big sister cutting little brother's hair.

Cooling off with the garden hose.

Today, DS8 prepared a stir fry for me.  Can you guess the ingredients?  Let me help....

Cucumber, celery, and romaine lettuce

He also added some spices to it.  (We wouldn't want a bland stir fry, would we?)

He said he chose spices that looked like they went on steak. 

Red pepper, pepper, parsley flakes.

I ate the whole thing with an appreciation that only a mother can have and gave some constructive criticism by letting him know that the next time he didn't have to use so much red pepper.  It's an hour later and my mouth is still on fire!

Time for Tea

This past week has been crazy.  I've heard that from just about everyone I have come into contact with this week.  For some reason, everything is falling on this second full week of June.  For us, it was a dance recital, karate camp, my son's 8th birthday and a class on tea.  For now, I will focus on the tea class and maybe I'll come back to the other stuff later. 

Tea has always been a time to slow down for me and after such a busy week, this was the perfect ending.  My girls, ages 13 and 14, had the opportunity to take a tea class with a friend who we met through homeschooling.  She knows so much about tea and I felt it was such a wonderful opportunity for us that she was offering this class through 4-H.  The girls attended 2 classes prior to this week where they learned about tea - what it is, where it comes from, some cultural traditions, etc.  Then this week, they went on a field trip to Georgetown, Va to visit a Chinese tea room.  They got together one more time to prepare foods for the tea we enjoyed this evening.  All of the families came to this perfect outdoor setting with perfect weather and it was the perfect ending to our week. 

They made their own tea blends, including Chai, Chocolate Vanilla Mint, Rose Mint, Tarragon Sage with Mint. Also, Ancient Forrest and Darjeeling.

The girls are getting ready to serve tea.

DD13 serving the younger siblings.  All of the children waited so patiently.

DD13 gave a quick speech about the field trip to the Chinese tea room.  She spoke about the tea she tried, how it was prepared and the food she had.  Her tea came as a little ball that was put in a glass pot where it "bloomed". 

DD14 gave a quick speech about the Chinese tea room. 

All of the food was made from scratch by the girls and their moms.  Fruit salads, cucumber sandwiches, russian tea cakes and marbled eggs were just a few of the delicacies served.

Teacher of the class and hostess of the tea this evening. She provided such an amazing experience for these girls that I think they will remember for a very long time. Thank you, Maureen.

Weight Watchers

What a difference a year makes. This is me, before and after Weight Watchers. I lost a total of 50 pounds in about 9 months and am very pleased with the Weight Watchers program. You can see the date stamp on the first picture of December 2010. The second picture was taken at the beginning of November 2011.

One of my measuring sticks when I first walked in was the question "Can I live like this for the rest of my life?" Quite honestly, any weight loss program will work. But can you live eating only meat for the rest of your life or just eating special, very expensive food that you have to order through the mail? I cannot.

I've tried Weight Watchers before and was in pain because I was so hungry. The program changed at the beginning of 2011 and I thought I'd give it a try. And I continually asked myself "Can I live like this the rest of my life?" After a year, I can honestly say that yes I can live like this. It is a healthier lifestyle based on choices I make.

I still choose to go to Chinese food buffets (my absolute favorite), but I'm careful not to overdo it. I look for the healthier options and if I want a heaping plate of General Tso's chicken, I get it. I just don't do that every day. That is something I might do occasionally.

Weight Watchers has helped to make me aware of portion sizes and food choices. For that I am very grateful.

I am currently a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. This is going to help keep me on track with my lifestyle change. Even though I only have to weigh in once a month, I am planning to weigh in every week. Knowing myself as I do, I know that I need the accountablity and that is okay with me. This is part of the lifestyle change I can live with.

One last note: I believe that most of the time, weight gain/loss is an emotional issue. If you are not willing to deal with what is really at the core of your weight issues, then no diet plan in the world is going to help you. It takes commitment, but also a healthy attitude toward food and activity.

Canning Tomatoes

As I sat down to enjoy lunch at church on Sunday, a dear friend sat next to me and asked if I had a need for tomatoes. Silly question. Due to our two moves in the last 6 months, we were not able to put a garden in and at the current time, our grocery envelope was empty with payday being 5 days away. So we were happy to take her surplus tomatoes.

I managed to get everything set up to can the tomatoes and noticed Dd(11) on the computer and Ds(6) watching mindless television. I announced that all screens needed to be shut off and much to my surprise, there was little resistance. Of course, the kids came into the kitchen where I was and became curious when they spotted the pots on the stove and the empty jars on the counter. After they asked, I invited them to join me.




DD(11) loves anything to do with homemaking. She mimics anything I do. If I get out a sewing project, she dives right in with a project of her own. So it didn't surprise me when she slipped right over to the stove to help.


However, DS(6) did surprise me. I often have this tendency to think "He's too young for this" and every time, I am wrong. He jumped right in and loved peeling the tomatoes.



We only canned 4 jars, but the experience is worth it. If nothing else, the kids need to see how to do this stuff.

I'm sure Charlotte Mason says something about kids in the kitchen, but I am unable to come up with anything at the moment. Even though I can't quote her, I still think she would approve.