My Favorite Cup of Tea!

My latest addition to my tea cups, this black cat tea cup and infuser. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

My Favorite Cup of Tea!

Over the years, I have collected quite a stash of tea cups, from ones my Grandmother used to use when I visited to gifts from friends. I cherish them all and think of them when I need a boost not to mention something warm to help me relax. It’s not what’s IN the cup that triggers the calm, it’s the process of having something in a cup, then waiting for it to cool off just enough so that I can sip it. By then, I am usually much more relaxed so just the thought of getting a cup can put me in that state.

So it’s with trepidation that I now confess I have a new favorite tea cup. And, I bought it for myself at a local thrift store, frankly not because I had intended to keep it but I initially intended to give it away.

The tea cup was brand new, still with the tag and cost $2.

What caught my attention was the cat design, although at first I didn’t realize it was a tea cup. The cup is tall and narrow with a lid that is a black cat head and a bottom forming the cat feet. The handle is the cat tail. Inside and attached to the lid is an infuser in the shape of an orange fish.

The fish opens so that one can easily insert a tea bag.

The tea bag goes inside the fish, which acts as an infuser. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The fish then goes back into the tea cup to infuse it with the contents of the fish.

And in the fish goes, to make me a nice cup of tea! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The process of creating the tea, including putting the fish back into the tea cup, makes me smile. I have a goldfish named Laverne, the little gold fish reminds me of her.

The handle fits nicely in mine and having a lid on the cup prevents one of my cats - and one in particular - from taking a sip out of the cup.

So when thinking about giving someone a gift, give a little extra thought to something one would regularly use, like a tea cup, and infuse it with some fun!

Charlotte

Cat Face Latte

I love cats so it's not much a stretch to think I see cats everywhere.

Sometimes they are there. Two of my rescues were hiding when I first saw them, one showing only the tip of an injured paw sticking out from under a planter on my deck.

The other one used to hide under cars in the parking when I walked around our central park so he was always just a dark ghost. The morning I was the last car in the parking lot, I opened my car door to make sure he wasn't under my car. I got to see him quite clearly then, he jumped right in and settled in the passenger side.

As I was walking into a local cafe, The Giddy Goat Coffee Shop in Rolla, MO for a humane society meeting, I thought I saw a familiar shape on the wall. I had to go back later to make sure it truly was what I thought I saw. Suppose it's a latte?

What do you think, can we make something similar in hot chocolate with a marshmallow?

Charlotte

Chamomile

I picked a bunch of chamomile to dry earlier this year.

Chamomile tea supposedly helps promote restful sleep. Just like with other favorite herbs, they are practical and pretty. I also like the white, daisy-like flowers.

I think it works. I took a nap immediately afterwards.

Charlotte

Cool Refreshing Treat

If you're looking for a healthy, and easy, treat, don't look any farther than watermelons. Although we often associate watermelons with light summer deserts, watermelons also make healthy, and delicious, juice any time of the year.

Watermelons come close to being a perfect fruit, high in vitamins and antioxidants.

I usually use a melon baler to remove watermelon pieces so they can easily be tossed into desert dishes. Keep  a dish towel handy because it can get a little messy. During that process, a good 16 oz of juice, along with left over smaller watermelon pieces, gets generated.

Remembering the wonderful watermelon juice stands in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I decided to make my own. I pour watermelon juice, and some left over pieces, into a container and give it a spin in my blender. You can add a touch of lemon and ice to give it an extra cold texture. Not only will you be getting a lot of nutrients, but watermelon juice will quench your thirst, too!

Charlotte