Tea Roses

If I were rich I would live in Switzerland for half a year and Italy
the other half. As it is, I guess I will live right where I am.

I take back what I said about the deer. Those lovely scoundrels have eaten ALL the seed from both feeders.

Sorry to be so lax in tea tasting, but I have been trying to finish my gifts for my neighbors. I made them all bread and just finished in time yesterday to take it to our neighbor's party. Now I can do some cookies.

Today I am trying some tea I got a while ago - Taylor's of Harrogate Choice Rose Petal Leaf Tea. The dry leaves are almost blue-black, with a bit of a sheen to them and some rose petals. They smell very strongly of rose, with a citrus overtone - very much like... tea roses. In fact those roses were named that because they had an underlying scent of China tea. I followed their directions and brewed it for 3 minutes with boiling water. Sadly, the scent disappeared, as did the taste. In fact, it was a bit odd, but I am not sure I could describe it. It also was quite weak.
I think I'll make some more tomorrow and see if making it stronger makes it better.

That Darn Cat!

A trio of columns in the covered courtyard of an old, but still functioning, monastery. I like the idea of the quiet orderly passing of days that has existed for centuries. Perhaps because I am not either of those things.


That cat! Ernie, the skinny orange one with surely, porcine ancestors. Today I was cutting corn off the cob to make a black bean and corn salad and I had to fight him off! It seems that in addition to his love of all meats, Mexican and Italian food, salad and salad dressing, he loves corn! Since this is truly exquisite corn, he's not getting much.


I may give him some tea, though, as he likes that, too. I was at a friend's house recently who still has hundreds of rose blossoms, from his thousand or so roses. This inspired me to try Golden Moon's Rose Tea. It is a very pretty tea, black with rose petals and a gentle, exquisite scent. As it brews for 3.5 minutes, it gives off a wonderful, deep scent of rose - almost like the best Victorian potpourri. I can hardly wait to try it! Well phoo, it tastes like perfume! Not at all like tea. What a great disappointment! I tried some cream in it and that made it worse. Not even the Ernster liked it. Oh well, tomorrow has another tea waiting for me.