In an effort to improve myself this week, I am adding something to my diet and continuing to try and take away another. The first is green tea, the other is sugar (aaarrghhh). I am a dedicated black tea with milk and sugar drinker since my 3 month stay in London when I was 21 years old – long, long ago. I had dabbled in tea for a few years, favoring the French lemon and honey combo. Well, when my dear friend Judith proffered a steaming hot pot of tea with a large slurp of milk (always in the teacup before the brewed tea) and the desired half-teaspoon of white sugar, I was won over for good. There is a minimal art to British tea making which involved heating the pot with hot water and brewing for 5 minutes. No teabags allowed. The Japanese I’ve heard have an elaborate ceremony for this beverage. I’m winging it from Youtube. Let’s give this green tea thing a try. Let’s leave the sugar withdrawal discussion for later.
Presents from Japan
My daughter Kendra brought these gifts back from Japan on her recent visit to her Kitske School for their 40th Anniversary. She is certified to teach the elaborate art of dressing in traditional kimono which required two years of study in a little town called Yosano in Kyoto prefecture. A little more involved than our t-shirt and jeans culture of today. I recently helped Kendra and her wonderful friends prepare and participate in the Japanese Friendship Club Festival at Penn State University where Kendra and her husband Eduardo are working towards their PhD’s in Literature.
- ¼ teaspoon matcha powder
- ½ cup hot water, at 175 degrees
- Boil water, remove teakettle top and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour ½ cup water into ceramic bowl to preheat.
- Discard water in bowl and wipe dry.
- Add matcha powder.
- Pour hot water into bowl and whisk for 1 minute, until the tea is frothy.
I recently helped Kendra and her wonderful friends prepare for and participate in the Japanese Friendship Club Festival at Penn State University, where she and her husband Eduardo are working towards their PhD’s in Literature. Below are some photos from the event. We were voted most popular booth, beating out the free snacks table! Kendra’s kimono collection, many given to her by her teacher in Japan, numbers over 50 (only guessing).
Photos: Monica Yuen
Have been diligently working on reclaiming my garden from last year’s neglect. The purple garden and the cottage garden are all planted. Today I’ve started clearing and planting the white garden, but rain is looming. The herb garden is next and it will prove to be the greatest challenge so far this Spring. Will have some photos in the next blog. The purple alliums are just entering their prime and the nepeta (catmint) is in fine bloom. They are almost ready for their close-ups.
Don’t have the guts to plant any vegetables yet, although the garlic planted last fall is looking maaarvelous. We’re in need of a considerable ground hog/deer barricade to ever realize a vegetable harvest.
-Sheila
