Missed a few days...

Between having fibromyalgia and needing our car serviced, I missed a few days.

Let's see if I can try to make up for that over the next two posts.

I found this quote on a box of, you guessed it, TEA!
"Happiness comes from accepting the present situation, whether it's something you wish to savor as long as possible or change as quickly as you can. Neither is possible without acceptance as the starting point, becausewithout acceptance you are living on the periphery of your life. There at the edges, you cannot fully enjoy the good stuff or do anything about the rest."
-Victoria Moran
Quite apropo, wouldn't you agree?

I tasted a few teas this weekend.
One was Bigelow Teas "Constant Comment - Green Tea". I have had a long standing love affair with the Constant Comment before it was done in the green tea variety.
Personally, I prefer the original recipe.
I will compare the Bigelow Constant Comment to Celestial Seasonings version of the tea that is called Tuscany Orange Spice and say that Bigelow wins against even the mighty Celestial Seasonings.
Green tea seems to be the new way to go for tea makers because there is a niche made by those who think the antioxidants needed to help with heart problems are found only in green tea. That isn't true. Antioxidants are found in all teas. It may lower your bad cholesterol and in men it has been shown to help with coronary heart flow. AND it can help the fight against cancer in that it has a secret cancer fighter called polyphenols. Not bad for a cup of tea, huh?
The green tea has less caffeine, but don't let me stop you from getting hooked to any form of tea.

I think tomorrow after I find all of my books, we will go over the different types and colors of teas. There are green teas and black teas, but do you know there are white teas and red teas? There are yerba mates that have as much caffeine as coffee.
I had a small amount..just a sample size at Earth Fare at James Island of Tropical Fruit tea. I will have to look more into that, but I could tell by tasting it that it was instant and the fruit was overpowering the tea. I won't give it a tea cup scale unless I get some to experiment on, but normally I stay away from instant teas. I am a brewer of tea, not a stirrer of powder.

So on a tea cup scale of 1 tea cup being passable for a beverage to 5 teacups being the creme' de la creme' of teas, I give Constant Comment - Green tea - 2 teacups
Regular Constant Comment - 4 teacups
Celestial Seasonings Tuscany Orange Spice - 2 teacups

For those of your who do prefer Green tea let's take it up a notch.

Stop and Smell the Flowers Green tea
This brews a 4 cup pot.

3 teaspoons of green tea...or 3 tea bags.
10 - 12 fresh lemon verbena leaves...you can find these in some produce departments.
The petals from one unsprayed rose...go to your florist and ask them for one, most grocery store roses are sprayed to lengthen their freshness
Heat 4 cups of water to just a simmer combine the green tea, verbena, and rose petals in a proofed teapot. Steep for 5-7 minutes. Strain into cups, add a mild clover honey if desired.
Remember to stop and smell the aroma of the tea before drinking.

Until later,
Brightest Tea Blessings