Fellow tea drinker here (though herbal/decaf only, sadly), and I feel this particular pain. Sometimes I think I like the idea of the hot beverage more than the reality of it. And truly, there is such a short window of time in which it is just the right temperature. We'd probably do better to put everything down when we notice that the window has opened, and do nothing else but savor it. I know I won't be doing this, but I like to think I might. (Also, my daughter has a full-size microwave in her bedroom. She swears by it.)
I totally understand this! (And, loved hearing you read it too ...) I have even tried a thermo-style cup but that is SO unpleasant to drink out of at home - a bit too construction-worker first thing in the morning for me! I prefer sipping from something beautiful and I so look forward to that quiet, habitual start to the day. I only drink 2 cups but they are divine served in either porcelain or Mexican Talavera. Your faux-microwave story was absolutely hilarious. Thanks for this!
Oh, Elizabeth, I love the way you mightily ponder the mundane! Your observations never fail to wake up the details one might otherwise sleep through. Speaking of hot coffee, my daughter Hannah bought a "mug+mug warmer" for Busy.
I tried putting the hyper link in here, but it was too long! But check out the
"Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, 10 Oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Mug with 80 Min Battery Life and Improved Design, White." The description practically sells itself, he said sarcastically. The concept is out there!
Make your cuppa a ritual. Think Japanese. Be mindful, pour, inhale the fragrance. Carry it to the most perfect place in the house/garden. No digital equipment allowed. Just you and the cup and its steaming contents.
Then sit, sip and be at one with your new Zen world.
I'm a tea lover, too -- Earl Grey in the morning, peppermint in the evening. Maybe if I ever go to Australia, I'll learn to like coffee! Chiming in to second Stewart's mug recommendation (Ember). Your perfect temperature for about an hour and a half. Heaven.
I’m a coffee and tea drinker , and have found most insulated mugs to be inadequate for keeping coffee hot , but work great for tea ! Life’s too short to drink lukewarm
Too funny, Elizabeth. What a find! I think a stainless steel mug can make a big difference in keeping things hot.... but I don't like my tea in stainless steel. I can't imagine the mid-afternoon cutoff. Good for you drawing that line. (Luckily, tea is one of those things that is still good even once cool.)
Loved, loved, loved this post, Elizabeth! As a Brit I have tea in my blood (okay, perhaps not literally) and need to drink it (the tea, not the blood) the moment it has been made. I don't leave it to brew, either - no time for it too cool - that water is straight out of the kettle and onto the teabag, and then I get squeezing with a teaspoon until the tea is a bright chestnut brown and STEAMING. Splash of milk, and the job's a good 'un.
As for the microwave - adorable and hilarious in equal measure. I can't believe that anybody had bought it without doing their research.....! 🤣
I was given a set of boiled egg moulds once - I love them; they're great fun. One of the Amazon reviews was hilarious - the person using the product had very clearly not read the instructions, and had stressed how disappointed she was after she'd cracked an egg into each of the open moulds, closed them and then popped them into boiling water, rather than boiling the eggs first, peeling them and then clamping the cooked, still-warm eggs into the moulds.
Lots to think about. I love how you find meaning in the smallest daily activity.
Fellow tea drinker here (though herbal/decaf only, sadly), and I feel this particular pain. Sometimes I think I like the idea of the hot beverage more than the reality of it. And truly, there is such a short window of time in which it is just the right temperature. We'd probably do better to put everything down when we notice that the window has opened, and do nothing else but savor it. I know I won't be doing this, but I like to think I might. (Also, my daughter has a full-size microwave in her bedroom. She swears by it.)
LOL'ing! So great, E!!!!! Written, as per your usual, to a "tea."
For a minute I thought you'd found the gadget of my dreams.
I totally understand this! (And, loved hearing you read it too ...) I have even tried a thermo-style cup but that is SO unpleasant to drink out of at home - a bit too construction-worker first thing in the morning for me! I prefer sipping from something beautiful and I so look forward to that quiet, habitual start to the day. I only drink 2 cups but they are divine served in either porcelain or Mexican Talavera. Your faux-microwave story was absolutely hilarious. Thanks for this!
Oh, Elizabeth, I love the way you mightily ponder the mundane! Your observations never fail to wake up the details one might otherwise sleep through. Speaking of hot coffee, my daughter Hannah bought a "mug+mug warmer" for Busy.
I tried putting the hyper link in here, but it was too long! But check out the
"Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, 10 Oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Mug with 80 Min Battery Life and Improved Design, White." The description practically sells itself, he said sarcastically. The concept is out there!
I like my morning hot drink and use one of these at home. It heats water faster than a microwave: https://a.co/d/dKBq9ta
And what is morning without a hot beverage?
Here's an idea - simplistic but it might work.
Make your cuppa a ritual. Think Japanese. Be mindful, pour, inhale the fragrance. Carry it to the most perfect place in the house/garden. No digital equipment allowed. Just you and the cup and its steaming contents.
Then sit, sip and be at one with your new Zen world.
The benefits, Elizabeth. The benefits...
I'm a tea lover, too -- Earl Grey in the morning, peppermint in the evening. Maybe if I ever go to Australia, I'll learn to like coffee! Chiming in to second Stewart's mug recommendation (Ember). Your perfect temperature for about an hour and a half. Heaven.
I’m a coffee and tea drinker , and have found most insulated mugs to be inadequate for keeping coffee hot , but work great for tea ! Life’s too short to drink lukewarm
Too funny, Elizabeth. What a find! I think a stainless steel mug can make a big difference in keeping things hot.... but I don't like my tea in stainless steel. I can't imagine the mid-afternoon cutoff. Good for you drawing that line. (Luckily, tea is one of those things that is still good even once cool.)
Loved, loved, loved this post, Elizabeth! As a Brit I have tea in my blood (okay, perhaps not literally) and need to drink it (the tea, not the blood) the moment it has been made. I don't leave it to brew, either - no time for it too cool - that water is straight out of the kettle and onto the teabag, and then I get squeezing with a teaspoon until the tea is a bright chestnut brown and STEAMING. Splash of milk, and the job's a good 'un.
As for the microwave - adorable and hilarious in equal measure. I can't believe that anybody had bought it without doing their research.....! 🤣
I was given a set of boiled egg moulds once - I love them; they're great fun. One of the Amazon reviews was hilarious - the person using the product had very clearly not read the instructions, and had stressed how disappointed she was after she'd cracked an egg into each of the open moulds, closed them and then popped them into boiling water, rather than boiling the eggs first, peeling them and then clamping the cooked, still-warm eggs into the moulds.
There's no helping some people....!