Can I Make You Some Tea?

Some photographers photograph people.  Others focus on scenery.  A select few excel at capturing life.  A rare photographer can draw out a child.

Me?  I like to photograph tea. 

Humboldt County Tea to be precise.  And just in case you are wondering, I have absolutely no affiliate links in this post.  I simply enjoy tea.

I think because tea means quality time.  Love.  Conversation.

It feels like artwork to me. 

Steeping it at the right temperature.  Measuring the correct amount.  Creating an aura of importance . . . to bestow upon the designated drinker.

As my mom left our house today, she discovered a package.  That package was tea.  Dan, from Humboldt County Tea, blessed our family. 

• Twelve Roses Black Tea . . . the smell . . . ahhh . . . ohhhhh . . .
• Lovers Breakfast Tea
• Organic Virili-Tea for Men
• and the sweetest heart tea ball

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about boyfriends, husbands, wives, girlfriends, who you want to date, or the fact you might find yourself alone in a bed at night. 

Valentine’s Day reminds me of Jesus, quite frankly. 

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  (John 15:13)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)

And so . . . this afternoon I wanted to lavish love on my children.  I want them to know that I love them. 

It should be like that every day.  Not just February 14th. 

Even in the hard times.  The whinny times.  The poopy times (literally). 

Just wanted to share some tea with you.  Since I shared my flax crackers with you recently. 

Interested in tea?

• Free Tea – once upon a blog post
• Why I love tea!
• Azeri Tea
• Fermented Tea
• a steeping mug from a sweet friend (who now owns a Vortex mug)

I’d love for you to stay for tea.  Receive blog posts in your inbox or on your reader. 

“Lovey” Month

Lovey month. 

Every month should be lovey month. 

February is singled out though because it is the Hottie’s and my dating anniversary  the month of love, the one time a year we indulge in chalk-like candy and pretend we like the pasty conversation hearts. 

Ahh, Valentine’s Day.  Roses.  Chocolate.  Hearts.  Red.  Roses (did I already mention that?). 

A challenge was issued through the apron strings of Jessica over at Muthering Heights:

…delight your child by serving them their favorite treat in place of a normal snack. As they savor the treat, regale your little one with a “surprise” story about their life in which they were a surprise treat for you, such as the day you found out you were pregnant, your birth story, something they did as a baby, etc.  Watch their excitement as they receive this surprise…and marvel at your spontaneous display of love!

Simple.  Making food is an easy way for me to show love to my kids. 

It’s like a gift.  And I love a good gift. 

By the end of the week, the kiddos began to get a little bit greedy.  Even before only crumbs remained of breakfast, I heard, “What’s our lovey snack today?”

And I loved keeping them hanging.  Mouth watering.  Drooling to know what ingredient would delight their tongue and what morsel of a story would feed their heart.

I heard, “I want another one!”  Thinking they meant a snack . . . I was ready to dole out another lovey.

But they meant a story . . . a story that reminded them of how much I loved them. 

Cinnamon Scones (for Renee)

Ingredients (For nutritional benefits, mix the below 4 ingredients together and allow to soak for 12-24 hours at room temperature with plastic wrap and a damp towel blanketing the bowl.)

• 2 cups freshly ground, sprouted whole wheat flour
• 6 tablespoons Sucanat or Rapadura
• 1/4 cup cold butter or coconut oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir

12 hours later you will need

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Topping

• 1 tablespoon Sucanat
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Hopefully you were able to babysit the initial four ingredients for (at least) 12 hours.  If not, then welcome to the club.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Add the “12 hours later” ingredients.  Mixing thoroughly.
• Form large circle with the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet or stone.  The scone dough should be 1/2 inch thick. 
• Sprinkle with topping mixture. 
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. 
• Cool and cut into triangular shapes, like a pie.

   To read more about “lovey” month head on over to Muthering Heights.

#5) Techniques to maintain Bible Memorization

Two words: Memory Cross

As a little girl, I had a weird obsession with paper. I collected paper, crumpled it up, flattened it out, crumpled it up, and flattened it out until it was almost as soft as a tissue. This slightly compulsive act would lay stacked up in a fairly tall pile in my closet. Later, I became obsessed with recycling paper. Paper became my major in college--kind of. Every English major has to have lots of paper when creating novellas. Today, effective devotional journaling must involve a journal that has soft enough paper to soak up the perfect ink pen. I love to rub my hand over paper, assessing its invitation to be used for profound thoughts and meaningful inscriptions. Perhaps that is why I am pretty jazzed about my most recent find of creative contortions of paper. Let me write it again: Memory Cross

Having been a kindergarten teacher, I found that it was always important to provide a hands-on learning experience. If you want a child (or anyone, for that matter) to remember an important idea, then have an object lesson! The more senses (taste, touch, smell, site and sound) that you can stimulate, the greater your chances of making a lasting impression. Additionally, I really like small, cute things. Let me type it again: Memory Cross

In an attempt to provide a neat present for Mr. Smackdown and Mr. Easy on Valentine's Day that would show them God's love and our love, I found myself at a loss. Yes, I succumbed to candy (organic chocolate, if you must know) but I wanted something creative, purposeful, lasting, loving and eternal. I wanted to make this holiday not about romance but about a lasting love that God gives us through Jesus.

I want Mr. Smackdown, Mr. Easy, and Mr. Smiley to feel treasured and loved through our purposeful Valentine gift to them. Two words: Memory Cross

What is Memory Cross you ask? Well, for someone who has always struggled with memorizing scripture (me), this is a cool way to make memorizing scripture fun. (Rather than being redundant and ill-equip, at this late hour, to explain this intricate paper folding, I encourage you to go to their website.)

It is a hands-on, kinesthetic (though you can be sitting in a chair) Bible memory experience. In a nutshell, a Bible verse is on a piece of paper that is folded in a gazillion different ways and you keep opening it up like a never-ending gift, which is what God's word is to us.

Does it help you memorize scripture? I don't know yet!!! We just got our family pack of Bible memory verses in the mail. Plus, it isn't Valentine's Day! And as an added treat, Memory Cross threw in some samples, which were way cool. One of the freebies happened to be a Valentine Card made large enough for tiny hands to continually open AND was black and white for the kiddos to color. The kids' Valentine Card was a hit! The boys really enjoyed coloring it, and showing lots of love for each other as they took turns beautifying their symbol of God's loving Valentine message. We just have to decide who to give it to!

So guess what? Two words: Memory Cross