Where was I, oh yes, great walk around the neighborhood. Walking is great for avoiding stress problems from lifting and carrying, so I make a point of it.
Halfway around, I spotted a gang of turkey vultures in the street, disposing of a rabbit, which reminded me it would be teatime when I got home (!).
I'm grateful to turkey vultures,and we have a lot, for cleaning up all the roadkill and losers in nature's battles for us. Those guys are enormous on the ground, must be a six foot wingspan. Couldn't get pix because cars kept scattering them. In the sky they hover and zoom about in big lazy circles, looking much smaller.
So home to tea and banana bread. More downstairs than upstairs, despite the Shelley putting in an appearance.
The giant slice of banana bread and big fork detract from the Downton Abbey effect. Also the milk powder, I never use liquid milk these days. The powdered is all kinds of pure. And it doesn't sour. But I think that Downton Abbey old lady would look at it and ask what IS milk powder?
Tea tastes different from different pots and cups. This was much lighter tasting than from my usual Chinese porcelain pot and mug. Same tea, same proportions. Some mysterious chemistry. The cup is smaller, so I was kept working hard refilling it..
It's all research. What I do for science, and do they thank me? Do I get Time covers? Nobel Peace prizes? But I think tea has probably averted more conflicts and assisted in handling more crises than it gets credit for.
Now back to my current Sue Ann Jaffarian, another good antidote to dark times.
Fun post,. I think your banana bread and even dried milk look very Downton Abby-ish. I just looked it up and it appears that dried milk was around in the 1800's! So Mrs. Patmore very possibly had it in her pantry. Funny, I'd never thought about how long dried milk has been around until reading this post. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm nearly finished with my first Sue Ann Jaffarian mystery (Too Big to Miss), and for now I'm kind of hooked. I'm supposing these fit into the cozy mystery category. What do you think? I'm enjoying the light, slightly edgy read.
I discovered her through you, thank you. I really enjoy all the characters, and I like how inclusive they are, with all kinds of people taking important roles. Yes, since Odelia isn't an official police detective, but stumbles into the stories, it's officially cosy. I like the details of food and decor,too, and the fashions. She shows big women are stylish as well as smart.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how far back dried milk went. I suppose the problem of milk souring was with them, too. I do use soured milk for baking but you do need drinking milk, too. And nowadays a reusable bag is kinder to the earth than plastic jugs. I use the bags for freezing.
Well, your tea may not have been up to Downton Abbey standards but it is certainly fancier than mine. I just dump the tea in my teapot (note: I am not a big fan of tea dust in bags - leaves please) and when steeped, pour into a cup. No fancy tray. Sigh, perhaps I should try harder for culture!
ReplyDeleteYou could also rationalize that Liz does it so you don't have to.
ReplyDeleteI like English breakfast tea, strong, snarling as it pours. Not fancy scented teas. A friend recently gave me some bags of fancy loose tea which I am using to scent my sheets and underwear. Lovely flowery, fruity scent. Doubt if I'll drink it though.
I love tea and would have been a tea master in another life. You are right about its soothing assistance in all sorts of situations. Nice accoutrments.
ReplyDeletePeople punctuate their lives with a nice pot of tea. I think it's good. "The cup that cheers, but not inebriates" William Hazlitt, essayist and tea- fancier.
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