Tea Love

For the Chinese, drinking tea is an essential element of life, often listed alongside rice and salt as a daily need. The Chinese have learned to cultivate, harvest and process a variety of teas that have their own flavor and character. Preparing a proper cup of tea is not hard to do, but there are some specifics involved if you want to do it correctly. Use good quality tea and water, pay attention to measurements and follow a simple timetable for proper Chinese tea.

Things You'll Need:
Stainless steel kettle
Glass or ceramic teapot
Loose leaf tea
Cooking thermometer

1. Choose your loose leaf tea. The standards range from strong black teas to the milder white. Long and green teas (the most popular choice among the Chinese) fall into the middle categories. There are also red, yellow and scented teas to choose from. Each tea requires a slightly different method of preparing in regards to proper water temperature and steeping time. We will talk about the four basic teas here.
   
2. Heat two cups of water in a kettle. For black teas, heat the water to a fast boil or 212 degrees F. For oolong, bring water just below the boiling temperature, usually 190 degrees. Green teas do best at a cooler temperature of160 degrees. White teas need even cooler water, right around 150 degrees F.
   
3. Measure the tea leaves and place them in the teapot. The general rule of thumb is 1 rounded teaspoon for every 8 ounces of water.


4. Pour hot water into the teapot and allow the tea to steep. Again, each type of tea requires a different steeping time. "Steeping" refers to the action of allowing the tea to expand in the water and release the flavor. Allowing a tea to steep for too long can make for a bitter drink. Steeping times for different teas are: Black for 4 to 6 minutes; oolong for 3 to 4 minutes; green for 2 to 3 minutes; and white for 2 minutes.Pay attention to how much the tea leaf has expanded. The leaves will generally grow 3 to 5 times their size during the steeping period.
   
5. Remove the tea leaves from the liquid by straining. Most teapots have strainers built into them for this purpose. While you pour the tea into teacups, the leaves will be left behind and you can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Chinese tea.

And there you have it.

Keep Smiling.

Happy Heart

Do you remember the last time you had a big, puffy cotton candy or tried to blow a huge bubble with bubble gum? Those were so fun!

I still like cartoon movies, bright colors, polka dots, Disney characters, and sometimes, not purposely, I act silly (giggles!). We should never lose our imaginations and humor, neither hide or feel bad about it.

Looking at clouds and then shaping them in my head, like chicken is my favorite! My imagination surprises me and makes me smile sometimes. I LOVE it!

I’ve always liked sitting on a swing set since I was very little. The first thing I looked for when at any park is swing sets, until today. If I see them, I run to them as fast as I can and get all excited. They make me feel like a happy bird, so free.

I think everyone always has a goofy kid’s spirit even if they are 80 years old. Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Stay young at heart everyone.

Keep Smiling.

A Damn Good Red Velvet Cupcake!

Big, giant, monster of a damn YUMMY Red Velvet cupcake! My last cupcake for a while! I'm not going on a diet per se, but I'm trying to cut out all refined and processed sugars and become a healthier eater, but the real truth is I might change my mind within 24 hours (Lol). I've been reading the book The Truth About Beauty by Kat James, and it has opened my eyes so much to the food and medical industry. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants to get healthy and get rid of preventable conditions through simple lifestyle choices. It's quickly becoming my beauty bible... seriously, I can't recommend this book enough.

So, I had a Red Velvet cupcake today before I cut everything out...

Hahahah! Way to go, eh?!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk*
1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

Frosting ingredients
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

*You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to milk and letting it stand for about 10 minutes.

Keep Smiling!

Sister Love

I can’t be happier and more emotional… It has been a very exciting two weeks. My best friend, who lives in Washington State, had a little baby boy a weekend ago, and my little sister just gave birth to a baby boy as well, 2 days ago. Both are first time moms. I’ve been feeling so emotional. My little sister is a mom , a MOM. She was 15 years old when I decided to move the United States for schooling; I was 18. The pictures I have in my mind of her were still a middle school girl with a white shirt and blue skirt uniform. Time really has gone by so fast. We both are in our 30s these days. Happy 30s!

Personality-wise, both my sister and best friend are a lot like I am. We are positive, loving, smart, strong, humorous, and appreciative. When the three of us are together, look out!

I sometimes wonder what if I hadn't moved to the states... Well, first thing I know I won’t be writing this blog entry in “English” right now. Learning a new language and culture isn’t always easy. No pain,no gain. There are so many “what ifs” in my life. Luckily, our transportations these days is easy and quick. Trip home for a mini vacation in the early part of next year is a definite. I’d rather look forward instead of looking back to all my “what ifs.”

Picture 1: My litter sister. Picture 2: Joanne and her dog Anakin.

Keep Smiling!