In which our heroine remembers she still has a blog, and also hints at something special to come.

Nicole’s latest post wondering “where have all the tea bloggers gone” reminded me of this space. Yes, it may have been a year and a half since I last posted here, but I am still around, mostly on Instagram and TikTok. Of course, over the years since I’ve had various blogs, blogging has transitioned into content creation and influencing. We now have a range of platforms that cater to every talent and attention span level. I’ve had a lot of fun with the short-form video format of TikTok, and in the past I’ve enjoyed playing with the visual microblogging aspect of Instagram. But at heart, I am a long-form writer. Those who have followed this blog for a while (a long while now) will be well aware that I adore rambling on in the written word.

Today, I am sipping some of last year’s first flush Darjeeling as I attempt to make room for the new flush I have coming in later this week. This is pertinent because it directly relates to a new project I’ve started. You may know that I have participated in NaNoWriMo in the past and I have tried my hand several times at writing novel-length works. Well, I have decided to take this a step further. Inspired by my friends who have found success sharing their work through self-publishing, I have decided to write something for self-publication.

But I have not just decided to self-publish anything — I am writing a new work that is inspired by my love of tea. The main character is a tea shop owner and tea aficionado who lives in a small town. The book will follow her as she ends up in a messy situation and has to use all her senses to get herself out! That is all I’m going to reveal for now, but look forward to more to come, likely on social media more than here. But I will be sure to announce when I have a firm date for release! For now, my goal is to release it sometime before the end of the year.

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Floral Spring Cocktails, featuring Royal Rose Syrups

Who needs a drink? I know I’ve been enjoying indulging in a little alcohol more often than usual (which is to say, I’ve been having a drink maybe four nights a week instead of rarely), and the weather is saying spring, so I thought I’d share some cocktails (and a mocktail) that I’ve whipped up using the syrups that Royal Rose Syrups* so kindly sent me. They sent me eight of their flavors and I’m focusing on the floral flavors for now because, well, spring. Stay tuned for later on when I share some gorgeous summer cocktails using more of their flavors.

(And note that their spring 20% off sale*, with the code SPRING20, ends today!)

The Dearest Old Fashioned

This is a riff on an Old Fashioned, using saffron syrup and rosewater. The name is a play on words, both referring to my friend Nazanin of Tea Thoughts, who loves all these flavors, and whose name means dearest in Farsi, and also a reference to the fact that saffron has long been the “dearest” or most expensive spice in the world.

2 oz. bourbon

1 Tbsp. saffron syrup*

1/2-1 tsp. rosewater

Stir with ice and garnish with some dried rosebuds if desired. It’s also lovely topped with some sparkling water to make a less potent beverage. Sip slowly, perhaps while enjoying one of Nazanin’s coloring books.

The Tudor Rose

This cocktail uses brandy, which always feels old-fashioned to me, and is based on a previous cocktail from a bar I used to frequent named “Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition.” Because I’m not using port or a brandy named after a Spanish cardinal, I’ve decided to name this for the Tudor rose, as it combines the flavors of rose with sparkling wine, orange peel, and brandy, for a luxurious and historical feeling.

1 oz. brandy

1 Tbsp. rose syrup*

Sparkling wine

Strip of orange peel

Stir together the brandy and rose syrup with a little ice until combined and then strain into a cocktail or champagne glass. Top with champagne and twist the orange peel over the top before dropping it in. Sip while contemplating the fragility of your royal dynasty (or perhaps keeping up your official correspondence).

Milady’s Boudoir

Lavender evokes my vanity, perhaps because it is one of my favorite fragrances, so I’ve named this drink both for the sanctuary of beauty where Milady might perform her toilette, and also for the ladies’ publication from P. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster stories.

1 Tbsp. lavender lemon syrup*

glass of sparkling wine

lemon peel

Pour the syrup into a champagne flute or coupe and top with champagne. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the top and drop in. Sip as part of a luxurious evening routine.

The Amiable Friend

This is another inspired by a friend. Rie of Tea Curious has created tea cocktails in the past, but does not drink herself, so I thought I would make my non-alcoholic offering in her honor, featuring some ice-brewed white tea, in honor of her unique brewing experiments, along with jasmine syrup. I only wish I had a fancier glass in which to serve it. This is called “amiable” after the Language of Flowers, which interprets jasmine’s meaning as “amiability.”

4 oz. ice-brewed Silver Needle white tea

1 Tbsp. jasmine syrup*

Sparkling water

Brew your Silver Needle by placing 5g of leaves over 120g of ice in a vessel and allowing it to infuse as the ice melts, over about X hours. Once it has infused, add it to a tall glass with ice, stir in 1 Tbsp. of jasmine syrup, and top with 4 oz. of sparkling water. Enjoy in the afternoons, perhaps while watching one of Rie’s live tea practices on Instagram.

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I hope you enjoyed this foray into floral flavored cocktails for the season, inspired by my friends and historical loves. I’m sure we could all use a nice drink these days, so let me know if you try one!

NB: I am an affiliate of Royal Rose Syrups and purchasing their syrups through my affiliate links provide income to my blog. Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk. For more information about my affiliate links, click here.

Blossom Viewing

Last week, I bemoaned the creeping entrance of spring and lack of flowering trees. This week, the local flora decided to prove that they were not entirely beaten. Sunday, our local cherry trees reached official “peak bloom” and Monday, after a gloomy morning gave way to a gloriously sunny afternoon, I decided to take a little walk and view the blossoms.

I made my way down to the sidewalk that winds around the Tidal Basin and watched as a relatively scant group of tourists took photos and just generally enjoyed the beautiful setting. All around me, trees had burst into bloom, with only subtle reminders of the departed early brethren who were lost in our late snowstorm. The remaining blossoms still made a lovely picture, and so I took a few.

The cherry blossoms against the blue-green of the water and the azure blue of the sky reminded me of old paintings. Gnarled branches punctuated with pink and white stood against their backdrop like impressionist almond blossoms .

Of course, I gave in to the temptation to take selfies in the blossoms, but the bright sunlight meant that few of them turned out well. I tended to have that little worried crinkle between my eyebrows as I tried to withstand the brightness of the day.

But all in all, the day left me warmed, relaxed, and with a renewed sense of peace after seeing the beautiful reminders that no matter how long the winter, spring will come eventually. And it has left me in the mood for cherry blossoms in everything. Perhaps I shall go on a quest later for some sakura sweets.

Signs of Spring

It has been a strange season this year. Winter was, for the most part, mild and uneventful, other than one or two exciting days. But we managed to have quite a few weeks of unseasonably mild temperature. Followed by a snowstorm the week that we thought we would be gearing up for springtime.

In my city, we celebrate the cherry blossoms, and so the beginning of spring is always marked with glee by local merchants, and by the tourists who come every year to see the blossoms. But our teasing warm spell and subsequent snowstorm brought the blossoms out early, only to freeze them on the branch. So we lack the profusion of pink and white flowers to mark the celebration and need to make do with the cherry blossom decals that pop up all over town. It’s a bit of a forced cheery sight, but reminds one of spring.

This year’s spring is going to be a bit more subtle, a bit of a slow crawl out of grey, chilly days and towards brighter, warmer ones. A hint of green as the leaves bud on the trees. A flash of pink or violet as small flowers that resisted the early warmth crawl out of garden beds and lawns. And it is looking for these tiny creeping steps towards spring that keeps my spirits up through grey days, freak snowstorms, and chilly evenings. I yearn to wear short, floral dresses, no stockings, and sandals, but I have to cover over everything to keep warm still.

You see, technically, spring came on Monday. But it still doesn’t feel like spring, either meteorologically or emotionally to me yet. I’ve found myself mired in the quagmire of winter thoughts, bundling myself up in blankets and resorting to comforting food whenever I have the chance. Piling on down at night, and even sleeping in socks when necessary. I need a warm day and some sunshine to pull me out of this funk. I need some real springtime.

And now, the signs are there. We just need the rest of spring to join them.

Five Things I’ve Been Enjoying Recently

I still have a backlog of photo-editing and post-writing to deal with since I’ve been busy and stressed, so here’s another quick, unplanned post. Spring has definitely sprung in the city! Trees are fluffy and pink and white and yellow and purple. There are hyacinths and daffodils out on my walk from the train station to my office. And it’s even getting a bit warmer. So I thought I’d share some of the things that I’ve been particularly enjoying the last couple of weeks as we move into spring.

1. Magnolia Oolong tea from Simple Loose Leaf: I’ve talked about this before, but this really is a lovely tea. It’s the same Jade Oolong I reviewed a while ago, but with a very light magnolia floral scent and flavor added. I love it as a daily cup when the weather is warm, but not hot, and the sights and scents of spring are everywhere. It’s very seasonally-appropriate and helps remind me that the rich, warming black teas of winter are no longer needed.
2. Hada Labo UV Perfect Gel: Sunscreen, guys! Since it is now fully light for both my morning and evening walks to and from work, it’s the perfect time to mention my new favorite sunscreen. It’s Japanese and unfragranced and sinks in beautifully. It does leave a bit of shine initially, but I give it 20-30 minutes before applying makeup and it settles right down. It’s a lovely gel texture and I think the hydrating ingredients offset the alcohol that gives it its lovely texture and ability to absorb weightlessly into skin.
3. Pink and coral lip products: I love a red lip. But lately, I’ve been reach for spring-y lip colors, which means pinks and corals. Coral has been tricky for me, as I’m not generally a fan of orange, but I’ve found some products to help ease me into the look. I’ve also been loving sheerer lip colors for the spring, as it’s a much fresher look. Plus, my lip color matches the azalea bush that’s already started sprouting buds: Coral Bells.
4. Pink clothing: I own a lot of black and dark-colored clothing. It’s rather a go-to color for me. But the warm weather has me feeling light and youthful, and to me, this means pink and pastels. I wore a pink chiffon dress from Mod Cloth the other day to work and got so many compliments, I wore it again a couple weeks later!
5. Veggie noodles: One of our most unexpected holiday gifts was a Veggetti from Boyfriend’s parents. I’d looked at spiralizers before, but never decided to actually buy one. So when we got this, it seemed like a neat way to try spiralized veggies without shelling out for an expensive machine. But who wants to eat a lot of raw veggies in the dead of winter? Plus, a lot of the good veggies for spiralizing aren’t available until spring. Well, the zucchini and cucumbers are here and I’ve started spiralizing. We had a spiralized cucumber salad with sushi on Saturday and spiralized zucchini and carrots as a base for grilled chicken yesterday after a heavy Easter lunch called for a light dinner. It’s a lovely way to eat raw veggies, especially now that the warmer weather has me craving fresher food.

What is everyone else loving for spring?

Florals for Spring

As I sit at my desk at work sipping a mug of jasmine green tea, I inhale the heady floral scent of it. I love florals. I wear floral prints, I love the scent of floral perfume, of floral tea, I decorate with flowers where I can. And now that we’re in the full throes of spring, nature has responded with her own florals.

Floral tea is one of my favorite flavors. I don’t go in very often for flavored tea, save the classic Earl Grey blend, but floral flavored teas will make me forget my preference for unadulterated teas. Green tea with jasmine. Oolong tea with the sweet scent of magnolias. Black tea with roses. The perfume of the flowers mingles with the perfume of the tea itself. My favorite blend is Earl Grey tea with red roses and a splash of rosewater, to supplement the fragrance of the roses. It’s lovely with just a touch of honey or sugar.

I’ve baked flowers into my cookies, cakes, and scones. Rose petals, lavender, and rosewater come together with butter and sugar for a fragrant treat. I received a madeleine pan for my birthday several months ago, and it might be time to bake a floral-scented batch of tiny French cakes.

And of course, it’s the time of year for flowers. I shared the photo above of a rose I got after my matinee this weekend. The theatre company had decided to have roses for all the mothers and far fewer mothers showed up than expected, so I got a rose of my own. It now sits on my breakfast table, brightening up the place, and bringing it’s soft floral beauty into my morning routine. It makes me want to have flowers more often, although there isn’t a very good source of them nearby. Some of the farmer’s markets, though, have great buckets of flowers on occasion, so perhaps I will start haunting the stalls waiting for them to have another lovely addition to my table.

Happy spring, all!

Wisteria and Sunshine

This weekend, my show opened, so the weekend was busy, to say the least. But I still got a moment to sit and relax and enjoy the lovely weather on the deck. The view reminded me of the ad from Enchanted April, which I also watched this weekend. And I do enjoy wisteria and sunshine.

Sunday was the first really warm day we’ve had since spring began. I had risen early to set my hair for a matinee performance, and had watched the film with my breakfast. The local bakery has chocolate-cherry bread for sale on the first Saturday of each month, so I had special bread, tea, and melon. Then, as the weather warmed up, I found myself with an hour to spare while baking a strawberry-rhubarb crisp for the post-matinee party. So I made another pot of Earl Grey, grabbed a book of short stories, and found a shaded spot on the deck to sit and read and sip tea. You see, Boyfriend and I plan to move at the beginning of the summer, and I thought I ought to enjoy it while I can.

I took a little turn around the yard at one point. It’s not a long walk, but you can see there is some interest. There at the back, there’s what looks a bit like the foundations of an old stone house or shed. I examined it a bit, although I’d looked at it before, and went over to check out the jungle of flora growing around the decorative basin to one side. Quite a lovely little garden. So lovely, in fact, that I decided I didn’t want to leave after all. But that is a story for another day.