Tripping, Tipping on Tips...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...Too many places online tell you that no matter how shitty the service is that you MUST tip! I don't agree!

If a waiter or waitress wants to keep their customers, keep their job and keep their employer in business they need to do their damn job!

I've gotten really tired of the, "but I'm OWED a Jooooob!" whine by whoever is making the current whine. I've served at counters. I've done my time at fast food. And garnered tips! which is harder than hell! I've served bar at pizza places! I've sold jewelry on commission. I've had some pretty crummy jobs to make ends meet and to help pay my way through college and I get that waiters and waitresses don't get minimum wage. Thus it behooves them to serve their customers.

Because you want to know a secret? Lean closer....MOST CUSTOMERS FEEL DAMN GUILTY IF THEY DON'T TIP! So if we aren't tipping, there is a good reason! And it's not that our panties are in a twist, or that we're in a bad mood! Normally it's that we've gotten such crappy service that we just can't justify laying down any more money we really can't afford to reward such crappy behavior. I don't reward toddlers' crappy behavior; why would I do it with adults? They don't learn from it either.

So here are the rules I learned from my Dad about tipping (this was a while ago, but my income hasn't gone up since 1996, so my tips probably won't either. Your income probably does, so you can adjust for income!)

Excellent service:
20%+
Fair service
10%-15%
Borderline
5%
Maitre de: (bribe for seating)$50+ depending on snoot factor of place and maitre de
Note: doesn't normally work for females, females either have to dress the part, or end up by the kitchen door, or equivalent. just sayin'
Chefs or Bus boys 5%
Bellhops $1-$10
Maids $5-$20 depending on length of stay
Bar waitresses the change from next closest denomination or 10-20% of round
Hairdressers, box people, door men, valets $1-$10 depending on location

VERY BAD SERVICE, so bad you want to tell them you would have tipped, but their service sucked!!  $0.01

But nowadays I always feel like everyone has their hand out for a handout. I'm on a fixed income and I compute a tip into the cost of my meal when I go out. But it also means I go out much less frequently. Those dollars are hard to come by in my life.

So when that time is ruined by shitty service. I don't take it quietly, or lying down. I only have about 4 or 5 restaurants I can even still eat at with my medical conditions anymore since most of them use food with additives or preservatives I can't physically eat. So the few I CAN eat at, I work into my schedule selectively.

I know I'm probably a dinosaur. But this dinosaur has a very limited food supply and a limited budget like the rest of the world is coming to, and gee, maybe if more people valued their pennies and realised that the single penny they saw on the table was actually the message of one MIGHTILY PISSED OFF customer, they might mend their service and keep their restaurant, their job, and the economy going.

I've been told by friends of mine that women are the WORST tippers so they get the worst service. Especially women in SUITS. It always makes me giggle. Because I would probably be one of the better tippers, if I'm treated decently. But when I'm ignored or treated rudely, watch the f* out! I will be in your face. I will take my cane and my drink up to the drink station and fill it. I will tell your manager I had a crappy meal AND I will report it on the website. Because I am just THAT fed UP with SHITTY service. So the next time you think you have this little old lady with the cane in the corner with her book pegged. Think twice! of course, they might be spitting in my food? who knows?

just my 1 or 2 cents of a tip...ped off goddess....

Yuletide Cheer and all that stuff...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...I love the holidays. I love entertaining and seeing my family and having people over. I always have. But I don't like the drama. I really just want everyone to get along and have a life supported by loving people. My mom was a drama Queen. She was in a tizzy any time we had people over and would clean a clean house for days. ;P

 I SO wasn't going there. I was informed by my soon-to-be-ex many years ago that I was turning into my mother. I would get all tense before we left to go anyplace and scream and have fights...I then realized it was because I was always ready 30 minutes early and he was always 30 minutes or more late and didn't have his stuff together. So on top of doing my stuff and being disabled and feeling like crap I'd be trying to organize his at the last minute and get the kids moving, because they knew that the time stated meant 30 minutes or more late, and it was ALWAYS more stress than I wanted to deal with. LOL My daughter still fudges times with us both to get us going "on time." She's starting to realize that I'm actually getting ready at the time she says and now am considering HER late. LOL My son...well...we're always walking out the door while he's still brushing his teeth or getting his coat or something 10 minutes after it was time to go and waiting for him outside.

But all of this aside, making food for people I love and seeing them enjoy it. Being able to give them some small gift of my heart even when I'm broke. Letting them know I thought of them and love them and welcome new members to the family table. No matter when the holiday is celebrated.  (and no matter how many pain killers I need to swallow to get through the day!) I'd almost  prefer Christmas or a Yule celebration in July...just to divorce it from all the rest of the crazy of the season and get the family together for some gathering time to bond in a time less fraught with stress for all. But then employers don't give time off for the Summer Soltice do they? and when you are baking and sweating it just doesn't seem as fun to get together with family as when you can go sliding through the ice and snow.
from the puzzled goddess shivering under her nice warm blankets on this Christmas Afternoon.

Mint tea for me...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...
After sleeve bariatric surgery I was told to stop drinking carbonated beverages, and no caffeine. with the migraines I don't really drink caffeine anyway, but the carbonation was a BIG change. I used to never be seen without a diet pepsi in my hand. Then a diet Shasta when I realized how sensitive I was to aspartame. I now drink adult cool aid otherwise termed tisane, or herbal tea.

For a general, all around beverage that's cold, I normally drink some kind of mint infusion.
Here's what I think of the ones I've sampled.

Of the straight Peppermint teas I've tried the very cheap from the Dollar store which has almost nothing in the tea bags and costs as much as the Stash tea to buying my own loose organically grown peppermint leaves that I grind in a coffee mill. I like a smooth, light taste of peppermint that isn't overpowering that is sweetened quite a bit so I prefer the Stash peppermint. I don't know where they get their leaves, or what they do to them, but they are smooth and not harsh and nasty. The Bigelow tea peppermint has a harsh and heavy peppermint oil taste so it may be that their leaves are fresher, but I don't consider that a taste advantage in this situation.                                                                 

This Stash Moroccan Mint is one of my favorite teas. But it has green tea in it, and so it contains caffeine. I'm not allowed to indulge often. When I use this one bag is used in an entire pot so I don't overdo the caffeine allotment for the day. 

 The Bigelow Thin Mints tea is pretty good. It smells like a chocolate mint plant I had a few years ago until my black thumb killed it.  But this tea really only tastes good when it's hot. When it's cold it tastes like pretty nasty watery candy.

 

This Bigelow Plantation Mint is one of my all time favorite teas. I LOVE spearmint. unfortunately

 

this also has caffeine  in it so I can't really drink it anymore. I grind up spearmint leaves as well and that tastes good. The spearmint is less overpowering than the peppermint and so this tea is wonderful.
















The Mint Medley is a nice blend of Spearmint and Peppermint. Once again, if they used the peppermint Stash uses, the tea would be better.

From the goddess trying to keep cool with mint...

One of my favorite restaurants...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...I know it's silly to think so much of a fast food place, but this one...I just like the way they put the landscaping in, and they serve a Sobe I can drink that's not carbonated that I mix with their tea.

It's located out near where Powell Blvd meets Burnside Rd in Gresham. The few buses that go to this area only run intermittently and stop early so it's easy to get stranded without a way to head back west for those of us who can't drive. The Panda Express that is much closer to me just doesn't have the same ambiance and doesn't carry the Sobe. So it's not the same.

I like eating their kid's meal, with string bean chicken and steamed vegetables. They actually serve more vegetables than a few pieces of broccoli, carrots and cabbage. I wish some of their other entrees had an option to get sauce on the side or came without breading. I really dislike breaded meat smothered in a sweet sauce. All it does is up the calories for no real taste addition. Just slime. Uck. But the Kung Pao is okay as well.

I really stop here more because it's restful and I like the way it looks and feels...so sue me!

from a puzzled goddess scarfing fast food Chinese...num...

Chickening out for dinner...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

For some reason if you add chow mein noodles and chicken and cashews to a salad...I like it better lately. I'm not sure my kids do, but what do they know? I'm the one that has to try to cook in this heat. And they're always the ones who complain I'm trying to overfeed them.

So I thought I'd share a recipe I just came up with that tastes pretty good. It's for a large group of people....but it should scale down just fine....next time maybe I'll add pineapple to it though....

Chicken Oriental Salad with Cashews


Number Of Serves: 16 Serve(s)
Preparation Time: 30.00 min
Cooking Time: 55 min


Ingredients

1. 8 lbs of frozen skinless chicken breasts
2. 0.5 t of vietnamese or chinese ground red chili garlic sauce (chilis in vinegar)
3. 1 c of Kikoman soy sauce
4. 1 T of Black Bean Sauce
5. 1 T of Hoisin Sauce
6. 1 t of chinese hot mustard
7. 0.5 t of ground ginger
8. 1 c of dried minced onion (1/2 c. if using fresh)
9. 0.25 c of Newman's own Lowfat sesame and ginger dressing
(may leave out, doesn't really add much)
10. 2 c of oiled, salted cashew halves and pieces
11. 16 oz of bag dry chow mein noodles
12. 3 oz of dry, candied ginger, sliced finely
13. 2 lbs of salad mix
14. 0.5 head of green leaf lettuce
15. 2 ea of tomatoes
16. 2 ea of kiwi
17. 1 ea of cucumber
18. 0.5 med of green pepper

Procedure/Direction:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Mix soy sauce, chili sauce, minced garlic, black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, hot mustard, ground giner, minced onion and newman's dressing if using it in a small bowl.

3. Spread chicken breasts in single layer in two roasting pans and baste with sauce, careful to scoop onions onto chicken for flavor. Baste both sides of chicken before inserting in oven.

4. Put into oven. Cook 25 minutes. Turn chicken and switch racks that pans are occupying so all chicken cooks thoroughly. After about another 30 minutes chicken should be thoroughly cooked, juices should run clear. Cut meat into cubes and store the chicken along with all pan drippings in a large bowl in refrigerator to cool.

5. Prepare salad. Peel kiwi fruit and slice into thin rounds or strips. Peel cucumber, or not, to taste and slice into thin strips for color. Sliver the candied ginger. Mince the green pepper. Wedge and chop the tomatoes.

6. Layer salad and chicken into large bowl in an attractive manner with chow mein noodles and cashews. Add the kiwi, cucumbers, sliced ginger, green pepper and tomatoes and enjoy.

May be served with or without additional Newman's Sesame and Ginger dressing. I didn't think it needed it particularly.

Cuisine: American
Type(s): Barbecue/Grilling , Brunch , Main Dish , Meat , Poultry , Salad , Side Dish , Low-cal , Vegetables , Favorites , Original , Low Carb , Family/Historic

Author: Sondra Prowett
Source: Original

this recipe was produced using: Recipe Manager - Your Cooking Companion


Of course the 3 or 4 recipes I've read that are similar to this use tea in them somehow, but the last time I tried that it just tasted like I was trying to eat aromatic dirt in my salad...maybe I should have soaked the chicken in the steeped tea? But the recipe called for actually putting the TEA LEAVES in the salad. I'll never figure this stuff out. Oh well, just gives my family more to scratch their heads over as they catch me going down for the count.

For those in the know...they are taking bets now and tilting me in general directions of soft areas to land, "just in case." Sheesh! no respect!

That's the world right now for a puzzled goddess whose headed off to dream land. zzzzzzz.....

Don't take it even if they offer...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I made that mistake. It seemed so innocuous. How bad could it be. I'll try most things at least once. I've even tried sushi multiple times because people keep telling me that THIS piece is different, and I'm SURE to like it. NOPE. Not goin' there. Vinegar and I don't get along. Most acids and my stomach get along WAY too well. Not a fan of anything pickled in any way, shape, or form. Hmmm, kinda leaves sushi right off the list. Plus I'm not real big on the seaweed thing. Don't mind it in soup, or soap, or ice cream. You get the picture.

I'm a plebian at heart. My tastebuds are those of an uninformed 3 year old. Actually, when my kids were 3 year olds they would try more than I will. I've tried it, and I DON'T like it!

You know, this could be about so many things and only my dear husband, or those who know me really well would guess the real subject....freeze dried ice cream!

It has NONE of the benefits of real ice cream, the cold, the smooth, the texture, the yummy goodness. It is truly, pretty gross and has all of the ickiness of melted ice cream: the heavy taste on the tongue that coats it, the overly smooth and sweet flavor. Uck!

I even tried strawberry thinking it would be more innocuous than chocolate...nope. It's got a high ick factor!

Just putting it up there on the list with sushi and cinnamon on meat products as things I don't care to eat...oh, and processed cheese food...how can they even call it food?

from a puzzled goddess with the tastebuds of a three year old...nah if I was a three year old I'd probably eat that cheese stuff, huh?

SCA Events and Wow! What wordy people we all are . ..

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

But then I have friends with such insightful things to say! I am finally caught up on all the blogs I try to follow...I think.

I have to apologize for being out of it for the last few weeks. My eyesight is pretty well shot and my cold is still lingering.

We did manage to get to an SCA event this last weekend. It's been one we've looked forward to, Yule Feast, hosted by the Baronies of Stromgard and 3 Mountains. One more step closer to becoming a real group out here on the Oregon side of the Gorge. We got to petition their excellencies Alfric and Jill to support our efforts. We now look to having our efforts published and proclaimed in the Portland area for a few months, and if people don't object we'll be able to submit our name and device and file our paperwork. Then it will be the turn of Kingdom and Crown to see if we will be real. ("Oh, if only we could be a real group!" lol)

We gave gifts and had fun. I tried my hand at period cookies for their excellencies Stromgard. Her Excellency Reginleif was amazingly sweet for trying the cookies immediately. I doubt she could have been at all hungry considering the excellent feast that was there, but I finally got my chance to make truly period cookies. (For those who are wondering, "Jumbals" and it was either from, "To the King's Taste" or, "To the Queen's Taste." I think the latter based on the time period of the reference, but I'm too lazy to go look it up again right now.) Kerryk gave their Excellencies Three Mountains some of his fine blackberry liquor, and we had handmade glass beads, a beaded necklace, a period game board, some apple brandy(? I think) and more of the cookies. Alfric is a diabetic, as are Kerryk and I, so the food items will probably get passed on, heck it's largess, it will all probably get passed on.

Kerryk DID try to give away Cedryk during the ceremony, over his strenuous objections, but the Baron wasn't taking. :) {I don't think anyone but Francessca noticed me trying to give her away. ;D} I finished the scroll with time to spare and we got to bring it home! Now I get to look at all the things I did wrong until we have a new seneschal for the group and we can pass it on! :) I'll blog later about the scroll and how it turned out.


We had a wonderful time talking to old friends and making new ones. Kerryk and Cedryk were glued to the fighting (I have 60 pictures of one fighter's armor so that I can make a gambeson like his for Cedryk. *grin*) Francesca was helping out and enjoying seeing friends from past events. She even got to sit on St. Nicholas' lap! I, being a creature of habit, painted on charters, ate, talked, and ate. :)






Mom Elfwyn made sure to share the period porn she found with my family LOL and got her grandson to cringe. (Notice the fingers are SPREAD over the eyes though!)









Wirawen danced divinely and it was like poetry. There was live music most of the day and even some dancing. Sven One Eye won the cooking contest. The marzipan was shaped and some spiced and placed on 2 big trays and disappeared! lol Chrodek and his family were there and we got to sit close enough together that we could share conversation. So, all in all, it was a great event.

And for those who let the weather forecast frighten them...since when have the weathermen been accurate? lol We didn't have any bad weather or snow until 3 or 4 hours after we got home! (Though you wouldn't know it by the number of times my big sister called me to check on me. *grin* She's inherited my mom's worrying tendencies, ouch!)

until next time from a very medieval feeling puzzled goddess

Tatting, 'tatoes, and too much sun...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

We had a great Saturday in the park. And no, it wasn't the 4th of July. (for you older folks, you'll get it...the younger ones have no hope. *grin*) There were no fireworks but much fire.

As those who know us are aware, my family and I are involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism and are trying to start a new group in the Columbia River Gorge area of Oregon. We are trying to have an informal, no fee, park potluck each quarter of the year. We also hold monthly meetings for those wanting to learn about the medieval at the Pietro's in Hood River on the first Thursday evening of each month...so if you are in the area and interested in the Middle Ages we are trying to generate interest to become an "official" SCA group. :) We're close to filling out our formal paperwork!

Anyway, done with the rank plug for the local SCA. We had a GREAT time yesterday! I would have blogged last night, but I was so tired that I came home, unpacked a bit, and made the hubby take us out for pizza at our favorite pizza place in Stevenson, Washington, Andrew's. They have pretty good pizza and the owner, Derek, occasionally sits in with a folk/blue grass group sometime in the middle of the week. (I don't remember the night 'cuz we've only caught it sporadically. But it's lots of fun!)

Last night there sound system was set to Sirius radio, and they were playing 80's hits. It made the hubby and I laugh. We got to try to guess the group and song. (I cheated and read the screen, while he tried to guess!) It allowed us to have great conversation with the two teenagers about our teen years and music. (I still dislike most of the death metal my son likes, but guitar hero has given our family a new topic of conversation. *grin*)

Wow, how's that for a change in topic? This was all supposed to be a lead-in to talk about the "August in the park" event that we had on Saturday! So I guess I'll talk about that! LOL

One of our newer attendees actually gave us all a demonstration of glass bead lampworking! It was so cool! I just wish I'd had more time to sit and watch, because I have always been interested in it. She made such a beautiful bead for my daughter! She's got a Norse personna and has such a cool apron dress and treasure necklace!

We had other visitors from across the river. Our neighbors of Village Vindrbek and their families. It was so great that they jumped right in and were so willing to participate in it all. Here's Chrodec and Epona fighting! I took all kinds of pictures of the day and ended up, as usually happens, not getting one of myself. LOL

I DID get pictures of the family!


We made some new friends had some fun and I got a tatting demo from a new friend, Maja. It looks a bit intimidating, but maybe I'll get my courage up and try it. She has a great story that she tells as she tats about how we are women, connected to women in the past and linked to women in our future. I wish I remembered it all, but, with the meds, my memory sucks.

I swear to all the gods that I spent less than 15 minutes total in the sun yesterday. I hate the fact that the meds make me super sun sensitive. This is not natural color! At least I didn't stay out long enough that it was lobster red. I can't believe that this light color hurts almost as much as the lobster red did when I was younger.

We did eat WAY too much food. There was a wonderful Leek and Potatoe pie that won the people's choice vote in the cooking contest entered by WirAwen from across the Great AnTir River. Then the period cooking contest was won by Megan with her lovely and nummy tasting blackberry tarts! Good eats! We found some tankards to give out and much encourage future entries into contests...a shameless plug by the local Minister of Arts and Sciences!

Our guests from Vindrbek gave us some cool gifts that will definitely show up as prizes for an upcoming event. All kinds of good food, good fun and good company.

a medieval minute from a puzzled goddess, blessings to you all.




Update: Somebody Caught me there! LOL

Some really good eats...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Nah, this one doesn't puzzle me at all. I LOVE french toast. Especially the way my family makes it...with a heavy breading and lots of flour. But I created a recipe that I like even better.

I've done the french toast thing with bagels before and it's actually really good. I had these megaberry Winco bagels in the freezer waiting for someone to eat them. And waiting, and waiting. So when I defrosted one and noticed that it was more chewy than it really is supposed to be on one side I decided to do the french toast thing....then I got to thinking....people put nutmeg and cinnamon in their french toast...what happens if I put vanilla in mine? GOOD EATS! Num, Num.

To do my family's french toast you use about 8 or 9 eggs, 1 cup of flour and about 1/8 cup of milk. Then I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla and battered the megaberry bagels after they had been sliced. Talk about decadent food! I went ahead and used butter and syrup on mine, but the kids will eat them plain.

from a cookin' puzzled goddess

[ps. you know those nasty bread ends that no one likes to eat on sandwiches? Freeze them, and when you have enough take them out and dunk them in this batter still frozen and they cook up just fine!]

[pps you can also freeze the french toast, once it's cooked. And then the kids can just pop it in the microwave for 60 seconds and have a warm breakfast.]

There be dragons in the teapot...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Thank you to the "goddess of everything" for the wonderful card! It made my day! It also made me remember that I hadn't updated people on my grand discovery about green tea!

I give up, the tea drinking mafia has come to call and let me know that tea is much better tasting when you actuall FOLLOW instructions and make it RIGHT!

Wow, who would have thought there would be so much taste change between dipping a bag and soaking a bag and having a little pot...even when you're using those nasty bags on strings.

Joany knew my pain and sent me this card to make the goddess feel better about her tea. Maybe dragons don't jump into your tea unless you have an open cup. Maybe that's what I've been doing wrong? Keeping the cup open so they have their place to bathe...that would explain the dirt and mould taste in the water....

Okay, I know that I've b*tched and moaned and k'vetched and just about everything else about my new habit of drinking green tea. I and "dragon water" just didn't seem to agree.

One more installment on this, at least for now. :)

I need to apologize to all those tea books I've read and all those tea websites who all said that you need to steep "in a teapot."

I really couldn't see that it would make a difference. I use filtered water, sometimes I poured the hot water over the bag of green tea, other times I dunked it, but it always tasted the same...gross.

And I remembered all the tea I drank at the Beanery and they always used a sieve that sat in the top of the cup...so a teapot shouldn't make a big difference, right? Especially if I don't care if the tea stays warm (lukewarm or cool spinach water tastes just as bad as hot...so does that moldy dragon water!)

BUT just to be on the safe side I picked up a second hand teapot. And surprise, surprise...it actually makes a difference. Now my favorite green tea is actually the Royal King that I hated when I steeped it by the cup. And my second favorite is the Stash premium green tea...the green teas they make that have other herbs in them now fall far down my list of which teas I want to drink. I still use the ginger peach green tea to help get me going and the wild rasberry green tea when I want to calm my stomach.

[just an aside, did you know that the straight wild rasberry herb tea tastes GREAT with Hershey bars...I just ah, happen to have found this out....]

So that's the update and I just had to share the roses my mom in law just sent over for me :)

blessings and good dragon water to you all from a puzzled goddess

The Muffin Man and other Bread Products...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...


We celebrated Lammas tonight (Aug 3rd). We were a few nights late, but I figure it's the sentiment that counts. I think I would be more comfortable leading rituals for my children and sharing my very real spirituality and belief in beings larger than ourselves if I hadn't spent all of my time as a solitary practitioner. I don't think they have much of an idea really of how important meditation and ritual really are to me. How could they when I keep it all internal.

Anyway, I baked a bread man as a Lammas sacrifice to thank the gods of the harvest for our abundant wealth, kind of like the pagan Thanksgiving. :)

Here's what's left of our Bread man....of course my dh HAD to bring up the "muffin man" as we were tearing off the legs and eating them. ;)

He really liked this bread recipe!
So here it is:
2 T active dry yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
3 T sugar
1 c oats
1/4 c steel cut oats
1/4 c wheat bran
1 1/2 c unbleached white flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
4 T olive oil
1 t onion salt
1 T chives
1 t granulated garlic

mix, knead, let rise 1 hour, punch down and form into a 'man shape' on a large, greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 400F for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a 'knock' on the top sounds hollow. As it's cooling spread butter (not margarine, yuck!) over the top.

Makes for a moist and nummy 'heavy' bread.

blessings on all from a puzzled goddess
who DOESN'T live on Drury Lane...

The REALLY ucky green stuff...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

As I sit here, drinking my cup of spinach flavored pseudo tea, I comfort myself with the thought that at least I'm not drinking the REALLY ucky green tea that's in my cabinet; so life could be worse, right? I just have to keep looking for those silver linings.

For those of you who read my last post on ucky green stuff this is a continuation. Same not-so-bat-time, but definately the same-bat-channel. (In case you are wondering? I'm the bat!)

Yes, I'm whining again about how nasty green stuff tastes. But the Stash green stuff actually tastes less nasty than the Royal King green stuff crap I bought at Uwajimaya in Beaverton. YUCK!

That stuff is the Royal King pictured on the lower right here. I don't know if the 'smokey flavor' everyone talks about is the flavor of dirt and mold I normally taste when drinking green tea, or if it's just particular to this brand and the cup I tried at the Corvallis Beanery many years ago. (More than I'd like to remember!)

My favorite green tea so far is not pictured here. (I drank it all!) I'm looking to see where that is local to me I can find the Tazo if I can't find anything that tastes better. :) Four of the packets above are Stash teas (an Oregon based company!) The premium green tea on the upper right is my least favorite of these (tastes like spinach water!) But the Morrocan Mint, Ginger Peach and Wild Raspberry green teas are part of my daily green tea intake of 4-8 cups. (I only force myself to drink the Royal King or Stash Premium Green after dinner....puts me off eating any more food *grin*)

Just so you know, I DO force feed my family green stuff, and I'll eat it occasionally. Dinner tonight was oriental steamed brocoli spears, teriyaki pork, and pork ramen (which I can't eat due to MSG so it's not on my plate.) The teriyaki was the Lighthouse brand that J & M introduced us to (and I have to blush because I've had the bottle in my cabinet for 2 years...I just normally mix my own teriyaki!) The ramen was the standard packaged crap. But the Oriental Brocoli Spears are one of my FAVORITE vegetables....crunch and nummy and not slimy and it doesn't taste like green sand as the top of brocoli can so often. NUM....

Clean brocoli and chop off the heads to use with cheesy brocoli or some other dish. Slice the spears left on a slant into bite sized pieces in a microwave serving dish. Mix 1/2 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic (jar) with 2 Tablespoons soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of granulated onion and 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger (or 1/8 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger.) Pour over vegetables and microwave on high for no more than 3 or 4 minutes. Just so they are warm and still crunchy. MMMM! Good stuff. Could almost make me like green.....nah.

And my ds will pretty much ALWAYS eat the veggie leftovers. YAY! I trained him right!

Tasty cooking from a puzzled goddess.

Some tea...supposed to be good for you......

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I want to be like Mikee, especially if the food that people want me to put in my mouth is GREEN!

I know that there are more nutrients in green stuff, and since leaving my mom's house, I've discovered that all things that are cooked and green don't have to be mush...I sometimes will eat the green guck I force feed my family.

But why does green tea have to be so GREEN? And smell like canned spinach water, ugh! It's like the poor little tea leaves jumped into the cup and committed suicide because they were embarrassed by the smell. I've read multiple articles and even a book or two about the benefits of tea, especially green tea, and they have assured me that green tea is not called green because of the color....couldn't prove it by my cup.

And it tastes like fermented spinach water as well. The only brand that tastes halfway decent so far is Tazo tea. I've got a whole lot of the Stash stuff I'm trying to drink because I want to support local business, but jeez, if I wasn't trying for this getting healthy thing it would be straight into the garbage. Aagh! Maybe if I hold my nose while I swallow?

90 days and counting from kicking the aspartame habit and switching to teas or waters....still haven't had a pain free day, but I'm not any worse so that's a blessing.

Maybe I can feed it to the jolly green giant? Oh, here sprout.....

A goddess puzzled by why it's green.