Cabbage for a Cold Night, or Not-So-Cold

A far cry from the chemistry of tea but one could still consider it a comfort food:

Cabbage

I recently saw Simply Recipes' post on Buttered Cabbage with Caraway Seeds, and it sounded like simple, steadfast, hearty fare- perfect for a wintry night.
Only we haven't had many nights in the way of 'wintry' out here in DC lately. It has been abnormally mild. And the one cold night we did have in the past few weeks, of course, my friends and I were out dancing, not at home behind the stove. Of course.
But the mild weather didn't stop me- there was definitely cabbage at the farmer's market and I had definitely brought some home. Cabbage and sausage are a classic combination, didn't stretch the imagination too much there. But oh, what a good-tasting classic! That doesn't always happen, you know.

So let's not forget those standbys of the food world, those humble yet straight-A students in nutrition that are easy to make, dress up, modify, and above all, eat.
Yes, very easy to eat.

 

Next post to take a peek at that night of dancing fun and snow!

The Idea of Tea

As I sit and gingerly stretch my wrist back and forth, trying to coax motion out of very reluctant tendons, I am reflecting on my yen for tea. What is it about tea that makes me feel so comforted, soothed, and grounded?
I'm not talking about any caffeine-related scientific stimulation or suppression effects. I just mean that feeling you get when you have two hands wrapped around a warm, steaming mug of steeped liquid, whether it's white, black, green, or rooibos.

What is it?

I had an ex-boyfriend who was always annoyed when I put two hands around my cup. He thought it was weird or funny, and would tease me that one of my hands must not have been strong enough to hold the cup. What a thing to mock, right?
Here's a poem from a long-gone Bigelow tea box I keep taped to my cupboard that hints at the essence:

When your day seems topsy-turvy
And as stormy as can be
There’s nothing quite as tranquil
As a nice hot cup of tea.

While you savor this ambrosia
Your problems fade away
Its warmth will bring you comfort
And brighten up your day.

So take a private moment
There’s calmness, as you’ll see
All because you briefly stopped
To sip a cup of tea.

The reason I've held on to this poem for so long (years. several moves.) is that it holds a clue to the sanity we're all seeking in this modern age: Time Out! Stop the World- I'd like to get off! How about a moment to myself, for a change?

With all the digital connectedness we have now, it seems important to take time for our selves-- not internet-surfing, not blog-reading, and not chore-performing. Just thinking about where you are, where you're going, and how you're feeling. A cup of tea facilitates this, and the habit of tea promotes regular introspection, which is a great balance to all the demands on our time from work and social responsibilities.

Do you use tea in this way? Do you have a different tool for your reflective times? Do you feel like you need something like this? Let me know in the comments... current brew as I write: Lemon Basil Oolong from Capital Teas.

Far Better to Be Brave

Quote for Today

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt, speech at the Hamilton Club, Chicago (10 April 1899)

(discovered by me today through Jonathan Fields' Good Life Project pitch)