Christmas Little Joys

Christmas is approaching faster than expected and I'm beyond EXCITED! 
As you may already know, Christmas is my favourite holiday (it hasn't come close to my favourite time of the year though, the first day of Autumn), and feeling jolly is quite a perk during December! 

Between the movies and the songs that have been playing on my laptop, phone or even outside in the streets, I've been even more homesick than usual. You cannot imagine how much I want to be in Ireland at this moment, being able to breathe fresh air (somehow the air isn't the same in France), drink my tea with a full creamy, perfect milk and being able to order a pint of Guinness knowing it's going to be amazingly delicious... Sounds horrid, pathetic, nonetheless all that, I managed to get a few things to cheer me up, it is Christmas time after all. Everyone should be happy! 

First off... A friend of mine got a tiny Christmas Tree, called him Norbert (don't ask why that name, I don't know myself... He just decided Norbert was a good idea which is entirely debatable). We couldn't get a tree at my place, my friend isn't into Christmas and we live with a cat that would have destroyed the tree no matter what. So I got a tree at my friend's place, good thing I go there enough to see it!

Then... We've got the homesick feeling that is back. I want to be back in Ireland, badly, and I can't. A friend back home was asking when I was coming back, not knowing what to tell him made me feel awful. Also a big part of why I'm so homesick these past few days. I paused the Christmas films and decided to get back on Irish TV... Laugh at me all you want but you've got to understand that Irish TV for me is pretty much, friends hanging around on the couch, drinking tea, eating cookies or crips, and watching programmes such as Gogglebox or the Naked Attraction which are both British programmes. I mean it's funny and I missed watching it in the evening when we had a long day of work. For a few days now, all I've been watching is Gogglebox and there are about twelve seasons so I'm caught up for a while which makes me happy. 

Next stop...I've been cooking again, and this time without red wine to distract me. I usually drink while cooking, either a beer or red wine just to keep me going. A way to enjoy cooking to the fullest. Made this simple spinach, artichoke and chicken recipe, it was delicious, didn't last two days like I anticipated, let's blame my dear friend who I live with... 

Christmas has been good, too much shopping for others but I don't regret one bit! Cool presents are going to be given and I'm proud of it. 
This time... I'm mostly looking forward to the new year which will be coming after Christmas Day. Getting a fresh new start sounds wonderful especially after this year. Not sure why 2017 and 2018 were terrible years between fires, mudslides, deaths, my health going bad, a dream coming to an end, and so on. I just want the year to be over so I can look forward to the next Christmas and this time... I'll be preparing my list of presents a bit earlier! No offence to the late buyers who loves the rush but I hate to not have my gifts on time! 

Enjoy your Christmas and family if you are with them. I know I'll be spending it with my friend, drinking... 

~Bella  

Tea? You ask...

Not too long ago, in the store I work at, a new book arrived called, "Tea is always good tea".

As a European, I drink lots of tea and that's throughout the day. Despite being Irish as well, I don't add any sugar, nor milk, nor cream. No honey, nothing adding in the tea... You may think I'm insane to drink straight black tea, but I was raised on tea, it's how it's always been.

When I saw the book, I just need to have it!
A short background on what tea is it refers, usually, to the beverage made by steeping the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in hot water. People usually think of British when talking about tea. Not entirely wrong, British people do drink a lot of tea themselves...

Here are some interesting facts from my little book.

"Loose Leaf:
'Loose leaf' refers to whole or broken tea leaves that do not come in tea bags, requiring you to measure leaves for each brew. Generally, of a higher quality than bag tea, loose-leaf tea calls for steeping tools to separate the leaves post-brew.

Pros:                                                                                               Cons:

-Available in a wide selection of teas                                            - Generally more expensive
-Yields more nuanced flavors and                                                  -Disposing of wet leaves can be
aromas                                                                                             inconvenient and messy
-Allows you to control the ratio of
leaves to water

You can dry high-quality whole leaves after use and re-step them several times.

Tea Bags:
Tea bags contain small, chopped pieces of tea leaves in a packet or sachet. Most tea bags containing black tea have been processed using the mechanical CTC (crush, tear, curl) method.
Pros:                                                                                               Cons: 
- Quick brewing time with strong                                                  - Lower quality of flavor
flavor                                                                                              - Loses freshness quickly
-Simple to store, transport, and                                                      - More likely to become bitter
dispose of the leaves
-Easy to brew one cup at a time

Don't squeeze a tea bag at the end of a brew! This release bitter tannins into the tea." 

I personally use tea bags, easy to brew, fast enough for me when I'm in a rush which is more common than you may think. I have nothing against loose leaves, the only little issue I keep bumping into is the mess as well as taking longer to make by a few minutes.

"Storage:
Tips for quality and longevity

KEEP IT DRY AND SEALED
To preserve flavor and aroma, store your tea in an airtight container. Be wary of storing fragrant items nearby, as they might taint a tea's aroma.

KEEP IT DARK
Tea leaves are sensitive to light, so store them in dark containers. If using glass jars, store them in a dark cupboard. 

KEEP IT COOL
Heat can damage a tea's flavor and aroma. Store your tea leaves at room temperature- or slightly cooler."

My tea isn't kept in a special storage, to be honest, I don't have much space to put them, too much of it, so I keep the bags inside their boxes in my cabinet. Dark and cool enough to keep everything under control. Now, when I think of my future place, my little comfort home, I will have jars full of either loose tea or bags. Cause being Irish isn't always about drinking Guinness... Tea is also very important. 

"OCCASIONS FOR TEA

Wake up:
The caffeine in tea makes it an ideal morning beverage.
Relax: 
A soothing cup of tea is the perfect way to warm up and wind down.
Celebrate:
Toast to good news and milestones with a tasty symbolic tea.
Connect:
Slow down the pace of life and take time to share the experience with others.
Cure:
Enjoy the medicinal properties of various teas and tisanes.
Respect:
Show reverence to current and pas culture and traditions. "

I usually drink tea to either get warm on a cold rainy day or simply because I want to drink tea. The only occasion I would consider drinking tea as an "occasion" would be when I'm having breakfast with mum, then tea is required! Not so much of an occasion, mostly a requirement, plus the place we usually go to, knows what we order, and they know our teas! She has to be more the English Breakfast tea, while I'm more the Earl Grey person or simply my Irish tea when there's some, which is rarely. 

For some people, tea is considered beneficial, healthy, and a "snobby" enough drink. Tea time is for everyone, not just the rich! So if you are a fan of tea, or you enjoy a simple cup of tea, this book is for you! I certainly am learning a lot about different teas, so I thought I would write another post about different teas and their benefits. 

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis

~Bella