"Greek Teas"

   

            When we lived in Dover, Delaware, Mom and her friends gathered most mornings for coffee and gossip. Each woman served from lovely china sets that included coffee pots that matched their cups and saucers. Mrs. Hurley, who was born and raised in Wales, always steeped a cup of tea for me. Her hospitality warmed my five-year-old soul as much as the savory brews.

            By the time I was nine, my mother purchased all kinds of teas for me to try. Her favorite, Constant Comment, always resided in the pantry. Sometimes she prepared a black tea as dark as coffee and laced with milk and sugar. She picked up different mint teas and green teas that stayed light with gentle flavors. My love of teapots sprouted when we moved to Illinois and became entwined with my passion for tisanes.

            My delight with teas and teapots makes me an easy person to shop for when it comes to my birthdays, Christmases or anniversaries. Finding teas from other countries to bring to me became a quest for my husband and son. The internet and Amazon opened up a plethora of options with them researching the health benefits of various infusions. Their passion for all things Greek led them to discover their most recent gift to me: Greek Mountain Tea, Diktamos, and a Greek herbal cocktail of Marjoram, Sage and Diktamos. These ancient teas medicinal benefits include relieving respiratory infections, easing stomach and digestive problems, and lessening rheumatism. If you want antioxidants, just steep a cup each day. They’ve become a family favorite already.

Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

           

 

           

                    

"Greek Teas"

  

            When we lived in Dover, Delaware, Mom and her friends gathered most mornings for coffee and gossip. Each woman served from lovely china sets that included coffee pots that matched their cups and saucers. Mrs. Hurley, who was born and raised in Wales, always steeped a cup of tea for me. Her hospitality warmed my five-year-old soul as much as the savory brews.

            By the time I was nine, my mother purchased all kinds of teas for me to try. Her favorite, Constant Comment, always resided in the pantry. Sometimes she prepared a black tea as dark as coffee and laced with milk and sugar. She picked up different mint teas and green teas that stayed light with gentle flavors. My love of teapots sprouted when we moved to Illinois and became entwined with my passion for tisanes.

            My delight with teas and teapots makes me an easy person to shop for when it comes to my birthdays, Christmases or anniversaries. Finding teas from other countries to bring to me became a quest for my husband and son. The internet and Amazon opened up a plethora of options with them researching the health benefits of various infusions. Their passion for all things Greek led them to discover their most recent gift to me: Greek Mountain Tea, Diktamos, and a Greek herbal cocktail of Marjoram, Sage and Diktamos. These ancient teas medicinal benefits include relieving respiratory infections, easing stomach and digestive problems, and lessening rheumatism. If you want antioxidants, just steep a cup each day. They’ve become a family favorite already.

Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

           

 

           

                    

"Earl Grey--Hot"

          When summer sweated and bubbled the blacktop, in true Texan style, I iced the potion and gulped gallons of it. The flavors, like a wildflower bouquet, changed with my mood. Raspberry for lazy afternoons under the tree, and chamomile for restless nights after downing too much hot sauce. I used sun tea, in honor of Apollo, as an offering. Oolong and Darjeeling, with their heavier tones, stayed up with me through long summer nights.

Then a cold front drove down from the north, a dervish spinning among the tree limbs, bringing steel skies. Autumn’s warmth retreated and retrenched under the assault, weeping as she withdrew. The explosion of energy left a trail of loss and sorrow. Yet, I sat in safety, hands warmed by the cup I embraced. Steam fogged my vision when I raised the golden liquid to sip. My anticipation of its sweetness steeped me in pleasure.

I practiced my ritual, altered by my daily needs. Today, traces of sugar laced through the hinted flavor. Yesterday, dollops of honey hung suspended in the hot tisane. Tomorrow may lead to a deep brew of Earl Grey—hot, and cut with milk and lemon.

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Earl Grey-Hot"

When summer sweated and bubbled the blacktop, in true Texan style, I iced the potion and gulped gallons of it. The flavors, like a wildflower bouquet, changed with my mood. Raspberry for lazy afternoons under the tree, and chamomile for restless nights after downing too much hot sauce. I used sun tea, in honor of Apollo, as an offering. Oolong and Darjeeling, with their heavier tones, stayed up with me through long summer nights.

Then a cold front drove down from the north, a dervish spinning among the tree limbs, bringing steel skies. Autumn’s warmth retreated and retrenched under the assault, weeping as she withdrew. The explosion of energy left a trail of loss and sorrow. Yet, I sat in safety, hands warmed by the cup I embraced. Steam fogged my vision when I raised the golden liquid to sip. My anticipation of its sweetness steeped me in pleasure.

I practiced my ritual, altered by my daily needs. Today, traces of sugar laced through the hinted flavor. Yesterday, dollops of honey hung suspended in the hot tisane. Tomorrow may lead to a deep brew of Earl Grey—hot, and cut with milk and lemon.

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Hickory Farms: First Job"

Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! And more cheese!

I entered employment bliss for my first job—at Hickory Farms in North Star Mall, my favorite mall in San Antonio. The store, sandwiched in between a shoe store and boutique, became my second home for a couple of years while I saved every penny I could for college expenses. No job could have been better!

The owners required employees to pass taste tests on a regular basis. Imagine—part of my job meant I ate cheese all the time! At any moment, the manager could hand me a cube of Swiss or a sliver of cheddar, expecting differentiation between Jarlsberg or a baby Swiss. Could I discern the variations in texture and taste among three different American cheddars? Would I sample Stilton Blue Cheese and describe vividly its robust flavor to a customer?  

Sampling all of the various salamis and meats proved a treat, too. We’d combine meats with cheeses or one of the multitude of breads or crackers, attempting to discover the best combination of flavors. These we’d offer to customers when they wanted a small taste of heaven.

The store dedicated an entire wall to imported teas, feeding my need to try every nuance of the brews. My enthusiasm for the teas helped move the inventory that, prior to my employment, sat undisturbed.

Some first jobs leave a sour taste in the experiences of teens entering the work force. That never happened with me. If I inhale, the aromas and essences of the store linger in my memory, and I smile.

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Earl Grey--Hot"

When summer sweated and bubbled the blacktop, in true Texan style, I iced the potion and gulped gallons of it. The flavors, like a wildflower bouquet, changed with my mood. Raspberry for lazy afternoons under the tree, and chamomile for restless nights after downing too much hot sauce.  I used sun tea, in honor of Apollo, as an offering. Oolong and Darjeeling, with their heavier tones, stayed up with me through long summer nights.

Then a cold front drove down from the north, a dervish spinning among the tree limbs, bringing steel skies. Autumn’s warmth retreated and retrenched under the assault, weeping as she withdrew. The explosion of energy left a trail of loss and sorrow. Yet, I sat in safety, hands warmed by the cup I embraced. Steam fogged my vision when I raised the golden liquid to sip. My anticipation of its sweetness steeped me in pleasure.

I practiced my ritual, altered by my daily needs. Today, traces of sugar laced through the hinted flavor. Yesterday, dollops of honey hung suspended in the hot tisane. Tomorrow may lead to a deep brew of Earl Grey—hot, and cut with milk and lemon.

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman