Chinese Tea Garden at the Met, NYC

On one of our days in NYC the group divided up according to the Museum you most wanted to see. Some went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, others to the American Museum of Natural History, still others to the Museum of Modern Art. It was a tough choice for everyone because there is the Guggenheim and the Whitney and...

 

We choose the Met, where the Arms and Armor section kept the young ones happy, and I was thrilled to find myself in a Garden.  This is the entrance to the Chinese Tea Garden. The round door and the rectangular door along the slate walk entering a garden path represent the balance of Yin/Yang.

This peaceful Asian Garden Court brings the outdoors inside.  The windows in this wall are all different designs so that the person living here would never be bored.

 

Water is always an important element in Asian gardens both to be seen and to be heard. 

 

This is such a lovely way to spend a winter day.

The above photo is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Website, it shows the design best with the covered walkway representing the house and the delightful courtyard.

NYC Chinatown Herb Shops

 

During our free time in Chinatown, we poked our heads in a number of herb shops.   Fun to see and smell but also overwhelming at times since we can't read Chinese.  The one above is the shop of an Acupuncturist.  Very pretty place the drawers on the left all contain loose herbs which they will measure out for you.  The boxes on the right are patent medicines herbal, mineral, animal and I  am not sure what else really.

 

This sleek shop above sold fragrant herbal soaps, shampoos, and eye shadows, nail products - all beauty oriented.

  We stopped at another herb shop full of shelves stocked with herbs in glass jars (reminiscent of The Rosemary House) where we found these Indian long pepper corns (Piper longum).  They taste a bit hotter then their cousin black pepper (Piper nigrum) and you can use them in your pepper grinder.  She also had smoked peppercorns which had a wood fire smoke fragrance to them. 

One of my goals was to restock my supply of Moxa Sticks.  Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese style of  healing by warming the acupuncture points or by warming areas in your body where you may be stiff or sore.  You light the end of the stick and smudge over your victim patient until there is a large red area and the patient says it is getting very warm.  The moxa stick which is made of the herb mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) works by stimulating circulation of the blood flow and the qi. Many mid wives will use a moxa stick to help to turn a baby who is not positioned head down in the last weeks of the pregnancy. 

NYC Chinatown Markets

Chinatown is just one of the many little neighborhoods that makes up NYC. It offers a variety of unique experiences. There were many, many open air produce markets all along the sidewalks and they were all quite busy. While we know what pineapple is we had never seen it peeled in such a decorative way.

Mangosteen had a segmented white fleshy sweet inside. 

This is Dragonfruit which is a strikingly beautiful color but we found it to have a moist but disappointingly bland flavor, full of tiny seeds similar to a kiwi.

 Rambutan, above, is a lychee-like fruit.  After peeling and finding the seed there was a moist sweet "eye ball" like fruit inside.  The group ate quite a few of these.

Sugar Cane was readily available and they would use the cleaver to cut it down for you.

 Cedar was struck by the meat markets and the King Crabs, the Alligator arms, the live frogs and other unidentifiable  meats.  The small town kids had large eyes from the sights, not to mention the smells and the sounds.  Although hesitant to have lunch in Chinatown, served family style on a large lazy Susan, they later admitted it was really good.

New York City Food Wagons

Phil, our NYC leader affectionately refers to the hot dogs we can buy on every corner in the city as "Dirty Water Dogs".  Not a very appetizing name for an American Favorite!  He goes on to explain that the food trucks are inspected and graded and licensed as the restaurants and are perfectly acceptable to buy from.  They are certainly the bargain of the city, both for a quick drink and a quick bite to eat.  We were struck by how they foods in these carts has evolved beyond hot dogs and pretzels.  

 Falafel and Gyros are always favorites.  But there are a variety of waffles and crepes to be found.

It is difficult to walk by the Cupcake Lovers truck!  They all look so pretty and tasty!  As a matter of fact, we didn't make it past the cupcake lovers truck... the youngest delighted in being able to each select a cupcake... small, medium, or large... we opted for the medium cupcake at $2.50 each instead of the large priced at $4.50.

Ice cream is a classic... more popular in the summer months than in the dead of winter, I'm sure.

 
But I had to stop for the classic New York street food.  Steamed chestnuts!  Only available in the winter months these are served in a brown paper sack, are easy to peel and offer steamed, nutty flavor.

More Treasures

Here's a glimpse at our sister's collection of blue and white china, tucked here and there on the shelves.  A willow ware tea cup and saucer, originally from our mother's collection.

Souvenirs from travel long ago, this little ginger jar is from Fortnum & Mason in England. 

Love this little basket with the blue and white ornaments nestled among the antique tin cookie cutters.  Something homespun and cozy about it.

And, blue and white saucer and plates, long-ago souvenirs from New York City.  Thank you, Sister, for letting us share some of your collections and treasures.

Tea Themed Treasures

We enjoyed a long weekend getaway that included a journey to New York where 11 of us were welcomed into the home of the eldest Reppert daughter (#1 of 4).  Just for reference, #3 and #4 are the authors of this blog.  While admiring the assorted treasures tucked around the house, the tea collection kept jumping out at me, so I took a few pictures to share some of our sisters collection.  These cute little teacup bird feeders were a Christmas gift to each of us, crafted by her daughter and two precious granddaughters, repurposing chipped, cracked, or handleless teacups.  Such fun!  They are indoor garden art at the moment.
This sweet little teapot is a souvenir from a vacation trip to England many years ago.  A charming little Sadler teapot, it features many of the popular visitor stops when traveling to London. 

Tucked on another shelf is this pretty lemon pitcher.  It reminds me of some of the pitchers we used to sell in The Rosemary House in the early years.  Cheerful and colorful, it adds a touch of whimsy to the shelves.

And this miniature Portmeirion teapot from the Botanic Garden collection is tucked on a shelf in the kitchen.  Daughter #1 recently retired after teaching earth science and/or biology for 30 years.  Her home has a natural feel to it, with many things representing nature tucked here and there.  A preferred coffee drinker, her collection of tea themed treasures hints that she has a hidden passion for tea!

Inauguration Day

Today, January 21, 2013, marks the 57th Presidential Inauguration Day.  The Inaugural luncheon menu provided by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies included such delicacies as Lobster Tail and New England Clam Chowder for the first course.  Hickory Grilled Bison is the main feature for the second course, and good ole Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream accompanied with Artisan Cheeses and Honey comprise the final course.  The hustle in the kitchen must be amazing!   The service in the dining room, meticulous.  Would you rather be in the kitchen or seated and served?

(Note:  Photo taken at Miniland USA in Legoland Florida.)

Outside the Cup

This trio of mints from Minteas.com were tucked in my Christmas stocking.  Fun little tea leaf shaped hard candies, all touting specific benefits such as relaxation, fitness or simply to stay well, demonstrate how the tea leaf has jumped from the cup to other products to enjoy its healthful benefits.  If you look around, you'll discover green tea is in many things from shampoo to soap to candy.
This colorful package of Japanese green tea candies was another gift from my pen pal.  Individually wrapped candies, I can enjoy the unique flavor of matcha while on the go.

Celebrating National Hot Tea Month...

 ...with international black tea.  This colorful assortment of individual tea packets of Flavoury Tea was part of my holiday gift box from my Japanese pen pal, Mikako.

There is just enough English on the box to discover that they are black tea with an assortment of different flavors from the Nittoh Black Tea company. 

Yesterday I sampled the Caramel Strawberry tea which was very nice and smooth with the caramel noted to be the predominent flavor.  On occasion, it's nice to enjoy the convenience of a tea bag. 

Super Scone Sunday

We recently celebrated Super Scone Sunday in the tea room.  This special event is typically held several times during the winter months, and features a variety of oven fresh scones, assorted toppings, and fresh fruit.  Hot tea of course, pots full of properly brewed hot tea.  The tables are decorated in winter blues, and the hot water is coming to temperature.  Won't you join us for some tea and scones?  Our next scheduled event is Sunday, January 27th.

 Cinnamon Chip Scones, Traditional English Cream Scones and Lemon Pecan Scones rounded out the selection of tasty treats for this event.  We'll have a different assortment for the end of the month, along with tasty toppings that included Sweet Cream, Cinnamon Honey Butter, and Raspberry Preserves.  Yes, please!

London's Afternoon Teas

This lovely little book, written by Susan Cohen, features the best of London's exquisite tea destinations.  A mini travelogue it conjures a desire to hop a plane and sample the tea venues featured in the book.  This Christmas gift is an enjoyable and easy read.  Pick any page and transport yourself to afternoon tea in London.  A girl can dream!

Or, simply recall vivid memories of trips taken years ago.  The Ritz, yes, memorable indeed.Afternoon tea at the Orangerie at Kensington Palace, enjoyable.  The Dorchester, celebrated a very special birthday here with family.  When they learned it was my birthday, I was presented with a tin of chocolate truffles. Such indulgence! Delightful!





Thirty one premiere destinations to take tea in London, and I've been to a few of them, alas, not all.  This little book features beautiful colorful photography, important details such as the address, website, proximity to the underground, and places of interest.  Informative information is also included about each tea spot.  Such fun!


Recipes are included in the back of the book, but not many.  It's not meant to be a cookbook, although it does feature many traditional items you might find at Afternoon Tea in London, such as Salmon & Cucumber Sandwiches or Victoria Sponge, and of course, Scones.

Published in 2012, this is current and up-to-date information.  Thanks to sister Susanna for finding this little treasure and tucking it under the tree for me.

New Year's Resolutions

Is it possible?

to keep these resolutions?

                                        it might be a long year!

(Three of the four Reppert sisters.)