Some days you need a date with your cutie. Just the two of us. We took the Yakima River Canyon drive to Ellensburg, happy to spy a bald eagle, osprey, and several boaters and rafters already out on the water. Once we got to Ellensburg, we parked downtown on Pearl Street and hit D&M Coffee-a cup of joe for him and a London Fog for me. We sat and sipped at the adorable little outdoor tables. The view was just right.
After the drinks were gone, we walked around and headed to Jerrol’s so I could stock up on purple pens. I got the LAST box! Rumor says they might not reorder. I encouraged the cashier to ask for them to be reordered. The good news is they can order them for me, so there is always that. Whew. Plus I found my Sierra Club plan book for 2026. Ready for the new year!
We wandered back to the car, pens and plan book in tow. After a quick stop at Freddy’s to grab some veggies for dinner, we cruised back home.
It wasn’t a long date. We barely spent money. But the time away together was precious.
I so enjoy a cup of tea! I’ve even blogged a few times about tea experiences. My last tea post was about the time I read a picture book featuring Masala Chai and then made my own following the recipe in the back of the book.
All good fun. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from someone who enjoyed that post. I was skeptical. But this person represented Umi Tea Sets, which turned out to be a real tea company in China. That was the first thing I checked. Just to make sure.
I loved digging through the Umi Tea Sets website to see what types of teas, teacups, tea sets, and other tea items they offered. There is a wealth of tea information on their website too. They offered to send me something to test and share with you. How nice is that?!
Umi Tea Sets sent the cutest little panda travel tea set! It comes in a molded travel case. The complete set has a tiny teapot (the panda body) with room for 3 cups of water. Not our measurement of 1 cup, but the adorable teacup=1 cup of tea (the panda head is a teacup, 2 total panda head teacups). The other tiny pot (the second panda body) is for tea leaf storage, which easily holds enough tea for several outings. So. Much. Fun.
Umi Tea Sets even included three packets of tea leaves to try. The photos show Da Hung Pao, which is an oolong tea. Mmm.
My granddaughter is smitten with the panda tea set, so we can have our own tea parties and sip away. She likes books too, so maybe we can sit, sip, and read together. We can go anywhere, since this is a travel tea set!
Heads up to plenty of tea adventures when these pandas go along! You can learn more about Umi Tea Sets travel sets here. Or search for any other tea needs. Thank you, Umi Tea Sets!
I’m a tea lover, and I’ve enjoyed my fair share of chai tea. But once I read this picture book, I knew I had to follow the recipe for myself and make homemade chai.
Masala Chai, Fast and Slow
Written by Rajani LaRocca
Illustrated by Neha Rawat
Candlewick Press, 2023
I may have mentioned once or twice that I really enjoy reading picture books about food. Being able to learn about traditions and families and such deliciousness is a treat for my heart. Masala Chai, Fast and Slow plus deep sips from a pretty teacup. Ahhh.
I watched a webinar where Rajani was sharing about her picture book and masala chai. Thanks, 12×12! After I requested my library purchase a copy, I was the first one to check it out (I love that). I kept it out for the maximum of time. Later, I checked it out again. But this time (also nearing the maximum time=number of renewals I can do) I made sure to collect all the ingredients to steep my own masala chai.
The recipe makes quite a bit of chai, so I needed to make it on a weekend when I could share. Which is the point of masala chai. Sharing and connecting with family and friends.
I gathered the ingredients suggested by Rajani in the back matter recipe (I love it when recipes are included in a picture book, and back matter is the bomb): milk, black tea bags, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, whole cloves, fresh ginger, and sugar (or honey).
I decided to actually follow the recipe the first time around. Shocker, I know, since I usually wing it when trying new recipes. The resulting chai tea was delicious! Warm, spicy, fragrant. Ahhh. This recipe is a keeper. Good thing too, because I have a big bag of whole cardamom pods.
Masala Chai, Fast and Slow is delighfully tasty. I can’t wait to brew another batch.
Do weekends go faster and seem busier than the rest of the week, or is it just me?
Pull up a cup of your favorite tea and let’s chat. I am drinking PG Tips with a tiny swirl of honey in the bottom. If I really wanted to be reminded of my visits to England, I would add a dash of milk and use raw sugar instead. Delish!
Here’s what I’d share with you about my weekend:
On Friday, I went grocery shopping. This is only worth mentioning because of the crowds! It was insane. But I did have my pint-sized helper, Miss Khloe. She assisted me as we grazed our way through Costco.
Nana with her 5 grands, from 5 weeks to 7 years-old.
The Quantrells took Fort Simcoe by storm on Saturday for a birthday plus a birthday plus a graduation picnic day. It was very nice, but it turned into a HOT day as the temps kept rising. We were done by 1, back in the cars, and on the road seeking AC. We enjoyed hanging out together. Nana especially loved having the grands in one spot, though it only lasted for 5 minutes. And then they were off and running.
Saturday was a free National Park Day, so we wanted to take advantage of the special day by visiting Fort Simcoe. You can read more about Fort Simcoe here.
We saw:
– a passel of squirrels, rolling and tumbling all over each other
– no snakes (Amen)
– no bears (double-Amen)
– cows (yes, cows – and plenty of cow-pies, ick!)
– old buildings
– 2 springs
– canons
– a tiny museum
– a parade of Model T’s that also traveled out to Fort Simcoe for a picnic
– a park worker in a golf cart chasing away the poopy-cows who wanted to graze (and poop) on park grounds
– the location of my son and daugther-in-laws’ wedding
On Sunday, we continued our celebration of graduates at church with a relaxed gathering where we viewed photos, chatted, and shared cake.
Our beautiful graduates!
My honey and I went on a lunch date. This was followed by relaxing in a cool theater and watching a movie. We migrated home, dodging the heat, and stayed inside and under shade. Temps were in the triple digits, so there was no working outside or going for a walk. Nope.
Back-to-work Monday has arrived. Triple digit temps are in the works as I type. I think I hear the beach calling me, if only it weren’t 5 hours away.
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve so much enjoyed tea with you.
Lavender from my garden and a tea cup we received as a wedding gift (31 years ago)
What did you do during the weekend? I’ll make another cup and you can tell me about your weekend.
Love, Laughter, and Life 