breakinglight11: (Default)
This past weekend I tried my hand at a dessert recipe put out by a tea company as an ad for their goods, after seeing the video short below for Black Lavender Mini-Bundt Cakes:



Clearly it really worked on me, as I found the process so pretty I immediately bought the tea, Black Lavender, to make it myself. I’m a much better cook than I am a baker, so I knew neither my results nor process would come out so beautiful, and I didn’t know if I’d like eating the result. I often find things flavored with lavender to be too perfume-y or resinous. But I thought it would be fun to give it a try.

The recipe made enough only four cakes, at least in the little four-inch mini pie tins I used as pans. I was expecting six, as that’s what appears to be shown in the recipe image, but it actually doesn’t specify the count. Maybe my tins were bigger than their mini Bundts. Still, it was fun to put them together. It actually made a use for the spice grinder Bernie’s parents gave him that mostly just sits on the utility shelf collecting dust. And I enjoyed using precisely seven drops of purple food coloring to make the icing just the right color.

They were not pretty, unfortunately, and not just because I didn’t have the mini Bundt pans. They got a little dark at the edges before the centers were set in the oven. And as pretty as its color was, I made no art of the application of the frosting. But they tasted absolutely delicious, not heavy or resinous at all. They were very sweet, but I like that, with the lavender at just the right level, and a pleasant light crumb to the cake. It’s the best and most interesting dessert recipe I’ve tried in a long time.




I will definitely be making these again. I still have lots of the tea left over, and I actually like that it makes a fairly small batch. It means I can make them when it’s just for me and Bernie without having tons of cake to eat for days. I’ve pasted the recipe here below, and I highly recommend them if you like a light, sweet, floral dessert that’s not too difficult to make.

Black Lavender Mini Bundt Cakes Recipe )
breakinglight11: (Default)
I’ve been getting bombarded with these ads from Magic Hour, a tea company with a woo-woo vibe but very beautiful tea ware. They sell their loose leaf in these lovely indigo glass jars, and as a lover of crockery and domestic bobbins in all forms, I really, really wanted them. You know, to pour liquids from one to the other to make magic potions with. I knew I was being snookered by the packaging, so I held off actually purchasing for quite a while. I even looked up to see if I could buy the glass jars all on their own, if that’s what I really wanted. But when I mentioned it to Bernie, he said he’d like to have some new loose leaf tea, so we looked to see if there was anything he’d want to drink that would give me my indigo glass toy.

We chose Bohemian Breakfast, because Bernie likes strong smoky black tea, and Coconut Chai, since there’s a chance of me enjoying that. They came in the other night, and I must say the jars are everything I hoped they’d be. Dark, lovely, with good heft, and stoppers that are easy to remove, but fit snugly into the textured neck.



We did taste the tea, both varieties, one last night and one this morning. I made sure to brew it properly, in vessels that let the leaves float around before straining, and try it without adulteration first. I will say it is high quality tea, which I should hope so since it wasn’t cheap. Flavorful, complex, not too bitter. I guess I’d say I’d like it. But my problem with most teas is that unless I like it better than, like, my favorite variety of spicy chai… I’d rather just drink more of my favorite spicy chai and enjoy it more. So trying new kinds, and then having them in the house, isn’t always all that useful or economical.

I guess I just need to make the effort to drink it. I am so prone to deciding on my favorite thing and always defaulting to it because I know I like it best that I don’t really appreciate variety. God, I’m boring that way. It also means I have something nice to serve to guests, which is fun to make from a “playing with my nice crockery” standpoint.



And I got my goddamn magic potion jars.
breakinglight11: (CT photoshoot 1)
Food substitutions are a depressing topic. Usually you end up with some sad, tasteless mess that in no way satisfies the desire for the original. But I've been craving sweet, spicy, milky chai latte from Starbucks constantly lately, but given that I try to avoid sugar for my diet and straight milk for my lactose intolerance, it's sadly right out for me these days.

Chai is always my favorite tea, but because tea is my go-to for drinking constantly all day, I got worried about the amount of caffeine I'd been consuming. So I settled on drinking a whole lot of Celestial Seasonings' Bengal Spice, which tastes like chai because of the spices, but is actually an herbal. It's cheap too, so basically it's perfect for the freebasing I need to curb my constant impulse to munch.

This week I decided to see if I could fake a chai latte with the stuff. I brewed the tea, then heated some almond milk in a saucepan. I've never liked a dairy substitute before, but I actually do like the taste of it. It's easy to simmer, too, because it doesn't scald easily or get that nasty skin on it like milk sometimes does. Mixing it together, I got something that was not entirely unlike a chai latte! I mean, honestly it doesn't really compare, it doesn't have the flavor or the body, but it's pretty tasty in its own right. I think I will make a habit of this. Maybe I'll just heat the almond milk in the microwave rather than hover on a pan for it, but it would be nice to make it in the morning, pour it in one of my glass milk jugs, and carry it along with me for the day.
breakinglight11: (Easy Fool)

Now it is time to focus on some good things, so as to not to go back into Victorian suicide mode.

I got my hair cut the other day, FINALLY. It was sorely in need and I was starting to hate it. Heh, today for my Examiner article I wrote about how much it helps your everyday look to keep your haircut maintained. I am a bad, hypocritical style writer. Still, the point stands, and my head is proof-- I look and feel much better when I do. I am keeping the look I got last time, the longer layers with the sideswept bangs. Now that the bangs are shorter again they're back in my eyes all the time, which is a little annoying, but I'm getting used to them again and I really like how they look.

Bernie got me a Teavana Perfect Tea Maker for a belated Christmas gift, and MY GOD, does it make a better cup of tea than my tea ball. It is mug shaped, which allows the leaves to float around and steep properly, and then you put it on top of your mug and the tea strains out through the bottom. Works like a charm, and it comes out delicious. I think I will be keeping it at work to make individual mugs, as I prefer to use my lovely bone china teapot, a thoughtful gift from Jared, when I'm at home.

I got my first casting for Intercon, in this case for Clockwork Cafe. I am asked not to say who I am playing, but from the character outline I think she will be interesting. Even better, I'm pretty certain I already have my costume figured out, with no need for any new purchase. I have decided I will be casting the Intercon run of The Stand this coming Monday the 31st. Annoyingly, I'm still missing three casting questionnaires, all from people I don't know. I have been poking them pretty aggressively to get them in before Monday, because I really hate casting people with no knowledge whatsoever. I will then send out character and costume hints, which should allow people sufficient advance notice to prepare.

I am ridiculously pleased with my Sudini Minna leather rain boots this season. I bought them two years ago seeking stylish tall leather boots that could be worn in all weather. These have served that purpose beautifully, looking great and keeping me dry and warm. I've been wearing them almost constantly since the weather got bad. Though they are not cheap, they are incredibly high quality, so I highly recommend them. I think at the end of the season I will take them to a cobbler to have them refurbished, because I think with proper care these could last me for a long time.

breakinglight11: (Exiting Fool)

Noticed last night that my hair is in desperate need of being done. It's long enough that my new sideswept bangs are no lot much different from the rest of my hair, which now falls below my shoulder blades. It doesn't look bad, but it's starting to get heavy and lose its body, as it always does when there's too much of it. I really let these things go for way too long; last styling was in August, for crying out loud. Not the habits of a stylish lady. In the coming week and weekend I should have more free time, so maybe I should schedule an appointment.

I am getting back into the habit of regular tea drinking. I've mostly been having it at work, for several reasons-- it's helps to keep warm in the chilly office, it curbs some of my urge to snack on junk food, and it keeps me hydrated when my tendancy is to dry myself out. I keep my tea is a metal thermos in my desk with a collapsible spoon, a mug, and a cheesy little teapot-shaped tea ball. Still drinking the same Samurai Chat Mate/White Ayurvedic Chai blend from Teavana, because it is fantastic and I am an addict. The only problem is that it's better the longer it steeps, but it doesn't usually develop really strong flavor until it's steeped so long the water's gone cold. I wonder if there's something wrong with my brewing technique. I am only using a stupid little tea ball, while I know that tea steeps best when allowed space to float around, so maybe that's it. It does tend to come out better in the basket in my teapot.

I have not been utilizing my large scarf collection to best advantage. Last winter I did a fabulous job coordinating the many colors of scarf I own to my cold-weather outfits, and felt really pleased with it. Lately I've been focusing more on having matching scarf and gloves, which is a chic look when you're all bundled up, but once I take my coat off that often leaves me a scarf that doesn't really go with my clothes. I got gorgeous red leather gloves for Christmas, so I've been wearing my red pashmina as a scarf a lot, but it's such a bold bright color it doesn't work with just anything. I could just take it off, but as I said my office is chilly, and I find myself wanting the extra warmth. I should do what I did last year and choose the scarf first, then match the gloves to it.
breakinglight11: (Easy Fool)
Again I am forcefully reminded of how much against my nature it is to hope. In trying again at something at which I failed in the past, I have to really fight to keep the fear of it happening all over again from paralyzing me. I confess I have no hope of this time being any different. But I am reminding myself again and again that there can only be a chance if I try.

Yesterday I didn't get much done, but instead I was pleasantly surprised by an afternoon and evening of socializing. [livejournal.com profile] twilighttremolo mentioned on Facebook that she had Thursday off and planned to be in Waltham for the day, was anyone available to hang out? Having not much seen her or gotten to spend any real time with her lately, I asked if she might be interested in afternoon tea. We had a lovely time chatting over Earl Grey, and I learned that she is adapting an early gothic novel into dramatic form for the BORG play this upcoming semester. I can't wait to see what she does with it. It was very nice getting to spend so much time talking with her, AND I got a chance to use my lovely bone china tea set that Jared gave me. :-) Afterward, our little tea party expanded to include [livejournal.com profile] katiescarlett29, [livejournal.com profile] in_water_writ, and Bernie in what was described as a "social katamari ball" and we all went out for a nice dinner at Watch City. Bernie had to run a little bit early, so I took the rest of us back to my place for BSCF. The night went a bit later than I would have wanted, but it was a very nice time with very good company, so I am pleased.

I am trying to keep from worrying. I need to stay relaxed, and just do my best to deal with all the things on my plate. Nice days like yesterday help.
breakinglight11: (Mad Fool)
God, my brain feels like a motor that's been running too hard and is smoking a little. I just ran the most intense session of Burn Notice due to its complicated, multi-faceted plot and large number of active characters. I was pleased with the scheme I devised ahead of time, but I was thrown many curves due to surprises from the players that I had to wrack my brain to react to on the fly, not to mention keep of track of everything that was going on. I think I did a good job with the stuff I came up with off the top of my head, but gosh, it was work. I had no idea running a campaign could be so much work.

It was a good session, though, and wrapped up a Gwen-centric episode that now gives her character an ongoing plot. I baked a loaf of cornbread that had to be put back in the oven for a few extra minutes due to a squashy center, but it tasted very nice; I served it with a nice pot of my special tea during the game. I think the next storyline will revolve around Riker. Since there are no more dangling plot threads, I'll have to make this one up out of whole cloth. That will take work, and if things go as planned, I'll need to have it ready by next Saturday.

For now, my brain is tired. I kind of wish I didn't have to go to rehearsal tonight due to mental exhaustion, but I have a duty. I am downing the last of my miso soup and trying to regather my faculties before I have to run.
breakinglight11: (Puck 3)

1. All the lovely compliments. Thank you, sweet, kind, obliging friends, for humoring my tacky, needy request.

2. The sweet birthday card and phone call from [livejournal.com profile] acousticshadow2. I kvelled.

3. The red velvet cake. My favorite!

4. The nice weather. I was so weary of rain and cold.

5. The resupply of my favorite Teavana tea. Thank you, Bernie, my dear.

6. The wonderful dinner at Solea. Thank you, Jared, my love.

7. The love. Always the love.

Thanks for everything.


breakinglight11: (Cordelia)
Tonight was rehearsal for To Think of Nothing. A very special rehearsal.

Tonight I looked very beautiful. Maybe it was the energy of creation. But during the break when I saw myself suddenly in the bathroom mirror, my eyes were bright, my color was high, and I was startlingly beautiful.

Tonight I finished the last of my special tea. I will not be buying more anytime soon due to budgetary constraints, but I will miss it until I can.

Tonight I discovered that my fedora goes well with my camel coat. The band is almost exactly the same color as the wool. I like that very much.

Tonight it occurred to me how much I like the clicking sound of my tall boots. It makes me feel authoritative, stylish, and sleek.

Tonight Jared was excellent. Everything I hoped he would be. Tonight Frances was lovely. She has stepped into the character. She even wore the red dress tonight, and I was lost in looking at her. Tonight things seemed good when I was afraid they would not.

Tonight we had our first full run through of To Think of Nothing. The play I wrote exists. As my troubled protagonist Cassander found, sometimes, there are no words.
breakinglight11: (Tired Fool)
Feeling disjointed and strange today, but better than I was. Sometimes life just doesn't let up on you. Some stuff this weekend came at very poor timing given how much else I have to stress me out right now. Times like this I feel completely ill-equipped to deal with my life. But I'm not quite so down today, so perhaps I'll be able to accomplish things in spite of it.

I am drinking tea to keep myself settled. I think it's helping me stay relaxed. I see I'm almost out of my Teavana chai blend. I like it a lot, but I don't think I'll be replenishing it anytime soon. My budget is very tight right now, so all non-necessary expeditures need to be put on hold for a while. I was just hit with a couple of financial obligations in a row which add up to being a little more than I can comfortably manage. If nothing else, as soon as possible I want to be able to pay back [livejournal.com profile] twilighttremolo for her part when she almost moved in with us way back when; I feel really bad about how long she's been out that money.

Tonight will be a night for getting things done. I have nowhere to be, so I am planning on staying in. I haven't cooked in ages, and I think that might be a nice thing to do tonight. That, I hope, will be good for my health, my stress level, and my pocketbook. Don't know what I'll make yet, but something warm and comforting seems appropriate. Maybe a soup or stew. 

I am planning on meeting with Bernie before his campaign tonight, and over dinner we will plan out the rest of the show. Rehearsal went well enough last night, but there was a scene I just didn't know how to block to achieve the effect I desired, and I felt like there was a moment where the things I said were being ignored, which was just a little too much for me given how stressed I've been. But I took a minute, decided we'd put the tough part on hold, and we all moved on to do some very good work. But for Thursday I want to know exactly what we're going to do, so by the end of this week the entire show will be completely blocked.

When it's time for Bernie to go to his game, I will work on the character sheet due for the Labor Wars meeting tomorrow until I finish it. I've made a decent chunk of progress already, but I need to get it done before tomorrow. I meant to finish on Friday night, while many of my typical companions were at [livejournal.com profile] lightgamer's Four-Color Supers game, but I got sick and went to bed so early that I wasted my free evening. So that has to happen tonight.

So yeah. I feel blah right now, but not so down. That's something. I can use this to move forward.
breakinglight11: (Puck 3)
Tried making another cup of my new tea yesterday. I checked my mug against a liquid measuring cup, it does hold sixteen instead of eight ounces. So I doubled the standard amount of tea, brewed it for five minutes, and mixed in two teaspoons of sugar. It came out deliciously this time; I am very pleased. Not quite as perfect as what I tried in the store, of course, but seeing as I only used (gasp!) a tea ball and didn't buy their German rock sugar, I am satisfied. I wish I'd thought to bring it to work with me today, but this morning was kind of hectic.
breakinglight11: (Cordelia)

Escaped to the Natick Mall today to get out of an overcrowded house. Though I usually try not to actually spend any money while I'm there, I mostly just go to have a comfortable place to walk around and think, I got suckered into it this time around.

The first thing I went for was a sample size of a blend of White Ayurvedic Chai and Samurai Chai Mate at Teavana. I like tea in theory and would really like to be able to enjoy it, but most kinds taste so bitter or bland to me lately. I think it may be a combination of the fact that delicious, delicious Oregon Chai Latte Mix is so unbelievably delicious no other tea can ever live up to it, and the fact that I only really have had cheap bag teas. The only kinds I've liked lately have been the good stuff from nice shops like Teavana, which friends like Bernie have made for me from their stashes. So I bit the bullet and bought a little to try out. I tried this blend in the store; it was a sweet, spicy cinnamon flavor. Though the salesgirl tried to talk me into it, I did not buy the German rock sugar or the metal storage tins, but only this little sample, which I have put into a metal thermos I have. I just tried some. I think I brewed it wrong, my tea mugs I think are a lot bigger than the recommended eight ounces, so it came out a little weak. Still, even weak it's kind of nice. If I make it in the right amount of water, I'm sure it'll come out even better.

The second thing I bought was a gorgeous wool camel-colored coat at New York & Company that was fifty percent off. Normally I think of New York & Company as "downscale Express" but this coat is really well-made and beautiful. I probably shouldn't have, but I went for it. It'll go with everything, I know I'll wear it everywhere, and it's nice enough I'll probably have it forever. God knows I can't go out without a coat on unless it's the middle of summer, so it's nice to have a couple different coats so as not to wear any one in particular out. Accessorized with a scarf and complementary gloves, it will work beautifully with just about everything.

On another retail-related note, I hope Jared likes the anniversary present I got for him. Previous years' gifts were the rapier and the beautiful silver pocket watch, which were perfect and clever on my part and which he very much enjoyed. I couldn't come up with anything quite so unique this time, so I went with something he'll definitely use and benefit from but is a lot more mundane. I hope it goes over well. Jared gets back to Boston tonight, and I'm going to be picking him up. I can't wait to see him. Maybe I'll give him his present tonight.

breakinglight11: (Default)
 I used the last of my chai mix this morning. I am sad, as I brought it from home from the local speciality grocery store and don't know where to get more around here. 

I finally got my mom's birthday present in the mail, a bottle of Kuhimo, the white tea and ginger scent from BPAL. I had no idea the delivery would take so long, given that I ordered on the 11th; I'd been hoping to have it to give to my mother on her birthday on the 22nd. She didn't end up coming for Easter weekend anyway, so I couldn't have given it to her even if it had some in. I'll just have to mail it home. Interestingly, it also came with a couple of imps-- two scents called Tombstone and All Night Long. In the imp, Tombstone is a bit harsh and All Night Long a bit sweet for my tastes, but they may mellow with wear, so I think I might try one today. 

Our house meeting last night went well. Looks like we're going to get along. The only thing left to pick now is a name. :-D
breakinglight11: (Default)
General Foods International-brand sugar-free powdered Chai Latte Mix.

I drink it by the gallon. All day, every day.

I have run out. I can't seem to find where to buy more.

Does anyone, anywhere, know where this can be found?

I am desperate. I am dying here.

Profile

breakinglight11: (Default)
breakinglight11

May 2025

S M T W T F S
    123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 16th, 2025 01:41 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios