tea, jazz and a kitchen tour

hi there! won't you come into my kitchen and have a cup of tea with me? you will? oh goody!

i spend most of my time at home in the kitchen. whether i'm cooking, doing the never ending dishes, preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks, the kitchen is where i can be found. i have tried to make it a pleasant and cozy space so that i enjoy my time there.

my two orchids are doing so well and are getting ready to bloom for the third time! this is very exciting to me because in the past i could not keep one alive. i also have other plants and succulents and knick knacks. my friend rita just gave the adorable st. bernadette statue. her face is so sweet! behind her is a st. therese icon. they are good reminders of the importance of trying to do my daily duties with love.

cute owl pottery, vase and succulent from missa.

i've tried to make my kitchen as efficient as i can. i keep things next to they're area of usage that way i don't have to move around as much. i really enjoy cooking which is wonderful since i do so much of it and since eating out is a rarity. lately i have been making lots of soups, my favorite! i'm convinced i could eat soup every day of my life and never tire of it. in the last few weeks i've made a bean and turkey soup with my turkey bones and leftovers from thanksgiving, a yummy butternut squash potato soup, chicken and rice soup (here's the fun song (missa and mary) by carole king to go along with maurice sendak's book chicken soup with rice. my kids loved this song when they were little. listen to it with your little ones!) and split pea soup.

and while i'm on the subject of cooking, i have been dying to put together a cooking class of sorts. it would be a small group and at each meeting one person would demonstrate some of their favorite dishes. there would be wine and hors d'oeuvres...i think it would be a blast! and those they don't cook/want to learn to cook would be more than welcome too. i truly believe everyone is capable of making a delicious meal even if they don't think they can!

i found this awesome beaded curtain last month at the goodwill. i was so happy because i'd been searching for one for years! behind it is my laundry room/pantry.

i'm keeping my christmas decorations very simple this year. i typically have my advent wreath and candles on the table but i've yet to find my circular candle holder. many things go missing when you move as many times as we have in the couple of years.

now for the tea portion of this post. i am not a tea expert by any means but i do enjoy it quite a bit. above are the teas i have been drinking lately. the three in the glass jars were made by friend emily. i'll be sad when they're gone :(  i know i have tea drinker readers, so please tell me your favorite teas and any tips you may have. what methods do you use to make yours? 

last but not least jazz. it is by far some of my favorite music! i've been listening to bix beiderbecke lately and i just get transported back in time. i also love billy holiday, django reinhardt, jelly roll morton and more. the mills brothers and ink spots are two other faves but they're not jazz. take a listen to them if your interested :D 

bye for now!

anne