Shabbat Shalom to all the
creatives making great art!
Tuesday Tea – Sticky Rice Puer
I’m so excited to share today’s Tuesday Tea with you because 1.) it has a delicious, complex flavor profile, and 2.) it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re spending the holiday with your honey or rockin’ the day solo, do yourself a favor and splurge a titch on the gift that is Ohio Tea Co.’s Sticky Rice Puer. Even the packaging is elegant with a picture of heart-shaped sticky rice on a delicately flowered plate. But what’s inside the packet is the best part.
Sidenote: Apparently, there are several different spellings of pu’er, puer, pu’ehr, but so far, they’ve all been pronounced the same way. A tea sommelier or knowledgeable tea shop owner/staff member will know what you’re looking for.
Never having tried puer, I started with a one-ounce package and was pleasantly surprised when the staff weighed out a generous quantity of gold foil-wrapped tea pucks. They’re classy and adorable at the same time, kind of like a tiny tea treasure.
Sidenote: My puer is approximately ¾” in diameter, and while research has revealed that the larger offerings of puer are called a “cake,” mine are tiny, so I’m calling them pucks, probably much to the horror of tea and/or puer aficionados everywhere.
Per instructions printed on the packet, I heated my water to 212° F for brewing. While the water heated, I wondered how much the now unwrapped puer puck lovingly placed in my small tea ball would expand during the brewing process. After three minutes (also per instruction), I can report that the entire small tea ball was full of puer.
I had a feeling the tea would expand quite a bit, so I took a chance that first brewing and used an insulated mug that held two cups of water. I was rewarded with a deep mahogany tea with an aroma exactly like sticky rice. It smelled delicious, but as good as it smelled, the flavor was even more of a thrill.
As expected, sticky rice was the initial taste on my palate, but then this amazing tea progressed through a multi-faceted change from first sip through swallow to lingering flavor on my tongue. I can only describe it as rich and earthy with fresh and mellow mushroom notes, sweet and light tobacco, and enduring sticky rice. I was in love with this tea.
Sidenote: Don’t talk yourself out of this tea if you’ve had a bad experience with actual mushrooms or convinced yourself that you don’t care for them without even having tried them.
Next, I experimented. Step one was to see if I could obtain a satisfactory second brewing out of all that lovely tea. Yes, it’s possible with the same quantity of water but for an additional two minutes of brewing for a total of five. In this case, the sticky rice flavor took a back seat to the other flavors but was present after swallowing. Still delicious, just a changeup in delivery of taste.
Step two involved heating four cups of water to 212° F and brewing for five minutes with my puer puck in my large tea ball. This was optimal in flavor and color, but I learned that I need to keep the second half of my tea in an insulted mug or thermos so it stays hot. Although, I will say that puer drinks quite nicely when cool. So far, I haven’t experienced any bitterness with longer brewing or resting times.
For step three, I acted upon something one of the ladies at Ohio Tea Co. mentioned, and I tried my puer (brewed by Step Two directions) but added sugar and cream after brewing. I used whipping cream because why not go all the way with splurging? I stirred in raw sugar and warmed my cream so that it didn’t reduce the temperature of my puer.
I don’t normally drink tea with cream or sugar, and, in my opinion, the puer doesn’t require either, but oh . . . my . . . gosh . . . talk about delicious. I know I’ve called other teas “dessert in a cup,” but cream and sugar turn Sticky Rice Puer into rice pudding in your mug. I kid you not—the sweet rice flavor bursts through, the creaminess accentuates the tea, and all is right with the world when one consumes it this way.
But wait–there’s more! Sprinkle a little cinnamon across the top of your creamed and sugared Sticky Rice Puer, and you’re in Heaven. The other flavors are present in a much more subtle way, so I suggest building up to cream, sugar, and cinnamon in your Sticky Rice Puer so that you, too, can decide which brewing works best for you. Although, I won’t be surprised if, like me, you fall in love with this tea in every version presented here.
In closing, there is much about puer that one can research. My goal was to simply introduce you to puer, if you haven’t already tried it, and spark your interest in learning more about it for yourself. Now I must hasten to Ohio Tea Co. for more Sticky Rice Puer before everyone reading this post scoops it up.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried puer and how you enjoy drinking it. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Navigate the Realm
As with any new venture, there are often a whole host of things one must learn quickly. Such has been my experience with publishing my upcoming novel, Realm.
Ever since the beginning of the year, my life has been an exciting and scary mixture of “hurry up and do this” and/or “twiddle my thumbs and wait.” Every e-mail from BookBaby that lands in my inbox has evoked both elation and fear. I don’t know why I’m a ninny about such things because I have great assistance from BookBaby as well as a host of amazing, supportive friends and family members.
Anyhow, one of the neatest things I have learned during the whole process has been about metadata. I don’t know about you, but beyond hearing the term metadata, I honestly had no idea what its purpose was or how to use it. That is until it became an integral part of not only publishing my novel but making sure it was easily searchable.
I am proud to announce that the metadata for Realm has been optimized!
Seriously, folks—this is one of the first and easiest things I had to do toward the production of Realm. And now that I’m an expert on it, I feel compelled to share with you just in case, like me, you are unaware of how important metadata really is.
Metadata is data that provides information about other data but not the content of the data, such as the text of a message or the image itself. Descriptive metadata is descriptive information about a resource. It is used for discovery and identification. It includes elements such as title, author, and keywords.
The etymology of the term metadata consists of two words, one Greek and one Latin. First, the Greek word meta, which means after or beyond, and second, the Latin word datum, which means datum, the singular for data. Therefore, the expression metadata means beyond the data. Metadata is a fairly new word, it appeared in the second half of the 20th century, while data dates back to the middle of the 17th century. Are you impressed yet?
By this point, you’re either zoning out because this is irrelevant to your life right now, panicky because you’re about to publish, too, and metadata is probably in your near future, or scratching your head because there is something about metadata that is familiar.
That’s because you’ve been using metadata longer than you realized. This invaluable resource didn’t always bear such a fancy name and wasn’t always digitalized. Remember using something like what is pictured below to locate books in the library whether for pleasure reading or for the purpose of writing a report on a subject assigned by your teacher?
Yep, that’s right. A card catalog is a repository for metadata. All those brilliantly conceived little cards bearing information such as author’s name, book title, subject matter, and key words in case you can’t remember the first three are a basic form of metadata. Personally, I miss the soft, wooden click of the drawers closing as I moved between them in search of a book.
Although you’ll probably never search for my novel in an old-fashioned card catalog, I’ll still provide you with all the optimized metadata to ensure you’ll find my book.
Title: Realm
Author: HL Gibson
Main Subject: FICTION
Subgenre: Christian/Futuristic
Keywords: Adventure, Christian, Faith, Fantasy, Futuristic, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Publisher: BookBaby
Imprint: Bezalel Media
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom, fellow creatives.
Let me know in the comments how you
labored to enter His rest this Shabbat.
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Tuesday Tea – Roasted Chestnut
This post should have been written during the holidays because that’s exactly what the tea I’m going to share tastes like, the holidays! So, forgive the hecticness of said season and the tardiness of today’s Tuesday Tea. The good thing is that it’s never too late to enjoy a cup of Roasted Chestnut from Ohio Tea Co.
I discovered this tea about two years ago, and it became a staple in the Gibson household. I recently introduced my husband to Roasted Chestnut to help with his efforts to wean himself off copious amounts of coffee. It is now his favorite go-to tea, and while I prefer to drink it black, he loves to put cream and a little raw sugar in his. Either way, this tea is dessert in a cup without being overbearing.
I believe that last detail is another reason why we’ve fallen in love with Roasted Chestnut. The rich flavor is natural on the tongue instead of sickeningly artificial. Drinking it is so satisfying that it keeps us from nibbling sugary sweets high in fat and calories. Furthermore, it’s perfect with a meal or on its own.
The aroma of this “premium Ceylon black tea flavored with roasted chestnuts” wafts out of the packet upon opening and instantly puts one in mind of caramels with nuts and butterscotch candies. Roasted Chestnut brews up a beautiful, deep mahogany red at 212° F for 4 – 5 minutes, and the taste is beyond compare. Neither flavor nor scent diminish throughout the drinking experience.
If you aren’t already familiar with Roasted Chestnut, indulge yourself today by heading over to Ohio Tea Co. to purchase some. Touring their shop is great fun (you can preview the scent of the teas and shop all the great tea paraphernalia), but if travel isn’t an option, don’t despair. The Ohio Tea Co. website provides an amazing shopping experience with detailed descriptions of the tea as well as reviews to assist with your selection.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve had Roasted Chestnut, and if so, how you prefer it: black or with cream and sugar.
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Quotation Station
“A life built upon Sabbath is contented because in rhythms of rest we discover our time is full of the holiness of God.”
~ Shelly Miller
Let me know in the comments how
you enter your rhythms of rest.
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The Artist’s Corner – Beauty Done Right with Aunna Cosmetics
I love shopping and promoting local businesses and small vendors. I find that both strive to create quality products at an affordable price, giving big businesses and corporations a run for their money. It’s even more of a treasure when the items I discover fall under the umbrella of artist.
Such was the case when shopping in my hometown last summer, and I happened upon Aunna Cosmetics. The lady minding the shop that day couldn’t say enough good about the budding entrepreneur who had started her own cosmetics company selling top-notch products sure to fit every budget. I simply had to try some, and let me tell you, I fell in love with Aunna Cosmetics.
Fast forward to the planning of my rapidly approaching book launch. While deciding on items to present as a gift with the purchase of my book, Aunna Cosmetics came to mind, and after reading the interview below, you’ll see why I included her products. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce Aunna.
Welcome to the Artist’s Corner. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Aunna. I’m a high school student, and I will be entering cosmetology school very soon. I collect records, and music is one of the things that inspires a lot of Aunna Cosmetics product names. At twelve years old, I started making cosmetics and selling them to friends and family but eventually opened Aunna Cosmetics in February 2021, so we are quickly approaching the two-year anniversary!
How did you become interested in cosmetics?
I have always had a love for all things beautiful. Ever since I was little, I have made lip scrubs and body scrubs in my kitchen. So, during quarantine, I decided to take my love for beauty to the next level and started Aunna Cosmetics. I began with our hydrating lip glosses and slowly started adding things like our plumping lip gloss, our best-selling whipped lip scrubs, body scrubs, bath salts, and body silks.
Do you take requests for specific products? If so, what’s your process for working with the customer?
At the moment, the only products that are customizable are products I already make (lip glosses, whipped lip scrubs, plumping lip glosses, linen and body sprays, body scrubs, body silk, and bath salts), but I would love to have that flexibility in the future!
If you would like a custom product for things like a gift bag or for your salon, you can contact me directly. I will go through the steps with you to figure out which product you are looking to customize with scent, color, if you want a custom label, etc. Then we can go from there!
Tell me a little bit about the how and why behind choosing your ingredients. What is most important to you?
When I am in the formulation phase of a product, it is really important to me for all my products to be clean, which means making sure they are vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. I also make sure that my body care products are made of natural ingredients like shea butter, mango butter, and coconut oil.
What can we expect from Aunna Cosmetics in the future?
I would love to eventually branch out into making more forms of makeup like eyeshadow pallets, lipsticks, blushes, and highlighters, and I would love to open my own salon at one point and have that tie into Aunna Cosmetics.
Would you say you put yourself into your products, and if so, how?
Things that inspire Aunna Cosmetics products are things I’m interested in and/or love, like pop culture, music, and fashion. I also spend a lot of time on Aunna Cosmetics social media making the products match the aesthetic I think will complement it at that moment.
What’s your favorite product to make and why?
My favorite product to make is definitely any form of lip gloss. But my favorite part is when I make a glitter or pigmented gloss, and I get to mix that into the oils, just to make sure it is the perfect color before adding it into the base.
What’s your favorite product to use and why?
My favorite product to use is the Good Vibes Crystal Body Silks. It leaves your body moisturized and hydrated without being overly greasy, and they smell amazing! Body silks are a great form of hydration when your arms, underarms, feet, legs, or back are feeling dry or dull. It is intended for everyday use and is formulated with skin-loving ingredients like sweet almond oil and coconut oil to bring your skin back to life. They also come with a free crystal!
Are you featured in local stores?
You can find Aunna Cosmetics products in-store at Thirty-two 8 Inspired & Co. in Hartville, Ohio; pH5 Salon in Wadsworth, Ohio; or Handmade Haven in Strongsville, Ohio.
Where can someone find you online? How does a client contact you?
My website, Aunna Cosmetics, features social media buttons at the upper lefthand side for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Please feel free to reach out to me via any one of these as well as the Direct Message icon at the lower righthand side of my website. You can find me on Etsy as AunnaCosmetics where I can be messaged. I can also be contacted at aunnacosmetics@gmail.com.
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom to all the creatives!
Time to step back and rest
from your endeavors.
Let me know in the comments how you recharge
for your next creative session.
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Journey Through the Realm
I feel as if a hearty “Welcome Back” is required with this post, but it would be for me! Thank you, faithful following of readers, for your patience during what is turning out to be an extremely busy time for me as I sort my way through the various steps of production for my novel, Realm.
What began as a little spark of an idea has become a big dream come true. I promised updates, so here’s where we are so far:
Metadata optimization is complete. I admit that a quick search on Google backed up by a discussion with the patient, brilliant team at BookBaby helped me understand exactly what metadata is as well as why it’s necessary that it be optimized. Once it’s available for purchase, my book will be easily found.
Interior Design Proof. Wow – BookBaby did an amazing job with the interior design of my novel. As I scrolled through the .pdf in the two-page layout view, I kept whispering to myself, “It’s a book . . . it’s a real book.” The title page and the first page of each chapter were just perfect, and seeing my work portrayed so professionally thrilled me to the point of happy dancing around my kitchen. There were a few tweaks that I requested, so as horrible as it sounds, I had to choose “reject proof” and shoot it back to BookBaby. I’m confident that the minor details will be ironed out quickly.
Cover Design Proof. This was a tear-inducing moment when everything I conveyed to BookBaby was made a reality on the cover of my book. The picture they provided included the spine and the back cover as well. Again, all I can say is, “Wow.” I requested a minor modification on one small section, which required the painful choice of “reject proof,” but still, I was extremely pleased with how BookBaby captured my vision for the cover.
So, as the Design Team goes back to work on a few things, I have turned my attention to marketing research. What a trip that has been sifting through the “dos and don’ts” and “run screaming” world of marketing.
Stay tuned for more exciting Realm updates, and as always, thank you for taking this journey with me.
~HL Gibson
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Quotation Station
Remember the day, Shabbat,
to set it apart for God.
hl gibson, author 