The other three members of Our English Family were just in Fuengirola for a week. Sister-in-law Melanie is a bit of a tea connoisseur, which translates to being obsessive-compulsive about her tea. Last year when they visited, they were shocked to learn I was microwaving my tea water, so left an electric tea kettle for me (knowing that putting a pot of water on the stove to boil was beyond my "cooking" abilities).
(Click here for that story.)
Melanie does however tolerate my use of tea bags. So, this year, the family arrived with a jar of lemon marmalade for San Geraldo (which he will kindly share with me — whether he wants to or not), another box of Maltesers for me (which I've already finished, sharing with no one), two souvenir tins of mints, and an elegant set of five "royaltea." Oddly, Prince Phillip was not included in the set. But then he's not known for always behaving in the best of taste.
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| (CLICK EITHER TEABAG IMAGE TO AGGRANDIZE.) |
I haven't had the heart to open the package. I really should. I've been "cooking" my own gourmet breakfast every morning and a nice cuppa would be the perfect complement. My specialty (well my
only-ty) is a bowl of muesli, a cup of yogurt, and fruit. Sometimes I cut up fresh fruit — when I don't mind the extra work
(and the risk of cutting off a finger). Other days, I open a can. Most days, the can is as much cooking as I can manage. I offered to cook something for the cats this evening. You can see their ungrateful reactions below.
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| WHAT THE ROYALS EAT FOR BREAKFAST... IF THEY'RE LUCKY. |
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| MOOSE: "I'M NOT HUNGRY. I MAY NEVER EAT AGAIN. JUST GO AWAY!" |
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| DUDO: "YOU MAKE ME EAT THAT AND I'LL JUMP! I SWEAR I WILL!" |
Dudo, Moose, and adorable goofy tea thingys. Best post ever (today). :)
ReplyDeleteJudeet:
DeleteI love these tea bags. It's going to be really difficult to use them up. And Dudo and Moose... it's a love-fest!
Tea is something I can take or leave, but deny me my morning cup of coffee and I'm a bear all day.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteI don't have tea often, but when I'm in the mood I really enjoy it. Coffee every day. Two large cups. Spanish and delicious.
LOL! I don't know which is funnier, the cats or the Royaltea. Quite the set of caricatures on the Royaltea, but I think you captured the cats' thoughts perfectly. However, I am impressed with your cooking ability - sure beats my Special K.
ReplyDeleteJo:
DeleteI've cooked Special K instead of muesli at times and have perfected it. If you get Special K with berries you don't even have to open a can of fruit. Have you tried it?
I like the Special K with red berries (don't know why they don't say "strawberries" instead of "red berries"). Hadn't thought before that there are 2 ingredients to my "cooking". Thanks, Mitchell!
DeleteJo: San Geraldo's mother's best friend in South Dakota used her oven to store boxes of cereal. She went by her Native American name, "Cooks Without Heat."
Deleteanyone who takes tea seriously and wants it 'proper' gets applause from me!
ReplyDeleteSpo:
DeleteI do appreciate the difference. But all that cooking...
First it's the creepy babies in the window, now it's Charles and Camilla staring back at you from your cup of tea. Will the horror never end? We're gonna need to slap a warning message on this blog, mister!
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteI've been thinking of posting a picture of me walking out of the sea in a bathing suit (except that one hasn't been taken yet). That will definitely require a warning.
Really sir, this cookin' malarkey is not that difficult, I do it myself. One simply wanders over to the old tapestry bell-pull and tugs at the appropriate time. The kitchen device you need is, I believe, known in employment circles as a "Cook". They're really very good.
ReplyDeleteI shall now commit blasphemy of such an order of magnitude that I shall likely be expelled from the empire (and I'm not talking about the old cinema in the village). Tea leaves me quite cool. Cold in fact. Brace yourself - I drink the liquor of coffee bean. There. I've said it.
The Owl Wood:
DeleteTHAT'S my problem! I don't have a tapestry bell-pull! But I DO have a cook. He's a bit uppity and requires me to address him as San Geraldo. I also apparently don't pay him enough (i.e., nothing) for him to serve me a cooked breakfast -- although the honest truth is he would if I asked. I love my daily coffee. Tea every now and again.
How odd that that cartoony caricature of the lovely Camilla looks more like the late (and still much-missed - at least by me) Princess Di. Still, it might just pass as an amalgam.
ReplyDeleteMy routine is to start the day with a cuppa decaff tea (bolsita) to take with prescribed blood-pressure tablets - then it's caffeine-heavy coffee all the way! Instant, mind. Can't be bothered with all this cafetiere palaver.
And how could I NOT comment on the kitties? Cute as buttons - I just wanna eat 'em up!
Raybeard:
DeleteI'm not one for instant coffee (being the gourmand you know I am?). When we lived in California, I only drank decaf or half-caf or I would get the shakes. SInce arriving in Spain, it's the real thing and full-strenght. Oddly, no shakes... unless I have three cups.
I spend my days telling the boys how much I love them, telling San Geraldo how glad I am we have them... They are a joy.
Cats are such sensible creatures. i am a bit (a bit?? cough) of a tea nazi myself...microwaved water and tea bags drove me bonkers at the in-laws.....
ReplyDeleteWye...
DeleteNuked tea used to be acceptable to me. Now I can't tolerate it. I guess I can be trained.
You want to be careful, Mitch, you'll be cooking real meals before you know it. Dudo and Moose are darlings - and very sensible.
ReplyDeleteElaine:
DeleteI wouldn't worry. I did cook some real meals years ago. (And no one even died or became seriously ill.) But, it just wasn't worth the stress. Opening a can and draining the juice is enough.
LOL! I think royal personages floating in my teacup would be just a tad off-putting. Dudo does the 'how dare you!' look very well!
ReplyDeleteJudith:
DeleteDudo and Moose are both sweethearts, but Dudo has the most expressive cat face I've ever seen.
Wouldn't it be fun to be able to make your own custom tea bags with yourself and your loved ones on the tags?!? Or maybe your favorite shirtless hunk?
I want to be one of your cats! OK? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJim:
DeleteOK.
So I'm at a family reunion in Denver (yes, it's that time of year again) looking out over the Rockies in the distance from our ginormous hotel room balcony (unexpected free upgrade!), sitting in my oriental silk pajamas (means there's a mandarin collar somewhere on them), waiting for my (free with free room upgrade) room service coffee, and glad they are taking a while as I'm reading this because I surely would've laugh-snorted coffee (full octane with cream and raw sugar) all over my jammies reading your blog for my Sunday morning news. Or as my 19-year-old niece fresh from her first year at UCLA would call it, giving myself a coffee facial (and then giggling). Also, super jealous of the cat's eye view from your window -- gorgeous (as are your suicidal kitties)! Huge hugs, Peege
ReplyDeletePeege:
DeleteYou'd better set aside the coffee before you read today's blog post. I guarantee a good laugh but not a pair of silk pajamas. Mange klemmer! — MK