incredibly excited for the hobbit tonight!

I am seeing The Hobbit tonight, and couldn't be MORE excited! I've been listening to the soundtrack since it was released and have been going over some of my favorite portions in the book.  I read the book when I was rather young, and it left quite an impression on me (as did the Lord of the Rings trilogy & The Silmarillion.)

Rarely do I get this excited over enduring crowds for a midnight release! I'm hoping to see many hobbits, wizards, dwarves, and elves outside the theater tonight. :)

Today I'm drinking what I feel is the most "hobbity" tea I have, out of my favorite rustic stoneware teacup!

Harney & Sons "Supreme Breakfast" is strong, dark, and malty. Makes me think of the raw wildflower honey this area produces which looks like molasses. I can imagine some of the folk from The Shire brewing a pot of this up before tending to their gardens and livestock. Plays very nicely with cream, sugar, and meadowfoam honey. In reality, it can be taken in whichever way you prefer and will still be delicious and perk you right up!

(Chai even wanted a cup of it!)

december arrives.

Apologies for the small bout of inactivity. Our family owns a 12 year old yellow lab and his health suddenly took a turn for the worse. He has congestive heart failure, but our veterinarian has given us medication and he seems to be improving for the time being. It's hard to be creative and outgoing when one of your best childhood friends has suddenly become very, very mortal in your eyes.

I mean, in his youth he was a tank. He was hit by a SNOW PLOW and was tossed about and then popped out of the snow happily bounding back to me and my dad while we stood frozen in absolute horror.

I'm still waiting to develop film. I hate making separate trips to get things processed -- I much prefer having a wave of photos come in all in one go. I can't wait to see what my old reliable camera has captured. I was a little bit worried that the internal light meter battery would have expired (I think I last changed it in 2004...) but it seemed to function well enough! I just wish I had the forethought to unpack my little remote cable so the lower lit shots wouldn't have any sort of blur to them.

I am pictured drinking Harney & Sons "Mangalam FTGFOP Or. 664." It is absolutely delicious! I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to try this tea out while restocking my plain black blends/breakfast teas. I'm a real sucker for good Assams. It is a beautiful reddish caramel cup and the flavor is so smooth and comforting. They mentioned on their page that the aroma is sweet and toasty, and I couldn't agree more. When they also mentioned "toast with dark honey spread on top" I couldn't get that association out of my head, and it has since become my favorite tea to drink while eating a little bit of cinnamon toast with raw almond honey on top!

tea time & baking

 

This past weekend Ryan and I were in NYC visiting a friend. I brought my film camera and snapped many photos ... only to realize the roll was only halfway done when I returned home. I wanted to develop the film right away, but I can't waste exposures like that! I can't wait to develop the photos ... plus, I might as well develop all the rolls I've had sitting around for a little while! It might cost a pretty penny. :(

I ordered more macarons from a different Etsy seller. They were somewhat cheaper, shipped out a lot faster, and I can't wait to try them! I want to make some of my own but I get the feeling that making them is beyond my current level of skill in the kitchen. I did make Russian Tea Cakes this past week, though!!! It is one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes that has translated well into gluten free baking. :)

Check out my favorite recipe after the jump!

spiced tea & snow.

So I woke up this morning thinking it would be a rainy day (as the forecasters kept saying about this nor'easter) and looked outside to see snowflakes falling! Apparently the forecast changed while I was sleeping, and we are getting 2-4" of snow through tonight. I know people will likely grumble about winter coming too soon, but I stocked up on wool socks, fleece lined leggings, and even got boots with more tread than usual. I'M READY!

When the snow started falling I knew exactly which tea to pluck from my cabinet. Harney & Son's "Holiday Tea" is perfectly warm and soft. From their website: "Our Holiday blend tastes of orange and cloves with hints of vanilla and almond." It is medium bodied, and makes a golden brown cup. The tea in the tin is so pretty with the pieces of red safflower amongst the black leaves and orange pieces. I brewed up a pot and watched the snowflakes fall with some Fleet Foxes playing. Perfect way to relax before work!