Tea for Two

"A cup of tea would restore my normality."

-- Douglas Adams

You can use it as a dye, soothe sunburns and bee stings, brew a facial, or use it in recipes. Or, of course, you can drink it.

January is National Hot Tea Month, and with the current cold weather snap, there's really no better time to get into the habit of afternoon (or morning, or evening) tea.

Averaging about 60 percent less caffeine than coffee (many herbal teas, of course, have none at all), tea can calm fraught nerves (chamomile), soothe a queasy stomach (peppermint and, especially, ginger), and even provide antioxidants (green tea).

So sit back and relax with your favorite blend (mine happens to be the not-particularly-fancy Orange Herbal Tea from Lipton). Happy sipping!

LINKS:

-- Tea Pittsburgh: Margaret's Fine Imports - This shop in Squirrel Hill imports dozens of loose tea blends, as well as teapots, mugs, tea services, and bagged teas from England, Ireland, Wales, Poland, and across America. Their website features tea "recipes," other uses for tea, and information about their tea-tasting classes.

-- Twinings Tea - This 300-year-old London tea company features a "history of tea" timeline, information on the types of teas, and even a glossary of "tea terms."

-- Adagio Teas - This company allows users to design their own recipes for unique tea blends, many with pop culture references. Try some Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or superhero-themed blends.

-- Jane Austen and the Drinking of Tea - A blog entry on author Jane Austen's connection to the rituals and enjoyments of tea.

-- Hot Stuff: Grown Your Own Tea From Your Garden - Tips from ABC.com on how to grow and brew your own homemade tea.

-- Celebrate Hot Tea Month - 31 suggestions from About.com on how to celebrate Hot Tea month, including new flavors, better brewing methods, and ways to cook with tea.

-- Literary Teas - A collection of quotes, from a variety of authors and novels, on the merits of tea.

Tea and a Good Book:

Try these cozy reads the next time you settle down with a hot cup of tea:

-- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard - The science and spirituality of nature, as experienced through the four seasons in Tinker Creek, Virginia.

-- Do or Diner by Christine Wenger - Trixie Matkowski's just taken the reins as manager of a small-town diner. Things are off to a bad start when a health inspector winds up murdered over the Blue Plate Special.

-- Middlemarch by George Eliot - A serialized novel, this epic saga explores the life and times of country living in central England during the 1830s.

-- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Exploring philosophy and class structure, this French novel follows the story of a widowed woman who works as a concierge -- and who becomes acquainted with the upperclass child prodigy who lives in her building.

-- The Eternity Artifact by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - Half science fiction, half conspiracy thriller, this novel brings together an unlikely crew to explore what may be evidence of intelligent alien life.

-- Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh - A hilarious (and fully illustrated) memoir by the clever, funny, and honest writer/artist behind the "Hyperbole and a Half" blog.

-- The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner - This historical YA read features magic and mystery on the cusp of the French Revolution.

"Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."

Star Trek's Captain Picard always appreciates a good cup of hot tea.

-- Post by Ms. B