Bob has been trying to cut down on his coffee consumption for a while now. He's been trying out various different teas. During our "separation" he enjoyed particularly lapsang souchong and Russian caravan blends. Whilst not going to the lengths of a full Japanese Tea Ceremony, it must be a good thing to stop and savour a brew, and enjoy it properly. So for our anniversary I gave him a selection of teas from the Cheshire Tea Company, based in Macclesfield, a few miles north of Steph in Manchester. As well as the tea leaves, I also ordered him a pack of t-sacs. Made by a German company, these are completely biodegradable, hemp based paper - and can go straight into the foodwaste or compost bin [tealeaves and all] If you watched Hugh FW on Monday, continuing his war on plastic, you will understand that is important.The other thing about the Tea Company is that all their tea is ethically sourced, and they work in conjunction with the environmental charity ecologi to plant trees. So this company ticks all the right boxes [and their prices for 'fancy' teas compare well with Whittards, Twinings etc] They have a good "loyaltea" scheme too.
What did you think of HFW's programme ? I was glad they picked up on issues like the added problems of the pandemic [single use plastic masks etc] and was interested in the how can we cut plastic from our weekly shop, but stay on a tight budget" feature. But I am sorry, Hugh, I draw the line at making my own oat milk! Dairy milk provides nine essential nutrients (protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A,
phosphorus, vitamin B 12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin); home
made oat milk has just one (iron). Dairy milk also has about twice the protein as
oat milk – and about half the carbohydrates.I am aware that growing oats is probably better ecologically than raising cows - but this is not a substitution I am ready for just yet.
The teas sound nice. Always good to discover a good company that is plastic free. I discovered a box full of packs of loose leaf tea from when we moved in 2017...some of them are well past their sell by date but I do not want to waate them (C refused the coffee that was also in there so I ended up putting it on the garden.).
ReplyDeleteI have loved throwing my loose leaf tea from my glass teapots filter I'm the beds in the garden all through lockdown and it's amazing how quickly it integrates into the earth.
I've had much more trouble in Lockdown avoiding plastic although I'm grateful for the options I have been able to access. I went to Lidl opposite school yesterday and took 2 old compostable bags with me (one had Duchy originals bananas in, the other, Ecoleaf toilet rolls. I filled both with loose potatoes and sweet potatoes. The peppers, corn cobs, ginger and cabbage just went loose in my basket.
I don't mind Oatmilk but I really like cow milk (from the Milkman) so that is a swap I find hard.
You are so disciplined about waste. I admire your positive attitude (isn't cold tea left in the pot supposed to be good for rose bushes or did I imagine that?)
DeleteI know that coffee grounds are supposed to be good for Roses (I put our grounds on different plants) but I suppose any organic matter added to the ground is good so tea is also probably v good too.
DeleteI am rather partial to my extra strength Ceylon tea and don't like to try different teas. My daughter, on the other hand, enjoys trying different teas.
ReplyDeleteI expected Ceylon Tea to be your favourite, Bless
DeleteHave to agree with you on the dairy vs oat milk - I'm prepared to cut back on my meat consumption but not giving up my milk, yogurt or cheese!
ReplyDeleteOh - and I also love Russian Caravan tea! I think I'll take a walk to our local tea shop this weekend and pick up some loose leaf blend.
I made the switch to plant based milks a few months ago and was surprised by how quickly I became accustomed to them. So much so that milk from cows now tastes very cheesy to me when I do have it occasionally. I don't make my own for the reasons you give and it is more expensive to buy ready made, but I love the taste and the nutrients with which they're augmented. I find almond and cashew milk particularly creamy and delicious (and low carb). Soya yoghurt is also very nice if you don't want very sweet tasting yoghurts. It's pretty low calorie and doesn't have the artificial sweetener taste and strange floury thickness of many 'diet' yoghurt brands. You may surprise yourself, Margie, if you give it a try. What started for me as an ethical chore has now become a taste preference.
ReplyDeleteMy son in law is lactose intolerant, so I have bought [and tasted] some of these different milks when he visits. I do like Almond milk. But oat moilk seems sort of 'thin'
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