This is a delicious alternative to black tea (which I mostly don't care for) or green tea (which I do like). This red-colored tisane is also called red bush tea, comes from South Africa and first came to my attention in the mystery series by Alexander McCall, starting with The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
I love the stuff.
Red bush tea, rooibos tea or red tea, the result is a slightly sweet and nutty hot drink that is surprisingly good for you. The tea has LOTS of antioxidents while being low in caffeine and tannins found in black or green teas. It might also contain flavonoids known to be cancer-fighting elements.
Gorgeous color, right? Most of the time it is difficult to find rooibos without extensive flavoring, so it is difficult to find a red tea that really allows one to savor the taste.
Some of my favorites include Mariage Freres teas Marco Polo Rouge (rooibos with fruit and flowers from China and Tibet -- hence, Marco Polo) and Nil Rouge (citrus, spices and marigold flowers). Another source here in the states that is easy to find are the Republic of Tea choices: Good Hope Vanilla red tea, Safari Sunset red tea, Cinnamon Orange red tea (yum!), etc.
This is a great afternoon/early evening tea, because it has plenty of flavor but not so much caffeine. So you don't get a jump from it. It's a great tea with fruit and cheese, for example, but not really an after-dinner tea or a breakfast tea. Make a pot and enjoy!
Piaf is now known globally to an entire new generation thanks to the 2007 French film La vie en rose, for which Marion Cotillard received the Oscar and the Golden Globe. It is a tremendous film and Cotillard's performance is magnificent. I highly recommend it.
Piaf herself is also magnificent. And confusing, and mysterious, and compelling.
Born in 1915, Piaf lived the first part of her life in Paris in the 20th arrondissment -- Belleville.She died in 1963 at the age of 47 having lived a passionate and troubling life.
This is a clip of Piaf singing "La vie en rose," considered by many to be her signature song:
As an alternative, here is Mirielle Mathieu singing the same song nearly 50 years later. Matthieu is also a fine French singer, with a completely different style.
From 1929 to 1935 Piaf sang in the streets of Paris as a street performer, at first with her biological father, who was a street acrobat. After she parted ways with him, Piaf performed in the 18th, 19th and 20th arrondissements as well as the suburbs of Paris. In 1935 she was discovered by the club owner and impresario Louis Leplee, who supposedly gave her the signature style of stage presence, costuming (the little black dress) and gestures she used for the rest of her life.
Piaf performed in clubs in Paris until World War II and began changing her street image. She met and made friends with influential people.
During the war, Piaf lived in Marseilles, but performed in Paris at Nazi-sponsored events. She also claimed to be a member of the Resistance and to have aided those targeted by the Nazis to escape in various ways.
After the war, Piaf was an international celebrity. She aided several actors and singers to fame, including Yves Montand and Charles Aznevour. Her love life was complicated: she had one child who died with an early lover, then later married after the war twice. The great love of her life was boxer Marcel Cerdan, who was killed in an airplane crash after little more than a year of their relationship.
Piaf is buried in Pere Lachaise cemetary.
One of the quirkiest museums in Paris is dedicated to her. This article in The Guardian reviews it clearly. This Time Out review gives another angle.
This article is a kind of virtual tour of Piaf's Paris. If one wanted to walk in the singer's shoes, these are great resources. The fact is, her voice was a treasure, and her life was the kind of messy, troubled voyage we've come to expect of great artists, espeically women artists perhaps... but it is also sad and ridiculous on some level.
From another direction, Piaf's story is the story of Paris in the first half of the 20th century. Her movement from abandoned child to street performer to singing star is also the story of Paris's own history and geography, even to her interment in the city's most famous cemetary, perhaps ironically located in the same arrondissement where she was born.
Her great legacy is the gorgeous recordings we have and, as in the clip, the sense of Piaf as a performer. It is clear that she loved performing and felt more alive while singing than at any other time.
miscellaneous dresses, skirts and blouses I'll never fit into again!
1 red denim jacket
3 baseball caps + rainhat
1 pr. wooly gloves
2 prs, boots
1 glass vase
a handful of very nice plastic hangers (don't need them any longer!)
Most of these things are very nice quality, and quite a few of them were rarely ever worn. I probably bought them to "fill a gap" in my wardrobe (or life) that didn't really need a plug. Like "green scarves" or "high-heeled boots."
I've put aside a small bin of things that are a size or two too small, but it has a time stamp on it: literally a label that gives today's date: if I can't wear them in a year, out they go. I've also got a pile of sweaters I need to try on and look at before I decide anything definitive.
One of my goals this week is to clean out my drawers, shelves, bins and closets in order to take a hefty load of discards to Goodwill.
My reaction after three days of work: OMG! I have a LOT of clothes.
Mostly clothes I don't wear -- that's the ironic part. Clothes I used to wear but haven't included in my regular rotation for at least 18 months. Why are they still taking up space in my house and psyche?
Here's what I found:
stockpiled white and blue button-downs, jeans, t-shirts and camisoles; all of these are doubles or triples I bought because I liked a particular style and planned ahead
two bins of scarves and wraps I hadn't worn in a while
two of every kind of coat or outerwear
bins of wool sweaters in red, blue, turquoise and purple, unworn
three pairs of boots, when I wear one
a bin of winter hats I haven't yet worn this year
Solution: cull through everything, compare and discard. I've already gathered one big bin, the contents of which needs to be photographed and noted for tax purposes, then dropped off at my favorite Goodwill. There is at least another big bin of discards in my future.
It's easy to become overwhelmed with this kind of task. While it might be easy to throw out torn, stained and worn-out clothing ("should be," I note), it is less easy to let go of perfectly usable clothing and accessories that you (I) still like or which have good memories or that might fit if you (I) lost ten pounds, of course. It feels like throwing out money or wasting money already spent.
But one must let go of things in order to let new, positive items or energy come in. This is the basis of Morris's statement.
Plan of attack:
Wear or toss: if I can't wear it somewhere in the next month, the piece of clothing goes.
Toss one of the doubles: if I have two, get rid of one.
Don't buy more: the t-shirts, the camisoles and the jeans are what I want... DON'T BUY MORE.
Think color: with a limited palette, those things outside, no matter how pretty, can go.
More, I'm coming to grips with my own need to re-think how and when I spend on clothing. I keep talking about 20 pieces in rotation, minimalizing my wardrobe, focusing on my style... now it's time to walk the walk.
How to do it? I could go about it drawer by drawer or bin by bin, but I think I want to try a different tack. By focusing on the kind of piece, choosing to keep a limited number of such pieces, and holding to those lines. I think this will be more profitable: if I look at all my red sweaters, for example, I can discard 50% of them. That's a good initial goal, I think.
And where will they go? To Goodwill, to the dust bin, to friends and students. Fly free, little goods.
In the end, I genuinely want to get my wardrobe down by half. A wearable half, one with style full of clothes I genuinely like wearing. And that leaves me open to looking for (a very few) new, stylish pieces that are distinctive with oomph.
This is one of the busiest times of my year. We're coming up on Spring Break at My U but that only means a tremendous PUSH to make things happen, because when we get back there's about six weeks left of the entire semester/school year.
And when time gets short, certain habits fly out the window.
Like my morning make-up routine.
Recently, I've been hunting around for time-and money-saving products in the cosmetics aisle. Since I grew out of my 20s, I've been skeptical about the big claims made by expensive make-up companies about the miracles their products can provide. Especially when these companies use 20 yr old models as their representatives. Let's face it: we all want our skin to stay fresh-looking and smooth, and our makeup to enhance our natural attractiveness. Do we need to leverage a bank loan to do so?
Not at all.
I started following Beautypedia, Paula Begoun's website a few years back. I haven't bought many of Begoun's own products, but the website reviews products from high-end and drugstore companies--and what you discover are the many exaggerated claims, harmful or irritating ingredients and ridiculous products out there. As well as the beneficial, helpful and worthwhile products in many different lines.
I also read all over the 'net, looking at blogs that focus on cosmetics, hair care products and skin care.
Here are a couple of products I've been using for at least 2-3 months that I like, from the low end of the cost scale:
Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation. This has an SPF15 included, a creamy texture and lasts all day. It is light enough to feel like nothing on my skin but heavy enough to minimize large pores and cover slight imperfections in tone/color. No perfume-y smell, no chalky feel and it comes off nicely in the evening. This is as good as (if not better than) the Lancome, MakeUpForEver and Laura Mercier Tinted Foundation I spent ten times the price on--each. Believe it! About $5 at CVS. Beautypedia: GOOD rating.
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Primer. Again with the SPF15, this creamy prep/primer for skin works as well as the more expensive silicone-based primers from Smashbox and MakeUpForEver I used to use. It is creamy, smooth, lasts all day and extends the wear of your foundation, blush, or bronzer; if you never used a primer, there are multiple reasons for doing so if you're over 35: smooths your skin, fills in pores and lines, extends the cosmetics you layer over it, and (here) adding another layer of SPF protection. About $14 at CVS. Beautypedia: BEST rating.
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Blemish Concealer. SPF15. A twist-up stick concealer that comes in several colors and works as a concealer for more than blemishes, especially when used under foundation. $8 at CVS. Beautypedia: AVERAGE rating.
Nyx Slim Eye Pencil. This is a fantastic eyeliner pencil. I love all Nyx products, but this is a superior eye pencil: color glides on smoothly without pulling, gives a bold and consistent color. The color lasts all day, washes off easily and the pencils are easily portable for touch-ups. It come in a variety of sparkle and non-sparkle options, as well, enough to make everyone happy! At $3.50 at Ulta, you can splurge in a handful of these and not go broke. And Nyx Cosmetics are not tested on animals: beautiful and kind.
Nyx Single Eyeshadow/Nude Matte Shadow. Both of these are great alternatives to more expensive brands and, again, are cruelty-free. The colors are great and the texture of the shadow is fine-milled. Color lasts all day. About $4.50 per shadow at Ulta. Beautypedia: BEST rating.
These are a great start to finding effective alternatives to department-store or high-end brands of cosmetics. Again, anything that will be on your face all day needs to have some SPF and skin care benefits built in, but I'd rather spend my money on skin care and moisturizers than lipstick (although I do love lipsticks!). I have been very pleased with the look, feel and performance of these particular items, and I've been using each of them for over 2 months.
This is a simple, elegant and nearly sugar-free dessert, perfect for a French-inspired meal. Also relatively inexpensive, so it can serve as an elegant and frugal end to a meal with friends.
Pears are a delicious alternative to apples and loaded with good-for-you food value. They contain lots of natural fiber, lots of vitamin C (10% RDA) and vitamin K (8%), and no fat or cholesterol. They are carbo-loaded, but complex carbs, which means they keep you feeling fuller longer. They are also low glycemic. All good news.
The recipe is very easy, as I said. This is usually served cold, so it can be made well ahead of time, chilled, and served with an anglais sauce, light whipped cream or creme fraiche, or a simpler cherry or berry coulis, as well as the cooking juice itself. Serve with high cocoa content chocolate squares.
Peel 4 ripe pears, leaving the stem intact.
In a saucepan, lay the pears on their sides so they fit without smooshing or too much extra space.
Add the following to the pan:
one packet vanilla sugar
one vanilla bean, split in half
one sprig fresh rosemary or thyme (use thyme with cinnamon)
four black peppercorns (or mixed colors)
four cloves or a cinnamon stick (or equivalent ground version)
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice (I usually just juice one lemon)
1 bottle good red wine (not sweet!--choose a Beaujolais to Cabernet or mixed red)
Cover and raise to simmer. Once simmering, let cook for 30 minutes, turning every ten minutes or so; ready when the pears are tender to forks. After, let sit/cool, then set one pear in each bowl, add cooking juice, and chill.
Vanilla sugar can be bought in packets at specialty cooking shops, or places that sell international foods. Or you can use this simple recipe from Alton Brown (takes a couple weeks, however): http://bit.ly/144xM6i
Cezanne's three pears, just as a treat, as simple and gorgeous as the poached kind.
I am a transplanted Yankee now living in Texas and working at My U. I am a playwright and historian. Here I muse about the life academic and creative, my love of Paris and French things in general, cooking and eating, and my new passion, frugality. I am also the companion (slave) to the world's most personable cat, Jack. I ask myself every day, "What is the life of the mind"? Maybe I'll figure it out here.
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