1) I personally enjoy rooibos a lot. If you brew it lightly it’s way less bitter than black tea.
2) if you’re okay with cold or room temp tea (maybe you like hot tea better because of your throat?), cold brewed tea is really good. You can just fill up a 16oz mason jar with water, add 1-2 tea bags, leave it overnight or until it’s as strong as you like. I love doing this with chamomile teas because I find the heat releases some funky notes I’m not a fan of. My husband loves this with his mango black iced tea.
3) also, is hot water with honey and lemon an option? Or Korean citron “tea”? It’s really sort of a jam, no tea involved. These could be nice alternatives to your ritual!
It was nice to read this piece; my mind works very similarly, I think, so it was comforting to know I’m not alone in that.
Thank you so very much for your writing. It's a salve to my mind and soul during these daily struggles of maintaining consistency with a chaotic mind and following through with the needs of my children and myself.
I'm not a of hot tea of any kind, especially black teas. They are a bitter brew. And I hate sugar (or honey in any form) in my tea as it then is the bitter brew with a sickening sweet overtone.
I do drink a "Cherry Berry" tea that is supposed to be brewed in hot water--but I do it as a cold brew (which keeps the bitterness subdued). I brew it for up to 15 minutes--again this minimizes the bitterness. Remove the tea bag and add ice. Yum. It tastes like cherry hard candy and soothes my throat.
Or I drink hot water with a few dashes of lemon juice in it. That also soothes the throat.
I may not cuss, but I find your use of swear words sparks humor in your writing. Please, don't lose the cussing for someone else's sake--it is part of your "voice". Your writing would lose it's "you-ness" without it. "Don't fix it, if it ain't broke."
I don't tend to use tea bags anymore since switching to loose leaf, but Stash makes some pretty mild green teas. I remember liking some of the smells of the fruitier Republic of Teas, and I found that if I like the smell, I like the taste--maybe you will too?
I'm sorry for the following infodump. I have learned a lot from my local tea merchant--she makes her own tea blends, gives classes on teas, and is generally a wonderful person.
If your tea is coming out bitter, you might be using too hot of water? Too-hot water can scorch the tea, which gives it that bitter flavor. Here's a handy guide from the tea merchant:
White Tea - 3-4 minutes - 195°F
Green Tea - 1-2 minutes - 175-185°F
Oolong Tea - 3-4 minutes - 195°F
Black Tea - 4-5 minutes - 212°F
Herbal Tisanes - 4-5 minutes - 212°F
Some teas may vary in their steeping time or water temperature, but this is a pretty handy guide in my experience!
212°F is boiling point, so you don't have to do anything special.
For 195°F water, pour 1 cup (8oz.) of boiling water into a pitcher or cup measure. Then pour over your tea bag or tea leaves.
For 175-185°F degree water, measure out the 1 cup as before, then add 1 tbsp. of room-temperature water before pouring it over your tea bag/leaves.
The tea is the problem. Coffee is your answer. Seriously, though, I feel the mental chaos. My autistic brain doesn't let me rest either. It always, at least, plays DJ like I'm at some never-ending rave 🤷♀️
First of all, I'm always happy to see you appear in my feed, and I really love your writing and your vibe! Yay for swearing, too. There's something so flipping cathartic about a heartfelt expletive.
Regarding the tea you are drinking, if it's a black tea flavoured with lemon, I can imagine it might be rather bitter (as others have also said). A possible alternative is camomile tea. It has a gentle, slightly sweet flavour, and if you're able to lay your hands on the loose leaf (or in this case, loose flower) version, it brews up to the colour of sunshine. I love it in any case, it's one of my favourites.
Good luck with your morning routine and your schedule! And all things good to you and your family <3
Cuss away. Life is too short to worry about what others think.
For tea, I'm a big fan of lavender with milk and monk fruit (can't have sugar). My best friend in high school was English and her family introduced me to the concept of milk in tea. It makes tea SO much better.
Hey Tiffy, your writing is wonderful. This is my first time to read and, I agree with Daria, Camilla, and Julie. Including curse words added more meaning and helped me to feel your writing, the intensity.
Some people use curse words to curse others, so they themselves can feel better or have more power. I think sometimes the culture discourages their use by “good” people so “good” people are easier to control, but also maybe to reduce bullying. In religious circles, the seems curses are often reserved for use by the powerful as well.
You didn’t use them this way - to reduce anyone, to curse. You used them to add emotional meaning to what you were saying. I am glad you did.
I also love the helpful info others already shared about tea. They are all correct. I assume you’re in the USA where tea culture is not as strong as coffee and awareness of how to make it great is uncommon - as demonstrated by how restaurants serve tea.
Water temp and quality along with steep times have a big impact on flavor. I steep black tea no more than a minute or two. If I plan to add milk, I will steep it longer for the malty British-style flavor. My gross drink was a green smoothie for several years. Your writing reminds me that I need to return to it but I need more “umph,” more drive.
Keep writing. Your stories are important. I like that you write weekly, since it seems more sustainable than daily, for both of us. Haha
I was diagnosed within the last 6 months at age 61. It’s been … no words. It explains so much. And I have so much to learn. Your writing helps even though we are all different. I find most whom I have told don’t grasp what it means, and some have said the classic. “Well everyone is a little autistic.”
Also, I am trying to develop routine. I was strong with routines before marriage and especially before kids. LOL Keep writing! It helps me to not feel alone. I don’t personally know a single “out” autistic diagnosed adult except one who has an overwhelming mental health challenge that’s much more impactful. Your voice helps.
I love the Citron tea suggestion above. It’s sweet and soothing.
If it want leaf tea that’s less bitter how about white teas? They tend to be gentle and if there’s fruit flavor in it too it’s light and nice. But caveat is that I like tea. So my taste could be really different to yours.
Haha, this was honestly really easy for me to read. It's super similar to how I write out my thoughts. I can't really offer tea reccomendations since I don't live over there, so I'm not sure what tea ya got, plus I really like bitter tea and coffee, but if you have lemongrass tea over there, that might taste better.
If anything is too sweet I don't like it, half the taste, half the headache it causes. I don't really drink lemongrass because I remember being too sweet for me, and I generally don't have a huge amount of sugar in my tea. It was nice for dipping my biscuits in though.
Rest as resistance has been a pretty hard thing for me to get on with, because I don't really think it speaks to my situation. I can't just take a break, because it'll put me behind on my goals, and perhaps I'm too ambitious for my age, but I have a lot of people I want to good for. It does cause me to basically end up taking no breaks until I break, but the alternative still doesn't appeal to me. Rest just seems like a luxury to me, and not one I can afford.
Back when I was younger, although I still am quite young, I used to have a lot of trouble taking breaks because my mind would be racing, and thinking things I didn't want to think. It also kept me from sleeping, but more positively generally. I would be up for hours with ideas that wouldn't quiet, like some sort of grand movie played by a projector that won't turn off. I ended up getting past that by being too tired to think before bed.The negativity of my thoughts, I somehow gained the skill to mostly quiet it, but it's not something I've been able to accomplish after I've had 3 hours of sleep and I'm getting insulted.
Sometimes if I get stressed, it'll trigger my OCD, and my thoughts will start looping and overlaying and it's absolutely horrible when that happens. I hate it so much. Too loud.
I think I've lost if I had any key reason to writing my comment, but I hope it isn't something irritating to read.
Hey hey. I would echo many of these teatotaler suggestions: particularly the deliciousness of chamomile, the throat salve of hot water, honey and lemon and the room temperature brew or outdoor brew in a pitcher or mason jar "sun tea" method.
I drink tea. A lot of teas. Everyday, tea. I travel with tea. Nerd out pretty hard on tea. So lemme spill the tea with a few of my favorites, organized in a way thst makes sense to me.
MILK TEA
Basic: PG tips. Water. Milk or milk sub of choice.
Fave: Chai! 2 bags PGT, 8oz water, 8oz milk, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, 1/4 tsp tumeric, black pepper, 1 clove. Boil in a sauce pan 3x. Strain over a juice strainer or something to catch the spice sediment. Not as labor intensive as it seems. Batch up to make chai for the week.
JAPANESE TEA
Matcha - fuck with it but don't make it. Good with almond milk
Hojicha - stems! Apricot -y flavors.
Sencha or gyokuro - delicious. Tastes green and "healthy" if you know what I mean but it grows on you. Careful with the water temp! Steaming, not boiling.
CHINESE TEA
Formosa Oolong - brew hot for a couple minutes or longer at room temp. Quality really makes a difference. You can re-brew the leaves a few times. $$$ habit if you go for the good stuff.
Phoenix oolong - more oxidation = flavor a bit closer to black tea. Also comes in "fancy af" varieties.
Not at all comprehensive and yet still obnoxiously long commentary! 😅
I have some tea thoughts/suggestions!
1) I personally enjoy rooibos a lot. If you brew it lightly it’s way less bitter than black tea.
2) if you’re okay with cold or room temp tea (maybe you like hot tea better because of your throat?), cold brewed tea is really good. You can just fill up a 16oz mason jar with water, add 1-2 tea bags, leave it overnight or until it’s as strong as you like. I love doing this with chamomile teas because I find the heat releases some funky notes I’m not a fan of. My husband loves this with his mango black iced tea.
3) also, is hot water with honey and lemon an option? Or Korean citron “tea”? It’s really sort of a jam, no tea involved. These could be nice alternatives to your ritual!
It was nice to read this piece; my mind works very similarly, I think, so it was comforting to know I’m not alone in that.
The Korean citron tea is one of my favorites for when my throat is raw. No need to add honey. It’s so soothing and sweet.
Koreans also have corn and barley teas that taste nutty and not like tea leaf tea.
"Cussing is indicator of low intelligence" - said people who care more about societal norms than actual substance. :)
Also, just to put it out there in case it helps. Hot water with a slice of lemon and honey.
Thank you so very much for your writing. It's a salve to my mind and soul during these daily struggles of maintaining consistency with a chaotic mind and following through with the needs of my children and myself.
I'm not a of hot tea of any kind, especially black teas. They are a bitter brew. And I hate sugar (or honey in any form) in my tea as it then is the bitter brew with a sickening sweet overtone.
I do drink a "Cherry Berry" tea that is supposed to be brewed in hot water--but I do it as a cold brew (which keeps the bitterness subdued). I brew it for up to 15 minutes--again this minimizes the bitterness. Remove the tea bag and add ice. Yum. It tastes like cherry hard candy and soothes my throat.
Or I drink hot water with a few dashes of lemon juice in it. That also soothes the throat.
I may not cuss, but I find your use of swear words sparks humor in your writing. Please, don't lose the cussing for someone else's sake--it is part of your "voice". Your writing would lose it's "you-ness" without it. "Don't fix it, if it ain't broke."
I don't tend to use tea bags anymore since switching to loose leaf, but Stash makes some pretty mild green teas. I remember liking some of the smells of the fruitier Republic of Teas, and I found that if I like the smell, I like the taste--maybe you will too?
I'm sorry for the following infodump. I have learned a lot from my local tea merchant--she makes her own tea blends, gives classes on teas, and is generally a wonderful person.
If your tea is coming out bitter, you might be using too hot of water? Too-hot water can scorch the tea, which gives it that bitter flavor. Here's a handy guide from the tea merchant:
White Tea - 3-4 minutes - 195°F
Green Tea - 1-2 minutes - 175-185°F
Oolong Tea - 3-4 minutes - 195°F
Black Tea - 4-5 minutes - 212°F
Herbal Tisanes - 4-5 minutes - 212°F
Some teas may vary in their steeping time or water temperature, but this is a pretty handy guide in my experience!
212°F is boiling point, so you don't have to do anything special.
For 195°F water, pour 1 cup (8oz.) of boiling water into a pitcher or cup measure. Then pour over your tea bag or tea leaves.
For 175-185°F degree water, measure out the 1 cup as before, then add 1 tbsp. of room-temperature water before pouring it over your tea bag/leaves.
I hope this helps!
The tea is the problem. Coffee is your answer. Seriously, though, I feel the mental chaos. My autistic brain doesn't let me rest either. It always, at least, plays DJ like I'm at some never-ending rave 🤷♀️
First of all, I'm always happy to see you appear in my feed, and I really love your writing and your vibe! Yay for swearing, too. There's something so flipping cathartic about a heartfelt expletive.
Regarding the tea you are drinking, if it's a black tea flavoured with lemon, I can imagine it might be rather bitter (as others have also said). A possible alternative is camomile tea. It has a gentle, slightly sweet flavour, and if you're able to lay your hands on the loose leaf (or in this case, loose flower) version, it brews up to the colour of sunshine. I love it in any case, it's one of my favourites.
Good luck with your morning routine and your schedule! And all things good to you and your family <3
Cuss away. Life is too short to worry about what others think.
For tea, I'm a big fan of lavender with milk and monk fruit (can't have sugar). My best friend in high school was English and her family introduced me to the concept of milk in tea. It makes tea SO much better.
Hey Tiffy, your writing is wonderful. This is my first time to read and, I agree with Daria, Camilla, and Julie. Including curse words added more meaning and helped me to feel your writing, the intensity.
Some people use curse words to curse others, so they themselves can feel better or have more power. I think sometimes the culture discourages their use by “good” people so “good” people are easier to control, but also maybe to reduce bullying. In religious circles, the seems curses are often reserved for use by the powerful as well.
You didn’t use them this way - to reduce anyone, to curse. You used them to add emotional meaning to what you were saying. I am glad you did.
I also love the helpful info others already shared about tea. They are all correct. I assume you’re in the USA where tea culture is not as strong as coffee and awareness of how to make it great is uncommon - as demonstrated by how restaurants serve tea.
Water temp and quality along with steep times have a big impact on flavor. I steep black tea no more than a minute or two. If I plan to add milk, I will steep it longer for the malty British-style flavor. My gross drink was a green smoothie for several years. Your writing reminds me that I need to return to it but I need more “umph,” more drive.
Keep writing. Your stories are important. I like that you write weekly, since it seems more sustainable than daily, for both of us. Haha
I was diagnosed within the last 6 months at age 61. It’s been … no words. It explains so much. And I have so much to learn. Your writing helps even though we are all different. I find most whom I have told don’t grasp what it means, and some have said the classic. “Well everyone is a little autistic.”
Also, I am trying to develop routine. I was strong with routines before marriage and especially before kids. LOL Keep writing! It helps me to not feel alone. I don’t personally know a single “out” autistic diagnosed adult except one who has an overwhelming mental health challenge that’s much more impactful. Your voice helps.
Thank you for your time and labor.
I love the Citron tea suggestion above. It’s sweet and soothing.
If it want leaf tea that’s less bitter how about white teas? They tend to be gentle and if there’s fruit flavor in it too it’s light and nice. But caveat is that I like tea. So my taste could be really different to yours.
Haha, this was honestly really easy for me to read. It's super similar to how I write out my thoughts. I can't really offer tea reccomendations since I don't live over there, so I'm not sure what tea ya got, plus I really like bitter tea and coffee, but if you have lemongrass tea over there, that might taste better.
If anything is too sweet I don't like it, half the taste, half the headache it causes. I don't really drink lemongrass because I remember being too sweet for me, and I generally don't have a huge amount of sugar in my tea. It was nice for dipping my biscuits in though.
Rest as resistance has been a pretty hard thing for me to get on with, because I don't really think it speaks to my situation. I can't just take a break, because it'll put me behind on my goals, and perhaps I'm too ambitious for my age, but I have a lot of people I want to good for. It does cause me to basically end up taking no breaks until I break, but the alternative still doesn't appeal to me. Rest just seems like a luxury to me, and not one I can afford.
Back when I was younger, although I still am quite young, I used to have a lot of trouble taking breaks because my mind would be racing, and thinking things I didn't want to think. It also kept me from sleeping, but more positively generally. I would be up for hours with ideas that wouldn't quiet, like some sort of grand movie played by a projector that won't turn off. I ended up getting past that by being too tired to think before bed.The negativity of my thoughts, I somehow gained the skill to mostly quiet it, but it's not something I've been able to accomplish after I've had 3 hours of sleep and I'm getting insulted.
Sometimes if I get stressed, it'll trigger my OCD, and my thoughts will start looping and overlaying and it's absolutely horrible when that happens. I hate it so much. Too loud.
I think I've lost if I had any key reason to writing my comment, but I hope it isn't something irritating to read.
Hey hey. I would echo many of these teatotaler suggestions: particularly the deliciousness of chamomile, the throat salve of hot water, honey and lemon and the room temperature brew or outdoor brew in a pitcher or mason jar "sun tea" method.
I drink tea. A lot of teas. Everyday, tea. I travel with tea. Nerd out pretty hard on tea. So lemme spill the tea with a few of my favorites, organized in a way thst makes sense to me.
MILK TEA
Basic: PG tips. Water. Milk or milk sub of choice.
Fave: Chai! 2 bags PGT, 8oz water, 8oz milk, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, 1/4 tsp tumeric, black pepper, 1 clove. Boil in a sauce pan 3x. Strain over a juice strainer or something to catch the spice sediment. Not as labor intensive as it seems. Batch up to make chai for the week.
JAPANESE TEA
Matcha - fuck with it but don't make it. Good with almond milk
Hojicha - stems! Apricot -y flavors.
Sencha or gyokuro - delicious. Tastes green and "healthy" if you know what I mean but it grows on you. Careful with the water temp! Steaming, not boiling.
CHINESE TEA
Formosa Oolong - brew hot for a couple minutes or longer at room temp. Quality really makes a difference. You can re-brew the leaves a few times. $$$ habit if you go for the good stuff.
Phoenix oolong - more oxidation = flavor a bit closer to black tea. Also comes in "fancy af" varieties.
Not at all comprehensive and yet still obnoxiously long commentary! 😅
Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea smells like a red hot candy and, with honey, tastes a bit like it, but in a more tea-ish way. It’s one of my favorites.