From My Cup to Yours
Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.
—Alice Meynell
Welcome to the café! Your ChaiMama can seat you now .. If you're like me, you're short on time and privacy and long on lists of things that need to get done. Most women these days are on overload - whether she's stay-at-home, work-at-home or work-at-work. So it's only natural that we gravitate toward each other for a little camaraderie when we bump into each other at school events, a downtown café or at our favorite blog spots. What we talk about when we connect is what OregonChaiCafe is all about.
So to make this click, tell me what's on your mind and I'll tell you what's on mine! Right now, what's on my mind is finding a little respite from the hectic pace of my week. Occasionally even a ChaiMama needs a little time for me so here I am, neatly tucked into my favorite window seat, blogging about things I love: Oregon Chai tea, music, my family and power walks. Before I blogged from home I was an editor for a tea-related magazine as well as a handful of other consumer magazines and books, and though I love my life, I occasionally long for parts of the old one. One day one of those longings took me down to one of my old coffee-shop haunts and what started out as a search for Nirvana ended up as a relaxing afternoon with a delicious cup of Oregon Chai. Love at first sip! One empty mug later, in a heightened state of Nirvana, I knew was hooked!
Besides chai, I get a kick out of:
- Throwing a dinner party that has them talking a month later about my pad thai
- Wilco (LOVE the latest album)
- Pitching in and making a difference
- “Authentic” anything—Moroccan food, found art, vintage postcards, quality time with my family.
Enough about me for now. I hope you'll check back in each day to enjoy of cup of Oregon Chai with me and share your thoughts about chai, your own Nirvana, and what makes you tick. In return, I’ll share positive news, recipes, cooking and entertaining tips; home ideas, worthwhile causes and people—and an inspirational quote every day. Enjoy!
Cheers,
OregonChaiMama
Schoolhouse Rocks!
A teacher affects eternity he can never tell, where his influence stops.
—Henry Brooks Adams
If you’re from Portland or surrounding areas, you’re probably familiar with one of my absolute favorite worthy causes: Schoolhouse Supplies. It’s a non-profit that maintains a volunteer-run Free Store for Teachers stocked with classroom supplies and educational tools—everything from glue sticks and colored pencils to Crayons and notebooks.
The Free Store is open to all 3,000-plus teachers in the Portland Public School System, and each school is assigned eight shopping weeks throughout the year. In its decade of service, Schoolhouse Supplies has distributed nearly 11 million dollars in supplies, logged in more than 50,000 volunteer hours, and on a truly graceful note, supplied more than two million classrooms with pencils. Schoolhouse Supplies also puts products directly in the hands of students through partnering programs and even collects corporate office supplies such as old letterhead and refurbishes the cast-offs into usable supplies, like sketchbooks.
Obviously, Schoolhouse Supplies depends on the kindness of strangers: they rely on cash and in-kind donations, and grassroots support efforts. Companies can volunteer to act as donation drop-off points, while volunteers groups or individuals can host school supplies drives. So in honor of the school year about to get underway, I’d like to issue a little challenge to all the Oregon Chai lovers out there.
Host a school supplies drive in your neck of the woods (in Oregon or out of state) for Schoolhouse Supplies or a similar agency and make a difference in your local schools—not to mention a child’s life! The person or group that raises the most supplies by November 1 will receive a deluxe Oregon Chai gift basket. What’s more, I’ll give every person or group a shout-out by name in OregonChai Café. Join me in making a difference!
Cheers,
OregonChaiMama
Tea Party In the Park
Every cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.
—Catherine Douzel
It’s the most perfect summer day today here in my little corner of the world. There seems to be a beautiful view, a blooming flower, or a twittering songbird everywhere I look this morning, so I’ve decided to make the most of it! I’ve unearthed my favorite wicker picnic hamper—a great vintage “prop” left over from my magazine days—and the girls and I are going to spend the afternoon soaking up the sun and each other’s company. We’re going to have a tea party in the park—an all-girls afternoon!
I’m packing real dishes—mismatched vintage plates, linens, and flatware that I’ve collected over the years for just such occasions. I’m adding a teapot, of course, plus orphan teacups and saucers. For food, I think I’ll keep it simple: just a few crust-free, kid-friendly finger sandwiches, plus a trio of sweets I have on hand—cookies, macarons, and doughnut holes dusted with cinnamon-sugar. Extra teacups stacked between dessert-sized plates will make a wonderful three-tiered “tray” for proper serving, and a salt shaker sans screw-on lid or a glass tumbler will make a perfect, easily packable bud vase for a freshly picked flowers, and a too-easy special touch.
Rather than fussing with hot water, tea bags, cream, sugar, and lemon, I’m making a thermosful of Oregon Chai with lots of milk. It’s an all-in-one convenience, the girls love the taste, and I love the fact that they make a caffeine-free version that we can all enjoy! In honor of the occasion, I’m also making my super-duper pimiento cheese spread for our sandwiches. Here’s my secret recipe!
Cheers,
OregonChaiMama
Super-Duper Pimiento Cheese
Makes about 3 cups
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup mayonnaise
2-3 drops hot sauce
Salt, pepper to taste
1 (4-ounce) jar pimientos, undrained
1 (8-ounce) block extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded
½ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
½ cup shredded white Cheddar
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in pimientos and shredded cheeses until well blended. Keep covered in fridge until ready to serve.