GastroPhilosophy

Tea is one of those drinks that is good for the soul. I always feel more at peace after a nice steamy cup no matter what time of day it is. 

Has anyone tried Truvia? One tiny package is all I need to sweetened up my cup and I don't feel guilty about extra sugar intake. Why spoil tea time by worrying about sugar? Now not every tea needs to be sweetened- I like my green tea with simply lemon and that's that. 

Something that breaks my heart is the over-steeper. It's like making your coffee and then adding back some of the grinds (who would want to drink that?). 

It's pretty quick to steep most teas and the rule I go by is the darker the tea (i.e. Earl Grey & English Breakfast) that faster the steep. For Black teas steep for only 1-2 minutes (really you don't need any longer than this). And for Green teas about 3-5 minutes, there is more wiggle room here (I'd like to steep it a little longer or it's taste like plain hot water to me). 

With the perfect cup of tea in my mug, I'm ready to take on this beautiful Tuesday morning. 

Cheers!

Being a bride-to-be can be expensive so this week I’m trying some low cost meals making sure to add in tons of flavor.

Chopped Steak- This cost around $3.50 for two servings. Chopped Steak on it’s own doesn’t have a lot of flavor so I added McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning and Cayenne pepper to kick this meat up a bit. I also sautéed some sliced mushrooms and a yellow onion in 1/4 cup beef broth, 1.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp flour (to thicken the sauce) and salt & pepper to taste.

Crispy Cottage Fries- Slice 4 medium red potatoes into thick chips (rinse, drain & pat dry). Coat potatoes with 2-3 tbsp. olive oil, dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, some parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 425 and cooked 20 mins on each side for an extra crispy chip.

Yesterday was a busy day of running errands so to make my life easier I picked up some chicken egg rolls and the best Japanese Style Fried Rice from Trader Joe's. This is the perfect meal to satisfy the-hubby-to-be's cravings for Asian food which isn't my forte.