Friday Afternoon Fix

Happy Friday! Sometimes it is hard to get down to hard work decisions or fine design details on a Friday afternoon.....the thought of all the relaxation that awaits can overpower. What to do? Take a little break- 30 minutes to recharge!
For me, that means a cup of delicious Cardamom Tea and some time to write a note. And how much more enjoyable is it when you have a wonderful stamp to put on the envelope!!! This past Tuesday, I was at the post office mailing a house and needed some new stamps....I asked if they had any of the Flags of the States series left, but she said no- not since the postage went up....So I asked what they had...and there was the usual flag stamp. "um....anything else back there?"..."Well, we have these now...." and she placed these wonderful pieces of illustration on the counter. "Yes, please!"...

C A R D A M O M>T E A
(recipe is traditional Indian tea- this recipe is for two cups)
1 cup water
1 cup milk
2 tbsp black Assam tea
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp chai masala
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

In a saucepan, bring the water and tea to a rolling boil. Add the milk, sugar and spices- stir and then let simmer. When it is almost done, the tea will start to rise in a puff up towards the edge of the pan- the trick is to let it get as close to the top without overflowing- then it is ready!
Remove from heat and pour through little mesh sieve into cups and serve.