Book time

Ribbon makes a cute and practical
bookmark!

With all the non-stop fun of being a mother of an 11 month old, I decided to add one more activity to my list.
Reading A Novel.
I realized it had been over a year since I read any fiction (aside from the news). During this time my brain steadily adjusted to picture books with the simple yet profound message ( to it's target audience 2+) of color identification and name that farm animal. I had to make a change fast. Looking for a book presented some problems. If I was going to read a book it couldn't be just any book. Like that trash Oprah has in her book club. I am sorry to all those who like her recommendations, I just can't read them. I say this after enduring two of her picks. When I think about it that was about a year ago........
Any way after a full year of steady metal retardation I needed a shock to break me out of farmville and the memories of  nauseatingly bad fiction. I found a book that fit my current state better than I imagined, both in title and Author. The Idiot By Fydor Dostoyevsky.
The title is what grabbed me. I don't think this great Russian author would spend his time writing about a simpleton that can't wipe his own ass, nor am I in that bad of a state. I rather mean to say this book fits my need for a dramatic novel that is both adult themed and written beautifully. Since this is a Russian novel I am guessing it will be a tragedy, but I plan to enjoy it thoroughly.
I can't read with out TEA
A pot of tea for one is a great addition to any afternoon read.  When baby bee takes his afternoon nap I warm water for his bottle and my tea. I will admit if I don't have a cup of tea I will no doubt fall asleep and so much for book time. This is just a fact. No matter how fantastic or boring a book I can't keep my eyes open. It is a combination of lack of sleep and mental relief that the little human that depends on me for everything is currently satisfied and unconscious.

Today it is black tea with green cardamom.
I recently switched from Swan Brand Tea to Al-Kbous Tea. It was gifted to us by a Yemeni friend. At first I didn't know what to do with it. The tea is like fine coffee ground, that made my tea infuser useless. I worried my tea would be grainy, but in reality the grounds settle nicely on the bottom of the pot. The tea has a bold flavor and can hold it's own if you like to add milk/creme or a spice like cardamom.
 Green Cardamom is the same as regular... just green and stronger in smell. I add only two pods to my personal pot for a subtle flavor. Depending on how fast I drink it, I may or may not remove them from the tea.
You can get Cardamom in a powder, but it is more expensive. When you use as much as I do in cooking it is way more economical to get it in the pod form. My pods are looking a bit old in this picture, but if you get a bag you will see how green they come and the aroma is amazing.

As you can see no grains of tea in my cup... but

when you get to the end of your pot BEWARE!

I drink this tea very hot with a lot of sugar

and most importantly in very small cup..