The Syndicate

nutella wrote:Hehehe I'm drinking coffee right now, hashtag traitor Next thing you know I'll be conquering Austria-Hungary and starting a goddamn world war...

I knew you were going to take over the world!!!!!

A Person wrote:

Epignosis wrote:

A Person wrote:I'm going to have me a cuppa right now, any suggestions?

Miller Lite. 'Swhat I'm having.

My brother has some bud lite, he probably wouldn't notice one can missing.

Take two - they are small....

How is their tea? This is a motivating factor tbqh. (Btw - this is the second best tea.title since the first origional title.)

:o Llama messed with my thread title!!! :o *pout*

I agree with llama - clue the movie is very good.

TOTALLY worth 5 bucks for sure!

yes....yes you should matty.

nijuukyugou wrote:

bea wrote:blooper Ni. - will that work in a pinch? I've been wanting to start experementing with loose teas but lack a defuser/strainer. The coffee filter idea is an interesting one.

I went MacGyver on the coffee filter this morning - put the tea in the filter, twisted it, and stabbed the top with a bamboo skewer so I wouldn't burn myself (there's no kitchen twine or string of any sort here, which I'm sure would've been easier). It worked quite well! Metal tea strainers, thankfully, are not terribly expensive, so if you ever do get one, it won't break your wallet. Just make sure you get a mesh one unless you want big chunks of leaves and whatnot (not tasty in my opinion).

Now That's improvising!!! Though it seems odd to me there's bamboo skeweres and no kitchen twine. Man, you buy a package of kitchen twine for one turkey and your stocked for like a year.

I learned how to make my own cold brew ice coffee this year. The hubby and I are trying to quit drinking soda so there's been more coffee and tea around the house these days. We have 4 of these ice tea pictures that have the strainer just down the middle of the pitcher and you pop the tea bags in there. He says "I'd love to get one of these defuser pitchers. I say "why don't we just pop the fruit and junk in the pitcher we already have? It's pretty much the same thing. He looks at me like I'm a genius.

One of us read the instruction packet that said "you may also use this as a fruit defuser for your tea." Guess which one of us it was?

blooper Ni. - will that work in a pinch? I've been wanting to start experementing with loose teas but lack a defuser/strainer. The coffee filter idea is an interesting one.

LOOK AT THIS!!! HE POSTED IT IN THE WHAT ARE YOU READING THREAD!!!

thellama73 wrote:I just finished the little-known Herman Melville novel "Pierre." Possibly the weirdest book I've ever read, including House of Leaves.

I admit. I fell for it and posted behind it, but then I realized what llama was doing. He is trying to steal our TEA thunder!!!

I made this thread with the pun of the song:



But I feel it. Don't let llama get us down. Tea drinkers - we can post in other threads - but we must always unite and take over so we are always at the top of things! Mostly because it makes llama somehow cranky and I'm ALL about that.

but...but...Picard does not drink lady gray.....

that's good to know Matty. Twinnings is my fav Earl Grey. I thought about trying Tazo as I love the passion tea so much, but I won't try it now.

Thank you for being the sacrifice the island demanded.

heck - I post in this thread even when I don't have tea.

Hedgy - I will keep my eye open for them. If it's hedgey approved it must be yum!!

Mongoose wrote:

thellama73 wrote:Can you guys stop talking about tea so much? Every time I log on I see that there is a new post and get excited, and then I see that it's about tea and it's one crushing disappointment after another.

*makes a mental note to update this thread whenever feasibly possible*

LOL - goosey - great minds think alike....

We've been trying to cut down on how much soda pop we drink so we've been getting Iced Tea at the store (and I learned to brew Iced coffee. Eff you Starbucks!!).

We're very fond of the Hibiscus iced tea from Tazo. It is slightly tart like cranberries and super yum and refreshing.

I agree with Llama except I like mine with vodka

Hedgeowl wrote:I am making a decaf green tea with ginger and lemongrass right now for the first time. The box informs me that "Tea is naturally gluten-free." k, thx.

go tea box!!! Thank you so much for being even more princess obvious than I am on a daily basis. You make me feel less crazy.

Mongoose wrote:I saw this today and thought of this thread. http://www.jenis.com/hot-toddy-sorbet-pint/

But holy cow that's expensive.

I'm all for the Hot version of this recipe. I think it looses something in translation when it's made into sorbet.
I mean - Ice cream for cold remedies?

No. I just can't even.

I will warm wiskey and lemon and water - or brandy and lemon and tea - any sick friend. It's an amazing thing.

but I really truely don't think it translates cold. It looses everything that a HOT toddy is supposed to be.

Wasn't sure which thread to put this in, but it's been a while since I posted in the tea thread so this one it is.

Since my new hubby and I both have been wiped out with The Crud Part 2: Revenge of the Crud, I decided to take matters into my own hands today. Whilst grocery shopping, I picked up stuff for hot toddy's. (Also - it's football Sunday and I've been so sick I haven't had a drink in well over a week. This must end I say!)

So - I'm a super fan of this hot toddy recipe:

3/4 cup of tea (I used Earl Grey naturally)
1 Tblsp Honey
2 Shots Brandy (I liked the 2 shots, my sweetie made that weird Hunter S. Thompson "OMG! These Drugs!" Lizard face.

Sooo....for your non-drinkiey friends:

Make it 2 tbsp Honey
1 shot brandy

Hubby liked that much better.

that does sound yummy!!!

Mongoose wrote:GUYS GUYS!

We got a Keurig at work!

Today I have had!!!

THREE black coffees

TWo Early Greys!
It's like 5x the caffeine I normally have!

Wanna go running?

I just wanted to say that I live for the day that I can see this live and in person. I can just hear goosey all in mah head going "GUYS!! GUYS!!!" all strung the heck out on too much caffeine and I have to say.....it pleases me greatly.

or you know - use more tea to coco in the mix if you're not lucky enough to have high quality earl grey.....

that's what I thought. :highfive:

Mongoose wrote:That tea I appropriated from my friend's ex's exodus? So good. I would never shell out for a loose herbal tea from Teavana (Although I will for Rooibos Tropica) but this strawberry kiwi is worth it. Tastes like punch when you ice it.

Admit it goosey - it tastes extra good because you liberated it from a b*** who wasn't worthy of either your friend or good tea.

Mongoose wrote:I had a rooibos/white blend. I'm solo tonight, nothing is going on on facebook, the forums are surprisingly calm and nothing is on TV. Everyone come play!

Sorry goosey - i had to work.

already did k?

thellama73 wrote:

bea wrote:

thellama73 wrote:

bea wrote:Yup - I've been a first reader for more than one person. I'm good at that sort of thing. - also I like new stuff. There's never enough things to read. My bff guy version and I lived with one novel that got abandoned for like 10 years or something. I can't tell you how many rewrites I read of the exact same 3 chapters.

Never enough to read, you ay? Why you should read my novels then!

going to your link was on my to do list tbh....what was it again?

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64 ... n_Albright

I just friend requested you k?

Vompatti wrote:I wouldn't mind mixing it with other stuff, if you know what I mean.

I am curious for a detailed list of "other stuff" k?

yes - but since I started it, I'm ok with it. I come from the land of "this forum goes off topic"

thellama73 wrote:

bea wrote:Yup - I've been a first reader for more than one person. I'm good at that sort of thing. - also I like new stuff. There's never enough things to read. My bff guy version and I lived with one novel that got abandoned for like 10 years or something. I can't tell you how many rewrites I read of the exact same 3 chapters.

Never enough to read, you ay? Why you should read my novels then!

going to your link was on my to do list tbh....what was it again?

Yup - I've been a first reader for more than one person. I'm good at that sort of thing. - also I like new stuff. There's never enough things to read. My bff guy version and I lived with one novel that got abandoned for like 10 years or something. I can't tell you how many rewrites I read of the exact same 3 chapters.

Maybe ask epi in a pm k? I know he writes, but if I'm remembering correctly, he was working more on novel stuffs last time we talked about it. He may have or be willing to do something short if asked. It never hurts to ask. The worst thing you hear is "I'm sorry, I don't have the time right now."

Also - I remember rey being in on that convo - I can't remember if he's a writer as well or if he's more like me and a reader.

Also also - I have not written anything in a very long time, but if I do get something that I think is good enough for you to look at - you'll be the first place I send it.

also also also - if you ever get to the point where you need help managing submissions or if there's something bts I can do to help, let me know. Like I said, these days, I'm more of a reader than a writer, but I love your site and would like to help it in any way I could.

More thoughts: I miss that 8tracks site everyone was chilaxin' in just before I moved out here. That was a pretty cool site and I loved how everyone could take turns playing the dj. I learned all kinds of cool music from listening and hanging out there.

More thoughts:

1) right this second, I'm getting to pet the stand off kittah, Penny. WOOOHOOOO!
2) I shockingly agree with goosey re: V&L (Orange btw - is the color for sarcasm) But in all seriousness. Some of my dearest and turest friends ever are people I met online before I met them IRL, including my current sweetie whom I met on LP 3 years ago. After a year of getting to know each other and doing the "go back and forth accross the country to see each other" thing, we decided we couldn't stand saying good-bye to each other all the time so he came out to Ohio and dove with me and my car back to his home state of AZ where we have lived pretty happily for 2 years now. I will marry this man. He is my one ture love.
3) I can't tell if penny's whipping my arm with her tail because she wants me to quit petting her or if it's because I keep stopping the petting of her to type.
4) I have nothing to say about tea today.
5) I'm not wearing socks either! I am however wearing sandles. I pretty much wear them all the time except when I have to wear other shoes or when I go to bed.
6) You are special to me too.
7) Matt's backyard is awesome. It makes me nostalgic for home.

Mongoose wrote:Also, I didn't realize you didn't know each other IRL. I think this has got to change. I know bea is down with that too, right bea?

ZOMG!!!!! YOU 2 NEED TO MAKE OUT ALREADY K?????

those look awesome. I knew there'd be a market for my idea.

someone beat me to it!

A Person wrote:I can't imagine being allergic to chocolate, I don't think I'd live very long if I were.

I see Celestial Seasoning tea boxes at the store all the time, but I've not tried any yet.

I like their fruit teas. Like their blueberry and their raspberry. They are the ones I'd mentioned when I said I liked fruity herbal teas.

Celestrial Seasoning and Twinnings are honestly, my go to prepackaged tea choices. Twinning's Earl Grey is the best I've ever found.

That looks amazing. I wonder if you could sub sake for it?

hahahaha - na not at all. I saw a recipe back in the day for a "green tea martini" and it's what got me going with the thought. My thought was maybe a flavored tea matched with a similar or complimentary flavored vodka or cordial. Like a mint flavored herbal with just a splash of Chambord.

I hear that infusing your own vodka is super fun and makes for some wonderful flavored vodkas, I'm honestly not that patient most times. (Vodka never lives long in my home... )

Lizzy - thanks for the suggestions!

I have another question for those of you who imbibe the spirits.

Back when I was bartending, one idea I had to bring "new" drinks to my crowd was to start playing with tea and booze combinations. Obviously some of the stronger boozes would totally crush the light flavor of most teas. My question to you all is - what type of tea do you think would be most able to stand up to having booze added to it? It's just this odd stray thought that I contemplate sometimes when I'm feeling creative as I've never really got to do any experimenting with it. It's like a half wrote poem ya know?

As far as packaged tea goes, I have a soft spot for Earl Grey if I'm drinking it early enough in the day to handle the caffeine. IDK that I've tried Lady Grey before, but I may now because of the recommendation. At night I like herbal berry flavored teas - raspberry, blueberry. Peppermint is nice when I'm not feeling good.

How do you go about making ice tea from the loose teas? Do you make it one cup at a time?

When I was young, my great-great Auntie Ruth and I would drink hot tea with just a splash of milk together when she took me out to dinner (like after church and stuff) but it was always restaurant Liption.

I also saw some great conversations about tea brewing and drinking over in the random thread, and thought maybe a thread of it's own was warranted as I asked some questions and I can see this as a topic all in and of itself.

Lizzy and Matt - it may just be us at first, but easier to find stuff later in it's own thread I'd think.