(no subject)

[the_rck]

I'm going to have to have Scott pick up butter on his way home from work. I had two sticks, and the cake mix calls for a third of a cup while the frosting mix calls for a full cup. I figure I can wait on the frosting as long as I get the cake baked early. I intend to bake the cake before my gastroenterology appointment. That'll give it plenty of time to cool.

Cordelia sent her first texts yesterday. I'm sure it's the start of a flood. Then again, the friend she was texting with also has an iPad or iPod and uses FaceTime to talk to Cordelia. I don't know that texting will replace that. Cordelia's still asking permission to share her phone number with each of her friends. I don't expect that to last, but I suppose the fact that I say yes means that she'll see no reason not to ask. She plans to use her phone to help plan her science fair project. She's doing that with two friends, one of whom has an iPod and uses FaceTime, the other of whom has a cell phone. The two can't talk to each other, but they can both talk to Cordelia.

I seem to have readjusted to the school schedule. At least, I hope so. I fell asleep promptly last night and woke fully when my alarm went off. I felt no need to nap (which is good because I've got a great deal to do this morning). With luck, I'm not going to be desperate for caffeine this afternoon. I've got a couple of chai teabags that are about seven years old, and that's my only source of caffeine unless I want to use my instant coffee. I really wish I could come up with an option for caffeine that wasn't so high in sugar as soda pop (I can't have diet pop). Black tea isn't a good option because it gives me reflux and because I can't drink it unsweetened. I end up using an awful lot of honey simply to make it palatable.

Comments

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

How does green tea work for you? It has caffeine, just not quite as much as black tea, and it does work for that caffeine boost. White tea is also quite mild, as are some of the oolongs out there. Have you figured out what about black tea upsets your stomach? Is it the tannin or the bitterness? (This can be fixed by (a) not brewing as long and (b) making sure you get a decent tea, preferably a full-leaf variety that can breathe. I can make a good six to eight cups out of a lot of my full-leaf teas, and no bitterness or tannins.)

Also, have you tried buying bottled tea? They have various new-ish brands out there that are pretty tasty and not nasty (I do not say one word about Snapple (bleah!), but HonestTea and Pure Leaf have green tea with non-diet sweeteners and they both use real tea, as far as I can tell... that's what I drink when I want a cold drink these days...).

[the_rck]

I'm pretty sure the reflux problem is the tannins. I can't handle purple grape juice or red wine either. Of course, against the tannins theory is the fact that I'm fine with chocolate and cranberry juice. I don't know.

Bitterness is a problem because, whatever I turn to, I'm going to need to drink it unsweetened. I need to cut calories so that I stop gaining weight, and I can't afford calories in my beverages (that's why sweetened, bottled tea is out).

Green tea is challenging because I have trouble getting the water the right temperature and because I have a tendency to forget my tea while it's steeping and let it go far too long. Those two factors leave me with very bitter green tea. I'm also not sure how my digestive system will react to green tea. I haven't experimented much with it.

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

PureLeaf has a totally non-sweetened bottled tea that I find too bitter, but Bruce thinks is just right. They also have a green with honey that's not very sweet. With the diabetes, I have to be careful about sugar, too, and I'm not having any artificial sweeteners, as they make my stomach even crankier. Of course, I don't *mind* some sugar in my drinks, since I am off a lot of carbs anyway.....

I find that if you get the proper kind of green tea, bitterness is not a problem --- but that could be because I steep all my tea for the shortest possible period (three minutes is a long time for me, and that's WITH loose tea/herbals -- tea bags are much much much shorter time in the water, given the chopped up nature of their contents, and they are the most dangerous in re: tannins and bitterness due to that). I also don't worry about the proper temperature very much, since I make all of my tea (except at home) with water from the coffee machine at work, which is at one temperature (not boiling, but hot enough to burn your mouth if you don't add an ice cube or allow it to cool) and it turns out fine.

I think I can say that it is possible to find something you like, can tolerate, and which doesn't require much, if any, sugar to make it non-bitter. Do you like floral tones? Jasmine green is very nice... if you get the proper amount of jasmine, obviously.... I just was given a really nice box of Numi Organic Jasmine Green that is pretty smooth and not overpowering. I also got a really tasty box of Allegro tea that is Northwest Minty Green (green tea, spearmint and peppermint). And, finally, Numi has a new line of Savory Teas that mix vegetables and tea -- Beet Cabbage, Carrot Curry, Spinach Chive, Broccoli Cilantro, Tomato Mint, and Fennel Spice. All the ones I've tried have been very good, not like tea in flavor, but more of a very light broth-based soup, but there is caffeine in there. And of course, being veggie-based, the only thing I feel like adding is a bit of pepper for zing. You can get all of these at Whole Foods, but I haven't seen them anywhere else, per se.

[the_rck]

I'm supposed to avoid all mints. They increase reflux.

I'm wary of florals because I'm allergic to so many.

The savory teas sound interesting. I'd probably have to stick to the beet cabbage and the spinach chive. I'll see if I can get Scott to take me to Whole Foods to look for them. We'll be at Tappan, so we'll be at least vaguely in the area.