Last Minute Thoughts

You know how it is when you're drifting off to sleep and you remember all those things you didn't get done or need to do tomorrow. Well, tonight was one of those nights for my mom. Right when she got in bed she remembered the 'tea' that had been steeping all day. It's this special brew she fixed this morning, it had to set for 12 hours, be boiled for another 10 minutes, strained and then put in amber bottles. Well, let's just say we're a makeshift kind of family.

No strainer

No amber bottles

Makeshift #1: Mom saves (almost) everything, so we used a combo of mason jars and old spaghetti jars.

Makeshift #2: We decided we would put foil around the jars to block out the light.

Makeshift #3: Strainer

Idea #1: Find the mysterious strainer

Idea #2: Use the regular pasta strainer with cheesecloth laid in it while dumping the hot tea over it and into another pot.

Idea #3: Use a pot with that grease spatter thing with the handle on it that you can put over pans when cooking something splattery.

Idea #3 Wins! This tea was more like a cauldron and in the last 4 minutes of boiling, it completely boils over onto the glass top stove with all the pieces of who knows what in tote. The smell is just downright lovely (if you lived in the trees). We get to the last bit of liquid (and chunk) that we're straining [my mom with a towel wrapped around her hand holding the makeshift strainer thing over the pot which was propped on an upside down measuring glass in the sink) and let me tell you this is not the last thing you want to see before you lay your sleepy eyes to rest for the evening.

We made it through, no burns, no mess, no broken jars, etc. A few laughs and hopefully some yummy tea (although that's up for decision tomorrow).