Photo by Amanda Mager

I love hot tea. My mom and her mom used to drink it. And my dad’s mom used to drink it, too. Weak tea with milk, sugar, and honey. If it were one degree hotter, it would burn your tongue.

I can still see my mom on the couch under that red-checkered blanket. She’s reading a book – a steamy romance novel – and sipping hot tea. Now I’m the mom that’s sipping hot tea. But I’m not on the couch; I’m on the computer writing that novel.

Grandma (Dad’s mom) used to put water on the stove the instant that Dad and us kids walked in the door. She’d pour tea for the kids, same as the adults. We thought that was the neatest. We never even missed Kool-Aid® or pop that we might get at other relatives’ houses.

My kids love hot tea, too. Whenever they’re sick, they beg for a cup… with extra honey. My son, Tyler, has recently acquired a love of tea, also. Although, he calls it “coffee.” Poor boy can’t understand why we call it “tea,” especially since his nickname is “T.”

I enjoy black tea and think that Earl Gray is divine. Don’t laugh, but Earl Gray reminds me of Froot Loops®. I first tasted it at a temp job in Washington D.C. I fell in love immediately and stock my kitchen cabinets with it.

I’m considering trying white tea, which I’ve learned helps with losing weight and keeping it off. Has anyone tasted it? I only like a really mild tea, which white tea is purported to be.