Yerba Mate
Yerba mate or yerba-mate or erva-mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly (family Aquifoliaceae) native to subtropical South America. It is a staple in South American culture. The infusion called mate or yerba mate tea is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea. The leaves are left in during consumption and more water and leaves can be added again and again. Often mate is drunk from a hollow gourd called a guampa with a metal straw called a bombilla. Mate is consumed both in the native green format and also in a darker roasted format. Both have very unique tastes, somewhat earthy or grassy, and sometimes a little bitter. I personally enjoy both the plain green version and also combining it with other herbal and health blends of tea.
Yerba Mate is considered an excellent stimulant; it can be used as a substitute for caffeine or other energy drinks and does not have the crash associated with many other stimulants. Mateine is the compound that is the stimulant found in Yerba Mate; it is considered to be less disruptive to your metabolism and doesn't leave you with the side effects and toxicity of coffee. Yerba Mate contains 52 more active compounds and a higher antioxidant count than Green Tea. Yerba Mate fights free radicals, detoxifies the body and helps protect against diseases such as cancer and heart disease. These and other health benefits have been the subject of numerous recent studies. Yerba Mate has been studied for its health benefits and praised as the perfect alternative to coffee. The Pasteur institute and the Paris Scientific Society conducted a study on Yerba Mate, and one of their most significant conclusions was that Yerba Mate contains "practically all of the vitamins 
necessary to sustain life". Many indigenous South Americans refer to Yerba Mate as "The drink of the gods", because of its incredible health benefits. Yerba Mate has even been nicknamed the "liquid vegetable" because of its numerous active compounds, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. On top of the vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenois, Yerba Mate also contains saponins, which have been found to stimulate the immune system and help protect the body from disease.
Benefits of Yerba Mate
- All-natural stimulant, which allows you to feel energized without the side effects and toxicity of coffee
- 52 more active compounds than Green Tea, 196 compared to the 144 found in Green Tea
- Contains 15 amino acids
- Higher in antioxidants than White, Green, Oolong and Black Tea
- Contains vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (33), 85 and 8 complex
- Boosts the immune system
- Increases mental alertness
- Detoxifies the body
- Weight Loss: helps break down fat, increases the body's metabolic rate and suppresses appetite.
- Protects the body from disease
My Favourite Yerba Mate Teas:
1. Yerba Mate - Teaopia - 10
2. Mate Peach - Teaopia - 10
3. Mate Citrus Buzz - Teaopia - 9
4. Mate Sweet Energy - Teaopia - 9
5. Slim and Slender - Teaopia - 9
6. Green Yerba Mate - Stash Tea - 7
7. Mate Tropic - Tazo - 6
8. Lemon Mate - Tazo - 6
Articles in this Series:
0. Tea Tea Everywhere - Teaopia Mad Hatter Tea Party
1. Tea an Overview
Silverwing
Kenneth Oppel (blog)
Harper Collins - Browse Inside
ISBN 9780006481799
When I first read this book 10 years ago it blew me away. I was in university at the time, and doing a children's lit course, and read a number of award winners to supplement the 15 or so books we read for the course. This book was one I picked up that summer and I have been a huge fan of Kenneth Oppel ever since. This story is a coming-of-age story; it is the story of Shade a young silverwing bat who is the runt in his colony. During the annual migration to the colony's winter roost, he is separated from his friends and family. Shade sets out to find his colony and alone and desperate he braves the outside world. As winter approaches he must find his colony or a safe haven quickly, or else he will perish.
This book is very well written, told in the black and white world of a bat and echo vision. The story is fascinating and the adventure runs non-stop. The first time I read this I could not put it down. This time through I took it a little slower and really savoured the book. It won 11 literary awards and has numerous sequels now. Pick it up for an excellent read.
The Silverwing SagaSilverwing
Sunwing
Firewing
Darkwing
Books by Kenneth Oppel:
Half Brother (2010)
The Devil's Cure (2000)
Dead Water Zone (1992)
The Live-Forever Machine (1990)
Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
This Dark Endeavour (2011)
Such Wicked Intent (2012)
Airborn Series
Airborn (2004)
Skybreaker (2005)
Starclimber (2008)
Children's Fiction:
The King's Taster (2009)
Peg and the Yeti (2004)
Peg and the Whale (2000)
Emma's Emu (1995)
Galactic Snapshots (1993)
Cosmic Snapshots (1993)
Follow That Star (1992)
Cosimo Cat (1990)
Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure (1985)
Barnes and the Brains
A Bad Case of Ghosts (1993)
A Strange Case of Magic (1994)
A Crazy Case of Robots (1994)
An Incredible Case of Dinosaurs (1994)
A Weird Case of Super-Goo (1997)
A Creepy Case of Vampires (2002)
Matcha Tea
By far, Matcha tea is my favourite. But its price point keeps me from daily consumption. I love making it myself with either water only or water and tea as a latte. I enjoy lattes out at a few different places. Matcha is a tea made from a finely powdered Green tea; it has a long-standing role in the history of tea. It is believed to have been introduced to Japan in 1191 A.D. by a Zen Buddhist monk named Eisai. Monks used it to stay focused and relaxed for long periods of time for deep meditation. The most active ingredient in Matcha tea is the amino acid L-Theanine, found almost exclusively in the Camellia sinensis plant (tea). It both stimulates brain wave activity and relaxes the physical body. Matcha is one of the fastest growing health drinks and tea markets in the western world currently, because of its exceptional health benefits. Matcha has an extremely high antioxidant count and numerous other health benefits. The Kyoto region of Japan, often considered the 
birthplace of Japanese Green Tea, is also one of the most famous Matcha producing regions in the world. This variety of Green Tea is created by a unique process where leaves are steamed, dried and stems and veins are removed. Next, the dried leaves called "tencha" are stone ground into a powder creating the final product, Matcha. When drinking this tea you are therefore ingesting the whole Green tea leaf, and as such you receive more health benefits - in fact approximately 10x more than an infusion of traditional Green Tea leaves. It is believed for best results and to achieve the most from the health benefits it should be consumed daily. Teaopia Matcha was recommended to my father by a nutritionist a few years back. Since then most of the family has become addicted to Teaopia teas - my dad, stepmom, brother and myself. But my father is the only one who consumes it daily. Because Matcha is a powder it can be added to lots of foods and beverages; it can be added to yogurt, shakes, sprinkled on ice cream and of course traditionally prepared. To prepare Matcha the traditional way powder whip with a whisk in a small amount of warm water. Once all lumps are removed add more hot water or steamed tea. You can tell how good the quality of the Matcha is by how bright and luminescent the color is. Matcha comes in a number of grades, each progressively more expensive.
Health Benefits
- Highest known concentration of antioxidants in a food source
- 10x more antioxidants than Green Tea
- 9X the beta carotene of spinach
- High in chlorophyll which detoxifies the body
- Boosts metabolic rate by 35-40% when consumed regularly, assisting in weight loss
- High in L-Theanine which increases alertness, improves concentration and reduces stress
- Fights free radicals, which can cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease
Articles in this Series:
0. Tea Tea Everywhere - Teaopia Mad Hatter Tea Party
1. Tea an Overview
2. Red Teas
3. Green Teas
4. White Teas
5. Black Teas
Black Tea
My Favourite Black Teas:
1. Double Bergamot Earl Grey - Stash Tea - 10
2. Monk's Blend Tea - Tara's Health Food - 10
3. Irish Breakfast - Twinings - 10
4. Monk's Blend Tea- Teaopia - 10
5. Irish Breakfast - Teaopia - 9
6. Blackberry Sage - Republic of Tea - 9
7. Holiday Blend - Teaopia - 7
8. Christmas Morning - Stash Tea - 7
9. Holiday Chai Black Tea - Stash Tea - 7
10. Russian Caravan - Jackson of Piccadilly - 6
Articles in this Series:
0. Tea Tea Everywhere - Teaopia Mad Hatter Tea Party
1. Tea an Overview
2. Red Teas
3. Green Teas
4. White Teas
5. Black Teas
6. Matcha Tea
7. Yerba Mate
8. Fruit Blends
9. Wellness Blends10. Herbal Teas
11. Purveyors of Fine Tea (my preferences.)
12. Custom Blending
13. My Favourite TeasTop Ten Teas of 2010
Rose Sees Red
Cecil Castellucci
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545060790
This book blew me out of the water. I quickly became obsessed with it and did not want to put it down. It is set in cold war era New York City, focusing around a girl named Rose who attends a performing arts high school. I was first interested in this book because of Cecil Castellucci's contribution and co-editing of Geektastic. The story runs the gamut of angst of learning to be, of both being and becoming. Yet mostly it revolves around what is friendship, and how do friendships begin and how do they end.
Rose is attempting to understand what friendship is and to herself she says: "What was a friend? Really? Someone you liked. Who was kindred. Who understood you. Who helped you. Who you had fun with. Who accepted you. I realized I had never really had that with anyone. Not even Daisy. And now, every time I thought about being someone's friend, hers was the friendship that haunted me."p.13. I struggle with those questions also. I want to be a good friend and I want good friends. And I too have friendships that haunt me, some I destroyed and some others abandoned, but either way they haunt me. The beginning of the book is Rose trying to evaluate how she lost her best friend and in so doing is looking at their whole friendship and the true meaning of friendship. For Rose was given a choice by her former best friend, either her or dance, and Rose realized she loved dance. "And just like that, it was supposed to be over. But I hadn't grown out of it. It was my morning and evening. It was my breathing in and my breathing out. It was my food and my water."p.15. Rose realized that she loved dance and needed to try to pursue it. And so she does.
Rose also has great insight into who she really is. She states: "I wasn't convinced that I could get into those brainy schools. I was smart, but I wasn't smart like Todd (her brother). I had a different kind of smarts, and that kind of smarts didn't do very well on tests."p.18. Rose has a deep self-understanding and she is trying to figure out friendship. Then she has a day like none before. Rose goes for pizza after school with some classmates. Then she escapes the CIA and the KGB who are following her neighbor, a diplomat's daughter from the USSR. Together this neighbor Yrena and Rose go on a whirlwind night around New York City and to a protest rally to stop Nukes.
Most of the book takes place in under a day. As you're reading you will find yourself unable to put the book down. The story is very well written and captures something of the human spirit. As Rose and Yrena travel through the city with different people from the School or Arts, you will encounter people familiar to you and your life, both in high school and after. The characters are well written and will remind you of people you know or have encountered. The cliques and circles she describes are those similar to those all of us encounter at work and at school, and similar to those described by Arthur Slade in his book Tribes. Rose makes a poignant observation about someone she meets that night and on reflecting on it, it reflects on all of us. "But I noticed that about Free. He might look like he could be on a football team or date a cheerleader, but he had eyes that cared. I bet that was why he wore hippie clothes and the beard. He was trying to distance himself from who he thought the world thought he should be. Were we all like that? Were we all trying to change how we looked on the outside to match how we felt on the inside? Were we all trying to change how people saw us? … And I wanted so badly for the world to see me as a dancer." Castellucci's insight into people and their behavior is wonderful and her novel is refreshing and encouraging. This is a magnificent book, brilliant in concept, insight and execution.
(This book does not come out until August but it was so good I had to start recommending it now.)
Books by Cecil Castellucci:
Boy Proof (2005)
The Queen of Cool (2006)
Beige (2007)
The P.L.A.I.N. Janes (2007)
Janes in Love (2008)
Geektastic (Editor & Contributor 2009)
Rose Sees Red (2010)
Grandma's Gloves (2010)
First Day On Earth (2011)
Odd Duck (2013)
Tin Star (2014)
Stone in the Sky (2015)
The Plain Janes 3 in 1 (2020)
...
Music By Cecil Castellucci
Twist Her - Nerdy Girl (1996)
Whoever - Cecil Seaskull (1998)
A Visual Bibliography for Cecil Castellucci
Author profile interview with Cecil Castellucci
White Tea
White tea consists of the young buds and very young leaves of the tea plant, which are covered with a silvery white down, giving the unopened leaf a white appearance and a gentle delicate flavour. This special tea is most often handpicked which usually results in more limited quantities, and thus higher prices. Because of this early harvest and limited processing it often retains higher levels of antioxidants. White tea is often considered the purest form of tea because of this. Therefore white tea contains high amounts of antioxidants, along with health promoting phytochemicals that destroy free radicals, boost the immune system, acts as an antiviral and contributes to maintaining a healthy, active metabolism and circulatory system which is why it is often associated with health and well being. Recent studies indicate that White tea can also contribute in fighting obesity, is also known to reduce stress and relaxes the mind, which makes it the definitive health tea. With all of these incredible benefits and its fantastic taste it is no wonder that white tea has become such a popular drink around the world.
White tea is believed to have been discovered in China during the Song Dynasty, 960-1279 AD. Early on, white tea was reserved as the "Emperor's drink" and as a result the common people were not allowed to drink this variety of tea or could not afford it. Eventually after much cultivation, white tea eventually became available to all, but it was still extremely rare and expensive. And until recently, I had avoided higher priced white teas, and not really sampled them because of the cost difference between white, red, green and black teas. White teas are often double the price for quality brands. Yet that was really my loss. I currently keep 3 types of Teaopia white tea both at home and work. I find the flavours wonderful and soothing. Often I enjoy taking slow sips and letting it flow over the tongue slowly to savour the flavour as it hits different parts of the tongue. I am finding it is worth the extra money both for the taste and for the benefits.
My Favourite White Teas:
1. Wonderful White - Teaopia - 10
2. Superberry White - Teaopia - 103. Berryblossom White - Tazo - 9
4. Strawberry Fields - Teaopia - 95. Simply Mango - Teaopia - 8
6. Princess Earl Grey - Teaopia - 7
7. White Tea with Pomegranate - Twinings - 7
8. Fusion Red, White & Blueberry Tea - Stash Tea - 6
9. Pure White - Twinings - 6
10. Raspberry White Tea - Stash Tea - 6
Articles in this Series:
0. Tea Tea Everywhere - Teaopia Mad Hatter Tea Party
1. Tea an Overview
2. Red Teas
3. Green Teas4. White Teas
5. Black Teas
6. Matcha Tea
7. Yerba Mate8. Fruit Blends
9. Wellness Blends10. Herbal Teas
11. Purveyors of Fine Tea (my preferences.)
12. Custom Blending
13. My Favourite Teas
Top Ten Teas of 2010
Fruit Blends
also make excellent iced tea, but I find that you can make iced tea of almost any tea. I personally do not enjoy many of the fruit blends unless I custom blend them with another tea. I especially like blending them with a plain Yerba Mate or a plain Rooibos or Rooibos Earl Grey.
