Dinner is Out of All Proportion!

Do you think you are getting a good deal when you order food at a restaurant and the plate that arrives in front of you is roughly 16" in diameter and absolutely covered in cuisine? Well think again!

All foods are permissible (obviously with the exception of food allergies or serious health concerns) but not all foods are good for us! The less healthy foods should be eaten rarely and in small amounts, but not banished all together from our plates.

Try to keep to these portion control standards:



A steak should be about the size of an iPod classic.

A serving of pasta should be about the size of your fist.

A pat or butter is about the size of a postage stamp.



A serving of cheese is 1 oz., about the size of a small matchbox or your littlest finger.

A baked potato should be about the size of a computer mouse, and not the mini mouse variety.

A pancake should be about the size of a cd or dvd.

A serving of salad dressing is about 1 shot glass full.

A serving of beans is ab out the size of a light bulb.

A serving of fish is about the size of a checkbook.

A serving of rice, preferable brown or wild rice, is about the size of a baseball.



A serving of chocolate, dark chocolate is best, is the size of a dental floss container.

Not one of these is outrageously limiting! I adore sweets, I just don't eat them every day and I try to limit myself to the 3 bites rule, and the bites are not small!

Movie Monsters

Heading to the movies anytime soon? It's like a horror show regardless of the film you choose if you head to the snack bar.



Admit One - to the cardiac unit
Did you know that a medium popcorn and a medium soda have 1600 calories? 60 of fat? That's the same as 3 quarter pounders with cheese AND 12 pats of butter (3 oz.). Even if you have them leave off the butter the kernels have already been popped in a hot bath of trans fats. (Trans fats are man made fats that sit in your system and do not leave!) As for counting calories, A large bucket of kernels holds about 1,100, shockingly close to most weight loss diet's caloric limit for the entire day (about 1,200 to 1,500).

More terrifying film food facts:

Large Buttered Popcorn (20 cups): 1500 calories, 116g fat, 90g carbs
Hot Dog (1 dog with bun): 305 calories, 4.5g fat, 23g carbs
Nachos with Cheese (large, 4 oz): 1101 calories, 59g fat, 131.5g carbs
Soft Pretzel (large): 483 calories, 4.5g fat, 99g carbs
Cotton Candy (2.5 oz): 300 calories, 0g fat, 74g carbs
Junior Mints (3 oz): 320 calories, 5g fat, 68g carbs
Milk Duds (3 oz): 340 calories, 12g fat, 56g carbs
Sno-Caps (3.1 oz): 360 calories, 16g fat, 60g carbs



Raisinets (3.5 oz): 380 calories, 16g fat, 64g carbs
Gummi Bears (4 oz): 390 calories, 0g fat, 90g carbs
Goobers (3.5 oz): 525 calories, 35g fat, 55g carbs
Twizzlers (6 oz): 600 calories, 4g fat, 136g carbs
M&M's (5.3 oz): 735 calories, 31.5g fat, 105g carbs
Skittles (6.75 oz): 765 calories, 9g fat, 166.5g carbs
Reese's Pieces (8 oz): 1200 calories, 60g fat, 138g carbs
Starburst (24 pieces): 480 calories, 10.5g fat, 99g carbs
Coca-Cola with ice (large, 3 pints, 18.9 fl oz): 353 calories, 0g fat, 88.4g carbs

If you buy food, your best bets are to split either Junior Mints or cotton candy with a friend or loved one, however, I recommend taking your own snack. I reuse to worry about upsetting the management by bringing in food when the items they sell are so outrageously unhealthy! Take in a print out of these food facts and flash it in the face of the middle management stooge that dares to ask about your snacking from home. It's actually doctor prescribed, see here.

One of the very best things you can do to make sure you aren't tempted in to indulging at the snack bar is to eat BEFORE you go to the theater.






The best snacks are things like:
high fiber granola bars - Kelloggs Antioxidant Dark Chocolate Almond are amazing!
dried fruit - raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries
2% fat string cheese
Any of the various 100 calorie packs* - which you can make yourself at a fraction of the cost if you read labels and have a kitchen food scale
nuts - be careful of salted and honey roasted varieties

You can also pop some 94% fat free, buttery popcorn at home and bring it with you! Especially at movie theaters connected to malls, carrying in a shopping bad, smaller gym bag or a very large purse is not uncommon. Personally I have a back injury that doe not appreciate how the theater seats tip backwards a bit to be more "comfortable". For me, the seats are very painful after just 30 minutes. I carry a canvas grocery tote with a small pillow and a neck roll...and a few snacks!

I have chosen to bring my own snacks more times than I can count and never been questioned once. Sit in the middle of a row and let whatever happens happen. Do you want to eat at the theater? Do you want to avoid the lethal offerings they will never hesitate to temp you with? So what if the middle management guy in the suit reprimands your snacking... just don't opt for a canned beverage. That opening "click" and "spritz" sounds massive between previews!

* Beware the use of high sugar 100 calorie packs. They are just mini bombs that spike your sugar levels, inducing more insulin to be mad in your body and triggering a "hoard the fat cells" response.

Spaghetti Night

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in most spaghetti sauces. Why do they include sugar? Tomatoes are sweet if they are picked at the right time, why add sugar? Here is an easy, home sauce that is very little more work than opening a jar.


Marinara Sauce with Meat

• 1/2 pound ground turkey or ground beef
• 1/2 pound Italian spicy sausage - hot, medium, or mild (can use Italian turkey sausage if desired)
• 1 - 29oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 t. garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1 t. basil
• 1/2 t. oregano

1. Brown and drain meats.
2. Add all other ingredients and mix.
3. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes or, for more flavor, cook in crock pot for 3-4 hours on high.

That's it! I know it's amazing an simple. Pair with an SmartTaste pasta and you have and outstanding - and healthy meal.

Music for dinner should include:

• Tarantella Napoletana
• Si Maritau Rosa
• Piu Bellu di Peppe Non Ce
• Thats Amore
• Funiculi Funicula

Ode to an Egg: Weight Loss & Muscle

The egg: to eat or not to eat? That is the age long question.

The answer is both!

Egg whites are cholesterol and saturated fat free. So when people talk about the cholesterol in eggs, they are really talking about the saturated fat and cholesterol levels in egg yolk. Also, more that half of the protein in an egg is contained in the white as opposed to the yolk (3.5 g in the white, 2.5g in the yolk in an average 50 gram egg).

My simple solution it only eat the white of the egg, and eat it often! The whites of 1 dozen large eggs fits quite perfectly in an 18 screw top container. I keep mine in an empty and washed out peanut butter container (Not recommended if you have peanut allergies, but why would you have and empty peanut butter jar in the first place if you have peanut allergies...anyway...)

If you find you are squeamish about eating a plate of albino scrambled eggs, just add 6 drops of yellow food color to 1 dozen egg whites.

Tip: When separating eggs, if you lose a piece of shell in your whites, use a large piece of shell to retrieve it. The egg shell attracts the bit of wayward shell. I don't know why but it does work.

Alternatively, you can buy egg beaters or egg substitute, but it's actually less expensive to buy catrons of whole eggs and separate them yourself. My 18oz of egg white is about $1.29, as opposed to $2.50 or sometimes over $3.00 for egg whites already in a carton.

1/2 cup of egg white = 2 eggs

Weight Loss

It has been scientifically proven that people who start their day with eggs will eat approx. 20% less food over the course of their day. The high protein in eggs is very filing and people just don't feel as hungry at meals and snacking is significantly decreased.

See one of many articles on the subject here.

It is also a fact that consuming carbohydrates will actually cause your body to crave more carbohydrates, so starting your day with a high amount of carbs is a terrible idea! Especially since you will be breaking an overnight fast. Your body wants protein and if you give it carbs after a lengthy time without food your blood sugar levels will spike, causing your pancreas to work overtime (type 2 diabetis here we come!) and them plummet, causing hunger. What will you be hungry for? More carbs!

Eating eggs for breakfast instead of bagels, cereal, instant oatmeal, toast, or McMuffins will cause your carb desires to be put of until later in the day. As result you will crave carbs for smaller portion of your day instead of all day!

If you do choose to eat oatmeal, be sure it is not the instant add water type. All traditional breakfast carbs are less harmful if you add fiber to the meal. Everyone should eat 4 grams of fiber at every meal to prevent a sugar spike.

I love breakfast cereals, I just don't eat them for breakfast. Snacking on some of the healthier cereals, or the naughty ones with mini marshmallows with added fiber, is a great idea for later in the day.



Building Muscle

1/2 cup of egg white contains 130 mg of calcium. It has been proven that calcium and protein in combination helps build muscle. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn whether you are running, biking, doing sit-ups, or just sitting still.

The human body needs at least 1000 mg of calcium per day, so drink you milk (skim is best - try organic for outstanding flavor skim milk) and/or take a calcium supplement.

How to Cook Your Eggs

Scrambled

1. Heat small skillet on medium low.
2. Pour 1/2 c. egg whited in to a 1 cup glass or plastic liquid measuring cup.
3. Add enough skim milk to bring the total liquid to 2/3 cup.
4. Whisk egg and milk with a little salt and pepper.
5. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Add egg mix to skillet and cook, moving eggs around constantly with a rubber spatula.
7. Don't let the eggs brown.
8. Serve hot.

Optional add ins:

• fat free or 2% cheddar or Swiss cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon real bacon bits
• 1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/8 teaspoon dill weed
  

Fried Eggs

1. Heat small skillet on medium low.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter substitute (not trans fatty margarine!) and let it melt.
3. Measure out 1/2 cup egg whites.
4. Add to skillet.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Turn eggs when slightly golden brown in spots.
7. Serve hot.

Omelet
This one is a bit tricky and takes a few tries to get right.

1. Heat a very small skillet (6") on medium low.
2. Pour 1/2 c. egg whited in to a 1 cup glass or plastic liquid measuring cup.
3. Add enough skim milk to bring the total liquid to 2/3 cup.
4. Whisk egg and milk with a little salt and pepper.
5. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter substitute (not trans fatty margarine!) and let it melt.
6. Add egg mix to skillet.
   
7. Use a fork to very gently break up cooked bits of egg as they form.
   
8. Don't let the eggs brown.
9. Run a rubber spatula around the edge of the egg to loosen from the pan, also allowing uncooked egg to flow underneath the cook egg.
   
10. When egg is cooked, but not brown, turn omelet over.
11. Immediately add 2 tablespoons fat free or 2% cheddar or Swiss cheese to 1/2 side of the omelet.
12. It will only take about a minute for the egg to finish cooking once it's flipped over.
13. Turn off fire. Gentle fold omelet in half or roll into a tube shape.
    
14. Serve hot.

Be creative about the filling you add if you like.


Quiche

Easy to make with or without a crust. Without a crust is healthier as it lowers the fat and carb count. If you use a crust, any crust recipe will do, or you can use a store bought crust.

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. Grease an 8" or 9" pie plate.
3. Add shell to plate, if desired, and poke 20 or so sets of holes in it with a fork.
4. (Only if using pie shell) Line pie crust with double layer of foil and bake for 10 minutes. Removed from oven and carefully remove foil.
   
5. Add 2/3 cup of cooked ham, turkey ham, bacon or vegetables (or any combination) to the pie plate and spread out evenly.
6. Add 1/3 cup finely chopped onion and spread out evenly.
7. Add 1 cup shredded fat free or 2% cheddar or Swiss cheese and spread out evenly.
8. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups egg whites (equal to 6 eggs) and 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 t. salt and a dash of pepper.
   
9. Pour egg mix over the fillings.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 300 degrees and bake an additional 45 -60 minutes until a knife inserted about 1" from the edge of the crust comes out clean.
11. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
12. Recommendation: serve with fresh fruit.
    

The only song that could possible accompany this post is:

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks

This youtube offering even comes with a funny cartoon. Enjoy!

Coffee, Tea and Me - Part 3: Cider and Hot Cocoa

Today's entry must be a short and to the point post. Life got busy the last couple days and I have had a splitting headache most of today thanks to change in the weather. We are experience a heat wave of 32 degrees at the moment! Good old Ohio weather.

Anyway, the two remaining hot drinks I simply cannot do without are caramel apple cider and homemade hot chocolate. No packets of Swiss Miss in my house!

Caramel Apple Cider

12 oz. Healthy Harvest 75% sugar free apple juice (or any Apple Cider/apple juice)
2 teaspoon of Sugar free or regular Caramel Syrup
1 t. cinnamon syrup* (see below)
Top w/ fat free cool whip and/or a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Cinnamon syrup

• Combine 1 c. Splenda or sugar with 1 c. water.
  
• Add 6 T. cinnamon
  
• Bring to a boil.
  
• Let simmer 10 minutes with splenda or 5 minutes with sugar.
  
• Cool and store in airtight container.
  

This version is much more flavorful than Starbucks version of the same. You can even mix it all up ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Just give it a shake before you pour it into a pan to heat on the stove or a mug to heat in the microwave. A meat or candy thermometer is useful. I like my drinks about 140 degrees.

*I have found that if you don't want to bother with the cinnamon syrup, if you heat with a cinnamon stick or 2 you get some cinnamon flavor, although to as much as if you use the syrup.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup. sugar or splenda
• 2 cup dry milk

Combine all and keep in an air tight container. To make 1 cup hot chocolate, combine 1/3 cup of mix with 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a mug. Mix thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup water and microwave in 30 second increments until is it your desired temperature.

To make a large batch for a crowd, combine entire amount of mix with 1 cup boiling water in a dutch oven on the stove top. Add 10-11 cups of water and heat your desired temperature. Can be kept warm in a crock pot. Again a meat or candy thermometer is useful - and I like my drinks about 140 degrees.

Best music for these drinks is any laid back Michael Buble song.

Try on of these:

• Home



• Call Me Irresponsible

Coffee, Tea, and Me - Part 2: Coffee/Espresso

Now on to coffee...

I have enjoyed coffee from my first tentative sip at the tender age of 14. I stopped growing at the age of 13 and the height of 5'3", so no concerns that this early introduction to caffeine stunted my growth. Believe me, my height is completely genetic, and I didn't start drink it with any sort of regularity until about 17 years of age. Before Starbucks, if any of you can remember that long ago - or perhaps you've just blocked it out as a traumatic time - I had coffee from the kitchen coffee maker and occasionally grandma's coffee urn. It was nice. Warm and tasty with a pinch of sugar and a drop of milk. Then, though I know no why, I set my heart on my very own espresso machine. Upon graduating high school, I took the generous monetary gifts of friend and family and immediately purchased a $30 espresso machine among many other essentials for going to college. That machine brought many friends into my life. When I open my dorm room door and fired it up, fellow collegians arrived at my door with a friendly smiles and coffee mugs in hand. It was really awesome! I met many friends in this manner.

This same machine started my married life with me 5 years later, until finally giving up to be replaced by a $75 machine that made both coffee and espresso, and later a $95 machine bought for $35 on craigslist. The latest machine was outstanding! The smoothest espresso I had ever tasted flowed bountifully from within it's stainless walls. When it stopped working one day, I nearly cried. Not only because it was the loss of a cherished, and beloved small appliance, but because I didn't have the money to replace it right away with a remotely comparable machine!

While desperately searching for another $35 miracle, I came across a stove-top espresso machine for $15 at Kitchencollection.com. Well it would do in the meantime, was my thought. I was wrong. I would do forever! I love it! The acidity is almost untraceable, the flavor is smooth as silk and it is just as fast, if not faster that using a machine. The only drawback is the lack of frothing nozzle, but a frothing wand - sold separately for under $15 - fixes that right up.

Stove Top Espresso Maker

Several months later, my DH (dear husband) and I were asked to house sit a log cabin home. We jumped at the opportunity, packed our bags, and tossed our dog and coffee paraphernalia into the Pontiac and headed out - only to find that our vacation digs didn't have a coffee machine! Again Shock! Horror! While shopping at a local outlet mall we came across my DH's favorite coffee (Whole Bean Sumatra Sunset by Boca Java) at an outstanding price. We had the bean grinder - never leave home overnight without it - and decided to look for an inexpensive coffee maker. Just two shelved lower we saw it. A stove top coffee peculator that makes 8 cups of coffee and was a mere $14.99. Why not try it? We love the espresso on the stove top, maybe coffee could be great that way, too .

Oh, wow! When we came home, we moved our coffee machine from the counter top to a pantry shelf where it has remained, neglected and abandoned in favor of a simpler and more delicious way of making coffee. Again, the acidity is much lower than coffee from a machine and there is no objectionable, lingering aftertaste.

Stove Top Coffee Peculator

Last but not least, we always grind our own beans. The grinder we have has different settings of fine (for espresso), medium (for coffee machines), and coarse (for peculators), as well as settings for 4-12 cups worth of coffee or espresso beans. We also like Boca Java coffee. If you order it online, the beans are not even roasted until your order is placed. Talk about fresh and wonderful! They have especially temping introductory deals too.

Some useful info about espresso drinks:

• Affogato - Espresso over ice cream, traditionally vanilla, but I like chocolate, too!
• Americano - or cafe Americano; espresso and hot water, classically using equal parts each. It tastes very watered down and I do not like it.
• Black Eye - or red-eye or Canadiano; a cup of drip coffee with two shots of espresso in it.
• Breve - espresso with half and half
• Cappuccino - Traditionally, one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third I prefer the latte, as the foam is just wasting expensive space in a cafe bought cup, however at home I like a cappuccino from time to time.
• Doppio - two shots of espresso
• Latte - An espresso based drink with a volume of steamed milk, served with either a thin layer of foam or none at all, depending on the shop or customer's preference.
• Macchiato - A small amount of milk or, sometimes, its foam is spooned onto the espresso.
• Mocha - a latte blended with chocolate. (Note: This is not to be confused with the region of Yemen or the coffee associated with that region - which is often seen as 1/2 of the blend "mocha java").

Coffee evokes the feel of several types of music for me. The folk style is more in keeping with a coffee house set, however flamenco guitar seems totally espresso induced to me. A bit spastic and gorgeous all at once.

Folk: Kate Rusby - Awkward Annie

Flamenco: Chuck on the Guitar

Now that you can make outstanding espresso and coffee in your own kitchen I must suggest you invest in a a great to go cup (Copco To Go Cup) or a stack of throw away 16 oz cups and plastic lids. $$ to be saved with minimal effort on your part! If you want to put in a bit of effort you can create you own designer drink in minutes with one of the following recipes. Feel free to use sugar free syrup if you choose in any of the recipes. The seeming infinite array of flavored coffee syrups are well worth looking into.

These are simple drinks that all follow the same rules: For a hot drink, steam or microwave the milk. For an iced drink, use cold milk and pour all over ice. These are all approx. 14 oz drinks. Whipped topping, preferable fat free, is always an optional topping. Coco or cinnamon sprinkled on top is great, too.

Milky Way

• 1 shot espresso
• 1 oz chocolate syrup
• 1 oz caramel syrup
• 10 oz milk

Caramel Latte

• 1 shots espresso
• 2 oz caramel syrup
• 10 oz milk

Black and Gold

• 1 shot espresso
• 1 oz chocolate syrup
• 1 oz honey
• 10 oz milk

S'more Latte

• 1 shot espresso
• 1 oz chocolate syrup
• 1 oz marshmallow cream
  
• 10 oz milk

Cappuccino

• 2 shots espresso
• 8 oz milk

Macchiato

• 3-4 shots espresso
• 4 oz milk
  

And slightly more complicated...
Pumpkin Pie Latte

• 3 heaping T. canned pumpkin
• 2 T. Vanilla syrup (sugar free is great!)
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

(You can also order Pumpkin Spice syrup from Monin, maybe even your local Starbucks will sell you some. If so use a 1 T. of Pumpkin Spice Syrup)

• 1 cup milk
• 1-2 shots espresso

In a small saucepan, stir pumpkin puree into milk. Add vanilla syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Heat gently, continuing to stirring occasionally just until steaming and foam begins to appear. (Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a microwave safe cup and microwave for about 2 - 2 1/2 minutes, stirring a couple times.) Pour pumpkin flavored milk into a tall mug and pour espresso over. Top with fat free whip cream, if desired, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.

Tomorrow we will discuss hot chocolate and cider. Looking forward to it!

Coffee, Tea, and Me - Part 1: Tea

Although I try to always adhere to the fact that all people are created equal and that a good Christian always puts others first and self last, there is one area of my life where my inner snob emerges and runs wild with abandon: hot beverages. Shock! Horror!

(Although coffee enjoys more popularity in America than tea, I will cover tea first because it was my first love. See Tuesday and Wednesday's blogs for info on coffee, hot chocolate, and cider.)

To be honest, I don't remember where or how it all began. I do remember making my first cup of hot tea, as opposed to the iced tea I'd grown up on. I made it in the kitchen and then took it to my room to drink. I was about 14 or 15, I believe. I took a sip and was astonished to find that I disliked it because it tasted just like unsweetened iced tea! (My southern roots are showing a bit here.) So I added a bit of sugar and promptly fell in love! My mother was the first to label me a "tea snob" sometime around the age of 20, when I discovered the "paperbagless" taste of loose leaf tea from a metal canister as opposed to mini envelopes of generic Lipton from a cardboard cube.





Most directions for making tea in this way tell you to use one teaspoon of tea per person and one for the pot. Ignore that advice! It forgets to take into account the size of the pot, the thirst of the tea drinkers, and several other elements like refills and preferred strength. It just makes no sense. I fill the bottom half of the infuser(pictured above with my favorite loose leaf tea) with dry tealeaves. No more! This amount is quite perfect for one pot of tea. Actually, I'm just going to do this like another recipe.


The Perfect Pot of Tea

No, don't laugh. Everybody has to start somewhere. For years I heated water in the microwave oven and dunked teabags. After discovering the infuser I have never gone back to teabags.

Here's the equipment you'll need:

• Water - No kidding. Use tap water or filtered, as you like. (Please don't use distilled!)
• Something to heat the water in.This can be anything from a teakettle to a saucepan.
• A bag or a box of loose tea.
• A ceramic teapot.
• (China is good, too. But although silver looks classy, many people believe it gives tea a metallic taste.)
• Something to strain the tea with, a tea infuser is my choice. (More on this later.)
• Teaspoons and cups.

Not too tricky so far, right? Now before we get started, let's talk about the water.

It must be very, very hot in order for the tea to steep properly. But don't boil the "life" out of it, or your tea will taste flat. Take the pan or teakettle off the heat just before it breaks into a rolling boil. (You know, when the water makes those cute little bubbles on the edges of the saucepan.)
If using a tea kettle, take it off the heat just when you hear it start to bubble, before te whistle goes off.

And now we'll make the tea:

Warm the teapot by filling it with hot tap water and letting it sit while you heat your tea-water. (Don't empty it until just before the tea-water begins to boil.) This prevents the hot water from cracking a cold pot. If you don't know the capacity of your teapot, measure the tap water as you pour it out. (Six-cup teapots are the most common size, but double-check, as the six-cup variety is the size I use with the 1/2 infuser amount tealeaves.) After you've emptied the "warming-up" water, place your half filled tea infuser into the pot before the water.

Pour the almost-boiling water over the tea. Replace the teapot's lid and let your tea steep for 3-5 minutes, according to taste. (Read the directions on your box of tea for a hint on steeping times. Some teas take longer.)

Some teapots come with little ceramic baskets built in, but you can buy plastic mesh strainer-baskets in any cooking store. The tea leaves are placed in these baskets in these cased and an infuser is not necessary. Both of these are easy to remove when the tea is ready.

Enjoy your tea plain or with milk, lemon, honey, sugar, splenda, stevia...whatever, except cream or half and half. Aside from the unnecessary and terrifying amount of saturated fat and calories they will add to your very healthy beverage, cream curdles in tea.

Additional notes:
If you like stronger tea, don't steep it longer, just use more tea. Longer steeping makes tea bitter, not stronger. (Just like coffee.)

Tea cozies are a great invention. They are an insulated cover for the pot. They'll keep your tea warm until you get to that second or third cup. Just don't cover the pot until you've taken the tea leaves out of it. (That's called "stewing" the tea, and trust me--your wonderful tea will quickly become undrinkable.)

Finding a few stray tea leaves in the bottom of your cup is charming, not "gross".