Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Tea and the Benefits of Mushrooms

Today we headed back to school after enjoying a long 4-day weekend.  Our blue skies were blue no more; just hazy and dusty instead.  And the sugar cookies I made on Sunday are gone.  But I managed to save a few so I could join Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for tea.  Twinings Organic Lemon & Ginger has a light zingy flavor that goes well with so many things.
My boss returned today after being in North America for the past month attending recruiting fairs and he came bearing gifts.  Five varieties of dried mushrooms along with a mushroom cookbook.
And a teatowel with scenes from San Francisco.
I can't decide what to try first:  Duxelles Party Toasts; Broth with Mushrooms, Spinach & Scallions; Mixed Mushroom Tart; Wild Rice with Oyster Mushrooms; Wild Mushroom Pizza.  It all sounds so good!

Did you know that mushrooms contain Vitamin D and B Vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin?  That white button mushrooms boost your immune system?  That cremini and portobello mushrooms contain antioxidants?  Or that cooked shiitakes and raw white buttons contain selenium which is good for your bladder?

Along with the health benefits of drinking organic and green teas, I think I shall be adding more mushrooms to my diet, too.

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday!

33 comments:

Rostrose said...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, these are wonderful gifts, dearest Tammy! I love mushrooms, too - yesterday we had some king oyster mushrooms with basil and olive oil, really delicious! And the towel is very pretty, too!
Warm hugs and enjoy the mushrooms and the tea!
xox Traude

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I love shrooms, when I was young I would eat them out of a can, of course now I love them fresh. Hugs~
Gwen

Yvonne said...

Mushrooms are one of my favorites. I love portobello mushrooms on the grill. I put them in so many things. My friend actually grows her own, off of a log and I've always wanted to try that. Nice having tea with you today.

Sharon said...

Always good to get those "traveler's" gifts! Cute towel!

I could go for some mushroom soup myself.

Cookies look good, they sure don't last long, do they?

Sam I Am...... said...

I'm so glad you had a great birthday! 4 days off...Liberation Day, blue skies up above...everyone's in love..oh, sorry...I got carried away! LOL!
Your son did a fantastic job...believe me, I know. I raised 4 who went through some instrument phase at one time or another and none of them ever sounded as good as he did! And that's the truth! All that suffering for nothing as none of them even play anything anymore. I just tell myself it made them more "well-rounded"....yeah right.
What beautiful pictures too and I do hope your birthday was everything you'd hoped it would be. The mushrooms look great. I keep dried mushrooms in the cupboard all the time but I didn't know that certain mushrooms gave you certain things. I need to eat more white button mushrooms as I have no immune system to speak of. Please try that cookbook and then share the recipes with us; you be the guinea pig first..Ha! Ha! It does sound like a great book! If you ever need anything let me know and I could ship it to you. I take it you are a teacher? How did you end up living there? Just curious. You sure don't look 46 although I must admit I looked pretty decent until I got ill and then I aged overnight. My 40's were pretty spectacular actually. Thank God I was never vain to begin with or it would have been a hard pill to swallow. Aging (I'm 63 now) is not for the faint of heart! LOL! TTYL!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Happy belated birthday. Sorry I missed it!

I had to laugh at your comment about risotto. I live in BEEF country, pure and simple. I don't think people know how to pronounce RISOTTO, much less add it to their menus. Most menus consist of steak, fries or baked potatoes, and a cardboard (head lettuce) salad in this city.

Gotta love those mushrooms. I'm totally psyched to see some of those recipes, like the wild rice with oyster mushrooms, or the mixed mushroom tart.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I've known so many people that don't like mushrooms. But I love them!
Brenda

Mereknits said...

Oh I love mushrooms and I am fascinated about how many varieties there are out there. Looking forward to hearing all about your wonderful mushroom recipes. Glad you had a nice extended weekend.
Hugs,
Meredith

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Tammy,
Your post made me smile as both of us have worked with mushrooms for a lifetime.
As for the qualities contributed to crimini or portobello, compared to the so called white button mushroom; they actally do ALL belong to one and the same family of the Agaricus bisporus. It is only the main difference of the color.
We love the Shii-take and also the Boletus and the last one I use for Italian risotto, or Porcini.
In SanFrancisco we have visited an exotic mushroom grower, who might be the source of your gifts.
Enjoy them and yes they are healthy!
Love,
Mariette

Createology said...

Cookies and tea would be wonderful right now. What a kind and thoughtful boss you have. I really like mushrooms but did not know how healthy they are. YAY! Happy cooking...

La Tea Dah said...

Fortunately, I love mushrooms! Great post! I think I have that same little mushroom book....I'll have to look in my bookcase.

Kate said...

Hi tammy

what lovely goodies and thank you for the info about the mushrooms perfect info for some of us. have a wonderful week

xoxo
Kate

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love mushrooms...and that tea towel is very neat! It's nice to get surprises! ♥

Privet and Holly said...

Funny, I threw two
cartons of fresh
sliced mushrooms
in my cart, yesterday.
Must have been in
preparation for your
post, as now I'm
hungry for them!

Happy Tuesday,
xx Suzanne

LuLu Kellogg said...

I love mushrooms and love them in my scrambled eggs! YUM!!!

Hope the rest of your week is fabulous Tammy!

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo

Unknown said...

fun little gifties! and the mushrooms are a wonderful treat! I personally enjoy substituting a big portabello on the grill in the summertime for myself - instead of a half pound hamburger - and my brother takes his jeep into the mountains to gather up chantarelles in the woods - we live in mushroom country up here in the pacific northwest - sometimes I FEEL like a mushroom :)

Happy tuesday! and as always, thank you ever so much for your wonderful contribution :)

the old white house said...

I love mushrooms but i didn't know all of the goodness in them, thanks! So the other night we had cinn. apple tea, I thought Duane put sugar in it, it was like dessert tea, yum! And tonight we had portobello sandwiches for dinner... It's like we hung out together across the miles ;0
t.xoxooxox

Susan said...

Hi Tammy...Glad your boss brought you nice gifties from the USA. I love mushrooms....Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday. Susan

Tracey FK said...

lucky you to get the presents and after reading your post I am feeling pretty healthy as I had grilled mushrooms on sourdough with a cup of green tea for breakfast.... hoping that will cancel out the cheesecake I had with the girls!!!! xx

Stan and Jody Gabara said...

Hi Tami,
Your blog is so cute. I always learn something new.
Can't wait to hear about what recipe you used for the mushrooms. Thanks for stopping by my posts.

Jody

Becky said...

I would definately try the Spinach and scallions first.Yumm!

koralee said...

Cookies and Mushrooms...both are yummy. Have a great day my friend...enjoy your mushroom treats. xoxox

~*~Patty S said...

What a great bit of 'shroom information dear Tammy!

Shitakes sauteed in butter ...
makes me salivate just thinking about them ;)

That SF tea towel is oh so charming...what a great town that is!

Happy T on Tuesday on Wednesday oxo

Monica said...

What about potatoes and mushrooms? A bit of oil, salt, garlic and parsley and in the oven (or in a covered pan). Mmmmmm. Have a fantastic rest of the week, Tammy.
Hugs!

Shane Pollard said...

Such lovely gifts to enjoy Tammy.
Mushrooms on toast is a standard Friday night dinner in our house - I tart them up with a dash of this and that and finally a couple of spoons of Creme Fraiche or Sour cream and lots of freshly ground black pepper - yummy!
love
Shane

Serena Lewis said...

I adore mushrooms, raw or cooked. I knew they had lots of goodness in them and they are often referred to as the Vegetarian's Meat. I've never thought of having them with scrambled egg though but, thanks to Lulu's comment, I will be trying that for sure.

Gwen said...

How fantastic to have all those mushrooms to play with. As a vetearian i eat loads of them. That tea you mention is delicious!
xxx

Tanna said...

I love mushrooms so it is a great bonus that they are good for us also!! Love that tea towel! Your boss did well on the goods! blessings ~ tanna

Diane said...

Very thoughtful and lovely gifts that your boss brought you Tammy. Diane

Phyllis said...

Hi Tammy,

Well, I'd have to take the tea towel. You know you either love mushrooms or hate them. To me they taste like dirt smells and I just can't bear them. I didn't even realize there were any health benefits to them though.

TGIF!! :)

Vicki said...

Hi, Tammy, my friend,
How I would love to join you for a cup of tea and a sugar cookie. My mother made cookies that she called "tea cakes". They were delicious, and I have never tasted any cookies like them. Your boss knows you well. He chose the perfect gifts for you. You will have a lot of fun cooking with those mushrooms. Portobellos are my personal favorite. Enjoy your weekend! Vicki

Hearts Turned said...

So glad you had such a nice, long weekend with your family, Tammy--always a treat!

What a wonderful gift! So interesting to hear what mushrooms do for us...I need to add more to our diet, I think!

Wishing you a beautiful day, dear friend!

Julie

val said...

what a neat gift.....I lurve me some mushies! I love cream of mushroom soup BEST! Have a great day!

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