O Tea
The following short poem by Edmund Waller is believed to be the first one written in praise of the "cup that does not inebriate":
Venus her myrtle, Phoebus has her bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
The best of Queens, and best of herbs, we owe
To that bold nation, which the way did show
To the fair region where the sun doth rise,
Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
The Muse's friend, tea does our fancy aid,
Repress those vapors which the head invade,
And keep the palace of the soul serene,
Tit on her birthday to salute the Queen.
Great Craft Creations
Surprise your loved ones with great craft creations, decorate your house, or make unique gifts...Did You Know?
If you need some dry material instantly you can use your microwave oven for making what you need. To dry herbs or flowers in the microwave oven instantly you will need SILICA GEL. Silica gel is a substance used to dry delicate flowers too, such as roses or calendula, as it preserves their forms and colors well. Silica gel can usually be found in craft stores.
It is very simple to dry flowers with a silica crystals, just use microwave safe container with a 1" (2,5 cm) thick layer of the silica crystals and place your flowers on the top allowing about 1-inch of space around the sides and between each flowers. Put another 1-inch layer on the top of flowers and then microwave on cca 50 % power for approximately 2-3 minutes, depending on the type of your microwave and flowers. It is better to check the material progress an add some more times if needed. Flowers and leaves often have different drying times, microwave them separately for better result.
Never use silica gel containers for preparing food after you use them for drying flowers, because they often absorbs pesticides from plants as they dry.