I was raised by hippies. As evidence, consider this photo of my father holding me as a baby:
Also, this photo of my newborn sister wearing tie dye:
As a child of hippies, I have listened to a lot of Joan Baez and Joanie Mitchell and Janis Joplin. Our family vacations when I was a kid all involved camping. We lived in an old house with wood heat and there was no door on our bathroom. We ate carob and grew our own sprouts and my parents had a juicer. And we drank a lot of tea.
When I say ‘tea’, I mean ‘herbal infusions of roots and leaves that came from the health food store’. You scooped the loose tea into the teapot, and then strained it before pouring it into your cup. You sweetened it with honey, of course. No refined white sugar, and no milk. For two years straight, I drank cold herbal tea in my thermos at school. Licorice root was my favourite. To this day, I think of tea in terms of ‘regular tea’ and ‘caffeine tea’. Black tea, of course, falls under the ‘caffeine tea’ heading.
Maybe it’s nostalgia for my childhood, but I buy a lot of tea. I just counted, and I had 17 different types of tea in my cupboard. (Note: One of them isn’t pictured here because I only found it when I was putting the other tea away. Passionfruit apparently likes to hide.)
This is well and good, but the problem is that I haven’t really been a big tea drinker since I was about 10 years old. I like tea and I will drink tea … occasionally. Like, say, once a month or so, or when I have guests over. But in my daily life I drink water, and that’s it. It just feels like a lot of work to get the kettle out and wait for the tea to steep and all of that. So I usually just don’t.
The result of my penchant for buying tea and my lack of drinking is that I not only have a lot of packages of tea, I also have a lot of tea in those packages. If the outside of the box says that it contains 20 tea bags, inside there are 18 or 19. Or, in the case of the nettle tea, 26, when the outside of the box says it contains 24. I’m not sure how that happened.
Some of the tea has been kicking around for a long time. That magical, multiplying nettle tea? I bought it when I was about three months pregnant with Hannah, on my midwife’s recommendation. That makes it at least 6 years old. And the organic mint? I remember having that in my cubicle at work. My last day of work was July 31, 2008, two weeks before Jacob was born, so that tea is probably 2 1/2 years old. And the fruit sampler was something I bought when Hannah was a toddler, so it’s at least 4 years old.
Not all of my tea is old, though. That’s why I have so much. In the past two weeks I’ve been tempted by the Christmas tea displays at the store and I bought two kinds of festive tea. I’ve had a cup of each – they’re good. I plan to drink more. Someday.
Not everyone collects tea. Some people collect chutney, or spices, or sweets. But whatever it is for you, I think most of us have that thing we love to buy, but rarely get around to consuming. So I have to ask you – what do you collect unintentionally? What are there 17 of in your cupboard right now? Or are you a rare specimen who buys only what you need and finishes it all before buying more? Tell me all about it!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel like a cup of tea.
I have tons of tea, too. I actually cleaned out a bunch about a year ago and threw a lot away, the ones that I knew I wasn’t going to drink or were very old. I drink at least one cup a day now though so I can justify buying more.
I plan on purchasing some Nutcracker Sweet holiday tea soon! It’s my favorite for this time of year.
My addiction to collecting is cookbooks. I have tons, with one on the way to me in the mail as I type this. I actually blogged about it, too. Wifemomandmore.wordpress.com
Spices. Now I do use a lot of spices but I collect any spice and the more “out there” varieties are just not used that often. It hardly ever happens that I read a recipe and there is a spice mentioned that I haven’t got. What happens more often that I go to a market, or “ethnic” (hate that word) store and see a spice I haven’t got and buy it – uncertain of the potential use. In addition I live in constant FEAR that I may run out of the spices that I use the most (like cinnamon, coriander, cumin…) and so I usually have at least three packs of those lurking in the depths of my cupboard. Oh and I have peppercorns that can last me and the next generation due to various obsessive buys, because shock horror I may just run out of peppercorns. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop there either but my obsession with baking ingredients will have to be confessed another day (says the woman who has about 1kg of brown sugar hiding in the depth of her pantry…).
Tea, however, I just drink:)
Mel’s last post … Day 2 on christmas baking – and the half price gift voucher extravaganza continues West Midlands- Birmingham photographer
Good point, my spice cupboard is a total apothecary and I blame a series of friends who moved and bequeathed us their spice collections. I have an excess of oddities like fenugreek and tumeric.
harriet Fancott’s last post … Worries
Condiments. The hoison sauce I bought for a recipe and never used again. The horseradish I rarely use. The two different kinds of worcestershire sauce. The obligatory ketchup, mustard and mayo. The fridge door breeds these things.
Now that’s just funny
I actually had the same addiction in which I had a cupboard of teas that I rarely drank. Hubby insisted that I finally pare down so off they went to the food bank with the exception of Tetley and a homemade nourishment tea that a dear girlfriend made for me. Though, that being said, I am on the lookout for Raspberry Red Leaf so it doesn’t seem my stockpile will remain low for long! 
Jenn’s last post … Raising a Reader
To me tea has always been herbal tea.We have a couple of kinds. I don’t really have a lot of extras in my kitchen. We have a small galley kitchen that’s about 5 ft wide by 7 ft long with only 4 cabinets that I can dedicate to food, no pantry. I usually only buy enough for use within a month. When I have a larger kitchen and a pantry again I’m sure I’ll start collecting something.
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My first thought: Naah, there’s nothing I collect in this way. My second thought: Oh, right, books books books books books. That I have little-to-no time to read. I’ve sort of stopped buying them. Mostly sort of. Thank goodness for the Brooklyn Public Library.
Rachael’s last post … this moment
beads …. so i’ve creating through ‘buying beads’ embargo recently …. which is difficult when running a craft business (but creative)
pomomama’s last post … friday forte- revelation
That’s funny because I’m the opposite. I drink tea several times a day and I never buy it. I have a couple of different kinds in the cupboard and most were gifts.
Also, we have a picture of me in the same baby seat as your sister is sitting in.
Also, sorry about having to eat carob when you were growing up. I think that might be directly correlated to your surreptitious eating of chocolate as an adult.
BluebirdMama’s last post … Briefly November
Oh gosh, I have at least that many boxes & cans of tea – I have a whole tea cupboard (in a tiny kitchen – it’s not really funny but DH makes fun of it regularly)!
I’m at my office now, and on my shelf here I have 5 varieties of hot tea, one iced, and one chai… and only ONE of them came from our warehouse (you know we have a tea/chai website, right!?!?) I’m crazy for tea.
Everytime I’m in the store I see a new box or bag or shiny tin… Wegmans is the worst – they have a WHOLE TEA SECTION – a separate little room with hundreds of tea varieties, tea samples and tea pots and strainers & all that just calls my name. The kids sigh when we walk by – Oh no, Mom’s buying MORE TEA!
In my defense, I DO drink it all… it just takes me a while.
You have to offer tea to your guests too (only the flavors you don’t drink, haha) – that helps cull the old stuff.
kelly @kellynaturally’s last post … Reconnecting Through Laughter
I used to have a tea issue, but I realized that the bags that were more than 2 years old had little flavor, so I pitched them. What I have too much of, is Bath & Body Works stuff. I tend to want all the forms of a scent. I probably have 2 cupboards full. . . The sad thing is, I rarely use anything except lotion.
I have a cupboard full of tea as well. I buy different types then realize I am really am just an English Breakfast kind of girl, and the rest just sits there. I probably should just get rid of some of it.
All of the above — tea, spices, books, beads…agh, I’m a collector. I actually love tea, but I just don’t think of making it enough, except like you said, when I have guests. I tried to give some very milky tea to Eve once thinking we could start a mother-daughter tea ritual. Oh my god, the look on her face was hilarious, like “WHY would ANYONE want to DRINK this swill?” So I’ve stopped collecting tea. And beads. Spices and books, I’m still not admitting I have a problem.
allison’s last post … Strange Times
When I cleaned out my cupboards for the move to the Island, I was HORRIFIED to find bags and bags of dried beans: kidney, black and lots of bags of lentils, too, waaay back in the top shelf and stashed in corners. What the heck was I planning to do with all of them? Did I just forget that I’d already bought some? Anyway, my new pantry will have only shallow shelves so no beans can lurk.
I also had a whole cupboard of tea and my fridge is always full of the next great condiment . As for books, I supplied two second-hand book stores with enough to stock their shelves for a very long time.
Oh, and the bathroom cupboard was full of baskets of old soaps, some very special, some craft fair-y and disintegrating. Clearly, I need to move more often!
I’m too much of a coffee lover to bother much with tea but in the spring we do gather nettle stalks, dry the leaves and make strong infusions (1 cup leaves : 2 quarts water, simmer and then steep overnight) for medicine.
Love the picture of you with hippie Papa!
6512 and growing’s last post … This Moment
First, our dads could be brothers! My dad’s hair wasn’t as long and sparse on top. And he has a LONG beard. My mom is a tea collector and a food collector.
I seem to collect ribbon and scrapbook paper.
I have cupboards of tea too—BUT—recently I’ve made a resolution that I’m going to drink my way through it all before I buy more..well, except for Earl Grey Vanilla and possibly Tazo Organic Chai. Those are pretty much daily necessities.
So I’ve put a little basket on the counter by the kettle with little pouches of loose tea and a teabag or two from each of the boxes I have, and I’ve been sampling it all. Even the ones I’ve had for years seem to be good still.
As for collecting things,well, I’ve got a bad earring/sparkly necklace habit.
My grandma used to give me tea and milk when I was less than 4 years old. She wanted to turn me into a tea granny. I love the picture of all your tea – I have at least that many boxes, and they used to live in a cupboard under the counter but my kids started playing with it so now they’re all up in a basket above the stove. My favourite tea is Red Rose brand orange pekoe and Earl Grey. I mainline coffee in the mornings and usually have tea at 4 pm. I am enjoying some right now. When I was pregnant, I couldn’t stomach coffee so I drank tea instead. I also have an occasional craving for jasmine green tea. The smell is so attractive to me.
Your dad’s beard is spectacular.
I used to collect beauty items like lipgloss and shampoo and moisturizers but in the past 2 years I have become awesome at talking myself out of buying those things. Being on a budget will do that for you. And also not ever having time to wash my hair for longer than 2 minutes or remembering to wear the lipgloss…the waste of money really becomes clear at that point.
clara’s last post … Wonderful
When I read your post I almost fell over because I had started a post about my love of tea about a month ago and I had been pushing it aside over other topics that came up… anyway, I finally completed it (your post was my kick in the ass). Tea has become my new addiction… I don’t actually think I ‘collect’ anything. Well, not formally anyway. But tea has definitely always been a staple in my cupboard.
Aida N’s last post … Tea time
I buy a decent amount of tea, but I get on major drink kicks where I drink the same thing daily for a week or more. I think it’s my anxious personality finding peace in the routine. I love detox teas. I drank an entire package of Raspberry Red Leaf between hitting 37 weeks pregnant and going into labor. Now I drink Mother’s Milk, and when I wasn’t breastfeeding or pregnant I loved hot licorice teas. I think my all time favorite is Orange Spice.
I do have that Ginger Snappish in the cupboard. Ours IS old.
Love the hippie family pics.
Janine’s last post … Matt &38 Nat 2 Day Handbag Sale
I don’t have anything like that in my kitchen. I pretty much eat things as they appear. Your post does remind me of my silliest collection habit, though. I’ve got a thing for buying makeup, which is kind of embarrassing, because I’m the epitome of the unshaven, unwashed hippie, and I only ever WEAR makeup maybe once a year. But when I see those cute little colorful containers in the store, I frequently end up buying them. I own a LOT of makeup. I’m trying to kick the habit.
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I pretty much ousted all vague teas from the cupboard last year. I know have only Rooibas (2 kinds hee hee), which I love, black tea and some interesting tea mix my cousin brought me from Israel.
If I have visitors and they want caffiene-free, I always offer Rooibas and everyone has liked it so far.
That photo of your Dad beyond great!!!
harriet Fancott’s last post … Worries
What I collect-not so much consumable. Paper and pens. I plan to write magnificent stories. I never do. I DO write a bit of poetry, and children’s rhymes and I plan to send them off. I never do. So just this past week as I was getting rid of many other non-used items, I also tossed several notebooks. Purging of sorts. I’ll be posting soon
I love those childhood pictures!
I don’t tend to accidentally collect food, but I did discover that I some how acquired 7 neon wigs in different shades, one by one. (We did eventually find a use for them in a dance performance.)
Lady M’s last post … Q-ster- Star Student
I can’t believe you don’t have MY favorite kind of tea – I think you need to buy the Fair Trade jasmine green tea, 18 is a good number:)
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I just love that top photo of your and your dad. Lucky you, getting raised by hippies and all
But then again, however you were raised, you are a pretty amazing person, so maybe your folks have something to do with that, maybe?
Anyway, I collect shoes. It’s been an ongoing thing I’ve taken control of over the last 4 years, but I still have a problem. I just love shoes. I have had to part with some in the past because my feet got bigger during my pregnancies, but that was okay with me, because it let me go shoe shopping, lol,
I collect tea too, and a lot of people give it to me because they know I like it. But I try to have spending freezes on collections like tea, where I wait to buy anymore until it’s all gone. Doing this every once in a while helps keep the collection from getting out of control.
Saver Queen’s last post … Opening to pain- aliveness
We have so many books our storage closet is full plus our overflow is in my in-laws attic. We’re going to have to designate a room as “the library” when we get a house someday! I also have way too many shampoos, body washes, & lotions, especially since I’m becoming more conscious of all the chemicals etc and wanting to use more natural stuff…once I use up the stash I’ve got that is!
And since you’re such a tea afficianado, do you have a recommendation for the best kind of black tea? I bought my Hubby a tea infuser tumbler for Christmas because he wants to bring tea to work, and I wanted to get him a box of tea to go with it, but I’m not sure what type to get (I don’t drink tea-way too bitter for me!)
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I am FAR from an expert, but I find the Twinings English Breakfast to be pretty good. It’s not too strong, and you can get it anywhere.
Weird bizarre coincidence. My mom was a total health nut in the 70s. I ate carob (worst invention ever BTW). She grew her own sprouts and made her own yogurt. I used to try and figure out how to make myself a treat with natural peanut butter and other stuff in our house. Once in a while we had DQ ice milk, which was my mom’s weakness. Ever tried to combine carob, rock hard 70s all natural PB and ice milk. It isn’t pretty. But I was desperate.
I too have so much tea it isn’t funny. I guess the difference is that I drink it somewhat regularly. I drink mostly water so it is nice to have a caramel roiboos or herbal chai to mix things up a bit. And I don’t really drink coffee.
Oh and I should dig out the photo of my Dad with his massive beard, crazy hair and a PIPE.
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Oh boy, I should have my husband see your post! He gives me looks when we talk about the teas I’ve collected over the years. I was buying out of habit, and what I thought I’d like. And it turns out, I’m not a huge fan of the herbal teas. I’ve recently discovered Mighty Leaf teas and I’m in love with them!
I also secretly stalk Etsy for tea cups. I can’t imagine owning them though because I prefer a big ol’ mug with an extra large handle. But those tea cups looks neat and would probably make me sip my tea. I like to gulp it. YUM.
I also love to collect tea even though it drives my husband nuts. I have not found any Christmas ones yet!!
Wendy Irene (Give Love Create Happiness)’s last post … The Family Christmas Tree 2010
I should show you my kitchen drawer full of tea. And, like you, we’re not huge tea drinkers. Oh, I like the idea of it. But I drink coffee in the morning, wine at night. Right now, I happen to be having tea, but usually, I’m not. Now that it’s winter, perhaps tea will make a comeback in our house.
What I do like is showing off the selection to visitors. That can be your excuse.
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I have a lot of tea too but what I don’t use the most are the dried herbs that I was into drinking infusions of when I was really into herbalism. So my tea cupboard (yes I have one full cupboard dedicated to tea only) looks like witches den, full of clean jars with labels and green plants inside. But one day I might use them I tell myself. Sigh.
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We have a lot of tea too but not as much as you – and we drink our way through it. When I think of tea I think of the black caffienated stuff. It’s most Taylor’s of Harrogate for us around here. I had to give up caffiene to nurse Fionnuala because it seemed to be really bothering her so I’ve been trying a couple decaf teas and most of them are crap. By decaf I mean decaf black stuff – my Mum & I both call herbal tea “that herbal shit” even though I do drink it too. We drink a lot of chamomille and mint in the winter. And a lot of our “herbal shit” is just loose flowers or herbs that we throw into a pot. I don’t feed my children carob all that often though and my husband cut his hair so I guess we aren’t as hippy-ish as your parents. Now if you will excuse me I need to go make some almond milk in the blender. ; )
We also drak a lot of tea in our house. I still have some but I think I ODed on it.
I also have the exact same kettle.
Capital Mom’s last post … Makeover
I mean tea pot.
Capital Mom’s last post … Makeover
I love those photos of your family! Nice tea collection you have there. We have WAY too many hot sauces. We get them as gifts and buy them. We do use them, but you only need a tiny amount so they last forever.
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I am drinking all my tea around here. It never accumulates as I like tea more than water. Current favorite is chocolate mint rooibos.