Tea Time

There are many customs that I have discovered abroad that I absolutely love; the siesta from the Spanish, marathon dinners from the Italians, properly greeting your elders from the Tanzanians... to name just a few.  One custom that holds a particularly special place in my heart, however, is "tea time" from the British.

Being that my mom is off-the-boat British, I grew up drinking tea.  I'd come home from school, belly up to the kitchen island and when most American moms would serve up cookies and milk, my mom served up fully-caffeinated tea with milk and sugar.  I'd invite my friends over and when I asked them if they'd like some tea, their perplexed faces said it all:  Tea?!  Uh, can we just have a cookie?? I thought all moms served their kids tea after school.  Not so much.  I still love tea, but it's even more enjoyable these days since I have found my favorite tea time biscuits here in the Bahamas.  Every proper tea drinker knows that no afternoon tea is complete without biscuits.  These "Digestives" instantly bring me back to the kitchen cupboard of my Grandparent's old house in Blackpool, England. Tea tastes better while nibbling on one of these, no joke.

3pm is now "tea time" aboard our boat and aside from being an enjoyable little break (and a nice excuse for a little afternoon snack) it also serves a purpose...  You see, when you have a toddling baby who's "morning time" is 6:30 am,  that little jolt of caffeine is just what the doctor ordered to tackle the latter half of the day.