News

November 03, 2017


Folklife Festival with our Doughtrays

We got a chance to see our doughtray in use in a traditional setting at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival!

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Working moms. New moms. All the momma's.

Today I registered my son for soccer, followed up with customers, planned for our Fall season, lined up a lawn mowing job for my son, the budding entrepreneur, and considered what to do with my daughter when we go to NY Now in August.  There is no division, here, between our working and our personal lives, and that is true for all of us, in any field.  

We have a lot of young families in our area, a lot of new babies born every year, and I, of course, give baskets to the new moms.  Not because I have so many lying around, but because they are so genuinely useful!  I always give our double handled French Market Basket, with a baby blanket, some tea- an assortment of little things for mom and baby.  But the basket always becomes a staple, next to mom and baby through the early weeks, and then out and about to the store, filled to the brim.  I see my products in action every day.  I am proud of seeing them still in use years later, genuinely loved.

I wish I had a good formula for being a working mom- I know women have been working on it for years!  I love having the flexibility to be with them, and bring them to work, but I still always feel like something is suffering in the process-- too little to go around.  But we keep chipping away at it, keep working for the things we feel are important, and keep trying to build a world we want for our kids.

Happy Momma's Day!

Our sources

It has been an oddly warm winter this year- I think we have all noticed it.  Things feel pretty topsy-turvy in so many ways right now, big changes, curious shifts globally and ecologically and socially.  But we keep doing what we do, and what we love, and finding beautiful new things and appreciating the fine craftspeople and craft-work we are lucky enough to be surrounded by.

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Moroccan Mint Tea

Mint Tea is vital to the social life of Morocco- a quick visit leads to trays of mint gunpowder tea heaped with sugar. Mint leaves are carted around Marrakesh precariously heaped being donkeys. Traditionally, tea glasses are made in Fez from recycled coke bottles, the regional style of glass.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon loose Chinese gunpowder green tea
5 cups boiling water
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 large bunch fresh mint (1 ounce)
Special equipment : a 1- to 1 1/2-quart teapot

PREPARATION

Put tea in teapot and pour in 1 cup boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot.
Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes. Stir in sugar (to taste) and mint sprigs and steep 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve in small heatproof glasses.

http://medinamercantile.com/…/hous…/products/fez-tea-glasses