Lovely Little Cup of Tea and How to Decaff Your Own

Oh how a nice cup of tea makes the world go 'round, a day without tea is like a day without sunshine....
Perhaps it's my addiction, though I like to think of my tea and my tea times as mini sanctuaries amidst my chaotic days. They give me something small yet mighty to look forward to, the opportunity to slow down to steep a pot of loose leaf, to relax and sip away smiling after each warming sip. To my defense, however, I can't say that it's an addiction to the caffeine in my usual black up of Assam or Darjeeling; because I like to steep off about 80% of the caffeine via the GongFu method. Basically, this entails, steeping your leaves for about 25-30seconds, pouring off the liquid and resteeping for the suggested time (varies per tea, though my base is 3minutes for most black and green teas...herbals and tisanes are usually longer). There you have it, your beloved cup of tea, sans the caffeine. Caffeine makes me crazy, jittery, icky feeling...I found this most helpful during my pregnancies when caffeine is (or I should say used to be) a big no no (I think they allow you some in moderation now, which to be said about pretty much everything should be a rule of thumb).