Christmas Came Early: My JORD Wood Watch & Holiday Tea Blend
Time & Tea.
I had the pleasure of receiving this JORD wood watch and let me tell you, I am SMITTEN. I chose the mint face because green shades are my absolute favorite!
First impressions: Woah, this is such a cool box. Not only is this box hefty, it also has a magnetic top and little drawer at the bottom. My watch came fully equipped with wood oil, two different cloths, a cute pillow, the extra links and a 1 month supply of humidity control for my watch storage. WOAH, can you say royalty treatment. I really love how much care went into this box design. I have two other watches and my boyfriend has several and none of them have such a beautiful place for storage.
I used the JORD wrist sizer they offer on their website to measure my wrist and after following the directions, the watch fits just right! A little detail that I really enjoyed was that the back has a dual clasp system which I think is more elegant and easier to put on.
Besides it fitting really well (I like a looser fit) one thing I noticed immediately was how lightweight it was. Before putting this watch on I was always more partial to all metal watches but I didn't know how silly that was until I put this baby on. How freeing that I can still wear an absolutely gorgeous time piece and not have it weigh down my wrist!
You might think mint is too bright of a color but it's subdued by the dark wood and it looks fabulous with my favorite sweater here!
I decided to do some of my favorite activities with it to see how it felt. As many of you know I've been doing a lot of crochet recently to create these tea/ coffee cup ornaments! Typing is something I also do often for my job and normally I take my watch off because it hurts my wrist after a period of time but this lightweight watch feels great.
Since this watch was like an early Christmas present, I thought it was only appropriate to try the holiday delight blend from Tea Laboratory.
Holiday delight ingredients: Ceylon, Keemun Xiang Luo, Cinnamon Chips, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Anise Stars, Vanilla, Granulated Honey
I really love the fact that there is granulated honey in this blend and two black teas! Kinda reminds me of what I tried to do with Tea Thoughts Blend but didn't accomplish as well.
The tea really has a beautiful aroma that dominated by cinnamon and slightly sweet from the granulated honey. Can you say Christmas in a cup?!
I've made it fairly obvious that ceylon is my favorite tea and that is my favorite part about this blend. I can enjoy the smooth and strong taste that I love about ceylon with some extra spices that remind me of Christmas!
This was so good I had to enjoy several cups!
You might be looking at my watch and thinking, man it's pretty! It's ok I am still saying it! This watch and all of JORD's watches are very elegant and would make a great last minute holiday gift!
Imagine opening up this beautiful cedar box on Christmas day, how wonderful! If you want to make it extra special you're also able to get a custom engraving on the box. One last perk, 2-3 day shipping is free! Here are also 3 more reasons to shop these watches for a loved one.
1) This is a unique watch that will surely be a favorite of the fashionista on your list!
2) There are a wide variety of wood colors and designs including automatic watches so there is surely a design for everyone on your list!
3. So, I'm really excited to offer this to all my wonderful readers! You can get an instant $25 e-gift card to use on your purchase, head over to this link to redeem!
Get my watch!
Shop other Women's watches
Shop Men's watches
This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches. Review was my own.
Tea Laboratory: Make your own tea blend!
Tea Thoughts Blend.
So, I get to share something REALLY cool with y'all today! Tea Laboratory has a feature on their site where you get to step into the shoes of a master tea blender and create your own melange of leaves and spices! I recently had the opportunity to create "Tea Thoughts Blend" and it was an eye opening experience.
I'm going to take you through some of the features they have and let you know what I chose! After debating I decided to chose a 2 base tea.
Here are the crazy amount of options you have to use as bases! Y'all know that I'm a black tea lover so I chose Ceylon and the Boukhial Estate Assam.
Next, you get to choose up to 5 flavorings. This is not even a complete list of the options. I really love how these flavors are categorized for two reasons. One, someone who doesn't know many of these flavors can still add them to their blend and know what the effect will be and two, it's easier to say you like a sweet blend than a specific flavor. This list allows you to choose and explore all sorts of options!
For my blend, I wanted to have a twist on classic Persian tea. I added Cloves, safflower, pink rose petals, honeysuckle and just to be adventurous, black walnut leaf!
Finally, you get to choose your amount and the best part, naming your blend!
I love the box the tea comes in and how the tea is labeled. The labels not only have the name and ingredients you chose but also brewing instructions for your specific blend!
I'll be honest, although the blend looks really pretty when it was dry it DID NOT smell good. I think that many of the ingredients I chose have very strong scents and all together it was too much for my nose.
Thankfully once it was brewed the aroma was much better and the ingredients blended. Cloves have a very strong scent and that what was dominant in my blend. Due to a double black tea base this brew is REALLY dark which is just the way I like it. I grew up in a household where tea is brewed way past the suggested brewing time because it was enjoyed dark and strong.
Although the dry blend was discouraging, I'm pleased with the way my blend came out! The cloves are definitely the dominant taste but with the reminder that it's a ceylon leaf tea. I added some honey after tasting it plain because I love honey in tea! The honey perfected this brew. The honey subdues the clove taste. Tea Thoughts blend was a success!
I've started to look at the the brewed leaves because they are so beautiful! I love the sprinkles of color in this. I think that Tea Laboratory has stumbled upon a really unique idea. Like many art forms, tea blending is often unappreciated. This process allows you to step into the shoes of a tea expert and test your flavoring skills. Perhaps you'll discover that the task is tougher than you thought or perhaps you'll find a new career path!
Head over to Tea Laboratory and start experimenting!
If you try this process, let me know how your blend turned out!
Bao Zhong- First Taste Test
Hint of Sweet.
Recently I was presented with the opportunity to try some unique teas that I've never experienced! I think that many companies in the US, in an attempt to make tea more popular here are creating fun and seasonal blends. To keep up with coffee blends like pumpkin spice, many tea companies are taking classics bases like black and green teas and mimicking these types of blends.
I've noticed that international companies do this as well but there are also many who stick to tea in the more traditional sense. I'm excited to taste teas that I've never heard of or tasted!
On today's agenda is Bao Zhong from Grand Tea. One major shock factor for me was the aroma....or lack there of. Perhaps my nose wasn't as sharp today but when I opened up the packet I didn't take anything in any strong scents. It's interesting because I'm used to teas with very strong aromas. For example, one of my favorite parts of ceylon tea is the way it smells dry and brewed. At, first I thought that the lack of strong aroma would bother me but it ended up benefiting me in the end!
The leaves for this tea are much fuller and as a result the tea is so beautiful. Large, dry, curly pieces makes up this tea. Once the tea was brewed a very distinct hint of sweet was present!
Upon first sip I was kinda shocked but not turned off. Although the color of the brew is light and there's a hint of a sweet aroma, the taste, to me was drastically different. I never claim to be an expert on tea but I do enjoy sharing my thoughts!
The taste was so rich and green. I say green because all these vegetables popped into my head. It was earthy, much like a meal. Many blends include sweet ingredients that make them more of a dessert tea but this Bao Zhong is savory! The light scent really helped me be unbiased on what to expect from the tea.
After much thought about what this tea tastes like I came up with it- artichoke. You heard me right! I'm not sure why but that's what it reminded me of! It's kinda strange but I kind loved it. I decided to do an experiment with rock sugar. Since this tea is so savory I wanted to test what it would taste like when combined with rock sugar. The answer- not good. This is a tea that is not meant to be sweetened. This is a strong tea that can stand on it's own.
Although the taste was a bit strange to me at first, I very much enjoyed trying it and would definitely have this tea again! Ill refer to it as my artichoke tea :)
Have you ever had a savory tea that reminded you of a meal?
Climber's High
Light & Sweet.
I've been kind of intimidated by this tea for a while because of the yerba mate in the ingredients list! I've read so much about the health benefits with all the vitamins and minerals as well as the flavor. I wanted to bake something with this tea but for my first time I decided to try it in it's natural, brewed state.
Ingredients: roasted yerba mate, black tea, green tea, white tea, pu'erh, ginger root, cinnamon, cardamom, licorice root, eleuthero ginseng root, saffron, black pepper, clove, fennel, safflowers, peppermint, tulsi, vanilla flavoring.
The combination of ingredients really makes this tea beautiful. Mostly dark colors are highlighted by whites, reds and blues.
When I opened my pack of tea I had a rush of cinnamon fill the air, there were definitely notes of other spices but cinnamon was most dominant for me.
Once brewed, it had a very similar smell. This blend is definitely spicy, you discover the ginger and cardamom especially the more you take in this tea. Even though there is none in the blend, I was reminded of rooibos due to the smell of spices. The one ingredient I would have never expected was saffron! I'm so disappointed in myself because saffron is one of my favorite cooking tools!
After my first sip I was a bit shocked! Based on the aroma I figured that it would be heavy but boy was I wrong! This blend has a very light taste and its slightly sweet! The vanilla definitely contributes to lifting this tea up and making it sweet.
I understand the "high" in this blend, it's very refreshing and gives you a bit of a boost and gives you a shot of awake. The more I drank this the more I felt like it was Christmas in a cup. All the spices remind me of a hot cup in front of the tree, it certainly kicked my Christmas cheer into gear!
I love sweet tea so my favorite part of this blend is the sweet flavor! No honey needed!
Want to get some Climber's high? You can get your hands on some here!
P.s. Isn't this hand carved spoon gorgeous? You can get one here!
An Introduction to Cai Cai - Sunshine Genmaicha
Toasty.
I had a really exciting opportunity to connect with Cai Cai recently. I feel that most recently the blends I've been trying are a more modern spin on tea. Cai Cai offers 4 blends, all using more traditional bases and again, blends I've never had the pleasure of trying. Yay!
In an attempt to have 24 different types of tea in December (like a tea advent calendar) I will start with Cai Cai's sunrise!
Ingredients: Sencha green tea and roasted brown rice.
Before I describe my experience with this tea, you should probably know something about how I feel about rice. I can't live without it, that's how I feel about it! Being from an Iranian family it's pretty central to most meals and I eat rice almost everyday.
As you can probably guess, the first thing I noticed and loved about this tea was the aroma. It had a very nutty scent and reminded me immediately of rice. More specifically, an image of a big pot of rice cooking away on the stove and the aroma filling the kitchen popped into my head. I already love this tea!
When I took a sip it was somewhat what I expected, very bold and earthy with a rich and rice like flavor. I really enjoyed the flavor that the roasted rice brought into the sencha.
This is the kind of tea that I would enjoy without anything and just as a way to bring myself peace. The aroma brings positive memories to my mind and the full body taste warmed my belly so nicely.
Cai Cai has a wonderful story and I had the pleasure of asking some questions so you could get to know them a bit better!
1) What sparked the idea to start CaiCai?
Coming from Asia to London, we found it very hard to find good tea. We wanted to make loose leaf tea more approachable to Brits by selling a balanced and curated selection of teas that get an update from time to time with the goal to make the choice easier to the end consumer and to make sure that the teas offered were always of the highest quality with a very competitive price.
2) How did you decide on the name CaiCai?
The etymological origin of the word tea has found a uniform pronunciation throughout the world albeit being written in many different ways. We wanted to keep that same pronunciation while finding our own way to write it and, we doubled it down to reach the Chinese sense of warmth and cosiness.
3) How would you describe the difference between loose leaf and tea bags to a non tea drinker?
I would recommend anyone to pick up a simple green tea tea bag and a good quality green loose leaf tea. Brew them, taste them (that should be enough already) and put the wet leaves next to each other (open the tea bag to get the ground tea out). You will see that the tea bag is made of small dark-green bits of tea leave. This means that the tea leaf is broken in several pieces allowing it to release its flavour way faster when brewed but at the same time to become bitter and oxidized very easily. On the other hand, the loose leaf tea will be made of full leaves that release their full flavour in a more natural way and with the tasting profile.
4) Of the 4 blends you currently offer, do you have a favorite? Which one and why?
We love all our teas the same. However, I think the most unique one, and the one we are most proud of is True Black, a ripe Pu Erh tuocha. Pu Erh cakes are vastly unknown in the western world. When you do find it, most of the times will come in large and expensive cakes of raw pu erh not yet ready for consumption. We thought that by selling ready-for-consumption ripe Pu Erh in a smaller quantity we would make it more accessible to the beginner and avid tea drinkers.
5) As far as tea prep goes, which blend is your favorite to brew?
The ritual that goes with matcha prepping is so energetic and purposeful that becomes a ceremony even in the most casual of occasions.
6) If you could enjoy a cup of tea anywhere in the world where would it be?
Although we are now based in London, we have lived and travelled extensively through Asia. On one of our trips, we were in a tiny village in Fujian and we had lost our bus so we had to stay at a local’s house for the night. The next morning, before our departure, they greeted us with a cup of tea from their own harvest. I remember that cup of tea as the best one I’ve ever had and I would really like to go back.
Also, when we lived in HongKong, we lived next to a local ChaChaanTeng called Australia Dairy Co. We made it our Sunday brunch ritual to go there and enjoy a scrambled egg sandwich with a sumptuous and thick cup of milky tea.
8) What is your favorite tea pun?
Move oolong, there is nothing to tea here.
If you're interested in trying Cai Cai tea, you can find them here!
Stay tuned as I have two more Cai Cai teas to try this month! Have you tried a tea that caused a memory reaction like this one did for me? Share with me!
Tea Thoughts' Favs: A holiday tea & gift guide!
Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share my favorite places to shop with you! Many of these shops I know and support personally or have worked with them so I speak from experience, they're the real deal. Please scroll through, I bet you'll find something you like <3
P.s. You'll find out soon that I have met and found some pretty amazing people since I started my journey!
TEA
This tea company is very close to my heart and home! Brittany makes the most amazing blends, her chai is my favorite *heart eyes*
The tea spot has so many teas and I've tried quite a few of them. I love their tea ware too! This brewing mug is one of my favorite tea accessories!
Thao Tea Co
Thao is super sweet and she probably has some of the most unique blends I've tried to date. The cantaloupe mint shown here really opened me up to green teas, I hadn't tried one I liked very much before this one!
Rumi Tea & Spice
Rumi! One of my favorite poets and tea shops. This shop is very special to me as I identify so much with their essence of Rumi. The Persian rose garden is a blend that mimics the classic way Iranians enjoy tea!
I'm a huge lover of turmeric in food and I was blown away by this tea. You might look at this tea and think what does it taste like...Ill tell you, pure gold! It's so delicious and the blend is perfect without adding anything!
For Tea's sake
How could I not love a tea company who's name is a tea pun?! I've been making and making with their tea blends and because of the versatility of their blends, everything has turned out so well!
Cai Cai
This sampling as been an adventure to me as I've been trying lots of holiday flavored blends. Cai Cai blends are simple, traditional and delicious. P.s. Sunrise is the best!
Another tea pun! I just love all the different blends and creative flavors Lindsey has! Check out this mayan hot chocolate tea blend!
Image from The Neccessiteas!
Tea Laboratory
Recently discovered Tea Laboratory and they have the COOLEST feature, an actual tea laboratory where you can create your own blend! I made one and it was so much fun, I can't wait to try it to see if I'm a master tea blender or not :D
Image from Tea Laboratory!
TEA GIFTS
I've tried the Matcha starter kit and it is beautiful. This is the kit that got me hooked on matcha! Pumeli has thoughtful collections that would make incredible holiday gifts!
The first tea subscription box I've come across that combines two of my favorite things, tea and food! Tea Box Express does an incredible job with their pairings <3
These tea accessory for tea bags will make your tea time dazzle!
Photo from My Tea Bling
My lovely friend and fellow Tea Blogger Lu Ann wrote a book about tea and it is FAB for anyone who loves tea or wants to get more into tea!
Jamie creates the best boxes, buy one for someone else or TREAT YO SELF!
HANDMADE
Bridget Lynette Designs: Bridgett is my best friend and she is so amazingly talented! She will be moving more towards calligraphy, design and wedding work in 2017. Before the end of the year make sure to visit her shop for beautiful hand lettered ornaments! Here is a mug I got from her :)
Ali is seriously talented! Her toppers are the cutest and when I went to her with this semi complicated order she NAILED it! Have you tried to pinterest and can't get it right? Pinterest worthy goods are Ali's jam! Plus she is the sweetest <3
Apartment 406 Designs
Mirjana makes the most beautiful designs and the best part is, no shipping! All her designs are easily printed at home!
Louisa is just amazing. I think all I have to say for you to understand is that THIS IS A DRAWING...that's right you heard me. Go check her out!
Image by Louisa
Lisa makes the most beautiful knot pieces including this donut I got from her! Knit donuts are such a great gift, especially for little ones :D
Dear Harry Potter fans, if you need a shop to support your love for HP, look no further than Amanda! I smile every time I look at this adorable HP ornament!
I had been lurking on Danyelle's etsy for awhile, she has such a beautiful style and I finally treated myself to this shirt. She has the dreamiest work and her shirts, jewelry and wood pieces make great gifts!
Image from Danyelle Woods Design Etsy
Christmas lovers unite! Scripted sweetly has beautiful lettering and I have this sign hung on my tree. I think if you need some lettering in your life you need to visit her shop!
Oh man, the hedgehog. Word FInder's Club has a really cute style and really fun gifts like word search cards! If you have a nursery to decorate, this is the perfect shop for you!
If you didn't know what hatching is I suggest you take a look at this custom piece I got done for a Christmas present. Looks exactly like our dear bodhi and so unique!
Kinda of a fan girl of Archer & Olive. Fell in love with this piece and I love the style in which she paints. There is a whole range of perfect gifts. If you're getting married, her bridesmaids cards are gorgeous!
An etsy shop to match this incredible artist. Yiramee creates beautiful and unique illustrations that are the perfect decor for your home!
I met Riza at my first calligraphy workshop and her work has just bloomed! She obvious has a natural talent for it and she makes the most beautiful canvases! I get to stare at this beauty every morning when I enjoy my tea :)
I love Brenna! This is the only hat I will wear when my hair is down. She makes soft and beautiful designs. She also offers patterns so you can try your hand at crochetting or knitting your favorite items!
Peachie makes the most incredible bags. There are literally patterns for every style and taste! She is also super sweet and wonderful to work with!
Kind of obsessed with this lady's lettering. So beautiful! She has all the mugs you could ever want and many collaborations so that you can find a wide range of products that fit your needs!
Probably my favorite mug place, The Scribble Studio makes the most hilarious and cheeky mugs. Check out the store, you will for sure find something you like!
OMG. BEST.SMELLING.CANDLES.EVER.SERIOUSLY. (and thats really all that needs to be said)
Do you do calligraphy? If so you need to get a nib holder from Ashley Bush. These are seriously the most beautiful pens and I guarantee you she will knock it out of the park with your custom order. My favorite superhero rogue came out amazing!
My favorite chalk letterer ever. Every time someone walks into my kitchen and sees this hanging up I'm like can you believe that she drew that ...with chalk...by hand?! Valerie has prints, cards, tins, pouches, a kitchen cook book and so much more!
Paper Moon Interiors
Stephanie is probably the most stylish person ever! She just launched her website with a fun style quiz (my results below) Get in touch with Stephanie and let her help you make your space beautiful!
Image from Paper Moon!
These pieces are absolutely beautiful! If you need some simple yet elegant home decor, shop her prints!
Image by Esther
Michelle is the sweetest and most motivating person you will ever meet. Her passion comes through in all her work!
Image by Michelle!
Lazywood Lane co
Nicolette has beautiful calligraphy and can create a stamp or stationary for you. If you need Bespoke Organic Calligraphy + Heirloom Stationery, Lazywood Lane Co should be your first stop!
Image by Nicolette!
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jen is a sweetheart. I've never felt super comfortable when people take pictures of me but she captured me and my business so well. I highly suggest looking her up if you're in the DMV!
Image by Jen!
Sue Ellen Aguirre
Sue Ellen seriously has the most beautiful couples and families but her images are so gorgeous! She has this incredible style where I can always feel so much of the emotion captured. Also she is the coolest!
Image by Sue Ellen
Stephanie Dennehy PhotographyI
I've never seen a photo by Stephanie was wasn't breathtaking. All her compositions are so gorgeous. If you need an amazing picture, with a spectacular background, check her out!
Image by Stephanie!
Jewelry
Boho Betty
Really pretty jewelry, especially their stack bracelets! You can use code TEATHOUGHTS to get 20% off :)
I'm sure I've missed some so I will continue to add others!
Chai Pumpkin Pie
Spicy Pie.
I'm not much of a pie maker but for Thanksgiving I make an exception! I wanted "spice up" the normal pumpkin pie recipe I use and turned to my good old friend Wight Tea Co for their Chai! You're probably thinking, oh gosh here she goes again about that Chai. Seriously, IT IS THE BEST. My friend Brittany, who is the boss lady behind Wight Tea Co got the blend just right!
Chai tea milk, yum.
First thing I did was find out how to use regular milk instead of sweetened condensed or evaporated. Regular milk is key so that you can heat it (not boil) and place the leaves in the milk to brew.
Ingredients
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin (maybe a bit more)
2 tablespoons Wight Tea Co Chai
1/4 cup milk (heat and brew tea then drain)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
I used a Jiffy pie crust mix. It's super simple, just add water and roll out! Next time I think Ill get two boxes so that I can make a pretty dough braid around the edge!
Stir together eggs, pumpkin and milk. Make sure that after you brew the tea in the milk, you let it cool before adding it to the mix.
Add in flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and cloves. Mix.
Pour batter into the pie shell! If you want the crust to brown better you can cover it in egg wash.
Bake at 375 for about an hour. depending on your oven it may take less time than this so check often! You can also try baking at 425 for 15 minutes then reducing the oven to 350 and baking for about 30 minutes.
Yay!
Do you have a special ingredient you include in your pumpkin pie like this chai? Share with me!
Home Sweet Home Honey Cake
Majestic & Moist.
I opened up this Home Sweet Home blend and had a little freak out. There are candy snowflakes and Christmas trees in it! If you follow me on Instagram you know that I'm a bit Christmas crazy, so this tea only encouraged my Christmas spirit.
This blend is very festive! The other ingredients include black tea, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and jasmine pedals. It smells like what I hope my house smells like throughout the holiday season. The cinnamon scent really pops.
I try to create my own recipes but when I came across this cake recipe, I couldn't resist: Majestic and Moist honey cake. The spices in this cake sealed the deal for me, I knew they would go well with the taste of the tea.
Here is the recipe to check out and follow: Majestic & Moist Honey Cake Recipe
I made a few changes!
First, from the choices given I used a bundt pan. Make sure to butter the pan before pouring any batter into it.
I used all brown sugar instead of some white and some brown
I used applesauce in place of the vegetable oil
I used Home Sweet Home tea blend from For Tea's Sake
I didn't use almonds but only because of the audience I created the cake for, feel free to use them!
This recipe is SUPER dense but delicious. At first glance, I wasn't sure that all the ingredients mixed together would produce a yummy cake but I was wrong! The tea really gives the cake a wonderful aroma. This is the perfect cake for the holidays!
I've posted a few times about the blends from For Tea's Sake and I thought it would be fun for you to learn a bit more about the company. I had the opportunity to ask Sarah, their social media marketing manager a little more about the company. I love her answers, especially about the versatility of tea <3
1) How was the name 'For Tea's Sake" chosen for the company?
A lot of our inspiration and ethos comes down to one simple moment. Enjoying a cup of tea. It’s such a simple concept, and we loved the play on words. (For Tea’s Sake!)
2) Do you all have a specific process for choosing your blends?
We do a ton of research on blends, food trends, and what’s emerging in major tea markets. From there we built out our three classifications (CORE, WELLNESS & ARTISAN). Everything we create comes back to these pillars so it’s a real foundation for us. We wanted to appeal to tea consumers at all levels and each of our classes allows us to do that.
CORE – for those know what they like, and expect certain standards for their tea.
WELLNESS – for those looking to focus on the healing and wellness benefits in tea, much more health-centric
ARTISAN – big for gift giving, moments, and occasions
We also source our tea’s from farms world-wide, ensuring everything we produce is natural (no artificial flavors), authentic, and pure. Quality is a big focus for us!
3) If you could have tea with anyone past or present who would it be and where?
We’d love to share a cup of tea with Thomas Edition. His passion for innovation and creation is simply unparalleled. His commitment to his craft is all kinds of inspiration.
4) How would you convince someone to switch from coffee to tea?
We’re a big believer in education, so for us a priority is always helping our customers understand what they are putting into their bodies. The most compelling part of tea drinking for us is the range of purposes it can have in your life, it’s so versatile. It can be consumed to give you a jump start to the day or it can help you unwind and relax for a cozy night in. Not to mention it’s the second most consumed beverage in the world! We’d definitely use our knowledge to educate coffee drinkers on why they might want to consider making tea a stronger part of their routine because of the different purposes it fulfills. That said, coffee drinkers are certainly stead-fast in their commitment, so a convert would be a big accomplishment!
5) What is your current favorite tea blend?
This is a tough one! One of our original blends that still delights us is SLEEP WELL. Some of us over here have becomes addicted to it nightly!!!
6) What is your favorite part about drinking tea?
As we mentioned, definitely a fan of the versatility but we’d also call out the health & wellness benefits as being a huge plus. Every blend serves a unique and important purpose and we love being able to constantly evolve with new blend trends.
7)What is your favorite tea pun?
How can we choose! Let’s just say it’s always a par-tea when we’re involved ;)
If you want to try this recipe using the same tea blend I did, you can use Naza15 for 15% off your first order from For Tea's Sake.
Have you tried a honey cake recipe that you loved? Share with me!
Tea Gift Idea: Roobois and lavender tea soak
Tub Tea.
Tea in the tub? You might be thinking I've gone crazy but I haven't! I was working with the Sereni-Tea Now blend from For Tea's Sake.
I noticed that several ingredients have some amazing health benefits!
Rooibos: The anti inflammatory properties have been thought to help with allergies and eczema as well as acne!
Lavender: Detoxifying skin
Nettle: This leaf also has excellent anti inflammatory properties.
**I'm not a skin expert, just an expert at googling**
It's a gorgeous blend!
I had the idea to make a mixture with this tea to help you relax in the tub and maybe help your skin at the same time!
What you'll need:
Epsom Salt
Sereni-Tea Now tea blend
Tea Bags (it's better if you can seal them)
I mixed the tea with a very common bath ingredient, Epsom salt! Epsom salt is known for many health benefits but probably my favorite is stress reduction :) I think the two like to be blended together, it turned out beautifully!
I would advise to mix the same amount of the blend and the Epsom salt which is what I did. Once mixed, it looks like a good balance. If you prefer one over the other feel free to change it up. I like having an even mix because this tea blend is super packed with goodies.
Next, you need to put this wonderful mixture in something that will allow the tea to "brew" but not make a mess in the tub. It's really easy to find tea sachets but I especially love these ones I got from For Tea's Sake because of the convenient draw string at the top of the bag!
I put two tablespoons into each tea bag. Make sure to tighten the top of the bag and tie it up. I dropped a couple of these bags in my bath and it was wonderful. Don't expect your bath to brew to the color like your tea does but you can expect super soft skin when you're done! Just like when i drink tea I felt very calm during this bath.
Here's why I love this idea. Now I can relax with tea by sipping on it and bathing in it ! These are super easy to make and only require 3 items. This can be a great gift for the person in your life who loves to take baths! The holidays are coming up and this is an easy DIY gift.
Tea in cosmetics is becoming more popular and I decided to jump on the bandwagon :) Stay tuned for more beauTEA recipes !
Use code Naza15 to get 15% off your first order at For Tea's Sake!
**NOTE: Everyone reacts to substances differently so really consider how your skin fairs when exposed to different ingredients before giving this a try**
Mile High Chai Muffins
You have to Chai these!
Are you in the mood for muffins? Who am I kidding? Muffin mood is 24/7! When I received this Mile High Chai from The Tea Spot., I couldn't help but smell the spicy goodness and decide to make muffins with it!
Let's take a second to admire this gorgeous tea. This blend includes black tea, ginger root, cinnamon, allspice, peppercorn, cloves and natural chai flavoring.
This is a very basic muffin recipe that I adapted to include tea! There were a few things that didn't go as planned and I have included them at the end of the recipe for your consideration, make sure to read the whole recipe before starting to bake!
Ingredient list:
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar **
- 2 tablespoons of Mile High Chai
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 egg**
- Extra raw brown sugar for sprinkling
- Paper liners **
** See notes at end of recipe
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Heat milk, add in 2 tablespoons of Mile High Chai. Let steep then drain milk. I used the insert of the brewing mug from The Tea Spot
- Mix together all the dry ingredients
- Lightly beat all the wet ingredients together (make sure the milk has cooled)
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture
- Mix until combined, do not over mix
- Fill liners 3/4 full and sprinkle sugar on top
- Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick or fork comes out dry when muffin is poked
Lessons:
- Increase 2 tablespoons of sugar to 1/2 cup sugar
- Either grease paper liners or use silicone baking cups
- Next time I might consider adding one additional egg to the recipe to make the outcome a bit more moist
I liked the idea of low sugar recipe but definitely could stand for them to be a bit sweeter, especially because these don't have frosting!
The applesauce makes them dense but I prefer this slightly healthier option by replacing the butter.
I liked the chai flavoring in the muffins, very subtle but adds to the spiciness. I think these tea muffins would go great with a glass of black tea! Perfect for dunking :)
As mentioned in my notes, I didn't anticipate the batter sticking to the paper liners so much but this can always be fixed!
Despite some of the hiccups, these turned out wonderfully. Yet again I'm reminded that tea is not just for drinking. What a wonderful item that can consumed in so many different ways. This mile high chai was especially perfect for muffins because of the ginger and peppercorn flavor in the blend, a fall fav!
What is your favorite tea recipe?! Ill be sharing more of these types of posts so stay tuned!