Let's Detox Turmeric Face Mask
Tea Mask.
I've teamed up with For Tea's Sake to bring you a mini recipe series. I've chosen 4 teas from their wellness collection to create 4 different recipes. The first part in the series features their Let's detox tea.
I will be creating very simple recipes to help your everyday ailments! Please note that I'm not a medical professional and my conclusions come from benefits thought to result from use of the different ingredients.
Choosing let's detox was a no brainer. This tea is packed with a ton of great ingredients! In addition to having raspberry, safflowers, anise and cloves, Let's detox also includes these superstars.
Rooibos: Great anti-inflammatory properties that are sometimes seen to be effective in fighting skin issues such as eczema !
Nettle: Antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties are great for treating dry or itchy skin!
Licorice Root: Is said to have skin brightening and blemish fading effects.
Calendula: The anti bacterial part of the crew
Did you notice all the skin benefits? Well I'm going to be adding some more ingredients that will rock your skin's world!
Turmeric: Helps hydrate skin and build up collagen
Raw Honey: Anti bacterial and antiseptic properties.
Ingredients you'll need:
1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Turmeric is very potent. Free to use 1/4 of a teaspoon if you have concerns about it staining the skin
1 tablespoon raw honey of your choice (you can add more later to get desired texture)
1/3 cup milk to heat. ***You will use 1 tablespoon in the recipe ***
1 tablespoon Let's Detox Tea Blend
Tools you'll need:
Small glass mason jar for storage
Rubber spatula
Strainer for tea
some type of mixing spoon
We need to make the tea part of this recipe. Heat your milk, do not let it boil completely over.
Pour a tablespoon of the tea into milk, let stand for 4-6 minutes then strain the tea out of the milk.
Add the turmeric to the glass container
Add the honey into the container. You made need a rubber spatula to get the honey off the spoon if you chose a viscous raw honey like I did.
Give the turmeric and the honey an initial mix before adding the milk. This little wooden spoon may not have been the best tool I could have used. This will be VERY sticky. Something with a flatter surface would be best, like a butter knife.
Add the milk and mix together to get a general sense of the texture.
I added a little bit more honey to thicken the mask but it will still be fairly liquid. Feel free to add additional honey to make the mask as thick as you'd like.
To Use:
Wash face with warm water.
Spread mask all over your face or simply choose problem areas. Even though these ingredients are all natural, keep away from eyes and mouth for safety.
Let the mask stand for 5 to 10 minutes
Wash off with warm water, pat dry.
You might be thinking WOAH, what if the turmeric stains my skin? There is such a small amount of turmeric compared to the other ingredients so I don't think it will. I tried the mask on myself (see below) and my skin was fine. I do think that if the turmeric stays on your skin a little bit you can get it off by using some coconut oil on your face to remove it!
Are you brave enough to rub some turmeric, milk tea, and honey on your face?! I hope you are, I know your skin will thank you :)
Why I prefer glass: White Rose by Zhi Tea
Rose Tea.
I've talked before about the differences in what you choose to drink your tea in. I'm not bringing this up to make you feel like tea is some out of reach fancy drink, I personally think that tea is for everyone! I would be lying however if I didn't tell you that I prefer some vessels over others. It's kind of like how different alcohols are classically consumed from different types of glasses!
Glass has always been my favorite vessel to drink tea from but it has slowly become my favorite thing to BREW tea in as well. I'm going to use the Zhi rose tea as an example.
So many loose leaf teas are incredibly beautiful because they are hand blended with REAL ingredients. To each their own, but one huge plus to loose leaf versus tea bags is that the ingredients are crushed up. The White Rose from Zhi Tea is a mix of white tea and tiny rosebuds.
Tasting Notes
This tea is actually SO GOOD. I've started to really take a liking to white tea. When the blend is dry, the rose buds totally overtake your senses. Once brewed however, there are strong notes of what I recognize as artichoke! Which happens to be one of my favorite foods. When drinking this tea, the rose buds definitely make an appearance. I am rationing this tea because I don't want it to be gone!
When I opened up my package from Zhi Tea, I was drawn to the rose tea. Rose and cardamom are classic ingredients in the way Persian tea is brewed and I have fond memories of it growing up.
When drinking tea I enjoy glass because to me it makes the connection between drinker and tea. Glass allows you to see the color of your brew and if it is at your preferred strength or not.
Quick Tip: If you pour your glass but it's too light and you'd like a darker brew, simply pour the tea back in the pot, then pour again into your glass. The color will be darker. Seems like an obvious thing but something I grew up watching my parents and relatives do!
Glass Tea pots. I recently got two glass tea pots for Christmas and my birthday in January. One is larger with a strainer and then there is this smaller one that is pictured. It's meant for blooming teas but I can't resist using it with flowery or intense blends to watch the tea open up.
Just like blooming teas, it's so beautiful to watch the reaction to the hot water hitting the leaves. They disperse, then join back together. They start to slowly open up like a lily in the morning.
Watching the leaves slightly open themselves up is seriously a beautiful transformation. It's a calming way to spend a few minutes. I also think it's so poetic. Leaves start out hard and closed off. When hot water touches them, they open themselves up and show you their true beauty, creating a magical elixir called tea.
Sounds a bit corny I know but it's a way to slow down. A way to enjoy beauty in the little things. It's also interested to see how some of the leaves fall and some float.
With a glass teapot and cup, there is no hiding. I get to be apart of the entire process from start to finish.
Glass is a way for my tea time to be transparent, literally! It forces me to sit with my tea and monitor it. In this time my mind wanders and asks questions about the tea. Relaxation increases.
Do you like to drink out of glass ?!
Tea Infused Butter: How to have tea sweets.
TeaButter.
I had the opportunity to try some delicious teas from Zhi Tea. It's super bowl Sunday and I knew we needed a dessert. I decided that this was a great opportunity for me to make tea cookies!
Infusing tea into your sweets is quite simple. Find a recipe that calls for milk or butter first. Here I'll show you how to incorporate tea with a recipe that calls for butter. Many cookie recipes call for butter and all you need to do is heat it and melt is.
Once your tea is in the butter and brewing you need to mix it around a bit. Once brewed make sure you strain your butter. I use the insert from my tea pot to strain the tea. Make sure that your strainer holes are small enough to not let much of the tea through. This particular blend had some very small pieces so some came through into the butter but it's not a big deal.
Once you've strained the butter you should let it set so that it is at room temperature and solidified. When the butter is solidified you can use it regularly in your cookies or cake or whatever butter filled recipe! A recipe that calls for softened butter is perfect because once solidified (unless your home is freezing) the butter takes on a softened state which makes it much easier to use in your recipe!The tea pictured here is a rooibos mix from Zhi tea called sweet desert delight.
I had to chance to ask a little more about Zhi tea! Read about them below!
From Jeffrey (Owner of Zhi Tea)
1) How was Zhi started and how did you choose the name?
We were (are) tea geeks and wanted to bring really high quality, organic tea to the marketplace as we felt there was a gap. ZHI means "wisdom". We wanted to honor the deep tradition of tea, the wisdom of nature, and the tea masters.
2) Does Zhi specialize in a certain type of tea?
Yes! High end, organic, self-blended teas.
3) What is the process like for coming up with your blends?
We take flavor combinations we like, or our customers like, that appear in the food and beverage world. For example, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which was my inspiration behind the raspberry pecan rooibos.
4) What is your favorite tea and why?
My favorite tea is oolong tea. Possibly because the varieties of oolongs are almost endless. Oolong provides, to me at least, a calming and flavorful and aromatic tea experience that is unequaled in the world of tea. Even more specifically, da yu ling oolong, which is the highest grown oolong on a small farm in Taiwan.
5) If you could go to any place to have tea, where would it be?
The top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
6) How would you convince someone new to tea to drink loose leaf over tea bags?
Gentle persuasion. But really, to each her own! The quality of loose leaf is just so superior. The extra minute it takes is really, really worth it.
7) What is your cup right now?!
I just drank a lovely, foamy bowl of organic ceremonial matcha prepared by one of our staff for my afternoon pick me up and centering drink.
8) What is your favorite tea pun?
You can't spell team without tea. :-)
9) Do you have a ritual surrounding your tea time? If so, paint us a picture!
Totally. I do Chinese style tea ceremony not every day, but close to it. Silence, focus, appreciation, stillness, and joy permeate a tea ceremony, even if the ceremony is very simple.
Get to know Melanie! (Wholesale Brand Manager)
4) What is your favorite tea and why?
It’s so hard to choose one favorite tea! I have favorites within each tea category, and a lot of factors determine which tea I am in the mood for, such as the time of day, what I am doing, how I want to feel, or if there is a certain health benefit I am looking for. I appreciate different teas for different reasons, so it’s hard to pick just one.
I would say my two favorite tea categories are oolong and puerh. There is so much complexity behind the processing and tradition behind them. I have always loved lightly oxidized high-altitude Taiwanese oolongs, such as Li Shan and Da Yu Ling. They are very uplifting, with natural floral notes and creaminess. But I am also fascinated by puerh (both ripe and raw, but especially a nicely aged raw puerh)– it is such a unique category because of its extensive history and meticulous processing through fermentation, and it has health benefits that may be more potent than any other tea, such as the detoxification and cholesterol-lowering properties. It’s my go-to if I want to aid digestion after eating a heavy meal or something sugary or oily. Oh, and then there’s matcha! I put matcha in everything for its brain-boosting capabilities – smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, anything!
5) If you could go to any place to have tea, where would it be and why?
Right now I’m really interested in going to Japan and experiencing a traditional tea ceremony! I have recently been learning a lot about different types of Japanese green teas (Matcha, Gyokuro, Sencha, etc) and I’m intrigued by their unique and beautiful tea culture.
6) How would you convince someone new to tea to drink loose leaf over tea bags?
I would let them taste some high quality loose-leaf tea that’s steeped correctly side-by-side with tea from a tea bag. That should convince them right away. Sadly, many Americans have a stereotype that tea is bitter and gross (although they might try to drink it anyway because they know it’s good for them)… but they may have only experienced tea made from low quality teabag dust that’s been burned and over-steeped (green tea gets pretty bitter if you steep it incorrectly or if it’s low quality). The real stuff – loose leaf tea – can usually be re-steeped 3-4 times if it’s good quality, without losing the taste or health benefits, so you get more bang for your buck. It’s definitely important to steep it correctly (green tea should be steeped in water that’s 165 degrees or less, and for a short period of time). While loose-leaf tea might be slightly less convenient to make, I think it’s worth it. Even while traveling, I take empty tea bags and fill them with loose leaf tea!
7) What is your cup right now?
I’m drinking GABA oolong! I was really interested to try it because it is processed unlike any other oolong – oxidized in nitrogen instead of oxygen, which allows it to naturally accumulate more GABA (a neurotransmitter that has many benefits including improved mood, reduced anxiety). People take GABA in supplement form, but this tea is a great natural source :D
8) What is your favorite tea pun?
Why can’t we all just get oolong?
9) Do you have a ritual surrounding your tea time? If so, paint us a picture!
I really enjoy the traditional way of making Chinese tea, “gongfu cha,” which literally means “making tea with great skill”. I prefer to use a clay pot when making puerh or oolong. I have one that was handmade in Taiwan for making oolong, and one that comes from Yunnan, China, for making puerh (you’re supposed to stick with only one tea type as long as you have your clay pot, because the clay is so porous that it actually develops the flavor of the tea over time!). I put the clay pot, along with a little glass pitcher and small teacups, on a bamboo tray, which has an area underneath it to catch water from spills. Spillage of the water is actually done intentionally, because you have to warm up the pot and cups first and then throw the water out, and the first steep of puerh is usually discarded onto the tray.
I first witnessed this way of making tea when I was living in Shanghai and would explore teashops in my free time. I was intrigued by the Chinese tea masters’ grace and skill when making tea – it seemed like every hand motion was perfectly calculated. Now that I have learned to do a version of it myself, I really appreciate the ritual and it helps me to take a step back from the fast pace and stress of daily life and work. At night, I like to turn on my salt lamp and light some candles to surround myself with good vibes while making tea
6 ways to treat your SweeTea this Valentine's day
ValenTEAn.
Valentine's day is one of my favorite holidays. I know it's super commercialized but I think it's a day that reminds us to put love out into the world and we can never get enough of those reminders. One of my favorite things to do is to send snail mail to as many people as I can! I've compiled a short list for some tea themed gifts and other pretty things to get your sweeTEA !
1. Custom gift from Pumeli
Pumeli has a huge selection of curated gift boxes, most of which include tea. Following the motto of the company, Permission to Relax, every box comes with tea that fits the theme. I first encountered Pumeli when I had the chance to try the Matcha starter kit. Forever thankful to Pumeli for sparking the romance between matcha and I!
Pumeli has a new feature on their site where you get to be the master curator and create your own gift box! This is perfect gift to craft for your sweetheart and include all the things they love. Pictured is a custom box I treated myself to :)
2. Tea Thoughts Cards
Shameless shop plug! I'm kinda smitten with the new lovey dovey cards in my shop and I want you all to know about it! These cards come in a pack of three and you can create a custom assortment if you'd like. Ex. 2 steep it real cards, 1 honey card. I also have listed the honey and steep it real cards separately.
PROMO: Currently in my shop if you spend $10 you get a free tote bag!
Tea Box Express is a monthly tea subscription box and the February box is going to include some wonderful goodies (including 2 of my cards!). I had the pleasure of receiving 2 tea boxes from this company and each time it was so delightful. I love how there is a combination of tea, tea food pairings and tea themed products! It's a tea lover's dream. Order by February 5th to receive the February box
4. Tea Towel from Cloth & Twig
I recently connected with Cloth & Twig on Instagram and she creates the cutest designs! I was so excited when she released her home line that included these beautiful tea towels. The colorful design was so perfect BUT it is also available in black and white! I think the colorful set that I purchased reminds me of beauty and the beast when they sing be our guest <3 (which is why I love it so much!)
5. Boho Betty Jewlery
I'm not huge on jewelry but I have two bracelets from Boho Betty that I LOVE! They have lots of unique designs and are currently having a promotion for 30% off!
6) Chambre De Sucre artisan sugars
Chambre De Sucre creates the cutest tea buddies to sweeten up your tea time. These hearts are a great example. You can also purchase sugars that rest on the rim of your mug until you're ready to use them. I've had the pleasure of trying the angel wings, kittens and elephants! This is a great gift for a tea lover in your life who has a major sweet tooth!
Firepot Masala Chai Chicken
Chai Chicken.
I first learned how to cook in high school. Most of my learning was not by recipes but by doing. I always enjoyed baking more than cooking because it was so specific, one wrong proportion and it could all go wrong. Cooking was more flexible but it also left way more room for error. As I've gotten older and cooked much more I've come to love how flexible cooking meal can be!
I've posted many recipes on infusing tea into baked goods but I've recently been asked if I ever do this with a non dessert meal. I hadn't until I received some firepot Masala Chai from Firepot Nomadic Teas!
Earlier this week I posted about making tea with the concentrate but did you know it's super easy to cook with it too? Sarah from Firepot Nomadic Teas created fried chicken with this chai concentrate so I thought I would follow suit and make my own baked chicken recipe!
I cook almost every night but it's hard to share my recipes because I often "eye" amounts and decide whether things are are good combination by smell. BUT, for this baked chicken I actually kept track and created a simple recipe! I have some ranges here so that you can create this recipe to your taste
Ingredients:
1 cup Firepot Masala Chai tea concentrate
1 pack chicken tenderloins
1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic
One small onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons of sambal oelek
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Salt & pepper
Combine ingredients in a bowl large enough for all the chicken. Place chicken in the bowl, cover and let marinate for several hours.
Heat oven to 350 and cook chicken on a covered baking dish or sheet for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your tenderloins.
This marinade turned out so well! The chai tea concentrate is spicy but also sweet. The garlic and ginger bring out the chai taste and the sambal oelek helps add a little heat to the dish!
Please give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
I had the chance to ask Sarah from Nomadic Teas a few questions and I wanted to share! Get to know Sarah!
1) What sparked the idea for Firepot and how did you think of the name?
I started Firepot in 2001 when I was cooking at a Tibetan Teahouse in Bozeman, Montana. I was making chai, passionately learning about Fair Trade and tea and the business sprung to life! I was inspired by the nomadic nature of a candle actually-- and thinking how wonderful a transportable pot of fire was... And decided Firepot would work for my own transportable pot of fire, tea!
2) What is currently your favorite tea that you offer?
My favorite in the collection right now is one of our rare, seasonal ones-- Tumsong estate Darjeeling first flush! I've drunk about 5 pounds since it was harvested in March!
3) Can you go share some of the pros/cons of tea concentrate vs loose leaf?
Concentrate is fast, easy and delicious... Since we brew it for an extended period of time, just like they do on the streets of India, it's potent-- and already is sweet. Our loose leaf chai offers versatility and value- you can add your own sugar or not and make it as strong or weak as you like. Loose leaf tea in general delivers a more uniform and flavorful infusion because the leaves are allowed to swim freely in the water-- not confined to a teabag.
4) What is your favorite recipe you've created with the firepot chai?
Oh- my favorite recipe was the chai bourbon mule I made this summer for Music City Food and Wine in Nashville!
5) What tea would you suggest for a new tea drinker?
Depending on what the new tea drinker was currently enjoying (coffee, etc...) and where they lived, i.e. what their palate was acclimated to, I'd recommend either a tea with a sweet and easy profile like our Moroccan Jasmine mint (green) Hibiscus Elixir (botanical) or, if they enjoy strong coffee, I'd recommend our Assam or Firepot Breakfast.
6) What is your favorite place to enjoy tea? If you could drink tea anywhere in the world where would you do it?
I love to drink tea in one of its traditional settings. Sheng Puerh at the gongfucha table of a tea maker in Yunnan, gyokuro at a ryokan in Japan overlooking a tea garden, chai at a stall in Dharamshala, iced tea on my front porch with girlfriends...I have never had mint tea in Morocco and am excited to do that one day. I fantasize about sweet, sensual mint tea in the medina in Fes.
7) Do you have a favorite tea pun? If so which one?
I love you so matcha! Is my favorite tea pun.
Nomadic Teas: Firepot Masala Chai
Firepot.
I had the pleasure of receiving a bottle of this Masala Chai tea concentrate from Nomadic Teas. What a cute bottle, am I right?!
I've never used a tea concentrate but on days when I want tea but don't have the time it sounds delightful. The directions are so easy. One part masala chai and one part milk of your choice.
The beauty of this mixture is that you can have it cold or heat it up. It's January, so in Maryland that means hot tea for me! Not to mention that it's national hot tea month!
I combined the the firepot and regular whole milk then heated them on the stove for a few minutes. I'll just say that before heating the mixture the concentrate itself has an incredible aroma of what is so familiar as chai. The ginger was a note that especially stuck out to me.
I'm a sweets lover so I was curious to see if the mixture would need any honey or sugar. Once I took my first sip I was in love! I'm not one to put milk in tea but the milk perfectly mixes with the chai.
What a delicious surprise! This tea had all the perfect elements. It's sweet just how I like but there's a hint of spice that comes through from the ginger and pepper. It kinda tasted like a delicious dessert in a cup! I would be curious to play around with the ratio of milk to concentrate and explore the range of flavors. One part of each seemed perfect to me though.
I didn't need any additional sugar but in the instance that you might, I conveniently had these adorable sugars from Chambre de Sucre that hang on your cup! Perfect for a tea party!
As someone who loves to infuse tea into non tea drinks, sweets and foods I am delighted at the tea concentrate. What a versatile way to incorporate tea into your everyday life in a simple way! I got so excited that I made a chicken blend using this masala chai which I'll be sharing with you later this week!
Have you had a tea concentrate that you like? Nomadic Teas also has a rooibos chai concentrate which I've never tried but can only guess it's as delightful as the masala chai!
Step Into the Tea Laboratory
Meet the Mad Scientists.
One of my favorite parts about trying new teas is getting to know the company behind the tea! If you've been keeping up with Tea Thoughts recently you'll remember a company called Tea Laboratory where I was able to create my own blend! I was able to speak with Gloria of Tea Laboratory, read below to find out a little more!
1) What sparked the idea for Tea Laboratory?
It was actually a few Christmases ago. The theme was "homemade Christmas" and we decided to make everyone herbal teas as gifts. After discovering how much fun it was, we decided that everyone should have the opportunity to blend their own teas.
2) Where did your passion for tea start?
I worked in a country-style English tea room for my first job when I was 16, and then a French-style tea room a few years later during college. I have never been a fan of coffee, so I naturally gravitated towards tea. Working at the tea rooms reinforced my love of all things tea.
3) Do you have a favorite tea?
This is a hard one! I love so many. Jasmine pearls have always been a favorite because of their unique fragrant nature and lovely character - I am so excited to have them in our shop now! Another of my favorites is Formosa Super Fancy Oolong, which we are no longer able to get (at least for now!) - the best oolong I think I've had!
4) What is your favorite setting to enjoy tea in?
With friends, on a cold day, along side some yummy cookies.
Cookies...Gloria and I are on the same page ;)
5) Do you have any tips for people who are trying out the "create your own blend" option on the site?
Be adventurous! You can't go wrong (mostly!). It helps to start with two bases (typically gives a nice blended flavor). If you have a kind of flavor or style in mind when you start, it can be helpful in selecting herbs, spices, and flavorings that you will like. But if not, go with what sounds good or interesting! And, if you have any questions, please ask us! We are happy to help. Insider info: we are working on getting images in the lab to help with selection!
6) What do you envision for the growth of Tea Laboratory?
Currently we are trying to get the word out and get people excited about it, while getting our feet off the ground. In the next year, we plan to try out markets (watch out Seattle!). Eventually, we think it would be really great to have a storefront with some fun lab features.
Go check them out!!!
7) What is your favorite tea pun?
Well, I like this one (a classic): "Move oolong, nothing to tea here"
If you want to read about my thoughts Tea Laboratory teas, check out the posts below!
Bourbon Green Tea
Cocktail + Tea = CockTEAl
I tried another beautiful tea from Cai Cai and decided to have a little fun with it!
Needles is an organic Longjing green that has this beautiful feather like shape as you can see in the above image.
This tea has a more classically green tea aroma which to me, is very earthy. The finished brew is pretty light in color as you are only to steep it for 2 minutes.
The taste was very sweet and light just as I would have suspected from the color. I also felt as if there was a hint of butter in the flavor?
I've really been enjoying different tea experiments. Baking with tea is always fun, I've created a bath soak and one of my new favorite is cockTEAls !
Here's what you'll need:
Cai Cai Needles tea
Sweetner (optional but recommended)
Directions:
Brew 2 Tablespoons of needles tea. Immediately after you pour the hot water over the leaves, place your sweetener of choice in the pot. This time I used rock sugar.
Once brewed, let the tea cool.
Find a good whiskey glass. The celebrate glass is from Rachel Allene's etsy shop
Pour 2-3 dashes of bitters in your glass
Pour 1-2 parts bourbon in your glass depending on desired strength of drink
Pour 3-4 parts cooled needles and sugar mixture into your glass.
Mix & Chill
Enjoy!
I really like this combination. In all honesty, my favorite way to enjoy any good whiskey is neat BUT I do like to experiment. This mixture is great because the needles tea is light so it doesn't completely mask the flavor of the Bulleit.
This is perfect for someone who wants to enjoy some bourbon but not with the punch of having it neat or on ice. Hey, if it has green tea it's healthy right ? ;)
Have you tried a cockTEAl drink recipe that you've loved?!
Winter Is here: Licorice Essence
Licorice.
We had our first snow today! I've always loved snow. I have such fond memories of bundling up, sledding until my fingers and toes got numb then rushing home for hot cocoa. To me, snow is the true sign of winter. Cold weather isn't enough, when it snows I know winter is here!
I sat down to try another blend from Tea Laboratory. This blend is called Licorice Essence.
Ingredients: White Monkey Paw, Fennel, Anise Stars & Licorice Root
This tea reminded me about one of the reasons I love my blog. I get the opportunity to try so many teas and most all of them are beautiful in their own way. I love how "chunky" this tea is, it shows it's character through all the different shapes and colors of the ingredients.
Some teas have different scents dominate when they're dry vs brewed, this is one of those teas. When dry this blend has a distinct licorice aroma, the fennel seeds are also detectable.
When brewed, the white monkey paw steals the show for sure. When brewed, there is a much heartier aroma that is often accompanied by green teas.
At first sip I had a WOAH moment. I guess I associate licorice with candy or something sweet in general. I forgot that this tea has licorice root so I was shocked when my first sip was that of a green tea. DUH! The white monkey paw gives this tea a very green and earthy taste. Although the tea tasted earthy to me it also had a light element to it.
It's strange to say that it's light but also bitter. Or perhaps that the non tea expert in me describing incorrectly :) To me, licorice is a bit bitter and that comes through when sipping on this tea. It's not weighed down and bold like black tea usually it. After a few sips a hint of sweet revealed itself too!
After examining the ingredients I guessed that the tea might have a bit of bite or spice to it but it didn't really. The ingredients blend together well to make a solid green tea with hints of different flavors. Another word that came to mind while enjoying this tea was warm. Not warm as in temperature but warm like welcoming and a perfect blend for the winter time!
What is your favorite winter tea?
Last Minute Gift Idea: Tea Leaf Chocolate Bark!
Tis the season for tea.
Have you ever made or received chocolate bark for the holidays? It's quite possibly one of the simplest and most delicious sweets. The past week I've been debating different gift ideas for the last few people on my list and then I saw a video of someone making chocolate bark. Oh my gosh, it was so simple. It's literally melted chocolate and whatever other ingredients you want!
I first tried a "smores" bard that was a layer of chocolate, a layer of marshmallow fluff, another layer of chocolate then topped with graham crushed graham crackers. Spoiler alert, it was FANTASTIC! I've been thinking about a recipe for my last installment of For Tea's Sake blends I was sent and due to the ingredients (pieces of banana and cocoa!) I wanted to do something with chocolate.
The result: Tea bark! This is a really simple recipe but it's unique and perfect for any tea lover on your list!
You will need:
1) 24 ounces semi sweet chocolate. I used mini chocolate chips because I think theyre easier to melt. You can alternatively use some semi sweet and some bittersweet !
2) Triple Banana Split tea blend from For Tea's Sake.
3) Baking sheet
4) Parchment paper
5) Christmas sprinkles (optional)
6) Double Boiler
Step 1: Crush up the tea blend. This will make it a bit more palpable on top of the chocolate. The image below shows the tea crushed by hand. You could also use a food processor.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and then spread onto the parchment paper covered baking pan. You don't need an actual double boiler to melt the chocolate. I used a rounded pot filled with boiling water and a flat pan that fit on top of that.
Step 3: Sprinkle crushed tea on top of the chocolate while it is still hot. Use sprinkles here as well if you are adding them. I wanted to give the chocolate a little bit of a Christmas feel with these white dots...almost like snow!
Step 4: Place the pan in the fridge for 2 hours or until chocolate is set.
Step 5: Break apart the chocolate with a knife or your hands. If you reach under the chocolate you should be able to free it from the parchment paper easily and break it up!
Step 6: ENJOY! or if you're making this as a gift, pack it up in a sweets box and keep cool until delviery.
Have you ever made tea bark? What is your favorite bark recipe?!