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Dawn (The Simple Leaf) + Belgian Chocolate rooibos (mystery vendor)
I have about 1/3 packet of Dawn left and I am rationing it very parsimoniously. But two lovely, cool mornings in a row (7:45 a.m. and it’s just now hit 60) occasioned a celebration. Since cocoa is the overwhelming profile in these big, luscious leaves, I reasoned that something chocolatey would be compatible and help me stretch last night’s brew basket a little further.
Angrboda recently made the wise observation that cocoa flavor is distinctly different from chocolate flavor. I should have listened. This chance combination doesn’t not work, but it’s like the days when you wear two shades of the same color that don’t quite go and then you worry all day that somebody else will notice.
2/3 Always Save grocery-shelf orange pekoe bagged tea + 1/3 Darvilles of Windsor English Breakfast = a touch of redneck class :)
Just needed something to wash away the after-effects of scrubbing my kitchen, so threw these three bags in a Mason jar in the fridge. The Darvilles is really dark and stout (PG Tips strength) and balances out the thinner, more citric taste of the cheap stuff. Good way to stretch my supply of the English Breakfast that’s a little hard to track down.
Here’s to cleanliness.
Tulsi + lavender + chamomile I spilled all over the stovetop = it’s been a stinky day. (Work insanity.)
No careful measuring, no rhyme nor reason, I just started pawing through my herbals for the most stress-relieving components I could find.
Helped, sorta.
Ahmad Warwick Assam + jacquelinem’s “Berry Melange” = a cozy mystery tea with a sense of humor.
Last summer, when we were setting up temporary quarters at Shabby House, jaquelinem fixed me up with a tin of her shaken-together bits and bops of berry black tea. So, half-and-half with Ahmad’s good solid Assam, I have a mystery to solve every time I pick up a fruity hint. Am I tasting strawberry? Blueberry? Razzleberries? Crunchberries? Throopberries from the lesser-angulated throopberry tree on the western Isle of Picallilli?
At any rate, this is strong enough to noodge me awake and sweet enough to feel a little celebratory—after all, we did make it to Friday.
Upton Tea Turkish apple + (bulk) tulsi = apple tart
About 2/3 apple to 1/3 tulsi. A little frantic at work; needed a little tulsi to tackle the tension in neck muscles (it is, in my opinion, the only herbal calmer-downer that has a noticeable effect on me). The downside to its effectiveness is its clovey-ness. Not my flavor profile.
So…this worked. Upton’s prescribed steep time is 8 minutes; plenty of time to wring all the medicinals out of the tulsi. The apple doesn’t completely mask the tulsi flavor, but is strong enough to tone it down. Like a fresh apple salad or a dessert made with Granny Smith apples.
Upton Season’s Pick Vietnam BPS (+1 day) + Ahmad Warwick Assam = nice breakfast blend.
Used day-old leaves of the Vietnam BPS and sprinkled in a little of the Assam; these unflavored black leaves work together nicely. The Vietnam BPS softens the stiff kick of the Assam, but still plenty of caffeine to jump start me.
3 parts Good Young Tea Co./Traditions Strawberry Black Tea + 2 parts bulk coarsely shaved coconut = plausible berries & cream substitute.
I’m thinking I could’ve backed off the coconut a bit; it’s in the foreground and not the background, but this is still good and tasty chilled.
I’m beginning to think that there is very little that doesn’t mix well with this wonderfully obscure and cheap little berry tea. Banana chips? Dried pineapple?
Strawberry Black Tea + Pappy’s Sassafrass = sit back in your rocking chair, turn up the Southern Gospel to obnoxious levels, and grin at those 100-degree temps because you’ve got a whole quart of this stuff to hand.
(1 T concentrate to a tumbler of my new favorite Good Young/Traditions Strawberry Black. An ornery and mischievous combination, but a good ’un.)
Good Young Tea Co./Traditions Strawberry Black Tea + home grown spearmint = ahhhhhh!
Anybody besides me missing hot tea, and the weather-related need for it? I’m not counting my solitary morning cuppa, which during this hot spell, is just a scrap of something I don’t mind going cold after the first half cup.
However, like many of you, this weather is providing opportunities to discover umpty-six different fridge-brewed combos that are balm to my chicken-fried soul.
This is one of them. A good friend set me up with a Disney Cars zip-lock bag of crumbled spearmint from her backyard. Did an experimental pint jar with a teaspoon of mint to a single bag of my current favorite Asian-grocery brand strawberry tea. Never had a mint julep, but that’s what comes to mind as I imbibe. The pint may turn into a gallon jug this afternoon :)
I’m just realizing… I may be alone in this boat, but even during the winter I don’t drink my tea until it’s only luke-warm. :)
Kwinter you are not alone. I like it warm to room temperature. So my idea of hot tea is cold to most of Steepsterdom. On the plus side I get to enjoy it year round. Yeah!
For me it depends on the tea because some are just better room temp. My hubby keeps the house so cold with the AC here that I can drink hot tea even in summer with no worries.
Many teas, especially oolongs, taste best to me when they have cooled for a while. So you are not alone!
I too like to let my tea really cool down before I drink it. :D
I drink hot tea year-round. I find it helps me cool down on hot days. But a good iced tea is heaven in a jug.
And as for letting it cool to where you like it: go, girl. It’s your cuppa.
Traditions/Good Young Tea Co. Strawberry Black Tea + Citrus (In Pursuit of Tea) = a plausible summer chill-out.
The Citrus has followed me around for a very long time—part of the bin that survived our trauma. Largely, it’s been around for so long because it’s so tart and dry I can’t stand it on its own, but I can’t bear to throw out tea.
So I did a half-and-half with my new strawberry addiction, cold in the fridge, and while it didn’t improve the strawberry on its own, it gave it a lemonade-y kick that isn’t bad on a sweltering afternoon.
Always Save orange pekoe (about half a pint, made as sun tea) + leftover Yorkshire Gold (about 2/3 cup) + Pappy’s Sassafrass (a sploosh, and no, I don’t know how much that is) = cold and rooty and redneck and perfect for listening to John Hartford on Pandora. Come on over and have a swig.
Sounds yummy!
Something about summer weather changes my tastes from snob to slob :)
When we were young, my brother and his friends would make fountain drinks that they called “suicides.” It was a ittle bit of everything. In summer, I take whatever black tea is left in all the pots and throw them together! That is my iced tea with lunch. Since the girls and I all drink different teas, we almost always have three pots sitting around with just a bit of tea in.
Yep, “suicides” was the term around here, too. Big church camp deal.
Lemongrass (2/3) + Tulsi (1/3), both by San Francisco Herb & Spice = 7/8 tulsi flavor + 1/8 lemongrass flavor.
Nice herbal wind-down, but tulsi is a very demanding leaf that pretty much overpowers whatever I put it with. The only thing I’ve tried that’s actually strong enough to compete is lavender.
Tulsi + dried pineapple = Pulsi? Tulsi-apple?
Wonderful in theory; needs a little work on execution. Two large pieces of the pineapple I used in a tea-for-one pot weren’t quite strong enough to counteract the clovey taste of the tulsi. I could tell it was there, but just barely. (The pineapple wasn’t the typical corn-starch-coated variety that come in commercial trail mixes, which is probably healthier, but didn’t sweeten things up as expected.)
Side note—as a tension-reliever, tulsi is one of the few herbs that I can say actually have a noticeable effect on my perpetually clenched neck muscles.
I’ve been trying to drink more tulsi too. I have a homemade concoction of tulsi, lemon peel and lemongrass, I really enjoy it!
Clenched neck muscles? You just convinced me that I need to try tulsi! Any special kind?
Banana was a weakling up against the tulsi too, but it gave it body, if that makes sense. Picked up dried pineapple yesterday, and want to try it in my chocolate earl, along w. banana and strawberry (banana split?). Your vanilla+banana combo sparked the idea.
@Amy – need to hunt down my sample of lemon myrtle from Upton to try w. tulsi.
Ashmanra, I just get it bulk from the health food store, if you have that option—lots cheaper than branded, I think my last batch was about $1.16 an ounce. It’s very lemony-clovey, and just fine on its own.
I haven’t really tried Tulsi as a tension reliever… I think the next time I feel that tensed up neck I will brew a cup!
H & S Vanilla Comoro (decaf) + dried banana chips = Banilla? Bananilla? Why didn’t I try this before??
I am one of those slightly skewed (almost typed skewered) people who has a weird thing with food texture—thus I can’t bring myself to eat a raw banana. (Neither can I force down mashed potatoes.) But I’m OK with banana flavors. This fixes the problem and makes a sweet, smooth tropical add-in that I am going to have to play with some more, both warm and chilled. Next try—I’ve got some chocolate/vanilla rooibos that might work well.
My apologies for forgetting which of you recently mentioned trying tulsi with banana, but my greatest appreciation for the inspiration. I’ve got a whole quart jar of chips…this ought to be fun!
This sounds really good! I have some Vanilla Comoro will need to get some banana chips!
I would have never thought to put banana chips in tea, let alone vanilla tea – that’s a great idea! I’m writing down your combo for future use! :)
I am so going to try this! Probably tonight as I have all the goods!
Bananilla – oooh, two of my favorite flavors. Wishing I had some chips this moment.
sounds great!
OMG. This IS great. It is a sweeter and smoother Vanilla Comoro. I think I will be drinking this often in the evening! I broke up about 4 banana chips in my 15 oz mug using about 2 tsp of Vanilla Comoro.
Twas me who mentioned banana w. tulsi. Glad you tried and liked : )
Chocolate and banana sounds like a great suggestion. Hmmm.
SimplyJen, that’s about the proportion I used. Cheryl, there’s also dried pineapple under my roof; I’m thinking that might be nice with lemony tulsi.
Funny you mention dried pineapple, because that is exactly what I wished I had also picked up, after trying the banana. Will be next : )
Leftover Tower of London (H&S) + leftover Warwick Assam + leftover Hampton Breakfast (both Ahmad) … and likely a dollop of something else = British Breakfast Suicide. Shaken, not stirred, in a mason jar, garnet dark, refrigerated and left a questionable number of days. My kind of iced tea on kind of a thick and sultry afternoon ;)
Not really a combination of anything, but it doesn’t fit a brand name, either. Enjoying peppermint tea from my very own Peppermint Patty Plant…all the more special because the plant start(s) are the only living things we were able to salvage from House that Was. Kept them in a pot, coddled them on the porch of Shabby House, dragged them in and out of frost, and babied them all winter in a makeshift greenhouse (clear plastic tub turned upside down).
I’m not horticulturally savvy enough to know how many, if there are multiple, varieties of peppermint there are. This isn’t as strong as the professionally dried leaves I can purchase, but still very pleasant and cooling to the palate. Of course, I’m sentimentally prejudiced.
Lipton chamomile/pineapple pyramid bags (snipped open) + bulk lemongrass = the potential of a really nice spring/summer cooling tea (even when it’s warm). The lemongrass is absolutely compatible, but I will need to up the proportions or increase steeping time to tip the balance in its favor.
1 part Grace Rare Tea Assam (2nd steep) + 2 parts Thomas Sampson, last bit of the tin = a really nice slow-morning pot. They play together nicely, the Grace assam warms up plain ol’ Thomas quite nicely.
I’m thinking that, much like simplyjenW does a Franken-breakfast blend that’s heavy on the keemun, I may try dumping my all my Assam scraps together to see what happens. (Somebody’ll have to peel me off the ceiling?)
Holy Basil/Tulsi + chamomile (2 parts tulsi to 1 part chamomile)
I’m discovering that tulsi is a really nice and versatile base to lots of herbal combinations, especially for a clumsy alchemist like me. Its sharp lemony flavor nicely balances with chamomile, which doesn’t adapt to much and always tastes like chamomile.
A good evening unwind and very inexpensive when you buy both in bulk.
Two parts Holy Basil (Tulsi) + 1 part lavender; saw this particular blend in the latest Stash catalog and realized I had the means to make it (for pennies, Cheapster Steepsters)using the bulk raw ingredients I get for less than $1.25 an ounce at my favorite health food hangout.
It smells luscious and very, very floral—-good enough to bathe in. And what a nice flavor pairing…the lavender sweetens up the spicy bite of the tulsi without tasting like you’re drinking a Mother’s Day bouquet.
As for the relaxation factor…my day included a marathon software training session that required full-on concentration and refereeing by phone a walker fight between two octogenarians. Don’t know which helped more, the anti-stress adaptogens in the tulsi, or stealing fifteen quiet minutes with no demands on my time. But I’m thinking I may have found a pretty effective evening medicinal.
OMG. I can so relate. If you heard just my side of my conversations with my mother, you would …laugh or cry… I dunno. But my coworkers laugh and I always have to tell them what the “other side” was about because my answers are always so absurd sounding! (My mom has MS and lives in a wheelchair community for people with spinal cord problems. Between disagreements w caregivers, other residents, and the kitchen – coupled with the fact that she can’t hear what I say so I have to shout – and since she doesn’t get out much she doesn’t have much to talk about – I’m just glad my coworkers know I’m not enjoying myself on a personal call but rather trying to deal with impossible situations! Yesterday it was a 10 minute conversation about which of our dogs (throughout both of our lifespans) kissed the most. I better get some of that Tulsi.
I’m also grateful for kind coworkers who have to listen to my (yelling to be heard) side of increasingly frequent family calls. If you weren’t several states away, I’d invite you over for a cuppa and to swap war stories.
…and then I’d read you a book :) xoxoxo
aha! I do that all the time!!
Great comparison. I wear a lot of black and I’m always noticing when the greeny blacks are not matching the purpley blacks! I am hoping the cat hair covering me partially obscures this!
lol JacquelineM!!!
Nothing bugs me worse (personally, as when I’m wearing it) as two competing shades of navy blue. However, after spending a good chunk of recent months in hand-me-downs and D.A.V. thrift store goods, I have discovered that nobody really looks as closely at my clothes than I do ;)