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H&S Tower of London + cut & sifted mate leaf = not bad!
Mate’ these days, real or imagined, is my magic bullet when I just…can’t…get…going…in the morning. (Heavy storms in area last night…not a good night’s sleep. Head and heart knows Who’s taking care of me, but head didn’t notify the knots in my neck.) 1/2 teaspoon didn’t dull the flavor in a nice big tumbler of Tower of London. Works, flavor-wise. Remains to be seen, energy-wise.
Harney & Sons Vanilla Comoro + Frontier Natural Foods Sunset Rouge
I can’t believe there’s something VC doesn’t go with, but this is it. The tart Sunset Rouge berry flavor, which I was trying to tone down, mutated into stale & vinegary flavor that was just flat nasty.
Adagio Mambo (1 t) + plain cut mate leaf (1/2 t).
Dragging anchor after a drudgery and trudgery-filled workweek. Needed something that, like Powdermilk Biscuits, “gives you the energy to do what needs to be done.”
The plain mate takes the cocoa-y edge off the Mambo and adds just a bit of vegetation to the mix, but not unpleasantly so.
No good energy rush yet, but it’s still early…
I have always found Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie to get me going better than Powdermilk Biscuits. They are good though… :)
Heavens, they’re tasty! (I haven’t listened to Prairie Home Companion for way-y-y too long. Love the music, wearied a little of political jokes.)
As long as all the women are strong and the men good looking :)
I’ll settle for children above average.
1 tsp. Belgian Chocolate (Savannah Tea Co.) + a scant 1/2 tsp. Earl Gray Melange (a tin of bits’n’bops courtesy of the lovely jacquelinem) = Eureka! I finally found an Earl Gray solution for my picky palate.
The hint of bergamot (instead of bergamot so strong it makes your tongue curl up) is a nice complement to the chocolate, and since I’m a chocolate plus citrus fan, this works.
Made my morning!
Talbot Teas Orange Creme Dreams + Harney & Sons Vanilla Comoro
In about 1/2 and 1/2 proportions. The Orange Creme is such a nice mild citrus blend (aka no hibiscus :) that I think it’ll be a wonderful mix in. It certainly was in this case! Lots of body from the Vanilla C — really does make the creamsicle thing happen.
Tea of the morning…..
Man, am I in a rut. I really only seem to be craving back tea of late. My lovely oolongs and greens are feeling very neglected, and I don’t have any cravings for them. There may be more of a stash reduction in the near future as it would be a shame for them to go to waste. I am really settling on just a few teas, and the ‘thirst’ to try new ones is nearly gone. I know what I like and still drink about two to three pots a day, but I guess some of the novelty has worn off. In a way it is sad, but I am thinking it will be better for my budget in the long run. I do have some fun ones coming…..some more Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring, and a new-to-me Panyang Golden Tips from Upton with my restock of Rose Congou. The next big order will be a sizable amount of Goute Russe from Dammann Freres, but I am not in any hurry. And I am so stocked on the Harney teas that I drink the most, that it might be a while before I need more. I am not going to be sad, though….this is my chance to obsess about something else for a while….;)
Today’s blend is a 1:2 blend of Harney’s Anniversary Blend and Eight at the Fort. For me the first was a little strong for a breakfast tea, and the second was a little weak. Wow, what a meeting in the middle is doing for my morning…. These blends are fine, but I needed something other than what they could offer on their own. I love the tweakability of loose leaf. Yum!
Preparation
Anniversary was a bit strong for me until I tweaked it, too. I use ever so slightly cooler water, ever so little less leaf, and a three minute steep. But I am a real wimp when it comes to strong Indian teas! :)
Apparently, I am a wimp when it comes to just about any Indian tea (except the Assam in my Malachi!). I am not a big fan of Darjeelings, either.
It’s ok. The seasons are changing. Tastebuds taking a rest. Soon with the weather, your mood for tea might regenerate into something else too. I have days like that and I just sit back until I am in the right frame of mind or other times if I share a tea with someone who has never had the experience, the old joy comes rushing back.
Tea of the morning….
And attempt #2 for my Smokin’ Earl AKA Cowboy Grey. Today I used 5 parts Lupicia Earl Grey with one part of the Lapsang Souchong I got from Mountain Rose Herbs. Yep, this’ll do. Now I got a hankerin’ for some chili or stew….but on the finest of china with linen napkins….. Yes, my humor is a little off today, but I thought I would share what goes through this twisted mind of mine this morning.
Any recommendations for Murder Mystery games for Teens out there? My DD all of a sudden has the bug to host one, but many of them aren’t completely appropriate for her age (15). Thanks for the input!
I’ve decided that it is never inappropriate to eat off the good china … my antique Noritake soup bowls are great for spaghetti red and chili, both.
Glad you found the right mix!
That Cowboy Grey can be a hard fellow to figure out (dang those tall, handsome, silent types anyhow;)
LOLOLOLOLOLOL!
Tea of the morning…..
All of the talk on Steepster about a “Cowboy” version of Earl Grey has me intrigued. I do have a tin of Earl of Harlem on order from Ambessa/Harney & Sons, but I was curious if I could put something similar together in my cupboard. This pot is a 1:2 blend of Upton Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon and Lupicia’s Earl Grey. Hmmm. Definitely need to play around with the ratios. It is smokey enough, but not ‘Early’ enough. Maybe we will go with a straight Lapsang next time and a ratio more like 1:5ish…. All that said, it makes me very happy that I have the Earl of Harlem coming my way.
Sorry that I have not been posting much here….I am not sure how interesting my staple teas are for posting as that has been mostly what I have been drinking. I send first born off to High School in about a week….I am all emotional. I am glad she is growing up, but mourning the fact that I wish I had done some things differently for her childhood. I guess perfection in childhood would not have made her the cool human she is now. Yes, I am over-thinking it! Plus, I am needing to do a bit of an overhaul on my stash/life in general. I definitely know what I like and need these days all around, and that makes it easier to simplify, even though it is a long road ahead.
I am sure I will be here often reading, though! I love this community.
Change wears you out, even good change. It was pointed out to me recently that God gives you exactly the child you need, and He gives your child exactly the parent she needs—-even if that means making each other nuts.
Oh dear. The wishing – I have been there lately! My youngest is the only one still homeschooling and she will probably graduate a year early so we are al out done. Sigh.
You mention a straight Lapsang. Isn’t Black Dragon a straight Lapsang. I have been meaning to order forever. Is it flavored, or a blend?
The Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon is a blend….mostly Lapsang with some silver tips. It is light and sweet as far as Lapsangs go. I have enough left to send you a sample, so the rest is yours!
Oh my! Thank you, Jen!
sigh Parenting is never easy. My oldest is grown now and living on her own, supporting herself, and living rather successfully by my definition of success: she is happy and healthy and doing what she loves. But still there are often pangs of regret wishing that I had done things a bit differently, wishing that situations were different as she was growing up so that I could have provided other things for her. But despite the tough times and quite probably because of them, she has grown into an amazing young woman and going to be married in just a few short weeks. It makes me emotional, but, also very proud.
I think that you have much to be proud of too… and It is perfectly natural to feel emotional… it’s hard to watch our babies grow up and become independent, but when they do, know that it was only possible through the parenting you provided.
Oh… I hit “add comment” before I said the last bit I meant to say before I even started typing out that long blather: CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve done well!
I think a fairly strong bergamot EG and then literally a pinch of LS, is what I came up with (that works for me, anyhow:)
Iced tea of the day……
This pitcher has 4 scoops of thepuriTea’s Earl Grey and one tea bag of Lupicia’s Sakurambo from my New Year’s Happy Bag brewed up in my usual method for iced tea. I was to the point where both were on my cut list, but it is hard to just dump/rehome over 5 ounces of the first and 9 tea bags of the second. Hence, this was born. I am trying to do some serious stash busting and was to the point where the Earl Grey did not really appeal much to me even iced, as I have so many others that I love. Since my first sample of the Sakurambo bag of 10 sachets, it really has not appealed to me at all.
However, the combination of the two is really pretty good! I get light notes of bergamot and the sweetness of Japanese cherry. The iced version is nice and smooth. And I will be doing this 8 more times for sure! So glad this worked out. I guess once the Sakurambo is gone, I can try another berry flavored tea to perk up this Earl!
Tea of the morning……
I think I would call this more of a Purposeful Combination. I have been wishing for a good jasmine black tea ever since sampling the Jasmine Golden Yunnan at thepuriTea. Kind of like Rosy Earl Grey from Teas Etc. without the rosy or Earl. I tried getting some at Harney, but they are out of stock with no immediate prospects because the recent offerings were not up to Michael Harney’s standard. I would order some from thepuriTea, but the thought of spending $16 for 4 ounces of tea and then another $7.50 for flat rate shipping is a little pricey for me when I know there will be a shipping sale sometime this year. (I did break down and order 100 grams from Dragon Tea House on ebay for about $12 shipped. I have ordered teaware from them before, but it just takes so long to get here….economy shipping from China.) Then I remembered that I likely had something close in my own cupboard.
Jen’s Jasmine Black
I started to prepare a mug (12ish oz.) of Zhi Gong Fu Black (Bailin Gong Fu from TeaVivre is a great sub if you have it), but I also added a scant tsp. of jasmine pearls. This time I used the ones from the Asian Market, but I am guessing any sweet jasmine tea would do. Then I steeped by my usual method for my mug, but at a slightly cooler temp than boiling. The result is very good! It is not as heavily jasmine flavored as the tea from thepuriTea, but it is still very enjoyable. I could probably add a full teaspoon of the jasmine pearls next time. This will be a habit. In a way, I almost like it better than the Jasmine Golden Yunnan, because I could pick my most chocolatey tasting unflavored tea and run with it. Yes, I do get more chocolate and lighter jasmine, but still reminiscent of Cadbury’s Mini-Eggs. I am also thinking the JGY will be taken off the shopping list….. I am so excited that I have three teas for the price of two, and the Frugal Fanny (tm JacquelineM) in me is loving this.
Usual mug method just a little cooler than boiling. Lightly sweetened.
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
I do think I am ready to add some Elyse to my Franken-Breakfast blend. A 1 part Elyse to 5 parts of a mix of all the black teas (Assam, Keemun, and I think Ceylon in this round…) works very well for my palate! It adds a little more of an Assam kick and a hint of honey. I do think the Elyse tea is meant to be strong enough to stand up to milk, but I am not a milk tea person.
Usual teapot method with a 3 minute steep.
Preparation
Tea of the morning…..
I have an ongoing tin of Franken-Breakfast Blend that helps me use up odds and ends of teas that lend themselves well to such a blend. I am holding off rebuying my favorite breakfast tea until I use up some of the teas in my stash, (and a lover of unflavored black teas collects quite a bit of black tea over time…). Usually, Franken-Breakfast involves some kind of Keemun and Assam, perhaps with a little Yunnan or Ceylon thrown in for good measure. The blend I have going right now seems good, but it could still use a kick of something strong. Today, I added what I think is the strongest tea in my cupboard, Elyse’s Blend from Harney & Son’s. It is more of a sweet kick in the pants kind of tea, but a little of it does make the blend pop. Plus, it is definitely sweeter with the honey flavor just adding a hint of honey (rather than the strong honey flavor of Elyse on its own) to the blend. I think I will play some more with this….. Ratio for today was 2:1 Franken-Breakfast to Elyse. I think I could even go a little lighter on the Elyse….
Teapot method with a 3 minute steep.
Preparation
I need to start me up one of these franken-tins!!!
Franken Chai is fun, too!
oh dear, now that would be interesting indeed :)
I bought some green chai locally a while back, it was heavy on the spice and not much green, so I played with it adding some gunpowder, a little sencha and now it is just right. I didnt realize I was building a monster! franken-tin…I love it!
Tea of the morning……
I am on to my second batch of Franken-Breakfast Tea. This one is about 1 part Golden Tip Assam (Mystery Assam from the hot sauce shop), 1 part Keemun Grade 2 (Teavivre), 2 parts Turkish Blend (Upton). This blend could be a little more smokey….it is surprisingly sweet, probably from the Ceylon tea in the Turkish Blend. I am thinking there should be more Keemun…..
Usual teapot method, except that I forgot my kettle was set for green……must try this blend again at the right temperature before adjusting the ratios….
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
Today the task was to make Elyse’s Blend from Harney & Son’s just a little more subtle in the tea base. I did a 2:1 ratio of it and my Franken-Breakfast Blend and it worked. The honey notes were still there without the bite that is in Elyse’s tea base. I am sure Elyse’s Blend was made to go with milk, but I am not really a milk tea type. However, I love honey flavored teas. I think I will try my China Congou from Upton with this next. It just needs something to smooth it out a little for my taste.
Usual teapot method with a 3 minute steep.
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
I really should just call this my Franken-BreakfastBlend. It started with a little Harney & Son’s English Breakfast and Teavivre Keemun #2. Then some Upton China Panyang Congou. Then a little of my Mystery Golden Tip Assam. Then a little of Adagio’s Assam Harmony and the end of my tin of Florence (which was only about 2tsp added to about 3 oz total tea). I am almost to the place where I can’t remember what all has been added.
But….it is really good. I should probably stop adding teas and just enjoy this while I have some. Then I can start all over on a new monster….. ;)
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
This time it is a 1:1 blend of my Mystery Assam and a good basic Keemun. I think we have a winner. It is not quite as rich tasting as Malachi, but this will definitely get me through until I can buy black tea again.
Usual mug method for 3 minutes.
Preparation
Tea of the morning…….
This is my first attempt at something similar to Harney’s Malachi McCormick (yes, I should just buy some, and I will, but I am trying to see what comes close and use up some of the tea I have in my cupboard to make space….). I used a 1:2 ratio of the Mystery Assam from Heather’s Heat & Flavor (the hot sauce store) and my Keemun Grade 2 from Teavivre. It was good, but I think it needs a little more Assam. Next trial is a 1:1. Tune in tomorrow…..
Preparation
Tea of the afternoon…..
I had a little English Breakfast from Harney left over (a good non-smokey, budget version of Keemun). Since I really wanted a Keemun somewhere between it and Teavivre’s Keemun Grade 2, I made a 1:1 ratio of the two of them. That was my tea of the morning. It was very good, but I decided to take it one step further. I added another equal part to the new whole of Upton’s Panyang Congou TP60. Now, I have smoothed it out just a little more and amped up the cocoa note just a little. What I have now is a smokier cocoa-noted tea. Yum! I really like this. If I had some inexpensive Yunnan on hand, I would have added some of that, too, to make a tea blend along the lines of Queen Catherine. I only have about 2 total ounces, but I will gladly drink them!
Preparation
This is my way to pare down the sample stash. I just hate to waste good tea and this kind of makes it an adventure. These are the ends of samples I have tasted or teas on their way out (as I do have seemingly endless samples, but often not enough for a pot of tea…)
Today the blend is of two black teas from Upton. It is about a 1:1 ratio of Imperial Golden Needles (ZP99) and Tippy Golden Needles (ZP77). Both teas are no longer in stock, nor does it look like they will be returning as the product information for them is no longer on site. I do recall that the first one of them was a higher priced tea ($6/oz), and the other was in the low to mid range (just over $2/oz).
I steeped this up by my usual method. There might be more tea in the pot than I usually use. What resulted was an incredible pot of tea. It is malty with notes of cocoa and honey, and it is thick and very enjoyable. I guess the takeaway from this is that it is not a bad idea to perk up the more basic loose tea offerings with a little something special. It becomes a good way to balance out the cost and taste of premium teas. I do recall comparing the two of these in the Spring, and deciding the more expensive version was lost on me at the time. Mmmmm. Thoroughly enjoyable! I would blend them again if I could.
Preparation
It seems a lot of the black teas that I had dreamed of Upton are out of commission now, sadly. Can’t wait to see what they bring in next, though!
I agree! I am waiting with anticipation!
This is a FANTASTIC and EXCITING idea!!! :)
Feel free to use this category… I don’t need ownership! I just wanted a way to not clog up the database.
Indeed, a good idea.
I’m on a use-up-scraps jag at the moment; now I want to go home and play “what goes with what.”
When I get to the bottom, I like to use whats left to brew up a gallon of iced tea.
SimpyJenW sent some roasted Yerba mate for me to try in my tea! Since caffeine can have a pretty significant affect on me, I have been fearful to try it past noon and had not gotten around to drinking it yet. It didn’t help that tea friend and neighbor Sandy, who is a doctor, decided to drink a cup of Yerba mate one night on call at the hospital and ended up shaking for eight hours! LOL!
With great respect (okay, FEAR) I approached this cup. The mate does not make a huge difference in the taste of the tea, but it does pleasantly deepen and darken the flavor. It FEELS like a stronger cup. Or is that all in my mind?
I may report back later on whether the caffeine gave us a boost, as middle daughter is using it to get through her advanced math lesson and youngest is having it to keep awake through her history…or so she says. I think she really just wants to finish school extra fast so she can play those bongo drums.
I decided to give this blend a go today since I am enjoying the Holy Basil so much. This turns out to be lemony, spicy, and a little minty all at once. I do like both herbals on their own, but decided to blend them for one pot of super powers!
24 oz teapot, 3 tsp Holy Basil Purple Leaf, 3 tsp Vitality, freshly boiled water, 8 minutes.
Preparation
ChOTD…..
I am going to miss this one when it is gone. I have a feeling the reason I like it so much is the amount of chocolate tea in there…… yum! Trying to preserve this mix at least until the end of the tin before I go adding more.
Prepped by the usual pan method.
Preparation
ChOTD…..
Finally, we are at a mix that is really good. Perfect level of spice. Never will this be able to be duplicated…..so I will just enjoy. By the time I finished adding things, I have just over 4 ounces. My tin is full!
Made up in the usual pan method with two heaping perfect teaspoons of chai.
