SerendipiTea

One more late night cup. Very satisfying and unique blood orange and cranberry combination! Such a beautiful color. It manages to be both pleasantly tart/bitter and thirst quenching at the same time, like an Italian soda or Campari.

What a delicious herbal tisane! I think it tastes like blood orange and cranberry. It’s quite tart but I find it very refreshing! Perfect when you are in the mood for something fruity and don’t want caffeine.

It’s so nice that I would serve this to guests that want an herbal. It’s an absolutely gorgeous color! I do like popping an herbal tea bag in a mug, but this loose herbal is very much worth the extra trouble :) I also think it would be delicious iced, and delicious added to a black tea iced as well.

Quite yummy, but somehow Once Upon a Tea (basically this one with the addition of mint) tasted more chocolaty. Hmmm! I never thought I’d say this, but I prefer it with the touch of mint!

Enjoyed this as our dessert tonight, made in the Divine Decadence fashion (squirt of agave, squirt of chocolate syrup, splash of milk). Sooooo yummy and rich. I love the hint of mint with the chocolate.

I am very close to being finished this tisane, but luckily my local tea shop has a version of it (it could be the same with the way I’ve learned many tea companies do their business!). I will definitely pick some up because this is an absolute fave when I don’t want caffeine, but want something special.

Made this last night with chocolate syrup/agave nectar/half and half and it was such a treat! The mint adds a special something that I really enjoy. Perfect weeknight dessert! Amazingly satisfying.

I decided to use my Concoction of Divine Decadence on this tisane last night:

Squeeze of agave, squeeze of chocolate syrup in a cup, prepare and pour tisane into cup, top with splash of half and half…

I was a little nervous because of the mint, but there was nothing to be worried about. Think of chocolate chip mint ice cream! Think of thin mint girl scout cookies! and you will get the gist of this treat.

I love discovering new ways to enjoy things in my cupboard!

This one is particularly delicious tonight – lots of vanilla flavor. The chocolate and mint are playing backup. Relaxing…mmmmmmm.

It was deja vu all over again! More Hershey’s chocolate and this tea last night. The tea was just as rich and enjoyable.

Last night’s chocolate bar was the very elegant Hershey’s Golden Almond. My first instinct was to pair it with one of my vanilla teas, but I didn’t want caffeine. I then thought of this tisane! I was unsure about the mint component with almonds, but it worked really well. The mint doesn’t hit you over the head in this one. Very nice chocolate and vanilla notes too, and a great richness. I have to keep this one in mind for future chocolate eating!!! I loved the combo!

I was in the mood for something sweet, and my husband was nursing a stomach ache. I thought this tea would fit both of our needs and then some! Rooibos and mint for the tum, chocolate and fruit chunks for the sweet. We both enjoyed it very much!

YUM! I had this with a little agave nectar and it was so good. I have a theory that honey overwhelms chocolate notes in teas, and was very curious to try this one a little sweetened but not with honey. Yep – it had more chocolate flavor with an alternative sweetener. Now I want to try all of my chocolatey tisanes with it!

Drank a big mug of this late last night. Mmmmmmm. The flavors of mint, chocolate and rooibos combine for a very satisfying cup. They were blended nicely and not a single one screamed out or stole the show. Vanilla is listed as one of the ingredients, but I didn’t identify it as a taste. I imagine it contributed to the overall richness. There were also bits of what looked like dried fruit, but I don’t know what kind. They were not a prominent part of the flavor but again, I think they added a certain something to the tisane because it was very rich and satisfying.

This is a great tea to have when you are in the mood for a dessert tea, but don’t want caffeine. Even though it seems like it is Fellini’s Folly with chocolate added, it really isn’t. The proportions of mint are totally different and the extra additions change that invigorating and digestive tisane into a lovely treat.

I am a big baby who likes her green teas (well, this is a pouchong, but I think it’s a very green one because it tastes much nicer at 175 vs a higher temperature) with flavorings! A bit of orange peel along with a soft jasmine. Enjoyable every now and again, but this is not the finest jasminey tea I have tasted. I wouldn’t repurchase, but then again, when I thought about giving this one away, I couldn’t! I’ll have to remember this one for the occasional afternoon when I want something warm and light.

I’ve lightened up my tea drawer at work for the Spring and Summer! All of the heavy black teas have gone home, and I have a bunch of oolongs, greens, and whites for the warm months. I thought this one – organic jasmine, organic orange peel, and organic Pouchong – sounded like the embodiment of the warmer weather!

First a sniff – heaven!!! The three ingredients combine for a slightly sweet and flowery aroma. Now a taste – mmmmmm! The smell pretty much describes the taste. I am surprised what a subtle, delightful detail the orange peel is. It gives a touch of sweetness and flavoring that I am loving.

Second infusion: (4 min) Light. Still jasminey and a little orange peel on the end of the sip. A bit disappointed that it was so light.

Third infusion: (5 min, and I upped the water temp to 195 since the second infusion was light) Sigh. Hot water with a jasmine taste. Drinkable but..

A question! It was a delicious first infusion at 185 but when I looked up Pouchongs, some people used 195, some 205 – does anyone have any temperature opinions about this type of tea? Maybe 185 for the first infusion then 195 for the subsequent infusion? I don’t think this one can do three. Do people change temps from infusion to infusion? Halp! Tea may get a bump if I can figure out how to make it more multiple steep friendly.

I also have to say that I was very happy with my serendipiTea ordering experience. My order arrived quickly and well packed in tons of colorful shredded magazine pages! I’m thrilled with their packaging. The teas come in a recyclable box and then a “plastic” bag which is actually a vegetable material and fully able to compost. The artwork is beautiful, and the tea names are whimsical and thoughtful. They use many organic ingredients. A real pleasure to order from them :)

Soothing and minty. I’m not sure what kind of rooibos is in here but oh it’s so rich! This tisane brews to such a dark and flavorful cuppa. It takes milk and a little sugar so well just like a “real” cup of tea :) Wonderful choice for the evening.

Made a nice cup of this after coming in from class late and chilled last night. I had it with a little milk and sugar, and I find it a great caffeine free tea substitute – this one almost tastes like regular tea to me, maybe because the mint gives it so much flavor. I did read that when it was hard and very expensive to get tea, Australians used to prepare rooibos just like black tea. I think I will be an honorary old time Australian some evenings, and take my rooibos like they did!

This one is so simple, and so GOOD. Refreshing yet comforting as an after dinner treat with a little sugar and milk. It almost tastes like a tea instead of a tisane!

I put a little sugar and milk in it this minty tisane and it has turned into a creamy delight! I love the way it almost tastes like a black tea prepared like this. Soothing to the tum, too – brought dinner to my mom today and we ate too much – again!

Oh dear what a New Year’s Eve dinner! I made blini and served them with caviar and creme fraiche, made steak and shrimp scampi and a huge pile of (collard, turnip, kale) greens, and chocolate pot de creme for dessert. Champagne with all courses (even dessert! ESPECIALLY dessert!)! We are now g-r-o-a-n-i-n-g with satiety. I thought a tisane with mint in it would be just the thing as an after dinner digestive. Perfect. The mint tastes so refreshing, and the rooibos is so soothing. I love this tisane for nights like this :)

I will be curled up in bed at midnight, so have a Happy New Year Steepsterites!!!!

I had made chocolate syrup for some home made ice cream for company (didn’t know it was so easy! 1 c cocoa powder, 1 c light corn syrup, 2 c water, boil, then simmer for two or three minutes. Take from heat, and add 4 oz good semisweet chocolate, stir until it melts. Cool and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Best made day before – it really thickens overnight. Can be reheated for ice cream!). Now I have 785685685344654564 tons of chocolate syrup! I am going to portion it out and freeze the majority, but always have some on hand for such things as, uh, chocolate mint rooibos!!!!

I brewed Fellini’s folly, and in the mugs I put 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup. Pour in the tisane, and top with a splash of milk. It’s like mint hot chocolate rooibos! Such a treat in the evenings. The home made chocolate syrup adds a barely sweet chocolate depth that you just don’t find in pre-made mixes, blends, etc. The mint adds that special refreshing touch. December in a cup! Chocoholic delight! YUM!

The last few days have consisted of seeing 38282093784902037490724 students, very little sleep, drinking 40 oz of iced coffee, 40 oz of hot coffee, 16 oz of soda, a hoagie (hero or sub if you are not from the Philadelphia area ;) a burrito, thai, pizza, endless bagels, cakes, and chocolates. No wonder I am feeling DREADFUL!

Mint tea to the rescue!

Just what I needed to feel a little refreshed. I won’t feel better til I have a nice long weekend under my belt, but this simple tisane of rooibos and mint REALLY hit the spot. I feel less…gross!

I had a banner food day yesterday! I found the first tomatoes of the season at the farmers market! I made carbonara (Ruth Reichl’s recipe) and a HUGE tomato salad with basil from my garden for dinner. Oh were we stuffed!

All I could think of for the evening was having a nice cup of this tea. Minty and digestive. Refreshing and enjoyable. So nice to sit for a few minutes and be grateful for the bounty – especially those first tomatoes! I wait for that all year!!!

Just back from visiting my mom – brought dinner and dessert and we STUFFED ourselves! A good digestive tisane was in order for this evening. This minty rooibos with a squirt of honey is doing the trick. Tasty and soothing.

If anyone told me that I’d be craving mint rooibos in the evenings, I would have told then they were crazy! So simple and good, so perfect to wind down with.