Whispering Pines Tea Company
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oh my num num num num num……. I can’t even think to type to busy drinking.. Delicious.
yup.
MzPriss have you done a comparison to Zhi Gong Fu Black? If my memory serves me right, this is really similar… I am kicking myself for not ordering more than an ounce. Haha
It is similar. But that is from memory – not a side by side test – but I could do that…..I love both of them a lot.
If you get a chance it would be interesting to see how they compare. I am really enjoying this one and it took me all of 2 sec to sip down the sample of Gong Fu you gave me:)
I will do that and let you know what I think. Some more GFB could come your way if you want…
Thank you for the offer, but no need. I have plenty to work on these days. Between WP and the Verdant order that should be here anyday:) I will be interested to see how you think they compare though.
I wish my Verdant order would get here. Because Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha.
I will compare the FB and the GFB and let you know :)
My Verdant order just shipped! :D
And my WP order just shipped :-)
(And my Verdant as well, haha! Too much tea??? There’s no such thing!!)
Woot, lots of tea for everyone! I checked this morning and my Verdant tracking number now exists that means it will be here soon:) I think THIS tea will not be here for very long though. I am still thinking about my cups last night.
TTF- another WP order? Haha I get it now, everything is sooo good.
Yep TeaTiff… another order :-)
Hehe, what can I say? Happy to see you’re a believer also now that you are trying them!
Tiff – I’m doing the Fujian Black/Gong Fu Black comparison this morning. And they ARE similiar. I made a cup of each, exactly the same way, same amount of leaf/water/time/temp. They are both incredibly good. I find the GFB a little more “bright”, but just slightly and the FB a bit deeper with a little more of the “woody-ness” that I love in Fujians. I need both of them, but I would just the very slightest edge to the Fujian Black as I love that little extra depth. Both are hoard worthy.
MizPriss- Thank you for the comparison! Without having them both side by side that was my guess about them. The FB was slightly more “deep”. I am finding this type of tea to be one of my favorites. They can both take up space in my cupboard any day! I hope you are enjoying your cups this morning.
I really really am! I slept for 6 hours which is unheard of! I’m making what I call my Dark Beauty cocktail for my drive-to-work cup this morning. It’s a big giant western 6-7 minute steep of Special Dark with a big pinch of Black Beauty added in for the last 3-4 minutes. Happy me!
6 hours! Yay! Enjoy your Dark Beauty! You will be supper women today.
Yes!
Dark Beauty…wow! I’m gonna try that, cuz I have both of those teas now!
MzPriss, Thanks for your Fujian Black/Gong Fu Black comparison. Is the FB more similar to cocoa or chocolate?
Yes Terri – try it!!! I use a big pinch of the BB so I get that sweet honeyish taste in the Deep Dark Sea of Love that is my Special Dark.
@looseTman – to me it’s more chocolate than cocoa, creamier to me rather than dry.
“… more chocolate than cocoa, creamier to me rather than dry.”
Ooh la la – YUM!
Having GO at the end of the day is as satisfying as having GO in the morning.
I wasn’t planning on having it now, but a tea friend invited me to have a cup with her, so I did :-)
And let me tell you that it made a very satisfied fairy out of me.
It’s such a comfort tea, no matter what the season is. I drank it all summer long, and we’re about to spend our first autumn season together.
A pure vanilla dream it is, with plenty of chocolate gooeyness. If someone can’t get the chocolate in this well…sorry but I am totally judging you!!!
My pic:
Like pretty much every Sunday mornings, I’m drinking GO in bed, “giant mug style”.
That’s right….Sunday mornings are not for tiny Vanilla Dreams pot. No. On Sunday, big is better.
Cause I just can’t get enough of this liquid chocolate tea. Yes, gooey fudgy vanilla tea of my dreams. GIMME MORE!!
Miaow cup for a miaow tea :
The way you spell “miaow” is adorable :)
I enjoyed sharing morning GO with you. I’m seasoning another VD pot RIGHT NOW and I’m also adding my big fat vanilla bean.
MJ, in Denmark the cows say “miav”
Cats!
The cows say “muh”
Cute mug!
“Miav” and “muh”, that’s hilarious Mazipan!
Mj, that’s the “fairy way” :-)
Haha! Marzi, that WAS funny!!
Tealizzy, thank you :-)
Brenden, I always wondered if french cats wore a beret… now I know!!!
Cute mug. I can’t wait to try this tea. It’ll happen one of these days.
MzPriss, I love that you’re adding a vanilla bean for seasoning your pot. Great idea!
Missy…I ALWAYS enjoy sharing with you…and ALWAYS will <3
Which other pot did you end up choosing for it?
French cats are apparently also existential: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34z5dCmC4M
mj, that’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.
I’m going to use my slightly bigger one with an awesome pour. It’s in one of the pics on my flickr or tumbler or one of those things. It’s the same Eternal Beauty shape but it’s the darkest, biggest one.
@Cheri – that was Brenden’s idea (like a lot of the good ideas are). It’s gonna be amazing. Cheri, didn’t I offer to send you something? I’m packing boxes now so remind me what it was?
Love the French cat video. Thanks mj.
OH wait! It’s GO right??? I will PM
Aawww poor kitty – no one loves the poor French kitty… I think that’s how Max feels most of the time…
This is what it’s like to be married to someone with a different mother tongue than you. You spend lots of time lazing around going, “What do you call Tigger? What do cows say? What do you call Canada?” (Tigger is “Tiger Animal”)
Thanks MzPriss. It might have been GO. I can’t remember for sure anymore. Hahhaha! But you’re right about Brenden and his good ideas. I look forward to hearing how the pot turns out.
woow gd
There’s a saying that goes like this:
«In doubt, go for GO» … That’s what I did. And I did good.
Oh, and since Steepster is on an Instagram craze, here’s this morning’s big mug pic of GO
I did the same thing at your suggestion – GOOD idea!
Hehe…it always works, I never go like “oh, maybe I was in the mood for something else” when I go with GO.
Nope – that never happens to me either. I love GO the MOST along with Special Dark
I don’t know what I like best anymore, WP got me all confused!!!
Yeah it does that. But GO in my VD pot makes me hear angels singing…
Port is my guy for tiny VD pot…the smell of it makes me weak in the knees.
I know this about you. I need to bust out some Port. Maybe later today.
I followed you on instagram. I would love to send you so alishan my friend from Taiwan sent me. Right from the farm….
Oh charles, you make this very hard to resist…
Yumz!!!!
Sooo…some awesome person that may be the creator of this fabulous tea has suggested the idea of a pot devoted to the VANILLA DREAMS family of tea. My own family of VD teas consists of GO, PORT, ELDERWOOD, and soon to be received COCOA AMORE. (Not counting new EL DORADO cause it’s a chai).
Since all those teas are blended with hand-cut vanilla beans, I can only imagine what kind of flavour this will be rendering later.
I started the seasoning process very late last night, and kind of fell asleep during the soaking part. Oops. Does that mean that my pot bathed in awesomeness all night long?
Hell yeah! Now, that cannot be a bad thing…
Well, let me tell you I am drinking GO right now Gongfu style for the first time and it is just dreamy….Awwwww this is soooo gooood!!!
It’s a lot more concentrated this way, and the vanilla seems a little boozy somehow, hard to explain. Probably the minerals from the pot has to do with that.
It maltier this way, also fruitier and more fudgy. All the flavours are so condensed and smooth.
This will turn into a serious addiction, I can tell. Oh my.
Great idea Brenden, and this will make me drink even more of your tea, if that’s possible!!
WOOOOO! When my new yixings get here – I’m going the same thing!
Go look at your PM. And “bathed in awesomeness all night long” is full of win!
Lol, I guess not! Can’t wait for you to try this…
I think I want my Vanilla Pot to be the purple one that sadly, is coming from China so will take a while. Maybe I’ll change my mind and use another one for the vanillas.
You have the purple and the one from mandala coming right? Any others I should know about?
No. I finally managed to stop after the Mandala one. For pots anyway – I do have that lotus cup coming. But I also have 2 others I need to season. One will be just for SD and one will be for other shous and that will leave one for…..?
I REALLY want the purple one to be the vanilla one though, so I may have to wait
Yes, you better wait for what you really want…just pretend you did not see this note this morning…
I will try
This new yixing habit is going to get expensive… I can already tell. In addition to the yixing gaiwans I’ve bought over the past few days, I bought a wall shelf last night, to keep them on. Because you can’t have broken tea ware! And now I see this idea, so I need another yixing gaiwan!
This time, I blame Brenden. You’re off the hook, Foxy!
I’m having GO as my going out the door tea this morning. @Sars the lotus gaiwan need to be the Vanilla one
Have a great day MzPriss!!
Sars…it’s totally on him, thank you.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14688641333/
Cute new mug (filled with GO)
Which lotus, HoneyBelle? I got two. Though one is a different type of clay. So maybe I should stick with the yixing for this. Not sure.
Love the new mug!!!
The mug looks awesome!!!
The one where the lotus is actually the shape of the clay with no glaze. Isn’t that mug cute? $4.99 @ TJMaxx
OK out the door with my GO. Have a great day y’all
Thanks for the suggestion, MzP! Have a great day!!!
Sooo…I could reach for the cognac bottle early in the day, but I don’t do hard liquor much. If you guys want to know why, just read passed the line.
I really need something powerful. Wicked good. Must also smell heavenly. Please.
Golden Orchid, sorry to pick you at such an irreverent moment, but I need you.
This tea…please, really? I dare anyone not to like this. For real, if you don’t like this tea, I’ll take it personal.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that this has vanilla. This is not just vanilla. Nope.
This is high end vanilla and fudge ice cream mixed together. It’s creamy velvety and gooey fudgy.
This is vanilla/chocolate perfected to the 10th power with soft notes of cherries and honey.
Can I be more clear? I don’t think so.
Have this and be happy. Life will be good again.
__________________________________________________
So this was my 5:00am ordeal:
Doggy needs walking, it’s early morning.
Leash unnecessary, obedient doggy.
Beautiful day, forest is calm.
On our way back, dog takes the lead.
See from afar, black and white critter.
Is it a cat? No time to think.
Dog is now running, I stand there frozen.
Eww, I can smell it, this was no kitty.
Sprayed by a skunk, doggy now crying.
The end.
That’s what people. This was his second time. You’d think they’d learn, but noooo, doesn’t work like that apparently.
Good thing I now keep a few litres of peroxide around. After spending nearly one hour washing him, the smell is now all over ME!
Beautiful fragrance, really. I call it “Skunky Fairy Funk”, a mysterious and pungent musty-earthy-woodsy scent that lingers and lasts for-everrrr…we guarantee it.
Oh noooooooo! 5:00am is way too early for most things, but especially for getting skunked :-(
OMG – poor Dexter! Poor Fairy! Maybe Dexter needs glasses so he can SEE what’s chasing. That is not the way to start the morning. You might night to drink the GO ALL DAY LONG! And I’m with you – I defy anyone not to adore the GO – the vanilla fudge bomb.
@TeaF just keep your snoot in the GO tin til the bad smell goes away – then you will be high on vanilla fudge smell and it will be all better…
Ew, skunk smell! You definitely need something good and comforting.
So sorry . Big hug <3
Thanks you guys, feeling much better already…scrubbed myself to death with my best shower gel and drowned myself in lotion. Hope I smell better now :-)
I’m having my GO right now. Damn this is good!
Isn’t it? And that new vanilla makes it even more decadent if that’s possible. I couldn’t do a side by side cause I was out when the new version arrived, but do you see the difference or is it in my head?
NO I totally can tell a difference. This cup is among the last little bit of my “old” vanilla and I still love it a LOT, but I love the new one a little bit more. I just called the vet – we got an early appointment – in a HOUR from now, so that’s good as it won’t take a chunk out of the day later.
Yay! Seems like both our dogs need lots of attention today….just wish they could have found a better way!!
Yeah. Sigh. At least she LIKES going to the vet. My older dog hated it and I mean HATED. He shook and shivered from the minute we got in the car of he thought we were going that way. Bess his little soul. These girls LOVE the vet. I need to finish up this cup of GO and then get them ready to go.
Oh no! That happened to me with my cat. Couldn’t wash him outside. Washed him in the bathroom and it took a week and 20+ cleans of the bathroom. He ended up with 4 or 5 baths and he’s a persian that hates baths and grooming. My nerves were frazzled that week. My heart goes out to you. Nobody else except those who’ve gone through this know what it’s really like.
Oh, so sorry you had to go through that with your cat Ubacat. You are right, it’s such an awful experience. Thank god for the peroxide/baking soda solution though, it really helps. At least, I was able to wash him outside, but yes, it will take some days and a few more baths before it’s completely gone!
Oh NO Mr. Bill! Skunky Dexter & “Skunky Fairy Funk”!
Perhaps these links may offer some additional ideas:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=skunk+smell+removal+peroxide
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=skunk+smell+removal
Oh my! That does not sound like fun. I hope you two start to have a better day!
At least the tea was amazing. Hopefully the skunk smell dissipates quickly.
Lol, looseTman :-) and thanks for the links, will check them out.
Thanks TeaTiff and Cheri, we feel better already :-)
I fad animal problems today yet I have no cat and no dog and an SO who is very Very allergic. SO this am I was rushing out (for an extra workout long swim before starting the week) I opened the door an a cat ran in the house. Its a beautiful looking orange cat with cheetah like spots that kept jumping on things a yowling at me. Eventually I got it out of the house with a tuna bribe (which means it will come back no doubt) then had to vacuum everything before rushing off! Not as bad as your black and white kitty but I share some of your pain!
Oh noooo!
Oh, my poor Tea Fairy! At least your sense of humor is intact, & there is tea!
Sipdown! Shared the last of this with a friend of mine. Very delicious, good for at least three steeps. I forgot how BUTTERY and SMOOTH and wonderful this was! The tieguanyin adds the buttery, floral dimension while the yabao lends to the evergreen freshness of the pine and cedar. It’s creamy, spicy, and minty. There are flavors both cool and warm; everything balances quite beautifully. I get a lot of qi from this tea. It makes me feel warm, relaxed, and alert. Very centering. Good for meditation, I’m sure! I upped the rating because it’s quite simply a beautiful tea. I’m very, very sad that this is no longer in my cupboard. As soon as I collect the funds for another HUGE Whispering Pines order I’m going to ask for it to be re-blended! I need more of this in my life.
Flavors: Butter, Cedar, Cinnamon, Creamy, Floral, Mint, Peppercorn, Pine, Roasted, Smooth, Spices, Vanilla
This tea opens with the taste of evergreen trees: pine, cedar. Warming spice follows closely behind, then mellows into a soft, creamy freshness. (At a cooler temperature it becomes slightly floral.) The finish is very roasty with hints of basil and spearmint. Clean, but with a velvety mouthfeel. I’m noticing a lot of qi in this tea tonight: my feet and hands feel hot and my head’s a little woozy. Interesting! It’s very good. It makes me think of standing underneath a cedar tree, with the cool wind tugging at my hair…the gurgling sound of a stream in the distance. It’s refreshing and earthy. The spices—especially the peppercorn—are making the back of my throat pleasantly tingly. The taste that clings to my tongue long, long afterwards is like vanilla, pepper, roasted nuts, and brown sugar.
I just checked WPT’s site and Evergreen Spice isn’t listed anymore? ): Oh no. I think I’ll share the last of this with my nature-loving friend. I had a pot of Ashes of Autumn with him yesterday and he loved it.
Flavors: Cedar, Clove, Cream, Earth, Floral, Mint, Peppercorn, Pine, Roasted, Roasted nuts, Spices, Vanilla
Sounds really good. Too bad it’s discontinued. I think Yabao gives you that warm sensation.
I think you’re right! It’s only getting worse the more I steep. Good though. It just keeps getting sweeter/creamier…
…oh, I wish I had known it was being discontinued. I’ve been hoarding it. /:
I discovered WP recently, so never had this blend. But I’m looking forward to getting Sleeping Bear and El Dorado;)
Never had the pleasure of trying this one either…but I can tell you that The Sleeping Bear is just delightful, and I expect greatness from Eldorado!!
Sleeping Bear was unremarkable to me, but I’m not much for green teas. Seems like most people who like greens (and jasmine) really love it. (: I’m excited for El Dorado too! All of the chai blends Brenden has created are fantastic. I put Golden Chai on my recent order since I noticed it was finally back in stock. I’ve been waiting for it.
El Dorado sounds likes its gonna be sublime and I can’t wait!!!
It’s my policy that all discontinued blends are always available as special-order with a minimum of 4oz as long as I still have or can get the ingredients. :) So don’t worry about not being able to get certain discontinued blends…as long as I still have the recipe, I can still make it :) Though I am thinking about reformulating this tea and relaunching in the fall…we’ll see…
Going to have some El Dorado right now! MzPriss and TTF better not overleaf this the first time around! ;)
Haha! Brenden, I ALWAYS give you the benefit of the doubt and try it your way first :-)
@Brenden – now you know good and well that we always mind you the first time
Having this iced this evening and though I am still not in love with this tea, I think it prefer it this way. The mint really shines while the chocolate comes in closer to the end of the sip and leaves behind a creamy milk chocolatey sweetness. Thank you for sharing Cavocorax!!
Preparation
I was excited to try this after the success I had with the other Whispering Pines blends Cavocorax shared but I am finding this a bit bland. There is some mint and some chocolate but I was expecting more. Nonetheless, thank you Cavo for the chance to try it.
ETA: The flavors come out a bit more as this cools which is making for a nice cup.
Received two servings of the old blend from Veronica. I must say, I’m not a fan. I tried a 3min steep with the first sample, then the 8min steep that MissB recommended with the second one. Neither one was a hit with me. Brewed up, it smells promising. It smells like graham crackers, smoke, and fruit (likely from the rooibos). Sadly the taste doesn’t match. It’s a little smokey, a little malty, and a lot of woodsy-fruity rooibos.
…I think that’s my main issue. I don’t really like rooibos but when I drink it, I want it to be matched with fruit or cream flavors to temper the weirdly drying wood flavor it has. To me, those are the more effective rooibos blends. I DEFINITELY don’t like it to be blended with actual tea, and to blend it with a smokey tea was just courting disaster. This cup tastes like burning wood, fruit, and dryness. Bleh. Not for me. And NOT s’mores. ):
I’m holding out hope for the new blend, though. I really like the base tea December, plus there’s marshmallow and cinnamon! And more importantly—NO rooibos!
Flavors: Drying, Fruity, Smoke, Wood
Do you have some of the new blend on the way?
I don’t. I was going to get it with the next order, since I forgot it on the order I placed a few days ago. And I was just thinking about sending you an email…
Hmmm, would you like this as your sample?
Also December has changed too :) it’s way good
I would love to try a sample of the new blend! S’mores, that is. (:
How is the old December different from the new?
Thank you Cavocorax for the sample. I am a fan of this one as well. This and Golden Orchid are probably both going to be stocked as this is a rich chocolatey blend while Orchid is a creamy vanilla. Both are delicious and both will probably find a home in my cupboard.
I purchased this from Shadowfall in her recent stash sale. Had to scoop up those Whispering Pines teas! I’ve actually never had a keemun before but I was willing to take the risk for such a reasonable price! :) The leaves are small, short, and extremely dark. I would describe it as “generic black tea” and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Dry, it smells a little musty with honey and raisin notes. Steeped for 3 minutes.
My first impression of the aroma was that it smells like an English Breakfast. There’s a little smoke and honey in there. The taste is quite bold! The strong flavor is the main event but it also has some very nice subtle accompaniments. There’s a lovely honey quality to it, and a very light smoke in the background. It’s a tad malty. I added about half a teaspoon of sugar and it brought out some lovely dark fruit notes that remind me of raisins or dates. This tea is a bit bold for me, but the sugar really helped the round out the flavor and I’m sure it would take milk very well.
A great experience for my very first Keemun! Thanks Shadowfall!
Flavors: Dates, Honey, Malt, Raisins, Smoke
Preparation
Interesting…I haven’t tried this one, but then again, it isn’t selling anymore, at least not under this name. Wonder if it was just replaced by Pine Peak Kummun.
I just ordered some Pine Peak so I can definitely let you know if I think it tastes the same. :P If not, I can definitely send you some to try!
It was replaced by Pine Peak, which is like 97x better ;)
Cameron, thank you so much, you are sweet but I’m gonna pass….I have a hard time keeping up with my own stash right now, and I have tons more on the way :-o
OMG this tea smells like CHOCOLATE! The taste too is roasty, toasty, smoooooth chocolate. Um. I can haz moar? There is no bitterness and no astringency. Just a little piece of tea bliss :-). The cool thing about this tea is there a wave of chocolate flavor that rolls over my tongue after the sip and it’s more intense than the flavor during the sip, at least for me. I still love Ailaoshan black a little bit more, but this tea is excellent! I used a full tablespoon rather than a half, which turned out to be a good decision.
Also, I had a weird dream that there was a communal Steepster refrigerator. MzPriss opened it up and opened up one of the fruit/veggie drawers and it was full of mushrooms and dirt. She looked at me and said “Oh look, Brenden teleported us some mushrooms!” I have no idea what MzPriss actually looks like, but this person in the dream was her somehow. What is wrong with me?
Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Roasted
Preparation
Snort laff!! If Brenden could I’m sure he would teleport us some mushrooms. And a communal Steepster fridge would be awesome!
Hahaha! You know your addicted to tea when??? this dream was hilarious and I wished it was for real! A communal cupboard would also be awesome!
And yes, told you this tea was pure gooey fudgy chocolate goodness :-)
This is the best thing I’ve read, like…ever. :D
This is not the first tea-related dream I have had. The problem is fully developed, I think. I suppose this dream came from my not-so-subliminal desire to eat all the good things TheTeaFairy and MzPriss are always talking about and for Brenden to have the ability to teleport things, which I think I can safely say would improve all of our lives. Thanks for the dream mushrooms, Brenden :-). And yes, a communal Steepster cupboard would be completely clutch!
Haha that’s hilarious! XD
Oh cool! A shared Steepster cupboard! Wouldn’t that be fun?!?! Although, with as much swapping as happens around here, we may not be too far from that :)
I’ve been looking forward to making cornmeal pancakes with fruit (started out thinking about ripe Texas peaches) and cottage cheese all week. One of my favorite breakfasts. I decided to use a different cornmeal pancake recipe this morning. And who better to go to for a good recipe than Mark Bittman? Apparently, in the case of cornmeal pancakes – almost anyone. I have no pancakes. I have a bowl of fried-ish polenta-ish cripsy globs with some AMAZING cherry compote I made from frozen organic cherries, some lemon zest, freshly ground cardamom and little maple syrup. I knew better than to attempt pancakes with no leavening. I started in my extremely well seasoned cast iron skillet that is basically non-stick because it’s been cooked in for well over 50 years as it belonged to my grandmother. I used a little oil to ensure success. My poor skillet has crunchy chunks of polenta-ish stuff clinging to it like I would be to George Clooney’s leg if he showed up. I decided to try in the non-stick skillet which I almost never use. I have chunks of crunchy polenta-ish stuff which was scooped into a bowl along with the yummy cherry stuff and some cottage cheese.
In need of comfort and reassurance and inspired by TheTeaFairy, I turned to this tea. Chocolaty, chocolaty goodness. It goes really well with my cherries (also inspired by TTF this morning), and I am getting less hostile toward Mark Bittman by the minute. A big chocolate bomb that is smooth and delicious with zero bitterness or astringency even when steeped around 5 minutes is something that makes my semi-broken heart happier.
Flavors: Chocolate
I’m sorry for your epic pancake fail but this made me laugh so hard!
Pancakes with no leavening…? How bizarre. Imagining the clinging to George Clooney’s leg… Priceless. :)
The recipe ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fine or medium cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, or more as needed
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, plus more for frying
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pine nuts
Honey, for serving
The recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/dining/19minirex2.html
oh god, i’m so hungry…. this sounds soo good.
@Sil – it does until you try to MAKE it. I still kind of have a heart ful of hate for ol Mark Bittman at the moment. I wanted pancakes
LOL we love bittman – have 3 cookbooks in our kitchen haha
I do too! Who would have thought he would try to pass off fried polenta as pancakes????
I got one of those skillets, over 100 now belonged to my great grandmother. And I miss her so and how she taught me to cook.
How did I ever miss this note this moning? Omg my spleen hurts that how much I laughed!
(Being attached to George Clooney’s leg brings all kind of images…)
And really, homemade cherry compote? Let me book a flight to Texas…
And count me in! I also have my grandma’s cast iron skillet…with a wooden handle. Almost as heavy as I am, but everything tastes better in it!!
Mrmopar, this is so priceless that your grandmother taught you how to cook…how precious that skillet must be.
@mrmopar – I learned to cook from my grandmother and great grandmother as well and I miss them both. My cast iron skillets are priceless to me
@TTF – LOL I’m feeling better about the whole thing now (except for the having to clean my skillet part) but I was grumpy this morning. The cherry compote was easy-peasy, just simmered the cherries and lemon zest and cardamom and some maple down until it thickened up some. I have some left for later.
Poor girl! I hate when something like that happens.
I’m thinking this recipe needs to have eggs in it, or egg replacer. Or ground flax seeds would probably work. Something that would bind things together.
I have one of mark’s books, in my crazy who’s who collection of vegan & vegetarian cookbooks from my 30+ some odd years of non-meat eating. Lately I’ve been feeling really nostalgic about all those tasty grain & bean based dishes, I really miss that stuff.
Side note…I use to love polenta, especially Fried polenta!
Maybe you were suppose to refrigerate the recipe in a loaf pan & slice it before cooking it? :)
At least the cherry compote was good, & thank god for tea!
Well if I had thought it through, I would have realized how it would turn out. I did briefly think about no leavening or egg – but Mark Bittman! They really are polenta cakes and not pancakes – but he calls them pancakes and they look like them in the recipe photo. I’m mostly over it now because I had great tea and I hsve some of the cherry stuff left over
You could spread it on toast (another food I REALLY miss).
Or layer it in a fancy wine glass with coconut whipped cream & other yummy stuff…
It JUST so happens I have some coconut whip and that had occurred to me :)
:)
This tea is so pretttttyyyyy! Is this the one that MzPriss called “wee snaily yums”? If not, I think this could also merit that term :-). To me, the smell is very bready and it greatly increased my anticipation of the first sip. My nose did not lead my astray; the taste is also very bready, with a big dose of honey dolloped on top. So good! The finish is really clear and fresh tasting- a characteristic I’m noticing with Whispering Pines teas and that I really appreciate. It looks like this one will be a repurchase as well. Brenden, we are all just putty in your hands.
Flavors: Baked Bread, Honey
Preparation
Love bready teas! And snaily, too; it’s just such a friendly little shape.
This is indeed the wee snaily yums – see why?
I call adding a little bit of maple “Terri-style” :)
I do see why! This tea is absolutely adorable in a snaily kind of way. Like these snails here: http://www.lifebuzz.com/snails/#!89xnh So cute!!
OMG! Who knew snails could be so cute?
Awwwww!!!! So adorable!!! Who could possibly want to eat them now?
And yes, MzPriss’s way of calling this tea is the cutest thing ever :-)
I feel special :)
@Terri – only because you are
You get a big hug!
LOL, auto correct changed hug to hog, but I saw it & changed it back.
Then I thought about the big mandala puer sale discussion group from a few days ago… :)
Laughs! Well yeah, there were hoggish tendencies on display during that time….
And you get a big hug back. I tried a Terri breakfast this morning which was an epic fail – but I maintain it was Mark Bittman’s fault.
What did you fix?
Cornmeal pancakes – see my note on Fujian Black from this morning :(
ughghghg…
I hate when things like that happen.
Time for afternoon tea! I had a stomach bug for several days, so now that I’m feeling better I should be back in the swing of things! I missed all youse guys.
This cup is courtesy of the lovely Veronica. Brewed up, the tea is a clear shade of warm amber. I’m catching scents of wet wood, bonfire, dark chocolate, and sea salt as they waft from my cup. There’s some fruit tones there too, but I get “berry” while others have gotten “citrus”.
Each sip starts brisk, with a fruity sweetness that to me is reminiscent of Ashes of Autumn and its “longan fruit” flavor. Is this what longan fruit tastes like? I couldn’t say! It’s still not citrus to me. From brisk and bright it moves into a smooth roastiness with undertones of sweet, fresh wood. There’s some cocoa and some malt at the very end, but the predominant tone is a light honey-sweetness. What is that fruit…it’s not citrus, but reminiscent of citrus. Phooey. I give up. There’s a light, hazy smokiness that persists throughout the cup. It gets sweeter as it cools and it gains a sort of thickness in body. More malt—it coats your tongue. Delicious! I’d love to have a cup of this with an omelette or a plate of crumpets. That’s my fantasy and I’m content to live it in my head for now.
Thanks Veronica!
Flavors: Campfire, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Roasted, Smoke, Smooth, Wet Wood
The leaves of this tea are long, dark, and twisty and when I see leaves like that I can’t help but think spider legs. And it’s all TheTeaFairy’s fault. Luckily, I’m a spider sympathizer, so it doesn’t bother me :-). Like, maybe spiders are just misunderstood. There’s even a meme about it (warning: contains spider pictures)
http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4501376/Misunderstood+Spider/
Anyway, this tea lives up to the level of excellence I’ve come to expect from Whispering Pines. It starts out a little earthy, which then gives way to a fresh floral quality. My favorite part though, is the end of the sip which just tastes unbelievably refreshing and pure, like I just drank out of a crystal clear stream. Is this what pine tastes like? If so, more of that please! Also, thanks to boychik for recommending that I use a full tbsp of leaf. It turned out great that way!
Flavors: Floral, Wet Earth
Preparation
Glad it turned out great! I tried 1/2 tbsp and then second time I used scale which was equal to full tbsp. (liked it more 2nd time)
Hahah! The meme is so hilarious and so true!!!
Oh well…maybe I am to blame a little :-O
Glad the tea is good, I have some on the way, never actually tried that one yet!!
Spiders actually help me with mealy bugs or scales on my house plants. I never kill them, but my girls scream every time they see them
That picture on WP’s scrolling header of up close Dian Hong leaves reminded me so much of spider legs that I had to click away quickly to the tea selection page! Too creepy. I know they are helpful but when in my house, they need to go away.
I came across this today and it seemed relevant to all the spider talk on Steepster lately:
http://www.iflscience.com/brain/why-are-we-afraid-spiders
I must say though, I have serious issues with the section regarding fear of spiders in twins and their conclusion that it is inherited. Obviously, twins share the same childhood environment and many of the same experiences. Based on how this was written, they did not consider that when drawing the conclusion that fear of spiders has a genetic component. Ok, science rant over. It’s still interesting though.
Tea of the morning. I’ve been curious about this tea for awhile, and thanks to kimquat I am finally able to try it. My recent experience with the Unflavored Traveling Tea Box has made me much less afraid of pu’erhs, so this made me doubly excited to give this tea a try.
My first thoughts with this tea were earth and smoke. I get forest floor and wet granite with a campfire smokey note. As the tea cools there is some honey like sweetness and a sweet/tart berry flavor. I like the berry flavor mixed with the earthy notes a lot. The combination is delicious. When the tea was close to room temperature the earthy flavors were a little too dark and dusty for me. This is a tea I’ll drink hot.
I’m so glad I got to give this tea a try. I’ll likely pick up more of this come autumn.
Preparation
This was generously included as a surprise sample in my Whispering Pines order. Thank you!
I can see why this tea gets a lot of love. Not only does this have that delightful cocoa note that I adore, but the texture is also thick with a milk-like quality.
Although I drank the first steep too quickly to discern any other qualities past “creamy”, I’ve had more time with this second steep. The cocoa and milk are still present, but there is also a distinctive fruity note, like sweet, tangy plums.
It’s a delicious cup, and I think I’ll appreciate its profile even more in the fall or winter. As it was, it turned out to be an awesome rainy evening tea.
Flavors: Cocoa, Cream, Malt, Plums, Stonefruits
Preparation
Sounds like pure yummy awesomeness…thank goodness I have some on the way. I was always forgetting to order that one!
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! I think it may have made my evening.. receiving the parcel and finding this sample definitely made my morning. :)
Aww, so happy it made your evening CrowKettle :-) and yes, receiving a tea parcel is a great way to start your day :-)
I don’t remember hearing about this tea company even a couple of years ago, but some of their stuff sounds really good. Will have to try! :)
@Nightshifter, I started the business in 2012 :)
Glad you like this one, CrowKettle! :D
TTF, I think you’ll enjoy this one, too :)
Ah that explains it. Sounds like you are off to a great start though! I have already started making a little list of teas I want to try. :)
Oh my gosh, this tea has the best flavors!
@WP: I know I will…i’ve already tasted what it’s made of ;-)
Nightshifter, you know I’ve been on Steepster for a while…believe me when I tell you, this company has some of the best teas I have ever tried, and I’m not that easy to please!!
Awesome! Will be ordering for sure. :)
New blend! :-D
The Legend of El Dorado tells of a majestic place deep in the wilderness of South America. With streets paved of gold and sacred temples of silver, this mythical place was filled with riches…
Luckily for you, you don’t have to search the jungles of South America in search of untold riches, for you can find them in your cup with El Dorado Chai! With a base of our Bi Luo Chun Yunnan Black, hand-cut Madagascar vanilla, holy basil and the four classic masala chai spices, you’re sure to strike gold with your first sip!
This lightly-spiced masala chai is smoother than a street of gold and sweeter than untouched jungle spring water. El Dorado Chai opens with pure wildflower honey and creamy vanilla, giving way to a hint of pine. The body is rich like a fresh croissant filled with the finest dark chocolate. A warm, tingling spice lingers near the end of the sip, reminiscent of the sweet spices on an apple pie crust. The finish is mouthwatering, with a full honey sweetness and a touch of malt.
Enjoy the immeasurable riches of this golden chai fit for the Gods!
""Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied—
“If you seek for Eldorado!”
-Edgar Allen Poe
Notes: Honey, Chocolate-Filled Croissant, Cream, Pine, Vanilla, Malt, Apple Pie Crust
Ingredients: Bi Luo Chun Yunnan Black Tea, Organic Ginger, Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Cloves, Hand-Cut Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Sounds amazing! I thought you should, uh, have a 4th of July sale now… ;)
Placed my order. :)
Hmm…10% off sitewide begins right now! :)
Ohhh you just missed it :( Sorry!
That’s ok. Given the limited amount I’m glad I ordered when I did! :)
:) Thanks for the order!
We need one of those pneumatic tube thingies like at the bank between Texas and Michigan. It would make things faster and simpler.
So true! Hmmmm…maybe…I know someone that might have a jet… ;)
Of course it would also have to go to Canada too
Oh of course! :)
I might have to put in an extra little order for this one ;)
Please get this baby here ASAP!!! Send the tube over here you guys, thanks for thinking of your Canadian girl here :-)
Samurai Travelling Tea Box – Tea #38
I’ve had this one in the past & loved it in the past, but I wanted to revisit it because it’s been years since I last steeped it and my palate/tastes have changed and (I think) become a lot more refined. I’m glad I tried it Gongfu this morning because it absolutely blew me away!
For what is essentially a very simple blend of black tea and vanilla, this is mind blowing! The tea is quite sweet/rich. It’s very hard to describe the flavour as tasting like anything other than creamy milk chocolate and fluffy marshmallows with vanilla. The liquor is like velvet; as much of a “melt in your mouth” feeling as something that’s already liquid can have. I got about five very good infusions!
What a WOW start to the day!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDWXsg3AJzo/
This beautiful new teacup is from a local QC potter – I have another cup from her in green, but I couldn’t resist this beautiful blue one as well.
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1EpaboCERg
