Popular Tasting Notes

This smells like a strawberry milkshake and I think that is why I am refusing to completely get rid of it. However, I have sort of been off cacao teas that I also have not been inclined to drink it so it sort of just hangs out.

I quite enjoyed this one! The Mint and Vanilla variations weren’t for me, but this one I enjoyed so much I ordered 50g. :)

Sounds promising. I’ll definitely steep it longer next time!

I am so, so jealous – this tea is on my ultimate wish list!

I don’t know if it’s that good!

Ha – Yvonne – I just realized that you’ve got 90+ teas in your cupboard, and most of those without tasting notes. You should work on trying all those before you worry about what else you should try. You’ll NEVER try everything.

If you always worry about ‘new’ teas, you won’t appreciate the ones you already have and will always be buying more! Just some advice because I know how crazy/overwhelming it can be when you first get on Steepster.

I’m getting through them, slowly but surely :) The allure of new teas is so hard to pass up!

I actually just took a look and you’re right – I DO have a lot to get through. Gotta get drinking I suppose! My parents already give me crap for supposedly drinking too much tea :P

Haha. It adds up quickly, eh?

But when I first got into Steepster I felt I had to try ALL THE TEAS, and while that’s a common idea, it’s that’s just not sustainable.

I was always excited about the teas that were coming my way and then I sorta neglected the already premium teas I had sitting there because they didn’t sound as exciting as whatever fancy new tea had caught my eye. It was sorta silly because I was always chasing something I couldn’t have. Now I try to focus on enjoying a few staples in my cupboard, while exploring some newer teas. But I have accepted that I will never get them all. And that I don’t need to because the differences between a lot of teas are so slight that they really don’t matter.

Sacriledge maybe? :P

I get teased for drinking too much too. But at least my stash looks deceptively small. :D

Well said Cavo. :)

You’re very true and thank you so much for the advice! I really appreciate it :) You’re certainly wise.

Words of wisdom, Cavo!

I know I have bought a million teas and swapped for a million more and now get stressed each time I see how many different teas I have in my cupboard.

VariaTEA – Totally! It’s pretty easy to go from 50, to 100 to hundreds…

I remember when I first started, after my first online order I had 24 teas and I was nearly ashamed of that! Now 150 is “normal” and I’m still above that! /0\

I think ALL THE TEAS is something that infects a lot of new Steepsterites. I know I was like that and look at me now with a gazillion teas. I’m not opening new ones until I drink/give away/trade all the opened ones but it is such an undertaking.

I signed up for ALL the tea of the month clubs and now I am paying for it.

Haha. I like how we all had the same experience. I remember when I joined and saw people had cupboards with like 150 teas I was like “I wish I had that many teas” and now that I am over 200 I still wish to have a cupboard of only 150…or less.

I went through my teas today and I’m adding the ones that weren’t in my cupboard already. Passed 400 just now.

Yep, I’m another crazy 400 gal, and let’s just say that I’m missing out on stuff often. I’ll try to find it, knowing I have it… and it’s just hiding. I’m trying to whittle it down, however I’ve hovered around 430-ish for a while now. I’ll be thrilled with about 50-75 that I love, with the rest swaps in/out or new things to try to get around the 150 mark like many of you who have been around these parts longer.

i hit 375 and it was too much for me…so i quickly dropped back to 200. That’s about as high as i like to be, though 150 is nice since there’s breathing room there if you get a big swap or order..

When I make it, I cold steep the bag for 15-16 hours. However, I only every cold steep them so I am not sure how the flavor would change using a bag that has already been hot brewed and then iced.

What other SBT did you make btw?

I’m blanking out as to which one I made, as it was a while ago. We left it in the fridge too long, so it was icky by the time I got around to drinking it. :(

Oh no. I am trying the last of my SBT teas tomorrow morning and then I will be placing an order for more. I figured I should try what I had so I knew what to restock.

LiberTEAS cold steeps overnight, then hot steeps to get the most out of them. Check out their reviews. :)

I have to admit, they are tempting. If you’re going to order more, MissB, might I tag along?

OMGsrsly, I was going to offer to add some to my order for you and then realized that may not be the most effective plan given we don’t live nearly as close as you and MissB. However, if you are only looking to get a couple to try some, they are pretty flat and could probably pass as letter mail and therefore not really cost anything for me to send them to you. I will probably be ordering tomorrow evening so if you want me to add anything, just let me know :)

Ooo. Let me go check!

UH OH. Eggnog honeybush? Too tempting.

Haha. I was tempted by that too. But I don’t know if I want 2 oz of it. Mostly because I don’t know if I would like it. Although, no one does honeybush like Frank.

Heh. I’ve got a LOT of Frank’s stuff on the way from the Kickstarter, plus the new ones. One just showed up now, it was somehow held in transit for weeks. I grabbed eggnog, and will pass along some to both of you if you’d like. :)

I’d really appreciate that, MissB!

I have to admit the cart I built (Malted Chocomate!) is only $40. Tempting to just buy. Are all the SBT caffeinated? I don’t see any honeybush ones.

They are all black teas…I think.

And I just wish someone had reviewed the eggnog honeybush so at least there is something to guess how the tea tastes. I may just cave and order it anyways. I have a nice balance on my paypal account that can go towards my order.

I am also debating the Pineapple Angel Food Cake. It was so tasty the first time I had it but the second time around I was not that impressed. The fear that I won’t be able to have it again is pushing me towards getting it even though I am not sure that I would want so much of it.

Hmm. Umm. I might just order now and ship to MissB. hides head

haha. I think you should go for it.

Ok, ok… Let’s see. Oh no! It worked! Haha. MissB, you should be expecting a parcel for me…

What did you end up getting??

Too much! LOL. Rootbeer Float, Butterbeer, Strawberry Zabaglione, Honey Ginger, Almond Milk (?!), Gingerbread Smoke, Eggnog Honeybush, Malted ChocoMate. Oh boy, oh boy. :D

Haha. My cart right now is sitting at about $50 and that includes 13 diff SBTs (multiples of a couple) and the Pineapple Angel Food Cake. I made the mistake of looking through the Available Now and I am currently debating the Eggnog Honeybush, the Cinnamon Roll Honeybush, and the Frankenberry (but only because I saw it has Marshmallow root). I think I have a problem…

I have not had any SBT yet but have wondered for a while if you could just cut the tea bag open and get what you needed and repackage the rest. Is there a reason this would not work?

I don’t think there’s any reason why that wouldn’t work. They’re just a little more expensive than the loose teas – $12/2oz rather than $8.99. So if there’s a flavour offered loose, I’d probably just get it that way.

I wish I could just ‘like’ your comment, VariaTea!

Thanks, that is a good point about the difference in size/value. The main one I would get is sold out in loose & ya’ll are funny

I have a huge amount of Cinnamon Roll Honeybush, I love it that much!

NayLynn, I could easily cut the bag open, I just think I’d enjoy it more/more often if I was deciding how big my container is to cold steep, and then going from there.

OMGsrsly, sounds good!

Yeah, I wish I could cold steep smaller amounts also. I don’t even want two quarts. Because hello! I need to cold steep in my mason jar!

Both the containers I picked up are “two quarts”. One is actually 2 quarts, but the other is way closer to 3. I’ll probably keep that one for herbals as I prefer cold steeped tea to plain water.

RIVENDELL! RIVENDELL! RIVENDELL!!
That is all

Lol, mj, we see eye to eye on this one. YOU WERE TOTALLY RIGHT: IT’S PERFECT!!

I know you gave it 100 too, right?

That was a freaking brilliant pun ;-)

Thanks! No false modesty, I’m pretty proud of myself for this one, haha!

I did give it a 100, but only because I couldn’t give it a 110 :). And yes, that pun totally made me chuckle too!
I’m so happy you like it so much too!!

That’s because we are oolong sisters, remember?

We totally are :)

I didn’t get any of this in my order. I’ve got a sample coming soon. I kind of wish I had now.

Cheri, your order is ready to go out, but hasn’t been sealed yet…so you still have the chance! :-)

Brenden, you are a tea pusher.

No, I’m going to hold off this time. I’ve got a sample coming in the mail.

Yes, yes I am ;-) hehehe

(He is such a tea pusher cheri)

Oh, he absolutely is, but he’s also good at what he does, and getting me to the right teas.

Oh yes…I’ve never had such a good pusher in my life lol.

Imladris tea.

He’s a benevolent pusher for sure :)

Teavivre does free samples?

I just requested samples to review as well: http://www.teavivre.com/contacts/free_tea_tasting/

Marzipan, yes they allow you to pick five teas to try, and the only stipulation is that you post reviews for them. They send super generous samples too! I was shocked!

I didn’t expect 3 packets of each :O

No kidding! And some of the black teas I ordered were fluffy, so it ended up looking like a giant amount when I emptied it into a tin!

Oh but you have to have a blog =\

lol fluffy tea! Did you get black teas mostly?

I’ve only opened the larger packet. I can’t drink any of them for the next day or so because my nose is stuffed xP Aroma is one of the best parts and I hate missing it.

Marzipan, Steepster counts!! :D

Thanks, here goes!

Yay! Which are you requesting?

I actually got all black teas. :) I opened them all and transferred them into tins since the packages aren’t resealable.

Marzipan I hope you enjoy them! :)

Funnily enough I saw someone mention that Teavivre does samples but didn’t link that link so I just contacted them separately asking to receive samples in exchange for reviews, and they responded back with 5 teas they said they could send me. I didn’t even think of picking out the specific ones I wanted. They should be here soon and hopefully they’re all good anyway (:

Mandy, I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review for any of their teas, so I’m sure they’ll all be good quality. I just hope they’re all types of teas that you enjoy. :)

Cameron B That’s what I meant, good tasting to me, haha. They’re sending me an assortment of greens and oolongs since I mentioned in my email that that’s what I prefer. Wish I would have requested some black now though, since in the last couple of weeks I’ve been starting to fall for them too.
This is what they’re sending me:
Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea
Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea
Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea
Anxi Monkey King (Ma Liu Mie) Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea
Taiwan Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao) Oolong Tea

I offered to let them pick which they want reviewed.

Marzipan, that’s so nice of you! I was like GIMME THESE ONES NAOOOOO! :P

Well I said non smoky blacks or very oxidized oolongs, so it wasn’t wide open.

I’m sure they’ll do a great job picking out. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t pick mine because I would have gotten over whelmed by all the choices, and the ones they picked all sound like something I’d like! (;

If you have enough left pls do gongfu. You don’t need gaiwan. 1 tbsp 4 oz rinse 5/5/10/15sec etc. you will notice more flavors including sweet potatoes ;)

boychik I have a ton! Ha ha. I was planning on trying some pseudo-gong fu this week with a couple milk oolongs and I’ll be sure to try some of these blacks as well, especially this one and the Fengqing pearls. I’ll jot down your parameters. How long of a rinse would you recommend?

The gongfu process is magical.

Rinse just few secs to awaken leaves. 2-5 sec

Oh boychik, always so helpful. :) I’ll make sure to try gong fu this week.

I have only gotten sweet potato a couple of times from Yunnans/Dian Hongs. Everyone else seems to get it a lot more than I do. I usually get a lot of malt in the ones I like and not as much malt but added smoke in the ones I don’t care for as much. :) Everyone’s taste buds are different!

Hah Kiwi, I got my first tea drunk experience today from gongfu!

Nicole I’ve only gotten smoke from one Yunnan so far, and it was extremely mild smoke. Enjoyable smoke! :)

Marzipan It’s such a euphoric experience, no? :D

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!

I am trying this one tomorrow AM! MzHoneyBelle was kind enough to send me a sample, and I am itchin’ to try it! I’m sure I’ll love it!!!

Can’t wait to find out what you think!
(Well don’t feel bad if you don’t but I’m pretty sure you will like it :-))

And MzHoneyBelle is awesome!

Coconut whipped cream? How do you make that? It sounds amazing.as does the tea)/

Frolic, here’s Terri Harplady’s recipe:
2 cans of regular coconut milk you keep in the fridge for 2 days to hardened it. You scoop out the white part and dispose of the water that you can keep for smoothies or whatever.

You mix the coconut cream with a hand mixer until it becomes the consistence of whipped cream. You can add a little maple syrup or if you want it sweeter. I’ve been also adding lemon and orange zests to mine. It is to die for!!!

This one’s my favorite :-)

My hubby likes this one the best i think, even better than Fujian Black

I just had a bowl of cherries but no coconut cream sad face

Mj, its ”our” favourite ;-)

Tommy, it is obvious that your hubby has great taste!!

Boychik, you have got to try this cream….but cherries are cherries, excellent au naturel :-)

Haha, definitely our favorite :-). I had a whole pot of it on Tuesday in “our” teapot (the white and teal one from David’s Tea)

MzHoneyBelle likes this one a LOT too and mj it is indeed “our” teapot as mine is on the way. I cannot stand it anymore and I am going to Whole Foods and getting me some damn cherries like right now! And TerriWhip is awesome (even if it makes her sound like a dominatrix) and I have some in the fridge

Haha, mj and MzPriss titally “our” teapot!!

And get them cherries!!! With TerriCocoWhip (the rated PG version) it’s just heaven in a bowl.

I tried my sample this morning and it was just so gorgeous. It made me happy, and I was even drinking it at work! And I STILL felt happy! LOL. Thanks so much to MzPriss for the sample. Obviously, I ordered some.

My Whispering Pines “must try” list keeps growing. :)

Haha! Welcome to the club Nightshifter :-)

Sarsonator… obviously!!!

Yay!!! you found another happy tea tonight. “hoping it will still be available…” LOL you will probably order again really soon ;))

Lol, I was just thinking the same Dexter. Do you have straight whites sometimes?

This is not a blended tea at all :) It’s a single-origin white dried under the moonlight :)

Bad me, should have done my homeworks :-) it really looks like needles and white peony mixed together. It’s just beautiful..

Straight white – not really. I only have one straight white tea in my house and I normally cold steep it with a little (just a little) fruit tisane. I did like the silver needle gong fu style that we did during my tea class (if that counts at all) – but I don’t really do that at home…

I love it…One of my favorite non-traditional whites for sure! :D

I love whites gongfu, but my silver needles also tend to hold up to ‘grandpa style brewing’ and one of mine is now my favourite tea to cold brew!

I’m going to have to gong-fuy this. I keep missing the point of whites so apparently I’ve been doing it RONG – I shll make a weekend date with the gaiwan and this and several others

Yyz, I love silver needles, and they are also fabulous cold brewed!

MzPriss, there’s no RONG lol, everyone has its own ways, but if your experience hasn’t been the greatness with them, then it,s worth trying :-)

You make this tea sound absolutely amazing. I’m going to have to pick up some of this.

This sounds wonderful. I may have to add some to the WP order that I already have planned for August! :)

The Teacret Agents strike again!

TeaKesser, it is absolutely worth trying :-)

Lol, Sarsonantor, where did you possibly learned about the teacret???

Please read my Ailaoshan review when you get time :p

The teacret is out…

Haha! i have some catching up to do, will do FOR SURE!!!!

Eww, raccoons. Not a fan after seeing coons larger than dogs in the city boosted by human food growth hormones. Nice post about the tea, however^^

Lol, but racoons are so cute!!

Aaaaww they are so cute! Remind me to tell you about Mr. Peepers sometime.

I had a break in once, while I was in the house. Now I have 3 dogs and I’m armed. I used to have an alarm, but that just went off for no reason. If anyone so much as breathes outside this house, the dogs let me know.

Oh how horrible Sars… Good thing you are well protected now. And yes, I’d love to hear about Mr. Peepers :-)

I’m glad you have Dexter, even if he’s a big baby, as you say. He still undoubtedly has impressive hearing and the fact that he probably LOOKS scary goes a long way!!!!

How adorable!

(I really need to change my screen name…..)

LOL Dex :p

Hahaha! So sorry about that dexter…don’t change your name please, maybe i should just call him DeDe around here like I do at home ;-)

Sars he his a big baby, but don’t underestimate him: he can flip into serial killer in no time! Two years ago, he came back with a peeping tom’s piece of ass in his mouth…good boy :-)

So adorable! That’s great they stayed while you ran for the camera – such a good photo!

Caile, It was so funny, they were like frozen in time, caught in the act!

Uh oh, racoons!!!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-eOnjb2JJnhJnJ/the_great_outdoors_1988_raccoons_in_the_garbage/

ROTFL!!! Omg, I guess that’s why some people don’t like them…But they are just hungry little fury balls, poor things.

Soo cute! But I would piss in my pants. I’m scared of wild animals except squirrels haha

Wow.. So glad it was mischievous raccoons & not someone tryi to get in. What a scary adventure.

We had one that visited the well where we keep the garden hose in the front porch. One day I lifted off the cover only to be greeted by a furry face. The poor thing was only looking for water. It had been very hot, but it made me jump back a little.

Yikes! I hope it turns out the little robber raccoon were responsible for the whole thing, how terrifying!

Lol, boychik, How do you survive the whole summer over there??? Now you must have critters all over the place no?

Suziqzer, dunno if they are guilty, but it reassures me to think they are, that’s for sure :-)

Yyz, I guess they can be surprising, no matter how cute they are!

Amanda, yep, I sure hope so….

I saw coyote last week. He was running to my neighbors drive way. Needless to say I run to the house. I think he got scared as well;)

Omg, they’re sooooooo cute!! I love raccoons :) I hope they were the guilty party for the attempted break-in. They’re easily distracted by shiny things :)

Oooh, coyote…they can be dangerous though when they are hungry…but you’re right, most critters are more afraid of of then we are of them!

mj, they were just the cutest thing ever!! i do hope they were the ones playing with my door nob, haha!

They probably smelled you brewing tea and wanted to come in for a tea party… They figured they could jiggle the doorknobs and get your attention. It’s a little known fact that racoons can’t knock on doors.

Well sars…then tea would be the culprit???

And your sparkling personality. I’d totally crash your tea parties. I’d just knock first. :)

Weeeee snaily yummmmzzzzzz

This is Autumn tea so it has a little diff profile. Also it aged, so probably new flavors developed as it aged. I want to age some of my YS teas to see the difference.

It’s Wee Snaily Yums’s cousin – Teensy Snaily Yums!

I really want to try this one! Will definitely order it when I get around to YS…

Sars, can’t help yourself right? I do the same every time :-)

Boychik, It could be the reason, the difference is HUGE!

Haha! Yes Cameron, totally Teensy :-)

No, I’m sorry.

I just adore snail teas. :)

Hey, a girl is allowed to let loose at the end of the her day….

What’s on your sipping menu tonight?

I am currently drinking the GTT Honey Black! Round 2! Writing it up now.

I am leaving soon to go babysit my (alomost) 3 year old nephew, so I figured I could use a little black tea energy!

Check this guy out. LOL. He cracks me up!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14697428776/

Oh! Yes little boys need to play!!! I know what it’s like, my godson just turned 4, precious boy :-)

OMG he’s adorable, awwww!!!!!

Ok, here’s my little guy, he’s also my nephew:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14206250704/lightbox/

He’s so sweet!!!! Too cute!!!

Cuties!

I don’t have autumn 13 but I have spring 14. Should send you a sample to compare ;)

Just going to jump on this “showing off the nephew” train. Here’s mine, he’s almost 1 :)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByLDTxpzm4N2Y3NQTzNfSHIyc1k/edit?usp=sharing

OMG mj!!!! He’s precious!

Thanks Sarsonator :) I love your nephews chubby little cheeks! So adorable! TeaFairy, your nephew looks so cute in that little hat :)

Mj, your nephew is so darn cute, thanks for sharing :-) showing off nephews is fun!!!

Sounds like a lovely tea! My husband and I feel pretty much the same way about Walking Dead. Loving American Horror Story though.. even if I do get totally freaked out by it. :)

It is definitely a lovely tea! American Horror Story is great! Probably one of the best series on tv at the moment. I’m a little fearful that its going to go horribly wrong and completely out there but so far so good.

I think Walking Dead is getting better this season…Last night’s in particular was action packed! I am a fan of the comic so I keep watching to see how things will turn out different. American Horror is a good show too. I dig all the twists and turns even it is cheesey at times :)

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Stephanie-Interesting. Well, I will find out tonight! I have a lot of friends who love the comic. They are pretty irritated by the show. One of these days I will have to get started on the comic. American Horror is a little cheesy at times but still completely worth it (for now). I don’t know why but I just get this feeling that they are really going to mess this season up.

Irritated with the TV show? I can definitely relate! The Andrea character is one of my faves in the comic but she was totally annoying on the show, for example. Heh. There are 117 issues out so it would be a lot of reading to catch up! Comics go pretty quick though :)

My tea buddy Kate totally agrees with you about TWD. I haven’t kept up with it but she has and when we chat about our week she’s often like “We watched it last night. It’s becoming a ritual where right afterward all my husband and I talk about is everything frustrating or bad about what we just saw.” You are not alone apparently!

+1 for Walking Dead!

Stephanie-Yep, they are irritated with the show, love the comic though. Whoa, I didn’t realize they were up to that many issues.

ifjuly-Good to know I’m not alone.

I hope you try the comic sometime! I’ve got all of them, but have lost interest in the show. I might pick it up again to see how the prison stuff goes though.

I just found I felt closer to the comic characters – there are multiple times where I’ve thrown my book onto the ground out of shock or sadness or whatever, but I get annoyed by the same characters on the show.

I hope you can get some time to unwind eventually, especially because it sounds as though your feet could really use the break. I’m really looking forward to trying this tea, although unfortunately I’m only familiar with western brewing thus far. All in due time, though!

Thanks keychange! I will certainly have to make some time. Gongfu brewing is really easy. A tiny teapot will do or even a cup. The leaves just need room to expand. I generally fill the vessel 1/3 to 1/2 full of leaves and brew for 30 seconds or less. :)

Ouch! Burning feet sounds like no fun at ALL! Hope you feel better and get to rest soon. The new teas sound very intriguing :)

Thanks Stephanie! Not so fun, hopefully it will only take a couple months to heal. I’m super excited about the new teas. They will definitely round out our collection nicely.

I have fascitis as well!! it HURTS! only mine presents more on the top of the foot for some reason. I feel your pain :(

Indigobloom-ouch, sorry to hear that you have it too. :( It’s not so fun. Huh, that’s odd that its on top of your foot. Did you figure out what caused it?

oh dear! feel better!! happy birthday to the birthday boy.

from someone with a chronic neuropathic disease allow me to say: sometimes the body sends us warning shots across the bow. pay attention to what it says or else it may increase the volume. take it easy for a bit stacy, hmmm?

and of course… drink tea!

YAY FOR DOCTOR WHO! woot woot! Also, don’t wear yourself out too much madam:)

JustJames-Thanks! Our bodies definitely does give us warning signs. Before I got this, I had experienced prolonged periods of foot pain but totally ignored them. Now, I will be purchasing some ergonomic mats, some for the office and some for my kitchen (because I do a lot of cooking) and proper slippers for my hardwood floors. :)

Sil-I am loving Doctor Who. I am going to fly right through this series. I used to watch the 70s version I think when I was younger but I had always meant to watch this new series. I just found out about it too late and by then forgot about it. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I’m going to catch up on this and many other series too. I love being able to watch these while I work. Makes the day go so much faster. :)

once you’re caught up you will weep with the whacky UK seasons… random stops, months long waits. YOU’RE a WHOVIAN!!!! yippee! once you’re through a few seasons you’ll have to let us know which doctor is/was your favourite. (david tennant was mine).

1. Whoa! What a busy week!
2. This article on Runner’s World has some great stretches for plantar fascilitis, which is something I suffered from briefly when running in the wrong (aka too narrow) shoes. The stretches helped a ton! http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/plantar-fasciitis
3. Does this mean Doctor Who teas are coming? ;-)

JustJames-I’m loving it. Can’t wait to be an official Whovian!

Fuzzy_Peachkin-Yes, very busy! Thank you so much for the article, I was just googling stretches for Plantar Fascistic since my doctor only gave me one stretch to do. Hmmmm, Doctor Who teas, what an intriguing idea!

Hmmm, you have me envisioning “The Sonic Screwdriver” tea. Something bold, unique, something that has it all.

Sounds good already! :-)

stacy, have you tried the tardis blend? it’s quite impressive. in november i may buy some. (depends on how well behaved i am!!!)

Stacy, it sounds like you are an awesome cook, and wife!
I hope you heal quickly! You deserve some time for yourself!
Those new teas sound amazing, as does this one which I really need ony next order!

“Turns out I have plantar fascitis”
Whoa my sister just found out the same a few days ago, never heard of it before then. She works in a place where she is on her feet all day.

as i understand it plantar fasciitis is nothing to tangle with… i’ve had a couple of friends put on doctor ordered bed rest. theirs were pretty extreme cases, but just don’t fool with it? it can become chronic =0(

I was diagnosed with the same thing only just in one foot (due to an injury) about a year ago. I spent about 3 months in physical therapy 3 times a week, icing it every night, stretching every day and using electrical stimulation on it. Took about 8 months (starting from having a walking cast and progressing through sleeping with a splint on) and I’m generally better now. Every so often if I overexert myself I have to do the stretching again for a few days. I also have to wear proper arch support at all times now. But… there can be a light at the end of the tunnel. :) The teas sound amazing!

Feel better soon! A chocolate chai sounds awesome!

Fuzy_Peachkin-Thanks!

James-I have not tried the tardis blend yet. I plan on doing what I can to heal. Unfortunately, I am just on my feet pretty much all day. At work, I’m always standing and then at home its cooking, cleaning, and working out. It’s a lot harder than I thought to be off my feet.

tigress_al-Thanks, I like to think that I’m pretty good cook. I try extra hard when I’m feeding non-vegans since there is a perception that our food sucks but my friends know better by now. I’m also a hostess type person. Anyone that comes to my house gets fed and has some good tea. Thanks, I’m really excited by the new teas, both the flavored teas and the unflavored ones.

El Monstro-Sorry to hear that your sister has plantar fascitis. I hope your sister heals quickly.

Nicole-Oh no, sorry! Wow, that sounds rough. Good to hear that you are on the mend. :)

Tealizzy-Thanks. I’m thinking the chocolate chai might happen.

To mimic Sil- YAY for Doctor Who! I hope to make it to New York in November for Long Island Who. What better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show than to be with friends at a convention in New York, mere weeks before the actual 50th. I knew I like David Tennant from the moment he yelled “I DON”T KNOW!!" to the Sycorax leader, and ran over to push the red button that should never ever under any circumstance be pushed. That said, I do love Matt Smith.

As for your feet, follow the icing and stretching exercises, look for shoes that minimize the mobility if your feet/muscles. Good ones to look at are Clarks Waves (and their cheaper knock off of their own Wave line, In Motion). For fun, also check out Alegria. All of the above have a firm modified rocker sole, so it minimizes how much your feet are actually moving, and they are cushioned, yet supportive. You may benefit from acupuncture (my co-worker did) along with heel supports. Best of luck, Stacy.

Stacy- Thx, same for you!! that sucks :(
I carry ALOT of tension in my body for some reason. My muscles get wound up and tense all the time. Could be related to my Thyroid issues. It tends to get worse when I a) excercise alot and b) get stressed out over life haha. Yoga helps in most of my tension issues, but not so much with the feet.

That’s a favorite of mine. I think its a clear cut above most of the rest of Menghai’s ripes.

I have maybe one more session with my mini-cake. Wishing I stocked up more!

The photos are amazing! The liquor in the final shot looks divine… :D

@ jschergen http://www.angelinasteas.com/shoppe/teas/pu-erh/SKU000864-4fd8fa76b17f5-detail.html
still has it. cheap too.

thank you Red Fennekin. the brew is thick strong and creamy. i dont think its very caffeinated. i had 4 steeps around midnight and fell asleep immediately ;)

this is a winner….

Thanks! Is that where you bought it from?

It may just be the cynic in me, but their price is beneath the Chinese market which has left me concerned about it being a potential fake. I’d feel a lot more confident knowing someone has gotten the tea and it was pretty alright.

Cheers!

i bought it at Mandala. but i placed couple orders with them. its not fake what i received. You can ask mrmopar and Dignitea. they ordered fr them as well. Look at Tuocha Tea, their prices are low too
i got fr Angelina’s 2006 Haiwan * Peacock Quest * Ripe
2008 Menghai “Hong Yun” Ripe Pu-erh Mini and something else i dont remember. All authentic

Mandala doesn’t carry these anymore but I definitely trust them, don’t know much about Angelina’s tea however. I got my 2009 from Jas-e tea but they’re also out.

James – I have purchased several things from Angelinas and I have been happy with each one. I picked up one of these Zi Yuns but it is my second so I’ve not yet tried it. Today I am enjoying a 2005 6FTM MengSong purchased at Angelinas last year. It’s a good one.

@DigniTea – great, now I want one :P

I almost drank this one today :)

Terri, the day is not over yet. You can still make it cause its awesome! Unless you have other plans ;)

The “Dayi Hong” is good and similar to this.

@DigniTea @boychick Thanks for the notes on Angelinas! At less than $10, the risk is certainly not enormous.

Indeed, I have been looking for this for a while. If it is the real deal I will definitely stock up! If anyone can verify that Angelina’s is carrying this same cake, it would be very much appreciated!

Oh, I see, Angelina’s has the 2008 version, not 2009. I am wondering how they compare.

Rich, I got one 2008 Dayi Hong fr Mandala and one fr Angelina. They are absolutely the same.

Oh, thanks for checking! So the wrapper from the Angelina’s cake says 2009?

I misunderstood you Rich. I bought this tea fr Mandala. I also bought 2008 Red Rhyme fr Mandala and 2008 Red Rhyme fr Angelina. Those cakes are the same. But last night I ordered Zi Yun fr Angelinas. Hopefully next week I will tell you if they are the same. They ship pretty fast.

I think the one from Angelina’s is actually from 2009. It looks legit though.

Ok. Got it. Very impressed. Placed an order on Wed , got it Sat . Don’t forget that it was Thanksgiving week. It is 2008. Looks exactly like 2009. Box, menghai sticker. Looks good to me.

that is so funny, I ended up ordering one too. Just have to go to the post office to pick it up next week. :))

Sorry for being enabler, TeaBrat ;)

Based on this thread I placed an order with Angelina’s to get that Zi Yun. It is legit, and tastes just like the one I got from Mandala. However… I bought an Adorned in Red cake and a couple loose leaf teas that were HORRIBLE! Tastes like they were stored in a fragrant environment and the odors soaked into the tea making it pretty much undrinkable. I might be able to air it out over a couple months and save it, but I was not pleased. The Zi Yun comes in a box in addition to the wrapper which may have saved it from succumbing to the same fate as the open cake and loose leaf tea. Buyer beware.

I’m 32.

32 also :D

My guess is that the majority of Steepster users are late 20s or early 30s (Like, 27 to 33).

Shh, Roswell. I’m 35. Don’t make me older than average! ;)

23 right here :) I joined when I was 21 though

I’m 35 too.

36.

39

Aww, sorry OMG! PS. I joined when I was 18 :P

I’m 24. :)

omg…we can be OOOOOLLLLLLLDDDDDDDD together lol 35 Here haha

147… not really, but at 58 its kind of the same thing. I got socks older than most of you ;)

Woo! Age-twins with Stacy and Sil!

KS, I have IRL friends your age. :) I’m right in the middle of my extremely widespread social amoeba.

36

30

39

22

This is kind of neat to see. I tend to assume people on the internet are around the same age as me, unless there’s good reason to believe otherwise, and I’m pretty sure I’m wrong a lot of the time.

So far VariaTEA and I are the youngest; but yeah, this is fascinating! I didn’t realize so many of you are in your thirties. @Anlina, I think I must do the same thing as you because in my head I “aged down” a lot of you :P

Roswell Strange-I would have never assumed you to be 19. I always assumed late 20s-ish.

Yay for 35 club!

Oh gezus. I’m 40.

@Stacy, I guess I’ll choose to take that as a compliment ;)

31

We’re all young on the internet! ;)

I just assumed that everyone was in their 20s and up here-I just turned 20 in October though. When was your b-day?

Mine? March :)

Awesome! So glad you like it! I was so happy with how it came out. If you are getting a mild astringency, I would recommend to use even less tea. There is a really nice sweet spot on this tea where the praline is full and the tea is malty with no astringency. :)

I am so excited for this one!

I measured it with my cute new teaspoon (has a cat on it), but maybe I’ll try the 3/4 teaspoon next time!

Awww, that sounds adorable. 3/4 might work better or even a reduced water temp. I’m not entirely convinced that all measuring spoons provide the exact same amount.

You’re probably right about measuring spoons. I should note, my water temperature was 200 degrees. :)

I think our measuring spoons are smaller than average based on some feedback I’ve heard throughout the years.

Isn’t a tsp 5ml?

Good question, OMGsrsly. I have no idea…and nothing with small enough volumetric measure to actually measure it! One of those volumetric cylinders from chem class comes to mind!

OMGsrsly-It’s slightly under that. What I wonder is how the shape of the spoon affects the amount of leaf used. Our spoons have a very deep bowl and are narrower. So, not as much “surface area”. Leaf naturally sits slightly above the lip, so I am wondering if spoons that are wider end up with more leaf.

Oh, ok. I can see the shape causing different measurements for sure, especially with larger leafed teas. Ours are mostly labelled 5ml in Canada. I might bring one to work and measure it. For science. :)

OMGsrsly-Hmmm, maybe I should measure our teaspoon with our small liquid measuring cup to see if it is accurate.

Alright I gotta order some

Lol @ Stephanie! ;)

This sounds really good.

I just had to get up and look at this thread. I just had to order this tea and 10 others from Butiki tonight. I have not had any willpower since probably 1980.

AllanK, you are too funny! :)

Might as well get them before they’re gone AllanK!

Drool drool and drool some more!
Wow how have I never heard of this before

haha

Where did you find this????

i did a swap with shmiracles, and then made my parents go get me another tin when they were in france haha

Aw shoot! Worlds away!

Yeah, if they go to france again, I want a tin too :)

I so wish there was an easier/cheaper way to get these to us tea fiends. There’s a French bakery here that will order it for me, however they want $35/100g.

Oh, is that the patisserie downtown? Have you been in, or just contacted them?

I’ve been in it, and they’ve got a lot of Mariage Frères in tins for sale, as well as just to drink in-store for a cup. They’ll order it in whenever they order another batch of tea, it just may take a while is all.

Omg you’ve found a loophole!!!! :D

Ooo. I need to visit, maybe get some tea there. :) OH! Maybe this weekend since I’m downtown a lot. I could go for a walk/tea break.

They have a lot in stock, or did when I was there about a month ago. Only sell it in full tins though, or as a cup of hot tea to take with you. Ah, the chai that I can’t spell, Marco Polo, something Rouge all come to mind. All $35/100g. I’m blanking out on the name, but you know where I mean, right? There are way too many French patisseries in downtown Vancouver. This one is big, gorgeous, open a bit later, and just a few blocks up from Burrard Station.

Take me to Vancouver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I know which one. Across from the art gallery? Faubourg or something? $35/100g is super steep for the basics, tho. Wow.

Faubourg, that’s it! Yep, which is why I balked at grabbing anything when they told me the prices.

I don’t know about the States, but here in Canada the usual supper is either glazed ham or turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce accompanied by mashed potatoes and various other veggie side dishes like brussel sprouts (ew). My mom also makes this delicious dish of baked acorn squash and apples.

I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

Happy holidays to you too! Jillian’s right about Canada. My family also prepares various Ukrainian dishes. Desserts vary with every family, I think? Usually cookies are common. My grandma also made lemon pie this year.

That sounds like just about every fancy Christmas dinner I’ve ever had here in Canada. This year, my Aunt made a Pecan and Pumpkin pie for dessert. My Mom tends to make croissants with “Holiday Dip” (it’s like this cream cheese type dip but with cranberry in it too) for dessert.

Sounds like an awesome fun time!

Tony’s xmas dinner for his kids was a spread of lunchmeats, cheeses, breads, various olives, etc.

Me & my kids do xmas breakfast. When they were younger it was Kugle (kind of like mac & cheese, only with apples & cinnamon added), fruit salad, scones. We used to also do a turkey dinner, pretty much a repeat of thanksgiving.

Most American dinners are very similar to the one Jillian described and as Terri noted, pretty much the same as Thanksgiving dinners. In my mom’s family, we often skip the turkey and have a pork roast of some kind instead. This year it was a fantastic pork wellington stuffed with apples and wrapped with pancetta.

When my parents were living it seemed like a replay of Thanksgiving with turkey. Now…I changed it all to ribs! We’re a blended ethnic family AND Eastern Orthodox Christians. We observe the traditional 6 week Nativity Fast and don’t eat meat or dairy until Christmas day (little ones have dairy). African-American Soul Food for dinner and Scots Eggs with scones for brunch is how we FEAST! (The Russians and Ukrainians held a 12 dish dinner at Church Christmas Eve after Liturgy).
This year for New Year’s Day I’m making (Greek) Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Bread) with a coin in it. You can see a picture and get the recipe on my Pinterest under Bonnie Johnstone…Eastern Orthodox Food board.

Thanksgiving with my parents is usually turkey and the traditional sides. Christmas is turkey and prime rib roast, along with crab. This year, my brother decided he wanted filet mignon roast as a side dish to the other two meats.

For us its usually Turkey of some sort, with mash potatoes, vegetables of some sort, red cabbage, salad, and sometimes. Turnip. When I was little we would often have carrot pudding, or mincemeat tart for dessert, but now it’s usually lemon cake and cookies sent by one on aunts great aunts from Germany, My uncle usually brings Shrimp. If at one of my other Aunts it turns into a three day gourmet fest competition between her and her sisters with Champagne breakfast, and meal consisting of pancetta stuffed roast in mediera, and poultry of all sorts. Very dangerous… Though one year we had a Vegetarian Christmas when my cousin was going through her continental vegetarian phase. To be quite honest though at that time I rarely ate meat as well.

Everyone’s food sounds great! I am always alone for New Year’s. It’s been this way for a long time. Sooooo, if you get depressed…drop me a note. I don’t get depressed, but I’ll be glad to keep your company!

Most of my life, Christmas dinner was pretty much a replay of Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams or sweet potato casserole, rolls, cakes, pies. But for the past few years I have been making eye of round roast instead, as the family seemed to tire of the turkey leftovers too quickly since they had just had them a few weeks before. Of course, gravy and mashed potatoes are still a MUST because it is some of the best food on Earth! We had creamed spinach and always macaroni and cheese with both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, as well as usually corn on the cob.

YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

you make this sound delicious!

Omg. I’m so jealous…

It is so delicious!!!

Oh man… I really wish I had some of that. :(

I wonder if it’s still available? So tempting to use some of my Christmas money instead of saving it.

WAIT. What am I thinking? I shouldn’t be buying tea…

Sil, I’m confused. This tea is this one, right?
http://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/product/red-jade-black-tea/
Just a new lot? “Just”. I know.

Man, I could get 2 teas, hit their free shipping threshold, and be golden. And also off-hiatus. Hmm.

I still have some of this one…so worse case we can trade! Always happy to swap with friends

Oh, I would love a trade – would you trade with me? I could send you soemthing nice.

I can tell this is an assam now that it’s been sitting (I’m almost done my 16 oz mug! This is unheard of!), and it’s still SO GOOD.

I think I will go off hiatus. But next week, because I just paid for a yoga class with the money on my card. :D

OMG…best way to shop from TTC is load up your cart with samples sizes… then you just have to get to 25$ for free shipping

oh and yes… they cycle through lots.

That’s like.. 4-5 samples! Not much at all. :) Any “type” recommendations, even if they’re a new lot?

sun moon lake assam; red jade black; yuchi wild mountain; and if you like stacy’s Mi xian, they have one that’s nice…

we haven’t tried the golden dragon kind yet..

also TB and Terri liked the oolongs quite a bit…to me though, they were oolongs. :) The one green tea of theirs i tried was pretty good too…if you like that sort of thing :)

Oh man. :( You’re really tempting me to break my hiatus.
But. They’re not on sale right now right? So there’s no reason to do it now?

Their greens are sold out. I was gonna get the sun moon lakes, just because of the name! :D Yep, I have a cart prepared. :)

cavo. exactly. they will still be there (different lots) when you have money/return to buying tea

I still got the $25 free shipping when I had some larger items in your cart. So if you love this tea, you’re probably OK ordering a larger size as long as this is your first order and your order has some samples.

Good to know! Mmm, tea. I might wait as well. Then go all-out for my birthday.

they have a 50$ threshold and a 75 as well, depending on what’s in your cart. sooooo many tea wares that i want. sigh

I just bought some of the Sun Moon Lake as well as some teaware. Vintage Yixing!

jealous starfevre!

That’s awesome, Starfevre!

Oooh. will you post teaware pics when it comes in?

I will try to remember to do that. Currently I am populating a cabinet.

Now I am very sad I didn’t get to meet you when I was in Boulder this summer. I get the feeling you and I would never run out of things to talk about. :)

I am a talker! I truly not to be boring. I tell people to make the time out signal used in basketball if I’m talking too much. Wish we could have met too!

Thanks for sharing.

I appreciate that Charlotte. Not everyone would agree but I’m getting to a point in life where all I have is my own story.

Feel the same as teataku. The sad thing is things are still bad. Better in some ways, but not great. Telling your story helps though.

There’s a great deal of kindness in the tea community!

True that!

Been wondering about this tea. Thanks for the review!

At our age stories of what we endured are the inspiration to those that we wish to bring up and teach in this world! Never forget you are a light and inspiration to all us! If I ever get out you way we are going to be a couple of “Tea Drunk” people swapping tales!

I’d love that mrmopar! Time is flying. Some of the most courageous people I’ve met are in their 30’s, so there’s hope for the future!

Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank you for reading.

Every truly great story will make you both laugh and cry. This had both effects, thanks for the effort.

Nope this was not something I sent. I am sorry to hear it was not as flavorful as you thought it would be though.

I really enjoy this with a 2 tsp. of leaf to 10 oz. ratio – but taste wise it’s more like vanilla ice cream to me…

Hm. Now I’m really curious as to who sent this. Perhaps JustJames? I know it wasn’t Allie. JennyFur?

Rowell, I definitely underleafed then. I think it I used the entire sample at 1.5 tsp for 16 oz. It’s okay though, it’s yummy enough for me to get more (if there isn’t any in the box I pickup tomorrow in the US… honestly drawing a blank).

I know JustJames prints out labels but he included steep times and company names on all the ones he sent me.

He did with many of mine too – this one was a smaller bag and different font though? I’ll wait for Monsieur James to chime in.

Ooooh, box pickup tomorrow? Teas this week some time? :) I’m busy Wednesday “after work” but my schedule is fairly flexible.

Sounds lovely to me! I’ll let you know once I’ve successfully grabbed everything tomorrow.

Yay!

I’ve planned my day poorly and now need to pickup Wednesday evening. I’ve got some time Thursday during the day to get it to you?

pardon moi? someone mention me? scan read…. scan read….. NOPE! i print labels because i can’t write worth sh** with the wrecked hand. really big printing, yes, like 1 inch minimum, but that doesn’t work on baggies of tea samples so well, lol. never even tried this blend either.

sorry, twas not i!

Haha. If we can arrange it so I can get to work before 10am, yes Thursday. Boss is back, so I have to be here at a “decent” time.

Or, you know, “after work” kind of times. I usually work 10-5 or so.

I’ll likely be after work kinda time, and prior to a comedy show I’m attending… I’m quite the night owl. :$ Getting me up before 10am is rare, although I can if need be!

Sure thing. I’ll message you my number. :)

Is steepster broken?

I have made several posts on teas that I’ve posted on before and my new posts have disappeared—-no longer showing up on Dashboard but now buried in the thread under the tea name, not showing up in new posts.

In fact, this post, ie. Gramma’s Spice Cake, has been at the top of Dashboard for almost 24 hours with no new posts added. Highly unlikely that no one else is writing about the teas that they are drinking on the weekend.

And also recent activity scroll is broken and not updating either.

Yes, it’s broken. This happens periodically. I would send a note, but lately I’ve not gotten any traction when I’ve sent bug reports.

BTW, yesterday I could post notes; even though they weren’t showing up in my feed they showed up in my Tasting Notes. Today I can’t post notes either.

Yesterday I posted a Tasting Note but it never appeared in my Tasting Notes feed, on the tea page, or on my Notices feed. I also updated the tea in the process but the tea still appears in its pre-updated form in the database. It seems everything is just “locked in time” and I’m hoping all that data will be released at some point; if not, at least I write all my notes externally on a NotePad first so I have a backup!

This has been the first post on my dashboard for over a day now, lol. I tweeted @Steepster to let them know the site’s frozen.

Yay, well-done, Tabby. And yes, mine too.

I posted here because iirc there are several active journallers who could potentially do something about this.

hmm, I didn’t see any of these comments on my tasting note in the tealog until I clicked on the dashboard (so also no e-mail alerts to comments), so yes, there is definitely something going with steepster. Hope it fixes!

Also, I hope this tasting note didn’t break steepster. haha

This is all your fault!! XD

One Gramma’s Spice Cake to Rule them All!

haha :D

If any of my posts are gone or broken I wouldn’t even remember what I wrote or for what tea. O.0

What’s odd is I posted a tasting note after this one and it did go just to that tea page like Evol mentioned, and not to the dashboard or my tea logs.

The one I posted didn’t originally show on the tea’s page, but is now. It took a while for the updates to the tea page to appear. Dash/Activity/Notices/Logs/etc. still have been frozen for two days.

And the cupboard, too. I added like 5 teas, and it shows them as in my cupboard on the tea’s profile, but not in my cupboard page.

Oh boy. I wonder how complicated this is going to be to fix.

Wow… I can’t ever remember it getting this bad or taking this long. Even to hear anything back from Jason & team. :(

It is very disheartening that there hasn’t even been so much as a Tweet sent out or anything with some sort of status update…

Ugh. I just bought a bunch of teas at the tea festival. Was so excited to add them all and post reviews. Now I won’t have time to do them all at once (I took yesterday off work). Hmph. Steepster… come back!!

Steepster come back! Gah!

Sorry guys we’ve had an issues where the background processes that handle all of the site activity updates had died and we were having trouble getting everything restarted. Things should be coming back online now but there could still be a lag.

Just as long as Steepster doesn’t disappear completely — thanks so much, Jason!

Thanks for updating us, Jason!

That sounds amazing!

This is SO going on my Mandala order when I’m on my next tea-purchasing binge. Wowzers.

Ost and Sami, you won’t regret having this one, it is now my favourite milk oolong, by far.

This is such a nice tea.

Mandala love is always coming your way, TF!

Aww, right back at you and your amazing teas Garret :-)

Oh, and I’m filling up a cart of goodness right now, will email you for shipping when I’m done…yummy!!

Ok I had to make a cup for myself, you inspired me. It’s one of my staples and always makes me happy.

Man really want this now!

Well cincin090, you should consider trying this one, it’s almost like having tea candy! (And Mandala is one of my favourite seller!!)

dulce de leche, just had Haagen-Dazs last night. Guilty…

I should try this one. I like Teavivre Bailin Gong Fu, but it’s not my favorite. The only black from my Norbu order that I’ve tried is Ye Sheng Hong Cha – I didn’t really like it… This one sounds more my style. LOL pretty sad when I’m reading your reviews to decide which of MY teas to try….

Boychik, don’t temps me…I’m not a dessert freak, but ice cream is a big weakness…Haagen Dazs rocks…chocolate cherry…mmmmmm!!!!!

Lol, Dexter, try to remember that before placing your next order (look at me giving you advices!)

They also make green tea, but i cannot find it in the supermarket . Pineapple coconut was very good. i only eat 2-3 tsp. just to taste
http://www.haagendazs.us/Products/?utm_campaign=Google|Branded|Exact&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=haagendazs+portfolio&utm_termhaagen+dazs+green+tea

Btw, have you tried Shang Bai Lin?

Balanced but exploded cupboard = NO MORE ORDERS ;))

Dexter, i say it to myself every day,when i open my eyes. Like mantra, no more orders

Boychik, stop trying to corrupt me with both ice cream and tea!!!!
:-) :-):-) (haven’t tried shang bai lin)

Oh Dexter, Dexter, if only things were that simple…

Boychik – I’ve been saying it for six months now, doesn’t seem to be working for me. I wish you all the best, and if you figure out a way to actually stop ordering, please let me know.
Fairy – LOL it really should be that simple. Just don’t order, but it just doesn’t seem to happen. Paypal is just WAY too easy….

Lol, think about your Paypal annual statement…SHOCKER!!!!!

I’m in denial about my annual Paypal statement…. it couldn’t possibly have been correct. What’s really scary is that I didn’t really start ordering online/Paypal until about April last year – I will have four more months on this year’s…… I’m not even going to look at it.

I think I’m in more trouble because I have puerh addiction. I see tuocha and bricks and cakes in my dreams. It’s serious, no joke. I need help.

You can do group orders. Cheaper and less tea to consume.

At least, if stored properly, those puerh cakes will get better with age!

You are right Steph, time to build a pumidor

My husband has a special fridge for beer, only seems fair ;)

The Ben & Jerry’s limited edition cotton candy ice cream is really good.

dexter – i have a few from norbu you can steal some of :)

Thanks Sil but I have an entire Norbu order here that I haven’t tried yet. :)) I have TOO MUCH TEA!!!!

Dexter was drinking EG earlier and is trying to be open minded to all the teas that you sent me. :))

The answer to your “the full size pouches are the ones I wish I had ordered in sample sizes, and the sample pouches end up being the ones I should have ordered in full sizes” issue is to just order small sizes of everything and then place later orders of the ones you really liked. Just saying….

Lol, I so give you A++++++ for effort, I do put you to the test, don’t I!

As for your suggestion, if I was normal, that’s totally what I would do…but I’m “tea-challenged”, my neurones just don’t function adequately and rationally when it comes to ordering tea!

Me ordering tea: “but what if I only get a sample, & I love it so much, & then I found out it’s sold out?”

terri – incentive to drink up sample sizes faster when you buy them heh

:p

Haha! Terri: EXACTLY!!!!

Sil: I checked your cupboard, me think you do need every incentive you can get ;-)

hey! I’m doing well! only 6 more teas to finish to have a cupboard that’s only 6 months old! (and that’s within april)

Lol, well… maybe I was tea drunk and had a cupboard hallucination, but I could have sworn I ‘ve seen your stash at 140 not that loog ago…
(psst…there’s a rumour circulating that machiavellian but very nice and generous Steepsterites are trying to sabotage your cupboard…beware!)

haha it was UNDER 140 like a week ago lol I’ll get there though! I won’t make my March goal BUT, I did stick to NO orders during a month where i didn’t hit my goal. So that’s good :)

(pssst…I’ve already started another box for her…heh)

terri…i’ve got a box for you that is ALMOST full enough to send :P

Haha! Hilarious Terri…

Lol, Sil, make sure it barely closes!

(I feel like a referee)

teafairy…totally! :)

Teafairy, every box we send each other barely closes. Actually, the last box I sent to Sil was 2 boxes, hahahahahaha

You two are so amusing :-)

terri – i just considered that payback for me sending 2 boxes at christmas lol

Yeah, I’m still working my way through those offerings :)

I agree! One of the best teas I have ever had!

OMG, look, a note from Bonnie!!! WE ALL MISS YOU!!!
(I have started replying to you, you’ll here from me very soon :- xxx )

(I meant “hear” lol)

Haha…hello!

That sounds delicious. Hi Bonnie, hope you are well! :)

so nice to see you back ! and with this tea rated 100 it sounds really like a fantastic return :)

i ordered this tea because of your wonderful review. it is amazing. Thank you!!!