momo

Senior year of high school, I worked at a craft store that had the best smelling wax melts ever. They were seasonal too, and the fall ones were always the best smells. This reminds me of one of them, though at this point I have no idea what it was. I’d say it also reminds me of those cinnamon broom things some people are crazy about, but if you’ve ever worked in a place suffocating you with them, then you try not to think of them.

While it’s pretty good without anything added, it definitely needs a bit of honey to get it really popping. Now, it definitely reminds me of a graham cracker crust, I am so going to have to try steeping this in some apple cider.

It’s not too heavy on the rooibos taste either with some honey. I added just about a teaspoon, worrying it might make it too sweet, but it’s really boosted the flavor. The aftertaste got pretty sweet, but nothing bad…tastes like the cinnamon flavor Teddy Grahams.

For the price, a mere $1.75 for an ounce, this is definitely worthy of a try if you’re looking for a good caffeine-free treat for autumn…which I think is finally going to make its way here next week after being obnoxiously hot today.

I was a bit apprehensive about getting this one considering I had gotten a strawberry kiwi herbal that was horribly hibiscus and tasted of nothing else.

This one is completely different. I cold brewed it for about 6 hours. It was SO fruity, definitely kiwi too! Not one bit tart, not one bit like a straight hibiscus tea. Finally a tea that definitely tastes like kiwi! It does taste like strawberry too.

I wouldn’t drink this hot, this is definitely a tea that should be cold brewed. I can’t believe how much flavor it had just after 6 hours, but the stupid t-sac did leak out a ton of water through the side. Didn’t bother me, it was just like strawberry kiwi juice!

Oh man oh man oh man. Since the Zhena’s coconut chai was not very coconut, I had to listen to Brenden and try his version. Following the advice to try it ASAP, I finally cooled off enough to want a hot tea.

I made it on the stove with milk and water so um HOLY CREAMY CHAI. That’s the first thing you notice and then it gets spicy.

I wasn’t doing a great job measuring because I think I ended up more with like 3 1/2 oz of water and 5 1/2 oz of milk, but I did in fact measure 1/2 tbsp of chai. Simmered it for five minutes, added just a touch more milk to cool it enough to drink.

It smells like a coconut macaroon and it tastes like one too, if you added in clove, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and pepper. I really like that I can taste every single spice in here. I went to double check on the website and I was pleasantly surprised to see I got them all.

I’m going to end up needing more milk quickly because I just want to drink this all day.

Man who knew there are plenty of chais out there I actually like. I also got the mate version of this so I will try that too, and I may have to give this a try without the whole milk method too!

Thanks, Azzrian!

This is okay, I’ve not been trying any of the rest of my Caraway flavored teas because I just don’t like the way they taste. I’ve been steeping it as I drink it cold, and when I do get the cherry flavor it tastes very artificial. At least it’s actually cherry and not like cough medicine, but it just has an artificial aftertaste to it.

The black tea itself is pretty good though, it’s actually quite sweet on its own. Maybe that’s actually the flavoring playing into it slightly, which would be fine because it needs an appearance somewhere.

Remembering I have approximately 8572329 of Teavana Tarocco Ruby Orange, I decided to add a bit to ZenTea Caribbean Breeze for a glass of iced tea.

Caribbean Breeze already had some orange in it, so now it’s more of a strong flavor, with lemon underneath it. The green tea is kind of hidden, I steeped it for a green because I didn’t want too much orange.

I’m going to continue experimenting with ways I can use all that stuff up. I have barely touched the surface and I’ve had it for far too long.

Four words: mango berry cheesecake smoothie.

The end.

No really if you haven’t used this one to make a smoothie yet, follow softrevolution’s lead ASAP.

The only way this could be even better is if white chocolate matcha was out already.

Birthday cake birthday cake it’s been so long. This popcorn shop opened up in the shopping center nearby (we’re also getting a Starbucks, a froyo shop, a burrito place, and I think a bagel place? RECESSIONWHAT they seriously added another building to house all but the Starbucks) and it is basically the worst. They have 200 flavors and keep 100 on hand all the time. I had to get birthday cake. I’ve been munching on it since Monday and finally finished it but I want more cake.

Wanting just one more cup of tea for the day, I figured it had to be this.

The popcorn was more like white chocolate with sprinkles, maybe some kind of cake crumb in there but the chocolate really controlled everything. So this tea is a bit more what I want right now.

I still get more frosting than cake from this, and it still tastes like maple syrup just a bit. When it cools it starts to taste a bit more like cake. I don’t know about you guys but I like a modest cake to frosting ratio. I don’t want so much frosting that my poor cake is getting crushed underneath.

I have a couple new cake teas I bought to try and I need to get my paws on Red Velvet Cake. I think out of the set of cake teas from earlier this year this one remains my favorite. I’ve been giving people Ice Cream Cake a lot so I need to try that one again too.

I’m going to have to make such a big DT order come actual birthday time…jury’s still out whether I’ll get more of this one though despite the fact I really do like it. While it’s good I just am not sure it’s something I need to keep around.

I don’t know what led me to choose a white base for this.

But, it works. It’s very earthy, which sounds like it might be an odd combination for cookies and cream, but it makes it taste a lot like black tea. It actually tastes a lot like the Milk & Cookies tea from 52teas last Christmas.

I will say more later when I’m not nervously freaking out inside.

Since this seems to be the only mate that makes me feel awake, I have to have a glass of it iced too. Though it doesn’t feel like it is enough to counteract how sleepy this stupid stuff has made me.

Ugh I wanted to try to make like some kind of tea journal/tracker document for my class but the instructor says it’s too hard to be objective about your own document. MEH. And who’s to say I don’t have to research coming up with it…urgh. Well, I will work on it nonetheless to share with you all eventually.

I want to blend this with Blackberry Mojito at some point.

Since I cannot take my allergy meds again until after my interview, considering how much I’ve slept since taking them, I must turn to my boohoo I don’t feel good tea. Although I feel fine, I would just like use of my nose.

This is still so good, I don’t know why I don’t drink it more often than when my throat hurts or whatever my problem is at the time. It always smells like it’s going to be super medicinal, from the moment you remove the steeper basket to every time you take a sip…it’s just so rooibosy. But the lemon and mint are pretty strong flavors so you’ve got a nice mix of them with rooibos.

I should have added honey to it, but for some reason it tastes really sweet this time around. Kind of weird but I’ll take it.

I’m so happy to have this tea again even if it’s just enough for a few cups. Thank you for sharing, Kittenna!

So weird thing happened. I got Allegra D for my allergies for the next week before I can’t take anything. Its two main ingredients are both supposed to make you really awake. I mean it claims non-drowsy on the box even and I had my ID scanned to make sure I’m not making meth in my apartment. Benadryl, on the other hand, is supposed to make you sleepy. I completely fell asleep for two hours earlier, and I can never get Benadryl to work on me. I don’t get it AT ALL.

I still want to fall back asleep for the time being, but I finished off the pitcher of iced tea I had already and I’m still thirsty so I grabbed this and made myself a big glass of iced tea.

I know this is in the SBT tea bags but I just love this one sooooo much more. I wish it was a permanent blend! It was the very first 52teas blend I ordered and it remains that way, given it’s one of the few teas I have ever completely finished a decent sized package of on my own.

Sweet, fruity, slightly creamy, this is just always going to be one of my absolute favorites.

Ok hopefully I did the name right.

I have a job interview tomorrow! I was walking down the street downtown quite pleased with myself. And it was even better to come home to three new matchas.

Of course I had wanted this one the most so I had to try it first. It still very much resembles your usual green matcha, at least in color.

I made a cold latte because I was thinking whipped cream. The smell in the glass is marvelous. More than marvelous. Pure sweet creaminess. It makes me want a donut, actually, and I’m not their biggest fan unless they’re really, really good (see note on passionfruit matcha!).

Tastewise, the matcha itself still tastes mostly like a green one, but it’s lighter in flavor. At first it doesn’t taste like it’s going to be as creamy as the smell, but it comes on after the matcha. It’s a nice, lingering custardy flavor.

So glad I got a large bag of this. When I do not feel silly from medication I will get to work on my full review for my blog of course~

So without thinking, I dropped 2 sachets into a pot of milk and water and let it simmer away for a few minutes.

I take a sip. SPICY. My initial reaction was just “ooh gurl no” until I realized this stuff must be potent enough not to need to be doubled for this preparation. Although I think maybe I’d use 2 for 12 oz of liquid. So I filled my mug with more milk and microwaved it for 20 seconds to get it warm again.

I’m kind of disappointed this doesn’t actually contain any coconut. So it doesn’t really taste like coconut…it doesn’t even smell like coconut.

However I can drink this chai! It has more of a well rounded group of spices compared to the only other chai I have right now…the very clove-y one. But this one is peppery too, and I can taste cardamom and cinnamon and nutmeg and everything. Just…no coconut.

I’m even using coconut milk in here but it’s one that never really imparts a flavor, so there’s no use relying on it. Booooo. I’ll definitely be on the lookout now for a coconut chai that contains some legitimate coconut flakes.

Yay I’m getting allergy tested in a couple weeks. UGH a couple weeks, I finally realized ragweed is at it already and that’s why I’ve felt terrible for a week. I’ve never been allergy tested so it will be nice to know what exactly does bother me. Allergy season here sucks. I’ve tried honey, I hate taking antihistimines, so we’ll see.

The first of my flavor oils for lip balm have arrived…they smell soooo good and I was reminded of the fact I still have several of these teabags to use while the weather’s still lovely for iced tea. (Just kidding, I’ll drink it all year.)

Opening the bag smelled just like opening up a package of jello. It tastes a lot like it too. I really like the Lime Jello Salad green tea, and I think I still like it more, just because it has a creaminess to it.

This though, seriously it’s like the jello water from when you were sick as a kid, except far less cloying in flavor.

The addition of a couple drops of agave made it taste even more like jello, minus the weird texture! I will have no problem finishing this pitcher and then making another.

I didn’t get to cold steep this nearly as long as I wanted to, so it was pretty lightly colored this morning. Still, it tasted amazing.

I would have liked to give it more time because I don’t think the creaminess really came through like it could with a few more hours to steep. But it was hands down the tastiest mango tea I’ve ever had. Even the light creaminess was awesome, and it was so naturally sweet like a real mango, minus the mess of having to cut one open.

I want to make some more but now I want a nap. I’ve got Swedish rye bread in the bread maker and I had to keep helping it knead so now I smell like rye flour and I’m hungry already. I figure if I sleep, the bread might be done when I wake up! Except I really shouldn’t nap for three hours.

omg! My 600th note! And it did not come easy. I’ve just been so tired but it doesn’t help being up all night Saturday night because I couldn’t stop thinking about making my little lip balm project something. Then I fell asleep early last night, before I had a chance to have a cup of tea, and then my boyfriend woke me up for a goodnight phone call…and I couldn’t fall back asleep.

So when I needed to get myself off to class, I put this in a bottle for my steep n go, and…put the regular lid on. I was so thankful when I got to class that the vending machines in the buildings take cards, I was so thirsty!

When I got home, I threw the bottle in the fridge so it’d be cold again, and now finally I’ve been drinking it for the past hour or so. Yeah, 600 wasn’t gonna come easy!

I’m actually quite surprised by how good this tastes. I should probably stop assuming every cheap tea I get is going to be worthless because cold steeping can make anything good it feels.

The tea is pretty sweet on its own, although I imagine if you could handle it sweeter it would bring out the strawberry even more. The strawberry is towards the end of the sip, and it reminds me of strawberry syrup…like the kind you use to make strawberry milk. I tastes like strawberry but it could be more like a real berry, if you know what I mean.

LOL I got so focused on this homework assignment due tomorrow I didn’t even finish my thought.

I’ll have to try this hot soon enough, but it makes a very good iced tea, which is probably my favorite part about flavored teas with a ceylon base!

This is an interesting tea. I would have never thought to pair blueberry with a gunpowder tea. I didn’t even realize the green tea was gunpowder until I got it!

I made this iced to go with my leftover pad kee mao and it helped ease the burn. This is very, very blueberry smelling. The cup brews up really dark for a green even with a steep right under 2 minutes.

I was expecting this not to be very good but it’s really refreshing. The petals in the tea give it a floral note, though I’m sure the blueberry helps make it taste this way. The green tea has a pretty strong flavor in here too being such a dark gunpowder. It almost looks like an oolong.

Not a bad tea at all. I’ll have to try it hot too.

by the way if you are interested in my lip balm project I set up an indiegogo fund to really get things rolling, so you can help fund me, get some stuff before everyone else, and be forever one of my favorite people: http://www.indiegogo.com/blackbearlab I’ll get the money even if it doesn’t reach $500 (honestly I only wanted to set it to $350 but it makes you pick $500 at minimum) so you will definitely get something. And now you can see what flavors I have up my sleeves. I’m so excited!

Yum! I made this this morning and then fell asleep after F1 qualifying. That’s okay because it was awesome hot, but I figured it’d be even better cold.

Hot, it was excellent. Super tasty fruit flavors, a little touch of floral from the petals. If I wasn’t so sleepy I would have kept sipping.

Cold, I start to taste vanilla or something giving it a creaminess almost. I love how much it smells like peaches. The fruit flavor just lingers after you drink it either hot or cold.

I wish I had gotten this one waaaaay earlier. I picked it in the try me pack I won, so thanks Della Terra Teas!

Oooh also I just bought a TON of lip balm making stuff…they are all going to be related to the teas I love. I’m gonna see if infusing oil with tea does anything really for flavor but I got a ton of cool flavoring oils anyway so they can still be like teas. I have enough stuff to make 300 tubes! (Though I only bought 100 tubes and seals for the time being lol) So I will sell those eventually once I get everything.

This sounded so nice, I had to look past the almond and get a sample. Such a pretty tea, I can’t believe they don’t offer a 4 oz tin on the site. Thinking of this tea in a sachet makes me sad because it needs to be seen!

I really want to still be sleeping but I’ve been up since about 7:30, since the woman who lives above my boyfriend does not know how to move around silently, or at least close to silently, which usually doesn’t involve hearing vibrations in the ceiling, things hitting the ground, etc. Oh I should also mention I have no idea where my boyfriend is. So that’s cool.

I wish this tea would cool off already. It smells so good: creamy coconut, floral vanilla. But I don’t want to burn my tongue just yet. I feel like too much time has been wasted not having this tea, I mean its name makes me feel really slow on the uptake.

I have this coconut vanilla scented thing in my car, and this is how I imagine it would taste if it smelled less like suntan lotion. (I actually had someone ask me if I just got back from the beach, hahaha. I do still have my parking receipt from the one time my car was near a beach?)

First I’m glad it’s not all bitter/oversteeped because I didn’t realize this was a white tea until the water was boiling. The coconut is really creamy, so it almost gives the impression of white chocolate with the vanilla flavor. I wish it was a bit floral given the pretty petals in the dry leaf, but that’s really not contributing anything here.

This is delicious though, everything has a nice balance of flavor. I can taste the white tea in here and it blends in well with what feels like the vanilla. I thought it was going to be much sweeter than it is, so that’s nice too. It’s more rich than expected, especially for a white tea.

Would I get more than the sample? For now, no. But if I was ordering something else from H&S maybe another sample size would just pop into my cart. It’s good but not something I would want to drink regularly.

Of course the almond is in full effect now so meh.

First try recreating Teavana’s Thai Tea Blend

1 tsp Della Terra Teas Coconut Trees & Vanilla Fields
1/2 tsp Simpson & Vail Rooibos French Vanilla
1/2 tsp Simpson & Vail Almond Sugar Cookie

Drinking it alongside Thai Tea Blend to compare. It might be too much almond. The Almond Sugar Cookie is pretty strong…it permeated the entire box. I’m not a fan of almond tea so this was not pleasant. But I know there’s almond in Thai Tea Blend and I can handle it.

It might need a bit more vanilla. One of the ingredients tastes a bit perfume like and I’m wondering if that’s the almond cookie also. I picked that one because it would have a bit more vanilla too, so it’s weird.

Otherwise it’s pretty damn close. I think it actually has more body than the original.
Now to figure out which one has the floral notes and to try to replace just it.

Thank you so much Tropical Tea Company for filling my order on the house once again.

I continued to have my problem of getting payment accepted today but I think this company just doesn’t really care if their mobile site’s payment system works. I bought 6 pints of ice cream delivered from a local company, plus a scoop of their ice cream for a kid at the children’s hospital for $15. Not bad.

One of their sorbets looks like it’s similar to this tea. Pineapple, coconut, but then with the addition of banana. I’m not going to order yet in hopes they add more flavors for delivery but yum.

This tea is also a lot like the White Coconut Creme but less rich. Probably because it’s not straight up coconut. That one makes me feel like I have coconut flakes all stuck on my gums. It’s also a lot like Tropicalia but with a tea base.

It’s not like super excellent white tea, it is/was $1 an ounce, but it’s not terrible whatsoever. If the pineapple and coconut were paints, the white tea is just the canvas.

Pretty good iced, I’ll have to try it hot too even though these flavors scream iced tea.

Thanks, Kittenna for a bit of this!

This tea’s name makes me want to sing. YOU’RE SIMPLY THE ZEST! BETTER THAN ALL THE REST~~ but I’m not sure if it’s true.

It is what it is…lemon and mate. I am not sure if I like the flavor of lemon myrtle with green mate. It tastes too much like green herbs. I am not a fan of this I don’t think…it’s just flat. If I could taste the other aspects of lemon in here, it might be better. I don’t think this is enough other flavors for me with the green mate. I think I like roasted mate better, or at least something that doesn’t make it taste even more like medicine.

Wow it would be amazing if we’re slamming things over by the trash compactor and recycling bins if it didn’t cause vibrations in my wall not close to these things at all, and had not been happening on and off for the past 3 1/2 hours, causing me to miss classes because I had to get myself some headphones, cause guess what else gets set off? A yapping dog.

I love you so mu-uuuuuuuch, Tropicalia. This is the first tea that has ever just had to be a staple to me. I bought 100g the first time around and have already purchased another 100g so that my tin stays full through the rest of the year. Yes, I will drink this iced when it’s winter. I love it and I want it all the time.

I made this ridiculously strong and then I ended up watering it down too much with coconut milk. Go figure. At least now that means it’s got more of the taste I was after. I wanted coconut water but did not realize the little carton I had was previously opened. So thirsty and I don’t know why. This is doing the trick though, the iced tea I was drinking before was not helping, and this is actually refreshing.

I don’t like chai. But I am trying. Adagio sent me this tin on accident and I gave a bunch of it to my mom but I still have some left. I think she had asked for the whole thing but I knew she wasn’t going to get through 4 oz of chai in this lifetime, plus these tins are so gorgeous, I had to keep it.

I decided I was going to do the stovetop method with milk and water. I started out not measuring the liquid, realized I didn’t want to do that, and poured what was in the pot into a measuring cup…it was exactly 8 ounces. Patted myself on the back for that one.

So I heated it up and simmered the 2 tsp of tea in it for 4 minutes, then strained it.

This chai has whole dried cloves in it, that’s most notable. It has pink peppercorns too but I think they just make it look pretty. So I was expecting something where clove was strongest, and that’s what I got.

I love cloves. I remember sticking cloves into oranges in grade school and having to do it again at home because I loved it so much.

This stuff tastes like clove cigarettes. I just looked them up because I forgot their Indonesian name and I am amazed the US actually banned them. Oh wait sorry, big tobacco had them banned because they’re a bunch of losers afraid of competition. I don’t even smoke but that’s a total joke (yay I rhymed). Well I guess if you’re missing them you could get this tea.

It’s almost entirely clove, although it’s got a bit of smokiness to it. There’s some hints of other spices, maybe cinnamon, but they’re pretty hidden under clove.

I actually could drink this though. But only because I love cloves so much. I think it might be awesome to mix in an orange flavored black tea too.