There’s something about the whole “warm milk at bedtime” trope that has always appealed to me. I’m sure I read about it in my beloved Little House of the Prairie when I was a little girl, and ever since, this comforting nighttime ritual spoke the perfect amount of comfort meets romantic whimsy to my bookish heart. Nowadays, tea is most often my nighttime treat– but recently, I was inspired to combine the two (spoiler alert: with delicious results)! I received a sample of Living Book Nook’s Sunshine on the Shire recently– a tea as evocative in its name as its flavors– a simple, but well-balanced blend of chamomile and sunflower petals. I rarely reach for chamomile on its own, but paired with sweet, vanilla-honeyed coconut milk and lightly frothed (no gadgets required!), it takes the nightly cup of warm milk to a whole other level. I’ll be sleeping well tonight!
Honeyed Vanilla Sleepytime Latte: 1 c. steeped chamomile tea (I used Sunshine on the Shire) 1/4 c. milk (I used coconut for a dairy-free treats but feel free to use whatever you’d prefer) 1/4 t. vanilla extract 1/2 t. honey
Froth your milk, either using a handheld frother, or by pouring into a small mason jar, shaking until frothed, and then gently heating in the microwave. While your frothed milk settles, add your honey and vanilla to the steeped chamomile tea. Top your cup with frothed milk, curl up under a blanket with a good book, and enjoy while you settle in for a good sleep!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Living Books Nook
Description
This tea is no longer available on their site but click below for what is.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tranquility from Beleave Teas
Raise your hand if it’s been a tense few months, you guys (not just me? phew, good). I’ve been especially mindful of self care this past week, which of course in my home means a good cuppa. When I saw this tea arrive from fellow sister Nichole (aka CuppaGeek) on a particularly long and icky day, I knew just what I’d be brewing up.
First things first: holy spearmint, batman.
And I’m not mad about it. This tea might be fairly mint-forward, but it’s beautifully balanced by creamy vanilla and herb-y chamomile. I won’t lie– while I was intrigued by much of the rest of the ingredient list (raspberry, papaya, passion flower, star anise, red cherry bark), I’m not picking up on much of them if at all in this blend.
That said, it matters not— this cup is balm for my soul in the days where much-needed tranquility is hard to find. Now if I could only figure out how to get my cup of tea to practice daily meditation *for* me, I’d be good to go. In the meantime, I’ll just keep sipping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Beleave Teas
Description
This tea looks as lovely as it tastes with ingredients to calm even the most restless soul. Chamomile, rosehips, raspberry, papaya, peppermint, vanilla and star anise just to name a few.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Catnap from Aka Tea
I misread the name of this tea at first, and thought it said “Catnip.” Turns out I wasn’t far wrong, because this blend does actually contain catnip. It’s even more fitting when you consider that the company logo, and indeed the majority of their blends, are cat themed.
Catnap is purportedly a relaxing blend, containing chamomile, mint, lemon verbena, lemon balm…and catnip. In my head, catnip isn’t something I typically associate with relaxation – it conjures images of bright-eyed, mischief-making kittens. Maybe in humans the effects are different.
Noticeable amongst the dry leaf are small whole chamomile flowers, pieces of lemongrass, cinnamon chips, bright blue cornflowers, and finely shredded mint (and, assumedly, catnip) leaves. I gave 1 tsp of leaf 4 minutes in boiling water, no additions. The resulting liquor is a bright yellow-orange, the scent generically herbal with an edge of sweet mint.
To taste, it’s a little danker than I was expecting, more a dark, sludgy herbal than a bright, clean, refreshing one. Mint is the main flavour – there’s the characteristic cooling peppermint, the sweeter edge of spearmint, and then a borderline vegetal flavour that I’m assuming is the catnip. I’m putting it with the mints because that’s how it comes across to me – minty, but with a definite swampiness about it. Underneath all of those runs the cinnamon, adding a warming spiciness. I’m not sure that it pairs 100% successfully with mint, though. It’s not a flavour combination I’ve come across many times before, and I’m pretty sure there’s a reason for that…
The lemon emerges in the mid-sip, and lifts what could have been a fairly uninspiring cup into brighter territory. The lemongrass adds another layer of sweetness, combining hay-like notes with a light citrus, and the lemon verbena and lemon balm also help to heighten this impression. The chamomile makes itself known at the end of the sip, with its typical thick honey notes. It pairs well with the lemongrass, and moves this blend more firmly into “relaxing tea” territory.
To me, this is a tea of two halves. The initial sip is very heavy on the mint and cinnamon, but that fades pretty quickly and is replaced by the citrus-honey flavours that seem to develop further as it cools. It’s certainly a unique blend, but I’m not sure it’s one I’d seek out especially frequently, primarily because I find the flavour combinations a little too jarring.
Having said that, this is an interesting caffeine-free option, and it’s different from most other “relaxing” blends I’ve tried. If you’re looking for something a little unusual to brighten up your evening tea drinking, this could well be the blend for you. Cat lovers may well award extra points also!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Aka Tea
Description:
CatNap, anyone? Sometimes that’s just what the doc ordered. Catnip is not just for cats. It has been known to help humans relax, relieve headaches, and calm the nerves. Curl up with a cup and “cat”ch some z’s.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chamomile from Hope & Glory
I love my chamomile teas but find that I rarely drink it. I should drink more of it. Chamomile doesn’t so much make me sleepy but I do find that I am more relaxed. With having such a busy and stressful job, 4 kiddos, and all the other mom duties that go along with it, the last tea of the day I enjoy should be a chamomile. And it might be after having this Chamomile from Hope & Glory.
What I find I love about chamomile is that baked good honey flavor that helps promote that relaxing atmosphere. These sachets from Hope & Glory fit that bill perfectly. These easy to use sachets that are individually wrapped give an air of luxury. All that is needed is to boil and prep the water, unwrap the sachet, and allow the tea to steep for about 6 minutes. I actually left my tea sachet in the whole time I drank the time and there were no issues.
The taste of these sachets are fresh and full of that baked good honey flavor. Perfect for on the go or when you don’t want to mess with loose leaf tea. I’m on my second cuppa with this tea bag and the flavor is still as wonderful as when I first steeped the tea.
Yes, this may just be a chamomile sachet but its one of the best ones I’ve ever had!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Hope & Glory
Description:
This smooth, mellow tisane is 100% organic and naturally caffeine free. Only the finest whole chamomile heads have been selected for this infusion, producing a light & delicate brew.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
Pink Rose Lemonade is a swirling collage of flowers with a hint of lemon and wintergreen. Like a fancy floral confection, this delicately handcrafted tea will refresh and soothe your palate. Pink Rose Lemonade is totally guilt-free, as it has no caffeine and is naturally sweet. Lemon, rose, mint, chamomile, and lavender spring to life in this absolutely fabulous herbal tea. Pink Rose Lemonade tastes distinctively wonderful brewed hot or cold.
Features:
- Premium Loose Leaf Herbal Tea
- Sample = 5 8-oz Servings
- 1/2 LB Bulk = $0.31 / Serving
- Naturally Caffeine Free!
- Gluten-free & Sugar-free
- No added flavorings
Ingredients: lemongrass, lemon myrtle, orange peel, rose petals, lemon balm, spearmint, chamomile, lavender
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot…that just sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Well…it IS! I’m usually not BIG on herbal tisanes but this Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot is something that sparks my interest that is for sure!
The product description and profile said the ingredients of this herbal tisane were lemon, rose, mint, chamomile, and lavender and that it is good hot or cold. I agree! First I want to point out how well these 5 ingredients meshed together so nicely! The ratio seemed to be 1/5 – 1/5 across the board…at least that is what my taste buds seemed to pick up! I’m glad because I don’t generally like or side with chamomile flavors but if you pair chamomile with mint I’m more apt to try it. Lemon is always a plus. Rose and Lavender I can be hot and cold on but here it worked!
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot is refreshing this or any time of year! This is probably on my short list of favorite herbal tisane offerings to date!
