It’s day 13 with this wonderful Holiday Countdown with tea from Teanzo – I have enjoyed trying the different teas that they offer through their Advent Calendar! (All of which is also available – separately – on their website!)
For today’s bit of holiday art, I chose a really nifty ornament made by Regina Zyry! One of the things that I love MOST about this ornament is that its crafted using an upcycled ribbon spool! You know, when you go to the craft store and you buy the spools of decorative ribbon for your projects? She kept her empty spools and turned them into creative ornaments!
I love the color scheme of these too! It really stands out on my tree. And while this first side offers a ‘modern’ appearance, the reverse side has more of an ‘old fashioned’ look to it.
See what I mean? Clever, right?
This ornament was a gift in one of the 12 Days of Christmas mail art swaps that I was involved in a few years ago. It was a very inspiring thing to be working with such artistic ladies.
And speaking of creative, I find today’s tea from Teanzo to be rather creative! It’s one of the teas that is offered in their Spa Trio collection along with two other Spa tea blends, including one that I’ve already reviewed as part of this countdown: The Dream Spa Blend.
Bliss Spa Blend
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Ginger Root, rose hips, tulsi, orange peel, lemon peel, lemon myrtle, lemon grass, with ginger and citrus flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! Another tisane without hibiscus! And this one is a Tulsi tisane – extra bonus points! It’s been a while since I’ve had a Tulsi blend!
This blend is actually quite lovely! I love the citrus-y flavors! The notes of lemon and orange are strong in this blend and it adds a bright, vibrant flavor that is energizing and yes … blissful!
To brew this tisane, I poured the contents of the sampler pouch into the basket of my Kati Tumbler and added 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F and I let it steep for 10 minutes. Remember, with no camellia sinensis leaves in the tisane, I don’t have to worry about the brew becoming bitter (no tannins!) and with no hibiscus in the blend, I don’t have to worry about the brew becoming too syrupy, thick or tart.
The ginger and the tulsi add a sort of warm, spicy note to the cup that contrasts nicely with the bright, juicy flavors of citrus. This isn’t overly spicy, though, it’s a gentle, cozy warmth. I like the undertone of spice that comes from these two ingredients.
But the real ‘star’ of this cup is the invigorating flavor of the citrus notes! The orange is juicy and sweet, and the lemon isn’t too sour. I’m not puckering when I drink this.
I really enjoyed this. The last two tisanes that I’ve consumed from Teanzo (this and the aforementioned Dream Spa Blend) have been so delightful that they are renewing my faith in tisanes! I have become so … blasé when it comes to nearly all tisanes that I’ve encountered as of late. Sure, I might find the flavor agreeable, but truly exciting? Not a lot of them have interested me to the point where I felt I was excited about what I was drinking. These two blends are excitingly different!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 12 from Teanzo 1856
It’s day 12! We’re half way through this Advent Calendar! Wow!
How goes the holiday rush? Have you finished your holiday shopping? We haven’t. Then again, we have been a little under the weather! Both hubby and I came down with a horrible cold. I’m glad that neither of our daughters caught it. Hubby had to take a few sick days, neither of us were feeling well enough to get up and go anywhere – much less face the crowds of a store filled with frenzied Christmas shoppers!
For today’s artistic inspiration, I’m going to show another piece that I created a few years ago. This is my holiday wreath. It was very easy to make. It almost feels a little “wrong” for me to say that I made it when I think that most of the work came from an artist who calls herself “Confections” on Etsy. She made this gorgeous “ragamuffin” style “yarn” that I used to wrap around a foam wreath shape that I bought from my local craft store. I’d wrap and wrap and then, every once in a while, I’d tie it off to enhance that ragamuffin look. Then I attached some glitter adorned holly leaves and big red buttons for holly berries, and added a big red bow to finish it off.
It was a fun project and really simple. I managed to finish it in a few hours and it’s a wreath that I proudly hang up every year. The colors in the ragamuffin yarn are so beautiful and were exactly what I was looking for for this type of project. I love it!
Speaking of love, today Teanzo sent me a tea I adore!
Organic Bergamot Earl Grey
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Our highly aromatic version of this legendary American favorite Earl Grey tea is blended using organic tea giving this Bergamot Earl Grey Tea its depth of flavor. Bergamot Earl Grey tea is also delicious served over ice.
Taster’s Review:
I was greeted with a bright, beautiful fragrance when I tore open the sampler pouch today! That amazing aroma of bergamot! It’s a little sweet, citrusy and there are notes of flower in the fragrance.
To brew this, I grabbed my Kati Tumbler (boy, my Kati is getting a work out with this advent calendar!) and poured the contents of the packet into the basket. Then I heated 12 ounces of water to boiling and let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
This is a good Earl Grey. I like that it’s an organic selection!
The flavor is bright and tangy. The bergamot flavor is strong but doesn’t overwhelm the black tea base which is bold. There are notes of malt and notes of caramel that mingle nicely with the energetic flavor of the Italian fruit.
I taste hints of flower in the distance, but don’t mistake this as my saying it tastes “perfume-y” because this doesn’t taste like that at all! It’s a strong, forward flavor but it hasn’t been overdone. A good quality bergamot oil was used to craft this blend because it doesn’t come off as soapy. It just tastes like a really smartly blended Earl Grey tea!
This is an Earl Grey tea I’d be happy to drink any day! I’m so glad that Teanzo included this in their advent calendar!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 11 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 11 in this Holiday Countdown! After this, my 11th tea in the Advent Calendar from Teanzo, I only have 13 teas left. Which means that there will only be 13 days left to shop, and 14 days until that magical day!
For today’s artistic inspiration, I chose this adorable little tree ornament created by Carol Westphal. Isn’t it cute?
The ornament is crafted on heavy card stock to give it some weight, and the papers have been layered to give it some dimension. There are cute little sparkly accents that were added to draw the eye to the ornament, including a ‘frame’ of silvery Krylon paint pen. It may seem like a rather “simple” piece but it’s one that always seems to catch my eye when it’s hanging on the tree. The bright white color is a pleasing contrast to the other colorful ornaments. Sometimes the simple things carry the most impact.
Organic Chamomile
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
The Ancient Egyptians dedicated Chamomile to their Sun God and valued it above all other herbs. Chamomile tea has a fragrance reminiscent of an apple blossom, and is calming after a long day. Sip Chamomile tea it by itself or for added pleasure mix with a squeeze of honey or lemon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Just as today’s ornament might be called “simple” – today’s tea is one of the simple “staples” that just about any tea drinker usually has on hand. But just because Chamomile is one of those “staples” doesn’t mean that just any Chamomile tea will do! It’s smart to find a good quality Chamomile, like this one from Teanzo!
I liked that when I opened the sample pouch and emptied it into the basket of my Kati Tumbler, I could see big, whole chamomile blossoms, not a bunch of crushed flower dust. Sure, there were some smaller bits in there too – that’s normal because some damage does incur in packaging and such. But, about 95% of the contents of the pouch was whole ORGANIC flowers. When it comes to chamomile – this is the good stuff!
The dry aroma was a combination of flower and honey, with light, fruit-like notes. It’s quite a pleasant aroma. Having never really been a big fan of chamomile in the past, I haven’t spent a lot of time smelling chamomile. But I actually quite enjoy the fragrance.
To brew this, I steeped these blossoms in 195°F water for 8 minutes. I usually let chamomile steep for a full 10 minutes, but I decided I’d try it at 8 and see how it tastes. And it’s quite pleasant!
The flavor is sweet, with notes of honey and pollen. I also taste notes of sweet apple. As I taste this, I find myself thinking it might be quite tasty with a bit of cinnamon (apple and cinnamon work quite nicely together). Hints of flower. It always kind of surprises me that chamomile has less floral taste than other flowers. It’s still a flower … I guess I always expect more of a floral note from it.
Over the past few days, I’ve been battling a cold. I was fortunate to have quite a few reviews “on queue” waiting for their scheduled publication because I’ve not been writing many reviews over the last few days because of this cold. My taste buds were not quite up to snuff and I didn’t want to attempt to write a review with an impaired palate. This is actually the first review that I’ve written since that time – and I feel like my taste buds are back in working order.
I shared that bit of information with you because while many of my symptoms have diminished, I still have a bit of a scratchy throat from coughing. This chamomile is quite soothing on the itchy throat! I have never really tried chamomile as a soother of a throat, I’ve usually turned to teas with ginger or lemon (or a combination of both) and sweetened them with honey to calm the throat, but chamomile is quite a lovely, comforting tea too!
Above I mused about combining chamomile with some cinnamon, I suspect a bit of ginger would be quite nice too – perhaps some candied ginger!
Really, it’s a nice cup of chamomile. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s certainly nice to sip on as my taste buds have just recovered from my cold and my throat still needs comforting. I like the quality of this chamomile: I like that these are whole blossoms and they’re organic – this is top notch.
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 10 from Teanzo 1856
OK, I can’t believe that it’s already the 10th of December! Sheesh! It seemed like this year disappeared way too fast.
For today’s artistic inspiration, I decided to show you a piece crafted by artist Sherri Auld. Like several of the other pieces I’ve shown you thus far, this ornament was part of a 12 Days of Christmas mail art swap I was involved in a couple of years ago.
The photo doesn’t really do this adorable little ornament justice. What Sherri has done is backed a metal cookie cutter with decorative holiday paper and she’s strung the cutter to make an ornament out of it. Then she finished the piece with a little snowflake embellishment.
I love the dimension of this piece. I also love the sparkle that the silver metal adds to my tree! It’s a fun ornament – something that would be awesome to make for that “little extra touch” to top someone’s gift under the tree.
Today’s tea is one that when I started exploring Teanzo’s website, I hoped that they’d include it! It’s YUMMY!
Signature Coconut Chai Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Our Signature Chai has the spices of a traditional Indian Chai, with a tropical twist. With flavors of coconut and vanilla, this Chai is a real treat without all the calories!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I pulled the sampler pouch marked with it’s “10” label from my Advent Calendar box from Teanzo and flipped over the pouch to read the tea for today, I was excited! Coconut Chai! Oh yeah!
The dry leaf aroma is yummy. Strong notes of coconut with notes of cinnamon and ginger. It smelled warm and exotic. It smelled delicious!
The brewed tea doesn’t have quite as delectable an aroma as the dry leaf. The brewing process has brought these essences together and they’ve become more melded. I still smell a strong coconut note, but the ginger and cinnamon seem to have become more of a background note. The black tea notes have more prominence in the aroma of the brewed tea.
This is really tasty. I can see why Teanzo have chosen to call this their ‘signature’ blend.
Although they call this a chai, I would categorize this as more of a warmly spiced coconut tea rather than a “chai.” Sure, chai = tea but, when I say the word “chai,” I’m talking about a blend of spices that may or may not have been blended with a tea base (or possibly a base of rooibos or other tisane-type base). I’m talking about a heavily spiced drink.
If I were to blindly taste this, I don’t know that I would have declared it a chai by taste. It tastes like a spiced coconut blend.
But I’m just arguing semantics here, if Teanzo wants to call this a chai – they can! It’s a really tasty blend of black tea, coconut and spice. If you like coconut – it’s a tea that you should try!
The black tea is a prominent flavor – it’s a bold black tea! It has notes of malt. it’s a substantial tasting black tea. It’s got a strong flavor with notes of malt. It’s a powerful presence in this cup and it has some real gusto to it – this would be a great tea to start the day with, especially if you’re looking for a tea with some flavors other than your typical breakfast blend. The warmth of the spices and the sweet coconut notes will add just that change of pace you’re looking for.
The coconut is sweet and creamy. I like how I feel that slick coconut feel in my mouth when I take a sip, however there isn’t that oily taste to it the way some coconut teas can taste. It’s very pleasant. I like the way the coconut is accented by the warm, zesty ginger and the spicy-sweet cinnamon. These spices are not too spicy, as I eluded to before. Instead, they’re a warm, cozy note to the cup that reminds me a little bit of being at gramma’s house while she’s baking cookies. You know, that delicious smell that keeps you going back into the kitchen wondering what’s in the oven? Yeah, that’s what the taste here reminds me of.
It’s really a yummy combination of flavors and one that I’m really thrilled that I got to try. I’m really happy that Teanzo included this in the box! YUM!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 9 from Teanzo 1856
Wow, can you believe that it’s day 9 already? I hope you’re enjoying lots of wonderful teas this holiday season. I know that Teanzo has certainly kept me happy with this calendar of tea!
For today’s inspirational piece of artwork, I am again looking to one of the gifts that I received in one of the 12 Days of Christmas mail art swaps that I was involved in. This cute mitten was made by Sue Foster, and it hangs proudly on my tree.
I love how perfectly the stitches are on this. It would take me hours – literally, hours! – to do something like this. I’m not as handy with a needle and thread, I’m afraid.
Thank you, Sue, it’s beautiful and whimsical and a perfect addition to my handmade tree.
Today’s tea from Teanzo is one that should inspire happy dreams.
Dream Spa Blend Tisane
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Spice Melange
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Cardamom, saffron, licorice root, fennel, ginger root, cinnamon, rosebuds, lemongrass & rose scent.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea smells amazingly good, especially after it’s been brewed. The dry leaf smells remarkable as well, but the brewed liquid is almost intoxicating – it smells so good! The combination of the spices and the rose is simply amazing. It doesn’t smell too spicy, it doesn’t smell too rosy, it just smells dreamy. Much like the name of the tea suggests.
Seriously, this scent should be made into potpourri or something. Or soap!
To steep it, I poured the contents of the sampler pouch into the basket of my Kati and added 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F and let it steep for 6 minutes. Originally, I thought that I’d steep it for 10 minutes, the length of time I would normally steep a tisane without hibiscus, but the aroma of the dry leaf was strong and I felt that if I went for the full 10 minutes that this would come off tasting too strong.
After I finished steeping, I kept the cup up to my nose for several minutes, just inhaling the fragrance. So beautiful! Then the thought that enters my head before I take a sip is: should I be drinking this? It smells TOO GOOD to drink, as in it smells like something I’d want to wear or possibly perfume my living room with but would I want to consume it?
But the ingredients suggest to me that this should be alright to drink. There are some of the “usual ingredients” for a chai and I like chai. There’s saffron and I like that too. Licorice root and fennel are two of my favorite tea ingredients. And I love rose teas and I enjoy lemongrass. There’s nothing here that offends my palate so even though it smells like perfume hopefully it won’t taste that way.
So, I let the tea temperature drop to a drinkable temperature and took my first sip. This is actually really nice! It’s a strong taste – I’m glad I didn’t go ahead and steep it for my usual 10 minutes – but it’s quite pleasant. There are a lot of layers to the flavor because I can taste each ingredient.
I notice hints of citrus at the very start of the sip. It’s a warm, spicy citrus note, and about half a second after the citrus comes through clearly, the cinnamon and ginger come into focus. Then I pick up on the rose and the saffron. By mid-sip, the licorice and fennel are recognized by the palate. In the aftertaste, I notice notes of rose and a cola-like flavor that I attribute to the cardamom. It’s a warm and soothing cup, but it does have some invigorating quality to it too.
It’s a really unique beverage but I find myself enjoying it much more than I expected to. To be honest, when I saw that today’s tea was an herbal, the thought going through my head was “again?” You know, a kind of disappointed “again.” But now that I’ve tasted it, I’m really happy with this!
Thank you, Teanzo for this beautifully fragrant dream of a tisane today!