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!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 8 from Teanzo 1856
Hello, tea lovers! Today is day eight of this holiday countdown, which means there are seventeen days until the big day, sixteen days to shop before the big day gets here and there have been eight wonderful days of tea!
Today’s artwork was created by artist Liane Ceglar for one of the 12 Days of Christmas swaps that I was involved in.
I’m quite proud of my Christmas tree. Well, not the tree itself (I’m actually in need of a new artificial tree as the one we have now is quite old and has had better days), but what I’m proud of is that every single ornament is different, and I’d estimate that 85 – 90% of the ornaments on the tree are handmade and of those handmade ornaments. I grew up in a household that had a very boring tree with boring round, glass bulb type ornaments. You know, the kind that you buy in the store and they all look the same?
One thing about my tree – it’s not boring! I love that every year when it comes time to put up the tree, that I’m not only putting up decorations but little works of art. Like this piece from Liane. This is one of my favorite ornaments because I love how the crystal bead reflects the light.
Let’s find out what tea Teanzo sent me on this, the eighth day of our holiday countdown!
Acai Berry Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Reminiscent of juicy berries, this healthy loose leaf green tea is full of antioxidants. Acai Berry Green Tea has a sweet finish without using any added sweeteners, so you can drink this luscious green tea guilt-free. Acai berry is also known as the youth berry. You will love this berry tea! Drink it as a hot tea or serve this berrylicious tea over ice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Acai berry tends to be a tart berry, so I usually am just a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying an acai berry tea. I’m not big on tarty flavors in tea, however, I do appreciate a tart taste when the overall tea offers a balance of both sweet and tart notes. I like there to be a contrast.
And with this tea, there is a nice contrast between sweet and tart. The sweet, fresh flavors of the green tea offer a pleasing counter note to the tart berry.
The sip starts out sweet with light grassy notes and a buttery taste and texture from the green tea. The description of the tea does not indicate the type of green tea used in this blend but based on the taste and appearance of the tea, I would guess that it’s a Chinese Sencha. It has that smooth, buttery flavor of a Chinese Sencha, and I like the way these flavors mingle with the tart of the Acai.
By mid-sip, my palate is introduced to the notes of berry. These notes start out gentle and sweet and as the sip approaches the finish, the tart notes begin to develop. And then there is that berry, tarty tingle at the finish.
To brew this tea, I used my Kati Tumbler again and poured the fragrant sample into the basket, and added 12 ounces of water heated to 175°F. I let the tea steep for 2 minutes. The brewed liquid is a golden green color and has a delicate berry aroma.
I enjoyed the tea served hot, but I stopped drinking it hot after I had finished about half the cup so that I could try it cold. I think this is even better as it cools! The flavors become smoother and more unified. This would make a very refreshing iced tea when the weather is warm!
It’s good hot, even better iced!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 7 from Teanzo 1856
Seasons Greetings on Day 7! There are just eighteen days left until the big day and just seventeen shopping days left until that day!
Yesterday, I shared with you a holiday ornament that I made by decoupaging papers onto a paperboard coaster and attaching a cool fringe-y element. The highlight of that particular project was the paisley design, because as I’ve mentioned already, I love paisley. I go wild when I see something paisley.
So, I thought I’d share something that I made for another year’s 12 Day of Christmas gift swap. I was Day 1 in this swap, a fact I remember mostly because the project that I made turned out to be very “pear-like” – unintentionally – but it was still really cool because I was day 1 (Partridge in a Pear Tree.)
For this project, I upcycled a few burned out light bulbs. Then I used a resin clay and covered the threading of the bulb. This served two purposes, one, it covered up the metal threading, plus it enabled me to attach a wire loop to the ornament and seal it in with the resin clay. After the resin clay had set, I started decoupaging different papers. After each of the layers had dried, I finished the decoupage with a paisley napkin, and then after that was dry, I painted the bulb using shimmery paints and added rhinestones and sparkly fibers. I finished it off with a pretty purple ribbon.
I was quite proud of this project. I tend to be a bit of a pack rat (I think that most artists are) and at that point, I had accumulated a lot of burned out light bulbs and my husband was quite annoyed that I had a box full of burned out light bulbs. He would ask, “What are you going to do with them?” This! This is what I did with them.
Let’s see what tea Teanzo sent me for Day Seven!
Moroccan Mint Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Whisk away to the culturally diverse Kingdom of Morocco. Slightly larger than California, Morocco is known as “an oasis for the senses”, with its rich culture, mesmerizing natural landscapes and magnificent architecture.
Moroccan Mint tea is Morocco’s drink of hospitality, and is served throughout the day to welcome guests at home and in business. Moroccan Mint Tea is a refreshing combination of gunpowder green tea with mint. Serve it hot or over ice, or mixed with a little lemonade.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! I was happy to find a Moroccan Mint in this Advent Calendar box, and even happier to see that it was a Moroccan Mint with a gunpowder green tea base. Yeah, I’ve had Moroccan Mint teas with other tea bases: black teas, other green teas, and I’ve even had at least one Moroccan Mint that was just mint. No Camellia Sinensis. Still tasty, yes. But, it didn’t need the fancy “Moroccan Mint” title. It could have just had the “mint” because that was what it was.
But this one tastes like the Moroccan Mint teas that I originally fell in love with – a refreshing burst of mint with the complex flavors of a Chinese gunpowder green tea. These two elements seem so well suited for one another.
To brew this sample pouch, I again reached for my Kati tumbler and poured the contents of the pouch directly into the basket. Then I added 12 ounces of hot water (I heated it to 175°F) and let it steep for 2 minutes.
The gunpowder is sweet, earthy and just a wee bit vegetal. I find those vegetal tones to be very complementary with the herbaceous quality of the mint. There is a hint of smoky quality to the gunpowder – a distant smoky note – a compelling contrast to the fresh notes of the mint.
The mint isn’t overdone in this blend. This doesn’t taste overly minty. It’s not mouthwash-y. It adds a delightful fresh note without overpowering the palate with minty vibes. It’s a touch of crispness to the earthy gunpowder green tea.
This tea resteeps well. The flavors taste a little more unified when resteeped and I like that seamless taste. A very enjoyable cup!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 6 from Teanzo 1856
We are on Day six of this Holiday Countdown! With each day that passes, I get to sample a different tea – I hope you’re also enjoying a cup of awesomeness too!
For today’s holiday “inspiration”, I chose an ornament I made a few years ago for a 12 Days of Christmas Swap. I had a huge stash of these oval “paperboard” coasters (I still have a bunch of them somewhere) that I had bought to practice making Zentangles on and one day, I sat there and feeling uninspired by Zentangles but very inspired by paisleys (I love paisley), I decided to start decoupaging on the coasters instead. I first put down a layer of sheet music, (I may have layered it with newspaper too), and then I put a colorful paisley design napkin over that and after the glue was dry, I started painting in the paisley design with shimmering paint. I added a few rhinestones on it and then I put eyelets on the top and bottom and added the hanging ribbon and the fringe (which I made too). It was a fun project.
I think that going back through these pieces is starting to dust off the creativity again. (I hope!) In the meantime, let me tell you about the tea that Teanzo sent me for the sixth day in this Advent Calendar!
Darjeeling
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
With its muscatel finish, Darjeeling Tea is a pleasure to sip and savor. Grown in the picturesque tea gardens of the Himalayan Mountains, Darjeeling tea, also known as the “champagne” of teas is a highly sought after treasure from India. Darjeeling tea matures slowly at high altitude, producing the fine Darjeeling muscatel flavor exclusively found in this region.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely tea to be sipping on this afternoon! I was very happy to see that Darjeeling was the tea for today!
This Darjeeling has a very pleasant and crisp flavor. It’s sweet and fruity. Muscatel! I taste that grape-y, wine-like note that starts off tasting a bit like black currant and then morphs into a stronger grape note. The finish is sweet and dry, but it’s not overly dry. It’s more like the light, dry sensation you might experience if you were drinking wine.
As I continue to sip, I pick up on notes of flower. Subtle and sweet, it is a different sweetness that I taste from the fruit notes and I like the dimension that these floral notes bring to the cup.
I also find that as I continue to sip, the body of this tea changes somewhat. It started out rather light, but as the tea cools – or as I sip? – not sure which! But as I continue my journey with this tea, I find that the body seems to develop somewhat and there is a more substantial texture to the tea now than when I first started sipping it.
What that suggests to me is that this tea would make a stunning iced tea. I don’t generally recommend a Darjeeling tea as an iced tea because I feel like most Darjeeling teas tend to lose *something* as the tea cools. The flavor is just not as spectacular when the tea is cold versus hot when it comes to Darjeeling teas. Most Darjeeling teas, that is! This one, however, this I would be happy to drink either hot or iced and I’m intrigued that the tea becomes something different as it becomes cool.
A lovely Darjeeling – I would recommend this one highly to those who are new to Darjeeling. It makes a nice starter Darjeeling because it’s nearly as astringent as some Darjeeling teas can be. I’d also recommend this to Darjeeling enthusiasts who are looking for the ideal iced Darjeeling!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 5 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 5 of this countdown! That means that there are 20 days until that big day … and only 19 shopping days left! I really can’t believe that it’s already that time of year again. The time flies by quickly.
Today, I’m going to feature some artwork by one of the artists in one of the mail art groups I was active in a few years ago. This is another gift from a 12 Days of Christmas swap and it was crafted by Elaine Akers. It’s a fabric ornament that I display proudly on my tree every year.
Really cute, right?
Going through these old memories of the artwork that I’ve given and received for the 12 Days of Christmas mail art swap makes me want to get back into doing that again. Yes, I’m starting to feel a little inspired!
Maybe after the new year, I’ll be able to get myself back into the swing of creating. I hope so!
Today’s blend is one that will inspire some relaxation!
Herbal Spa Blend
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Chamomile, Hibiscus and Lemongrass.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Sigh! Things were going so well with this calendar, and then … hibiscus. Ugh.
But, I’ll try to keep an open mind and try it. Hey, I might even like it, as I have found many blends with hibiscus in them that I’ve at least appreciated.
To brew this, I poured the contents of the sampler pouch in the basket of my Kati Tumbler. I noticed that there was quite a bit of hibiscus in the blend when I poured it into the basket, so I kept that in mind when I set the timer, and after pouring 12 ounces of hot water (195°F) into the tumbler, I set my trusty timer for 5 minutes and let it steep.
After tasting, I think that this blend could have done well with even a little less time. Maybe 4 minutes. That seems almost not enough time for a tisane to develop flavor, but the hibiscus is really prominent in this. Fortunately, at five minutes, I don’t get a heavy, syrupy texture which is the thing I like least about hibiscus. It is tart, though!
The tart hibiscus almost overwhelms everything else in this blend. The lemongrass is a little more discernible than the chamomile. The chamomile almost is lost in this. I can taste barely there, subtle hints of apple and honey-like notes from the chamomile, but these notes almost seem to be hiding behind the strong, berry-like tartness of the hibiscus.
The lemongrass is probably my favorite thing about this blend. It adds a soft citrus-y note that is a little sweet and buttery, so it helps to soften the hibiscus a little.
On the plus side: this tea tastes better iced. After finishing half the cup, I decided to try it iced, so I refrigerated it for a short while and I like this much better cold. It still has that strong, berry like taste from the hibiscus, but this profile seems to benefit from the chill.
I also think that this would be really good if you were to add some mulling spices to it while steeping. (Or perhaps, bring the water and mulling spices to a boil, let them steep for a few minutes while the liquid is cooling to the right temperature – 195°F – and then add the tisane to the steeping liquid and steep for another 4 – 5 minutes and strain off the spices and tisane. That would have a mulled wine sort of flavor but without the alcohol. A nice alternative from the usual holiday drink.