By Golly, Ollie!

Tasty Teas

Tea Review: Rooibos Pecan Turtle from Adagio Teas (plus 4 tasTEA recommendations!)
I haven’t always appreciated rooibos tea. I’ve struggled to put into words exactly what I sense when I sip this type of tea, and the best I’ve been able to come up with to describe my experience is something between imitation vanilla extract and tobacco– not always the most appealing of flavors. However, Adagio Teas has changed my mind about Rooibos teas, and lately I have not been able to drink enough of it! Their Rooibos Pecan Turtle is quickly becoming a new favorite, just like their Vanilla Rooibos.

Adagio’s Rooibos Pecan Turtle is a blend of rooibos tea, apple pieces, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips, chicory, golden pecan flavor, natural caramel flavor, natural chocolate flavor, and marigold flowers. A bit of sugar, turns this caffeine-free tea into a perfect after dinner dessert.

Have you tried the Rooibos Pecan Turtle from Adagio Teas? What did you think of it? If you’re looking for more dessert teas, check out these tasTEA recommendations:
Tasty Teas

Taste Test: Cacao Husk Tea

Back in December, Tea in Spoons hosted a Tea Sparrow teas giveaway, which I won (yay!) So first, thank you for the opportunity.

Second, if you haven’t heard of Tea Sparrow, please go check them out! Tea Sparrow is a tea subscription service, and for $20 a month, subscribers receive 4 loose leaf teas to explore– one black tea, one green tea, one Rooibos tea, and one herbal tea.

The first tea I tried from Tea Sparrow was the Nut Crunch Rooibos, and it was especially dreamy as a latte. But, the tea I was most curious about was the Cacao Husk Tea!

Cacao Husk Tea is…well, pretty self-explanatory. It’s tea made from the shells of the cocoa bean that would have otherwise been discarded. The Cacao Husk boasts an antioxidant and vitamin-rich, mood-boosting, caffeine free cuppa while tasting like a mug of hot chocolate.

So does Cacao Husk Tea live up to its reputation? According to my tastebuds…not so much*. Check out the YouTube video at the top of this post for more thoughts on this unique tea. Have you ever tried Cacao Husk Tea before? What did you think of it? I still have some Cacao Husk Tea left, so if you have any pointers on how to brew it, I would love to hear them!

* I feel the need to offer a disclaimer here: my feelings on Cacao Tea are not a reflection of Tea Sparrow or the product they deliver. This one just comes down to preference. Some people prefer black teas, some people prefer green teas. I prefer tea that is not the Cacao Husk!
Tasty Teas

Berry Creme Compote Iced Tea
Today, I’m sipping Berry Creme Compote from Adagio, and it’s one of those teas that makes me think it’s a lot warmer than it really is. Which is why it’s only 39 degrees outside, but I have the back door open to let in that cool Springtime breeze. Did I say “cool”? I suppose I really meant to say “chilly”.

Look at this tea though. It’s practically a fruit salad! Berry Creme Compote is a blend of rose hips, hibiscus, apple pieces, blue cornflowers, natural creme flavor, raspberries, natural blueberry flavor, natural strawberry flavor, raspberry leaves, strawberries, blueberries, and natural black berry flavor

The first time I had this tea was while I was on maternity leave back in October. I had it hot, and slightly sweetened, and I thought it was tasty then. But, this tea really shines when it is iced; it becomes a refreshing treat for a warm, Spring day.

I steeped about 2.5 heaping spoonfuls of leaves per 8 oz of water, and I let it steep for easily an hour to get a really concentrated liquor since pouring it over ice would water it down a little bit. Aside from the beautiful and bold red liquor, Berry Creme Compote is a blend of tart berries and cream. I sweetened my iced Berry Creme Compote with a drizzle of maple syrup too, which helped draw out the creme flavor even more. (I find this tea is a little too tart for my tastebuds without sweetener).

This herbal tea is a refreshing treat for a warm spring and summer day that had me longing for warmer weather.

This tea, along with Adagio’s Lemon Meringue Green tea, is one of their seasonal teas available only for a short time during Spring, so make sure you snag some bags of this tea before it goes back to hibernate!

Looking for more fruity teas to sip this Spring? Check out these blends:
- Lemon Soleil Tea from Adagio Tea
- White Eternal Spring Tea from Adagio Tea
Tasty Teas

Tea Vlog: What I Drink in a Day

We ran out of Bubly (which is just flavored seltzer water, like La Croix, but I feel less like a hipster drinking it), which means in attempt to avoid drinking plain water, I decided to drink a cup or two more tea than I usually do.

Teas tasted in this vlog:

Twinings Earl Grey – I might write a lot about loose leaf teas, but most mornings, I tuck in to a cup of Twinings Earl Grey tea. It’s a quick, easy, and consistent cup of caffeine to get me going in the morning. Plus, it’s inexpensive and I can pick it up at my grocery store whenever I’m running low

Mint Verbena from Harney and Sons – This tea is a blend of mint and lemon verbena. I personally did not pick up the lemony aroma from the verbena, but the mint was bold and refreshing. It was a great caffeine-free tea to drink to improve alertness.

Rooibos Mango from Adagio – This tea is a blend of rooibos tea, natural mango flavor, apple pieces, mango pieces, and marigold flowers. This particular rooibos blend from Adagio did not work for me, and I was unable to pick up the mango notes. That’s not to say this tea is bad, but there are just other rooibos blends by Adagio that I’m over the moon about.

Caribbean Crush from DavidsTea – This tea is a blend of apple, pineapple, papaya, hibiscus, cranberry, and artificial flavoring. I cold brewed this tea, and even though my sample size was not the ideal amount of tea for a cold brew, I still thought this fruit, herbal blend tasted amazing. When I’m finally done with my tea buying ban, I definitely want to get more of the Caribbean Crush.

Just Chamomile from T2 – This chamomile night-cap was absolutely dreamy. The flavor was very honey-like, and overall it was a very soothing tea for the evening.

What teas do you drink in a day?
Tasty Teas

The First Day of Spring with Chunmee Green Tea
How appropriate that I should upload a video and publish a blog post about a delicious tea that resonates Springtime on the first day of Spring? I didn’t even plan this. I don’t even think I’m that clever anymore. Of course, it’s only March, which means Michiganders are still weeks away from consistently pleasant weather and pink and white blossoms budding on trees, but at least the sun has started to poke through Winter’s cloudy days. That’s a start. In the meantime, there is Made of Tea’s Chunmee Green Tea to sip on while we wait. It has an aroma that reminds me of freshly cut hay, which makes me antsy for warmer weather so I can spend some time outdoors.

I don’t think I’ve looked forward to Springtime so fiercely before. Between working from home and having a little guy all cooped up indoors, I can’t wait for weather warm enough for strolls at the park. Here are 6 other things I want to do this Spring:
1. Re-do the kitchen; liven it up with fresh paint, replace light fixtures, buy a kitchen table finally…
2. Try my hand at growing a little tea garden in my backyard, again
3. Learn how to mow the lawn so Jon and I don’t battle over the yard anymore
4. Clean up and re-mulch the flower beds in the front yard, so our house has a little more curb appeal
5. Get back in to shape. I’m basically a loaf of Brioche at this point
6. Giving my home the Marie Kondo treatment. Seriously, when did I accumulate so much stuff?
What is springtime like in your neck of the woods, and what are you looking forward to doing?

Looking for more teas to sip this Springtime? Check out these: