By Golly, Ollie!

  • Five November Favorites

    Five November Favorites

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    Did November actually happen? I’m not entirely convinced it did. But, that sort of happens at the end of the year, doesn’t it? February drags on for 100 weeks, but October, November, and December slip by as we scramble to welcome the holidays. I actually struggled to come up with this month’s list of five favorites. That’s not to say November was a crummy month; I just can’t seem to recall much happening! After digging around in my memories, I came up with these Five November Favorites.

    Finally Breaking the Cycle of Sickness

    This is Oliver’s first year out in the world. We have been relatively isolated up until now, so as a result, Oliver’s immune system is getting a crash course in viruses. He’s been stuck at home at least one day a week since mid-September, but he finally went back to school for a FULL week at the end of November (just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday, haha). Hopefully, he’s back to school full-time going forward though. Aside from giving me time to focus on work, he really seems to flourish in the environment. His teachers describe him as sociable, and they always talk about how much everyone in the class loves him.

    Oliver’s Artwork

    Another perk of Oliver attending JR Preschool is all of the art projects he gets to work on and bring home. The latest additions to our fridge include these jive turkeys! I’ve been thinking of getting a scrapbook so I can collect his artwork in a safe space.

    Thanksgiving

    I like to joke that my favorite hobby is feasting, which is why I love Thanksgiving so much. This holiday looked very different though. Normally, we drive down to Ohio to have dinner with my family; this year, we stayed home, and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. It was a small feast, but I think I managed to include all of our favorite side dishes. Alongside turkey, we enjoyed green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Oliver wouldn’t touch a morsel of it. Instead, he ate Cheerios, a handful of cashews, and two spoonfuls of peanut butter.

    The surprise Christmas card and sample of Issaku sencha from Japanese Green Tea Co.

    I’ve been craving Sencha lately (which is a feeling that’s deserving of its own post), so I was delighted to discover an unexpected Christmas card sent from Japanese Green Tea Co.! I’ve never received a Christmas card from a tea company before, so receiving this brought me joy and made me feel extra special. Included in the Christmas card was a sample of the Issaku Sencha, which is the highest grade of Sencha produced by the Arahatean Tea Farm.

    Infusion one of the Issaku Sencha was thick and offered aromas of steamed, buttered veggies and luscious umami, and infusion two offered bright notes of sweet, springtime grass. This one took the chill out of a cold November morning.

    Geeksteep Podcast

    If you’re new to my blog or YouTube channel, let me tell you now that I am a capital-G-Geek. So when Geeksteep, a podcast pairing tea with fandoms, launched earlier this year, I knew I was going to be obsessed. I love Kelly and Marika’s passion for Geekdom as well as their critiques and social commentary on the films and comics they explore. I also just really, really want to be their BFFs. Make sure you’re following their Instagram, blog, and Twitter. And of course, subscribe to their podcast on Apple Podcasts (or Google Podcasts or Spotify).

    Honorable mentions:

    Transitioning Oliver to his big boy bed | Nestle’s Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | The first, real snow of the season | the Harmutty Estate Assam from Chado Tea | Dian Hong, always.

  • This is Not a Glamorous Post About Tea or Motherhood

    This is Not a Glamorous Post About Tea or Motherhood

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    I may have romanticized my gongfucha sessions– written about how it’s a meditative practice that lets me decompress while exploring tea more intimately. And some days, my gongfucha sessions are exactly that. But, most days it is just a tea brewing method no different than brewing tea western-style with a cup infuser. Most days, it just keeps my hands busy and my mind focused on work when I would rather be lounging on the couch, playing video games. Some days, it is a fleeting refuge between my toddler’s tantrums. On days like that, I like to steep familiar teas, like the Yunnan Golden Buds (Dian Hong) from California Tea House, which was most recently sipped while hiding beside the refrigerator and out of my toddler’s line of vision. (Surely I’m not the only mother that does this? On second thought…don’t answer that).

    The Yunnan Golden Buds appears to be fuller, uniform wiry leaves with a fairly even ratio of dark brown leaves to downy, golden buds. The dry tea smells malty, and after being tossed in a warm gaiwan, sweet molasses and cocoa scents surface. After an initial 10 second steep, the tea produces a rich, brown liquor that offers malt and cocoa aromas. There is a mild, drying sensation on my tongue, but no bitterness.

    Around the corner, I hear Oliver throw the TV remote over the baby gate, and after it clatters across the kitchen floor, he emits a guttural sound and shouts, “MOTE! MIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!” We have entered the “MINE” phase of toddlerhood, and no amount of parenting books and blogs could really prepare me for it. I immediately prepare a second infusion as Oliver yanks at the baby gate, threatening to tear it down.

    Infusion two moves away from malt and instead offers sweet potato aromas alongside savory cocoa, but my sip is interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening and the sink faucet turning on. I nearly tear down the baby gate myself trying to get to Oliver, who is standing on the toilet and splashing in sink water. This used to be a fun activity for us, but during a brief moment of having my back turned, Oliver clogged the sink with an entire roll of toilet paper. In 2020– the year of toilet paper shortages nationwide! I’m still recovering from that trauma, but dragging a soggy Oliver out of the bathroom isn’t any better. As we start to cross the threshold into the hallway, Oliver lets his body go limp and screams a thousand screams (approximately).

    Infusion three through six are a blur of sips stolen from beside the fridge in between attempts to build a Lego tower and consoling an inconsolable toddler. The Yunnan Golden Buds isn’t an overly complex tea, but delicious all the same. It is forgiving during distracted moments and delivers a consistent cup of cocoa, malt, and sweet potato. It’s the flavor profile I found myself reaching for the most when I needed comfort this year– when the world began shutting down, when the months blurred together into some appointment of time never experienced before, when all I wanted were sunny days but was delivered rain instead, and now during moments of toddler-infused chaos.

    This story does have a happy ending, but not before getting slapped across the face by a flailing two-year-old and shedding tears myself. I stood there, embracing Oliver and swaying with him, which was as much a coping method for myself as it was to soothe him. Within five minutes, he had succumbed to sleep, the very thing he had been fighting. I shuffled him to the bed and tried to return to my cup of tea, but I found my arm trapped beneath his tiny body. So, there I laid for the next hour and a half, lest I risk waking a sleeping bear.

    Luckily, I have just enough of the Golden Yunnan Bud for another gongfucha session, but I think this time I will sip it in a moment of peace and not just to find a moment of peace.

    Thirsty? Why not try Yunnan Golden Buds (Dian Hong) from California Tea House!

    Do you have a favorite tea to sip when you’re searching for a moment of peace? If not, what do you like to do to decompress? Let me know in the comments!

    Already tried the Yunnan Golden Buds from California Tea House? Check out of some of these tasTEA recommendations:

    Disclosure: the Yunnan Golden Buds was provided to me free for PR purposes. My thoughts and opinion of this tea are ever my own.

  • Finding Elegance in a Cup of Assam

    Finding Elegance in a Cup of Assam

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    Assam tea is a staple in my stash. No specific vendor, no specific estate— just something labeled “Assam” that produces a consistent, stick-to-your-ribs malty tea, which I dress up with milk and sugar. It’s never been anything special, but it always offers a certain kind of comfort— especially on cold winter mornings. Enter the Harmutty Estate Assam STGFOP (which is just a fancy way of saying “the good stuff”) from Chado Tea. It has challenged every experience I’ve had with Assam tea.

    The Harmutty Estate Assam appears to be small, uniform leaves, that are fine, curly, and charcoal-brown colored. I also noticed plenty of downy, golden buds scattered throughout the bag. The dry tea smells sweet and malty— just what I would expect from an Assam— and, after tossing the leaves in a warm vessel, I notice the smell of raisins, too.

    But, this is where my experience deviates from all of the Assam teas I have tasted. On a whim I decided not to add milk and sugar like usual. (Really, I should be waiting to dress up tea until after tasting them plain anyway, but old habits and whatnot.) Instead of a malty and fairly astringent cup of tea demanding to be tamed with milk, the Harmutty Estate Assam was smooth and malty with aromas of dates and raisins. It was rich and full-bodied, and while it could certainly stand up to milk and sugar, I was perfectly content to sip without any additions to the cup.

    I re-steeped the leaves a second time, and I found the tea still flavorful. It was malty, for sure, but any fruit aromas dissipated into something floral (but fleeting).

    I always considered Assam tea to be the “meat and potatoes” of the tea world— hearty but nothing fancy, yet always suitable for delivering warmth and caffeine in the morning. But, the Harmutty Estate Assam is something more. Its sweet, fruity aromas made it feel elegant, like something I might serve at Afternoon Tea.

    For all of the Assam junkies out there— which Assam teas are your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

    Already tried the Harmutty Assam from Chado Tea Room? Why not check out these tasTEA recommendations:

    Disclosure: the Harmutty Estate Assam was provided to me free for PR purposes. My thoughts and opinion of this tea are ever my own.

  • Five Earl Grey Teas to Keep You Cozy

    Five Earl Grey Teas to Keep You Cozy

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    When I first started my tea journey a decade ago, I was most excited about tasting Earl Grey. I thought this simple blend of black tea and bergamot oil was the kind of thing tea connoisseurs and true tea heads sipped. I was ecstatic when I found a box of Twinings at a World Market! I thought I had found loot, though I would soon discover Twinings lined the tea aisle in every grocery store. My initial perception of Earl Grey is laughable now, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart and room in my tea cabinet for this blend. I find a special sort of comfort in the tea, especially as the temperatures start to drop, so here are five Earl Grey blends I’m keeping cozy with this Autumn.

    Lavender Earl Grey from Seafoam Lavender

    Lavender Earl Grey from Soafoam Lavender is a blend of black tea, lavender buds, and bergamot oil and extract

    I love a lavender-scented Earl Grey. (Especially when they are sent from the very best, far away tea friends– thanks Jann!) This soothing, floral blend always makes me feel a little more proper when I sip it, and I like to pretend I’m sitting in a little English garden instead of my cluttered kitchen in Michigan. This blend from Seafoam Lavender is especially nice because, while flowers can be a tricky and over-powering ingredient to work with, Seafoam Lavender found a perfect balance, and neither the bergamot nor the lavender compete with each other. This is a blend I like to sip on the greyest of days to remind me Spring will come again.

    Vanilla Creme Earl Grey

    Vanilla Creme Earl Grey from California Tea House is a blend of Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri tea, bergamot oil, vanilla bean, and cornflower petals.

    A vanilla flavored Earl Grey, like a lavender Earl Grey, frequents my stash. The warmth of the vanilla is a perfect contrast to the bright and citrusy bergamot. Most Vanilla Earl Greys that come into my collection are blended with vanilla flavoring, but this blend from California Tea House has actual vanilla beans in it. This one is perfect to warm up with after coming out of the cold, and is it just me? Or does this one taste slightly boozy but in the best way, too?

    Winter Earl Grey from DAVIDsTEA*

    Winter Earl Grey from DAVIDsTEA is a blend of black tea, pink peppercorn, white tea, natural vanilla flavoring, natural creme flavoring, blue cornflowers, bergamot oil, and natural orange flavoring.

    This seasonal blend from DAVIDsTEA is similar to the Vanilla Creme Earl Grey, but the creme factor is dialed way, way up. This blend also includes orange flavoring alongside the usual bergamot oil, which add an extra layer of soft and sweet citrus. Oh, and did I mention there are also pink peppercorns in the Winter Earl Grey? They add an interesting peppery element, which makes this blend one of the more unique Earl Greys I have tried. I find myself reaching for this one the most, right now.

    *At the time of writing this post, the Winter Earl Grey is not available on the DAVIDsTEA website. I happened to snag a bag early because I am a Frequent Steeper. Keep your eye out for this one though. It’s worth tasting!

    Earl Grey Bella Luna from Adagio Teas

    Earl Grey Bella Luna from Adagio Teas is a blend of Black Tea, coconut, blue cornflowers, natural coconut flavoring, natural bergamot flavoring, and natural creme flavoring

    This is one of those blends I forget about because it only fits in the back of my tea cupboard (out of sight, out of mind). But, anytime someone mentions it, I’m crawling on countertops and dismantling perfectly stacked tins of fandom teas to reach for it. The Bella Luna Earl Grey is a brisk but indulgent coconut creme-flavored Earl Grey, and it is only available during the full moon.

    Winter White Earl Grey from Harney & Sons

    Winter White Earl Grey from Harney & Sons is a blend of white tea, bergamot oil, and natural flavoring

    Sometimes a girl just wants to sip her Earl Grey in the afternoon but also still wants to fall asleep at a reasonable hour and not three o’clock in the morning. For that, Harney & Sons offers an Earl Grey that is blended with white tea instead of black tea. It’s a little softer and a little sweeter, but it still hits the spot when I’m craving that pop of bergamot.

    If you follow me on any of my other channels, you may be surprised to find this white tea blend on my list. I am too! But, I love the soft citrus flavor of the bergamot oil, and it pairs well with the subtle floral and sweet grass aromas of the white tea. Like the Lavender Earl Grey, the Winter White Earl Grey makes me feel a little more proper. Like, I’d like to sip it while reading Pride and Prejudice along an idyllic riverbank in the English countryside.

    Are you a fan of Earl Grey too? Tell me about your favorite Earl Grey blends in the comments!

  • Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDSTEA

    Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDSTEA

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    Following my Celebration of Autumn with DAVIDsTEA YouTube series, I couldn’t resist placing another order with the company to buy more of their Pumpkin Chai and Salted Caramel Oolong. Then, I found myself tempted by several new and re-released chai blends because who doesn’t like warming up with a spicy chai latte when the temperatures start to drop? Butterscotch Chai. Baked Apple Chai. Maple Chai. Cinnamon Bun Chai. How is a lady to choose?

    The answer: She doesn’t. She lets her husband choose, and when he selects Butterscotch Chai, she’s quietly disappointed he didn’t choose Cinnamon Bun Chai.

    I can see small pieces of amber-colored rooibos mixed with large chunks of tropical fruits, whole green cardamom pods, sugar crystals that look like gems, and small flakes of blackberry leaves and ginger root. The blend is a feast for the eyes, as DAVIDsTEA blends usually are. The scent of the dry tea is buttery and sugary sweet cardamom, but I don’t think it smells much like butterscotch. Once steeped, the blend produces an orange-colored liquor that reminds me of butterscotch pudding and smells like sweet cardamom and spiced wood.

    Tasting Notes

    There are elements of this blend that I really appreciate. First, I love the spiciness of the Butterscotch Chai. The inclusion of black pepper adds a satisfying heat factor to this tea that has me going back for more sips. Also, DAVIDsTEA delivers on the “butter” aspect of butterscotch in a way other brands have not achieved. Seriously, I am in love with their natural butter flavoring. It’s subtle. You may even almost miss it. But there it is, right at the end of a sip– a slab of unsalted, melty butter coating the tongue. I noticed the same flavor and sensation in their Maple Syrup Oolong, a blend inspired by maple syrup drenched buckwheat pancakes, and I think it is spectacular attention to detail.

    But then, the blend starts to fall apart for me…And, okay…I’m not going to lie. A major factor in this is because what I was really searching for was a tea that tasted like liquid Werther’s Original, but I’ve jut found out those are caramel-flavored and not butterscotch-flavored. My whole life is a lie. Instead, the blend is buttery sweet with a subtle bitterness and flavor that I associate with molasses followed by a hint of cardamom.

    And while on the subject of sweetness, between the sugar, the fruit pieces, the sweet blackberry leaves, and the stevia extract, Butterscotch Chai was too sweet for my personal tastes. I think to get the full Butterscotch Chai experience, you need to drink it sweetened. However, I think the degree of sweetness is such a personal preference, so I would have much preferred to add my own sweetener. I also don’t love the flavor of stevia. I don’t always notice it imparting flavor in a DAVIDsTEA blend– the Vanilla Cappuccino blend comes to mind. But, I did notice it in the Butterscotch Chai.

    Interestingly, turning the Butterscotch Chai into a latte (or just adding a spot of milk), which is how I usually sip my spiced chai, doesn’t work for me either. It cuts down on the sweetness, which I appreciate, but it also mutes the flavor in general. The spice is still there, but the buttery flavor that makes this blend unique is missing.

    Overall, Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDsTEA is a miss for me, but it reminds me of those awkward breakups that start with, “it’s not you…it’s me…”. (Has anyone outside the movies actually ever heard that line?) I went into this experience looking for a certain flavor profile, and the Butterscotch Chai wasn’t it. The cloying sweetness and flavor of Stevia didn’t help either. This blend actually tastes quite similar to another one of DAVIDsTEA’s sugared and spiced rooibos blends– Monster Mash– so, if you’re already a fan of that blend, Butterscotch Chai might tickle your tastebuds.

    Oh, and what did my husband think of this blend? He genuinely liked it! But, when I told him Werther’s Original was caramel and not butterscotch, he said he needed to start his life over.

    What spiced chai blends have you been keeping warm with this Autumn? Let me know in the comments!

    Already chaied tried Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDsTEA? Why not try some of these tasTEA blends?

About the Blogger

My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.