By Golly, Ollie!

  • Armchair Travel And Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas

    Armchair Travel And Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas

    No comments on Armchair Travel And Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas

    Love it or hate it, 2020 has been a year of armchair travel. When everyone was stuck at home due to shelter-in-place orders, many turned to sharing old vacation photos as a way to feel a little less cooped up. I have managed to avoid that trend until now, thanks to the Rooibos Cinnamon Apple blend from Adagio Teas, which transports me to an afternoon spent picking apples in Ohio.

    The Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas is a blend of red rooibos, apple pieces, cinnamon, natural apple flavor, and natural cinnamon flavor.

    The dry leaf consists of small chips of rust-colored Rooibos accented with dried apple and cinnamon pieces, and it smells woody and sweet with a subtle apple scent. Once steeped, the blend produces a vibrant red-orange colored liquor, which smells inviting– juicy apples warmed up by subtle cinnamon.

    The tea tastes like fresh, juicy apples and newly cut wood. The spice of the cinnamon is not as pronounced as I would have preferred but instead offers a subtle, earthy aroma. I also notice that the Rooibos used in Adagio’s blends has a sort of boozy quality about it, which whether intentional or not, makes this blend taste a bit like hard cider.

    Whenever I sip the Rooibos Cinnamon Apple, I am instantly transported to the Lynd Apple Orchard in Pataskala, Ohio. During our visit last year, we meandered among rows of trees and picked Fuji apples in late Autumn sunshine, which always seems to glow a bit more golden this time of the year. Ollie had just learned to walk that week, but he preferred to sit contently in the grass snacking on fresh apples the size of his face.

    Have you indulged in a little armchair traveling this year? Let me know where you explored in the comments!

    Already tried Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas? Why not try one of these tasTEA blends?

  • Five July Favorites

    Five July Favorites

    No comments on Five July Favorites

    I feel like the month of July flew by faster than any other month so far. But, that’s sort of how it happens, right? As the end of the year approaches, days and weeks and months just sort of slip by faster and faster and before I know it, I’m sitting down in front of the computer and typing obligatory year-end blog posts. It doesn’t help that I’m struggling with being present and living with intention. Everything just sort of feels like auto-pilot right now, and I don’t know how to turn it off. So, as usual, I am taking a moment at the end of the month to reflect on all of the great things that happened because sometimes I just need a little reminder. Here are my five July favorites:

    Oliver’s New Toys

    “New toys” also happened to be one of my May favorites because let’s be real– they are just as much for me as they are for my toddler. I can only play with pipe cleaners so many times before I need to hide them in the back of the closet so Oliver can’t find them. Our new batch of toys include jigsaw puzzles, counting bears, color-sorting activities, and a 500-count sticker book. And, you know– “500 stickers” sounds like a lot, but in the hands of a toddler, it’s really not. Despite all of the new toys, coloring remains Oliver’s passion.

    Speech Therapy

    During Oliver’s 18-month wellness visit, we were referred to a speech therapist because Oliver only had three words, and he was very reluctant to use any of them except “no”. At first, it was one of those moments when I felt like I was failing my son, but following a particularly vulnerable Instagram post a few weeks ago, I learned that speech delays are actually really common. I was astounded by the amount of tea friends who reached out to me and let me know their kiddos went through speech therapy too, and it made me feel less alone.

    As for the actual speech therapy, Oliver kind of loves it because he gets to play with someone who isn’t me for 45 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, he felt frustrated at first because he’s never had to use his voice to get something before, but after 6 or 7 appointments, he’s experimenting with a bunch of new sounds, and he has even added three new words to his vocabulary– “nana” (banana), “yeah”, and “cee-cees” (Reese’s…peanut butter cups). His voice is so gosh darn adorable!

    ALL OF THE TEA

    It’s my birthday month, and I may have gone a little overboard in purchasing tea. Highlights include the Idris Hot Chocolate Chai from Calabash Tea, Sleigh Ride from DAVIDsTEA, the Chocolate Spice and my new latte kit from Just Be Tea Co., and of course, the Birthday Tea from Adagio Teas. Seriously though, the Idris Hot Chocolate Chai and the Chocolate Spice are deserving of their own post or their own TeaTube video, so watch out for those as the weather starts to cool and Chai season settles in.

    The Crime Junkie Podcast

    My dad introduced me to the Crime Junkie podcast during my recent visit to Ohio. He mentioned that two of the episodes were about a serial killer that prowled the streets during the 1980s…about an hour from where he used to live. After listening to those two episodes, I was hooked, so I have been binge-listening the podcast. Unfortunately, the only time I get to myself these days is after everyone has gone to bed, which means I’m listening to true crime podcasts until one in the morning. The episode about the Monster of Miramichi was especially horrifying, and every creak and cat-paw shuffle sent electric jolts of panic shooting through my body.

    Making Time to Write Again

    I noticed the dust settled on my blog again, but that’s my usual M.O. I contemplated abandoning BGO! because I wanted to invest my limited me-time on my TeaTube channel, but…I just can’t seem to let go of this space. It’s been my writing outlet for far too long; even just thinking about abandoning this blog for good made my world feel out of balance. So instead, I’ve turned myself into a night owl again just so I could write! (and/or create, in general) The only downside in every creak and cat-paw shuffle sends electric jolts of panic shooting through my body even when I am not listening to the Crime Junkie podcast.

    Honorable Mentions

    My birthday • Dropping Oliver off with family, so Jon and I could go on an almost-proper date (we ordered takeout and then ate in the middle of an abandoned parking lot because I’m not about to mess with the Rona) • Sharing tea with family • Sipping Hou Kui for the first time • Tea lattes • Park days • Sipping Laoshan Green Tea for the first time • The handwritten note from Just Be Tea Co. thanking me for being part of their community and wishing me a happy birthday • The unexpected (free) 1 oz. bag of Chocolate Spice from Just Be Tea Co. because it was my birthday • The best chicken soup I’ve ever eaten • Finally finishing Beowulf

  • Oh My Darjeeling

    Oh My Darjeeling

    1 comment on Oh My Darjeeling

    I am unkempt hair and peanut butter jeans. Crayon scribbles on the walls and desk and couch. Teetering piles of work and dishes that still need to be put away. Oversteeped breakfast blends tamed with honey and milk are much better suited for me. But, once in a while, I make time to indulge in a cup of Darjeeling tea– a tea that feels so elegant I pull down the fine china from the cupboards and sip from dainty teacups instead of tea-stained novelty mugs.

    I’ve sipped quite a few Darjeeling teas this year. Its fruit and floral aromas remind me of sunny Spring days, and I think we could all use a few more sunny days in our lives rights now. But, among my favorites is the 2020 Rohini First Flush from Masters Teas (free for review purposes). The leaves of the Rohini First Flush are a beautiful array of colors– dark brown, green, fuzzy silver tips, and sepia– and when gently tossed around in a warm cup, they smell rich, honey sweet and a bit like tart grapes. After the leaves have steeped, they are undoubtedly floral and almost like strawberry jam.

    The first infusion is mellow. It steeps to a pale amber and offers subtle golden raisin and floral aromas, but infusion two is when this tea sings. The color of the tea deepens, and the flavor is punchier. Bold floral notes burst through on this infusion, and as the tea cools, it transforms into sparkling white grapes. The third infusion is once again mellow. Floral notes are still prominent, but it trades refreshing grapes for golden raisins once more. When I sip this tea, I am reminded of sparkling white wine and an unexpected weekend of decadence when Jon and I were upgraded to a luxurious suite at the Great Diamond Island Inn during our trip to Maine. It is a much needed vacation while still being locked away from the world amid a pandemic.

    What do you like to reach for when you need a little escape?

  • Alone Time and Yan Shan Mu Dan

    Alone Time and Yan Shan Mu Dan

    3 comments on Alone Time and Yan Shan Mu Dan

    Alone time is fleeting these days. I have been trying to find the time to write about a tea I tasted last Sunday morning, and I finally found it on a Thursday night after everyone else went to bed. I penned this post by cellphone light– the candlelight of 2020. Oliver snored beside me, raindrops pattered on windows, thunder rumbled across the sky, and lightning flashes brightened a dark room. It was a different atmosphere compared to last Sunday morning.

    Last Sunday, I finally decided to explore a 2015 Yan Shan Mu Dan from Old Ways Tea Co.. It was an aged white tea that came in my Countdown to Summer Box from Tea Thoughts. That morning, I allowed myself some quiet, guilt-free time alone on the back porch while an episode of Sesame Street distracted Oliver. It was barely 7:00 in the morning. The sun rose over dew-covered lawns, and fog hung heavy in the humid air. Or, maybe it was leftover smoke from the fireworks from the night before. The only sounds were birds chirping in the trees surrounding my home, the hum of a neighbor’s air conditioning unit, and the quiet clinks of porcelain as I gently shook tea leaves in a warm gaiwan. The cup of warmed leaves offered a sweet and smoky fragrance, and the lid smelled like overripe fruit. The tea leaves looked like Autumn leaves covering the forest floor– muddy brown, pale yellow, sage, and sometimes when the sun hit the underbelly of the leaf just right, red Georgia clay.

    As I began brewing the first infusion, I wondered why I was even engaging in any sort of pomp and circumstance with this tea. It is rare for me to drink white tea and taste anything other than peppery hot water, so I was surprised when I tasted faint barbecue smoke and something that is sweet, sour, and vegetal all at once– like chewing the ends of tall prairie grass. Infusion number two excited me even more as I noticed a fruit I could not quite name along with sweet and spicy cinnamon. Infusion three was melon rind, but the mouthfeel was thick and luscious like silk scarves. Infusion four was like a mild but smoky Lapsang Souchong. Infusion five is when everything married together into one perfect honeyed-plum and smoky-cinnamon sip, and it hit me like, “Oh! this is why people like white tea”.

    My tasting notes ended there because infusion six triggers a memory of my first apartment with Jon. In that memory, it is Autumn. It is always Autumn at that apartment even though Jon and I lived there for two years. It reminds me of Saturday mornings when Jon would be at work, and I would spend the morning picking out too many books at the library. I knew I would never read them all, but having a stack of new books close by always brought me comfort. Afterward, I would go to the grocery store and pick up soup and a deli sandwich for lunch. Then, I would go home, prepare a cup of tea, light a candle that smelled like caramel apples, and document my library loot because back then, this little space was a book blog called Books & Tea. Jon would meander in a short while later, crack open a Bell’s Two Hearted IPA, and sink into the couch to watch football, while I would cuddle down under blankets to read a cozy mystery novel.

    It was an unexpected memory. I still cannot figure out what fragrance or taste triggered it, but it was welcome nonetheless. And, the Yan Shan Mu Dan from Old Ways Tea gave me yet another positive experience with a white tea. It makes me feel optimistic about future white teas that my come into my collection.

    Have you been able to indulge in some rejuvenating alone time lately? Tell me about it in the comments!

  • I Failed Adagio’s communiTEA

    I Failed Adagio’s communiTEA

    No comments on I Failed Adagio’s communiTEA

    While re-organizing my tea cabinet last week, I discovered a bag of communiTEA teas from Adagio Teas. It was dated the week of March 8th through March 14th, and each single-serving packet within was still sealed shut. I remembered I kept putting it aside with the intent to film YouTube videos or take Instagram glamour shots because if a tea is not showcased across social media, was it even consumed? The goal of the CommuniTEA is to bring people together over the same cup of tea on the same day, and I did not show up. I just never made the time for it.

    I’ve written and talked about how drinking tea is a lesson in being present and in mindfulness. Yet, I never address how it always seems to be at odds against my blogging and vlogging hobby and how both tend to take me out of the moment. I can’t begin to account for the times I’ve spilled tea all over the table because I was more focused on photographing the silhouette of tea pouring from a gaiwan. Or the times I struggled to get through advent calendars or countdown boxes timely because filming and editing videos is really time-consuming.

    And despite my awareness of this problem, instead of taking a few moments just to myself to enjoy a cup of tea…I spent the past two days binge-drinking communiTEA teas, taking pictures, and typing up this blog post. #NOREGRETS

    March 8 – Currant Tea

    I am a sucker for Adagio Teas’s creative blends, like the new Honeybush Blueberry Pancake. Have you seen my video, where I rave about it? But, I am equally in love with their simple, fruit-flavored black tea blends. The Orange Black Tea from Adagio Teas is a favorite of mine, and now the Currant Tea from March 8 was love at first sip, too. Adagio Teas’s Currant Tea is a blend of black tea, natural currant flavor, and raspberry flavor. I can’t recall the flavor of currants, but this blend offers a brisk and slightly malty-sweet black tea base that is complimented by red berry flavor. I’ve never been particularly inspired to make my own tea blends before, but I couldn’t help but wonder how the Currant Tea would taste blended with cream and zesty lemon flavors. I might be exploring Adagio’s Signature Blends soon…

    March 9 – Formosa Oolong

    When I first started sipping the Formosa Oolong, I was fairly indifferent about it. By the end of the cup though, it had me longing for brisk October mornings. This week’s heat-wave also makes me wish October was already here, but I digress. This tea tastes slightly toasty and definitely like crunchy Autumn leaves. The Adagio Teas website mentions there are some fruity notes in this tea, but I didn’t notice them. It’s possible I may have been able to draw them out using a different steeping method.

    March 10 – Serenitea

    The Serenitea blend is a fandom tea blended by Amy Zen. It is inspired by the science fiction series Firefly, and it is a blend of Spearmint, Gunpowder Green Tea, Black Tea, and Hazelnut flavoring. It’s an interesting twist on a Moroccan Mint because of the subtle hazelnuttiness. Also, and I feel like I lose a lot of nerd credit for admitting this, I have never watched Firefly beyond the pilot episode, so I have no idea if this blend captures the essence of the series. (Also, I may have forgotten to take a picture of the tea after I steeped it…)

    March 11 – Speedy Recovery

    I tend to stay away from blends that are for wellness or health purposes because I can’t not imagine the tea tasting medicinal. Even teas like Speedy Recovery, which is a blend of Green Tea, Peppermint Leaves, Ginger, Licorice, Cardamom, Fennel, Marigold Flowers, Black Peppercorn & Cloves starts to sound unappealing even though I appreciate all the ingredients except licorice. The flavor of green tea takes a backseat allowing the peppermint, ginger, and fennel shine in this blend. While it has challenged my perception of wellness teas, I still won’t reach for this one during the winter months. I take advantage of my stuffed up nose to power through all the teas I’m avoiding drinking!

    March 12 – Apricot Green

    Apricot Green from Adagio Teas is a blend of Green Tea, Apple Pieces, Natural Apricot Flavor, Apricots & Marigold Flowers, and I suppose of all the days during my communiTEA week, this was the tea I looked forward to the least. I’m not in love with flavored green teas, and I am not in love with Adagio’s peach or apricot flavoring. Yet, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the Apricot Green. I opted to sweeten this tea with sugar and serve it over ice, which helped to tone down the vegetal and steamed vegetable quality of the green tea used in this blend and allowed for the juicy apricot flavor to pop. This turned in to the kind of tea I could drink buckets of on a hot, summer day.

    March 13 – White Strawberry

    I may have also grumbled when I saw the packet of flavored white tea in my communiTEA week because white teas and I don’t get along. But you know what? I kind of fell in love with the blend from March 13. Within the packet was White Strawberry, which is a blend of White Tea, Rooibos Tea, Apple Pieces, Blueberries, Hibiscus, Natural Strawberry Flavor, Strawberries, Rose Petals, Blue Cornflowers & Natural Vanilla Flavor. This tea was juicy strawberries, sweet vanilla pound cake, and the most luscious, silky, and thick mouthfeel. It was basically strawberry shortcake in a cup. Would I get this again? Yea…yea, I think I would!

    March 14 – Sweet Science

    Sweet Science is another fandom tea, and this one is blended by Lisa & Kat Miller. This tea is inspired by Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time, and it is a blend of Rooibos Tea, Black Tea, Apple Pieces, Rose Hips, Hibiscus, Marigold Flowers, Natural Peach Flavor, Coconut, Natural Creme Flavor, Natural Pineapple Flavor, Natural Coconut Flavor, Pineapple Pieces & Apricots. While I enjoyed this blend, sipping from such a small sample almost ensures that I do not get the full range of flavor this blend was trying to accomplish. I taste tropical fruit-flavored rooibos, but I’m missing the creamy notes from the coconut and creme flavors.

    If you’re interested in learning more about the kinds of teas Adagio’s newest subscription service offers, be sure to check out my first post on the communiTEA. A YouTube playlist of my reviews on some of the teas I’ve tried so far, is also posted there. Also be sure to check out the Adagio Teas CommuniTEA page to find out what other tea drinkers think!

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.