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:
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!
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:
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.
If I thought life moved fast before, adding a child into the mix makes life move in hyper speed. I can’t believe Oliver turns one month in just a few days. Parenthood is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I haven’t even gotten to the challenging part yet (which I assume is adolescence). I mean, look at him. He’s giving me so much side-eye. It’s like he knows I’m incompetent at this parenthood thing.
What I’ve learned so far:
I knew nothing of anxiety before. Those times when I had to talk myself up just to take the laundry down to the laundry unit at the apartment or those times when I had to write out a script before making a phone call seem laughable to me now. That’s nothing compared to the time Oliver spit up so much that milk cake out his nose, and he started choking. Or the first time I had to drive him to a doctor’s appointment by myself. Or you know, bringing him home for the first time.
Similarly, I don’t think I’ve been so aware of human mortality. I can’t keep track of how many times I check him just to make sure he’s still breathing.
The advice “sleep when baby sleeps” is good advice assuming baby sleeps anywhere other than your arms. That being said, the stars have aligned these last two days, and I was able to take THREE three-hour naps. I’m handling the exhaustion better (and with almost no caffeine aside from a fun sized candy bar or two). That being said, in the throes of sleep deprivation, I became really frustrated while changing his diaper because he wouldn’t stop wailing, so I said to him, “I’m really mad at you”. I still feel guilty about it even though I know he didn’t hear me on account of his screams were as loud as a space shuttle launching into space.
Speaking of diapers, I thought I’d be more grossed out by the various bodily fluids my son expels. On to me. Now it’s just mostly annoying because I have to do so much laundry.
I remember during the first week, I cried during one of Oliver’s five-hour cluster feeding sessions because I had gone from full-time accountant to full-time food bag. Now I realize how hard returning to work will be. I planned to return after six weeks, but I pushed my return date back two weeks. Even that doesn’t seem like a sufficient amount of time, and I can’t help but dwell on how purposeless accounting seems now compared to being a food bag.
#currentlyreading
The one perk that comes with sleep deprivation (aside from bonding with baby) is I’m spending a lot more time reading. The books that are keeping me company right now are:
Fascism: a Warning by Madeleine Albright: This book isn’t easy to read in the wee hours of the morning, so I wait until my eyelids aren’t drooping to dive in to this non-fiction novel. Albright explores fascism in the early 20th century and draws parallels with contemporary world leaders.
Grave Mercyby Robin LaFevers: I bought this book probably two years ago, and I just sat down to start reading it the other night. I wish I would have read this book sooner. So far, I’m loving the blend of fantasy and historical fiction. It reminds me of Skyrim’s Dark Brotherhood if it existed in the high court of Brittany instead.
October Teaviews
I’ve also started to work my way through my extensive tea collection hoard. Seriously, I have over 100 different types of tea in my cupboards/pantry/just sitting on my kitchen floor.
Teaster Marshmallow Tea from Adagio: green rooibos tea, apple pieces, candy sprinkles, vanilla creme flavor, marigold flowers, and apricots. My greatest impulse purchase (this year) occurred around Easter. I had a promotional email from Adagio that prompted me to go on a scavenger hunt on their website for a chance to win a free bag of their Teaster Marshmallow tea. Not only do I not usually drink rooibos tea, but I also did not need any of the other teas I purchased that day (because you know…free shipping). But, OMG this tea! From it’s colorful Easter sprinkles to its vanilla creme flavor— I might be obsessed. A spoonful of sugar takes it to a whole new level. It really is like a marshmallow peep, except there is less self-loathing after finishing a bag of the Teaster Marshmallow tea.
Dawn Tea from Turmeric Tea: Assam Black Tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Turmeric Root, Cardamom, Black and Pink Pepper Corns. I had high hopes for this tea. Just look at that beautiful blend! I expected it to be spicy and for flavors of cinnamon and ginger to explode on my tongue, but it ended up being a rather mild spiced chai. The dominant flavor was cinnamon, which I can’t complain about though.
Books on my Radar
There is just one book I added to my TBR list this month, which is the Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton. I’ve seen this book on just about everyone’s instagram feed lately.
From Goodreads: In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.
Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.
Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.
How was your October? What are you currently reading, and what books did you add to your wishlist this month?
Let me preface this by saying, it isn’t my fault Harney & Sons, Adagio Teas, T2, and DavidsTea all had amazing sales and/or sent me amazing coupon codes the week of my birthday. It is my fault that I purchased so much tea that I ran out of room in my tea cupboard and my pantry, so now I have a large box of tea just sitting on the floor in the corner of my kitchen. Technically, I’m supposed to be on a tea-buying ban, but I kept hearing about this enticing subscription box from Sips by, and before I knew it, my irrational, pregnant brain convinced me it was a good idea to subscribe. Seriously though, how could I say no to four premium teas selected just for me based on a personalized tea profile for just $15 a month?
My first Sips By box arrived by the time Jon and I returned home from the hospital with Oliver. My October Sips included a minty, herbal blend from Dryad Teas, a green tea from Golden Tips Tea, an herbal tea with guarana from Tea Pigs, and a spiced chai from Turmeric Teas.
One of the first teas I tried came from Dryad Tea, who hand blends small batches of tea inspired by music, mythology, literature, and general geekery. Dryad Tea also offers different sweeteners, custom blends, silicone tea infusers, and metal tea infusers decorated with D20 dice.
I tasted their Faerie Garden tea, which is a caffeine-free blend of spearmint, peppermint, lavender, heather, cornflower petals, and cinnamon, and it was a perfect, soothing nightcap. The scent of the dried leaves reminded me of a stick of Wrigley’s Double Mint gum, but the flavors ended up being more complex than that. I love mint teas, so I knew I was going to appreciate this, but what I thought was going to be a blend that was overpowered by minty flavors ended up being subtly spicy from the cinnamon, too. The cinnamon was an exciting addition that caught me on the back of the tongue as a finishing note. The lavender, however, was lost on me during this steep. I still have a little bit of the sample left, which I plan to steep and then re-steep to see if I can draw some of the floral aromas more. If you love mint teas, make sure you check out this unique blend.
I’m peeling myself away from the Dryad Tea website. There are so many tempting blends like Come to the Labyrinth, which is a black tea blend with apple, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors or like Pixie Can’t Sleep, which is a black tea blend with vanilla, honey, and lavender flavors.
Do you subscribe to any subscription boxes, and which ones?
By Golly, Ollie! 