Monthly Archives: February 2015

My Maryland

Baltimore, Canton, chocolate, coffee, fun, spices, Tea 4 Comments

front

I’ve been meaning to write about Baltimore Coffee And Tea Company for a very long time.  I am grateful to have the opportunity now.   If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s a happy place, with a welcoming aura, and a great energy.

In a future post, I will talk about the Timonium location and all the fun that takes place there.   They have four stores,  but I will start with where’s closest.

What you see at the top of this post, is the Maryland Tea Sampler via the Eastern Shore Tea Company, and how awesome is that packaging?  I wish I could write about all of them, but as seeing I’ve only had one thus far.  One (or two) at a time folks.

Here’s the back, with the basic ingredients listed, and other fun information :

back

What I sampled as the Canton Spice, and on a cold evening such as last night, it was the perfect remedy.   And everything about the wrapping is beautiful :

cantonspice

Even though Spring is around the corner, it’s nice to enjoy a tea that warms me up in another way.   And with the combination of cinnamon, ginger, clove, lemon added to the black tea, it represents everything that is good in the world.   I would recommend this to anyone.  Based on the flavors, it can be drank at all times of the year.  I enjoyed it with a few dark chocolates.

amazing

If you look closely, you can see the steam rising above.  Wonderful stuff.

Now there is one last ingredient I wanted to list separately.  I had never heard of Star Anise, until I looked at this package. I have included some links, to help you and I.  This will be an ongoing learning process, which is a good thing.

I could dedicate an entire blog to the store itself, and there will be many posts coming about their many choices, as they have an incredible selection.

I have always been a supporter of local establishments and what better representative can you have then Baltimore Coffee & Tea.

When you combine the joy of tea drinking to the joys of supporting local shoppes, it’s a win-win for everyone.   To be continued. And soon.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

100% Pure Fun

antioxidant, caffeine, decaf, Google, green tea, Tea, Vitamin C, white tea 1 Comment

amazingCov

With the infinite amount of teas out there, it can be overwhelming to figure out which one to talk about each time.   But, for now, I will continue with the basics.  And that usually means good.

For every 100 teas I have tried, 99 have been good-to-great. So I am sure to stumble upon a weaker one here and there.  But this will not be the week.   I am talking about the repackaged and reinvigorating Celestial Seasonings.

How beautiful is the packaging?  I am sold on this alone.  If you did a Google search on just the images, you would be blown away and amazed by the artistry.  Now how about the tea itself?

This morning I had the Decaf Green Tea, and it’s pure, it’s simple, it’s divine.  The ingredients are green tea, white tea, and Vitamin C for antioxidants.  That’s it!  How great is that?!  On a cold day, like today, it’s soothing and it’s keeping me very mellow.  A no thrills tea that leaves a lasting impression.

There’s a few heartwarming messages on the package as well.  This one has a great quote from the man, along with some cool notes from the Blendmaster.

proverb

Another added charm, is the wrapping, where the bags are waiting to be seeped.  Pretty nice touch.

soothingwellness

I wish I could talk about their teas all day.  I’ve had quite a few and they’ve all been enjoyable.  More reviews of their flavors in forthcoming posts.

I am using my traditional green mug when having a greenish tea.  How great does that look?

Inspiration

And finally, here is some more inspiration:

perseverance

I could go on about their tea and presentation all day. The bottom line is, the tea must taste good, or none of this matters. But this is a pleasant, heartwarming, and endearing cup.  I can’t say enough about how good it is.   There is no bells and whistles. It’s just a wonderful thing to sip on, at any time, especially if you’re not looking for caffeine, and want to relax.

Enjoy!

Best,

Ideen

Fun Republic

chocolate, cinnamon, cookies, scones, spices, Tea, weather, winter 1 Comment

Cinnamon

As I was going through the collection of in house, I realize there’s so many I take for granted.  That’s not a good thing. These teas, even though many are natural, do have an expiration date and do go bad.    This is not the case with one of my sentimental favorites, the Winter Cinnamon Tea from The Republic of Tea via Harry & David.   Try saying that last sentence a few times over.     And as I promised in a previous post, I wanted to talk about other cold weather goodness.

The benefits of cinnamon are plentiful and are unlimited.  I’d like to thank my dad for teaching me all the positives of this incredible spice.   It has always been a guide for me in the healing process.  So what better thing to have is my merging it with black tea to make something special.   I know the holidays are over but in the cold weather months, this is a bundle of joy, that can do no wrong.

And most importantly, it’s delicious too!  It tastes like a cinnamon sticky bun, but not too sweet.  It still tastes like a tea after all, but you know your getting a natural sweetness added on to it.

WinterJoy

Isn’t that a beauty?  And our snow pals are back once again.

I’ve enjoyed this cup with scones, cookies, and most recently leftover chocolates from the holidays.   Why let them go to waste?

Maybe I still want to feel festive all the time and my love of tea is just a part of that.  It’s about sipping on what makes you feel good.  And that’s all it should be.  The health benefits, along with the spiritual ones, make this a beverage definitely worth drinking, throughout the calendar year.

I look forward to whatever is next.  Thanks so much.  Oh and go to Harry & David, it’s a wonderful place.

Best,

Ideen

Gotta Have A

bagels, Black Tea, Chamomile, Earl Grey, hoagies, iced tea, Lemon, Orange, scrambled eggs, soup, Tea, Wawa 3 Comments

wawagreentea

Wawa is known for so many happy things on Earth.    I have been a fan, since I first visited one outside of Philadelphia, in 2000.   Just about all of their stores I’ve visited have had a strong energy, and a sense of community. Many I’ve seen have a strong sense of community and is a meeting place for locals, pals, and friends of from nearby towns of neighborhoods.   The coziness is endearing.    They have great coffee, but I love them for their tea.

And I love them for their hoagies, smoothies, soups, salads, sides, and of course the soft pretzels.   But, their tea has evolved into something delicious.   For years, I didn’t even know they carried their own teas.

I did some research about where they get their teas from, and I got nothing.   Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be.  I should just enjoy their teas for what they are.  No over-the-top flavors, additions, or gimmicks.

I love their green tea.  Ingredients : green tea.

The added experience that it’s from Wawa, might make it taste even better. But it’s tremendous.  I usually enjoy it by itself.  But they have plenty of breakfast hoagies, bagels, pastries, and scrambled egg dishes to complement it with.  And I’ve indulged in them all pals.

Look at that awesome selection :

wawateas

At certain locations I have had their Chamomile, which is a flavor that has grown on me.  The staples are there – Earl Grey, Regular Black, and Lemon.   Along with the aforementioned Chamomile, you might see Decaf, Ginger Peach, among some other charming flavors.   I am a big fan of the Lemon.  The flavors are parallel to their iced teas.   These teas are not glamorous. I don’t think Wawa intended them to be.   They’re just great and that’s all you can ask for.  I swear I’ve seen an Orange tea in a store somewhere.

Next time you stop into your local Wawa, give the tea a shot.  It’s one of the reasons I look forward to going to their stores now, along with the sentimentality and convenient food choices.   Happy sipping!

TowerOfTea!

Best,

Ideen