Happy National Pumpkin Day!

October 27, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 3 Comments

I know this pumpkin thing has seemed over-the-top too many. I love it. I am not big on the consumerism aspect of it but I am in love with this festive time of year. It’s a teaser for the month of November and all the fun that comes with it.

Unfortunately, I started seeing pumpkin stuff as early as mid-to-late August. I understand companies want to get a jump on it but that’s where this becomes just business and less about the spiritual aspect of this time.

Now I love all the amazing foods and drinks that can come from this. But we’re seeing it added to everything; bread, chips, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages and everything in between. I used to just think it was in a pie on Thanksgiving and that was it.

A friend of mine recently sent me a photo of pumpkin spiced cat litter. Seems a bit extreme? But if it makes my cat happier I’d be tempted to buy it. So the consumer bug has gotten to me too. Speaking of which…

Need I say more? The visual is beautiful and you can’t help but be mesmerized by the choices. It could be a pumpkin-themed display or something on the opposite end of the spectrum and we’d still be enthralled.

I take it back to Trader Joe’s for this week’s tea assessment. It’s the Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea and it’s an interesting one.

I like rooibos and the health benefits have been presented to you in these two respective links. But if I wanted a regular rooibos I’d have purchased one. I purchased this expecting more pumpkin and the autumn themed flavors. I got none of that. The flavor is fine if they didn’t mention the spice. So this is not as advertised.

Maybe it’s my taste buds but I don’t think so. I really gave this a shot. I steeped this for the suggested amount of time and I didn’t get much.

However, the smell from the sachet was absolutely terrific. But that scent did not translate when brewed. The aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg definitely hit me when I opened up the tin. Why did it not permeate after steeping? Could it be that it’s artificial? That’s just my speculation.

The reddish-pumpkin color after steeping is also stunning which ordinarily correspond with a masterful tasting cup.

I really wanted to love this tea but it didn’t happen. It’s ok otherwise but the promotion that this is a pumpkin spice tea I feel is misleading.

In the spirit of this day I did enjoy a bowl of pumpkin-themed pecan oatmeal that was really good but also not as powerful as maybe implied.

I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from trying this. Many may prefer this tea exactly as it. Hopefully you’ll be able to detect the flavors that I couldn’t. I wasn’t even trying too hard which usually leads to positive results. But they can’t all be masterpieces.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this gem from Trader Joe’s that captures what this season is all about. I hope to end the TJ’s posts on a high note, so I envision this is not the last time I write about them this year.

Happy Holidays!

Best,

Ideen

Ye Olde Tea Party!

October 20, 2015Ideen Barimani Maryland, Tea 5 Comments

My first Maryland Renaissance Festival was in 2006. And I was thinking at the time what took me so long? This past Sunday while in attendance I was recanting the same thing.

A tradition for many years, this event brings thousands of people in droves and in costume to the event. There’s so much to see, so much to drink in, and so much unhealthy food to eat. And in the back of my mind I may have thought to write about tea if I came across one. And as happenstance would have it, here we go. Huzzah!

My friends had souvenir drinking mugs from the 2013 event and it was suggested to me that I join the fray. The ye olde shoppes which carried mugs, goblets, and tankards were ubiquitous. And the prices ranged anywhere from $8 to $700 for the hand-carved ones. If I had that kind of money maybe I’d go there. But not today.

I saw a few that caught my eye that were on the much lower end, but I decided to wait. I’d figure out later how nearly maladroit that decision was.

While my pals and I were looking around for some greasy food, I stumbled upon a line that had coffee, espresso, and yes herbal tea! As I got to the line, I was just about to get a cup when a light bulb went off in my head. If I ordered this is in a plain cup I would be doing myself, this blog, and my readers a disservice. So I bee-lined back to the same stoneware shop where one mug stood out and I grabbed it!

I happily waited in the ever-so-growing line and the maiden poured my tea in my beautiful new mug!

How was the tea? I didn’t like it at first, but it’s a grower. And it grew on me almost immediately. I had a sore throat and one of licorice roots benefits is helping with thy throat. It’s not a flavor I particularly like but this cup got better with time. It’s the flavor that stood out the most. Lemon and mint do make their presence felt as well. Marjoram is a sexy yet synonymous name for oregano. If that was in my cup I wouldn’t have known it.

The most intriguing component in is the catnip. I wish my taste buds could have picked on it. Maybe they did and I jut didn’t know it. Maybe I’ll ask my cat what she thinks of it? I won’t take any of hers, that would be mean.

Nevertheless, my cup went great with our cheesy bread and macaroni & cheese on a stick. Yes just like how it was in olden times.

I didn’t think to ask anyone if the team is local or made in-house; or if the herbs, leaves came from a nationally known brand. I did an online search on what all it contains and nothing concrete came up. I did one search and that’s that. I rather keep the mystique and believe this is the same herbal remedy that the King drank with other fellow royalty hundreds of years ago.

There’s only one weekend to go from the date of this post. I don’t need to sell this event to anyone that lives reasonably close to attend. It sells itself and is so fun. I wish I had more time or I’d go every weekend! Maybe I’ll see you there this weekend.

And if you do wait in line for a hot or cold (it’s also served chilled) beverage, consider the tea!

For more RenFest fun click here.

I’ll leave with some pictures of this wonderful party.

Let the merriment continue!

Best,

Ideen

Fall Fun

October 13, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 6 Comments

I did just type that out. I always embrace the Summer with open arms. The autumn months are full of positives too. And I don’t have to look too hard to find them. If it’s not a genuine feeling of joy and euphoria than it’s not going to be feel authentic.

This tea I will discuss today is authentic and so much more. It’s that time of year which means the changing of the leaves, different flavors, scents, foods, and of course pumpkins.

There’s going to be a lot of pumpkin-style and related posts forthcoming and I hope you enjoy!

The Harvest Blend Herbal Tea from our pals at Trader Joe’s is the embodiment of what this season is all about. From the packaging, to the beautiful illustrations of animals, and to the scent and taste of the tea itself, this is perfection.

First off, when I visited the pumpkin display at my local store, it’s an in-your-face reminder of the time of year we’re in. But I’ve been seeing it while we were technically still in Summer. I understand the rush but I really don’t. I could have written about this a month ago but I want this part to be authentic as well. Lets all get into the season in a little more sensible fashion.

I took multiple angles of this package as I only feel it’s right. And one on of the sides are all the ingredients listed. And it’s a lot. But it’s a who’s who of what makes this season great. After smelling the bag upon opening, the most noticeable scent is cinnamon, one of my favorite things on this Earth.

After steeping, more aromas start to come alive. I got a great whiff of apple, chamomile, ginger. If my nose and taste buds got carried away I may detect everything included and then some. Nevertheless, this is a winner. As my tea became ready to sip the cinnamon and apple hit me the post. This packs a punch suitable for the season. And since there’s so much involved I think multiple cups can be made from this.

With all these incredible elements you think something would get lost in the shuffle. This is not the case. There’s room for everything here. However, I will say that chicory is not a plant I’ve had much exposure too. I’ll be curious to see if I can trace it in other teas that I come across. I may have to do some further investigating but I don’t want to lose course here.

As I ended my first cup, the flavors were so strong, I had to add more boiling water. And I mean that with highest of praise. This tea cannot go to waste. I’m ecstatic thinking about it. This will be a staple in my sipping repertoire for the reason of this season and beyond. It just tastes and feels so good. The words soothing and comforting come to mind. I feel so happy sipping it, thinking about it, and putting it to words.

And with a price tag of only $1.99 how can you go wrong? This is a bargain for that price and what you’re getting.

I included some wonderful items that reflect the season that has just commenced. I’m enjoying wonderful piece of golden raisin cinnamon bread to complement my cup.

This is just the beginning. I am thrilled to get fall off on the right foot.

Thanks so much!

Best,

Ideen

It Was Raining

October 6, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea, Virginia 3 Comments

Two weeks in a row I find myself in Virginia. And changing up the locations means finding a new spot or two to write about one of my favorite subjects. Last week was a gem. So how did this one fare? Not as good.

Through my local travels, I found myself in Alexandria, VA. To say I’m sentimental is an understatement. It’s the town where I was born, so any time I pass through here or plan a visit I get a warm feeling inside. I feel like it’s a badge of honor. It was meant to be.

And Old Town is in the heart of it all. It’s got it’s historic and authentic feel with its cobblestone streets, red brick sidewalks, cozy looking row homes, and small businesses. It’s pure class that is worth visiting. I prefer neighborhoods like this as opposed to the craziness of major downtown epicenters.

And there’s plenty of tea abound. Unfortunately my visit here was not one to write home about. I have visited Teaism in the past and never felt completely satisfied. There has just been something off with my purchases, the energy of the establishment, or it could be my own goofiness. But it’s a few visits and I’ve always felt a weird vibe.

It’s in a newer part of town that doesn’t feel historic. It feels a bit more corporate. That doesn’t make it a bad thing. But it’s not necessitating the joy and fun I look for when I want a peaceful cup of tea.

It was pouring down rain on this particular visit. And a soothing flavor was just what I had hoped to obtain. I opted for the Berry Beauty and the Chai. I’m not here much so I wanted to try a some I don’t often think to order.

The berry contained hibiscus which I usually enjoy. This was not good at all. I didn’t like the flavor whatsoever. It tasted like the sweet and sour clashed, but then went off in another direction. It just didn’t come as advertised. I was disappointed. I was hoping for something more delightful.

The chai was ok. I’ve had them from other places (tea shops, coffee shops, grocery stores) that tasted much better. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t wow me whatsoever.

The setup of the shop is puzzling to me. I imagine some people like it. It’s a restaurant, tea house, and contains a little tea store in the middle. Additionally, when you order carry-out or in the restaurant, you have to walk to the back to pick it up. I think it sound more complex in person. Something about the dynamic doesn’t feel natural. And the energy felt stuffy once again.

The shoppe items looked cool but I didn’t have time to stay too long and peruse.

Their menu is interesting and seems all over the map. I didn’t feel it was approachable either. The staff was friendly for the most part. The gentleman who was working the front seemed to be going through the motions. That’s just my interpretation.

But with all that being said, I would like to come back. Maybe I’ll bring a friend or two with me and see how they feel. And there’s so many flavors to try and hopefully I’ll find a nice meal to pair it with.

I think this place is much better than the experiences that I’ve had so I hope to be back within the next month or two. They also have three locations in Washington, DC but that’ll come in time. For now, any excuse to come to one of my favorite towns is good enough for me.

All the best,

Ideen

Chamomile Calming

September 29, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea, Virginia 4 Comments

The best experiences, at least for me, are the ones that are unplanned. We are now into autumn and as tough as that can be for myself and others, I still try to find the positives. And I think discovering a new place for tea drinking more than qualifies!

Last week I was in Arlington, VA and did some random driving and sightseeing. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. Maybe I would find something fun to eat or drink. I might discover a store that would tickle my fancy. Without trying too hard, I found one with all of the above.

Trade Roots is located in the more laid-back and less frenetic part of the town, Westover. And the store has a very positive and uplifting energy emanating, as soon as you walk in the door. Even the outside signage made me feel something endearing.

I’ve driven through this part of town many times and never thought to stop. I almost passed through again. For whatever reason, either to write about this place, or something bigger, I was meant to stop in. I’m grateful I did. I want to give this place the proper credit it deserves.

The store represents the best in honoring what fair trade and giving back is all about. I would have stayed longer if I could. I also would have seen my checking account depleted. There were so many wonderful things available to purchase. And many of those items can also be procured online!

And to do my part, I bought an incredible cup of tea and some fantastic cinnamon-pecan granola bites!

I ordered a chamomile. But not just any chamomile. This was a German one. You could say this is in honor of all the Oktoberfest celebrations that are happening and will be occurring all over the place soon. But this drink raised my spirits up but without any potential hangover on the horizon.

Honesty, I did taste a difference in contrast to the traditional ones I’ve had before. I couldn’t place my finger on the why or the how. But it made me feel so good.

Originally I purchased this to go. But after surveying the area, I thought what is the rush. So I grabbed a seat on a bench and enjoyed myself. Actually I was the only one around so I really did enjoy my own company.

I didn’t have a plate so I used the lid for my snacks. And any crumbs that were leftover I added to my tea. How cool is that? Ha.

I wish I had taken more photos but all this entails is that I must come back before the year is out. Besides taking in my surroundings and a few snapshots, I relaxed for a good 30-plus minutes. There was a sense of ease in me that I can attribute to my tea, my environment, and how good I must have been feeling at the time.

Imagine feeling like that all the time! Yes please!

There are a few seats inside but the weather was too good to be anywhere but here. For those few minutes, I was meant to be spiritually in tune with things and with nature. I think I succeeded.

If you’re in the vicinity, I highly suggest visiting this shoppe. The folks inside were great. Everything was great.

More to come.

Best,

Ideen

It’s Still Summer

September 22, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 4 Comments

And we have until tomorrow to enjoy that. I love the Summer, I love the heat, and I love the sun. And I’m sad its winding down.

However, there is much in the fall season to look forward to. The weather is still great and there’s plenty of more opportunities for outdoor events, festivals, parties, and whatever else makes us feel good.

With that in mind I wanted to do a review a tea that could embody the beautiful months we’ve recently enjoyed and a segue into what’s to come.

As promised I’ll be doing another tea from the marvelous Spice & Tea Exchange. For last weeks post you can click here!

The Coconut Oolong Tea reminds me of many things. I wouldn’t think popcorn would be one of them. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I enjoyed the scent.

When I opened the package it felt like a movie theater. That’s the buttery aroma or note that cannot be ignored. Oolong has never been a favorite of mine,but that could change. It’s just not a tea that I think to drink or seek out. That’s the enjoyment of doing this. I’m trying tea I don’t always have in my sipping repertoire and experiencing new flavors I didn’t know existed.

This tea was a grower. I didn’t love it a first. As you can see, artificial coconut flavor is added. I can’t say if that adds or takes away from the tea. Maybe the flavor is necessary. Maybe I should have added some sugar or flavoring but that’s not my style.

I’ve always preferred my hot teas with nothing. In the few exceptions I’ve needed to add something, either out of experimenting or because it was necessary, the results have been mixed. Next time I would like to see how this tea could be chilled or with some sweetener incorporated. Milk or creamer would go well with this too. This would be a great alternative to coffee.

With all that being said I did enjoy drinking this tea and will gladly have it again. It’s not on the top of my favorites, but it’s a cup I would look forward to having again.

That emerald color is visually stunning. I took my time with my first cup just so I could enjoy how beautiful the tint was.

This cup reminded me that there’s so much fun that can come with tea drinking. When the feeling and instinct is there, I may add some of the things that have been mentioned in this post. It’s all about experimenting and expanding scents and flavors. As we head into Autumn that will be happening.

In the meantime, I will enjoy my cup with some chocolates and candies! Now that is fall-like! Uh oh…

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Decaf Spice

September 15, 2015Ideen Barimani Louisiana, Maryland, Tea 5 Comments

How did I get to this beautiful image you see above?

The Spice & Tea Exchange has been bringing it with their teas.

This will be another in the long line of positive posts. There’s been so many great teas that have come into my life, the bad ones have been few and far between. So another mixed-to-bad review will have to wait.

Nevertheless, their Decaf Earl Grey was effortless to drink and immensely fun to prepare.

I haven’t done a lot of decaffeinated teas for my blog, if any, so I felt the time was right. I’m not sure if it’s the tea, my state of mind, or the weather slowly turning cooler, but I am a bit tired. It’s more of a relaxed feeling. I’m more focused than usual.

The tea smelled so natural. The ingredients are shown to you here. The aroma of the tea leaves and orange peels permeated throughout, as soon as I opened the package. I will admit, I cheated before and already knew how it smelled when this was given to me as a birthday gift. The initial Spice & Tea post can be found here.

The Tovolo Tea Infuser also makes its long-awaited return! I’m in love with this thing. As it gets cooler I’ll be prepping more loose teas, so you’ll be seeing more of one of my favorite gadgets!

What I love about the infuser is you get enough time to see the color literally evolve from beginning to end. And I have enough time to see this in front of my eyes. It may only be a matter of moments but the way the beauteous color of this tea is manifested is a sight to behold. And I want everyone to see it as well, hence the clear glass.

I savored every sip with a small plate of almonds. And the sips were savory.

Like I was saying, this tea was a gift from dear friends of mine, from the Ocean City, MD store. I have been to OC few times this summer, but the store was never open when I was in the area. Maybe the timing was not right. But I hope to check the shop out soon. Yes we’re still technically in the Summer!

Where was shop alluded me, another did not. I had the honor of privilege to visit New Orleans a couple of months ago, and maybe it was fate, but I got to visit their NOLA store! The staff member there was kind of enough to ask me any questions while realizing I was acting like a complete tourist. I literally stumbled upon this store while walking around the French Quarter.

And in touristy fashion, there will be plenty of photos for your viewing pleasure.

There will plenty of posts to come from this great company! And I will continue so next week…

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

‘Tis The Season

September 8, 2015Ideen Barimani Medicine, Tea 2 Comments

This will be posted minutes after the Labor Day Holiday will be officially over. And for many that is the end of Summer. That makes me sad, but I can’t look at it that way. I refuse. Technically, we have until September 22nd. So two whole weeks!

But I am not going to be in denial of the fact that the temperature is showing signs of cooling. The past few nights in the Maryland area have felt a little chillier. Because of that allergies may be starting to creep up. And they may begin to rear its ugly head anyways. It’s just the nature of things.

So what does this have to do with tea? Well as several of my peers have been feeling a bit under the weather, I to have felt some of the effects. It may be due to a long holiday weekend and having fun wherever I can. That can lead to exhaustion and not the most highly functioning immune system.

This leads me to an old friend, the Seasonal Sampler from Traditional Medicinals. In bringing back the sampler you could call this a segue into seasons. Oh now look at me moving too far ahead!

The last time I wrote about this package was back in January and you can find that post here. At that time I wrote about their Breathe Easy tea and all the positive results of it.

This time it’s the Echinacea Plus and did it heal me exactly where it needed to. I am writing this as my finish my second cup and I wish I boiled some more weather. It has an interesting taste to it. It comes off as bitter and if you’ve seldom had echinacea in any form, it may not be pleasing to the nose or mouth. And the smell may not endear itself to everyone but this was a pleasure to drink.

This also reminds me was to why I stopped taking it in the first place. The rejuvenating and spiritually healing benefits are unlimited. I used to have a capsule or two on a daily basis and I always felt happy. I loved life and felt like I could tackle anything. I felt like this was more than a placebo. My immune system was feeling grateful for operating at a top level. And so was I. And after tonight, so am I. For all this looking back and forward, I’m currently in the moment enjoying my cup.

And as you’ll see one the mug represents one favorite places to visit in the Summer or year round. And Annapolis is always a happy place just like the one I’m in now.

In pictures, once again, the awe-inspiring brewing process is shown. The beautiful leaves and tint really shine through. And this was the only back left in the package, so I really lucked out. I don’t believe I missed a step!

As we head into the cooler months (not yet), the teas will be representative of that. I suspect this will not be the last you hear about Traditional Medicinals.

Stay healthy and happy!

Best,

Ideen

Saratoga Style

September 1, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 2 Comments

Now I’ve never been to Saratoga, but I’m grateful that my friends who visited recently, thought to bring me a bag of tea as a souvenir.

The Trans Siberian Chai from Saratoga Tea & Honey Company was an absolute pleasure to drink. What a work of art! And you can see a lot of thought and passion was behind this creation.

This tea really got my spirits up, as it’s been needed. Summer is slowly winding down, but I refuse to concede it ending. We have a few weeks to go. Yet while this blend feels like more something more Autumn, it works well here as we’re now officially segued into September.

The flavors of cocoa, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon are a soothing and comforting melange of joy. I don’t know how else to describe it. Actually I could write a ton more superlatives if I could. The cocoa, especially, really stands out and makes this a unique tasting cup. Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices and always warms my heart.

I’l be honest, clove and nutmeg are not something I’ve had enough of, so those flavors, for me at least, are not quite detectable. As I was smelling it and then sipping it, I was looking for those scents, and they didn’t hit me as like the aforementioned cocoa and cinnamon. And chai is usually always a winner.

I wish I could add more links for everyone to enjoy, but the website seems to be incomplete and there’s an across the middle of the page it states that the online store is coming soon! Now that I look forward to!

I love how the back of the label encourages us to experiment with the quantity, duration, and temperature for the heating process. And yet they still throw some helpful recommendations for time and temperature to boil! Good on them!

What I also look forward to is a visit to Saratoga itself. A lot of places in the country and the world have alluded me. And I hope to cross that off my list. Not only for their teas, but I see they have a honey room as well. Join them at the bar for a pot of tea with pals! Yes please!

For now, I will do my best to capture the beauty of this tea brewing process. The same friends who brought me this tea, also purchased this majestic teapot set from the wonderful World Market. So it’s only right to bring it back for one of my favorite tea making rituals.

I wanted to show you how amazing the tint is that I threw in a bonus photo in one of my favorite teacups! How gorgeous is that? And how beautiful are those tea leaves and spices? This is the real deal.

The inaugural post with this pot can be found right here!

As the weather turns, and that pains me to say, more brewing and more fun tea contraptions will be seeing their returns and debuts in the weeks and months to come.

Take good care!

Best,

Ideen

One Love

August 25, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 4 Comments

I’ve wanted to find any reason to incorporate the things I love into my posts. And fortunately, the iconic and legendary Bob Marley is near the top of that list.

I found out about Marley’s Beverage Company only a few months ago and was looking for the perfect time to write about it. Well the Summer is the right time to talk about anything cool. I didn’t want to wait all the way to February on his birthday to write about it.

I could only hope that a grocery store or the like would carry a product with such a monumental and historic name attached to it.

I am grateful to say that was the case. Even though there were only two flavors available, luckily they were both the bottled teas. And did they taste fun and yes, I’m feeling mellow.

Of course there would be a bias and I was hoping they would taste at least satisfying. It was all that and so much more. I felt great after sampling both. It became more than sampling. I decimated both. Thankfully they were decaffeinated or I’d be bouncing off the walls.

As I’m writing this and feeling so calm, I realize that on the products site, they list the 100% Natural Calming Botanicals and this feels more than a placebo. I feel so at peace.

First up is the Black Tea with Peach, Raspberry, and Passion Fruit. That is quite the trio of fruit. And the trio comes together for a masterpiece of flavors. I felt so good drinking this.

Most important, the tea does not get lost in the shuffle even though these powerful fruit flavors are included. I can tell a lot of soul and a lot of passion (pun not intended) is behind this beverage.

And then we have the Green Tea with Honey. The tea and honey combo is terrific. There’s an even balance that both complement the other so well. I’m relaxing and enjoying life sipping on this one as well.

This is also a tea that should be savored and drank naturally. Neither of these feel like the usual chugging iced teas or cold beverages that other may seem designed to do.

In what is now becoming a tradition with my recent recaps, I opened up the bottled and poured them in glasses so you can get the beautiful tints and shades of both.

How gorgeous do they both look?

To see if their beverages are sold near you, click here. And to read more about this great company, click here and here.

I had so much fun trying these teas and talking up how great they were, that I hope I get the opportunity to do so again.

One love.

Kindest,

Ideen

Tea Is Fun

An inspirational and emotional tea blog.

Author Archives: Ideen Barimani

Happy National Pumpkin Day!

Ye Olde Tea Party!

Fall Fun

It Was Raining

Chamomile Calming

It’s Still Summer

Decaf Spice

‘Tis The Season

Saratoga Style

One Love

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: