Your “I Love You”

February 6, 2018Ideen Barimani Tea 3 Comments

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So we got to February rather quickly. Actually in a way it feels like time has always been moving at the rate, or at a faster or slower place, depending on your situation or how you’re feeling. All I know is this month means a lot of things to a lot of people. I know there’s some holidays that depending on your beliefs and situation’ you either embrace, don’t care about, or don’t even think about. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above, or none of this at all.

This past Sunday I was at one of my local grocery stores’, without realizing that it’s one of the busier, and more hectic days to be at such a place. I was oblivious to that fact until I walked in. Instead of feeling despondent and disheartened (which I initially felt at first), I embraced it. Everyone is there for the same and different reasons. People want to get there stuff and get the heck out of there. For others it’s a highlight to their weekend. So who am I to question that?

Little did I know that I would make a wonderful discovery. This is one of those weeks where I didn’t actually know what tea or what tea related story I would write about. I didn’t sweat it, I didn’t force the issue, and I just let it come to me. In this case, it found me. And I’m so grateful it did.

We’re only about a week away from Valentine’s Day. For some it’s a something to celebrate and embrace. For others it’s not to take seriously. It’s just another day. And to another segment it may breed contempt and dissatisfaction. I tend to fall into all of those categories, or have been over the years.

But love comes in many forms. It’s not just a love for a person, romantically. It’s a love for your friends, family, your pets, the universe; but most of all, yourself. When you love yourself its easier to love others. And I do think its easier to love others over ones self many a time. I might be guilty.

But with all this talk of love, leads to one of the better teas you’re going to find. How I’m just getting to writing about Pukka and one of their fine teas is one of those things I just can’t explain. Maybe I’ve had a cup and not realized. Maybe it was worth before I start writing. Whatever the case, it has led me here and has led me to the exquisite Love Tea. I love that it’s called Love. There’s no pun there, I promise you.

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But this is just as beautiful as the name implies. The flavors of chamomile, lavender, and elderflower are as lovely as a blend as you’re going to find. Oh my goodness. This is meant to be drank hot and I think I heated this just a little more than I intended, and I think it came out that much better.

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That color illuminates and it paired perfectly with some sweet treats. But you could easily have it withing nothing at all. I prefer most of cups of tea to be savored in all their glory by itself, but a little cookie or pastry never hurt anybody.

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So in my own way, I celebrated this forthcoming holiday with a display of things that might make you happy, and some that make me happy.

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I’ve always had a love for our animal friends, and any depiction or illustration makes me happy and feel good as well. It’s the timeless images that will last with us forever. And to me that’s love. It’s not meant to be reserved for a single day or a single event.

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There’s more than enough good, more than enough love, and more than enough love to go around.

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This tea brought me so much joy and I felt love, and I’m not sure from exactly where. I don’t need to know nor do I have to know. I just know it was there.

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And after reading this story, it’s beautiful to know that there’s a story of true love that inspired this tea.

To find out more about Pukka Herbs, here is a list of all their teas (including Love which is in the Relax grouping of teas), their mission, a section on our well being, and something inspirational.

To get in touch you can find them here. And I’ve seen their teas in many grocery stores and retailers so it should be easy to find.

I took way to long to write about Pukka. I’m just getting started, I’m just getting warmed up, and I’m feeling even more love in the air as I keep writing this out to you. That’s love.

I loved this tea and everything it symbolizes. It resonates in me something beautiful.

I wish you a most wonderful day of love, not just on the 14th, but all days possible. If I’m in a harmonious place, I will continue this love of love next week, and beyond.

Let’s do it again sometime.

Peace Be With You.

Ideen

Sipping Joyfully

October 17, 2017Ideen Barimani Tea 1 Comment

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I love fall. I also love that I have all this time between now until the holidays to revel in all of these wonderful teas. And believe the best is here and the best will still be coming. It’s going to be a perpetual thing. Well unless I find a stinker.

And this week is anything but a stinker. But while I tend to do a decent amount of repeats from some of my favorite teas and companies, I’ve forgotten about my go to’s and my old reliable’s. Old reliable’s sounds like such a demeaning term. But that’s not what I’m intending at all. But how on earth that the last time and only time I talked about Tazo was in January of 2015.

Just become something is so accessible and available doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. As we know, Tazo is most likely in a store or shoppe minutes from you, and that’s something to be celebrated and appreciated. I’m going to show my appreciation for two beautiful teas that I just discovered over the weekend, the Organic Baked Cinnamon Apple and the Sweet Cinnamon Spice. Yes these two gems not express what’s good about fall, but what’s good and beautiful about life.

First up, the Cinnamon Apple, once again demonstrates how good rooibos is as a tea. My ever growing of rooibos teas posts can be found here, but before I digress, I want to explain just how amazing this tea is. Not only is there rooibos but that other charming taste is chamomile. To blend these two teas together to create something so delightful is a work of art.

But of course you can’t forget the two featured flavors, apple and cinnnamon. If you’re into these flavors as a part of your daily breakfast, say via oatmeal, an apple on its own, or throwing cinnamon on top of anything (I absolutely adore cinnamon and try to add it to whatever I possibly can within reason), this is another reason to celebrate.

I enjoyed this in the comfort of my friends’ house, with no added treats necessary at all. I’m all for pairing a tasty snack, pastry, or yummy piece of food with my tea, but sometimes a tea is best had alone. I let the bag steep for a while, and kept in my cup, while drinking, The chamomile and rooibos are the perfect counterbalance for the apple and cinnamon. This tea is magical.

Not to be outdone is the Cinnamon Spice. This one I liked but it had a little more kick to it, where it was one of those semi-rare instances where I had take the bag out of my cup because it was a little sweeter than I expected. And don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed this for different reasons. This is perfect for the colder weather months as well. And I suspect I will have a newer found appreciation for it then. But it still warmed my heart, my stomach, and my soul. There’s rooibos in here too, along with a whole bunch of other goodness such as licorice root, orange peel, almond extract, and of course, the cinnamon.

I think I would give the edge to the Cinnamon Apple just for the simplicity of it. But I would highly recommend either for your peaceful, change of temperature, or any other celebration that makes you feel good, and makes you feel at peace. Both of these teas did just that. And being in the friendly confines of a pals house with some lovely company of dogs will make any tea that much better. No dog pictures here. I’ll save that for a Pet Blog, if I feel inspired to do so.

Tazo has so many incredible teas that there’s no time to get them all. Well maybe there is. But it won’t be that long before I get to them again. If I discover some more gems that fit with whatever time of year it is, I’ll be sure to give them their proper due.

Here is more about Tazo, all the good that they do, and their contact information.

I adore fall, and I can’t wait to see what I get into next week. I look forward to sharing it with you.

And never mind what I said earlier, here’s some fun dog pics!

Take good care and have a blessed one.

Ideen

The Perfect Everything

May 9, 2017Ideen Barimani Tea 2 Comments

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I want the posts throughout this Spring and beyond to focus on teas that are enjoyable, accessible, and approachable. There will be the occasional forays into iced teas, tea ice cream, and who knows what else. But I looked back at some of my posts and while I do all these articles (or whatever we choose to call them) out of love and joy, I do find myself coming off a little too serious at times. I just can’t help myself.

This is why I will intend to have the titles, the stories, and everything else to resonate in the most spiritually positive ways as I can. If a tea is disappointing then I’ll elaborate as to my thoughts on to why, but still focus on the positives where I can. Some teas and some scenarios are beyond help, but hopefully those will be few and far between.

With that said, I will see how it goes and hope I can stick to what’s most important and celebrate my love of tea. And what better way to keep this going then by sharing my thoughts on two spring themed and fruit forward teas by my one of my long time staples, Bigelow.

I was all set to discuss with you some of their newer creations, but the universe had other plans for me. And I hope to get to that next week. So this looks like a two-parter or back-to-back with one of the most recognizable and available teas in all the land.

Here are previous stories on this great company. I’m surprised I haven’t written more. Well more is coming.

But without any further buildup I’m thrilled to share my thoughts with you on the Wild Blueberry Acai and the Perfect Peach. With names like that, you know they take themselves seriously while not taking themselves seriously? Do you know what I mean? Or maybe I’m reading more into this than I should. I tend to do that.

I’ve had a couple of their herbal teas before but not these. And I’m glad it wasn’t until yesterday that I got to try both.

First up is the Perfect Peach. What I have found out about Bigelow in general is that steeping needs to be short and sweet. It only takes a couple of minutes to get the all the flavors you’re hoping for. In addition, the color permeates your cup almost instantaneously. Sometimes certain brands take a few seconds or a minute or two to get that intended tint. And even more than a few minutes to get all the flavors. This is not a question of quality or anything like that. It’s just what it is and my interpretation.

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The Peach is just fun. It’s not going to blow you away or win any awards. It’s just an enjoyable tea that promises as delivered. I didn’t expect to taste a peach pie, and I’m not sure if I did. And to tell you the truth it doesn’t matter. It’s a tea that can be enjoyed heated, and I can only imagine how good this would be iced. I’m detecting a theme of revisiting like I mentioned last week. A huge positive to take from this is it doesn’t taste like an artificially sweetened peach pie or tea, or what have you. I may not detect all the fruits, hibiscus, and flowers mentioned in the ingredients. But what I do taste is a lightened and heightened peach based tea that evokes feelings of Spring and feeling good. That’s all that matters.

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I could have stopped right there. But if you thought the color of the Peach was quick, the Wild Blueberry Acai is a perfect shade of purple. Oh and it sips well too. Just like the Peach I expected the Blueberry as opposed to the Acai to be the main attraction in my cap. I can safely say that I tasted both and the combination is fantastic. And thankfully it’s light, and as a dear friend said, delicate, just like the Peach that it can appeal to any sensibility and even the most discriminating of tea lovers may like either of these teas. I lean a little bit towards this one, but would recommend either. And the benefits of blueberry and acai are your friend.

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I’m grateful some of my cat friends pictured throughout wanted to share in this experience with me.

Both the teas are my friend and can be yours too. They are available in just about every grocery store and local shoppe where you secure your favorite teas. And I’ve seen their 20 count boxes at $3 or less. And sometime even below $2. You will be getting your money’s worth and then some. And if you don’t, I think a couple dollars to try some new teas was worth the stretch.

If you can’t find their teas near you, here is their link to purchase online.

I’m hoping to continue this next week with a sampling of Bigelow Benefits. Now I just need to find them myself.

Blessed,

Ideen

A Tea for the Spring & Summer

March 21, 2017Ideen Barimani Tea Leave a comment

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I was told that the Peach Turmeric Tea from The Spice & Tea Exchange will only last a few weeks. And if captain obvious is showing you that along with the tea I reviewed last week, the Wild Berry Spring, these are both in the Limited Time Offer section all to the themselves.

My question would be after this limited time offer ends, where would the extra tea go? I think I answered my own question. At least for the Peach, it doesn’t have a chance. And I mean that in a good way. I would not be surprised if this tea is near the end of supply or getting close. This is up there with some of the best tea I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of teas but I haven’t had them all. Nor will I ever. But at least for this moment, and it might be a temporary or short burst of feeling, this is up there with the classics.

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Where the Wild Berry is fantastic, the Peach is just in class of its own. I love both but I think I love the Peach just a little bit more. I can see others loving the Berry more.

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Turmeric is something that has been a a part of my life and my family going back as far as I can remember. Yesterday, was the first day of Spring which also mean the first day of Iranian New Year. And Turmeric has been used in traditional Iranian and Middle Eastern dishes for many a lifetime. No, this wasn’t planned. But I’m so happy I can incorporate Iranian New Year into this post.

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But this tea has so many joys of not just the spring, but the summer as well. When I first got my first smell of the tea at the Rehoboth Beach store, I just knew this was going to be special. Yet with this blog, I knew there would be a little bit of a wait. And boy it was worth the wait.

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Yet a tea like this needs a beautiful presentation. Maybe not quite like last week but another cup and infuser was in order.

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Leave it to me to split my purchases with Rehoboth (the teas) and Ocean City (everything else), when I could have done it all in one place, or even online.

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I spotted some fancy cups and thought a lighter blue would be more fitting. I’ve done so many variations of greens that something else was necessary. But I need more. I needed a proper infuser for this occasion. Leave it to Fred and Friends, and my new friend the ManaTea. Yes it’s a silicone tea infuser and he looks so friendly. No, not creepy. I said friendly! Yes!

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But after looking at him I can understand why one might get freaked out. It looks like he keeps staring at you, similar to a creepy stuffed animal or some dopey looking person on a billboard. But enough, how was this tea I keep heaping praise on?

The smells matched how it was after brewing. I only had to place a little in the infuser since I was steeping it in such a tiny cup. I placed less than a teaspoon and it worked to perfection. The peaches, honey, coconut, and Rooibos really shine through to make this the perfect tea for the spring and the summer. This can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Some sweet spring and holiday themed treats pair wonderfully with the tea itself, the cup and the season. And that color and shine on that tea is magnificent.

Speaking of cold, I realized I had a little left after a few hours and naturally got to savor this tea chilled. It was beautiful. Everything about this was beautiful. In hindsight I wish I bought more and I may do just that.

Since I have a relatively small bag of this and the berry, I will appreciating and savoring every moment I can with these teas. For a limited time really means just that.

And onto the subject of limited time. That’s what spring (and much of life in general) feels like. It comes and it goes. So on this second day of spring my goal once again is to appreciate every moment. It would safe to assume many of you want to do the same. We don’t have to document or blog every moment (though that helps for yours truly) but to create and imprint new Spring memories is what life is all about.

Spring is a time of rebirth, a revitalization, a time of hope, joy, peace, love, and everything positive synonym and superlative you can think of. I said Summer earlier and we do love Summer. But one day at a time.

Yes this is a tea for both seasons. If you only could get one of the two teas I’ve written about, I would go with the Peach Turmeric. But that’s just me.

Here’s the list of Spice and Tea Exchange’s locations and their online store. I have only had good experiences with them.

I want to thank Yanna at the Rehoboth Beach shoppe for giving me a discount on my teas (which went above and beyond) because of my blog. And thank you to Tiffany at the Ocean City store for help on my new infuser, glass, and getting me essentially another tea for free. Which I hope to get to down the line.

A limited time on teas, a limited time on this earth, means an unlimited amount of time to enjoy tea, enjoy each other, and enjoy life. That’s the point of all this.

If it works out for next week, I will hopefully write about an Iranian tea like I did last year to celebrate New Years.

Nevertheless Happy First Day of Spring, Happy Spring, Happy New Year, and Happy Everything.

Ideen

Love of Tea, and Other Fun Things

February 7, 2017Ideen Barimani Tea 5 Comments

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I had never done a Valentine’s Day themed post, and it really didn’t cross my mind to do one this year. But after consulting my mentor, and realizing that next Tuesday is that day, which means there will continue to be tea posts every Tuesday, I figured it’s meant to be.

Now I’m not the biggest fan nor am I really opposed to this man-made holiday. Well if you read the latter part, you might think I sway towards the negative. You might be correct.

Love should be spontaneous, celebrated throughout the year, and displayed as much as possible. What’s even more important is that love doesn’t necessarily mean between you and your significant other, or spouse, but in all forms.

I love my cat. I love our animal friends. I love my family. I love my friends. And I love my cat. Oh wait…

I love tea. This is a tea blog. So yes, I love tea. And I love tea so much. It brings me joy that is hard to put into words. It shouldn’t be put into words. I let the sipping and the reactions do the talking.

Yes, and I think many of us know we don’t need a special day to do just that. But in honor of such an occasion, I will make the most of it.

Per my tea guru’s suggestion, I’m changing it up this week in a big way.

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If you’ve been to your local shopping district, then by now you know of Teavana. They have taken tea, and essentially loose-leaf tea to unprecedented and transcendent levels.

I’ve been here many times before every writing about it, and many times since. To say the store is still a bit overwhelming after all this time would be correct. But overwhelming doesn’t necessarily mean bad. There’s a lot going on and there’s so many new teas and instruments to discover and learn about. There will never be enough time to learn about everything, and to try and do so would defeat the purpose of this journey. But…

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I obviously don’t have time to write about it all here. What I will say is that I’m happy that this is my inaugural post for Teavana, and this will not be the last.

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For this first go around it needed to be done big and done special. Actually getting teas here is an experience. So without further adieu, I present by suggestion from my muse, the Strawberry Blush Rose and Peach Tranquility Blend.

Yes, it couldn’t be just one. And it had to be big for this time of year. Ingredients and instructions for brewing are listed within the page. I’ll let you research that on your own, or otherwise this post would go on till tomorrow.

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And it wasn’t even one. It was actually three. The staff member got me a festive tin, and along with getting the blend of the two teas, I also got them separate. So I was already getting ahead of myself assuming the two were kindred spirits that could not be separated. Wait what? Yes, all the love references are deliberate but are also flowing naturally.

Pictures of the tin standing and taken apart are shown here, as well as up-close shots of the tea. Quite impressive right? The process was truly exciting. I’ll get to more about that shortly.

What I will say is that I’m in love. This is masterful concoction of flavors that you would think might be impossible. But no. There’s heart, there’s soul, and there’s a true spirit behind this tea.

The brewing process was an absolutely joy. The aromas from the tea were already getting me jazzed up for what I hoped to be a stimulating and inspiring cup. And how about that tint? I know I know. The tea was a win. The flavors of both worked together perfectly. I could see why so many folks have regarded this so highly. The after taste of rose hips was truly a highlight. There’s also just about every fruit known to man and woman. If you can discover them all then you’re a rock star. I’m happy with it nevertheless. And it paired nicely with some thin lemon cookies.

And if you notice, I show you what makes me happy, brings me joy, and truly brings out the love. Yes, a miniature rubber ducky! Ha. well that and my love for animals in all shapes and sizes. And I obtained a certain special teacup to celebrate even more love. I would be lying if I said the tea didn’t taste just a little bit better because of the props. But I digress. This tea would be awesome under any circumstance. But hopefully it’s a joyous one.

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I did get a bit carried away. Maybe I should have tried one of the flavors on its own first. Well there’s a first and second time for everything.

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Even though I’m working backwards, I’m actually going in the order of the teas that were brewed. Next up was Strawberry Blush by itself.

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I think I liked this even just a little more. Maybe because it was the simplicity of it. It was sipped in its own sans the blend, and even more flavors were able to be discovered on its own. I would be lying if I said one was truly better than the other. But for a personal thing, I give this the slightest edge. And that color is just as beautiful.

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I got another teacup for this one too!

Maybe it was the simplistic aspect of it, or maybe it was the chocolate truffles that paired with this chocolate did the trick. See I guess I’m a sucker for this holiday after all. Well.

For me, this was a gift to myself, to the universe, from the universe, and hopefully someone reading will find this as a plausible gift alternative to the standard flowers, candy, and chocolates. Well chocolates are good. I just told you I had some!

And when I was done steeping I had a few pieces of strawberry and other random fruits. Yes you can do that. That’s an added bonus I don’t think you’ll find on the website.

I want to mention that Teavana is on the higher end of teas. This is significantly higher than your budget friendly teas at your local supermarket or neighborhood store. But if you feel like splurging and buying a gift for a loved one, this is going to be different and I think it’s going to be a pleasant surprise to many. And if your loved one is a tea lover, even better.

Because of the price level of these, it’s good to savor teas and brew in small doses and for special occasions.

Prices will vary based on weight, container, and the tea themselves.

I did not purposely leave out the Peach Tranquility Tea. This is where I will push the pause button and resume at a later date. I thin this is one I will have for the Spring or Summer. I will remember this and promise you I will get back to it. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t. More importantly, my sense is that this would make an excellent iced tea during the warmer months.

It also gives me something to look forward too. I also feel that Valentine’s Day is good because for many it’s a day of joy but also another sign that warm weather is right around the corner. So I feel that the Peach Tranquility is the perfect segue to talk about down the road.