Tag Archives: nature

The Magic of Tea

Tea 3 Comments

CelestialSeasoningsSummerTeaDisplay

Some things just get better with age, with time, and with anything.  Change is constant, constant is constant.  What is will always be, moving in form, through form, and out of form.   And all that other metaphysical, cosmic, and uplifting stuff that sounds good on the surface, but doesn’t always register or resonate.

But often times it does.

Celestial Seasonings is worthy of all the praise, all the lauding, and all the love I can bestow upon it.    It’s only been a few months (all my stories can be found here) since the last time, but it honestly feels like so long ago.  So much has happened that it feels like it;s been ages.  And in a way that’s ok.

As time is moving rapidly, it also feels slow.  I know we’re in late July and that may feel sad for some (I’m one of them), yet there’s still plenty of the summer, the season, and of course life to celebrate.

They just continue to dazzle and impress with all their amazing flavors and newest creations.   Some seem to have passed me by via limited release, but nevertheless, there’s plenty of good to share with you.

And I’m grateful to be sharing two summery and wonderful blends with you now.

The Watermelon Lime Zinger and the Tangerine Orange are the kinds of teas I should have started having back in the Spring, but here we are, and it’s never too late and it’s no time like well….

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I’ll start with the latter.   The blend of tangerines, oranges, passionfruit, and hibiscus creates a masterful looking tea, and that pinkish-reddish color makes it all the more a picturesque sight.

For my own edification and maybe yours too, I made both teas hot and iced, and the results are exciting.  Yes I found the discoveries to be a bit of a surprise, but it all leans towards the positive.

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Yet I enjoyed the tangerine orange heated over chilled.  I feel the iced version lost a little bit of its flavor.  Maybe I put too much ice, maybe my taste buds and mood were altered a bit, but I’m going to lean and say that this just feels right under higher temperatures.

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The Watermelon Lime is even that much more spectacular.  It’s good iced or hot, and the flavors remain.  This tastes even more like summer and I can’t get enough of it.  If I had to pick one, I would go with this, but you can’t go wrong (and it’s all right and amazing) with either.

CelestialSeasoningsWatermelonLimeIcedTea

It tastes like candy, it tastes naturally sweet, and it taste like it’s from somewhere or something bigger than us.  I know that’s a bit much, but I felt transformed and felt rejuvenated.   Like I said, these are the teas I should be having more often and what I grew up on.

These are the teas that have helped this blog and helped me learn more about tea, learn more about myself, and to just feel good in general.  Tea is good, tea is fun, and tea is so beautiful.

I took my time sipping as I took my time writing this.  There’s moments where I feel like, is this all worth it?  And the answer is yes. The answer is still yes.  It will always be yes.

Celestial Seasonings teas are easy to find, at a store near you, and are quite affordable, for under $3, and even less than that in many places.  In a world where teas are going up in price, for what may or may not be higher quality, Celestial Seasonings has been that constant and consistent brand that you can trust, depend on, and will always be there for you.

It’s always been there for me.

Where do we go from here?  There’s so many flavors and so many styles I could tap into.  And I just might.

I just might.

Peace as always be with you.

Ideen

From The Heart to the Soul

Tea 2 Comments

Berried&GreenGarden

Literally next door, and I mean literally next door, from where I spoke on last week, is another charming and I’ll say it, adorable spot in West Annapolis, Rutabaga Craft Juicery.

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I had no intentions of writing about this wonderful place, (here is their menu, some eco information, more about them, and their contact info) and that’s not meant in a disparaging way.  I just came for some cold-pressed juice, a smoothie, and some peace.

There’s plenty of places I walk into that I’ll never write about because either it doesn’t fit the context of what I’m saying, I like the break, or I just don’t think about.  I’ve been doing this for a while now, that I don’t always think about what to discuss or not discuss, without a little research, preparation, but my favorite is always the spontaneous.

As would be with Rutabaga…

West Annapolis is its own entity, its own island, and own universe within such a tiny and beautiful universe of Annapolis (my past posts on this wonderful place are here), that the joy just continues to compound.

With such a cozy space, it’s a blessing I had an outside table to myself.  I came around lunch hour, and while people were in and out, it once again felt like I was the only person on Earth.  That’s a good feeling, and while it may feel egocentric or narcissistic, it feels like peace to me.  And there’s more of where that I came from, and more at our disposal then we know.

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I went with the Berried (a blend of apple ,strawberry, blueberry raspberry, and banana maple chia) and it went down smooth, went down easy, and went down a little too fast.  The weather warranted it.  Which also means I could’ve used a glass of water or two.  I did get around to that eventually.

But as I was leaving, I noticed they had kombucha on tap and available for sampling.  Since I already bought a drink, I feel like I had some immunity and didn’t feel as greedy or as cheap by trying all three samples.

One stood out above the rest.

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The Green Garden from Federal Brewing Company based out of Federalsburg, MD, was one of the more refreshing kombucha’s I’ve had.  It was the perfect contrast to my fruit drink, that I loved trading a sip of each back and forth, while cleansing my palate of course.   Even without a sip of water in between, I got all the beautiful tastes and flavors from each.

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I honestly forgot what was in the Green Garden, but maybe I wasn’t supposed to know or remember.  I just knew it was great, and I would love to have some more.

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For the warmer climates, you can’t go wrong with either of these.  You can’t go wrong with supporting local business, and any chance to sit outside, be with nature, enjoy my surroundings, and enjoy not one, but two amazing beverages is something to be truly grateful for.

If you’re local to the area, and have not visited Rutabaga’s, I highly recommend it.  The staff is so friendly and accommodating. Many tourists will visit this summer, and because of its location it may be overlooked, but I wouldn’t.  It’s a gem among gems, among more gems.  While open for less than three years, it looks like it’s going to be a mainstay for years to come.  It’s another great reason to visit and love our state capital.

Have a good one, enjoy your day, and peace be with you.

Ideen

 

 

Missing The Tropics

Tea 2 Comments

rishiteacovered3

Actually I don’t recall the last time I was in the tropics.  So this title is purely for show.

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However, a serendipitous visit to Coffee Nature in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, DC gave me a little piece of the tropics at home.

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As I’ve stated before on numerous occasions, the atmosphere, the energy, and everything else around you is just as important as the tea you’re drinking.  If someone rubs you the wrong way, say a friend, family member, the staff member of the shoppe/restaurant, or some random person, if can suddenly dilute even the tastiest of food and drink.  The opposite occurred here.

Tea houses are not as ubiquitous as coffee houses, so sometimes that’s where you’re going to find some hidden gems.  It may be their own loose tea, the standard tea bags you can find at your local grocer, or some obscurities that you would only find when you weren’t looking.  I wasn’t looking for anything. I’m guessing the Tropical Hibiscus from Rishi Tea falls somewhere along the latter.

Before I even walked in I got the sense that I was in for something special.  The shop is nestled amongst a neighborhood of charming homes.  It felt like home walking in.  I didn’t even need to do research afterwards to get the sense that this has that community feel that I always hope to find when discovering a new place for food and drink.

Now I don’t know anyone in the neighborhood but I imagine, even for a city like Washington DC, that some friendly bonds and comradery would materialize organically and rather swiftly.  That’s also up to the individual and the universe itself.

I was all set to get a more familiar tea for the day but then I saw smack dab in the middle of all these teas was that Tropical Hibiscus and I’m grateful I did.

I ordered a turkey wrap for no particular reason other than I was in the mood for some turkey.  I figured the avocado was enough to make believe I’m on a tropical island.  An armchair will do.

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To my pleasant surprise was the presentation.  My tea was brought to me with a silicone tea cover.  This also made the tea sipping experience that much better.  It may be a little thing but it’s a big thing.

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The tea has loads of orange and tangerine flavors.  That’s the true stand out here. For a tea of this magnitude it’s going to feel feeler than what you might expect. Lemongrass is always a welcome addition to any cup for me. And I just love the fact that hibiscus and rosehips are ingredients in so many of the teas I’ve come to love. This one in particular I’m intrigued by.

Why am I intrigued?  I can’t find it on the Rishi site itself.   I hope I’m wrong but if you do a search it doesn’t come up.  So I’ve posted third party sites, like this on here, where you can find this tea.

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The staff at Coffee Nature was laid back and welcoming.  Again, for DC I was surprised. Once again, it’s what you choose to see and what you attract.  Not everything in every cosmopolitan town is watered down and pretentious.  There’s a place for everyone. There’s room for everyone.   How funny that I’m the one who unintentionally had to write about one of the more obscure teas.   So I’m the jerk.

To find all of Rishi teas in your area (aside from obscure pick) click here.

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This photo was taken at a local grocer near me, Whole Foods.  Every Rishi tea known to man except the Tropical Hibiscus, oops.

If you’re in DC, check out Coffee Nature.  I hope to be back.  If I lived nearby I’d frequent it at least a few times a week.   And I love Rishi tea.  I hope to get the opportunity to talk about some more soon.

Here is my original post on their teas.

As we approach the chillier months, it’ll be most likely back to hot teas and complementary foods to go with.  If the weather presents itself, or I’m feeling unconventional, there will be a cold or iced tea review that will make a sporadic appearance.

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Thanks so much,

Ideen