Tag Archives: organic

Harris Tea-ter

Tea 8 Comments

HarrisTeeter2

I know, I was looking for a more captivating title, but the Organic Peppermint Herb Tea from Harris Teeter is anything but.

Maybe it was an off-week, but not every tea I have is going to inspire me and make me throw every superlative in the book at it.  This won’t be that post.

A lot of energy and emotion has been thrown at some of my recent stories that this come-down might be necessary.  I’m just surprised it came from this one.

Dear friends of mine are aware I do this blog and always suggest certain brands and flavors to choose from.  They’ve given me carte blanche to rummage through cupboards and pantries to discover some hidden treasure.

This tea has only one ingredient, organic peppermint. I’m immediately thinking this is going to be one of the more natural and genuine cups I’ll have or something abysmal.  This wasn’t the worst but it’s disappointing.  There’s nothing to it.

I’ve had plenty of store and name-brand teas that have been so memorable that I still think about to this day.  I’m thinking about a few just as I write this now.

Peppermint is a flavor that might only be suited for winter or colder weather months.  I say that if a tea is good, it’s going to work year-round.  And I technically did have this cup right at the change of seasons, and still relatively cooler temperatures.  If a tea is great, it’s going to be taste magnificent any time you have it.

Of course some teas work better during certain months and certain times.   This was just bland and felt soulless.  The peppermint tasted inconsistent.  Sometimes I tasted it more than others.  There was powerful sips and some that tasted like nothing at all. There’s not much more to say.

HarrisTeeter1

Well, at least the cookies were good.

I’m a big fan of Harris Teeter, so this will not deter me from trying more.  I just hope future teas won’t be tasting as ordinary as this one.

More times than not, the second or third go around usually meets or surpasses expectations.   I’m confident the same thing will happen here.   And as we approach the warmer months, I’m looking forward to having some more inspirational experiences.

Take good care,

Ideen

 

You Know My Steaz

iced tea, Tea 7 Comments

I went on another adventure or scavenger hunt in search of another tea, cold or hot, to write about.   And in keeping with this warm weather, I happily went with the former.

Steaz

I had never heard of Steaz until earlier this week.  And shame on me.  But at the same time, this is what this blog and learning new things is all about.  If it wasn’t for writing about one my favorite things, I may not have crossed paths with their products for a while. I probably saw them on grocery store shelves but were just a part of anything else in my view.

Steazy

I am really digging these organic iced teas that these companies are concocting.

In traditional fashion I grabbed two cans that I wanted to try.  And I did a taste test in the comfort of my home.   I went with some different flavors for this incarnation.

I went with the Super Fruit and Blueberry Pomegranate.  The links associated with both flavors are the same, but this website is so user-friendly, you should have no trouble finding your way.

And speaking of the same, they both taste very similar.  If you gave me a blind taste test, I would say they were both fruit punch of a medley of some sort.  I wouldn’t be able to get all the correct fruits for two respectively but I’d give it a shot.

With that being said, I liked both very much.   After a couple sips each, I wasn’t in love with either right away.  But with time they both grew on me.  It might have been my palate or taste buds at the time.  But I think the bigger picture is I am unfortunately used to drinking sweeter and artificial beverages in the Summer that I may not have been fully appreciating a natural and organic treat. That’s my educated guess on this.

SteazSuperSteazBluePom

In looking at the ingredients of both teas, I saw to a degree, that they are very similar.  Had I been had? Ha, I don’t think that to be the case. Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to pour each can into a glass with ice to get a better feel for what I was working with.

SteazDuo

At first blush both drinks look very similar. But as you look closer the Blueberry Pomegranate does have a darker tint to it. And yes it does have a little more power than the Super Fruit, which I did not expect at all.  I expected the Super Fruit to hit me like that comic book hero you may have heard about. All kidding aside, I enjoyed both very much. And I would love to try more of there selections in the future.  They have plenty of them.

And best of all, they are a Fair Trade ingredients so I know I am drinking something that represents good.  And hopefully I am bringing my good energy from this purchase back into the world.   And my other favorite part of researching these organizations is their role in helping the community or communitea if you will!

And information on where to buy their products can be found here.

I felt good drinking their stand-out iced teas and look forward to more in the future.   I felt so good trying them out that it made this post that much more easy to write.

More to come!

Best,

Ideen

Thankful for this Turkey

Tea 4 Comments

TurkeyHillTeas2

I’m thankful for a lot of things.  And I should be thankful for more.   A little early for Thanksgiving I know.  And this is not a play on words or any puns intended.

And I am thankful and grateful for finding things to talk about each week.

I was at my local supermarket headed towards the tea aisle, but before I could make it, I spotted the featured items display by the registers.    They had a few cold teas in the fridge, but the one that stood out the most was from Turkey Hill.

Their ice creams and juices were always a staple in our house growing up but with time and experiences we move onto other food and beverage interests.

Well it’s nice to be reunited!

I had no idea they made Organic Iced Tea, let along so many other awesome looking products.

I picked up two and I’ll get it out-of-the-way, I loved them both very much!  If I drank these blindly I wouldn’t have thought they were organic.  I would just think they tasted great.

TurkeyGreen

First up is the Organic Green Tea with a touch of honey.  And a touch of honey is spot on.  It’s not overpowering that you forget this is a green tea.  They got this just right. This was a pleasure to sip and would be enjoyable on a hot Summer’s day or any time of year.   And with just a few ingredients, you know you’re getting something pure.

TurkeyPeach

And then we have the Peach Organic Black Tea.  It’s hard to pick a favorite.  I honestly loved them both so much.  There’s a lot more peach here than there’s honey in the aforementioned green, but it’s wonderful.   Peach is one of my favorite fruits and to combine it with one of my favorite beverages is majestic.

Another point of note, I had no idea they were so close to home. Turkey Hill’s main headquarters are an hour or so north of us in the Baltimore area, in Lancaster County, PA.   Anyone up for a road trip?

If you can’t find their products in your nearby store, you can order from them here.

TurkeyHillTeas

And just like wine, they have food pairing suggestions for their iced teas, which are done in a very user-friendly and approachable way.

I am sold!  I can’t wait to try and embrace more of their products.   I feel good perusing their site and supporting a company near me.

In addition to a couple of other organic selections I haven’t had the opportunity to try, they have an extensive iced tea collection.  And I hope to review those as well in the future.

I will be thankful to do so.

Best,

Ideen

Honest Tea Is The…

Tea 1 Comment

HonestChilling

Did you get the play on words?   I wasn’t aware of the double meaning until today.  And it’s always been in plain sight. I’ve been drinking Honest Tea, here and there for a number of years. A fun fact is that it’s based not far away from where I grew up, in Bethesda, MD.

As the weather shifts to hotter and more humid, the posts will also shift to cooler options, which will include bottled and iced teas.   Without hesitation I wanted to write about this Maryland based company as my first foray away from the stove, hot water, pots, kettles, and all the fun instruments I’ve been using recently.

It was a sunny day, very hot and hazy, and aside from drinking lots of ice cold water, I had a yearning for some naturally flavored goodness.   So I got the inspiration to write about a cold tea when I made it to my grocers aisle.

I missed National Iced Tea Day last week, so I’m making up for it as much as I can today.

As you can see, the amount of bottles is endless.  So I grabbed a couple in hopes they would turn out great.  I chilled them in the refrigerator after purchase, so I could fully appreciate their hopefully refreshing tastes.

So how’d it go?  Well fun is one way of looking at it!

HonestPeachTrioHonestPeachBack

First up is the Peach Oo-La-Long Tea.  The name is entertaining and really resonates with me.  It’ll be on my mind for a while.  That’s a great way to sell you brand.   The tea itself for me was solid.   Oolong is not a tea I’ve had often nor have I ever been a major fan.  This will take some growing.  My taste and experience for it has been seldom.  After drinking this that could change.  It wasn’t my favorite chilled tea but we all have our particular tastes.

The peach puree and agave flavors are dynamite.  I really like agave.  And it’s an interesting alternative to honey, which I love almost more than anything on his planet.  So I was happy to try something different.

HonestMangoDuoHonestMangoBack

Next is the Mango White.   This I could drink endless bottles of.  The flavors come alive here.  I adore white tea and I adore mango.   And throw in the agave syrup once again and we have a winner.  Perfection.  Having this chilled on a hot Summers day is a visual I’d like to repeat.  What a joy this is.

HonestQuotesHonestQuotes (2)

And the profound quotes, proverbs and messages under every lid is a wonderful touch.

There’s a lot going on with this company.  And their website is loaded with information.  It’s a lot to take in but I included links where I could.  More on their products can be found here.

My favorite parts of all revolve around helping the community and there’s plenty to read about.  I love this stuff!  It makes me want to do more.

Being Fair Trade Certified and USDA Organic is always something I look for in a product and if the intent is good then I feel good about what I’m supporting.  It’s my symbolic gesture of saying thank you and it’s me saying I’d like to do my part as well in helping others.

I know I only glossed over Honest Tea’s items, but I could go on.  Instead, I will revisit them later this Summer and hopefully talk more of their amazing teas, flavors, and messages of good.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

A Coconut Classic

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CoconutGreenTea

I am grateful to be doing blogs like this.  And with a niche such as tea, there’s a boundless and unlimited amount of topics to write about.   Today’s sampling is so good, my positive comments will not do it justice.  But, there will be a few more photos than usual!  And fortunately, it was a sunny day so the rays will show themselves in pictures.  And you may see more steam than usual.  Woohoo!

The Coconut Green Tea brought to you by the fine folks at Trader Joe’s is the quintessential tea for the Spring and Summer months to come.   I can’t say enough superlatives.

First, how endearing is the tin design?  TJ’s has always been known for their hippie ways, organic foods, and natural designs – and this continues that tradition.  For my previous review of one of their specials, click here.

IngredientsBrewingMoves

Second, there are the user friendly instructions and ingredients, as you can see above.   With approachable colors and fonts, I’m always been drawn to their products.

Finally, it’s wonderful.   I know in the early stages of this blog it’s been positive reviews all around.  And the choices I’ve written about have all been good to great. There are some terrible ones out there but they’ve yet to cross my path.  This is the antithesis of terrible.   This is a creation from something bigger than us. The ingredients are listed above, but it’s also chock-full of soul.  One of the best I’ve ever tasted.

As I was saying, the brewing tips are easy to comprehend and make this a joyous experience.

In brewing this, the smells really came through when pouring the hot water from the pot into my cup.  Yes, the green cup is back and appropriate for this posting!   To change it up, I used a different strainer.   It’s all about having fun and trying different things.

EyeCandyDeuxEyeCandy

Through a recommendation from a friend, I was told to drink it at a few degrees below boiling point, as to not damage the green tea leaves.   I was not aware of the significance until today.

In the tradition of previous loose tea postings, here is the brewing process in photos below.

TeaLeavesGoodStuff!

As you can see in the website’s suggestions, their favorite is cold brew.   I drank it in its aforementioned form and was satisified.  It actually tasted better to me as it started to cool.

SugarInTheRaw!LetsAddMilk!

There is a bitterness via the lemongrass and ginger, but it’s flavors I like.   I usually have my teas with no additional sweeteners, creams. or milk but through a suggestion, I added a teaspoon of Sugar In The Raw and a splash or organic milk, and boy did it add to the flavors.    No sweet treats needed for this beverage as it was sweet enough!

I took my time drinking this as this is something to be savored.  The last few sips with the hint of milk and residual Sugar In The Raw was a blessing to my taste buds.    And the change in color is out of this world!

AmazingCup

This, like many other teas, can be drank year round.  Even with the palm trees and beach motif, which is awesome by the way, you can have this anytime you want.

Have a good week and stay healthy!

Best,

Ideen