A Cup of Tea

Growing up elderberries were a part of our life. Elderberry pie was my Dad’s favorite pie. We scoured roadsides for elderberry bushes and got excited when it was elderberry season. I seem to remember my Mom getting poison ivy from an elderberry adventure. I used homemade elderberry jelly on toast. And one year, the elderberry jelly didn’t set. This new creation, which we called elderberry syrup, meant we could enjoy elderberry milkshakes.

With a childhood rooted in all things elderberry, whenever I see something elderberry I want to try it. My favorite tea shop, McNulty’s, has elderberry herbal tea. I had to try it.

I love it. It smells so sweet and fruity. The taste is not as sweet as the smell but still delicious. It brings back my childhood memories with every sip. I have a friend who is planning to use some of this tea to make a fun iced tea this summer. When I hear a report back on that, I’ll let you know. Overall, I’m huge fan of all things elderberry including this tea.

Recently, a friend and I shared this tea together. It smells delicious when you open the envelope and sniff the tea bag. It smells delicious when it is steeping. Sadly, the smell and taste are not the same. It is not the worst tea I’ve ever tasted and yet I kindly refused my friend’s offer of a second cup of tea. She also declined a second cup of tea. This tea leaves you with a bitter aftertaste that stays with you for a long time. Also, I didn’t taste much chocolate mostly just bitterness. I cannot recommend this tea. If anyone has tried this tea and likes it, let me know your secret to enjoying this tea.

I am ready to switch from my winter teas to my summer teas. Today’s weather is rainy and chilly, so I went with a fun tea that I drink year round. This is another tea from Trader Joe’s. It is their Pomegranate White Tea. I like that you can taste the pomegranate in this tea. For me, it is an all seasons tea because it isn’t too heavy nor too sweet. I’m enjoying a cup of this today in the midst of this Spring-time rainy day.

Normally, I am not a huge fan of sleepy teas. They often taste “good for me” and make me feel like I am being forced to go to sleep. I feel the opposite about this tea. I enjoy drinking it. It makes me feel calm (without being pushy about it!). It is a mixture of so many different ingredients (chamomile flowers, lemon grass, spearmint leaves, tilia flowers, peppermint leaves, passionflower leaves, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn berries, and rosebuds) that surprising work well together. If you enjoy a cup of tea before bed, I would highly recommend giving this tea a try.

Mom’s Hot Chocolate

This is a recipe I remember from my childhood. We didn’t have packets of hot chocolate. We had Schwan’s ice cream containers filled with homemade hot chocolate mix and a ¼ cup Tupperware measuring cup. This mixture stores well and for a long time. So, you can make a batch now and enjoy a little before Spring appears or save this recipe for next fall!

A few warnings with this recipe. Warning 1-It is old and every time I try to make it I am frustrated that the ingredients no longer come in the sizes called for with this recipe. You can either do lots of math or just wing it. If you know me well, you know that I start off with the math option and end up winging it! Warning 2-My husband doesn’t find this recipe to be chocolatey enough. Next time I make a batch, I’ll increase the chocolate for him!

Mix Together-

3 quart box of Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk

1 pound box of Nestle Quick

7 ounces of Powdered Coffee Creamer

½ cup of Powdered Sugar

To enjoy your hot chocolate, mix together ¼ cup of mix with mug of hot water. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired.

 

This morning in my tea cabinet I found one bag of Wild Sweet Orange Tea by Tazo. It is delicious. I’m hoping I’ll find a few more bags of it hiding in the back of my tea cabinet. According to Tazo’s website, this herbal tea contains lemongrass, spearmint, rose petals, and orange peel. All of these flavors combine into a smooth and tasty cup of tea.

My family has been sick-Mom, Dad, my niece, and me. I’ve been trying to get the adults to drink some hot tea to help us feel better. I found this tea in the local supermarket and decided to give it a try when I saw that they donate 1 meal for every two boxes purchased. After two cups, I like the idea of this tea more than the tea. It isn’t bad. It just isn’t winning me over as my new favorite tea. It is a dark cup of tea for white tea and I don’t taste enough pomegranate. I do love that they are producing organic tea and that they are donating a portion of their profits to help others. Those two factors are enough to make me give another of their flavors a try!

I am away from home and forgot to bring along any tea. Luckily, my hotel has this delicious tea and hot water available all day. This tea contains chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, and orange blossoms. When I read that long list, I thought this tea is going to be tasty or horrible. Good news! All these flavors work together in way that isn’t overwhelming and leaves me feeling relaxed after drinking it. If you find this tea while you are traveling, give it a try.

My husband and I are in the process of moving into a new home. Moving is stressful and overwhelming. To make myself feel at home in the new house, the first thing I moved in was my tea. It made me feel so good to see my tea in its own special place. I hope that you have a place in your home for whatever it is that inspires you and brings you joy. It doesn’t have to be a big place. This tea cabinet is very small, and yet it works well for all my teas. If you don’t have a space set aside for that which brings you peace and happiness, I hope you’ll look around your home and find a place for yourself.

At the suggestion of one of my readers, I tried Bengal Spice. What a great suggestion! To quote the Blendmaster’s Notes on the side of the box, “Brimming with cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and cloves, a cup of our aromatic Bengal Spice tea is like a trip to an exotic spice market in a faraway land. The adventurous blend is our caffeine-free interpretation of Chai, a piquant brew traditionally made with black tea. Try Bengal Spice with milk and sugar for a true Chai experience.”

I love chai tea and chai tea lattes. This tea works well with milk and sugar or with just milk or just plain. As soon as I open the box, I smell the tea and smile. It smells just as good while it is steeping. And it tastes just as good as it smells. Give this tea a try. You’ll be glad you did!