Once I procured samples of these teas (two of their newest in fact), I was pleasantly surprised by their virtue. Choice Organic Teas are Organic, sustainably manufactured and fair trade certified. In fact, in 2000 Choice Organic Teas became the first tea crafter in the United States to offer Fair Trade Certified™ tea. Where have I been?

Himalaya Green Tea

A new variety in the extensive Choice line-up, this tea is definitely for “real” green tea fans. Pure green tea, as enjoyed in Asia, can be slightly bitter, grassy and not a touch sweet. Many Americanized green teas have been sweetened or produce a weak brew, but Choice hasn’t bowed to the popularity contest. Their green tea holds true to its roots and is a mighty strong green at that. On their site, they’ve labeled it “gently refreshing.” While I enjoyed the tea, those aren’t the descriptive words I would use. It had a pure, bold and distinct flavor that reminded me greatly of the tea that was served in my favorite Chinese restaurant (managed by a friend from Hong Kong who imported all of his teas).

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of leaving the tea bag in my mug for too long. My favorite mug is quite large and since so many teas are weak, I rarely need to remove the bag promptly nor do they ever have enough potency to make a second cup. But, this Himalaya green tea from Choice is strong and alas, becomes a bit bitter if allowed it to brew for too long. Be sure to remove the bag after a few minutes and enjoy a second jumbo mug of the green stuff!

Oh yes, in case the whole organic, fair trade thing wasn’t enough, Choice donates 10¢ per box to Save The Himalayan Kingdom, a non-profit organization with programs focused on environment, health, and literacy issues.

Lemon Lavender Mint Herb Tea

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this flavor combination. Peppermint tea is one of my favorite morning teas, for its refreshing caffeine-free wake up call; I find lemon to be a bit sharp in flavor, while lavender is soothing and relaxing, a bedtime herb if you will. The entire package seemed a bit contradictory, so I was somewhat apprehensive.

Because of the lavender, I opted to enjoy it as a nightcap. I usually enjoy a cup of chamomile in the evening to relax my senses, but I was pleasantly surprised by the soothing powers of lavender. This was my first taste of lavender (infused or otherwise), and I was surprised at how mellow it was in flavor. The mint was much more sedated than my bold peppermint tea, it enlivened the lavender and left a nice clean aftertaste. Luckily, I really didn’t detect the lemon, as I am not a huge fan of lemon in tea.

I really was pleasantly surprised by the seductive blend of this tea. It was soothing, calming and fresh. Its nice crisp taste left me feeling warm and relaxed. I think it may be time to for me to move on from the chamomile tea and welcome this new flavor infusion. A definite two thumbs up.

Where to Purchase: Obviously this stuff isn’t too hard to find if I was mistaking it for a generic (boy do I feel foolish now!). But… if you can’t find it in your local store, see the Choice website to order. Their tea comes in packages of 16 individually packaged tea bags. Prices range from $3.45-5.65 per box of 16. Loose leaf teas are also available.

In the past, I would never have touched a tea labeled with mint.  I do love chocolate and mint, but tea always sounds weird.  Yet, just a few weeks ago, some spearmint was slipped into a tea I ordered when we were traveling (okay, I just didn’t read the full description before ordering) and it was really good! Well, let me say that this tea was indeed fantastic.  Warm, soothing, and minty, it was like a wonderful caffeine-free wake-up call in the morning.  I have heard that mint also satiates, so this may be an excellent after-dinner tea as well to prevent further nibbling.  This tea was a nice blend of organic peppermint and organic spearmint leaves, that’s it, not another ingredient.

Needless to say, I headed back to Albertsons to pick up the remaining mint stock!  As for the Breakfast Blend… to my great surprise, my husband said it tasted like mud.  He thought it was terrible, and he is a big black tea drinker.  However, I have noted that none of the Stash brand teas, organic or conventional, have floated his boat. 

Several varieties of Stash Organic Tea (both loose and bags) can be purchased for a good price at Amazon.  I also recommend checking out the Stash Tea website as they seem to host several discounts, specials, and small contests.

Drats, they captured me once again!  You see, the Trader Joe’s brand of tea is horrible.  Perhaps it is just my personal taste buds, but they seem to produce almost lifeless tea.  No spark, no zest, no nothing really.  It was most certainly the most bland Chai or Rooibos (let alone a combination of the two) that I had ever tasted. 

I pondered iced tea, but this often requires a stronger tea if anything.  Then, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could chill the tea and use it in smoothies?  After all, the package referred to their Rooibos as antioxidant rich, it would be such a shame to waste it.  Curious if anyone had trialed tea smoothies, I set out on an internet search.  I certainly found a few green tea concoctions, but those used mostly green tea powder.  Slowly, I began to unearth various creamy teas, and I was surprised by the method.  Rather than brewing and then chilling the tea, they just ripped those bags right open and tossed the contents in.  This sounded easy enough.

My cool and creamy beverage turned out to have more of a milkshake-like consistency, though the texture is inevitably up to the individual.  Honestly, it wasn’t bad.  It was still a weak bunch of spices, but at least their full essence was captured in this recipe.  The spicy twist to my otherwise ordinary shake was also a welcome enhancement.

Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Chai “Milkshake”

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 chai tea bag (I used the Chai Rooibos from Trader Joe’s, but I am sure there are better!)
• 1 frozen very ripe banana, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter
• ice (optional)

Blend it all up!  If your mixture is too thick, add more almond milk.  If it is too thin, add more frozen banana or ice.

I think the perfect dairy-free / vegan “milkshake” would be a simple blend of the tea contents with some vanilla non-dairy “ice cream” (maybe Whole Soy & Co or Soy Delicious), some milk alternative, and your tea bag of choice.  However, since I am trying to keep added sugars out of the picture as much as possible, this banana and almond mixture seems to work quite well.  I even used unsweetened almond milk, but you don’t need to go that far.. I believe regular vanilla almond milk is still quite low in sugars, and it has a nice mild sweetness that will surely be welcomed by any beverage.

Post reprinted from One Frugal Foodie.

Their studies suggest that while morning coffee may ease caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which may have built up overnight, it does not seem to increase alertness. That is, at least for regular caffeine junkies. Those who have avoided it for a while may still get a buzz. Yet, overall it seems those who drink a caffeinated beverage first thing in the morning may be no more alert than those who never consume one.

Of course, the British Coffee Association isn’t going to take this one lying down. They quickly debated the study stating that there is a mountain of scientific evidence to back up the consumption of four to five cups per day as beneficial for alertness and performance. Unfortunately, they didn’t site a single piece of research.

I will briefly come to their rescue to justify the richly caffeinated tea I am sipping between sentences:

From a personal standpoint, whether it is a real boost, withdrawals, or simply placebo effect, the theory of energy is sometimes enough to get me through a tiring day.

From a scientific view, two Universities out of the very Starbucks-friendly United States have given us some other excuses to keep our daily brew. In January, a team of researchers from the University of Georgia reported that moderate doses of caffeine (say two cups of coffee) cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent. Okay, it was a (very) small sample of volunteers, but there is more.

About a year and a half ago, scientists out of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania notified us that coffee is the top source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet. Though we should probably be getting a few more fruits and veggies as well, it is quite possible that the bean and tealeaves could contribute to a healthy immune system.

Keep in mind; there are always a few rules. It seems that cow’s milk may block some of black tea’s potential superpowers in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, and strokes. I am not sure if this carries over to any possible benefits of coffee as well. To stay on the safe side, if you must make it creamy, a good milk alternative may be the best choice.

Now that I am feeling a bit better about my in home energy experiment, I am off to boil some water for my second cup.