Plain black tea does not do it for me. But something that has a fruity and flavorful aromatic smell that makes you want to twirl amongst sunflowers on a sunny Tuscan day in Italy. Well, that rocks my world! Okay, just the thought of being in Italy ROCKS! For today, however, I am taking in the beautiful sunshine in sunny Del Mar, California–a very close second to Tuscany. And, I’m enjoying some delicious Teavana Tea.
I’ve come to realize that the store-bought tea bags usually don’t get me that excited. I discovered Teavana and the many loose leaf flavors and fell in love. On a cold day, the hot teas are welcoming and on a hot day, like today, there’s nothing better than an herbal Wild Orange Blossom and Youthberry blend over ice. Not only is it pretty to look at (resembles potpourri) but it’s naturally caffeine-free.
You can buy the teas in separate containers and mix them or buy them pre-mixed. I opted for the latter but in the future I will buy them individually. That way you have more control over the flavor as you can blend them the way you want, depending on your taste at that particular moment.
I also purchased an ingenious Teavana TeaMaker. It’s similar to a French Coffee Press but works in reverse. You place the loose tea into the sturdy plastic (polycarbonate–BPA-free) container. It has a stainless-steel strainer that can be removed and keeps the loose leaves from flowing into your drink and it’s super simple to clean. It comes with a plastic coaster to rest it on. All you have to do is fill the container with the correct temperature water on top of your loose tea (and add sweetener, if you wish) and steep it for about two minutes (or the desired length of time). Then place the Teavana TeaMaker on top of a tea mug or any container that can hold hot tea and has a 3-5 inch diameter; lightly press down and the tea empties into your cup. Voilà! there’s your perfect cup of tea. The small Teavana TeaMaker makes about 16 ounces and retails for approximately $20. You’ll get your value out of this one. I use it daily. Note that the larger wooden hot pad is not part of the Teavana TeaMaker.
I like to sweeten my tea with a bit of unprocessed German Rock Sugar crystals derived from beets. They sweeten the tea without altering the flavor. The crystals will add about 25 calories per teaspoon. The tea is quite good without the crystals too.
