Tea Time Archives - myfoxycorner

Archive of ‘Tea Time’ category

15
May
2015

My Foxy Tea Time – make time for tea

categories: Tea Time

Sometimes all I want to do is post about tea, and in my head I try and consider how much an average tea drinker would want to read about tea (possibly not at all) and then hold off on continually bombarding you with tea favourites. It’s not my fault that its my life source. I am slowly trying to back away from my relationship with coffee and so tea is becoming even more important in my life, although to be honest I didn’t realise that was possible.

I’m so glad this week has come to an end. It’s not that I don’t try to enjoy everyday, but a few busy busy weekends, a flat inspection and then full on stuff at work has made me a slightly more exhausted version of myself than I would like to be. So to relax, I turn to tea. And here are 4 more teas that have been occupying my teapot lately.

This first gorgeous tin is full of a tea I had been meaning to buy for the longest time, and eventually picked up from the awesome little tea shop in Mt Eden (tea and romance novels, what more could you need?!). Paris is a black tea by Harney & Sons, and for someone who tends to stick to herbal teas, this is a firm favourite of mine. I would drink a pot of it every time we visited Okra, and now I get to enjoy it at home too! This black tea is pretty fruity and flavourful, with bergamot and orange, but also warm notes of caramel and vanilla. Its a delicious brew, strong yet comforting, self-assured yet mysterious, like the French I guess. Delicious.

I know we are moving into the colder weather, and these cold brew bags are now more often hot brewed, but I have been loving this Apple and Elderflower herbal tea by Red Seal a lot lately. It’s a refreshing cup, with clean flavours, and does a great job of satisfying my 3pm sweet tooth cravings. The individual packaging is not the most ecologically friendly I would guess, but is perfect for me throwing a few into my handbag for work,

Just take a moment to gaze on the beauty of this t leaf cinnamon apple chamomile herbal tisane (long name, but I promise its worth it). It not only looks weirdly wonderful, but this amazing combination of flavours is my perfect evening drink to de-stress, unwind and settle down before bed. The apple and cinnamon are subtle but do a perfect job of bringing a warmth and depth of flavour to the chamomile blossoms. A perfect option for someone who isn’t a super big fan of chamomile tea itself, but wants to have its relaxing benefits!

Last up is this wee bag of Kerikeri Organic Green Honeybush which has been my main choice at work lately. This caffeine-free tea doesn’t have super interesting flavours, but it tastes similar to a subtle green tea and has a slight sweetness. From what I have gathered, honeybush is a South African tea, similar to Rooibos, and normally the same golden red colour. This makes a great alternative for Green Tea as it still has high levels of antioxidants but doesn’t contain the caffeine of green tea.

Let me know what tea has been featuring for you lately as this colder weather moves in, or what you think if you have tried any of the above!

09
Feb
2015

My Foxy Tea Time: I’m all about that tea

categories: Tea Time

Another afternoon of being undecided about what tea to drink led to another tea post. Because I love tea and I have many tea options to share with you. Not that you need as much tea as me, but by doing these posts I almost feel as though my tea drinking has a higher purpose. It doesn’t, but we gotta make our excuses, right?

Here are four favourites that I have been enjoying over the last couple of months. I did a giant t leaf haul just before Christmas and was going to post on it but then felt guilty over its excessiveness and decided to refrain, needless to say t leaf will be popping up here and there.

First up is this peach and pineapple tea from red seal, part of their new hot and cold brew range. I have mostly had this cold because it is so easy not having to bother with cooling down a hot tea when craving something refreshing in this hot summer weather. This tea will brew in cold water, making iced tea 10x easier and quicker to assemble. Aside from the convenience, this tea is also rather delicious, although with a combination of peach and pineapple that came as no surprise. Add alcohol to increase effectiveness.

If I could only have one tea to drink forever it would take me less that a heartbeat to choose peppermint. Its just so perfectly relaxing but also refreshing, cleansing and still tasty. So when I placed my slightly ridiculous order with t leaf it wasn’t really a question over choosing their peppermint herbal tisane. Now a heads up, this stuff is pretty potent. So for a full 4 person teapot (or a normal tea session for my lonesome) one tea bag does the job. But for a single cup you have to be pretty quick to avoid peppermint overload. I love this stuff and will have a constant supply from now on, but rest assured, this is pure peppermint tea at its full, beautiful strength. Enjoy.

I love artemis‘ range of health benefit teas, and although it is currently summer and most people aren’t constantly sick in summer, I am. So immuno-boosting in any form is always welcome. This tea has a very herbal flavour profile, with elderflower, thyme and sage with a little aniseed and linden blossom thrown in. You can read all about why these ingredients are supposed to help over on their website, but if you are looking for a natural way to give your body a bit of a boost, this is one delicious option.

Last but not least is the one I am drinking right now (and I just spilt some on the keyboard). I am not a green tea drinker. I wish I was, but I’m not. Why I decided to put this Pina Colada Green Tea in my shopping cart eludes me, but I did and it turns out that this flavoured green tea is delicious! With pineapple and coconut pieces drowning out the overtly “green” taste, this is definitely one of the nicest green teas I have tried. I imagine this would make a killer iced tea cocktail, I’ll do some research and get back to you.

What teas have you been drinking lately? Are you the type of tea drinker who will avoid hot drinks in the summer or drink up all year round?

24
Nov
2014

My Foxy Tea Time: keep calm and drink tea

categories: Tea Time

I love tea. With weeks like last week where everything that could go wrong went wrong and my normal coping strategies were forgotten in the spur of losing my mind (just a little bit), the only thing that got me through each day (other than Edd, Ben Howard and copious amounts of wine) was my love of tea. Some people don’t get tea. Edd doesn’t get tea, especially herbal teas. To him they are just watery drinks with no real substance or meaning. I don’t get these people. Tea is great, stop sharing your tea complaints and just sit down and drink some more.

My recent taste in tea is kind of reflective of my lifestyle/state of mind as of late. I assume this must happen for others too. With life being more stressful then I ever agreed upon, here they are, 4 of my favourite teas that have been helping me get through and face each day with a smile, even if it is the kind of pained smile that makes your face ache a little.

Twinings Invigorating Peppermint

Twinings Invigorating Peppermint If I could only have one type of tea for the rest of my life, it would take me less than a second to choose peppermint. I love this stuff. This Twinings brand is my current “at home” peppermint tea (I have a Dilmah one at work which I have raved about before). This is just a straight up, no frills but also non-challenging peppermint tea that is the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon, or a rushed 10 minute break between tasks. I love the versatility of peppermint tea. Any time of day, any state of mind (although I seem to be testing it on a primarily stressed one).

artemis Deep Sleep Tea

Artemis Deep Sleep Tea artemis are a new brand for me, local and certified organic with a mission statement that I can get behind, I love their range of teas that are specifically targeted for different mental and physical uses. This one is specifically to aid with Deep Sleep, something I have not been experiencing a lot of. This tea is a soothing loose leaf mixture of lemon balm, licorice, passionflower, hops and valerian root. You can see what each ingredient is specifically included for (I love that this information is so accessible!) but for me the key is whether it tastes okay and whether I feel any benefit. The taste was different to what I was expecting, I think due to the licorice and hops which give this a slightly unusual taste but it wasn’t at all unpleasant. Sleep wise, it seemed to help me get to sleep quicker and wake up less so if you want to try a natural alternative to sleeping medication I would definitely give this a go.

t leaf Restful herbal infusion

t leaf are a New Zealand tea brand that I may have become a little obsessed with. This is the first tea by them I have tried, and I chose the restful one because generally I reach for tea when I am not feeling so restful. Ignoring how beautiful the t leaf tea bags are (I feel so wasteful throwing them away), this tea is definitely one I would buy more of. It has a combination of relaxing ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, ginger and cinnamon along with a peach flavouring and it tastes delicious. Their tea is also pretty reasonably priced and so easy to shop from afar …. I may have an order currently on its way to me now.

T2 Southern Sunrise

I couldn’t do a tea post without including one of my favourite tea brands, T2 (also the most expensive, but I like to pretend the price tag is a figment of my imagination and just buy all the tea anyway, much to Edd’s dismay). This tea is kind of the odd one in the bunch, its summery and punchy and flavoursome. I have been using this as the weather gets warmer to create some delicious iced tea concoctions. Southern Sunrise is a looseleaf tisane and comes with a delicious combination of lemongrass and grapefruit flavours. The strong citrus and fruity notes make a beautiful iced tea, especially when sweetened with some of my all time favourite Turkish Apple Tea. T2 are great at doing samples in store so go try some.

What tea has been your go to recently? And what are your tips for dealing with stressful times (asking for a friend)?

25
Oct
2013

Tea Time: Worth a Splurge

categories: Tea Time

Hi All!

So today is time for another brief tea post on the two more pricey teas that I currently am enjoying. Tea is my lifesaver at the end of a hard day. My rescue remedy when I am freaking out. Tea is to me like waffles are to Lesley Knope. Hence, every once in a while I don’t mind spending what most people probably consider a ridiculous amount of money on a box of tea. Normally I stick to the $4 approx supermarket tea options however these two were more at the $20 range (which even to me seems a little silly. I would still buy them though).

1, T2 Turkish Apple
So if I had to choose one tea to drink forever this would be right up there fighting for first place. This is an instant flavoured tisane and is basically just a delicious flavoured sugar. So not the healthiest. I compare it to raro for adults and it is similar in that I could eat this stuff by the spoonful, no hot water needed. However at $22 a box this is a very rare occaision. This is my treat tea but also is an excellent way to sweeten up other herbal teas. When I bought this from the Queen Street T2 store (which has some rather lovely staff!) I was given a couple of samples that I could try mixed with a little Turkish apple. My favourite was the Southern Sunrise (a lemongrass and grapefruit combo) which paired wonderfully with the sweet apple. Delicious and one I would keep spending too much money on. T2 can be bought in NZ at the brand new beautiful Queen street store or ordered online on their website.

2. Harney & Sons Fruit Tea Peach
This is a new brand of tea for me and one I encountered at the Auckland food show. I believe this box was only $10 but normally their teas are a little more expensive at around $15. They have a huge range and you find these in some more boutique Auckland stores such as Smith and Caughies or online at their website. This is a loose fruit tea that smells incredible. Basically made up on dried fruit such as peach, rosehips, apple and hibiscus the tea goes a long way with strong flavour and a beautiful aroma. Don’t use too much as this can easily get overbearing however done right this tea is gorgeous and makes some of the nicest iced tea I know.

So overall I guess this post was to make me feel better about spending more than normal on tea but everyone needs a treat every now and again and tea is a relatively harmless one (unless you are eating the sugar by the spoonfull). What are your splurges?

01
Oct
2013

Tuesday’s Top 10: Teas I want to try from T2

categories: Tea Time, Tuesday's Top Ten

With T2 a new gift to Auckland I have been browsing their website and store, building up a significant wishlist of teas. So far I have just one (My classic Turkish apple tea that I couldn’t leave without) and a couple of samples. But here are a few more I have on my radar…

Apple Crumble (Image from T2tea.com)

Let me preface my list with a small disclosure: T2 are not paying me in $$ or (preferably) in tea to ramble on at you about them in fact they know nothing about me. My lists are just a little weird and this is what is on my mind at the moment.

Sleep Tight (image from T2tea.com)

Apple Cumble: A tisane that is supposed to be delicious hot or cold and taste like home baking and fresh apples. I am already salivating.
Southern Sunrise: This is one of the samples I received and is a delicious herbal blend of grapefruit and lemongrass. A refreshing combination that I need in my life.
Honey Vanilla: A rooibos based tea with hints of vanilla (which I love in tea) and floral honeybush. I am intrigued.
White Jasmine: I love white tea and I love jasmine in tea so this is a combination made for me to try.
Geisha Getaway: A tropical take on Sencha green tea with coconut and pineapple. Diifferent to any other form of green tea I have tried and sounds like a holiday in a tea cup.
Sleep Tight: I am a terrible sleeper so this one could be worth a try and sounds delicious too with a combination of lemon balm, rose, lavender and jasmine.
Vanilla Mint: I love peppermint tea (to death) and so this spearmint and vanilla combination could be right up my alley.
Chai: A basic one, I know but I am always on the hunt for the perfect chai and whilst in store I sampled some of this made up with soy milk and a little honey and it was beautiful. Chai is pretty amazing full stop.
French Earl Grey: I tend to shy away from Earl Grey at home but always enjoy a good cup of it at the in-laws. I have also heard a few people recommend this classic bergamot fusion with fruity and citrus flavours.
Turkish Apple and Cinnamon: Being a big fan of the Turkish apple tisane I couldn’t help but include what sounds like it but even better. Apple and cinnamon has to be one of the best comnbinations and these sugary concoctions are a bit of a treat. Yum.

Turkish Apple and Cinnamon (Image from T2tea.com)

French Earl Grey (Image from T2tea.com)

I definitely won’t be buying all of these (at once) but they make a handy birthday list (hint hint) and I just generally kind of love reading their descriptions of teas and the beautiful photos (which I borrowed…). Anyway, I am going to go back to my pot of Southern Sunrise and the new album by Lorde which I can’t get enough of.

What are your favourites from T2 (as if I need more for my wishlist)? For more information on T2 or their humongous selection of beautiful teas head to their website or head to their store near the bottom of Queen Street in Auckland city. There are so many delicious samples to try and the staff are lovely so you may be there a while.

27
Aug
2013

Tuesday Tea Time: Dilmah

categories: Tea Time

Hey All!

So I bet you thought this blog couldn’t get much more random or strange, well you were wrong. Don’t worry, I will only write about tea very occasionally so just bear with me, and hey, maybe you might find something new to try (I know for a fact I am not the only tea addicted one on the internet). I love tea. Its probably one of the main highlights of my day, coming home to blogging and a pot of tea. In fact I am drinking a pot right now…(this is getting strange).

For my first tea feature is a set of four teas that has been top on my list, the Dilmah Exceptional range. Somewhere here is my current favorite tea of all but you will have to wait til the end to find out! (Look at me trying to make tea all exciting and such :P). These 4 teas are part of a slightly bigger range by Dilmah sold at most Supermarkets and their variety yet affordability was what attracted me. I believe these are around $4.50 but I usually get them on special for $3.99 (20 teabags) so not bad at all. Let me give you a brief review of the ones I have (seatbelts on!)

1. Lively Lime and Orange Fusion: I think this was my first box and I still enjoy this tea, especially in the mornings (although apparently it is suited for the afternoon or post dinner, oops). It is an aromatic Ceylon tea with a citrus tartness that I really enjoy. Full bodied and nice to start the day with. The lime isn’t all that noticeable for me but I’m sure it is in there somewhere. One I would most likely repurchase (I think I may already have done so).

2. Rose with French Vanilla: Now this, this was my all time favorite for a long time! This tea is like rich Turkish delight and is a gorgeous way to end a hard day at work. Already repurchased this and will do so again. Lately it hasn’t been so high on my list of teas and I’m not 100% why. I think it does have quite a strong rose fragrance that can be a little overwhelming at times so I have to make sure I’m in the mood before I commit to a full pot. Nevertheless I do love this combo of rose and vanilla.

3. Acai Berry, Pomegranate and Vanilla: Well they can’t all be winners. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad tea but I find the strong berry and Ceylon flavours just overwhelm any vanilla or pomegranate notes and I just find it a bit average. I can smell the vanilla in the box and love the promise it makes but just don’t find it delivers once in the cup. Oh well, I will get through the box eventually and most likely won’t repurchase this one again.

4. Peppermint Leaves with Ceylon Cinnamon: This was the most recent addition to my Dilmah range and boy, I was missing out! This is my favorite tea at the moment, not just from this range and I honestly can’t get enough of the stuff. I even bought a second box for work which is a little disturbing. I am a fan of peppermint tea but didn’t imagine this combo would be that fantastic. Well I was wrong, the cinnamon compliments the peppermint AMAZINGLY and together they create this warm, refreshing, fragrant combo that is spicy and sweet and all round delicious. If you were to try one tea from this range let it be this!

All in all 2 real highlights from this range that I love and two slightly more average, definitely not a bad buy considering how cheap they are as well. I believe there may be a Green tea and Jasmine which I am desperate to find but doesn’t seem to be at my locals. Have you tried this range? If so what are your favorites?

Callie would not leave the tea alone for photos so I thought I should just include her

(p.s. none of this was sponsored or provided by Dilmah, all bought by myself and although it may sound a bit crazy, all my own thoughts and opinions. Tea intervention required? Quite possibly).

Coming up next: Time for some long overdue favorites? Where did August go!!