As October comes to an end, things are sloooowly starting to cool off here in Orange County. (Little tidbit about Southern California. The warmest part of summer doesn’t start until late August and carries on until November. So while most of you are looking all cozy in your fall sweaters and boots this month, I’m usually sweating my arse off in my hundredth reincarnation of J. Crew vintage cotton tanks, lightweight cargos -yep, these are still kickin’ – and flip flops.)
But! This week it cooled down to the high 60s – low 70s, and I’m full of joyous joyful joy. When I woke up this morning, I realized that, why, I think I needed some socks on my bare feet. Joy to the world!
Which leads me to my request. I need suggestions of delicious, warm, lovely teas to drink during chilly mornings.
As many of you know, I don’t drink caffeine. But I love (LOVE) everything about coffee. The aroma, the rich flavor….love it. Coffee + a splash of half and half + pinch of sugar = HELLO DELIGHTFUL. The problem is that we have one coffee pot, which D uses for his (very caffeinated) coffee in the morning. (I was using one of those Tassimo machines, but I’m not really a fan of the decaffeinated options.) Also, as D will attest, I don’t drink a lot of my hot beverage in the morning. Maybe half a cup, tops, so brewing a new pot of decaf after D is finished seems kind of wasteful. (Plus, I want to drink my delicious hot beverage WITH my husband, not after he’s finished.)
This is all to say that I know the answer to my hot beverage woes! TEA. I can sip a lovely cup of tea in the morning and get my warm beverage fix without being wasteful OR drinking a little bit of D’s which makes act like a drill sergeant on speed.
I feel like I’ve been seeing lots of tea photos on Instagram lately, so I know you can help a lady out. Any teas that you just love? Decaffeinated and/or low caffeine is a must.
Sarah
October 23, 2012 at 3:45 pmBird Pick Tea!! They are the best, best, best – I know there is one in Santa Monica, but there might be one in OC too, or you can order on line. http://www.birdpick.com
Wendy
October 23, 2012 at 4:42 pmAs an ex-coffee drinker, I also love Rooibos tea with half & half and a bit of agave nectar. Here’s my usual…
http://shop.numitea.com/Rooibos/p/NUMIS-10102&c=NumiTeaStore@Teabag@Herbal
Geri
October 23, 2012 at 5:00 pmI second Rooibos and peppermint tea. TJ’s are currently doing a pumpkin spice rooibos tea. A mix of American and South African delights! Plus Rooibos is really good for you so you might as well kill two birds with one stone. Happy tea drinking!
MommyTime
October 23, 2012 at 5:44 pmI love Stash brand lemon and ginger tea on a chilly winter night, so I would imagine it would be good on a cool morning too. Also, can I suggest one of these Bodum presses? It’s just the right size, and you can use it for coffee or tea. It makes fantastic coffee, and only how much you want.
MommyTime
October 23, 2012 at 5:45 pm(PS there’s a link on the phrase “Bodum presses,” but it doesn’t seem to show up unless you hover over it.)
Heather
October 23, 2012 at 6:18 pmI totally second (third?) Teavana. I have the mug and love it — used it nearly daily during my pregnancy when I was off caffeine. Also, going to the store in person is a great way to sample teas. They keep their stock in these big metal cylinders and will wave the lid over the contents so you can smell the different varieties. We’ve also had good luck with the salespeople suggesting specific teas for different flavor cravings.
Al
October 23, 2012 at 6:23 pmmy husband & i gave up caffeine a few years ago. we were drinking decaf coffee, but then we just realized there was really no point. so now we’re way way into tea!!!! i still miss the “taste” & “event” of drinking coffee too. we actually make our own chai tea lattes. we bought some loose leaf decaf chai at an amazing little tea shop in franklin, tn so we just use a tea infuser from ikea & drop it in some steamed soy milk. yum! super easy to take it with us to coffee/tea shops as well. we just order a steamed soy with no foam & then put our tea in it. :) tastes like coffee to me. ;)
Aubrey M.
October 23, 2012 at 8:40 pmWhat’s this tea shop in Franklin?
Al
October 23, 2012 at 6:24 pmps… teavana is so overrated & super expensive. you can buy loose leaf teas from cheaper places. also… tazo wild sweet orange!!!! super good!
Joy
October 23, 2012 at 7:50 pmIf you want a spiced decaf tea that you can drink with milk or soy milk, try Bengal Spice by Celestial Seasonings. It’s fantastic!
Tracy D
October 23, 2012 at 8:22 pmI love all of the options at Tillerman Tea. It’s loose leaf, so you’ll need a tea ball, but it’s worth the extra effort. :) http://tillermantea.com/
Also, any tea that is blended with white tea is amazing!
Teavana has good options too.
Maureen
October 24, 2012 at 7:35 amI have been addicted to Vanilla Rooibos Tea from Tazo (sold at Starbucks) since trying it during pregnancy. It is sweet and smells wonderful. Give it a try!
Jamie
October 24, 2012 at 7:53 amPregnancy has forced my hand with ALL THE TEA, oh my Lord. I wasn’t a tea drinker before. Now I’m loving:
TJ’s Spiced Cider (not tea but delicious) steaming hot for that extra autumnal flair
Celestial Seasonings’ Lemon Zinger
TJ’s Pumpkin Rooibos
CS’ Peppermint
But my ALL TIME FAVORITE, which you’ll have to pry from my cold, dead hands is Mighty Leaf Chamomile Citrus. It is the boss.
liz
October 24, 2012 at 9:25 amTea Forte cucumber mint is refreshing and any of the Yogi Tea’s (found in grocert stores are great)
Rachel Malis
October 24, 2012 at 11:42 amIf you buy loose tea (anywhere, though I prefer the sample sizes at Adagio, so I can try many kinds!) you can get empty tea bags that you fill yourself. Here! http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-5-Paper-Filters/dp/B001G8XORG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351104129&sr=8-3&keywords=empty+tea+bags+for+loose+tea
sarah
October 25, 2012 at 9:52 amI’m frantically clicking all the links and adding things to my christmas wish list. I LOVE tea. It keeps me warm, hydrated, and makes me feel comforted with no calories. (Unless I add a decadent squeeze of honey).
The specialty teas are usually out of my price range, but I am in LOVE with Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane: pepperminty decaf green tea. I say that it tastes like a freakin’ thin mint. Then my bff then chimes in to say that falvored water CANNOT taste like a cookie.
I also love the CS Bengal Spice. It’s spicy. Or as amalah put it “water salsa!”