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.
Tinap
October 25, 2012 at 6:43 pmRepublic of tea is great and they have a large selection of decaf teas. I highly recommend the decaf blackberry sage and decaf vanilla almond….delish!!!!
Slava
October 25, 2012 at 8:25 pmI am a big fan of milk oolong: light floral/milky flavor.
Jessica
October 25, 2012 at 9:14 pmI love Twinnings, my favorite is Orange Ceylon, and Irish Breakfast. Republic of Tea is great too, especially Blackberry Sage and Mango Ceylon.
rebecca
October 26, 2012 at 8:17 amSomeone else mentioned Harney & Sons – I love their tea, and their tins! :) The Vanilla Comoro is decaf and delicious!
http://www.harney.com/vanilla-comoro.html
Julie in NC
October 27, 2012 at 10:54 pmFormer caffeinated coffee junkie here- now caffeine is only a very occasional treat. I love decaf tea, but sometimes I NEED a cup of good decaf coffee. The one-cup pour-over filter and decaf Illy espresso make me immensely happy. Quick and easy. One-cup French press is also nice when I’m not in a rush. Good luck with your beverage hunt!
Sara
November 3, 2012 at 1:02 pmZhena’s Gypsy Tea — she is an amazing woman, and her teas are wonderful! (Disclosure: I went to college with her). Her company gives back to her tea growers and their families. Highly recommended! Amazing blends and no additives.
Steven Smith Tea — he’s out of Portland, Oregon and previously developed Tazo Tea. Anyway, this interation of his tea expertise is simply mouth watering. It’s a little expensive, but worth the cost. I LOVE the Big Hibiscus blend which is as beautiful and full-bodied as a glass of red wine. So good.
Yogi Tea’s Ginger Tea — great for a pick up, or after dinner. Also good as a hot toddy base!
If you ever come up to Portland, I highly recommend The Tao of Tea — an amazing local tea shop.
Happy Fall!