3013 Tasting Notes
This isn’t a new one in my collection, but the packet is slow to empty … this chamomile and apple blend requires such a long steep time, you have to calendar it in. Tonight, I put the leaves in to stew, left it an hour, then reheated it in the microwave. Manhandled that way, it’s delicious! Silky; nice balance of fruit to cami. A good nightcap after a sulky, rainy day.
If you live near a Smallcakes Cupcakerie, consider yourselves fortunate. We miss ours! Little boutique cupcake and ice cream place that changed its flavor lineup weekly. They had a moist, melt-in-your mouth strawberry cupcake that I could gnarf in about three giant bites, I liked it so much. Snowberry Frost is its liquid stepchild. Berries and buttercream, compliments of the lovely ashmanra. Thank you—I needed the smile!
Could that bakery open a location in Toronto?
Looks like the farthest north they go is Long Island, NY or the Chicago area. Bit of a commuute for you! (There is an “open a location” button on their website!)
This is from the “I Can’t Believe It’s That Old and Is Still Viable” collection here at Shabby House. Little peach, little rose. No doubt not as potent as in its heyday, but I added a bag of decaf Red Rose and it’s not a bad little secondhand cup to keep me company while we’re waiting for the owl concert. We’ve got one camping in the knothole in the tree in our front yard and he’s due to wake up in about ten minutes.
Based on evening acoustics, his permanent hangout is across the creek, but D caught him taking refuge the other morning in our tree after a rumble with a couple of crows.
I can’t believe I forgot about this one. My little bag of buckwheat goodness is about to celebrate a birthday, so it’s time to finish and enjoy it. However, it’s held up well and still tastes like church kid cookies—I pulled up my old note and we had a lovely conversation about it then.
Nature’s Own Factory does not appear to have restocked its cocoa grist version, which is a shame. I wonder if a homemade version with plain buckwheat tea and cocoa nibs would be a fair substitute.
One doesn’t expect much from a box of teabags on one-dollar clearance at Wal-Mart. This performed right on point. The astringency that I associate with Red Rose has been de-caffed out and what’s left is mild and maybe a little soapy, but not undrinkable. It will be a good carrying mechanism for additives.
Somebody once said that waiting for a major weather event that’s been local headline news for days is like being stalked by a killer turtle. Our turtle is due to arrive Tuesday—foot of snow; sub-zero temps. I don’t do even do the mild version of winter well, so something soothing is much needed this evening.
I haven’t written about this much—a fall acquisition from an out-of-town Fresh Market (Whole Foods lookalike), but I’m down to just a few bags. It is lavender heavy, but not like grandma’s talcum powder. I’m not sure there’s enough valerian in the blend to have much effect on my night’s sleep, but the overall effect soothing and makes me think of lilacs in the sunshine and honeybees browsing in my container garden.
Our forecast changed to 100% chance of snow and ice mixed. IF we get it, ice and power lines down will be one of the biggest problems. We have purchased bread as required by the universe. We already had milk.
Hope everyone stays safe, warm, hydrated, and well-fed through the bad weather!
I’ve been saving this for special occasions. “Snow day, I’m frazzled from working on home office matters all day, and I’m very tired” is an occasion, isn’t it?
Thus, to smooth out the frazzles, I made this as a latte with skim milk and left the bag in. It’s practically white chocolate cocoa. Recommended.
This was a recent whim purchase from the bulk jars at Fox Farm, our local indie place. Nice and fresh and maybe just a touch citrusy, especially with a spoonful of cocoa nibs tossed in as a counterpoint. Chocolate orange lite.
I’m kind of warming up to this one…our office feels like a rainforest in the mornings and a glacier by mid-afternoon, and a caffeine-free warmer-upper is welcome. Mostly rooibos and cinnamon (the “granny’s spice cabinet” kind, not the red hot candy kind) with a little natural sweetness from both ingredients.
Calming in times of national peril. Fortifying when courage is required. So says the product description on the Rare Tea website. Considering family events of late, I’d brew this by the gallon on that guarantee alone :)
But fortunately, it has a lot going for it beyond the description. At just a two-minute steep (heresy!) it is strong, bready (dark pumpernickel), and slightly sweet. Those of you who prefer tea that doesn’t wear combat boots would want millk.
Daughter who lives with us said to tell you – adding milk is like girls who wear combat boots with sundresses.
Should I tell her that as a child I wore Dingo boots (advertised by Joe Namath and few people on here will remember those commercials!) with maxi dresses? I made my mother sigh a lot.
Cowboy boots with leg warmers here. ;)
