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One never appreciates a quiet house quite so much as the evening following VBS Family Night, which we celebrated with an ear-splitting interactive show akin to Nickelodeon Double Dare or Slime Time Live. Nine-year-old girls can hit a note two octaves above treble clef E that could slice metal. (I loved my little pod of seven kids and nothing you do for children is ever wasted. It was a good week.)

But my private end-of-week celebration is much quieter tonight with a nice cup of this summery blend I found by accident at one of our pricier local natural food stores. It’s my second attempt: I steeped the first cup and put it in the fridge to chill, which ended up in a cold half-pint of artificial honey flavor.

This round, I was more attentive to water temp and scanty with time (pulled it just before three minutes) and it’s much better. Honey and vanilla, yes; but the subtle tangerine that I could barely detect in the cold version isn’t overwhelmed this time around.

Neighbors had their 4th on the 3rd last night, which meant a late bedtime waiting for the pyrotechnics finale (I don’t mind the ones that go BOOM, but the ones that shriek make me nuts). Heavy-handed caffeine, cold, is the order of the day while I prep for VBS next week. (Fifteen cootie catchers folded; next project is origami hopping frogs. Wanna help?)

Tejava stays my favorite pre-bottled unsweet tea. Dark and strong without obnoxious citric acid. I never get the kick in the pants I need from iced tea, no matter how beefy, but this one at least provides a nice forceful nudge.

This was the middle layer of a trio tin gifted to me and is recommended either hot or cold. It leads with cinnamon, but not milky cinnamon…the green tea gives it a little crispness and reminds me of the cinnamon disk candies wrapped in bright red cellophane I used to sneak at Grandpa’s house. It’s lovely chilled.

I am going to have to learn to drink chai year round, not just in the winter…I got a triple gift tin as a thank-you gift at work to add to the other gift chai varieties that are beginning to gather dust in my office.

In this case, it wasn’t difficult to drink. This is mild, the spices are nicely balanced, the chocolate is detectible and the reiki mushrooms give it a nice, grounded pu-erh sort of feel. Low-caffeine, too.

No doubt it’s just a seasonal thing, but there was a big display at our nearest Walmart touting Sprite + Tea. Because we are parsimonious and miserly, there was no way we were going to buy an entire carton just for experimentation purposes. I did that more cheaply at home on the first truly warm, dry afternoon we’ve had for weeks. Half fridge-steeped Red Rose with a little apple mint, half plain Sprite.

Nothing to get excited about (next time, needs MUCH more tea), but it’s cold and wet and
not wholly unpleasant. Save your money and make your own to taste. I’m getting more of a kick, despite the occasional sneeze, out of watching the cottonwood trees snow lazily on the neighborhood.

My large (gift) pouch of this white tea hasn’t emptied very quickly. There’s never been enough strawberry in this one to suit me—it hints of berries instead of tasting like berries—but I think I found the boost it needs: a teaspoon of grenadine syrup. All better now.

It’s been a distressing few days. Yorkshire Tea Toast and Jam—discontinued (you’ve already heard me moan about that). Bigelow Decaf Lemon lift—discontinued. Changing Hands, my used bookstore happy place, lost its lease and closing. None of which is even a hiccup in the greater and grander scheme of things, but three favorites in the same week?

I tried to fool myself with a substitute last night. I’m not a Zinger fan, but had picked up a box for a thematic birthday treat for a friend, then changed themes. WIth a bag of Red Rose decaf to balance out the tartness, it was … still a substitute, but a fair one. Plenty of lemon to pep up the bland tea; plenty of plain tea to tone down the zing. It worked.

Discontinued. One of my least favorite words in the world, at least when it pertains to a tea I have grown to love and rely on. I have one box left, which I will ration sadly and carefully.

In the meantime, I will have to start a new quest for a strawberry black tea strong enough and authentic enough to suit me. Sigh.

Ever find yourself throwing a halfhearted tea bag into your out-the-door tumbler because you don’t have time to make good tea? This morning I did, thanks to ashmanra and this really, really nice breakfast tea.

The steeping instructions are right up my alley: boiling water, 45 seconds for a good cuppa; 90 seconds (and I quote) for “profound.” I went straight for profound. Beautiful fruit and cherry wood veneer. The proprietor recommends milk, and I’ll give that a go later, but it was so, so nice on its own!

A thoughtful work friend brought me back a little souvenir from a tea shop run in Springfield, Missouri (Chabom Teas + Spices). This is a new-to-me brand.

The Holy Grail of Decaf Black Teas does not exist. It is a myth that I will chase down until my poor old heart gives out. It’s either next to the pot of gold under the rainbow or with the black sock I’ve been trying to hunt down for two years. Ty-Phoo Decaf is the only tea I’ve tried that’s a contender.

That said, this one isn’t bad. Like all unflavored decafs, most of the flavor has been leached out in the treatment process, but it has a nice color and a nice, hefty body. Puts a little weight on your tongue. With an additive—little milk; little mint; little something—it might just fool me.