15
drank Carrot Cake by DAVIDsTEA
6444 tasting notes

This is another tea I picked up in Janelle’s stash sale and once again I am disappointed. I wonder if these teas are actually not great or if they are just a little old and thus not in their prime. Nothing in this tea says carrot cake. I am getting a nutty scent and a rose petal type taste. No frosting, no cake, no carrot. This tea is getting no love from me. Into the swap box it goes.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 15 sec
Bonnie

This tea is not for you, it’s for naughty people!

JustJames

you know, more and more i become disillusioned with david’s. i really liked spice cake when i first tried it…. but i loaded it with sugar and condensed milk. now that i’m sugar free i can really tell which teas a quality and which teas are…. well, NOT (i’ll be politic and not as opposed to a more colourful word).

VariaTEA

I got into tea because I am on Jenny Craig so my food got monotonous and tea was a way to get new flavors into my diet without cheating. That means absolutely NO sugar gets put into my tea ever. DAVIDs and Teavana were all I knew and DAVIDs flavors really hit the spot and allowed me to have the sweet, delicious, cakey flavors that I was not allowed to have otherwise (although I do get dessert every night on Jenny). However, the more I try, the more I realize how DAVIDs and Teavana just don’t stand up to many of the more expertly blended teas. Like Della Terra’s Carrot Cake actually tastes like Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and 52 teas made it so I could have pancakes which is insane. I think there will always be teas I love from DAVIDs (not so much Teavana) but I am quickly outgrowing them and realizing there are much better teas out there.

JustJames

i am grateful for them as starting points…. and the odd bit of novelty. but honestly, if i only like a blend when it’s drowned in cr** that’s no good for me? hmmm, i think i’ll move on thanks. =0) you know, mandala teas have with nothing in them at all? very happily. others i only ever use xylitol. i am legitimately off sugar for a month now. my pants keep falling down, lol. congrats on your steadfastness with jenny!

VariaTEA

Congratulations! Pants falling is definitely a good sign – although one of the more embarrassing depending where it happens. For months, I was wearing jeans that looked like I pooped myself for a while due to the excess fabric and when I finally went to buy new ones I realized I actually dropped 4 jean sizes. That was a fun discovery.

And I definitely understand that a tea that requires something added is not really a good tea. For me, I never added anything to DAVIDs teas so if I loved it when I first tried it, I loved the tea itself. Now I am realizing that some of the teas I “loved” were only loved because I didn’t have any other alternatives. Now that I do, I still enjoy some teas but more and more I realize how disappointing their blends are. Although occasionally I do happen to stumble upon a gem so I keep trying.

Bonnie

Over time I’ve lost 65 lbs. I started in the beginning with the flavored tea but soon changed to real flavors from companies who don’t use artificial flavors. Puerh is great for losing weight when you find the ones you like. Some milk and sweetener makes a caramel latte. SteapShoppe has a good cinnamon cake puerh. Love cocoa black tea’s that taste like chocolate and chai in Winter is great.

JustJames

i know the steap shoppe puerh you’re talking about. i have a canister of it on my counter. very nice!

VariaTEA

Someone is sending me a sample of the sTEAp shoppe tea that I am very excited to try. I always read such amazing reviews about it.

VariaTEA

by the way Bonnie, 65 pounds is amazing. I am just under 55 lbs and still going strong. I am finally past my 1/2 way point which is definitely exciting.

Bonnie

Fantastic! I’ve gone from a 2X to size 12 (I’m 5’8"). My reason is all about feeling good. The only diet I’ve done has been a month of Bob’s (Biggest Loser) jumpstart to skinny diet. I collect recipes for vegetable dishes that I’m not allergic to through pinterest boards. Today, I made spaghetti squash pizza. (The squash was the crust).

Bonnie

Look for Bonnie Johnstone on pinterest for a few veg.recipes.

VariaTEA

Awesome! I will definitely do that :) I make vegetable sides to every meal and I am always looking for new and exciting recipes to try.

OMGsrsly

I need to find that pizza recipe, Bonnie. Is it on your Pinterest? (I’m gluten free, so alternate pizza recipes are ALWAYS tried!)

VariaTEA

The recipes all look great. I actually made pizza bits out of cauliflower which was fun and surprisingly tasty.

OMGsrsly

Oh I found it! It just makes me sad that cheese is used so often as a binding ingredient. I can’t have a lot of dairy, but I think I’ll try it anyways.

Bonnie

Just squeeze out the squash liquid after baking and before mixing with the eggs. I often adapt recipes for my allergies. The binder is eggs, so use a cauliflower puree alfredo sauce or tofu instead of cheese or see what happens when you leave it out.
I love using cauliflower for crusts too.

OMGsrsly

Thanks, Bonnie. :)

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Comments

Bonnie

This tea is not for you, it’s for naughty people!

JustJames

you know, more and more i become disillusioned with david’s. i really liked spice cake when i first tried it…. but i loaded it with sugar and condensed milk. now that i’m sugar free i can really tell which teas a quality and which teas are…. well, NOT (i’ll be politic and not as opposed to a more colourful word).

VariaTEA

I got into tea because I am on Jenny Craig so my food got monotonous and tea was a way to get new flavors into my diet without cheating. That means absolutely NO sugar gets put into my tea ever. DAVIDs and Teavana were all I knew and DAVIDs flavors really hit the spot and allowed me to have the sweet, delicious, cakey flavors that I was not allowed to have otherwise (although I do get dessert every night on Jenny). However, the more I try, the more I realize how DAVIDs and Teavana just don’t stand up to many of the more expertly blended teas. Like Della Terra’s Carrot Cake actually tastes like Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and 52 teas made it so I could have pancakes which is insane. I think there will always be teas I love from DAVIDs (not so much Teavana) but I am quickly outgrowing them and realizing there are much better teas out there.

JustJames

i am grateful for them as starting points…. and the odd bit of novelty. but honestly, if i only like a blend when it’s drowned in cr** that’s no good for me? hmmm, i think i’ll move on thanks. =0) you know, mandala teas have with nothing in them at all? very happily. others i only ever use xylitol. i am legitimately off sugar for a month now. my pants keep falling down, lol. congrats on your steadfastness with jenny!

VariaTEA

Congratulations! Pants falling is definitely a good sign – although one of the more embarrassing depending where it happens. For months, I was wearing jeans that looked like I pooped myself for a while due to the excess fabric and when I finally went to buy new ones I realized I actually dropped 4 jean sizes. That was a fun discovery.

And I definitely understand that a tea that requires something added is not really a good tea. For me, I never added anything to DAVIDs teas so if I loved it when I first tried it, I loved the tea itself. Now I am realizing that some of the teas I “loved” were only loved because I didn’t have any other alternatives. Now that I do, I still enjoy some teas but more and more I realize how disappointing their blends are. Although occasionally I do happen to stumble upon a gem so I keep trying.

Bonnie

Over time I’ve lost 65 lbs. I started in the beginning with the flavored tea but soon changed to real flavors from companies who don’t use artificial flavors. Puerh is great for losing weight when you find the ones you like. Some milk and sweetener makes a caramel latte. SteapShoppe has a good cinnamon cake puerh. Love cocoa black tea’s that taste like chocolate and chai in Winter is great.

JustJames

i know the steap shoppe puerh you’re talking about. i have a canister of it on my counter. very nice!

VariaTEA

Someone is sending me a sample of the sTEAp shoppe tea that I am very excited to try. I always read such amazing reviews about it.

VariaTEA

by the way Bonnie, 65 pounds is amazing. I am just under 55 lbs and still going strong. I am finally past my 1/2 way point which is definitely exciting.

Bonnie

Fantastic! I’ve gone from a 2X to size 12 (I’m 5’8"). My reason is all about feeling good. The only diet I’ve done has been a month of Bob’s (Biggest Loser) jumpstart to skinny diet. I collect recipes for vegetable dishes that I’m not allergic to through pinterest boards. Today, I made spaghetti squash pizza. (The squash was the crust).

Bonnie

Look for Bonnie Johnstone on pinterest for a few veg.recipes.

VariaTEA

Awesome! I will definitely do that :) I make vegetable sides to every meal and I am always looking for new and exciting recipes to try.

OMGsrsly

I need to find that pizza recipe, Bonnie. Is it on your Pinterest? (I’m gluten free, so alternate pizza recipes are ALWAYS tried!)

VariaTEA

The recipes all look great. I actually made pizza bits out of cauliflower which was fun and surprisingly tasty.

OMGsrsly

Oh I found it! It just makes me sad that cheese is used so often as a binding ingredient. I can’t have a lot of dairy, but I think I’ll try it anyways.

Bonnie

Just squeeze out the squash liquid after baking and before mixing with the eggs. I often adapt recipes for my allergies. The binder is eggs, so use a cauliflower puree alfredo sauce or tofu instead of cheese or see what happens when you leave it out.
I love using cauliflower for crusts too.

OMGsrsly

Thanks, Bonnie. :)

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Profile

Bio

My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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