tea 101
Welcome to tea 101. Your introductory class on tea. Today I’m going to talk to you about tea for the masses. This is the tea you can find in your local grocery store. It usually comes in boxes filled with tea bags. Now I know what you may be thinking, yesterday I was all about the loose leaf tea. I am but there is a rightful place for a box or two of Lipton in your tea collection. Plus, if you are new to tea it’s best to start simple and then work your way up from there. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. I’m going to highlight my faves from Lipton, Celestial Seasonings, and Tazo. I know you can find these in Oklahoma so I would assume they would be available nationwide. Tea is to be enjoyed and savored so let’s get to it!
Let’s start with Lipton. I used to think Lipton was only good for iced tea. You know the kind you could get dining out. I remember my mom making sun tea when I was a girl using Lipton or some other similar brand. I thought that was all black tea or store bought tea was good for at the time. But times have changed so I’m going to introduce you to some gems you can find at your neighborhood grocer!
Lipton: Let’s start with their green tea. There are a variety of flavors in this category! My favorites include the Decaffeinated Green Tea which is a good accompaniment in the evening with dessert. I also drank this during my pregnancy with Kate since I give up caffeine when I’m pregnant. It provides 130 mg of protective antioxidants per serving and we could all use more of that! Next is the Lipton Green Tea Orange, Passionfruit, & Jasmine flavor. It’s a little citrusy, a little tangy but delicate all at the same time. I think the jasmine really puts it in a category all it’s own! This tea is great hot or cold. It definitely should be sweetened if you are going to ice it! Next is the Lipton French Vanilla. It is a flavored black tea with a smooth sweet blend. I was introduced to this tea at a girls’ night get together. Someone brought it and fixed it up to be quite a treat. I recommend brewing a large pot of this for iced tea. Sweeten it with sugar and slice up an orange and throw into the mix. It really makes this tea a treat to sip. Sometimes it really is about preparation and presentation. Lastly I like the Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle tea. This tea is a little fancier than the preceding teas because it comes in a pyramid shaped tea bag. According to the box this allows more room for the tea to infuse. There is a delicious recipe* from the book The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene I will share with you at the end of this post using these little gems.
Next is Celestial Seasonings. If you have a cold or are just under the weather I highly recommend their Honey Vanilla Chamomile. It’s a caffeine free herbal tea that is soothing morning, noon or night. Chamomile is especially good to drink at night as it helps to relax the body. It also is an immune booster and can help fight infections or soothe the stomach. If you have a cold I recommend using honey to sweeten your chamomile tea. Chamomile + honey = good for you! I have a friend that recommends their Bengal Spice. Especially if you like the Samurai Chai from Teavana. I have looked in 4 different stores for this and have yet to find it, but when I do I’m going to grab me a box. I do love me some spicy tea every now and then!
Wanted: Bengal Spice. If spotted contact the tea authority! (that would be me although I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself the authority on tea in the least)
Last but not least is Tazo. My pick would be the Passion tea. This is a caffeine free herbal tea made from hibiscus. Who doesn’t love a taste of the tropics? I know I do. My introduction to this tea came through Starbuck’s and their passion tea lemonade. Honestly I can’t hardly drink this any other way now because I love passion tea lemonade. I don’t know how Starbuck’s makes there PTL but I’ll share with you how I enjoy mine.
image via weheartit.com
Passion Tea Lemonade (SAHM style)
I brew about 2 cups of tea w/2 tea bags
lightly sweeten with sugar or you could make a simple syrup using water & sugar (I think simple syrup is really where it’s at)
I usually buy a frozen lemonade mix and mix it up according to directions and then make a half and half mixture
below is a recipe I found on the web…orange extract? May have to try it sometime
Passion Tea Lemonade via Recipezaar
3¼ hours | 5 min prep
SERVES 8
Ingredients
- 3 tea bags (Tazo Passion Tea)
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
Preparation
- Remove tag and string from tea bags and place in a 2 qt pitcher. Pour in the boiling water and allow tea to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add lemonade concentrate and orange extract, then top up pitcher with cold water.
- Chill for 3 to 4 hours and serve over ice.
Well I think I’ve given you more than enough to read for one day. I will leave you with one more recipe
Vanilla Caramel Truffle Latte*
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1% milk (I use whatever % I have on hand)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 Lipton Premium pyramid, vanilla-caramel truffle tea bags
- 3 teaspoons sugar
Preparation
In a one-quart saucepan, bring the milk, water and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the tea bags. Brew for 3 minutes then remove the tea bags and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the sugar and serve immediately.