Tree trimming, present buying and wrapping, greeting card addressing and signing and mailing… these are just a few of the many things we’re all busy with in December. We have to make time for tea through it all. And an herbal or two. Here are five choices (one or two may surprise you) to help you deal with it all:
1 Very traditional: Yorkshire Gold Loose Leaf Tea
| I’m starting out with a tea that is pretty normal to dive into this time of year. It’s a malty tea with a rich brown color that steeps up strong and is often enjoyed with milk and sugar. This is a true tea blend, no other flavorings added. The fine teas come from countries like India, Sri Lanka and Africa. A perfect breakfast tea, you can serve up a hot potful with those pancakes, waffles, bacon, or whatever other foods you prefer. I’m thinking cheese omelet, pumpkin scones, and maybe even some Canadian bacon. Yum! |
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2 Get cooking: Izu Matcha Japanese Green Tea
| Now, I realize that matcha is not an obvious choice here, but in this case it has to do with using this powdered tea in various recipes to enjoy during this holiday season. This tea starts out with the finest Gyokuro leaves. These are plucked carefully from the tea bushes, steamed, and then dried. The stems and veins are stripped out, leaving only the pure leaf. This is then stone ground into a fine powder. Since the “tea” is powdered, the leaf itself is consumed, something unique for teas. The quality is high and will make a difference in that recipe. Time to get baking, cooking, etc. |
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3 De-stress with a holiday flavor favorite: Twinings Peppermint Herbal K-Cups
| K-Cups? Yep! I’m normally an advocate of steeping loose leaf tea straight in the teapot, but it’s an especially busy time of year, so a shortcut or two is needed. Just pop that K-Cup into your Keurig machine, press the button, and you’ll have a cup of peppermint infusion (no real tea in this) that will get you in a holiday mood with the first sip. Pure peppermint leaves. No caffeine, so you can enjoy a cuppa at bedtime. |
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4 Decisions, decisions, decisions made easier: Tea Sampler Flavored Black Teas
| Variety is the spice of life, so go for a variety pack of samples. A bit of this, a bit of that, and voilà! You’ll have choices galore. Steep each of these for 2-5 minutes in boiling water. Flavors include Lemon Flavored Black Tea, Mango Flavored Black Tea, Peach Flavored Black Tea, Raspberry Flavored Black Tea, Vanilla Flavored Black Tea, Holiday Spice Flavored Black Tea, Monk’s Blend Flavored Black Tea, and Peach Apricot Flavored Black Tea (substitutions may be made according to availability). |
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5 More herbal deliciousness: Florida Orange Rooibos Caffeine Free Tea
| As a kid, I would always look forward to Santa Claus visiting my elementary school and passing out goodies, including fresh oranges. Thus in my mind this citrus fruit has a special connection with the season for me. And so I am including this rooibos with natural orange flavoring as part of the holiday round-up. The flavor is refreshing yet since it’s rooibos it’s caffeine free. Serve it hot or, for you folks in warmer climes, it also tastes great cold. |
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