Results tagged “tea”
Bigalow Decaf Spiced Chai Tea
By: | Oct 17, 2009
(Photo Credit: ruben i)
Nothing soothes the nerves at night like a nice warm cup of tea. I usually have a mug full of goodness before bed each night, as it helps make me sleepy. Unfortunately, while I do enjoy the multitude of herbal teas available on the market, many decaf tea teas just don't do it for me. They often have aftertastes that are bitter, metallic, or just plain wrong. Not wanting to abandon the idea of a good cup of tasty decaf tea, however, I've decided to just keep on plowing through my options. Bigalow's Decaf Spiced Chai Tea will be the first on my list of permanent pantry residents.
Upon ripping open one of the individually wrapped tea bags, I inhaled a strong whiff of cloves. This worried me a little, because while I do like the taste of clove, I don't love it. Undeterred, if slightly miffed, I poured some hot water over the bag into a mug and let it steep. I did the requisite sugar/milk addition and took a sip. It tastes delicious! The flavor of tea, cloves, and cinnamon are all harmonious - nothing overwhelms the other. I could taste a few other spices that I couldn't pinpoint, but they just add to the flavor. Most importantly, what this tea didn't have was any nasty decaf funkiness.
... continue reading »Lipton Diet Brisk Black Lemon Iced Tea
By: | Oct 16, 2009
Lemonade and iced tea are both refreshing drinks that are usually associated with long beach days and warm, humid nights. Mix them together, and you get what's called California iced tea - which is the flavor Lipton has been bottling in Brisk for years. So does Diet Brisk Black Lemon Iced Tea version bring visions of the boardwalk like the regular version?
I bought a nice, large 1-Liter bottle at - of all places - a truck. It was only 99 cents, which is actually a decent bargain for a diet drink. I unscrewed the lid and took a sip. The flavor is amazingly ... brisk! It's sweet and lemony, with a tea undertone. It tastes more like lemonade than tea, and it's a bit sweeter than I expected, but these are minor complaints. There's no aftertaste or bitterness, and I found it to be delicious and refreshing.
... continue reading »Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla Red Rooibos Tea
By: | Sep 26, 2009
As winter gets nearer and the temperatures begin to drop, I find myself continuously in search for nice, warm comfort foods. Unfortunately, this often also means packing on a few pounds, as most traditional comfort food is not exactly diet friendly, so I drink a lot more tea. As a devout green tea fan, I rarely ventured over to the more flavorful teas that are out on the market, but scanning the supermarket aisles and seeing the amazing varieties of teas that Celestial Seasonings has, I decided to try something new.
I settled in on Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla Red Rooibos Tea, partially because it sounded amazing, and admittedly, because of the cute lion drinking the cup of tea on the front. According to Celestial Seasonings, "Rooibos (or red tea) is naturally sweet and has a slightly nutty flavor with hints of cherry and toffee. In Madagascar Vanilla Red, pure Rooibos is perfectly complemented by the rich flavor of sweet, creamy vanilla resulting in a sublime and satisfying tea experience."
Their description was perfectly accurate. The taste was AMAZING 
. Naturally sweet and warming, this after dinner "snack" satisfied my craving for a little something to nosh on in the evenings.
Lipton French Vanilla Tea
By: | Apr 17, 2009
Tea is one of my favorite beverages - and dare I say, just about the only thing I don't think I could ever give up. I drink it at least twice a day - more in the winter months - I love curling up with a piping hot cup of tea, some Jamaican ginger biscuits and a good Dean Koontz book. I haven't been as adventurous as I should have, and mainly stuck to some good Jamaican Ginger tea all summer long. But alas, I ran out, and with no West Indian grocery store in my new city, I went looking for something new to try. I ended up with Lipton French Vanilla Tea - and oh boy was this good!
This tea is bursting with vanilla flavor and is naturally sweet - although I still add a pack of Splenda where I normally would have added 2 packs. I had sworn off black tea for a while because the taste seemed too harsh for me after I started drinking herbal teas, but it seems the vanilla flavor took the edge off a little and made drinking this tea a very enjoyable experience. When I finished with the box, I actually went out and bought another one - it was that good.
... continue reading »Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea
By: | Feb 15, 2009
Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea is an all natural, caffeine free, no calorie treat that is sure to take your taste buds on a joyous ride throughout the wintery days and nights. After steeping the tea for a couple of minutes, I could not pull my nose away from my mug. You know that smell that fills the house while a batch of sugar cookies are enduring their final minute in the oven? Yeah, that's the smell and it's phenomenal. I am not one to usually sweeten my tea, so the taste was weak (as expected, but the delicious smell made up for it.
My mother eventually got tired of hearing me talk about the remarkable smell and decided to whip up a mug for herself. Three minutes, two packets of Splenda and one sip later; she was jumping up to turn the teapot back on so she could make herself another cup. I tasted my mother's sweetened version and fell in love. This is one tea that is great unsweetened and off the charts after a sprinkle of (insert your favorite sweetener here).
... continue reading »Celestial Seasonings Sugar Plum Spice Holiday Tea
By: | Jan 18, 2009
Unlike most of my fellow studying peers, I try to avoid caffeinated drinks because they make me jittery at night. As a result, I prefer herbal teas with the huge variety of calorie free, caffeine free flavors. This holiday season has seen the release of lots of seasonal varieties, and I picked up this Celestial Seasonings Sugar Plum Spice Holiday Tea to try.
Upon brewing a teabag, the boiled water develops a deep magenta color and sweet smell. The tea was so sweet that it tasted as though it had sugar, but amazingly, all that flavor comes from the natural herbs that are in the bag. I really like the sweetness, but it is offset by the spicy aspect of this tea that trails after each sip. Each teabag is so chock full of flavor that the taste is still fairly significant if you choose to steep the teabag again.
... continue reading »Teeccino Chocolate Mint Caffeine Free Herbal Coffee
By: | Dec 23, 2008
I am not a big coffee drinker. I love the smell, but don't really like the taste. I find it always lacking something, even when I try to dazzle it up with sweetener or soy milk, etc. But still, I decided to give Teeccino Caffeine Free Herbal Coffee a try, since it's not really "coffee". Tauted as "America's best selling coffee substitute" this "coffee" is roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee, without the caffeine and acidity of regular coffee. This company offers many flavors, but I decided on the Chocolate Mint since I'm a sucker for anything sweet.
The taste turned out to be superb! The chocolate/ mint/ coffee combo was perfect. I added a little sweetener and almond milk to my drink which made it taste rich, creamy, and super satisfying. Another way I used this was to add some of the grinds to a chocolate smoothie I make almost nightly. It enhanced the flavor and gave it a good nutritional boost too 
.
Teeccino Chocolate Mint Caffeine Free Herbal Coffee
By: | Dec 23, 2008
I am not a big coffee drinker. I love the smell, but don't really like the taste. I find it always lacking something, even when I try to dazzle it up with sweetener or soy milk, etc. But still, I decided to give Teeccino Caffeine Free Herbal Coffee a try, since it's not really "coffee". Tauted as "America's best selling coffee substitute" this "coffee" is roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee, without the caffeine and acidity of regular coffee. This company offers many flavors, but I decided on the Chocolate Mint since I'm a sucker for anything sweet.
The taste turned out to be superb! The chocolate/ mint/ coffee combo was perfect. I added a little sweetener and almond milk to my drink which made it taste rich, creamy, and super satisfying. Another way I used this was to add some of the grinds to a chocolate smoothie I make almost nightly. It enhanced the flavor and gave it a good nutritional boost too .
General Foods International On the Go Cafe Mocha (Sugar Free)
By: | Jun 17, 2008
Hi. My name is Tanya, and I think I might be addicted to coffee. I know I'm supposed to say I AM addicted - but I'm not quite there yet. In the past few months, I have cut down drastically, but then I had to go purchase General Foods International On the Go Cafe Mocha. I was attracted to packaging and since it's supposed to be sugar free, I thought I would write a review. Little did I know that this would end up being the delicious delight that it was - see it's even causing me to use alliterations in my writing. Luckily this is not strictly "coffee" - more of a coffee beverage - so it doesn't count ... right?!
At first flance, it doesn't look like anything special just brown powder. I heated some water in my fancy-schmancy electric kettle (very 21st century), and then proceeded to add water to the mug. The first sign that General Foods put a lot of thought into this beverage was the sizzling... shhh sound that I heard when the water hit the cafe mocha powder, giving off that coffee shop vibe (how very 21st century of General Foods). One sip was enough to send me searching for a blanket, a good movie and a comfy spot on the couch to vegetate in. Something about this coffee made me want to get comfortable and enjoy every sip. The flavors are well balanced between light coffee taste and slightly sweet - very good especially for a packaged food product and not something made by a barista. And this is perfect for people who are not heavy coffee drinkers.
... continue reading »Lipton White Tea with Island Mango & Peach Flavor
By: | May 9, 2008
I was incredibly sick for the past 2 weeks with a stomach virus. This resulted in a short hospital stay and the inability to eat anything much for a week. The only thing that I could ingest with any regularity was tea. Luckily, Lipton has sent me a sample of their White Tea with Island Mango & Peach Flavor, so I was fully stocked.
The first thing I noticed was the pyramid shaped tea bags and the material is sort of like fine-mesh. Fancy. I enjoyed the light and subtle taste of peach, but I couldn't detect any hint of a mango flavor. As subtle as this tea is, after I drank a cup, there was an a slight acidic after-bite.
... continue reading »Diet Lipton Peach Papaya White Tea
By: | Apr 22, 2008
Diet iced teas helped ween me off a bad soda habit, and actually helped me to incorporate more water into my diet (you know it's a problem when even the doctor is telling you that you need to do it). I absolutely loved Diet Lipton Green Tea with Citrus, so when I heard about their latest White Tea flavor, Diet Lipton Peach Papaya White Tea, I jumped at the chance to try it.
It did not disappoint. There is an obvious peach flavor which goes well with the slight tartness that's also present. I loved the light, refreshing taste, and since this has no calories, it's perfect when you want a drink with a little flavor instead of plain water.
... continue reading »Lipton Herbal Peppermint Tea
By: | Feb 20, 2008
Since giving up coffee a few weeks ago, I have been trying many different teas. After having good success with Celestial Seasoning brands (Original Indian Spice TeaHouse Chai and Sweet Coconut Chai Tea are just divine), I decided to move on and try some Lipton Teas and reached for Lipton Peppermint Tea.
This tea is 100% natural, caffeine and calorie free, and the only ingredient is peppermint. To make sure that I got this at full strength I allowed the tea bag steeped for at least 5 minutes before I added 2 Splenda and took my first sip. Even as I put the mug to my lips, I could smell the peppermint coming off the tea - it's a one-of-a-kind sort of menthol type odor. The taste really wasn't overpowering, more subtle and not as full bodied as the above two teas that I mentioned, but it isn't supposed to be. There is also that slight cooling effect that is a signature move of peppermint products.
... continue reading »Lipton Ginger Twist Herbal Tea
By: | Feb 15, 2008
Lately it seemed like I couldn't get through the day without at least 2 cups of coffee. Since I hate feeling like I'm addicted to anything, I decided to give it up a few weeks ago. I always loved tea, and still drank it a few times a week, but since getting rid of that coffee addiction I have made it my mission to try every brand of tea I can find in the supermarkets. After finishing off the last packs of ginger tea that I brought back with me from Christmas in Jamaica, I spotted Lipton Herbal Tea Ginger Twist and I was all over it. I absolutely loved the Jamaican Ginger Tea, so I expected nothing less of Lipton - one of the largest retailers of tea in the World. But, alas, I was disappointed.
This tea is just weak. The taste of ginger is so faint that you might miss it. All I could really taste was the sweetness of the 2 Splenda that I added. I expected a strong taste of ginger that leaves your throat a little raspy! I understand that Lipton is probably trying to please the folks who don't want it to be too strong, but what resulted is a generic flavorless tea.
... continue reading »Celestial Seasonings Sweet Coconut Chai Tea
By: | Dec 16, 2007
I have been having a love affair with Celestial Seasonings Sweet Coconut Chai Tea for the past two nights. Every night, it envelops me in it's deep, rich, spicy flavor and gets me ready for a good nights sleep. The ingredients are roobios, decaf black tea, cinnamon, roasted chicory, ginger, natural coconut flavor, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, paprika, black pepper and chinese star anise ... an abundance of spices! I must admit that there isn't much coconut flavor in this, so "Spiced Chai" would have been a more accurate name for this tea. Actually, if you read the ingredients list for another of my favorite Celestial Seasonings tea, the Original Indian Spice TeaHouse Chai (read the review), you'll see that they are very similar.
Republic of Tea and Luna Ginger Currant Black Tea
By: | Dec 7, 2007
Republic of Tea and Luna Bars have teamed up to create "a fresh, pure flavored tea, blended with many of the essential vitamins and minerals women need everyday - it’s Nutritional Iced Tea for Women." Premium, organic black tea is blended with black currants and other ripe summer berries. These rich flavors are finished off with the clean spiciness of fresh ginger.
Well, with a description like that - and the fact that I love adding ginger to beverages to spice things up a bit - I decided to give the Republic of Tea and Luna Ginger Currant Black Tea a try. When I took the first gulp, I had to look at the bottle to make sure that I was drinking an iced tea beverage. This tastes like it is full of citric acid on speed! The ONLY flavor you taste is the strongly tart/ acidic. They are so, SO WRONG for making me spend my money on this. I really feel robbed because one bottle of this costs $2.19! Save your money and your taste buds from this horror.
... continue reading »Tips on choosing an Electric Kettle
Being a heavy tea drinker means boiling water several times a day. The Electric Kettle is the much improved, modernized version to the stovetop kettle. It heats water much faster, and can be used in places where there is no stove (like most offices). Here are a few tips on choosing an electric kettle:
1) It should have an Auto Shut Off feature. You don't want the water to boil continuously.
2) Get a Kettle that detaches from the power source so that it can travel from room to room without a bulky cord. The Proctor Silex Automatic Electric Kettle
3) At Chow.com, they say that plastic pots affect taste and aroma, plus a stainless-steel kettle keeps boiled water hot a lot longer than a plastic one. The Gimpy Girls points us to the Breville Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
4) Some stainless steel kettles get hot on the outside, so test out the kettle to make sure this doesn't happen to yours.
5) There are also kettles which dispense water by the touch of a button.This is a handy feature since when pouring from a hot vessel, the steam can rise and burn your hand. 
Chow.com recommends the grandaddy of the electric kettles, Zojirushi VE Hybrid Water Boiler and Warmer
See more on: Kitchen Gadgets
, tea
Honest Mango Acai White Tea
By: | Aug 29, 2007
Honest Mango Acai White Tea is honestly one of the best tasting iced teas I've had to date, simply because there is actually a pleasant taste of tea - strong enough so that you know it's there - but not too strong (think Revolution White T). There is a slightly sweet taste as well, and there are no artificial sweeteners (nor is there any high fructose corn syrup). The only problem that I have is that I didn't detect much mango flavor, but maybe it's just that it blended well with the tea (or maybe that's just me not wanting to acknowledge that this tea is not totally perfect)!
Lipton Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea
By: | Jul 12, 2007
One short glance at the box of Lipton Cranberry Pomegranate Tea was all it took for me to know that this was definitely going in my shopping cart. I love products that provide extra nutrition. Tea is already good for us - no calories and natural antioxidants, but add even more antioxidant sources like cranberry and pomegranate and I am sold!
Lipton's Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea has a deep rich burgundy-red color, and a tart/bitter taste - a bit closer to black tea than the light green tea flavor. I loved it and thanks for the antioxidants too! There are 100 mg of antioxidants per serving and a cute little chart on the box says this is way more than is in orange juice and broccoli - and coffee has none - so score for the tea drinkers.
... continue reading »Sweet Leaf Mint and Honey Green Tea
By: | Jun 29, 2007
Sweet Leaf Mint and Honey Green Tea is made from "select Chinese green tea infused with a generous amount of spearmint and lightly sweetened with a touch of honey and a sprinkle of organic milled cane sugar" according to the Sweet Leaf website. I think their description is pretty accurate. The flavor was very light and with just a hint of sweetness. But when they say a "generous" amount of spearmint - they aren't kidding!
The minty flavor was overpowering in my opinion. The flavor is what they use in Winterfresh gum - which reminds me of toothpaste. I don't like my gum to taste like toothpaste, and now I know that I don't like my tea to have more than a hint of spearmint either.
Kudos to Sweet Leaf for trying though. They have a very cute bottle label and the company just seems like it's a down to earth small company formed by two friends. The brand is certified organic by the USDA and the ingredients are refreshingly simple: water, organic green tea, organic honey, organic milled cane sugar, spearmint extract, ascorbic acid, citric acid and natural flavors. Plus the nutrition ain't bad either.
... continue reading »Celestial Seasonings Original Indian Spice TeaHouse Chai
By: | Jun 26, 2007
Those spices give the tea a really deep, rich sort of musky and wonderful taste. Totally different from the strong almost bitter taste of black tea, and the light flavor of most herbal teas. It does have some caffeine, but much less than a cup of coffee and sometimes you just need something to help you perk up - and this is it.
Recent Reviews
What We're Cooking
- Weekly Healthy Meals & Menu Plan. Gear up for the Holidays
- Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
- Weekly Healthy Meal & Menu Plan Pre-Thanksgiving
- Simple Quick & Easy Tossed Salad
- Weekly Healthy Meal & Menu Plan for the Start of the Holiday Season
- Low Calorie Lunch: Bell Pepper Tuna Boat
Saving on Healthy Foods
Top 20 Tags
Recent Comments
