Dokudami Umami Herbal Tea from Teavana

21 Feb 2011 1 Comment

by alightningbug in Foodie, Herbal, Oolong, Tea

I’d best describe the flavor of Dokudami Umami Tea from Teavana as roasted earthiness with a hint of intriguing sweetness that tastes better than it smells (which is even more earthy). Brown rice similar to that found in Genmaicha along with soybeans and the subtle slow sweet flavor of natural licorice root (not to be confused with licorice candy) combine to create a brew reminiscent of a yummy dish from my favorite Asian Take-out. Comfort food with sweet sauce! Added sweetener brings out additional toffee or caramel notes. I think this tisane has the potential to add depth to other teas and I’m looking forward to trying several combinations. The health benefits are compelling as dokudami is purported to have many. So far it seemed to help my morning sinuses and the hearty roasted notes were nice to wake up to. This is not a tea for everybody, but can be really enjoyable and deeply satisfying.

http://steepster.com/teas/teavana/16231-dokudami-umami-herbal-tea?post=67508

Updating on 02/18/12 to add that this tea has been discontinued by Teavana. I found an “herb tea” at a nearby Asian grocery store. Dokudami Kenso Chogo-Cha brews to a similar savory beverage with a hint of sweetness. I like it with added sweetener.

Advertisement

Shanghai Orchid, white tea by Teavana: a mini review

17 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by alightningbug in Foodie, Tea, White

This lovely flavored white tea from Teavana is a delicious combination of floral and fruit with neither overwhelming the other. Since actual orchids come in many fragrances—from oppressively floral to spicy or even no fragrance at all—it always irks me a bit when flavors or smells are described as “orchid.” I’ll forgive this one. I’m going to say that orchid in this case is floral without being specifically jasmine, rose or other easily recognized specific flower. It’s a lovely balance with a hint of tart sweetness from the fruit. There was a pleasant amount of astringency. Refreshing! Flavor was excellent through three infusions. I could definitely drink this on a regular basis.

http://steepster.com/teas/teavana/16400-shanghai-orchid

Dear Super Scribblenauts

16 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by alightningbug in Mom Stuff

My daughter asked, “What does lycanthropic mean?” She is eight years old. When she posed the question, there was a brief, “What!? Where did THAT come from?” Until we remembered. Our daughter was playing Super Scribblenauts. A lycanthropic man came up during game play. Super Scribblenauts you rock!

My daughter loves you. I love you. We all love you. Thank you Super Scribblenauts.

(But just a side note. Your redwood trees are WAY too small. Even your gargantuan redwood trees are too small. Please make a note of it for future reference.)

Happy Valentine’s Day

14 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by alightningbug in Uncategorized Tags: ,

For longer than I can remember
I’ve been looking for someone like you
Someone with a head like yours
And a torso too.

Birds sing
And you’re gonna PAY!
The End.

Here’s your meat covered in barbecue sauce.

Wishing everyone a Tak filled, super special Valentine’s Day like ours.

And Now for Something Completely Different

07 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by alightningbug in Foodie, Mom Stuff, Tea, Uncategorized

For my Birthday I’ll share a bit of my inner dialogue.

Darth: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your Birthday.
Deb: He told me enough! He told me I’m 19!
Darth: No. Today is your Birthday and you are not 19.
Deb: No… that’s not true! That’s impossible!
Darth: Search your feelings, you know it to be true!
Deb: NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOO!!!

So. I am officially no longer the answer to life the universe and everything. What I mean is. Well. Perhaps, I could say my age is now the answer +1. That works, right?

And in celebration of the day, I did a little research into my Chinese Astrological Astrology sign stuff. I am a monkey. (Well, I knew that.) I apparently have a lot of fire element which should be balanced by adding more water element. I’m going to take this to mean my life would benefit from more long baths and tea. I will keep you posted on how this goes.

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/NewYearDays.htm

And my awesome honey and daughter spoiled me. SPOILED me! Dave and I had a wonderful dinner at one of our recent favorite restaurants while Binks was in her Karate lesson and she later joined us to help finish a Tiramisu dessert. Dave had a fillet and I had a rack of lamb. (Yes, the “Lisa, don’t eat me,” bleating went through my head, but I got over it.)

When we got home the dynamic duo finished their mischievous ways before calling me into the other room where Binks had made me a huge “Happy Birthday Surprise” banner which she decorated with hand drawn images of some of my favorite things—tea, Harry Potter, Angry Birds, Carcassonne, stars, more Harry Potter and cats. My daughter made the most awesome Birthday card on the planet! It had a pop-up surprise sign inside along with a fold-out scroll with signatures from everybody in her class. She made me an origami jumping frog, some throwing stars, a mini frog, and a flop-eared origami bunny which she designed herself. Dave gave me a gold chain, another chain, a great birthday card, book gift card and the Hogwarts Castle in Lego form which is so COOL! I can’t wait to crack it out. There’s a little Snape and owls and flames and a sorting hat. An invisibility cloak! A Dumbledore. Two Dementors. A Hermione and a Harry! Gotta go!

Tiramisu Treviso Rooibos Tea by Teavana, a mini review

07 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by alightningbug in Foodie, Tea

I don’t know how to get my Steepster reviews to auto post to my blog so I’m doing it semi-analog style by means of copy and paste.

Teavana’s Tiramisu Treviso Rooibos Tea is a full-flavored tea (unless you don’t add enough tea per oz of water or if you don’t steep for long enough at proper temp).

I found the flavor, when hot, to be a bright combination of orange (like orange liquor), almonds (like almond extract or almond liquor) and a bit of cocoa. As it cooled, it tasted something more akin to actual Tiramisu (and therefore coffee). Definitely a dessert experience—especially with a bit of sugar or milk. I can’t help but think that a bit of vanilla and less orange would have pushed it further into the Tiramisu flavor realm. I haven’t had a lot of orange flavored Tiramisu, but perhaps they’re going for a bit of the bitters one might experience with espresso. Yummy as a treat, but not one that I’d want to drink daily.

http://steepster.com/alightningbug