Time for Tea.

If you have followed me on the socials or spent time with me in person, you may know already that I really love tea. Like REALLY love tea. I am passionate about it. There are moments when tea is the answer.

Cold rainy day?

Tea.

Reading a good book in a comfy chair?

Tea.

Faced with a big decision and you’re not sure which way to go?

Tea.

These moments not only have tea in common but they are moments where you need to pause or slow down. It might only be to take a breath before the next to-do item but they are moments to get situated in your own mind.

Even a sunny day is a great day for hot tea.

Enough Disappointment

If I go to a commercial coffee shop and order tea there are a few ways it can go and rarely an excellent cup comes out of it. So, when the chances of a poor cup are high I have come to enjoy crafting my own.  All built around my own adaptation of a widely used saying, “life is too short to drink sucky tea”. If you are going to wake yourself up with a hot beverage or treat yourself to a cupa something in the afternoon, shouldn’t it be the best? You get one shot so why waste it on something bla? When all the ingredients are aligned it will smell different from the start. I make the same tea every morning but some mornings I can tell that it is spot on 100% before even taking a sip. And I attempt to recreate that small moment for myself every time I decide to have a cup. Because life is too short.

This was at a coffee shop in Midlothian, TX and it actually was very good.

Yucky Water Equals Yucky Tea

The first step is the water you use.  Tasty water will equal tasty tea. I like using bottled water which is usually tastier alone. My second choice is the filtered water from the refrigerator door but I can usually still tell that it is tap water. Some areas have very distinct-tasting water. Once I went to Montana for vacation and the tap water there was insanely delicious. While the water at my grandma’s house in California is so gross, I have to be really thirsty before I gulp some of that down.

Get It Hot

I invested in an electric kettle 7 years ago as a gift to ease myself back into work after my first maternity leave. It was a fabulous investment. It’s just a basic model where I fill it up and hit the switch. It heats the water up and once it shuts off it’s the perfect temperature. But a new appliance isn’t necessary. A simple kettle on the stove or a small pot to heat the water work just fine. Get it lightly bubbling and steaming and you are good to go. Don’t let it get so hot that it’s a rolling boil that always results in a burnt kind of tea.

It’s pretty and does a great job. No whistling though.

Where the Leaf Hits the Road

My all-time, go-to is Twinings English Breakfast tea. I pour the hot water over the tea bag slowly but steadily and let it do its thing. Depending on the type of tea and how I’m feeling will influence how long it steeps. If you’re new to this timing thing start with what the package suggests. After you try it you can determine how to adjust it next time. Bitter? Pull the bag out a little earlier. Watery or bland? Let it sit a little longer.

A clean organized tea station makes me so happy.

Not Swamp Tea

And don’t just pour your beautiful tea into any vessel! The fancy stainless cups do a great job keeping things hot or cold. But it makes the tea taste swampy. Like old gym socks. I do not want to start my day with sweaty tea.  Ceramic/porcelain or paper cups seem to regulate the temperature for the best experience with limited flavor interference.

My favorite ceramic travel mug.

Give it a Try

This is what I do that makes my tea experience wonderful. I have developed it over years of trial and error. Like chamomile tea… I hate it. It sounds soothing and that’s what they drink in the books and hallmark movies but I won’t touch it. I also get heartburn from rose flavoring in teas. (that kind of bummed me out, I really wanted to like it) But herbal or black tea with citrus flavoring? Heck yes. So try things out. Herbal is different than green tea. There are green teas FULL of caffeine. There are variations across a whole spectrum of black teas. Descriptions like nutty and malty come to mind. Don’t be afraid to try something different. You can also experiment with the technique or the variety of sweeteners out there (whipped honey, anyone?).

The calm before the … calm.

Life’s too Short

Whether you drink tea or coffee, always remember that life’s too short to drink something sucky. I am a huge fan of looking for ways to make it just a little bit better.

On a side note, use the beautiful cups even if they are a little awkward at first.

Some of my favorites

• Twinings English Breakfast – My favorite all-around day or night.
• Bigelow Constant Comment – I’ve been drinking this one for at least 30 years and it always hits the spot.
• Bigelow Earl Grey – Pair this unsweetened with a nice piece of chocolate or a cookie.
• Tazzo Passion – This is more of a summer tea that I like chilled.
• Twinings Christmas Tea – It literally smells like Christmas in a cup.
• Tetley British Blend – This is a value tea that I was super suspicious of but then fell in love with.
• Celestial Sleepytime Classic – Nice and mellow to get you ready for sleep.

Want to try adding a sweetener?

• Standard granulated sugar- I like this as just a straight sweetener.
• Raw sugar – Adds a bit more depth to the sweetness.
• Demerara sugar – Adds more depth and a slightly caramel-y sweetness.