Posts Tagged ‘tea’

As mentioned before, last week was my birthday and I received some of the best gifts from my dearest friends including a Cuisinart Juicer and a Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book! However I do have another gift to share with you all. A wonderful friend gave me a box of my all-time favorite tea – Tazo Vanilla Rooibos! I always order it when I go to Starbucks, but have not been able to find it at stores anywhere (apparently Starbucks sells boxes of it if you are looking!).

Vanilla Rooibos is a caffeine-free herbal infusion red tea blend of rooibos, vanilla, apples, and peaches.Rooibos is actually leaves that come from a bush in the South Africa and has a naturally sweet, slightly nutty flavor. Rooibos is high in antioxidants and polyphenols. Among many health benefits, rooibos contributes to boosting the immune system and slowing the aging process. It also has a relaxing effect that can help with insomnia and streets relief.

I recommend you get a Vanilla Rooibos tea next time you stop at Starbucks, it’s delicious! Thanks Jessica!

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While I am aware that honey is not vegan, I feel that the health benefits of honey are too numerous to eliminate it from my diet. Dating back to over 5,000 years ago, honey is the world’s oldest sweetener. This natural sweetener is famous for more than just its great taste. Honey is recognized for its antioxidant qualities that make it an immunity-boosting food.

Honey even has antiviral and antibacterial capabilities to help your body fight disease. It can be applied to burns and cuts; its antiseptic qualities will inhibit bacteria from growing and keep the wound clean from infection. Honey promotes healing and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It soothes sore throats and reduces coughing. Next time you feel a cold coming on, take a spoonful of honey to reduce the inflammation that causes a sore throat.

Honey is also a natural energy booster and helps to reduce muscle fatigue during exercise. Have some honey in your tea or spread some on toast to get an energy boost with you breakfast in the morning. You can even try taking a spoonful of honey before your next workout to increase your endurance!

I even read that honey can help cure hangovers! The natural sugar, fructose, in honey speeds up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver thus having a sobering effect on the body. So the next time you wake up feeling sub-par due to the night before, try mixing some honey into your breakfast tea or yogurt to get you feeling fabulous again!

How do you incorporate honey into your diet? My favorite way to enjoy honey is in a piping hot cup of tea! However, tonight I am making Honey-Glazed Tofu for a chance in pace, stay tuned!

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Instead of the usual sausage and cheese gift basket or popcorn canister, send the foodie in your life something different this year! Try one of these fun and unique gift ideas this holiday season:

1. Edible Arrangements – Try one of these not-so-typical fruit baskets. Edible Arrangements offers a variety of fresh cut fruit arranged as flower bouquets. You can even choose from a variety of chocolate covered fresh fruit to mix into your bouquet! Instead of ordinary flowers, send an Edible Arrangement bouquet!

2. Teavana – Teavana has the perfect  gifts for the tea lover in your life! Select a new teapot or a loose leaf tea sampler of signature teas with rich flavors and superior health benefits!

3. Me and Gogi – create and name your own healthy organic custom cereal; choose from a variety of cereal bases including oatmeal, granola, or basic shredded wheat and begin adding dried fruit, seeds, chocolate, and coconut to create your favorite mix! (This year I sent Me and Gogi cereal capsules to family members with their names on the labels.)

4. YouBar – build your own fresh handmade nutrition bar. Start with your choice of nut butter and add grains, nuts, fruit, sweetener, seasoning like cinnamon or cocoa to create a delicious snack bar with your name on it! Send a box to a friend or family member or treat yourself to your favorite ingredients!

5. Intelligentsia – Send a friend or family member coffee from Intelligentsia. Intelligentsia is committed to direct trading and using healthy environmental practices to grow their coffee. Their representatives visit the farms and cooperative villages where their coffee is grown every month to monitor quality and ensure success. Intelligensia has representatives that work side by side with famers in Ethiopia, Columbia, Brazil, and Kenya and pay their workers well above standard fair trade wages to produce quality coffee. Intelligentsia has been voted best coffee in all of its locations including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

What are you giving your fellow food blogger this Christmas?

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Yesterday while out Christmas shopping I went to Argo Tea, a local tea cafe here in Chicago, in search of some holiday teas and look what I found!

A Holiday Assortment Tea Sampler including:

1. Holiday Chai - healthful and fragrant, a combination of green teas and select spices
2. Snowflake White - a heavenly blend of white tea, apple, sweet pink pepper, and seasonal spices
3. Winter Spice – an herbal varietal featuring cinnamon, cocoa, orange zest, and almonds

Can’t wait to fill up my tea ball with these and try them all!

While I was at there I tried a Tea Sangria, a sweet iced tea with fruit, it was amazing! And they have a student discount there so I even saved some money. Also, Argo Tea has the cutest Bee House Teapots, I totally want one!

What’s your favorite holiday tea?

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A couple weeks ago I had lunch over at a friends apartment and she had this delicious Sweet Ginger Peach Tea. I loved it so much I couldn’t wait to go out to Jewel and buy some of my own!

I’ve been trying to curb my morning coffee addiction this  week by having a cup of this instead and so far I am totally loving it! I cannot wait to get my hands on more Revolution teas – all the flavors they have to offer sound so yummy!

With the snow finally coming down on the city of Chicago, I am also on a mission to stock up on some festive holiday teas!

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