My favorite teas (right now anyway!)

I save tea time for my work days. While sitting in front of a computer hours at time, I usually have a hot cup of tea (sometimes coffee) by my side. For me, like many, tea has a very calming and comforting effect for the mind and stomach, not to mention tons of antioxident and other healthful benefits. These are the 5 teas that I am currently enjoying (hot, but iced would be good too):

• Lavendar Sencha Green Tea from Japan (from the loose tea bins at Wegmans)
• Mint Chai (also loose tea from Wegmans.. I am currently out so I don't know the exact name)
• Tazo Om
• The Republic of Tea get gorgeous - herb tea for clear skin
• Rishi Tea Organic Peppermint Rooibos
  

The Lavendar Green Tea is very mild. I do not like green tea by itself but the lavendar blooms make it a little more sweet and less harsh and grassy than plain green tea.

I am into anything mint right now (except Edy's Peppermint Ice Cream... made me ill 3 times). The mint chai is sweet and would be good with some cream and sugar like a true chai. I only have mine with Splenda (what I add to all these teas).

Tazo Om is unique in that it can be compared to cucumber melon. I do not like this scent in body products but it tastes good in tea! The cucumber makes the peach - not melon - less sweet. This is also a combo of black and green tea. I don't care for either alone, but the mix is mild.

The get gorgeous is very sweet and fruity. You can definitely taste hibiscus and berry. It is recommended to drink 3-4 cups a day for the roobis and antioxident to really make a different in your complexion. This tea is a little too sweet to drink that often. I find myself drinking it only a few times a week.

The peppermint roobis has a great peppermint flavor that isn't too overpowering. Roobis is also known as South African red tea and contains many daily vitamins and serves as a sleep aid.

I don't get too technical with the temperature of the water and the brewing times. All of these teas I brew for about 5 minutes and it tastes fine.

For the loose teas, I prefer to use paper tea filters, but when I run out I use a tea stick or basket, which can get messy.

All of these teas were gifts from my siblings. I had no part in picking them out - except for my request for something peppermint - it turns out, I find them all tasty!

One more thing: Greg gave me a coupon for a free Tazo Tea Latte at Starbucks. I tried the nonfat London Fog latte. London Fog is a black tea with bergamot and lavendar so I thought with the steamed milk and the vanilla syrup, it would be sweet enough for me. But by the time I got to my office, it was very strong (they leave the tea bag in the cup), so I add Splenda. To get the same taste, I would imagine you could just add milk and Splenda to a steeped cup of London Fog - and it would be 50% cheaper. However, I really enjoyed this tea latte and I would try it again. They also do vanilla roobis, green and the classic chai.