Last week was full of all sorts of tea excitement! It started when Lillian dropped two bags of Eggnogg’n tea on my desk:
I had heard so much about this tea but never had the chance to try it. I added milk and honey and curled up under my desk in solitary eggnog confinement, mmmm.
Next, Deborah brought in fresh ginger tea homemade by her mama.
Wait, that’s not ginger tea! How did that get in there?!!! We definitely did not also eat a whole bag of cotton candy left from the Knicks game her friend attended …
Ahhhh, here’s the tea:
Can you see those giant chunks of real ginger and apples?
It was some of the best tea I have ever tasted!
Tea adventure part 3:
In an effort to avoid the cakes upon cakes upon cakes at my office, I’ve been going grocery shopping next door so that I can keep delicious and healthy snack ingredients — like apple, pumpkin, and yogurt — on hand at all times. This bowl of winter comfort involves a cup of pumpkin microwaved for two minutes with a chopped apple and topped with plain yogurt and …
… the contents of an apple cinnamon herbal tea bag!!! Delicious AND beautiful at the same time 😀 I love how the tea turns the yogurt pink.
All mixed together:
Next up: Mr. Midwest himself (aka Erik) brought back some fancy teas from his trip home at Christmas:
This tea is delicious — it has actual chunks of cinnamon stick and apple in it. I’d show you a picture of the giant chunks of apple … but I accidentally ate them right out of the mix before the camera got there, whoops 
Adventures in wholesome beverage-land continued on Saturday when we headed down to Bay Ridge for a Merry-Christmas-to-ourselves massage followed by brunch at HOM:
(Erik is not actually supposed to be the star of that picture.If you look at the board up above his head, you’ll see the many teas listed on the menu. To the right of his tongue, you’ll also see giant canisters of The Republic of Tea teas.)
We ordered a pot of blackberry sage tea:
The tea came with mini apple cinnamon muffins and slices of Mama D’s special currant bread with butter and Stonewall Kitchen wild blackberry jam:
Mmmmmmmmmmmm …
We devoured the plate and I probably would have been full for the rest of the day on just that (especially after eating lots of complimentary trail mix at the spa :-p)!
But there was more! We ordered two brunches to share, and the chef/waiter/jackofalltrades brought the meal to us already split!
We shared pistachio-crusted French toast with bananas, sauteed apples, maple syrup, and crispy crispy bacon:
And a turkey reuben (turkey, Swiss, sauerkraut, and mustard) on marble toast with a cranberry goat cheese salad on the side:
I was pretty stuffed before I ate this, but I was significantly more stuffed after!
Geez, just writing this post made me feel tons of relaxed. Clearly, tea is the solution to everything. And, apparently, I consume copious amounts of it!
What does tea do for you?
Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition 
I’m a HUGE tea fan and have the ultimate cheaters way to make cups of tea… you know those keurig one cup at a time coffee makers? Yeah, there’s a way to shove teabags in them and make one cup after another without waiting for water to boil!!
SO SORRY i’ve been MIA… i’m totally reading your blog on reader but its blocked at work, so i forget to comment…
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I love tea! I’d drink it all day long if it was free, haha, but since I am cheap I try to limit my consumption to…maybe 3 or 4 cups a day? I like my tea strong so I can’t really re-use the tea bags.
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I am a coffee girl at heart but am slowly starting to enjoy tea much more!
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heya I hate tea…I know that one nails down my freak status even more. Missed your blog while you were out living, how could you?
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Not tea-related, but had to tell you how you’ve inspired me!
Now, I can fearlessly dump ingredients together. Random IS delicious. My lunch today? Banana yogurt, maple-syrup flavored oatmeal, and some canned peaches mixed together. Cheaper, more creative, and better for me!
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I love tea, it makes me happy, relaxed, sometimes it even makes me sleep 🙂
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i’m glad to see you ordered a turkey reuben! aren’t they just the best?? and of course i love tea. you know that.
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Ah tea, it’s glorious. I love Republic of Tea’s Ginseng Peppermint flavor! I can’t remember when I first had it, but it was instant obsession. Unfortunately, I rarely fork over the $$ for it these days when my parents bring me all this really good (and free) Chinese tea whenever I see them. Dad gets it as a gift every time he goes to China (like monthly) and he just saves it for me. SPOILED! Bagged green tea just tastes pretty crappy to me these days.
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i love tea!!!!!! so wonderful! im sipping my Azo Lotus tea right now! i usually drink two or three cups a day.. including a cup at night (you know.. cuz im 85 years old.. lol)
the green tea i drink in the morning gives me enough of a caff buzz to get me thru the day – well morning at least.. and i drink some sleepytime tea at night to help me get to sleep.. lovely!
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