As of late I’ve been trying to sip tea rather than coffee as an afternoon. Instead of purchasing traditional tea bags I’ve been experimenting and come up with a few favorite tea blends that I thought would be fun to share. Do you drink tea?
Brewing tea: watch the REEL
Truth be told I enjoy my morning coffee and will not give that up. Over the years I’ve cut way back on caffeine. I grind a mixture of (mainly) decaff with just a little bit of regular. Caffeine in moderation is fine in my book providing it’s not causing irritability, tummy distress or impacting your ability to sleep well. That said, keep in mind that black tea varieties do contain caffeine so if you’re sensitive be careful how much and when you have a cup.
In the winter sipping something warm in the afternoon is both calming and comforting. Rather than pouring another cup of coffee, I’ve tried to switch to teas. My tip for making the switch is to keep experimenting with different blends until you come up with your own list of favorite tea blends. If you talk to any tea-lover they always say the simply the act of making tea is calming.
Speaking of calming, chamomile is one of my favorites if I’m wanting something warm in the afternoon. Green tea or Matcha has some health benefits however it does contain caffeine.
Caffeine
A cup of matcha contains about 38–176 mg of caffeine and regular cup of green tea may contain 20–90 mg of caffeine.
For comparison an 8 ounce cup of coffee contains 95 mg caffeine.
More information on green tea and its health benefits.
If you’re trying to reduce caffeine green tea may have less caffeine (check the label) and the information I looked at shows there’s a few health benefits.
Favorite Tea Blends: what you’ll need
- Tea Kettle: There are so many to choose from! From contemporary to vintage, choose something that fits with your kitchen decor. Mine is an an vintage cooper kettle. It doesn’t whistle and the lid is slightly off.
- Use your favorite mug or tea cup.
- Choose a Tea Mix: Buy your tea in bulk on line or at your natural foods market.
- Use an air tight container to store your tea blends.
- Mesh tea ball or disposable tea bags
- Linen and pot pad
How to make your favorite tea blend
This is all about personal preference. If you are skipping caffeine, stay away from black, green, or chai as all contain small amounts of caffeine.
As a general rule I use these proportions:
- 1/2 cup CHAI
- 1/4 cup Orange spice tea
or ~
- 1/2 cup CHAI
- 1/4 cup Rosehips
Bring water to a boil and pour over mesh tea ball. Seep for 2 minutes. Add honey or cinnamon stick if desired.
Product source List:
2 Responses