Aslan Chai is ground from whole spices. The ingredients are real and the list is small: green tea, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel, cardamon, brown sugar (not included in their sugar free version)
I have tried several preparations of the tea to find my favorite one. I tried it over the stove with half almond milk and half water. This method was quite nice and muted the spice a bit. If you are not a fan of spice, this preparation method is for you. I, however, love the spice, so my favorite method is to brew the tea in all water, and add a splash of almond or coconut milk. I do this over the stove if I have some time, but if I'm feeling lazy, I just put the tea into a mesh trainer and go.
My final thoughts are that I do really enjoy this tea. The spice is perfect and the combination of spices is great. I do wish that the tea flavor was stronger, but they have the spices down. The powder does separate to the bottom of the cup if you brew via tea mesh ball, so you'll have to stir it every now and again. I give this a 8.5/10.

Happy Chai Drinking,
<3 TTT

This recipe came to be because my arugula was about to go bad and I needed to do something with it. In comes pesto -- the quickest and easiest way to use up some greens. All you need to have on hand, really, are your greens, nuts, oil, citrus, and garlic, which is generally what I always have around the kitchen, anyway. I'll give myself a pat on the back and say that I made this recipe on the first try and was so impressed with it that I didn't make any changes. I even went back to try it several times and kept having to ask myself "wait, did I put parmesan cheese in that?" Nope! It has that amazing flavor while being completely vegan. And, even better, there's only one step to make it.


It's also a perfect dip for anything, like sweet potato fries.
Ingredients:
2 c of arugula
1 clove of garlic
1/4 c pine nuts
1/4 c walnuts
1/4 c olive oil
1/8 c lemon juice (about half a lemon)
A pinch of salt

Directions:
1) Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend. It's that easy! Put the arugula on the bottom so it's easier to blend. Enjoy! Store left overs in the fridge
*Tip* After a few days in the fridge, it gets thicker. Make it thinner by adding some olive oil.

Happy Pesto Making
<3 TTT

Hello everyone! If you feel to lazy too go to the store to stock up on tea, are new to tea, or want to try something fun, how about a tea subscription box sent right to your door? I was super excited when this company reached out to me, because it is such a cool concept. They have four different boxes you can choose from and you get four teas in each box, once a month or every other month. You can choose how many months you want to commit to for no more than $25, which is a great deal for the amount of tea you get! You could even buy the teas individually on their website as well. Today I'm reviewing the August Original Box from The Tea Runners.

The Kiwi Importer was kind enough to send me some teas from a brand called Zealong, a New Zealand based company. The Kiwi Importer is a quick and easy way to buy all sorts of products from New Zealand in the US. (And the owner is super sweet, too!).

She was generous enough to send me two full boxes of Zealong tea. Each tin has 15 eco friendly triangle tea bags. Both teas are made with real ingredients; no flavorings or anything you can't pronounce. The clear tea bags also do a good job of showcasing the quality of the ingredients inside. The combination of both flavors is so unique, so I was very excited when she reached out to me.
Let's start with Fire and Ice. This tea includes black tea, ginger, spearmint, peppermint, and manuka. The black tea is great quality; not bitter and very smooth. You do get the "fire" heat from the ginger and the cooling effects of the spearmint and peppermint, but I wish the flavors were stronger. The tea itself was also a touch faint, but I could still taste the good quality of the leaves. Overall, I enjoyed this tea, but wish the flavors were more pronounced. I'd give it a 7.5/10.
Next is the Green Heart tea. This tea mixes green tea with lemongrass, ginger, tulsi (also known as holy basil), and kawakawa (a medicinal herb from the pepper family, native to New Zealand). Tulsi helps with stress and anxiety and is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. Kawakawa helps alleviate stomach and bladder pain. The first things you taste are the amazing quality green tea and the pungent lemongrass.  The mix of flavors in this tea is magical and you do get a taste of every ingredient. Every time I drink it, I have a renewed appreciation for it. This is definitely a tea that I would repurchase. 10/10.

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

I've been having so much fun in the kitchen lately, and these delicious cups are a result. I've been trying to see what creative things I can do with pulp from making almond milk (I use this recipe from Minimalist Baker) and this one is a winner. So, may I suggest, you make yourself some delicious almond milk, and make yourself some amazing raw vegan cheesecake cups to enjoy with it.




Raw Vegan Cheesecake Cups (Yields 10)

Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk pulp
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/4 + 1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 oz dark chocolate, melted

Directions:
1) Line a muffin pan with plastic wrap
2) In a medium sized bowl, mix together the almond milk pulp, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, the almond butter, and 1 tbsp maple syrup
3) Once combined, spoon 1/10 of the mixture into each muffin cup. Press it down with your fingers
4) In a blender (I use a nutribullet), blend together the cashews, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup, and the vanilla until smooth
5) Pour 1/10 of the cashew mixture into each of the filled muffin cups.
6) Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the cashew mixture
7) Put in freezer for 1-2 hours. Before eating, defrost for 10-30 minutes depending on how soft you want it.
8) Enjoy!

Happy Cheesecake Eating
<3 TTT

Hello world! Yes, It's been a little while. Yes, I've missed you. Yes, there are many many posts coming your way that I have been preparing, including one about how I've coped with some major life changes. But all that excitement aside, let's get on with it, shall we?

Rooibos Rocks was kind enough to send me their Rooibos Sampler Tin, which has 10 tea bags each of Natural Rooibos, Chai Rooibos, Honeybush, and Green Rooibos. As many of you know from prior reviews, I love rooibos. I think it is a perfect alternative to caffeinated teas or coffee in the evening as it has a full-bodied flavor that is rich and creamy without the caffeine. It's loaded with antioxidants, it decreases blood pressure, aids in digestion, and has many more benefits.

These are gluten-free and not too bad for you! Each cookie has about 7 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 13 grams of carbs. They are also 219 calories. (Compared with a normal chocolate chip cookie that has over 300 calories and has 42 grams of carbs). I eat these delicious cookies as a snack between lunch and dinner or for breakfast with a cup of tea and a bowl of fruit.
And did I mention how fluffy and moist these are? They melt in your mouth!

Banana Almond Muffin Top Cookies (Yields 10-11)

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1/2 c almond butter
1 1/4 c almond flour
2 tbsp melted coconut oil, and extra to spread onto the foil for baking
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking soda

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F
2) Mash the banana (or let your mixer mash it for you)
3) Put all the ingredients into your mixer or a large bowl. Mix until combined
4) Spread some coconut oil over a lined baking sheet to prevent sticking
5) Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter. Fill the measuring cup about 3/4 of the way and pour onto baking sheet into circles. About 6 will fit per cooking tray
6) Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Happy Cookie Baking,
<3 TTT

Hello everyone! Since today was a gloomy, rainy morning, I needed some Chai to perk up my day. Luckily I had some from The Chai Box handy. This is a brand that I first learned about and interacted with on Instagram, and I am so happy that I did. It is owned by a sister duo who grew up drinking Chai and blending it themselves at home. I got a pack of All Chai'd up from them and I tested it numerous (you don't want to know the number) times to make sure I had a comprehensive review for you. Verdict: Love it!
Those of you that know about me and my tea tastes know that I am super picky with chai. I have a certain expectation of flavor profile -- no fake cinnamon, balanced, right amount of spice, not too dainty. All Chai'd Up is described as "Full Body + Balanced" and I could not agree more. This is a true Indian Chai -- the exact flavor I would expect from a home brewed chai. None of the flavors compete with one another; you can distinctly taste each and every spice. My only critique is that I would have liked more ginger taste, but I think that's just a personal preference.

This has quickly become a favorite in my household because it is super delicious, very easy, and features my peanut sauce that my boyfriend is obsessed with. Almost every time we go to Costco and grab a rotisserie chicken, this is the dish we make when we come home. (Hint: then you can use the rotisserie chicken remains to make my broth).
The star of the show is my peanut sauce, which is very easy to make. I just put all the ingredients in a small put and let it heat up on low until everything is combined and it reaches the consistency I like. After making it so many times, I don't care to measure anymore, but I did list some measurements below. I tend to taste and add as I go, but the below is a good bench mark to start with.
This would also be great to serve if you have guests over. It's all very simple to put together and it looks pretty when laid out. I also think it's fun to let the guests decide how much of everything they want to include -- I try to have set ups similar to this when I have friends over (like Make Your Own Grilled Cheese Night or Sweet Potato Toast Night).


Peanut Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Peanut Butter
1 1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp Worchesterchire Sauce
1 tsp Soy Sauce
Juice from 1/2 Lime
2 tsp Fresh Ginger, Minced (sub with 1tsp powdered)
2/3 cup Water

Directions:
1) Put all ingredients into a small pot on low to medium low
2) Let everything melt and thicken to desired consistency, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes. If too thin, let it cook longer. If too thick, add more water.

Thai Lettuce Cups:
Ingredients:
Romaine Lettuce, 1 bulb feeds about 2 people
Shredded Chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
Carrot, peeled and grated
Green Onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Spinach, chopped
Cucumber, cut into strips
Lime, cut into 8ths
Optional: sliced red cabbage, diced jalapeno, bean sprouts, chopped water chestnut

Directions:
1) Cut the end off of the bulb of romaine. You can then separate the lettuce cups.
2) Assemble remainder of ingredients and load up the lettuce cups.
3) Enjoy!

Happy Eating,
<3 TTT

Hello everyone! I was recently introduced to this brand, Pique Tea, when they offered to send me a set of their Organic Mint Sencha. They make instant brew tea, which is a concept I hadn't heard of before. To be honest, I was also skeptical. I was worried that an instant brew tea would be low quality, because I picture the powdery, tasteless tea leaf crumbs that you find in some tea bags. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Pique Tea!
I would honestly put the Organic Mint Sencha alongside some of my favorite green teas. You get the complex earthy and flowery taste you would expect from Sencha. This is paired with a subtle, yet welcoming hint of mint. What I really enjoy about their concept is that you can take it with you on the go easily. If you have a quick morning and don't have time to brew a proper tea, just grab some hot or cold water, dump the powder in and you're good to go.
It's also a fun way to experiment with cooking. I have added this tea powder to my chia pudding. I have seen it incorporated into smoothies, pancakes, and I can even imagine it to be a lovely addition to macaron batter.
Overall, I would give this tea a 10/10. No complaints whatsoever. The green tea is high quality and the mint is perfect.

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

Once I figured out how easy it was to make my own broth (vegetable or chicken), I have rarely since purchased boxed broth. It's so delicious, there are no preservatives, and I can control how much salt I add. It's also a delicious way to use up what you would have thrown out. I hope you give this broth a try and I hope it changes your soup game.
I don't use measurements in this recipe because it's all up to you and your taste. It'll also depend on what you have on hand, because a large portion of this stock is veggie scraps. What is that, you ask? Well, it's the peel of the carrot you used for a sauté, it's the butt of an onion you were going to throw away, it's the stalk of broccoli, it's the fronds of fennel, it's any piece of any vegetable you were going to throw away. There are only a few key ingredients that I add each time -- the bulk of it, the scraps, changes each time and creates a fun touch of new flavor. To make chicken stock, I simply added the remains of a rotisserie chicken that I was about to throw out (the bones, the remaining skin/meat). If you would like to make this vegetarian, simply omit the chicken and add more veggies.

Ingredients:
Veggie scraps (I used carrot peel, end of an onion I chopped earlier, fennel fronds, young stalks of celery, cilantro stems)
1 carcass of a rotisserie chicken (omit for veggie)
4 Bay leaves
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 an onion, roughly chopped
Water to cover
Salt, soy sauce, or coconut aminos to taste

Directions:
1) Put all ingredients into a large pot
2) Cook on medium heat at a simmer for 2-3 hours
3) Strain the broth
4) Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week
** If making chicken broth, the broth will form solid film at the top when refrigerated. Don't worry! This is good stuff! This is flavoring from the skin/fat and collagen from the bones

See? It's that easy. Enjoy!

Happy Broth Making
<3 TTT

Here is our final installment of the review of Trader Joe's Tea Party Set!(See the others linked here: Bergamot Flavored Tea, Vanilla & Rooibos Red Tea, Moringa Matcha Tea, Raspberry Flavored Black Tea, and Calming Herbal Tea Infusion). I will share my final thoughts on the set at the end.
This tea is a very light brew. I don't know about you, but I find light brews to be so gorgeous -- probably because they stray from the normal brown/amber colored brew. I was confused by the taste at first, I'll be honest. On the first brew, I likened it to Pez candies, but not in an unappealing way. On the second and third brews, though, I didn't taste the candy-like quality as much as the subtle citrus and floral notes, which were quite pleasant albeit subtle.
This tea contains lemon grass and rosehip shells (duh). There is also apple pieces for subtle sweetness and citric acid to enhance the sour taste. This also has natural flavors, which is probably where I was getting that initial hint of Pez candy from. Overall, this was a pleasant tea, but nothing I would write home about. I'll give it a moderate 6.5/10.

Overall, my favorites in this set were the Calming Herbal Tea Infusion (10/10), and Vanilla Rooibos (10/10)
In the middle were Matcha Moringa (8.5/10) and Bergamot Flavored Black (7.75/10)
Least favorites were this one (Lemongrass Rosehip), and the Raspberry Flavored Black Tea (5/10).

I would say, this set is worth the purchase, mainly for the Calming Herbal Tea, Vanilla Rooibos, and Matcha Moringa. I was very impressed by those. However, I wouldn't say that this is a must buy as the last three were just alright. They weren't unpleasant, but they weren't spectacular, either. Worth the price, though, for sure.

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

Lately I've been looking for a little something sweet that isn't too unhealthy. I came up with these cashew bars, that have no added sugar, as a way to curb my sweet tooth. Let me say, they came out quite pretty and quite delicious.

Ingredients:
White Layer:
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/2 cup reduced fat coconut milk
1 tsp coconut oil
Pink Layer:
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/4 cup reduced fat coconut milk
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 cup strawberries
Optional: chopped pecans to top

Directions:
1) Cover the cashews in water and soak overnight
2) Put all of the ingredients for the white layer in a high speed blender (I used a Nutribullet) and blend until smooth
3) Pour white mixture into a square tray, spread to a smooth layer, and place in freezer until hard on top (about 30 minutes)
4) Put all of the ingredients for the pink layer in a high speed blender and blend until smooth
5) Pour over the hardened white mixture in the square tray, spread to a smooth layer, and return to freezer
6) After about 30 minutes, if you'd like, top with chopped pecans.
7) Freeze for 3 to 4 hours, or until hard all the way through
8) Let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing into squares (you can heat the bottom with some hot water and remove from the tray to cut on a cutting board if you'd like)
9) Keep it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Before eating, let the squares stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Happy Cashew Bar Eating!
<3 TTT

We are on to number 5 of the Trader Joe's Tea Party Set review! Links here for the first 4: Bergamot Black Tea, Vanilla Rooibos, Moringa Matcha, Raspberry Black). Today, I am reviewing the Calming Herbal Tea Infusion.
This tea is quite delicious! You get a perfect blend of all of the flavors and do get to taste each one. The peppermint leaves and lemon balm create a soothing cooling feeling. The lemongrass adds a touch of citrus. You get a fresh chamomile and lavender flavors that are instantly calming. The remainder of the flavors are subtle, but add a nice floral and earthy balance to the others; blackberry leaves, orange blossom, rose petals, and heather blossom.
Chamomile is known for easing tensions, from headaches to stomach aches. Lemon balm and lavender can be used to help stress and anxiety. Rose petals and blackberry leaves are actually pretty high in Vitamin C.

You can see that the blend has real, good quality ingredients. I was very impressed with this one! I have been adding this tea to my evening routine and it does help me relax! I would give this one a 10/10. No complaints, in fact, only love!

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

Some mornings you wake up and want the deliciousness of dessert, but the health of a breakfast. Enter Carrot Cake Oatmeal. I topped this with some Spiced Sweet Potato Croutons and pecans, but you can top this with anything from dried currants or raisins, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, switch up the nuts, or fortify with your favorite protein powder or collagen peptides (I used Further Foods Collagen Peptides. You can use my code TINYTEATHINGS for 10% off of your purchase). The recipe below is not very sweet, so add a sweetener of your choice if you'd like it to be sweeter.

I made the Spiced Sweet Potato Croutons by peeling then cutting a sweet potato into small dices. I covered them in 2 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, ground ginger, and cardamom. Then, I baked them in the oven at 425F for 20 minutes.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal (2 servings):

Ingredients:
2 cups almond milk (I used unsweetened)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
1 dash each of ground ginger, nutmeg, cardamom
1 tsp molasses
Optional: for more sweetness, add 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Directions:
1) Bring almond milk to a boil in a small saucepan with the cinnamon stick
2) Slowly add in the oats and grated carrots
3) Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently
4) Reduce to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes depending on preferred consistency, stirring occasionally
5) Add in the spices, molasses, and optional sweetener if you would like a sweet oatmeal.
6) Serve with sweet potato croutons and pecans, or toppings of your choice.

Hello everyone! We are on to our 4th installment of the Trader Joe's Tea Party Set review! (Bergamot Flavored Black Tea here, Vanilla & Rooibos Red Tea here, Moringa Matcha Tea here). Today I am reviewing the Raspberry Flavored Black Tea.
The ingredient list for this tea is simple: black tea, dried raspberries, natural flavoring. The tea itself is visually appealing, with real black tea leaves and pieces of red raspberry strewn throughout. I would have liked some more dried raspberries, personally,
As for the tea itself, I had to drink it a few times to get an idea of how I felt about it. Unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. You sometimes get faint hints of raspberry, but not enough to know what it is without having read the label. What you do get is a fairly nice black tea, but it does not deliver on the promised flavor. As a result, I give this tea a 5/10. Not bad tasting, just not the promised taste.

Happy Tea Drinking!
<3 TTT