December Tea Favorites + 2016 Recap
Well, 2016 is officially gone. What is there to say that hasn’t already been said? It was a pretty lousy year all around. In July, I wrote on Facebook, “I keep waiting for 2016 to yell "APRIL FOOLS!!!!"”.... that was in JULY. Oh boy.
For some reason after Brexit happened, the endless unrest got to me. I wrote that this must be what it feels like to have Dementors set loose. Apologies again to those of you who are not Harry Potter inclined.
But, I don’t want to linger or dwell on the negative so here are the fun, silly or awesome things that happened for me in 2016:
- In January, Chris and I visited our good friends Andy and Jen in Portland
- In February, I got the chance to interview designer Michael Schwab through our speaking series at work
- In March, I celebrated 5 years working at Active Ingredients
- In April, I decided to start this blog because hey! Why not?? More on that here if you’re interested.
- In June, I took a ladies trip with 7 of my best high school girlfriends to Seattle to explore, wander and laugh
- In August, I got away from it all with my mom and sister to the Russian River for reading, hot tubs, the Olympics and not much else
- In September, Chris and I stood under giant waterfalls
- In October, I finally finally finally won my work Halloween costume contest
- In November, I voted for a lady boss president
- In December, Chris and I celebrated 5 years together… and I got a kitchenaid mixer. The two are almost equally important.
These were my favorite teas this December:
Cardamom French Toast by David’s Tea
This is a black tea with cinnamon, coriander, lemon peel and best of all… cardamom. Like whole cardamom pods. I may or may not LOVE cardamom. If you do too, check out my Earl Grey Cardamom Cookies, they are lovely.
Anyway, this has been kind of the perfect tea to close out this crazy, confusing, and confounding 2016. It’s warm and cozy and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar to make everything alright. I can’t say it’s going to win any awards, but it’s certainly comforting if comfort is what you’re looking for.
Buddha’s Blend by David’s Tea
Now, this tea is what I would recommend if you’re looking for a clean slate and a fresh start for 2017.
It is light, fruity, floral with plenty of subtlety to the flavors. This is a blend of white and green tea. The jasmine pearls give the tea its fruity flavors. White hibiscus blossoms bring the floral scent.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys perfecting your morning routine, I think this is the tea for you. It’s an incredibly peaceful and serene cup of tea that would pair well with morning yoga or meditation.
Lovely little things
- At the beginning of 2016 I started drinking green smoothies pretty much every day. I had tried adding spinach to smoothies before and never liked it. But then I found Simple Green Smoothies and their 30-Day Green Smoothie challenge — their recipes are delicious and they have great tips for blending and adding protein to your smoothies. If you’re looking for a health boost in 2017, I recommend it.
- My favorite green smoothie for flu season is below. Can you tell I’ve been sick? Blend the spinach, milk and orange until smooth, then add the frozen fruit and blend again.
- 1 cup spinach
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 orange, peeled
- ½ banana, frozen
- ½ cup strawberries, frozen
Currently reading
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (I know, I’m slow)
