Bio
I discovered my love of tea in college, in Oregon, where nearly constant rain and clouds and fog demand some sort of warm, cuddly beverage.
Since moving back to Idaho, where seasons actually exist, my adoration for tea has bordered on obsession. I like a variety of teas depending on my mood and the alignment of the planets. I’m pretty sure my love of tea saved my life after coming home from the deep freezer with hypothermia day after day. ;)
I am recently married, and my next project is convincing my husband that instant Lipton iced tea does not count as tea. sigh
Here’s my rating system:
0-19 – I did not like this tea. I will not touch it again with a ten-foot-pole. I may have family and friends try it in hopes of pawning it off on them; otherwise it’s in the trash. That bad.
20-40 – I do not like this tea. I might be able to tolerate it with large amounts of sugar and/or almondmilk and/or another tea. I will be giving it away to the first family/friend who likes it because I’m too lazy to enjoy this.
41-60 – This tea is okay. If I am careful how I prepare it (temperature, amounts) and add things to it (sugar, almondmilk), I can enjoy it.
61-70 – This tea was fairly enjoyable, but I have to be in the mood for it, and I have to at least sweeten it.
71-80 – I like this tea. I might even drink it without additives. It may still be mood-driven, but it’s pretty good. I would recommend it to visitors coming over for a cuppa.
81-90 – I really like this tea. I can drink it regardless of cravings. I will rarely if ever add anything to it. I try to peddle it to my visitors as examples of great tea.
91-100 – I love this tea. It is wonderful. Every cup is heaven. I will not share this. I will tell people to go get their own crack. This stash is mine.
Location
North Idaho
Added almond milk this time—I’m in heaven! This way the cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper don’t… actually burn. Hahaha!
Okay, I’ve had one other chai stove-top and was disappointed because it came out so bitter and you couldn’t taste the spices. So, I was a little worried about this one. No such disappointment. It’s still spicy as ever! I used 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp chai, 2 cups water, and 2 cups milk. Pretty much followed Samovar’s current instructions to a T. I’ve seen a lot of people adding a black tea to it, and I might to mellow down the spice. :)