Featured & Popular Tasting Notes

YES! More cream cheese!

have you tried any teas that have a really strong cream cheese or cheesecake flavor?

Nope. Not one. :(

It’s the fat content that really makes the cheesecake and cream cheese as amazing as they are. You might consider adding some sweetened condensed milk to make it really creamy and rich.

I’d just prefer there be more cream cheese:)

You make this sound soo good! Thanks to you and Cofftea I think I may have to start trying more flavored teas.

@ Josh I agree Erin’s post had me looking for a sweet afternoon treat.

@Josh if you’re looking to try some flavored teas, stay away from Adagio’s flavored blacks. their flavored whites are really good (my favorite is their White Blueberry). everything i’ve had from 52teas has been good, plus they have free shipping!

Josh, as much as I respect Erin, her opinions, and her right to have her own tastes- I’d really suggest forming your own opinions of teas. I love trying teas that people say “Don’t try!”- a lot of the time I’m glad I did.

Second the whole stay away from Adagio’s flavored. I think it depends how strong you like your flavored teas. 52teas is a bit too light for me (light as in the flavors too weak). It definitely taste / smells like what it’s advertising, but I wish the flavor was a bit stronger. So you like Jasmine, so you can probably stand floral tea. Teavana perhaps? Or give Golden Moon’s sampler of 31 teas for $20 a try. They have a wide variety of flavored teas there.

Cofftea is right too. I mean you might end up liking Adagio’s flavored teas. They do have some decent ones.

Ricky, YES to the whole lighter thing (i.e. this one) w/ 52teas. And YES to the GM sampler which I’m still coveting. =D

Ahh, Cofftea and Ricky have made me see the error of my ways. Of course try everything; form your own opinions!

@52teas – I’ll try the sweetened milk idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

Josh, Adagio has some amazing jasmine teas.

No, no Erin. I’m totally with you. I tell people to stay away from Adaigo’s flavored black as well. The way I see it, there are some decent Adagio flavored teas, but you can get a lot better flavored teas for around the same price with another company.

Better is so flippin relevent though:) I personally don’t like flavored blacks (other than chai) so I haven’t tried a lot of them, but the ones I have tried have been good for me. So you can either take that as “She has no clue what she’s talking about” or “Wow! Even she likes this!”=D

Yes, in the end it really depends on the person =]

I second Ricky’s latest comment! And I agree with Cofftea on their jasmine.

Can I chime in with my two cents so late in the day? Josh, if you get a chance, try Harney’s flavored blacks – I recently re-discovered them and am loving them (Paris, Florence, etc).

Wow.. when I first saw this, I did a double-take. Cream Cheese Danish?! This sounds so interesting :)

Well, I think Erin is spot on with her description of Adagio’s flavored blacks, and it is completely acceptable and DESIRABLE that people on Steepster make recommendations about which teas to try (and conversely, which to avoid). Not sure why anyone would get in arms about that, especially on what is essentially a tea review site. There’s no reason why someone should have to freaking apologize for their comment about a tea they don’t like and wouldn’t recommend. Just my two cents.

@Erin Your description of this tea made me want raspberry cheesecake! Hmm…I wonder if the nearby grocery store has any…

@ Erin, Cofftea, Ricky, and Lauren
Thank you so much for the debate on flavored teas. When I think of drinking a flavored tea I really want it to pop, otherwise what would really be the point. I have been looking at 52 Teas website today for the first time and they have a few things that really stuck out to me. I also had a look at the Golden Moons Sampler but it doesn’t list what teas come with the extraordinary 31 flavor sampler. Is there a good variety of their flavored teas in that sampler? Also how many cups do you get from one of those samples?
I will most likely order some from both places just because I have never had tea from either one and just try them out for myself.

Josh, it doesn’t list what comes with it, because it’s their whole collection. They give you every single of the their teas they have to offer so browse their website or Steepster.

Isn’t that great though? All the teas from a company? =] Use coupon code Steepster to get free shipping.

Josh- Yeah 52teas’ blends are pretty amazing. EVERY one of their teas that they carry come w/ the sampler. That’s why everyone that has tried it loves it and everyone that hasn’t covets it!=D As for the size of the samples, they very- some as tiny as ~1.8g unfortunately. :(

They have plain teas and flavored ones. I think what’s great about the sampler is that it gives you a good variety / understanding of all their teas and the company. Each sampler gives you about one to two cups. Of course you can get multiple infusions from each one.

Honestly, where else can you get 31 teas for $20? That’s .65 cents a cup of tea. Free shipping too =]

Hey Josh! Golden Moons Sampler has all of them (31) – Coconut Pouchong, Vanilla Mint, French Breakfast, Nepalese Afternoon Tea, White Ginger Rose, White Tea, Imperial Formosa Oolong, Madagascar Vanilla, Lapsang Souchong, Sugar Caramel Oolong, White Licorice, Snow Sprout, Jasmine, Temple of Heaven Gunpowder, White Persian Melon, Sencha, Orchid Temple Oolong, Honey Pear, Jasmine Pearls, Kashmiri Chai, Tippy Earl Grey, Pu-erh Chai, Darjeeling, Moroccan Mint, Sinharaja, Organic Green Tea, Pu-erh, English Breakfast, Vanilla Jasmine, Irish Breakfast (Special Reserve), RoseTea. Also – just ONE serving. (just got mine this week!). I ordered from 52 Teas but haven’t received it yet :( good luck!

@Ricky, even cheaper if you resteep!=D

As for serving size, since there are mixed results. I just weighted two samplers I have laying around. So HMPH!

Pu-erh => 8.7g
Sugar Caramel Oolong => 9.8g

Anyways, a serving depends on the person. One serving to me is 12oz of water, two teaspoons of tea. I like my tea to be strong and bold. When I was talking about the samplers, I was saying you could make 1-2 6oz servings with them.

2.5g is generally a serving and that’s for 6oz of water. You can stretch that to 8oz of water if you want. I think most of us just wing it when it comes to loose leaves.

Well you guys have sold me on the Golden Moons sampler, that just seems like a deal that no one should pass up. Especially someone who is fairly new to the tea world and wants to know more and more. One to two cups per sample is perfect for me because I usually re-steep at least once and sometimes twice. I will have to take another gander at 52 Teas teas and see if anything there really grabs me.

For me the pu erh would make a ~8oz cup, but that’s a lot of leaf, so I’d get 4 2oz servings out of it. Except for pu erh and Japanese greens, a serving for me is 2.25g/6oz. Unlike Ricky, I don’t wing it. I’m very type A when it comes to my tea… which is strange cuz I’m not excessively type A in ANY other area of my life lol!

Haha, that’s why I wrote most because I knew you didn’t wing it, cofftea =]

Woaps, was it 2.25? I keep thinking it’s 2.5 for some reason. I guess it’s a rounder number.

Success! Josh will join the Golden Moon Sampler fun. Can’t wait to read those reviews.

Yeah, that pu-erh would make an 8oz cup. 1oz per g for pu-erh. Oh the complications of tea =P

Another GM sampler convert! YAY!

And that’d give you as many as 12 infusions per cup. That’d be just under 2 cents/infusion for me!=D

Ricky, yep it’s 2.25. An even 3g for an 8oz cup.

Yay! Keep the posts coming. This is going to be the most popular tea soon enough also the convert Josh to GM thread. Where’s teaplz now!?!?

How do you guys go about figuring out your g/oz ratio, or is it all just trial and error to your liking?

Erin is probably laughing at us because this did start out as a 52teas tealog!

I stick w/ the standard for teas that don’t have unique authentic steeping parameters (so far Japanese greens and pu erh are the only ones I know of that do). I’d suggest starting there for a reference point and then going up or down as need be.

Haha! Oh yeah Lauren! I forgot lol:)

Oh, that’s a general rule. I just do one heaping teaspoon for 8oz of water.

If you don’t know what to do, the rules are 2.25g (corrected by cofftea) for 6oz and pu-erh is a 1g to 1oz of water ratio.

@ Lauren
Yeah I thinking this should be a Discussion thread…

@ Cofftea
Cool, thanks.

Haha, what? I thought this was a Golden Moon tealog! So sorry Frank! We still love your teas, well some of them, drools pina colada

Shoot – sorry, I killed the buzz ….! mea culpa!

Nooooo! It’s so close from being the most popular tealog! Don’t let it die guys! Josh any further questions?

I noted your general-rule-of-thumb for my own edification, too! Thanks!

Well since this is a 52 Teas log, what would you guys recommend for some good 52 Teas to try? Some that aren’t too wild but just overall great teas.

Pina Colada (Flavored Honeybush)
Buttered Cinnamon Toast (Must get me some!) (Flavored Black)
Malted Chocomate (Flavored mate)

=] Well these are the ones I’d consider repurchasing.

I was thinking the Apple Pie a la Mode, Razzleberry Green, Pomegranate Honeybush (maybe,) Banana Peach Green, and the Banana Split sounds pretty crazy.

Josh, send me a PM, I’ll send you some 52teas.

Just ordered (7 days ago!) Cucumber Melon Green Tea, Pomegranate Green Tea, Pomegranate White Tea, Razzleberry Green Tea but have NOT gotten it yet.

Josh, back to the “how do you get your general rule?” statement… I know it doesn’t have anything to do w/ flavored teas (well only in small part), but here are great places to start for the different Japanese teas:
http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=perfect_brewing

Really! Wow, best day ever.

Welcome to Steepster ;) We’re here to help =]

Dens is amazing.

Oh I have that website bookmarked from one of your other posts containing it :)

@ Lauren
Hopefully you get those soon, they sound pretty good. I should be getting my Four Seasons Oolong from Samovar on Saturday, I’m super excited.

@ Cofftea
Thanks for the link.

I forgot to mention that flavored pu erh is exempt from my 1g/1oz rule, I don’t rinse it either- I treat it as a black tea (at least the one I’ve tried so far) Oh I should mention that my “general rule” for measuring teas also does not apply to chais. For that I use one heaping teaspoon per 6oz. For my absolute favorite chia EVER which just happens to be 52teas’ Mayan Chocolate Chai, that’s 4g/6oz water or milk or a combo of both.

I ordered from Samovar, too – I wonder when I will get it? Love that teeny-tiny teapot!

oops chai, not chia:)

Can’t talk about Chai’s – am utter failure at chai’s so far.

The only chai I’ve made was a Masala Chai and I used 2 heaping teaspoons of the chai in 16oz water then while that was brewing I added 16oz of soy milk. It was mighty tasty. Although maybe next time I will use more chai…

I’d personally at least double it, anywhere from 4-5 1/2 tsp (I prefer 5 1/2 tsp)- especially if you’re adding milk.

Wow. I thought it was an error that this log had this many replies. Either that or I was in trouble for something and people were upset about it. :)

I shouldn’t say this, because all of our teas are great, but since the question was asked, I’ll tell you some of MY favorites of our blends. I do, however, have to preface the list by saying that while this may sound blasphemous, I am largely an iced tea drinker. I grew up in the deep south, and I drink iced tea year round. I’m now in Wichita, KS and we get our share of cold, but I’m still an iced tea drinker whether it’s 110-degrees out or -20-degrees. So, for some really spectacular ICED teas, I highly recommend:

Pina Colada Honeybush
Banana Peach Green Tea
Black Currant White Tea
Shamrock Blend
ANY of our Pomegranate blends (I know pomegranate is kind of ho hum and not as exciting as some of our other offerings, but I personally think our pomegranate blends are three times better than any of our competitors. We use REAL freeze dried pomegranate arils in each of them (and they are not cheap, but I think it really makes a big difference)).

Anyway, those are some of my favorites.

Yes, those Pomegranate teas are very tempting indeed. I’ve never had a Pomegranate tea before but I am a fan of the Pomegranate fruit so when I go to get some stuff from your site I will definitely be looking really closely at those blends! :)

okay WHOA! i went away to put on my PJs, take off my makeup, and brush my teeth and i come back and steepster says i have 42 new notices. and they were all for this tasting note! i nearly died laughing! I’m not even going to try to respond on all the topics that have been covered here, but I’ll respond to the latest topic – 52teas. I have only recently started getting into them with a lot of help from Ricky, but so far my favorite has been Malted ChocoMate.

Also, this was my 100th tasting note! Way to make it a huge deal!!! Hahahaha!

Frank, Thanks so much for the recommendations for iced and for me getting my 52Teas order in today! It’s just starting to warm up here in Texas and I was thinking about what teas I could start making Iced so this post came in a timely manner for me.

Josh, also check out www.zoomdweebies.com and www.manteas.com (co companies of 52teas).

ahaha, congrats on the 100th note. Glad we could assist in the huge deal! You missed out on quite a bit in those couple hours you were gone.

Back from packing tea! This is Steepster’s most popular tea log now. Success!

http://steepster.com/popular/all

Erin, you should totally chime back in:)

I wish there was a quick way to find that link like there used to be… :(

@Cofftea. Thanks for the links. I’m so embarrassed by zoomdweebies.com right now. We are working on a major overhaul of the site. Right now it is buggy and just not the site I would like for it to be, but soon….

And the manteas.com site almost requires a warning. It’s a bit colorful and edgy. It’s all done tongue in cheek and intended to be completely satirical, but I have had a few people tell me they were deeply offended by some of the content there. But yes, 52teas and ManTeas are both brands of Zoomdweebie’s, LLC

AWESOME! Hooray for the most popular note ever! And to think it all happened while I was getting ready for bed.

I’m aiming for 100 comments to honor your 100th post.

52teas, just consider this a multi-authored comment/suggestion form for your teas LOL=D

Hahaha that’d be really cool. But it’s kind of like cheating if we just keep posting about how this is getting really long [that’s what she said?]. I say we actually talk about tea here, to make it legit.

Absolutely- and since you missed out on 3hrs worth, that’s a lot of catching up to do=D Jason, the 2 manteas I’ve tried were smoky bacon and beer- both are amazing

One more thing, the [that’s what she said?] joke was absolutely amazing! I actually lol’ed when I read that. :)

Erin okay I’ll bite. I got in my first 52Teas order in today which consists of Malted chocomate and Buttered Raisin Bread. I can’t wait for morning so I can try them !

Josh – Thanks. I’ve been told I’m a master. [you know what to say here]

We’re working on t-shirts with the manteas.com logo. They are going to say, “Real men drink bacon tea” on the front and have our new ManTeas logo on the back. I’ve already got a few people clamoring for them.

Chelsea actually wants one in a ladies cut tee.

SoccerMom – I also got my first order today! It had the Raisin Toast (which I haven’t tried yet but I am so excited for) and the now infamous Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish. Although I’ve tried the Malted ChocoMate from Ricky and it’s one of my top favorites!

I’m gonna laugh my butt off if a 52teas/manteas/zoomdweebies tea is the SS item for tomorrow.

@52teas, How about a shirt that says “My man’s man enough to drink tea!”?

Yeah! If that ever happens I might not be able to resist!

@Cofftea – This kind of goes along with the thread about how men are now starting to drink more tea, but I never really thought of tea as being a girly drink. I know lots of guys from back home in Princeton that drink tea.

@Cofftea, no SS tomorrow. Jason is waiting on some pictures from me. We could totally do the “My man” thing too. Have you guys seen our new logo? It’s really ridiculous. I think it’s hysterical, tho again, some have been offended. It’s on the website: http://www.manteas.com

@cofftea, could you imagine if they made your saying on a pink tee shirt! hee hee

When are you restocking those matchas?

@52teas – HAHAHAHA! I just looked at your new logo! It’s brilliant! I can see how some people would be offended by it, but you can’t please everyone. I literally LOL-ed at that one!

@ Erin, I never really saw drinking tea as a girly thing either, but I do understand where it comes from. I mean little girls growing up were always having their tea parties with invisible tea…

@ 52teas, I think that manteas logo is brilliant! If you made a shirt with that logo on it I would definitely have to get one.

@52teas, you know how many times I’ve been on your site (daily) and I just now got your logo… facepalm…

SoccerMom, eh wouldn’t be too off the wall since it would be a woman wearing the shirt and not a man- well unless it was a man in a homosexual relationship.

@Ricky, some way too honest for my own good truth: I only have maybe a couple of pounds of matcha left right now, and I have an open invoice with my supplier I have to take care of before I can get some more. LOL. (I’m sick today guys, so forgive me if I’m stupid). Anyway, I was trying to decide whether to reblend the Mandarin Matcha (which would also require more freeze dried orange sections I don’t have) or create a new matcha blend. I’ve finally settled on the latter, and we got some freeze-dried strawberry powder. (Literally, it is powder). We are going to make a strawberry matcha next. I should have it on the site in the next week or so.

Ditto Ricky’s comment! Or better yet, new ones! Art of tea has a ginger matcha and there’s a Canadian company coming out w/ a bunch of flavored matchas as well.

Strawberry matcha? I am sold! Save one for me!

HOLY FRICKIN CRAP! Thank you for picking one I’d like! I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of a banana matcha. How about an orange strawberry blend?

Strawberry Matcha?? Yes! :D

Maybe after we get the t-shirts in, I can get Jason to run them as a SS item. LOL

Strawberry matcha! I want some of that. The orange strawberry sounds like it may be a good blend as well.

You should help them make some Steepster swag while you are at it =]

You know what this whole epic tasting note thing has made me realize? Steepster should have a chat feature! PMing is great, but you can’t converse with more than one person easily.

Yay Erin for 100th!!!

Okay, so I just lost my little online poker tournament (non-cash) I was playing while keeping up with this, and now I am going to take my sick and weary behind to bed. Goodnight all.

Erin, that was suggested a long time ago and I totally ditto that!=D

I just finished packing a few tea packages so I’m out as well. Erin weren’t you getting ready for bed an hour ago? Haha =P

Goodnight Frank!

HOLY FRICKIN CRAP! Steepster Select item is perfect for my type A tea self! One of the few times I will be caving.

Good Night!

Ricky, ready for and ready to go to are 2 different things:)

@Ricky – Yep! Haha I’m all ready now, but now my mind is full of 52teas thoughts and cheesy TWSS jokes. Oh well.

@Cofftea – I would, but I don’t have an iPod or iPhone!

@ Cofftea – have you checked out the Teavana app? It was free on itunes/app store.

Haha, I would aside for the fact that my darn iPhone is too slow! I use this for my mac.

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/calculate_convert/minutes.html

Comes in handy at work =]

Ah crap! I didn’t read the iPhone/iPod part… great… now I’m extremely pissed and depressed :-,<… This just may be worth buying an iPod for… It looks like the price is not a special so I don’t have do buy it in the next 24 hrs…

No mac but use google timer app on my laptop and have teavana timer on ipod.

I like Teavanas app, it just sits on my phone and it doesn’t do a thing =]

So we went from 52teas to Adagio to Golden Moon to 52teas to Teavana?

W/ mentions of pu erh (hello Bana Tea Co sampler!) and Den’s!=D

Ricky, I use that one too!

Yes, but it has pretty pictures! LOL

Ha, I was thinking of bringing Bana Tea’s pu-erh to work tomorrow and have my co-workers help me finish one off. That means I’ll have to jot down some notes so I can write a tea log later in the evening.

I have so much tea, yet also so little! I don’t know how this strange dynamic works.

If I stay here any longer I will end up sleeping at 4am, uhoh. Going to get ready for bed as well.

G’Night ALL!

Yeah, I’m going to leave now. Bye!

Night everyone, it was nice hearing all of your great recommendations for flavored tea.

Ricky’s such a party pooper! ;)

Well you said you were getting ready for, not going to bed… you are a little strange for talking in 3rd person though… hehe;)

What the crap happened here?!?! 130 comments…that’s awesome! That has to be some sort of record. Congrats, Erin!

Well we were trying to set a new Steepster World Record. Personally, I wanted to hit that 150 mark after we made it to the 100 ;)

Haha, I was getting tired Cofftea =P

Haha Jason- I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment.

@52teas, Frank PLEASE make sure you change your steeping suggestions on the packaging for your strawberry matcha (and changing the packaging to get rid of the clear would be great too), everyone knows you do not steep matcha for 3 min. That really bothered me to see that…

Awesome threads here guys, love all the comments about flavors to try of 52teas as I really want to place another order with them, but looks like I may be holding out for the strawberry flavored matcha drool! That sounds so fantastic! Great job Erin for the largest comment section ever and happy 100th tasting note!

And the post lives! I hope Frank makes an extra large batch of that matcha!=D

wow is this happening again? haha

Tonight we are trying to hit 200?

Erin, Congrats on your 100th tasting note!

Yes eggs in a hole! I had so much fun with the tea and giggles last night and there was some dinner skipping here as well. I was HUNGRY and I had avocado toast with a few pecan halves and some pu-er concoction and steeping a cup of this awesome tea right now.

Nommmmy!

My mom always made egg in a hole for us as kids, to this day no one makes them quite the same! I try to avoid wheat these days but once in awhile I just can’t resist an ‘egg in the hole’ as a treat. My favorite part was always eating the little square of bread fried up in butter beside the egg in a hole!

Enjoy! More tea after Church!

@whatshesaid – I saw a recipe the other day for an egg in the hole without bread! They used a rings of bell pepper and cooked the egg inside – let me see if I can find it and I will link you. Not the same of course but it sounded good to me

I’m very jealous of your breakfast :-). I only have enough leaf for one more cup of this one so I must hoard it until I place a WP order!

Now that’s what I’m craving for breakfast and there are neither eggs nor bread in the house. (I should go grocery shopping.)

We always called it egg in a basket. I loved it, my kids loved it. I miss it, & yes, there are many gluten free variations that are fun, but of course, never the same…sigh…it’s that little circle of toast!

I agree Terri, It’s all about the little tiny circle (or in my case, usually a square) of toast from the “hole”!

MzPriss, I think I’ve had that before, tasty but definitely no buttery bread replacement :)

I always served it with extra pan toasted triangles too :)

Haha! I’ m overwhelmed with you answers you guys, thought it was local dish or something, this is great! And yes, the little tiny grilled circle IS the best :-)

MzPriss, avocado toast is like a guilty pleasure…without the guilt! I also love toast and coconut butter with crunchy chia seeds on top. Weird but so good! And that pu’erh concoction of yours well…for some strange reason, I can clearly envision what you are having ;-)

Inspired by this post, I made a savory almond flour pancake, topped it with sauteed greens & eggs, & made 3 cute little circle pancakes to represent the circle toast. :)

Aww, terri this sounds so great and yummy! How cute, little mini round pancake :-)

@TeaFairy – for some strange reason I bet you can even taste it :)

@Terri – that sounds awesome

At my sweet little co-op market, they have the best thing now!! I just freshly ground my own CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER!!! Chunks of almonds and chocky chips so so good!

Hehehe, as a matter of fact… I can!!!

Oh, I make my own peanut and almond butter. Never thought of adding chocolate to the almonds. Oh, that would turn like a some kind of crunchy Nutella, without the excessive load of sugar!!! Will try it this week for sure, thanks!

It is kind of like that with a higher nut to chocolate ratio. Very very good!

MzPriss, then this will be dessert today, drizzled with honey on ripe bananas!

OH! I have a banana! I’m going to warm it up a little so it will drizzle and do the same

Ok, let me know how it tastes like, I’ll have mine later…Lol, My review threads always end up talking about eating, I’m such a foodie!!

I am too. I’m cooking right now – just made some cauliflower rice sald (not rice – just cauliflower buzzed in the cusisinart) and stir frying veggies for some lentil curry

salad not said

Hey, we do seem to have similar culinary tastes! Love the versatility of cauliflower so much, I make some sick fake mash potatoes with nutritional yeast…I’ve served that to people who actually like it more now than real mashed potatoes!!

I make those too. And have you made the pizza crust with it yet?

Noooo! Ok, will you pm me recipe when you have a chance? Pleeeeazzzze?

I totally will. I’ll go find it now and send it to you PM

OK – the banana deal: I used my cast iron skillet and wee bit of butter and sliced my banana length-wise and did a little stove-top grill of the banana until caramelized and brown in spots. Warmed the chocky-almond butter for 15 seconds and then drizzled over the banana. Yes – you want it.

I like to freeze my bananas and then put them in the blender.

Caramelized bananas with chocolate syrup are the most simple and decadent dessert on the planet. Just sayin’. <3

I have allergies to some foods so I collect recipes on Pinterest. Anyone else? Bet Terri does!

*Lariel – easy banana ice cream!

@ Bonnie – I bet Terri does too. I don’t Pinterest – I just bookmark everything. Although I lost a lot of things when the harddrive on my macbook fried a little while back

@Brenden – I’m way picky about chocolate syrup though. I haven’t found one I love that doesn’t have some kind of crap in it. Do you know of one?

Yes I do!!! Just melt 80% dark chocolate yourself, the best!!!!

You don’t have to add anything to it to make it stay syrupy? Doesn’t it harden on the food – or LOL do you just eat it up before that happens?

Was about to say the same thing, Fairy-awesome-one!

I have a tiny skillet that I use for melting chocolate :) haha

Haha! Chocolate awesomeness!! No I add NOTHING!!! Unless you serve it on something frozen, it’s ok. And as you mentioned, i just eat it too fast for it to have time to cool down ;-)

Well it just so happens that I have some 80% chocolate :D

Well well, how bout that? Sounds like we are having the same dessert tonight ;-)

Oh and Brenden, I too own a tiny weeny little skillet for my chocolate. I don’t put anything else in it cause I don’t want ANY taste transfer. It’s so darn cute:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14536236312/in/photostream/

it IS cute!

i had microwaved hot dogs for breakfast

Hahaha! It’s all good apt, we are health freaks, we’re the scary ones ;-)
(I also did have my days of microwave mornings once upon a time, but I was more of a pizza gal!)

^hahaha, winner! :D

Tea Fairy, let me just make a suggestion… http://www.wayfair.com/Frieling-Profiserie-Butter-Warmer-A33256-L777-K~FLG1195.html?refid=GX42755230140-FLG1195_9754074&device=c&ptid=48134555460&PiID%5B%5D=9754074&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=FLG1195_9754074&gclid=CjgKEAjw8r6dBRDZprbmndPi90sSJAB2U6dRIUwL2qtvMWMlmiFaDj8cL-f8_2oRcrJsqjq-Wq6gA_D_BwE

I REALLY want this :)

Ooh ya, me like the petite size :-) that would be perrrrfect!
But then again, I’m a pots and pans fanatic…If I had a gigantic kitchen, I’d probably own every kitchen gadgets and appliances on the market!

A chocolate skillet? How does that work?

:-) I need to get it…Since I’ve condensed my kitchen I realized I’m sort of missing some vital items. I’ve got two cast iron pans, a stainless steel crockpot, and a tiny skillet. I’m a huge fan of Frieling, too, which helps me trust that it’ll be a good investment :)

I’m sorry to tell y’all what I am eating right now

TheTeaFairy your chocolate skillet is adorable!

@WP: Yep, that’s the kind of pan you’ll have for a long time:-) better pay a little more once than keep buying every two years…

@Lariel, it’s not really a chocolate pan, it’s just very tiny and I like to melt my chocolate in it cause I can do just a little bit at a time :-)

@MzPriss: Well Bon Appétit then ma’am!!

fig & mascarpone gelato from this italian guy’s shop where he hand makes it

@TeaFairy – if it would get there from here I would totally send you some so we could share :)

I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that but now I have to hate you….
;-)

This post just keeps getting better & better :)
I want fried bananas, drizzled lightly with maple & maybe some coconut milk on top,& toasted coconut flakes.Yeah…I want that.
For dinner I’m having brats (nitrate & other BS free), a cultured dill from last summer, homegrown asparagus & cukes, & sweet potato french fries fries.
Tomorrow I’m planning to make a batch of cauliflower tabouli. I haven’t had tabouli for a long time & cauliflower makes a pretty good sub for bulgur too. I have all the other ingredients in my garden: parsley, mint, cukes, sungold cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic.
Foodie? Damn right!

Yeah you might have to. A friend just brought it over

Ok, now I can’t hate you no more ;-) I’m going to your house, bye cats, bye dog…

it’s amazing

You can bring them. Although my dogs don’t understand cats

Oh man Terri that dinner sounds awesome.

My dog thinks all cats are puppies, and so he acts like a daddy dog and goes to snuggle them and keep them warm, but they just smack him in the face and he gets confused…lol

It’s ok…the intention counts, I’ll always remember you offered to share with me:-) enjoy for the both of us!!

Terri, if I was living near you, I’d find an excuse every day to drop by around dinner time, and just pretend I need something. And then you would say, «hey fairy, I was just about to have the most fabulous dinner and dessert, would you like to join? » ;-)

I wish to have that tabouli please ma’am

You know you’d get great tea @ Terri’s too

I love cats and dogs stories, your dog sounds adorable!! …brenden this is how “friendly” things are here :-)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/12530016644/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/12529529795/in/photostream/

I am overcome by the cuteness

That dog is GORGEOUS!

That’s Dexter, pretending he doesn’t want to make a snack out of Happy…

They’re snuggled!

I love those pics! I used to have a great dane (Ellie Mae), & when my cat Opal had a litter of 5 kittens, they were HER kittens. She mothered them all the time, they were her babies.

If my kids ever move out, I seriously want to do the bed & breakfast thing, so you can all come visit me :)

:) This is Prana, WPTC’s mascot ;) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150971448518765.527973.567508764&type=1&l=d62fd5cf66

Awww for the dog, yay for the B&B. can I reserve now????

Prana is just gorgious. Sigh. i want another dog…there’s nothing like puppy love :-)

TF, it might still be a year or 2, but of course! :)

Dexter and Happy are totally adorbs too! :)

Terri, i can wait, i’ll be totally worth it ;-)

Thanks Brenden, they are my babies :-)

You guys have spiked your tea, I’m positive. Have you seen Brendens kombucha (or kumbaya whatever)…It’s fermenting into hippie wine (b4 you were born). (Sorry Brenden, it looks like fruity sangria with soggy granola on top. Most of them do not just yours). Need a party somewhere. A cruise! (Keep saying that)

Haha! bonnie I did look at breden’s kombucha, my aunt use to make her own, that’s how I know it…he almost convinced me to try and make my own, lol!

A party with you bonnie? Anytime, let’s have one now, you know how much I’ve missed you :-)

What is this cukes of which you speak? And also, you guys are making me want to garden.

Lol, we do sound like weirdos don’t we? Lariel, kombucha is fermented tea. It looks gross and slimy but it tastes pretty good and has a lot of health virtues. Brenden had a link on how to make your own on WP website but I can’t find it anymore…

I know what kombucha is, I’ve had it a few times. I was wondering what ‘cukes’ are slang for. That’s not really a word we use in California.

Oh sorry, I didn’t notice “cukes” and this thread is wayyy tooo long for me to trace it now!

Ah, cucumbers!

www.whisperingpinestea.com/kombucha and yes it’s hippy wine ;)

Not to mention, you can make kombucha wine with champagne yeast ;)

Cukes = cucumbers
I grow a lot of them, then I put them into a salt brine for 2 – 4 weeks to make old fashion dill pickles wth lots of garlic & dill.

Ok, bookmarked this time! I can now imagine all kinds of drinks and cocktails with champagne Kumbucha ;-)

Here’s a link
http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sour-pickles-2/

And of course there will be some on the table when I go visit St-Louis and stop at Terri’s B&B!!

hell yeah! We’re still eating them from last summer, & I’ve started making the new ones, so there will always be more! Along with home made cultured (and very much alive!) sauerkraut, kimchi, dilly beans, & whatever else I add to my bubbling laboratory :)

Mmm I bookmarked that one. Sounds yummy :)

Cukes sounds like an odd word, though I’ve only liked cucumbers if they’re in tahini sauce.

Mmmmm, tahini sauce! Picturing all the ingredients…yup, I could make some of that too!

Lol, this thread as a life of its own now ;-O

I meant “has” silly typo

Just one more reason to love Steepster, and tea, cuz otherwise none of us would have met in the virtual world :)

Exactly! Can I come to your B&B when TF does?? There won’t be much sleeping but there will be lots of middle of the night tea…

…and giggles :-)

Extreme giggles!

You know what they say…if you visualize it enough, you will make it happen :-) see? the giggle part already happened :-)

Well I do keep a travel bag packed…

Lol, I don’t travel much…but I guess it doesn’t hurt to be ready ;-)

YES!
I think once my kids all move out, we should have a mini tea convention/slumber party (with no actual sleeping) at my house, to celebrate the grand opening of my bed & breakfast/Tea House.

So Terri, you know in New Orelans they all the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs? I think we should name your B&B The Singing Harp Social Aid and Pleasure Club when we move in visit :)

Aww, love the name! (And I saw what you did MzPriss) I totally vote for moving i !! In exchange, I’ll change the beds and do laundry for free. Oh, and I can cook for your guests awesome dishes with foods from your magic garden!!

LOL, I can certainly use the help!
BTW, I think this may be the longest tea posting comments thingy ever! :)

I love this too. A lot;)

Stop, you make me want all the teas!

Boychik, I so love it!! And I can’t wait to try phatty cake, got one of this babies as well.

Mandy, that’s only because I keep drinking all the best teas!!!

Cowboys! Oh wait. tea.

And I love this tea. But not more than Special Dark. The Phatty Cake is awesome. And I also have to do yet another Mandala order. I can’t even make that one your fault. It’s Sarsonator’s fault.

This review made me smile :)

I’m having this right now. Leather and prunes my perfect combo

Hee Haw!!!

Yummy!

And Cowboys.

Lol.

But I need some help. (No not with the Cowboys – I got that) but I want to mae sure I don’t miss something and have to oder again after this because really. I can’t. I already need to have my credit cards taken away.

I just looked at my shopping cart over at Mandala and I felt very afraid. LOL. But what the hell? You only live once and pu’erhs are meant to be aged, so it’s not like they’ll go bad, right? RIGHT? :p

Haha! so you also got this one? Oh, I’m glad you did…can’t wait to find out what you think of it :-) Hee Haw!!!

I didn’t place the order yet, but I added some of this.

Can you tell me the difference between this and the phatty cake? Because it says the phatty cake is pressed from this. So do they taste much different? Should I get the loose or the cake?

Thanks, dearest!!!

I haven’t tried the cake yet, it’s one of my new pu’erh!!! I got it only because I like the loose one so much I figured I must get the cake, lol. let’s ask honeybelle, i think she has the cake.

You know I should try them side by side – never done that. Mostly I think of the loose as easier

Would y’all like for me to set up the side by side test RIGHT NOW and tell you?

I guess I’ll just have to get both and compare them. In the name of science, of course.

Oh well. Then yes. YOU do the science. I’ll wait :p

Starting on it. I will put pics on flickr

This is so fun! I love little comparison tests!!!

Oh, totally missed the experiment! How’s it going? Oh, now I understand the other thread’s comment !! I’m a little slowww today…

OK – after a side by side comparison, I believe I can say with some confidence that it would be up to your personal preference. I used 6 grams of each – did two rinses and 4 steeps of each. It would take a FAR more refined palate than mine to really tell an appreciable difference. And what else did we learn?

I am a badass gongfuy mistress – I can pour two gaiwans at the same time with equal success yo.

I have now dumped them all in one mug which I am enjoying now.

What else did we learn? Don’t use your lacy white gaiwan for shou. It’s little bottom got stained – but fear not! I have magic miracle soak http://shopmandalatea.com/smart-soak-tea-stain-dissolver.html from Garret.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14460115030/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14646779865/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14644590824/

Nice!! I know that miracle soak is awesome, but I always forget to get some!

It is lifesaving to me – especially for my white things. I drink a LOT of Special Dark

Added miracle soak to the cart! I’ve actually been meaning to so that for awhile

So I realize the loose tea is more convenient, but I’m really digging the cakes, so I think I’m getting the phatty. I really aappreciate the comparison.

I thank you. Science thanks you.

Oh and also, the tea tray is gorgeous!

You are welcome. Science is welcome. You will thank yourself for the miracle soak

We also learned I need a &^^#$%# pu-pick

Ah yes. I have one of those in the cart, too!!!! I figured if I’m buying all these cakes, better get the tool to go with ’em.

You will have the perfect haul Sars, so excited for you!!

Please someone remind me to do that and LTF – will you please help me remember what all I need to get?

Oh I’m glad you like my tray. Guess what??? You might tsake a little gander at Garret’s trays while you’re over there….it’s really reasonable too and I LOVE it

What is it you need??

I need to find what we talked about this morning. I have Autumn Song, but I think I need Temple Stairs? And something else. And a pu-pick

Don’t forget the heart of the old tree!

YES! That! See?? See why I need help? And Cowboys?

Good thing that sars came to the rescue, I had no idea that was the one you were looking for…(we all need cowboys)

Yes, yes we do. That was one of the ones. So I need those two and a pick, cause I’ve been using all kinds of weird things like knives and screwdrivers

I think you’ll really love the HOTOT.

Lol. HOTOT.

Oh and yes, cowboys, pls.

OK I’m off to get a mug warmer back soon.

Haha! HOTOT Cowboyzzzzz
(i will be calling my old tree cake hot cowboy from now on)

The hot cowboy tea cake. Love it!

Never seen live cowboy but firefighters. Omg they are so hot in Brooklyn haha

(Ok now, boychik, you are bringing this topic to a whole new level…let’s try to keep Steepster PG13…)

I want to go hoomeeee

Haha! Firefighters will have that effect on you I guess ;-)

Yep, I can’t sleep here. Too quite. I need police, ambulance, fire truck siren , helicopters. I go to bed at 2am then by 5-5:15 I’m up because birds chirping
Oh man, I need to feel I’m safe haha

I used to live next door to a fire station

You are so lucky MzPriss! I remember we had blackout some years ago. Ppl used candles and then our neighbors had tiny fire across the street. I think it was just smoke. Anyway 3 fire trucks came to our block at 6am. Everybody wearing practically nothing (hot summer night) got on a block to stare at those gorgeous men. It was like a show. Free show.

They used to work out outside. Yeah it was nice

Awww, you got some cutsie tea pets! Look at all that pretty stuff! That lacey taiwan is like what you’d get if a white porcelain taiwan & a bad mitten shuttlecock had babies ;)

Thank you Terri :) LOL that is EXACTLY what that gaiwan looks like. It was the first gaiwan I ever bought and I still love it, I like pretties

My tea is now so far out of control I don’t even know what I have anymore. I HAVE Temple Stairs. SMH. So now maybe I just need some Hot Cowboy and a pu-pick

Garret – when you read this, sorry we’ve turned your beautifully named Heart of the Old Trees into Hot Cowboy. Sorry about that. Sorry.

It might be slightly more accurate to say that I would like to be sorry HOTOT is now Hot Cowboy

(I’m gonna drink me some hot cowboy this very minute…sorry too Garett for the brutality of this…but Hot Cowboy Sheng makes me such a happy fairy)

I’m working on the last steeps of my Wild Mountain Green from yesterday – just got my assistant all shenged-up as well so she can keep up :)

A happy Fairy is a good thing Garret

TheTeaFairy,
You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re in “Heaven” and thoroughly enjoying your “Stetson and Chaps” so much! However, I’m now confused. How can you rate Loose and Luscious Lincang – 2007, a shou you “forgot”, higher than your beloved Special Dark of which you’ve waxed poetically about numerous times on Steepster? It doesn’t even contain the most Special tea flavor: Chocolate!

Haha!!! LooseTman, I guess I’m all confused cause Mr. Garret Awesomeness makes too many excellent teas and they seem to compete with one another!!!
Can you have too much of a good thing? And this is all your fault, I totally blame you for this….I had forgotten about this tea…thank god you did remind me ;-)

No, you can’t you have too much of a good thing! It’s not my fault. The Devil made me do it! :-)
Did SD just increase from 93 to 96? Thus, making it 1 point higher than your “Stetson and Chaps”.

Yes, forgot to tell you…in all seriousness, SD in a yixing clay pot is very close to perfection, and will probably reach 100 on my next session…

Wow! This sounds very intriguing. I’ll have to check out your most recent SD tasting notes & comments.

Well good morning, early bird!

This sounds really lovely. TeaLux sent me a sample of something. Now I really hope it’s this!!!!

So now I need to try Tealux too?

Well apparently. :p

I got their Dragon Pearls along with my houhin. I really hope this is my sample, but I’m not ready to get out of bed to go look….

Oh guess what… When I do make it out of bed, I’ll be making some cocoa Amore in my new vanilla pot!!!! Eeeeeeee!!!!!

Well good morning to you too lovely ladies…this tea is really something. Missy Prissy, we talked about this one a little while ago, it’s in your box…I’ve been sending so many Tealux teas, I ran out of most of them, but some are just stunning. But now with WP and Mandala madness, I don’t think I will restock them all. If ever you girls want to place an order, let me know first, I have tried almost all of them, lol. I can give you good recommendations. Their assam #8 is stunning, and so is Da Yu Ling oolong…

Awww, sars, vaniila pot is going to knock your socks off!!

This one is not my sample. The sample is Feury Doux Champagne. Tried that one?

Does that translate to “Fairy Dew?”

I’m in bed ignoring my dogs and drinking Fujian Black. Sars you will LOVE CA in the vanilla pot. I’m going to do my purple pot for oolong this evening.

It’s actually Fleury Doux Chanpagne, but I like your translation better

I think my translation is best! Fairy Dew Champagne!

I had to get up b/c my kitty overlord wanted breakfast. But now I’m back in bed.

My dogs want to get in the bed which usually I let them, but yesterday morning they made me spill my tea and I had to change my sheets and get them in the wash before it stained and it was a LOT of trouble for a Monday morning. So they are looking at me with the BSEs cause I won’t let them up right now.

Haha! You crack me up you two…Fairy Dew? So cute, I want that!!!

Fleury Doux means soft floral…and it’s not even on their website, so it must be something new…sounds really good though.

Oh no! Not bed change again???

And BSEs??? No human can resist canine BSEs…

Mine get in bed whether I let them or not. Me, Brian, 3 dogs, and Chairman Meow. It’s only a queen sized bed!!!!

It’s a white tea, TTF. I’ll try and report back!!!!

Yes, wicked doggies. Good thing they are adorable. I know, I feel like I;’m giving into the BSEs

3 dogs???? Awesome!

Happy 4 legged family you have there sars :-)

Try saying that when they have you sardined into your own bed, and you can’t turn over, AND the little monsters have stolen all the covers!!!!!

And the Chairman sits on my head and meows for breakfast!!!!

Haha! Love that you have a chaiman to control the madness…

Oh mine lay on the covers really HARD so you can’t pull the covers out from under them and cover yourself up. They make themselves HEAVIER somehow

The chairman incites the madness!

And yeah, that’s what I mean! They lay on the covers and weigh them down then you are left with none!!!

But then they snuggles up all around me and I melt into a pile of puppy-love

EXACTLY!! I have only one dog (and cats) but he makes himself so heavy (well he is over 100 pounds) that I can’t move a god damn thing from underneath him. Oh, and he snores…not doggy snore…big fat beer belly lumberjack snore!

One of mine snores hard

LOL!!!! Abby snores, too. Neither of the other dogs do, though.

nother cup of tea. I think it might be CA time

I.cannot.wait.to.get.CA.over.here. In the mean time, I’m getting some snaily. Have I told you gals that WP and Mandala are making almost all my other teas taste bland? It’s a curse.

Yes. Brewing mine now… Join me.

I have mine. Holy shit it’s good in the vanilla pot LTF!!!! I want yours to get there!

I’m taking my new wee tray to work today and I’m gonna do some WMG. Work sheng!

Enjoy some CA for me ladies…Snaily Yums isn’t a bad replacement though…and I just smelled my little VD pot and it’s full of Port smell and that made me happy.

MMMMMM nose tea is sometimes almost as good as mouth tea

LTF – when I’m done with this cup of GO – I’m going to RE-STEEP! Vanilla Dreams in a yixing is turning us into re-steepers

Haha! Nose tea :-)

And yes…re-steeping is a must in the little pot. I had Port gongfu yesterday and it rendered so many steeps I was amazed!

Oh I should try gongfuing my Port

Nose tea is totally a thing. It doesn;t even have to be brewed – sticking your nose in the bag of GO or Golden Fleece or CA is nose tea!

So true!!

OK lovlies – I need to get in the shower and get to work. I will check in with y’all later.

Have a great day missy :-)

And my work day begins… I’d rather drink tea with you two all day!

Me too Sars. I’m out the door. Toodles!

<3

OMG LOVE THIS.

Seriously. I’m in love with interactive fiction and text adventures, and this is a totally WIN parody of that sort of stuff.

And yay for CARAMEL!

♥. Just… Srsly. ♥

You crack me up! :P

Nice review that was so funny. And yum caramel.

niiiice. i can’t say anymore. homestarrunner is a fave of mine anyway.

What @angrboda said. I’m going to go make some caramel Jackee Muntz right now.

@teaplz Hahaha, not gonna lie, they get kinda tedious for me. And usually there are too many players that have been doing it for yeeeeears and they just go FOOM FOOM FOOM everywhere and I’m just sitting there, all, “Nooooow, north is…”

@Everyone Aw thanks, Steepsterites! [Steeps? Denizens of Steepster?] I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing it.

@Jack I’m curious to hear how it turns out. I made it again this morning just because I wanted to be SURE it wasn’t going anywhere, and it worked [PHEW!]. I think I’m gonna try to dial it up to 200°F next time; might make it a bit stronger.

Great post!

Oh takgoti, I meant more of interactive fiction/text adventure than a MUD. There aren’t any players except for yourself. You use an interpreter to play them on your desktop, and they’re usually free. Zork’s the most famous one. They’re sort of like interactive stories, and you emulated one exactly in your post. They’re often filled with puzzles and narrative elements. Their hey-day was in the 80s, although people are still making them today. www.ifcomp.org is the website for the annual competition. This is what Strongbad was parodying, not the MUDs (text-based RPGs where everyone runs around killing things).

@chrine Thank you!

@teaplz Sorry, that wasn’t clear. I was speaking generally of text-based games. The entire schema tends to bore me after a while. I’m too used to my graphics. My brain is lazy. The FOOM FOOM crazy player thing is just an added get-me-outta-here bonus for some text-based games. Though I guess that’s true for a lot of games. [Oh, WoW…]

Haha, amazing =D. It took me a while to catch on. I’m slow :(

My bodum cups have cracks in it! It’s so sad. I have a 12oz and two 8oz ones. Every time I wash them out, I hit them on the faucet.

Sorry for the stupidly long, long-winded explanation right there. I just geeked out cause I never get to talk about this stuff with ANYONE.

lol i used to play a MUD with my fiancee but he was a FOOM FOOM player where i was like “ok i go west right?”

@Ricky Eep, that blows.

@teaplz No worries.

@Kitch3ntools HAH, I know, right? I finish reading the description and I’ve finally decided which direction I want to go into and the computer’s like, “Uh…you’re dead.” I’m not much better at single player text adventures either – I die far too easily. I think that they are largely responsible for why I was terrified of dying at any given turn when MYST came out [even though I was told on several occasions that you couldn’t die – you COULD get trapped forever at one point though].

Myst was just terrifying in general! The eerie music, those talking books… the fact that you were ALONE all the time. And those puzzles were damned hard!

Haha that was somewhat entertaining =]

@teaplz Truth: I used to make one of my parents sit in the room with me when I played MYST. My dad was better because he’d actually try to help me when I played it. I also used to do the same thing with Prince of Persia when that first came out. In my defense, I was nine, but I’m still a wimp. I can’t play stuff like Bioshock or Dead Space when I’m alone. Or at night.

@TeaCast Thanks?

Someone needs to get this girl a copy of Inform7. (Maybe it’s a higher version than 7 now, actually, that’s just the last I was aware of/obtained, admittedly).

All that was missing in this review was a grue. Grues are compulsory.

The temptation to totally overshare in this comment section is overpowering. In my Other Blog Life, I cover/review video games. Obviously, steepster needs its own fem gaming clan, or something.

sophistre, there’s Gargoyle for Windows that’s an all-in-one interpreter. Pretty awesome. And I’d love to know your Other Blog Life! And I’ve been dying to post this somewhere, to someone that would understand, ANYONE… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nigRT2KmCE

takgoti, I can’t play ANY of those games, period. I end up screaming and throwing the controller. Everyone makes fun of me. I tried to play Silent Hill once. I had to run away from the TV, and beg someone else to turn it off within 20 minutes of starting. So we are comrades in wimp-ness!

@sophistre I had to look up what that was. Wow. [It looks like 7 is the highest version, too.] From what I skimmed it looked like a text adventure constructor program of sorts? I totally see myself becoming fascinated with the idea, losing myself halfway through, and then shoving it in the corner where half of my unfinished craft projects are.

Oh, also, I definitely typed out and deleted, “You are likely to be eaten by a grue,” about three times before deciding I might be exposing just a little too much geek on the internets. Clearly, I was wrong.

@teaplz WORD. I also refuse to watch scary movies. A couple of friends called me once and told me to come over and hang out. So I drove over there and they were watching a movie, and I asked them what it was and it was some creepy Japanese film so I definitely left. Hadn’t even gotten my shoes off. I can’t sleep when I see that stuff, and the fact that I even am thinking about it so much now is probably going to result in the need to put on something like Anchorman so I can actually go to bed. Yes, I’m that bad.

That video was a fine way to end a very sleepless late-night-early-AM. ^^

That’s precisely what it is. It’s very intuitive about how it handles object creation (which is really all the code for text-based games is, afaik). Fun, interesting. After I discovered it, I did precisely what you’ve described above. I think I have a copy lying around on a disk somewhere, but I never did anything with it.

And alas, we three diverge on the matter of survival horror games and horror films — I am a sucker for both, despite having hated scary stuff as a kid…I suppose ‘Alien’ was probably responsible for converting me. I play them and watch them now even though playing them alone is sometimes out of the question and sleeping afterwards is usually nearly impossible. I don’t know if this makes me a masochist or what. Maybe I’m addicted to the adrenaline rush!

@sophistre Haha, thanks! Also, so far as the horror thing goes, for me it’s mainly the creepy feeling like someone’s watching me feeling that gets me. That and the suspense thing. I totally psych myself out. The act of being scared if I’m not expecting it is something I can usually handle. It’s the expectation of being scared that is when I get freaked out. [I don’t think I actually realized this until I typed this all out.]

Funny, somewhat related story, a friend of mine used to hear the voice of Robert Stack from Unsolved Mysteries in her head whenever she’d go out to put the trash on the curb or something similar. “It was a normal Wednesday evening on this quiet street in Baltimore, Maryland. Jennifer Johnson was walking her trash out to the curb…”

@teaplz – I stopped writing them for ages, but as of recently I’m sort of trying to reassemble anything that wasn’t official onto a tumblr page, which is now listed in my profile, if you’re curious. ;) I’m lazy and update the video-game specific stuff rarely though, alas. I’m pretty behind.

@takgoti – I totally psych myself out. I am able to think of infinitely more frightening things once I’m jumpy than the movie or game can throw at me, for sure. I’m not ashamed to say that there are nights when the bathroom light stays on! Thinking about it, I wonder why I do this to myself…ahh, well. That’s pretty funny about your friend. I guess for me it’d probably be Bill Curtis!

Great post. I love the detail. I think you should do more of this. But man, that was long! :)

This’ making me feel bad that I haven’t logged onto any of my usual MUDs in a while. All of my characters have probably expired. Ahwell.

But I’m interested in the tea now. Hmmm. Very interesting read.

@Tyler Hahaha, thanks! [Though I don’t think I’ll be writing another review like that anytime soon.] And yes, I tend to be very long winded. Oops?

@AJ Sounds like me and my relationship with WoW. Though I think/hope that my characters haven’t expired. Anyway, you should check Andrews & Dunham out! I can’t make any guarantees as to how you’ll get along with them, but I like them quite a bit.

I poked through the website a few times! It just takes me forever to purchase items online. I am a very apprehensive online shopper, despite glowing reviews. Actually, it extends offline as well. It takes me a few days of staring to decide.

@tak: Not that I play WoW, or if I did that I would even acknowledge that sort of thing in a public forum, because I totally would not, but if that were true, I’m sure you could find me on Malorne.

LOL. Reading this, I felt like I had been sucked into the Lost Treasures of Infocom. Oh, and as for where north is: you need a pencil and some graph paper. You haven’t met tedious until you’ve mapped a text adventure. Its even more tedious than mapping a pre-auto map function CRPG. ;)

I <3 You! :-D

Yay!! That’s EXACTLY what it is!!!

Welcome to the GO Cult :-)

There’s a tea cult? I’ve already exchanged some of my possessions for tea.

Mmmmmmm.

This one is so yum!!!!

I’m so sad that my Whispering Pines order didn’t come today. D:

I want to try mine but I can’t drink a black tea this late in the day.. tomorrow for sure!
You can make the chocolate sauce you describe by melting and combining coconut oil and chocolate chips (I do that from time to time)

Well…I kind of just decided that there was a GO Cult….cause ya know, it’s getting more and more followers. The Guru is Tea Whiz Of The Woods (Brenden). It’s VERY hard to resist all his charismatic teas…

Golden Orchid is the Kool-Aid of the Whispering Pines cult…

Tea Cults Are Us…just sayin’

Haha! Is wit a requirement to be a Steepster member? Cause I don’t know where else you can get as much for free!!!

And in this case cameron… DO DRINK THE KOOL-AID!!

Drink all the kool-aid! :D

The Illustrious Cult of the Golden Orchid
Guru: Tea Whiz of the Woods
Official Organizer & Cheerleader: TheTeaFairy
Meetings: Monthly, in the Steepster basement
Please bring a snack to share.

I’ll bring CHERRIES!!

I’ll bring mushrooms! ;)

I’ll bring tea flavoured bread.

Haha! And we can ask mj to bring her communal fridge!

Lol, Sarsonator, “The Illustrious Cult of the Golden Orchid” makes an awesome cult name!!!

I’ll make petit fours! With little pine trees on them!

I’ll bring almond flour scones! :)

I’ll sit in the back and drink all your tea! :p

And thanks, TTF! Glad you like the name!

LOL

I want to join the cult! But no more tea for me till black friday. I tried telling myself that buying samples didn’t count and I may cave there because the WP cult is ever so persuasive.

GO just sounds so decadent.

You’re not buying any tea until NOVEMBER?!?!?! Wow. I really envy your willpower.

There will be no black friday sale at WP. I am strongly against black friday. There will be a cyber monday sale though :)

I want to be the Court Jester for the cult. I’m trying to decide if I need to give in to my sudden GO craving or actualy sleep again tonight

I also dislike Black Friday. I refuse to leave my house. This year, though, maybe I will host an online Steepster Sipdown Fest!

HoneyBelle a.k.a MzPriss: You are now the official Cult Jester :p

Woo! I’m so like that HoneyBelle name as well I reeeeeeeeeely want some GO now

Hmmm…Sudden GO cravings are hard to resist….Court Jester, that’s exactly what we were missing :-)

(Oh, may I reserve my Fest tickets now Sarsonator?)

liking not like

You know – Steepster needs a chat

I am going to have to veto the idea of a Steepster Chat. If there was a Steepster Chat, I would never get anything done!!!! :p

I haven’t ever done one, but a friend of mine does some gaming chat and she loves it. But yeah, time sucker I bet

Well the tea buying may start on black friday but that doesn’t mean it’ll stop then…

It’s chat already ;)

Lol, boychik,I was just going to say that ;-)

I was also gonna say what boychik said. It’s kind of like a slow moving chat.

So we’re doing it? Cool.

I think people who go out shopping on Black Friday should get their heads examined. Pro Cyber Monday though.

I don’t go anywhere near any stores on Black Friday, but I definitely participate in the cyber monday tea sales!

This is going to sound super ignorant, but… What is Black Friday??

@Nattie – Black Friday is an unfortunate USA custom where all the retailers have these giant sales (allegedly) the day after Thanksgiving. It has gotten earlier and earlier to where now it starts on Thanksgiving. People trample each other and have fights over cheap TVs. It is an ugly custom in the stores. Cyber Monday, while sort-of the same thing – is online and much more civilized and NOT on a holiday you should be spending with your people instead of being in line for 12 hours to fight over stuff you can usually get just as good a deal on later.

Ahh okay, thanks! We have a similar thing over here with the Boxing Day sales, but at least it doesn’t start until after Christmas! Cyber Monday sounds much better (:

MzPriss, you slay me: “Black Friday is an unfortunate USA custom”

Could not agree more!

I got 5g sample of this to try. dont really like flowery oolongs but who knows. maybe I will. love the setup as usual ;)

Well, I can’t wait to see what you think! I feel I have a flower bomb in my mouth, wonder if it’s my tastebuds playing tricks on me! I was expecting a lot more toasted notes. The leaves are really beautiful.

Tomorrow, I’m trying their award winning Big Red Robe! Can’t wait.

whats the temp?195F?

Well I followed instructions at 212, but will go lower next time.

all his instructions @212. its not right.

did you buy 25g?

did you get Bei Dou Oolong? Amazing. pure pot, i swear(never tried in my life, but smell is unmistakable)

Of that one yes, cause I wasn’t sure. More of the others. 100g BRR, 50g Honey Orchid.

Did you try some of their other oolongs?

so far only Bei Dou Oolong and rice tuo

Lol, I did read your note, but no, didn’t get that one.

I got TTL and Jing Tea Shop(JTS) same day. I like JTS a lot.

if they are going to do similar sale by New Year i will get some more for sure. Quality teas

JTS? Don’t know that one….were they having a sale too?

http://www.jingteashop.com/
No sale, but not too expensive to try, ship only $5 and pretty fast. apt recommended me. Im impressed

sorry, ship is $5.9

Lol, NOT that I need MORE tea, but will bookmark them…just in case, ya know.

this sounds wonderful! since it’s on the greenish side, would you say it’s anything like a Pouchong?

Remember i told you i was secretly hoping to hate those teas. i really didnt want to brunch into new types. i like 25g option. you cannot really decided if its good or bad with 5g. what if you mess up(like i did today with Arbor Mist)

Pyarkaaloo, It’s hard to answer cause this is NOT supposed to taste green! I’d say it’s a lot bolder than pouchong. It’s missing the buttery taste and it’s astringent, and pouchong is clearly not. But to me, it does taste almost as floral as baozhong pouchong. Lol, don’t know if what I just said helps, but that’s the best I could come up with :-)

Yes boychik, that’s why I never order under 25g!! I want a second chance :-)

Lol, yes, who needs more tea addiction, right?

I feel like all flavored teas are dead for me.

Oh my, me too!!! But I still bought some from butiki…the ONLY one.

teafairy: you should definitely try JTS sometime in the future!

thanku, TeaFairy! what you said makes perfect sense to me :) i’m familiar with the various oolongs & their characteristics but you are by far the expert!

The Pouchong i had was indeed light, buttery, gently floral & had a wonderful rice pudding note. could have been the coconut flavoring!

I like Baozhong(Pouchong) for casual, western brews.

Apt, I’m sure JTS is in my future :-) (sooner than later, sigh…)

Pyarkaaloo, FYI, this is the best baozhong pouchong I have ever had and the only one I keep in permanent stash:
http://www.tealux.ca/wenshan_baozhong_reserve?search_string=Wenshan

LTF that picture is magical.

Aw man, this is floral? Sad face. XD

Thank you Marzi, I think tea is one of the best subject for photography…

Cameron, this was not supposed to be such a floral though….will have to try it afain, I was very surprised myself.

Now I’m thinking should I try this sample or try Bai mu dan JTS. Oh decisions!

Oh, please try this one!! Want to see if you get similar profil!!!

KK ;)

I love this review!!! I love all these Vanilla Dreams teas as well. I really love this one a lot. And I will be waiting impatiently until I can have more.

Hehehe, yes, love it! How about Pappa Port, Momma GO…Elderwood is the son and Cocoa Amore is the daughter…and of course El Dorado is the dog :D

LOL I’m trying that El Dorado puppy today

Don’t worry, the spices don’t bite ;)

I’ve been looking forward to wee snaily chai

Hahah! Yes, one big happy family! Can’t wait to try the doggy as well….now will there be a kitty in that collection?

There might just be ;)

I am not at all surprised by that

This sounds amazing. I love your reviews.

(I loove kitties)

Cheri, thank you. This tea is amazing…I have just enough for another cup and I think it won’t be long before I have it!

Sounds wonderful!

I sooooo can’t wait to try this one, payday just don’t come soon enough tho, i may have to let Lance buy me some before i get paid hehehe :)

I’ve always thought of my teas as masculine or feminine i dunno why it just always made sense to me

I hope you can get your hands on that one soon enough Tommy!

Tea always has a gender to me, and sometimes, it is androgynous!

Sounds so good!

Terri, can’t find the post anymore, but I got my tea, I can totally do the Manistee moonrise tasting with you guys tonight!!

Tommy, do you own that tea? We’re paying the full moon a tribute tonight by having this tea all at the same time :-)

I was just going to ask about that – what time Terri?

Oh….whenever the moon is rising in each of our respective cities? LOL
OR….we can select an actual time…hmmm
Whatever you guys want to do

What time is it for you now Terri?

Terri are you Central Time?

I’ve got the Manistee moonrise too, Full Moon tribute sounds cool to me :)

Excellent

Anyone else reading this thread is welcome to join us tonight :-)

I’m in! :)

Hellz Yeah!! Who all is doing this tonight??

Cocoa Amore is now available for anyone interested! :)

Seriously?

:)

So I’m in Central time zone, with a moonrise of 8:30pm…
Tonight is also suppose to be a super moon, or something like that
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-supermoon-2014-high-tides-20140711-story.html
Of course, it’s a little over cast in st. louis, so I may not even be able to see the moon rise…sigh…

cocoa amore…well, I sold a few more CDs this week on iTunes/CDbaby…

Haha! Terri’s got some Playpal moonies!!!!

:) has Terri become a WPTealiever?

maybe… :)

Sounds so tasty! This tea has been #1 on my wish list! I’ve been wanting to try it out for a while, but I already exceeded my tea funds for the month. sigh

I have yet to find a mandala tea I don’t like, to tell you the truth…and yeah…maxed out tea funds suck!!

Hot Cowboy!!! Mine came yesterday and I will be breaking into this on Saturday. And I just re-read that thread from the other day. My only excuse is that I was all shenged up – I don’t know what you and Sars’ excuse is. We need to hide Garret’s eyes though. He makes all these gorgeous and majestic names for his beautiful teas and we turn it into Hot Cowboy.

Lol! Oh, those names are so beautiful. Did you know I actually bought this one only because of the name? I figured to earn such a meaningful title, it HAD to be good…and it was :-)

I can’t wait to try it. I got a pu-pick from Garret when I got this too so I have a proper tool! Oh and right this minute, I’m using my mug warmer. The Tea Hobbit is right – it rocks!

I’m still using my silly nut pick! I’m getting a knife and a pick today.

Also, I’m going crazy over this tiny thing:

http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/tea-hardware/tea-cups/sky-and-earth-qing-ci-cup-40ml.html

Good morning my Fairy Princess Schoompie. If you’re looking to me to discourage you, I think you know you’re barking up the wrong tea tree. That is freaking gorgeous and it doesn’t cost hardly anything. I would have already bought it. * Dusts off hands * My enabling for the day is done. Nice to have gotten it out of the way early.

Haha! And good morning to you :-)
(Shipping is $17 BTW!!)
How was your night with all that sheng you had to drink “for the cause” last evening?

Holy shit! Really? OK I take my enabling back. That is a pretty cup though. You know, I don’t know how it happened – but I slept like 5 and a half hours. WTH? Maybe I should sheng at night more often. The mug warmer is bril!

Yeah, too expensive for one tiny mini cup. Lol, yes, we definitely should have sheng more often.
(I just sent you a pm)

I am trying Yu Lu Yan Cha from Verdant for the first time, having already sucked down my Dark Beauty and some Zhu Rong. I LIKE this new one. I’m going to have a hard time writing a note on and describing it. It’s like woody-insense. mmmm likey!

Ummm, Teafairy, I spent some time at the site again and learned 2 things……1. You can order 25g of any tea even if it is not sold as such on the site. 2. They have recently started epacket service out of Kunming, so if you are really interested the shop owner said to email him about your interest in said product and you can probably get a cheaper shipping rate….

The owner is out of town until July 28 so don’t expect an immediate response, but maybe that tea cup can be yours.
[email protected]

Haha! Yyz you are so sweet!! I can’t seem to get that cup out of my mind :-)

I really love that cup. So pretty! Love the contrast of it.

Looks like minty frosting :-)

Yes, all cool and minty and then the more rustic clay. It’s sweet.

DAMMIT! I just looked at all of the “Tea Hardware” which is an odd thing to call it. I now need about 10 things from there. How did this go from me enabling you to me trying to justify $17 shipping to myself? How???

Read yyz’s comment above…she’s the sweetheart who pointed me in their direction :-)

It is really pretty. He has some pretty nice teaware. Epacket is for up to 2 kg. If the shipping is a lot cheaper a tea tray for 15.00 is looking reasonable right now too.

GAH! I just keep finding things – there are lotus cups and cute gaiwans and teapets. I even want to get a present for Awkward Soul because there is the MOST adorable little owl cup.

Yes, I guess the low cost of items absorbs the shipping costs…

Hehe…did you see the blue lotus cup? And the little piggy pet?

YES AND YES!!!!!!! The laughing piggie on its back? And the lions playing with the ball? And yes! They are so reasonably priced that the shipping might be starting to make sense. Epacket would be better though?

OH and a wee small CHEAP tea tray for my work tray that I was just saying yesterday I needed?

No, did not see that one…that would be great!

Its true, once you start thinking about a few things the price isn’t so bad.

Except – when I added all the items and I wanted and estimated shipping to Texas – I had TWO choices $40 or $60 in shipping. Um, what?

It goes up with weight. That’s why I started thinking about epacket. The prices for China post go up after 150g. Given epacket ends at 2 kg you may need to break up the order.

Actually its 50g for small packet, and then increases again significantly over 1 kg

Cries.

Epacket rates look to be under 11 dollars for 2kg Max to the US but I’m not sure of what handling fees the seller would add on.

I need to figure it out. Because I WANT those things

This post just made me want to get a cowboy hat! So wonderful. Great to see you all on here. Life is such a gift – smiles and laughter make it all the sweeter!

(But get the hat!!!)

I don’t know exactly how HOTOT became hot cowboy, but whatever!

TTF: that cup is gorgeous!!!! Love it. Am I supposed to be enabling you or not enabling you currently?

HoneyBelle: those lotus cups are gorgeous. Not sure which one you liked, but they are all pretty.

I see several things I could use. If you guys find a better shipping option, let me know. I am taking a break for awhile, but I still have a wishlist!

I’m waiting until the 28th when he comes back. Hopefully then I’ll find out the cost of 25g of their dark teas and have an idea of shipping rates. I’m tempted by too many things there. The good thing about time is it gives me time to edit.

The prices are just amazing, and there’s a great variety. Let us know what you find out, yyz :)

I LOVE lychees. I wish I had some in my fridge right now. I haven’t had any lychee tea yet, but I did recently acquire some Lychee Oolong from Butiki I need to try. I’m going to season a Special Dark pot and I think maybe do my other pot for shous that are not SD today and when my purple pot comes, have it for my straight blacks. The SD pot will be that new Mandala one with the bamboo design.

Chocolate lychee sounds really good!

MzPriss, Butuki is my favourite lychee tea ever! That oolong she’s using is spectacular on its own…and yay! You seem to have a good plan fir your pots :-)

Ck, I guess having this tea is the closest I can get to chocolate lychees for now!

I don’t think you wrote “lychee” too much – it’s a word I love to SAY leeeeeecheeee

Lol, it’s one of those words that will have me make funny noises too ;-)

Lycheeeeeeeeeeeee! Yum!

Which pot are you seasoning, TTF?

Also, good morning, my lovelies!!!!! I am making Alia for breakfast in my new black tea pot wheeeeeeee!!!!

I just finished some Snaily. I think I’m going to give the Dragon Balls another chance and try them the Stephanie way to see if I like them better

Mmmmm, will most certainly catch a cup of Aila soon as well! Let me how it turns out in your newly seasoned pot!!

I will season my green oolong pot. It’s much larger than my other pots, that’s why I chose it for oolongs.

Which ones MzPriss?

The Teavivre ones

We call those dragon poop.

It’s deeeeeeelish in the new pot, but was there a doubt that Alia would be good? :p

I’m trying to learn to love this dragon poop – but I’m not there yet. And of course there was no doubt the Alia would be good :D

OK the dragon poop is tasting a little fruity to me at the moment – I’m getting zero chocolate and zero malt. Maybe zero chocolate because I’m eating toast with chocolate almond butter?

Sars – does it taste different to you in the pot? And if so, how?

Well HoneyBelle, I’m not sure. I got enough for two cups from Cam, and I tried the first round in the new pot, yesterday. I liked them! I am really starting to think that there’s something to this whole thing about the clay influence. It was very smooth. I definitely found malt and cocoa.

Mmmmmmmmm choco almond butter!

The choco almond butter is new obsession. I was in my little hippie co-op grocery and you know those machines they have that are full of peanuts or almonds and you grind your own nut butter? They had one with chunks of roasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks. OMG – blissful. I’m having it on my Canadian Squirrely Bread – it’s full of nuts and seeds and is so good toasted. It’s in the frozen section at the co-op.

Squirrelly bread??? OMG. I want a hippie co-op.

Speaking of squirrels and Canada… Have you ever been and seen those huge black squirrels they have? The first time I was there, I saw one near the water out if the corner of my eye and couldn’t tell if it was a squirrel or a beaver. So I decided it must be a hybrid: The elusive Canadian Squeaver.

TTF: do they have these in your area?

I have never been to Canada. Yet.

Well when you go… Beware the Squeaver!!!!!

LOL I will be on the lookout

Haha! Sorry I was off the computer for a bit…dragon poop. And Squeavers!!!

Lol, yes, we have huge squirrels! And I have a thing for them. I even name them. This is the most special one. Mr. White. Very rare. Been around for the last four years.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/11969474573/lightbox/

WHITE SQUEAVER!!!!!

this is especially awesome, Foxy, b/c the unofficial mascot of my mom’s town (Palmyra, PA) is an albino squirrel. They call him whitey and it’s quite the honor to see him frolicking in your yard. I see you’ve met his cousin. :p

Haha! So awesome :-)

What does lychee taste like?

Very hard to describe hippiechick. It’s very sweet and juicy, a bit like grapes can be, but a lot more perfumed.

Dragon Lychee Pearls…this sounds amazing!
I have to agree, Butiki’s lychee oolong is the best lychee tea I’ve had so far.

SQUEAVERS!! ROFL

It makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain episode in the bayou where they ate “sqweazel”.

(just for the record – considering some of you think I eat eat weird – or least unheard of things – squeever and sqweazel are not on the menu in my house)

Thanks teafairy, for the description. :)

Dex you can cover anything in yumyum sauce and make it good. :)