It's tea time!

There is something about this time of year - when outside temperatures keep drop-drop-dropping and viruses (the human kind, not computer) are being all coughed or sneezed in your direction and sinuses are plugging up and you can’t get warm to save your life – that makes hot tea the ultimate in cozy comfort.

I enjoy hot tea all year round, but never as much as when I’m not feeling well. When I’m semi-laying on my couch, cocooned in a blanket, suffering fever-induced chills that make my teeth chatter, the only thing that can make me snake my goosebump-covered arm out of the warmth is to grab a steaming hot cup of tea.

For me, it’s a cure-all. So good for whatever ails me. Even more so than chicken soup. No lumpy stuff to get past a sore throat.

No, I’m not sick yet. But I know it’s coming. There are already far too many coughs and sneezes sending their nasty particles airborne at the office. So it’s time to stock up on tea.

I like different teas for different things, like a nice minty tea when my stomach is upset, or a cup of Lady Grey around mid-morning, chamomile before bed or a spicy chai when I’m feeling saucy!

I have a basket in my kitchen that is filled with a variety of tea bags. I love going through it and picking out one to suit my current mood. I can always find just the right thing.

When I buy tea bags in the grocery store, my current favorite (for staving off mid-afternoon hunger) is a green and white fusion from Stash tea:



I also enjoy several from Tazo, including Refresh, Calm and Zen. Cool names. No guessing about what it’s supposed to do for you.

During the day at work, I use tea bags; it’s just easier. But I love using loose tea in the evenings and on the weekends. There’s something about the whole process of measuring the tea out of a tin that seems kind of old-worldly and traditional that I really enjoy. Even if I do heat the water in the microwave.

My favorite on-line source for loose tea is Adagio Tea. Wow. What a variety. And a ton of tea information. Everything you always wanted to know…and then some.

I like that you can buy sampler sizes to find out if you like a certain tea or not. How else would I have ever learned that I absolutely love a tea called Golden Monkey?

Right now they are featuring holiday teas, only available until the end of December. I love these. The gingerbread is my favorite and, frankly, I drink it all year round. You can order a sampler of six holiday-flavored tins (candy apple, candy cane, chestnut, cranberry, gingerbread and pumpkin spice) for only $11.

If you’ve never ventured into the world of loose tea, you have GOT to try their super-cool, inexpensive, tea pot. It’s called the ingenuiTea, a plastic, mug-sized pot that you brew your tea in (microwaveable!), then set the whole pot on top of your cup. Like magic, the brewed tea flows through into your cup, leaving the tea leaves behind. I love this thing. You can watch the very short video here.

Adagio also allows their customers to send free $5 gift certificates to their friends who might want to try the tea. So if you're interested, just let me know in the comments or email me and I'll send you one.

So what’s your favorite tea flavor and/or brand? I’m always interested in trying new teas!