Care True Black

Sometimes you need a quick cuppa, without the usually enjoyable fuss of using loose leaf yea. That's why we'll never be tea snobs here in the parlor. The latest bagged tea we're trying right now is Care True Black tea, distributed by Numi. Numi teas (loose and bagged) are a favorite here, and we hoped Care would live up to Numi standards. We're pleasantly surprised. Care is an extremely affordable organic tea (words not always found in the same sentence) with the added bonus of being fair trade (we always love fair trade) and non-gmo, with another added bonus of having a very pleasant taste and aroma. Smooth, subtle, not strong (we'd never use the word robust), this a lovely, mild cup whose flavor is made more enjoyable by all the other good things that surround it. We love the way tea makes us relax and feel, and we love when a tea manufacturer cares about the planet as much as we care about the taste of the tea we're sipping.

Tazo Iced Citrus Bliss

It's iced tea time here in the desert. Well, actually, it's always iced tea time, anywhere, as far as we here in the parlor are concerned. We have sampled several of the Tazo iced tea blends, and especially enjoyed Citrus Bliss. We usually don't bother to boil the water; we just let cold water brew the tea, even if that takes a little longer. Perfect with grilled fare, nachos, or a sweet dessert.