Tea Time

So lately Ive been checking out the Yogi brand teas, and I was in search of a new flavor of the month (or rather flavor of the next 16-20 work days because that's how many bags are in a box). So I decided to try a  new flavor:

Mint tea is something that I have not enjoyed in the past.  But, I suspect that was because it was mint green tea.  I'm iffy about green teas because some of them tasty like fresh cut grass, and some of them induce nausea in me. However, this is Black tea with mint, so I figured I'd give it a try. 

The verdict: LOVE!!!

 I was a little skeptical about this though:

Is it just me, or does the "Energizing Herbs" weird you out a little?

I had visions of me being ridiculously wired at work and having that creepy "I'm so caffeinated right now that I can't even slow down long enough to blink" stare.My other concern was that the caffiene source is Guarana, which I have tried in the past and had a bad nausea, sweaty, shaking, reaction too, but I think I just took too large of a dose.

This Tea did NOT make me an overly caffeinated weirdo, and I found the taste to be very light and refreshing, which is a pleasant experience for a black tea. I'm glad I reached out of my comfort zone and gave this one a try.  Two thumbs up.

Oh, and it also comes with quotes written on the tag of each bag.  This was today's:

Cheesy, I know.  But I still enjoy it.

Raime

P.S. How much do you LOVE the wood grain of my desk? ;)

Mmmmm...chickpeas

I heart chickpeas. 

I love them in the form of hummus, and I love them in their original solid state.  Toasted chickpeas, not my fave, but hey, not everything can be a perfect 10. Regardless, I love them, and this morning I had enough time to make myself a lunch to pack for work, so I decided to make a simple recipe that I got from Laura via Ben (thank you Ben). Here are the ingredients:

Put the chickpeas, diced tomato, some vegetable broth, and a cereal-spoon full of the "spaghetti" seasoning.  Don't be alarmed about the "spaghetti" seasoning--it is really just an Italian blend of herbs like parsley, oregano, onion, salt, pepper, etc. 

Let that simmer until the sauce is the desired thickness and the chickpeas and tomatoes are the desired softness (I think I let mine cook for 15-ish minutes).

Then serve over a bed of fresh spinach (Ben's idea I think), or quinoa or another grain if you are in a carb kind of mood.  I was in a veggie mood, so I opted for the spinach. NOTE: I may have misinterpreted the recipe as using fresh spinach when really cooked spinach might be better; nonetheless, I really enjoy the fresh spinach so that's how I rolled. For ease of consumption, I gave the spinach a rough chop so that the pieces would be a little bit smaller and therefore more manageable and less messy while I'm eating at my desk at work.

Don't worry--the serving size was larger than it appears in the photo.  I am a hearty eater.  I like large portions. I won't go hungry anytime in the near future. Momma likes to eat.

Raime