The other day, I popped into Teavana to buy an iced tea. While waiting in line to place my order, a Teavana employee accosted gave me her unsolicited sales pitch. I had no intention of buying anything besides what I came in for, but before I knew it, I was leaving with all sorts of tea goodies.
Teavana allows you to sample a number of their freshly brewed teas, so I instantly fell in love with their blend of MatéVana + Rooibos Chai.
The MatéVana has a chocolatey, malty, sweet, nutty flavor while the Rooibos Chai has spicy and exotic taste to it. I also loved that it has antioxidants and caffeine in it!
The blend sort of reminds me of a nice, smooth cup of coffee. Surprisingly, right? This particular tea blend would be prefect for a coffee lover who wants to start drinking tea.
To brew my looseleaf tea, I also bought a tea strainer.
The tea strainer is large enough for a single cup of coffee or a whole pot of tea– it just depends how many tea leaves you add to it.
The tea was so easy to brew. For a mug, you just add hot water to 1.5 tsp of loose tea leaves and let seep for 5-6 minutes before removing the strainer. The fine holes removed even the smallest leaves and sediment from my mug.
Adding a squirt of agave nectar and a splash of vanilla soy milk made it the perfect cup of chocolately, sweet tea.
I also made myself a bowl of banana oats for breakfast.
In the mix:
- 1/2 cup dry oats
- 1 cup water
- 1 banana, sliced
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- Cinnamon Crunch cereal
- Chocolate chips
Question of the Day
If you had the choice, what would you pick: coffee or tea?
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I’d choose tea! I don’t really like coffee, but I honestly don’t drink tea much, either! Your stuff looks great, though.
The same thing always happens to me at Teavana! They have a REALLY convincing sales pitch and I bought that exact tea blend. It is lovely. It adds up quickly though!
I always have coffee with breakfast and tea for the rest of the day. I could never give up my morning coffee!
I love the chai flavor! My boyfriend bought some of that last month and you’re right, it’s great for switching to tea! I haven’t made the whole transition yet, I LOVE espresso.
I’m a coffee girl all the way! I actually drink decaf though. I just really enjoy the taste of coffee.
Your tea sounds so good though!
I’d definitely pick coffee. Whenever I drink tea, I feel like I’m just drinking hot water – I just can’t get into it!
Have a great day!
I had the best iced tea at Teavana in Charleston a few wks ago but I went into the one here in Prudential and it was so confusing and disorganized I had to leave! Might try it again. And I’d pick coffee!
I’m always a sucker for the Teavana salespeople!!! They just make it sound so good with all the yummy flavors, antioxidants, etc, and the samples are always so addicting!
I could spend days in Teavana tasting all of the amazing teas — I am definitely more of a tea person than a coffee person. It is lame but I only really like coffee in Italy. It takes more real there.
I wish we had a Tevana around here!!
definitely coffee…only because that is what gets me started in the day. I do love my evening cup of sleepy time tea though!
I LOVE teavana! Their chai tea is one of my faves among many others. I also bought an electric tea kettle that brews the tea to the perfect temperature for the specific type of tea (green; black, etc). It’s great!
Now THAT is a tough and almost unfair question! They have a tea here in Japan that tastes a lot like what you are describing. This tea is called Mugichan and it is a summer iced tea. It is soooooo good. Wish it were warmer still so I could drink some more!
Tea! For a long time, I drank coffee on a daily basis, however, I found that coffee had too many cons for me: heartburn, more expensive, more calories (I can’t get used to coffee without sugar), the ‘coffee jitters’. I now drink tea only, either black with milk or green or herbal. However, I’ll still have a cup of coffee once per week or so as a treat.
I just ordered my first loose leaf tea strainer! I’m very excited to use it:)
I love coffee, but I need to put a lot of milk and sugar in it. I love just having my green tea with a little honey it, plus it has just the right amount of caffeine in it to not give me the “jitters.”
What a great salesperson….argh!…..glad you are enjoying your new things!
I absolutely love Teavana! They have so many wonderful blends I could spend so much $$ there. I used to be a coffee person but found it too strong for my tummy. Loving all green teas right now
I love tea, but sometimes it can be a little blah. I have found that anything chai keeps me interested! I also found an amazing Cinnamon Plum tea on my honeymoon, made by Ashby’s. I couldn’t believe how tasty it was!
i’m sorry tea lovers-i’m a coffee addict! but i only have one/two a day.. i did have 4 in a day before.. so if i’ve had my 2 in a day, i’ll have tea..
Coffee, for sure! Though, I do like a cup of green tea after lunch on most days.
Who knew there was such great flavors of tea out there?
I am a coffee drinker in the morning. But at night, a cup of tea is so relaxing!
i TOTALLY love that combo of tea from teavana too! i bought some mint tea from teavana and started adding that to the combo. It’s like drinking a minty mocha
HEAVENLY!
I LOVE Teavana! One of my friends worked there during college and she would make me the best drinks ever. I wish they would open one up in Princeton, but I think they only open in malls (or so I was told). I don’t ever drink coffee, I hate it! So I’m definitely a tea girl, but I try to only drink herbal tea to stay away from caffeine (unless it’s Teavana!).
I LOVE Teavana! One of my friends worked there during college and she would make me the best drinks ever. I wish they would open one up in Princeton, but I think they only open in malls (or so I was told). I don’t ever drink coffee, I hate it! So I’m definitely a tea girl, but I try to only drink herbal tea to stay away from caffeine (unless it’s Teavana!).
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
That is a tough question for me, but I’m going to have to go with tea, merely because I drink way more of it than I do coffee (which I still have a cup of every day). To give you an idea of how much tea I drink, I bought a box of 100 tea bags from Costco, and 3 weeks later it is empty. Yikes.
tough question! I think tea, mostly because I happen to adore tea stores, and I collect teapots. I drink coffee everyday, but tend to enjoy a cup of tea more
I love love love Teavana! And I would always pick tea (unless we’re talkin pumpkin spice latte!)
Always TEA! And specifically Teavana’s ginger bread cookie (which they discontinued this month) best calorie free treat ever!
Can I pick both? Ha ha, really too difficult!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
I’ve been trying to switch from coffee to tea for what feels like forever now. I just can’t get into the taste of tea for some reason. I love coffee…especially the ‘bucks.
Your oatmeal is drool worthy!
Gosh that is so hard! I drink both everyday but I definitely drink more (decaf) tea than coffee — coffee is usually limited to one cup in the morning and one “special” coffee on the weekends. I drink tea in the afternoon and a soothing cup before bed.
If there was a tea like yours that reminded me of coffee I might be able to do all tea. I actually like the taste of coffee
Ah, tough Q. I live on coffee, but I didn’t start drinking/or liking it til college when it was necessitated for all-nighters. I think. based on taste, I actually like tea more. When winter comes, I seriously drink like 8 cups a day. Yours sound delicious!
Sarah
Coffee! But I do like them both, and I like both better iced.
that tea sounds awesome!
Hmm..I like them both! If it’s a good cup of either, I’d like either one.
Definitely tea!
I am a tea drinker, I keep trying to like coffee and it just doesn’t happen! I am enjoying a cup of Stash Pumpkin Spice Decaf as I type this.
i have those exact flavor combos from teavana and love them!! i call it “christmas in my mouth!” coffee is always my go-to in the AM, but decaf tea is great for drinking throughout the day
Hands down, without a doubt, bring on the coffee!!
I do love both.. but I would have to say coffee!!
I would definitey have to go with coffee – specifically iced w/ chocolate soy milk. Yum!
I pick coffee if I have to pick one, but I’m also a tea lover. And I loooove teavana. I can never leave without spending $75. Seriously.
coffee! love it!
COFFEE. gotta represent seattle and starbucks over here.
although occasionally at night i like to have a little nightcap, a cup of fruit-flavored tea. crazy, i know.
I hate hot coffee, but love cappuccinos and drink both cappucci and espressos in Italy. However, I love ICED coffee and drink it every morning in the summer.
In the winter, I drink tea every day, and as the day progresses it changes to hot water. YUM!
Definitely Coffee–I love tea, but I really need that good kick in the morning! Tea’s great for later in the day. When I need a little energy I love to grab some green tea or something citrus-y for decaf
Teavana totally won me over with their MateVana Roobios Chai! I generally prefer coffee over tea, but do love chai tea. The people in Teavana are always so nice and helpful, and they’ve really been spot on with some tea suggestions this coffee-loving girl would enjoy. My boyfriend is definitely prefers tea to coffee, so we have a HUGE collection of various teas in our kitchen.
If you have a french press, you should really make cold-brewed iced coffee. Not that the chilled hot-brewed stuff isn’t half bad, but once you make it this way you won’t go back. Promise! Here’s the technique I use: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/cold-brewed-iced-coffee/
chocolatey teas are awesome! i discovered them for the first time a month or so ago & am addicted! your tea looks amazing though – brewing your own sounds like it would produce the most amazing aromas!
Good morning Tina, I know you have gone over this before, but can you tell me if you are fixing your oatmeal in the microwave or on the stove and how? I am in the south and my smoothies for warm mornings are coming to an end and I am ready to bring back the oats. Thanks! Oh, I am tempting my first run this weekend after having a herniated disc in my neck and physical therapy for 6 weeks, can’t wait!
@Carrie: Hi Carrie! Check my FAQ section for my oatmeal how-to!
Oh, Smitten Kitchen uses a jar and coffee filters, but you can easily adapt it to a french press. Just add in the grounds and water into the french press at night, stick it in the fridge, and in the morning, push the press down and TADA! Iced coffee!
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