Winter Wonderland Rooibos

Advent Day 11

Another blend that I wouldn’t have purchased for myself, but it was actually quite tasty. It’s really reading as Eggo waffles to me. Not getting any chocolate.

Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 11

I added a 4 oz. bag of this one to my shopping cart sight unseen (taste untasted?) when I ordered the S&V advent, so I’d already tried it before it appeared in the calendar. It’s so nice! Like a sweet oatmeal cookie with just a hint of chocolate and a touch of cinnamon. I need to remember to overleaf it next time I make it, though, because tonight’s pot was a little weak.

I love that one of the ingredients is “winter wonderland flavoring” — and what, pray tell, might that be?! That’s some tasty circular logic right there!

I had the most wonderful night! My neighbor two houses down and across the street lives alone and is 96, and she will be 97 next month! She is delightful lady. Getting the motivation to leave the house after supper takes some prodding for me but I really enjoy visiting her. She is a night owl like me. Tonight I called to see if it was a good night for a visit and she said yes!

When I got there, she had a bag of flour on the counter and told me she had been trying to decide whether to make biscuits. She really wanted some, but….

I told her I made biscuits just once about twenty years ago and they were terrible, and I asked her if she would teach me to make biscuits. (My mother was a true Southern lady but was raised in a progressive orphanage in the 1930’s that trained the kids in all the necessary skills for life, and because she was such a good seamstress they never made her do the kitchen work rotation to learn to cook. We ate canned biscuits!)

As you can imagine, there was no recipe. Just a bit of this and that, squish it with your hands, shape it with your hands, pat them flat one more time, and pop them in the oven. No, we don’t need to preheat and the temperature doesn’t matter a lot, just anywhere from 450F to 500F and she didn’t know how long, we would just look at them now and then.

As you can imagine, they turned out great. I was able to get the strawberry jelly wrestled open for her and we had a late night snack. She offered me decaf coffee but I decided to wait and have my drink when I got home – this little beauty.

Of all the teas I ordered for fall and winter evenings, I really had no idea this one was going to be a big favorite. I think it is probably a shelf staple now. I think of oatmeal cream pies, not as chocolatey as I thought it would be but just right for what it is. I love it.

Ingredients so I don’t forget: around two cups of self rising southern biscuit flour made of soft winter wheat, one stick of butter, and almost 3/4 cup of milk, adding 1/2 cup and then extra as needed. That’s it. She didn’t really measure the milk but I watched and eyeballed amounts that she poured so I could try it this weekend on my own.

The oven was set to 455F and my guess is we cooked them for about twenty minutes. So yummy.

This is very cozy and comforting with cinnamon and a hint of chocolate. I must say I’m a bit underwhelmed by the overall taste, but I guess I could use more leaf and more time. It won’t get bitter and it might bring out the subtle notes.

2021 sipdown no. 10

The website says this is apple fritter-esque and I have to agree. The apple and cinnamon pair perfectly here, and the chocolate in the background isn’t overly noticeable in taste, but blends these flavours together to mellow them in the most perfect way. This tea is amazing.

This will go into the S&V order. Thanks for sharing Cameron! :)

I got this one in my swap with AliceG. The bag says Tea Runners, but it looks like they source a lot of their teas from Simpson & Vail, including this favorite of mine. Last time, I called it a weaker version of their snickerdoodle flavor. I’d like to issue an apology. The more I have of this tea, the more I see that it stands on its own. What a tasty, spiced, baked flavor. This is one that I savor each mouthful of. I probably still prefer snickerdoodle, but I’m really enjoying this one.
S&V is having a 15% off sale, but I sadly don’t have room in my cupboard right now. Looking forward to restocking some favorites this winter.

Another one from my Simpson & Vail holiday sampler! I don’t remember this one from the last time I tried it, but the flavors sound lovely.

Yum, this reminds me of an oatmeal cookie. It has a lovely sweet cookie-like flavor with a touch of cinnamon and yummy oat notes. There’s something a bit creamy as well.

Very tasty, and I’m happy to revisit it! :D

This somehow reminds me of gingerbread. I really like the flavor of this one. It’s sweet and dessert-y without being over the top. The green rooibos works well – there’s enough of a backbone without making it woody like red would do.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – January 2024 Tea #4 – A winter inspired blend

S&V’s flavors usually last quite a while — more than most teas.  But this one is just not aging well.  Understandably! This is at least five years old!  Tea is not immortal!   But the flavor is leaning more towards a plastic note at this point, for some reason, that was not there when the tea was fresh.  Just a note to not let this one age very much.  Next time is a sipdown.

It’s cold and windy and rainy and TBH I’m semi-irrationally scared that the wind will blow my air conditioner out of the window. Mostly I am perturbed by the eerie noises that the wind is making and the fact that some of it is getting through the a/c. So, like any good Steepsterite, I reached for a comforting cuppa. Phi first exposed me to this tea when she sent me a sample (thanks, friend!). Then there was an ounce of this in our gift bags at the Philly Coffee & Tea Fest. I am trying to enjoy rather than hoard it but it’s SO GOOD and I don’t want to run out. It basically tastes like a cinnamon oatmeal cookie. This tea is just wintry comfort in a cup. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put in some earplugs, curl up under a blanket, and try to sleep through (hopefully) the worst of this storm.