Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener

This would have been Bear and my 35th Valentine's Day—if you count our courtship. His passing on February 8, 2018 understandably made this year's celebration an obstacle course of melancholy emotions.

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, I had pre-ordered a fresh installment of Harney & Sons "Valentine's Blend" sachets. With chocolate and rosebuds, it is the perfect beverage for romance and tea lovers. Although I never got to share it with Bear, I did brew some up for myself, adding heavy cream and a teaspoon of Lakanto Monkfruit (lo han guo) Sweetener. It was amazing!

As someone who no longer craves white sugar but is not particularly fond of the stevia aftertaste, I found monk fruit sweetener to be a delightful substitute. There was nothing unpleasant about monk fruit. In this combination, it tasted like the real thing! 

Monk fruit is 100-250 times sweeter than sugar, so not much is needed. It is ZERO GLYCEMIC, NON GMO, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and it has ZERO CALORIES and ZERO AFTERTASTE. It also has a 1:1 replacement ratio. Still, the product has 4g of carbohydrates per teaspoon, so I am cautious about how much I ingest.

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Enjoy,

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Murder on the Orient Express

Harney & Sons has designed a tea that will get our teatime on track. Murder on the Orient Express is a blend of black, oolong, and jasmine teas with a twinge of bergamot oil for suspense. What a perfect beverage accompaniment for viewing this remake of the 1974 classic motion picture.

MOVIE DESCRIPTION

What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. Discover this smoky and citrusy black tea inspired by the riveting tale. 

From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, “Murder on the Orient Express” tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast including Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Josh Gad.

I love the canister design of this tea. It mimics the rich interior of the train and Daisy Ridley's skirt. 

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Autumn Tea Giveaway!

I love autumn so much . . . that I am hosting a TEA GIVEAWAY! The winner will get to choose one of these seasonal teas from Harney & Sons! You will find the descriptions of these teas on my previous post. You can also visit their website HERE.

HOW TO ENTER . . .

1. CLICK ON "COMMENT" BELOW.
2. SHARE YOUR FAVORITE FALL QUOTE OR POEM. Be sure to leave your NAME and STATE in the actual comment. Enter only once.
3. SIGN IN TO PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT. There are several ways to sign in, even Anonymous.
4. EARN EXTRA ENTRIES BY REFERRING FRIENDS. If your FRIENDS do enter, please make sure that they mention your name in their comment. This way I can give you credit.
5. DEADLINE TO ENTER: Saturday, November 5, 2016 at 11:59 P.M. PST. The winner will be selected on the next day through a random drawing.

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Tea for Tuesday | Harney & Sons

One benefit of living in Idaho is that I get to experience an actual fall! This is significant because I came from Southern California. Autumn is warm there. Here, our local mountains show signs of fall in August. By mid-October, our nighttime temps sink below 40˚.

Winter comes too early for my taste, so I cling to fall. I attempt to extract every possible flavor and comfort. One way of doing this is to surround myself with delicious, seasonal tea.

Allow me to share one of my favorite companies with you: Harney & Sons. I have happily consumed their products for over 15 years! Here are some autumnal selections, along with their own descriptions.

Pumpkin Spice | Harney & Sons

Harney & Son Description: Try our herbal tea celebration of autumn harvest time. A masterful blend of pumpkin and warming spices. This herbal tea brews a bright red and is light-bodied. Offered seasonally in limited quantities. Tin of 20 sachets. Each sachet brews a 12 oz cup.

Hot Cinnamon Spice | Harney & Sons

Harney & Son Description: Our most popular flavored tea worldwide, Hot Cinnamon Spice is an assertive blend of black teas, three types of cinnamon, orange peel, and sweet cloves. There's no sugar added. Try our Classic tin of 20 tea sachets. Each sachet brews a 12 oz cup. Caffeinated. Kosher.

Cranberry Autumn | Harney & Sons

Harney & Son Description: Ideally sweet and tart, our Cranberry Autumn is a black tea artfully blended with cranberry and orange flavors. You'll find it a full bodied brew that is exceptionally smooth and delicious in fall, or anytime if you're a cranberry fan. Tin of 20 tea sachets. Each sachet brews a 12 oz cup.

NOTE: Check back tomorrow for details concerning my TEA GIVEAWAY!

Teatime. Free time. Me time.

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