Tea Tuesday: Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha

It’s the holiday season and along with gingerbread cookies, tea becomes an everyday staple for me. This is why I’m bringing back Tea Tuesday, my collection has grown quite a bit in recent weeks and I want to share the love with you all. I see a lot of green tea and herbal teas in the future for this blog. Let’s start with the Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha.

I rely on fruity green teas a lot because I want to get those antioxidants, but I’m not a fan of plain green tea. This Stash one is the perfect solution for my problem and I love that it contains matcha because it is even better for you than regular green tea. It has a great balance of sweetness and tartness so it is not too fruity, but it completely masks the taste of green tea. It leans more towards raspberry than pomegranate which is what I prefer because I don’t need to add any honey to balance it.

I love Stash’s herbal teas in general, they have flavours that are different from other brands, but I think this is a very unique concept. I feel like this is such an easy way to add a healthy boost of antioxidants to your diet, why not do it if it tastes delicious!

You can find the Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha in most grocery and health food stores as well as on the Stash website. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Anastasia

Once again, it has been a while since my last Tea Tuesday. Honestly, the main reason is that I have been drinking the same fruity herbal tea for weeks. I really want to complete all of my Kusmi tea reviews soon, so today I am bringing you my thoughts on one Kusmi’s most emblematic and oldest blends: Anastasia.

I have always been fascinated with Anastasia’ story, so when I first heard of this tea I had to try it. When I first smelled this, I really did not like it. It smells very strongly of Ceylon and I really don’t like that kind of tea, so let’s just say my expectations were quite low as to how it would taste. Well, this turned out to be quite a nice surprise and while it is not my favorite, it is quite good. The Anastasia tea contains a blend of black China tea, Ceylon, bergamot, lemon and orange blossom.

Like I said, the Ceylon scent is very strong, but the taste is far more delicate with the black tea being the main flavor. The bergamot and orange blossom add a very light floralness to the blend and you can taste just a hint of citrus fruits. In the end, you will get a light and floral black tea perfect for mornings or afternoons when you want a simple cup of something relaxing. The more I drink it, the more I enjoy it, it is a very classic and while that may seem odd, classic is the perfect word to describe one of Kusmi’s most iconic blends.

You can buy the Kusmi Anastasia tea from their website and in many tea/health food stores. Also, like most teas from Kusmi it comes in different sizes and packaging and it is also part of the Kusmi Russian Blends Assortment. 

My Favorite Ready-Made Stocks for Easy Soups

I love cooking and creating a meal from scratch is incredibly satisfying. However, sometimes you don’t have the time (or energy) to make something elaborate or wait hours for it cook. At times like this, I usually rely on lovely soups that can double-up as a meal. To help make these I find that having various stocks on hand is always useful, so I decided to share with you my favorite ready-made stocks.

I love chicken soup so I usually go for light broths that will go well with chicken but still have enough flavour to elevate a simple vegetable soup with rice or noodles (like my Healthy Soup). My favorite is the Pho Ga Pho Soup Seasoning by Bao Long. This is a Vietnamese stock cube made to use in pho soup (a Vietnamese specialty), it’s very light but flavourful and goes well in soups with or without meat. It contains spices like onions, garlic, star anise, clove ginger and cinnamon. I found mine in a local Asian grocery store, I suggested you have a look in yours or you can get it on Amazon.

Next is the Asian Home Gourmet Spice Paste for Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup, a liquidy paste that you simply add to water to turn into a broth. This one is saltier and I don’t like on its own, but with chicken it’s quite good. I usually use it when I make my Healthy Soup, but want a more filling version. It’s very simple, using this as the broth and adding a chicken breast sliced into cubes once the water is boiling. This one seems more easily available, I can get it from both my regular grocery and the Asian one. You can also get it on Amazon.

I love using both these stocks with my Healthy Soup when I need something quick and delicious. Obviously these are not as healthy as using home-made chicken broth, but in a pinch there are very convenient to have at home. I would love to hear about your favorite stocks and soup recipes. 

Luna and Larry’s Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss: Healthy Ice Cream Option

Living a healthy lifestyle is something I aim to do every day: I go to bed early(ish), drink plenty of water, exercise and eat generally healthy. However, like most, I have my weaknesses which usually come in the form of sugar namely: chocolate and ice cream. As much as I try not to indulge too much, I usually feel guilty when I have ice cream because I am lactose intolerant, so I’m sure having some regularly and needing to take medication for it is not good for my body. On the off chance you are like me, don’t desperate as I might have found the answer to our problem: the Luna and Larry’s Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss.

This is basically a dairy/soy/gluten-free ice cream made with only four simple ingredients: organic coconut mill, organic agave syrup, organic fair trade vanilla extract and organic fair trade cocoa. First of all, let me just say the name is spot on because this is truly blissful. I am not a fan of coconut, I don’t like the scent or the taste but for some reason I love this ice cream.

It is super creamy and rich (just like regular ice cream) and the dark chocolate flavor is absolutely delicious, not bitter at all just sweet chocolaty goodness. There is a slight coconut taste when you first taste it, but I found that the chocolate soon comes in and masks it so you cannot even tell it is made with coconut milk. This truly makes for a lovely dessert and while I would not say it is healthy (it is a dessert after all), it is certainly healthier than regular ice cream and it contains far less sugar. If you are an ice cream lover I cannot recommend this enough! 

Luna and Larry’s offer a wide range of flavors of “ice cream” and you can get them along with the dark chocolate one in certain health food stores. You can find a store locator for the US and Canada here. 

The Perfect Healthy Soup for When You're Under the Weather

Today I wanted to something a little different and go into food blogger territory to share with you all one of my favorite soup recipe. There are several variations depending on the kind of meal you are looking for, but no matter how you do it, it’s a great soup for when you have an upset stomach or are looking for a quick and light meal.

This is a simple vegetable soup with chicken broth and either rice or glass noodles.  If you are looking for something filling and easy to have after a long day at work, I would go for brown rice which is very healthy.  If you’ve been sick or feel the need for a light meal that won’t upset your stomach, I would use either white jasmine rice or, for an even lighter option: glass noodles which are usually made of beans and potatoes. It takes about 20 minutes to make but it can take a bit longer if you’re using rice (brown rice takes the longest to cook).

Ingredients (serves 1):

- 3 green onions

- 2 nantes carrots (they are sweeter)

- 1 cup of brown/white rice or a portion of glass noodles (they usually come in individual portions)

- 2 ½ cups of water or chicken broth

- Chicken broth: if you are using fresh chicken broth use it instead of water and if you are using dehydrated broth then simply use it to season to taste

How to:

If you are using rice, start off by thoroughly rinsing it and then put it in a rice cooker with water following the instruction for the water measurements (usually 1 cup of water for 1 cup of rice). You can then move on to the vegetables. If you’re using noodles you can find the instruction for them below. 

First start off by cutting all your vegetables and putting them in a pot with your water. Cover until it comes to a boil and then remove the lid and lower to heath to let it simmer for about five minutes or until your carrots are cooked.

While you are waiting for the vegetables to boil, fill another pot with a bit of water and bring it to a boil. Once it’s ready remove it from the heath and had your glass noodles to it. Cover with a lid and let it rest for 4 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, pour your noodles into a sieve and rinse them under water. Next put them into a large bowl. If you’re using rice, directly scoop it from the rice cooker into your bowl. Afterwards, carefully pour the vegetables and the water they’re in into your bowl. This is when you would add your dehydrated chicken broth if you’re using it and stir everything together.

You now have a quick and easy soup that’s perfect when you feel under the weather or are tired. What's your favorite soup to make?