There are plenty of fresh citrus in the market this season. Recently I bought a bag of organic oranges and saved the peels to add to my tea. This time of year is also when we get Meyer lemons from a friend’s tree. I also saved those peels and add them to tea.

The peels can be fresh or dried. To dry them, just leave them sun or in the oven. But make sure it’s fully dry so it doesn’t get moldy. And store them in a air tight container.

I used fresh orange peel with this cup of green tea. It gives the tea an orange tint and it’s not bitter at all. The skin actually gets soft and you can just eat them too. And if you like it sweet, add a little bit of honey.

When you are cooking with citrus peel, it’s best to use only citrus that are not sprayed with pesticides. This is because the precious citrus oils are located in the outer skin and can absorb the chemicals.

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M coaches kid’s soccer and one of his students gave us these treats from Japan. I just had to take a photo of them because the packaging is too cute.

The wrapper is very artistic.  It reminds me of pretty gift wrapping paper.  So it definitely feels like a treat to eat them.  

These little green tea candies also came in a cute package. There’s even a green ribbon to match the green candies.  They are hard candies that taste like green tea butterscotch.

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These are my new “Seabuckthorn & Green Tea Handmade Soaps”. Since I was having so much fun with hot process soaping, I decided to make these the same way.

You can usually tell if it’s hp soap by the little bubbles around the surface. This is noticeable even when I made sure to fill the mold all the way with soap. Hot process soap is tricky in that sense.

Ingredients: Olive oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, distilled water, seabuckthorn oil, rice bran oil, green tea powder, and green tea melon fragrance. Because they are half circle bars, they fit well in the palm of my hands.

The last Seabuckthorn soap I made was was nice and I added lots of good ingredients. Including red palm oil, which gave it the deep golden color.

For this version, I just kept it simple. Except I also added green tea powder. Green tea is making it’s mark in many cosmetic products due to it’s benefits to skincare.

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My latest tea review comes from Revolution Tea.  They have a great selection of teas, from organic to fruity blends.

I really picked it up because it has acai. The last tea I had with acai was Good Earth Rooibos tea, which was okay but not great.

Revolution teas are made with whole leaf and you can taste the difference. It never gets too bitter. And the acai combine with other fruit blends give it a nice scent too. I like that I can brew at least 2 cups for one tea bag too. Watch out “Two Leaves & A Bud” there is a new stiff competition in town.

Not only do they make good tea, but the packages are nice and simple too.

“Sencha, the finest Japanese green tea, is blended with the rich, zingy taste of berries for a light, refreshing brew. The flavor of raspberries, black currants and acai, a Brazilian berry bursting with antioxidants, provide a memorable medley.” - Revolution Tea.

More about green tea: the leaves are not fermented. Instead they are withered and steamed. Green tea also contains the most antioxidant compounds, most notably EGCG. It has many health benefits, including cancer-preventative properties.

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Last weekend, I decided to pick up Costco’s Kirkland brand of green tea.   It was surprisingly very good green tea.  The tasted reminded me of the green tea served at authentic Japanese sushi restaurants.

It turns out the teas are Japanese grown green tea and packed by Ito En.  According to Ito En, out of Japan’s 47 prefectures (provinces), there are only three major tea producing regions.  For a small island nation where space is a premium, growing tea must be something they cherish.

It is definitely good green tea.  Even when steeped for a long time, the green tea never gets bitter. It reminded of the green tea I got from Two Leaves and a Bud, but so much cheaper. Being that it was 100 bags for around $12. They are also available at for slightly more.

The tea is packed in flat nylon mesh bags. At first thought, maybe this contributed to the taste of better tasting tea.  As the material is suppose to encourage a better infusion. Many “gourmet” packaged tea have been using these nylon tea bags for the past decade.

The downside to the nylon bags is that it’s not biodegradable. And at the rate of 100 bags per customer, that’s a lot of nylon bags being thrown in the landfills.

I also don’t feel so safe (health wise) about exposing the nylon bags to the high temperature of my water.

Due to these reason, I can’t get myself to purchase the teas again.  I would suggest they change to tea bags made from natural fiber.  Even the cornstarch based mesh tea bags are biodegradable, but they are still made with GMO- based material.

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Earl Grey is a black tea blend flavored with bergamot oil from the bergamot orange. I was never really a fan of black tea, but I do like the smell of bergamot. The last good cup of Earl Gray I had was from Two Leaves and a Bud’s.

Recently I came upon another tea company that also makes organic Early Grey.  Heredia tea company is from Argentina. They use only tea filter paper without chlorine bleaches or synthetic materials. The teas are also made without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. So all that is a plus!

It’s very light and refreshing for black tea. I would say just as good as the cup from Two Leaves and a Bud. I found mine at TJ Maxx for $2.99 per box. You can also find them online for a better price too.

Photo of Heredia’s organic Earl Grey. Image source. Here is a good description of Heredia’s Earl Gray from La Tienda:

“Earl Grey tea is a popular tea with a fruity aromatic flavor that has been enjoyed for centuries. The tea gets its unusual flavor from oil of bergamot orange. The latest research indicates that the Bergamot orange is a cross between the sweet or pear lemon and the Seville or sour orange. The sour orange is native to southern Vietnam, hence the Chinese connection.”

Bergamot orange, the oils of this citrus fruit is used to flavor tea, added to soaps and lotions.  It’s a very refreshing citrus scent.  Photo by Klaus Reger, Wkipedia CC.

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My love of tea started years ago. And I am always happy to try different types and brand of teas.

Luckily this was a sampler pack which included green tea, white peony, rooibus (red tea), Assam tea, and Earl Gray.

Two leaves and a bud is a tea company based out of Colorado. The teas are made of super-premium whole leaf. Teas are harvested from different regions of the world.

I am a minor fan of Jasmine green tea, but when I took my first sip of this jasmine green tea it was different. Much more lighter, accompanying a soft floral fragrance and it never gets too bitter. This is one cup I can drink anytime!

So far I’ve had the green tea, the red tea, and Earl Grey. All very good! Earl Grey makes a good alternative breakfast tea to the traditional coffee. Nice dark amber color and taste is smooth. Not like any other black tea I’ve drank in the past.

I have to say this will become my new favorite line of tea. I can’t wait to try more of their tea selection, especially the herbal teas. No more supermarket teas for me!

Although this tea is more costly, it’s really worth every cup. And I find one tea bag fetches four cups of tea. Maybe it’s the loose leaves, since regular tea I can make two cups max.

Another neat thing is that the tea bags are made of biodegradable cornstarch based nylon (not petroleum based nylon). They are not the traditional bag shape, but pyramid shaped. This allows the whole leaves to circulate and infuse properly, without the mess of brewing loose leaf tea.

The company is also on a mission to support all Fair Trade teas. Another great thing is that the teas come from small farmers. I believe we need more small family farms and should do our best to support them. Both at home and around the world. As noted from the company’s info:

We are a proud member of the Trust Organic Small Farmers Initiative, The new alliance for eco-Ethical trade and goods is a non profit initiative, founded by producers, traders, and NGOs from around the world. two leaves and a bud tea co. is one of the founding members and trading partners under the trusteeship of Commundialis Foundation.

Trust Organic Small Farmers supports disadvantaged organic small farmers to increase sales under Fair Trade and sustainable conditions, while assisting producer organizations in creating innovative grass-root eco-social development projects. More and more these days, sustainable small-scale farming is desirable from developmental, political, health and eco-social perspectives.

Whilst more and more consumers are enjoying high quality products, which often also benefit sustainable development, small family farms are still at a competitive disadvantage in the global market. Even if their products are certified organic or within the existing Fair Trade labeling schemes, market access or success is uncertain. The entry cost is still too high. For the weakest, these markets replicate the global market creating impossible dreams.

Trust Organic Small Farmers is working on creating new paths to open innovative grass-roots projects for sustainable development and improving the eco-social situation of marginalized organic farmers through activity.

Support Fair Trade, support small family farms! Say NO to GMO’s*!

*genetically modified organism. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms.

These soaps have just finished curing now.  I’ve only used it for a couple of days and find the lather to be nicer than the ginger citrus bar. It is also a soft bar (due to the high amount of Castor oil and not enough fixed oils).

Cambree’s Aloe Vera & Green Tea Recipe:

10 oz Rice bran oil, 10 oz Olive oil, 8 oz Safflower oil, 4 oz Castor oil.  Distilled water 12 oz.  Sodium hydroxide 4 oz.  Plus 1 packet of green tea powder, aloe vera gel from 1 aloe leaf.

I also decided to scent with melon (honeydew) fragrance. But it is very light smell and I don’t think I used enough of it. The common rule is 1/2 oz for 1 lb batch.

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