Safe Sun Tea

Many of my friends tell me that summer signals a time for Sun Tea. Putting tea bags into a large jar of water and letting the sun do the work. But according to the Center for Disease Control and the Colorado State University Extension, brewing via the power of the sun can actually cause bacteria to grow in your tea and there are reported cases of illness arising because of Sun Tea brewing.

Still want a big jar of iced tea without heating up a ton of water? You can choose to make a concentrated tea and then add ice water to it, or you can follow these simple steps.

1. Fill your own tea bags or use store bought bags (I used one large bag and filled it with Teavana's Rooibos Tropica Tea). I prefer to use primarily red teas or herbal teas for my Safe Sun Tea because they don't get bitter if let in the jar too long. The Rooibos Tropica tea is a blend of green and red that has a fruity floral finish and is perfect for a hot summer day.

2. Place bag in large glass jar and screw on lid.


3. Store in refrigerator for 24 hours. Then remove tea bag(s).

Do not leave your tea sitting out at room temperature for more than a few hours and make sure that you clean all tea brewing and storing equipment between uses. It may be calorie free, but tea can still allow for bacteria growth. Let's have a safe summer!

Get Infused with Jamba's New Tea Menu

It's time for tea at Jamba Juice. Don't get it twisted, Jamba isn't just serving up your average cup of leafy goodness. Rather they are adding a sweet refreshing twist to the unsweetened organic green tea used by infusing it with real fruit juices. The flavors (clockwise starting with the left picture) are Pomegranate, Passion Fruit, and Prickly Pear.

Containing over 50% real fruit juice, this new line of beverages are a refreshing break for the days when you want a fruit serving and want a cool drink, but you don't want the bulk of a smoothie. While the juice listed in the name is the primary juice, there is also some lemonade to balance the flavors of the tea and the juice. The final ingredient in the drink is the organic green tea, and you can order your drink with more tea and less juice to save calories and reduce the sweetness!

Pomegranate: This tea is sweet but not overly sugary. The pomegranate juice adds a slight tartness to the beverage which makes it a great choice to go with a richer entree. With 160 calories and 1 gram of protein, this is the highest calorie choice on the Tea Infusions menu.

Passion Fruit: I described this beverage in my notes as "very gulpable." It has a floral taste and I enjoyed swishing it around my mouth and over my tounge while drinking it. This was one I savored until the last drop, enjoying the mellow but complex flavors of the passion fruit on my palate while munching on the fabulous crushed ice in the cup. At 150 calories and 1 gram of protein, I could imagine enjoying this with a salad or sandwich, but honestly I drinking it sans food.

Prickly Pear: This tea infusion was the juiciest of the line in my opinion. I would describe it as a "plump" flavor that could be chewed, but the beverage itself (see bottom right picture) was as clear as the other drinks. The Prickly Pear Tea Infusion does contain 1 gram of fiber in addition to the 150 calories and 1 gram of protein. I think the choice is the best one on the menu for kids as the flavor is one I would love to turn into a juicebox!

Overall, the calories are higher than a plain cup of tea, but as someone who doesn't drink soda, I will change up my low calorie beverages for an occassional treat that is also a serving of fruit! And with the new Jamba bundle, why not?

Blended Bliss adds Bite: Jamba expands menu choices

Adding a variety of new food options to California store menus, Jamba Juice is giving us plenty of excuses to eat Jamba for every meal!

Today, I had the opportunity to sample the entire new line of California Flatbreads, Grab and Go products, and Fruit Tea Infusions. These products will not replace any current products in the Jamba line-up, but rather will make Jamba Juice "more relevant to more people," according to Kim Larson, vice-president of brand marketing, who lead us through the initial product briefing.

I think Jamba is on the right path with their new product lines. As Kim mentioned in her briefing, while many people can make a smoothie into a meal, others need that solid food product to chew on in order for the meal to be complete. Keeping in mind Jamba's goal to create all natural products, these food items are made of high quality, fresh ingredients.

This post is the first of a series of posts over the next week that will walk you through the entire product line including the seasonal Blackberry Bliss smoothie. We will discuss the flavor profiles of the various products, allergy information, Uncovering Food's suggested beverage pairings, and finally what are the best low-calorie options on the menu.

In addition to offering the new products, Jamba will also offer food and beverage bundles where you can save $2 on the bundle. Who doesn't like to save a couple bucks in this economy? And if a smoothie fills you up, I would still advise you to take advantage of the bundle. Add one of the Grab and Go menu items and toss it in your fridge for later!

Jamba, which I learned is Swahili meaning "to celebrate," has found a way to celebrate even the boring cubicle lunch. Coming later this summer, Jamba will be changing things up to make lunch more exciting. Rolling out the "Brown Bag Bliss," Jamba's paper bags that are used to carry your meal will now double as a picnic "blanket" for your desk. You will be able to load music and scenic views on Jamba's Web site, and even post the provided picture of a "window" on your cubicle wall. Leave it to Jamba Juice to add an entertaining and relxing spin to a weekday lunch! I am also excited to get to play with the Brown Bag Bliss request, an opportunity to send customizable video requests for Jamba Juice to coworkers and friends.

The hot California Flatbreads include: Smokehouse Chicken, Tomo Artichoko, MediterraneYUM, and Four Cheesy. The cold Grab and Go menu features wraps, salads and a sandwich. The options are: Greens and Grain Wrap, Asian Style Chicken Wrap, Chimichurri Wrap, Greek Goodness Wrap, Caesar the Day! salad, Couscous & Produce salad, and the Gobble'licious sandwich. Finally, the Fruit Tea Infusions include: Pomegranate, Passion Fruit and Prickly Pear.

These new products are worth the hype. They are flavorful and good for you which can't be said for so many fast meal options that exist. My only gripe? I am leaving for Alabama for the next week and they won't be available there! At least not this summer...

Chocolate and Mint and Tea... Oh My!

There are days when this girl just craves mints and chocolate. But when I face the number of calories and chemicals in a Thin Mint cookie, it is hard to enjoy them like I used to.

Luckily, Teavana, my favorite source for loose leaf teas has found the answer to my craving in their Cacao Mint Black Tea. For tea purists who don't like to mix it up, this is not your basic black tea. However, if you are willing to accept that teas can be mixed with a variety of fabulous natural ingredients to get new and unique flavors, then I recommend you check this one out.

One of the newer teas in the Teavana canisters, I have enjoyed Cacao Mint as both a morning tea (minty fresh breath without the chemicals of sugarfree gum!) and as a dessert tea (chocolate and mint in a warm liquid form = yum!). I have only had it warm, although I think it would make a perfect summer drink over ice with a sprig of fresh mint. I brew a 12oz mug with a half teaspoon of German Rock Sugar for a sweet low-calorie treat several times a week.

Black tea doesn't get the play that it's relatives White and Green have been getting lately. However it is just as effective as the others in providing health benefits. Rutgers University has done a number of studies on black tea including one that found a link between drinking tea and it's effects on colorectal cancer!

One of the comments I got on my last tea blog was about the cost of loose leaf teas. Cacao Mint is $6.80 for 2 ounces, which is a fair amount of tea considering you only use one to two teaspoons of leaves for each drink. I promise you spend more on a can of soda then you would one of these satisfying mugs of minty chocolate goodness.

Ingredients: Black tea, cocoa bits, hazelnut pieces and peppermint leaves.

Tea lovers... I would love to hear about your favorite teas and tea blends! Please feel free to share!

Exploring White Teas, a review of Teavana's White Ayurvedic Chai

Growing up with an Australian mum and grandmum, whenever I was sick or stressed or cranky or tired, I knew what the cure would be. Tea. And while I have grown up and live on my own now, tea is still my go to for all that ails me. According to scientists at the Second International Science Symposium, the matriarchs in my family were right! My friends can tell you that when they complain about being sick, I tell them to enjoy some tea.

Having spent a fair amount of time looking for the fullest flavor and most benefits in a cup, I did some research. I wanted to explain to you why I primarily drink loose leaf teas and avoid the commercial bags. There are four general categories of tea leaves: Whole Leaf, Broken Leaf, Fannings, and Dust. Commercial tea bags get the dust and fannings of the tea which means that you don't get the full flavor of the teas. You can find more information about the different categories can be found here.

One of the great things about teas is how many types there are! Today, I want to take a closer look at White Tea. White teas are leaves that are not oxidized or cured. According to author S. Elliott, "Undergoing less processing than many other tea varieties, white tea can have ten times the antioxidant power of vitamin E and impressively high concentrations of polyphenols and catechins. This power punch can help fight the ravages of aging caused by free radicals in your system. It can also help lower cholesterol and inhibit the development of cancer cells. Side benefits include white tea's ability to help increase bone density, aid the immune system, and help lower blood pressure."

My favorite foodie stores is Teavana. I enjoy perusing the latest loose leaf teas and walking away with bags of beneficial finds. Teavana is what their name implies, a heaven of tea. In addition, they give away part of their proceeds to CARE which is totally awesome in my book. Plus they also take orders online which made it easy to get tea when I am away from my local tea shop.

Today, I am sitting in a hotel in Indianapolis trying out some of Teavana's White Ayurvedic Chai Tea. Ayurveda is a traditional medical system that originated in India and has existed over 5,000 years. According to the Teavana web site, "this Ayurvedic tea will keep you aligned and balanced in your everyday life. White tea has a very high amount of antioxidants, which help to reduce the risk of certain cancers and inhibit their growth. White tea has also been shown to strengthen your immune system, increase your metabolism, detoxify your body and hydrate your skin. By hydrating your skin, it reduces fine lines and wrinkles, which helps you look younger. Contains approximately 1% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee."

The first thing I do when I get a new tea is smell it. This is one of my favorite parts! I am sure people who see me giggle but there is nothing I enjoy more that inhaling over a new tea (or one of my favorites!). The White Ayurvedic Chai has a complex nose with strong hints of the cloves, pepper and cinnamon. In the back of your nose you can smell the sweetness of the lemongrass. There is also coconut in the blend which may be the smooth sweet smell that ties the package together.

I added 1/2 a tsp of German rock sugar to a 24 ounce pot which was plenty (and added less than 20 calories to the whole pot)! This tea is sweet and spicy all at once. It does not need any other additions because the flavor is full and rich without being overpowering and too spicy like so many chai teas on the market. When the tea first hit my mouth, the smooth sweetness of the coconut glides over my tounge, leaving behind the subtle spices that almost overpowered the unbrewed nose. The complexity of the flavor leaves me drinking more, so I can continue to find ways to describe how much I am enjoying it!

Because the caffine content is so low, I enjoyed it as my dessert after a long day of traveling. It was so good I drank four cups! I strongly recommend this tea to anyone who is looking to improve their health while enjoying a flavorful cup of goodness.

Product Review: Puripan Tea in a Jar

When school is in session, I don't get as much time to cook as I would like. But I do get to try some fabulous foods. I am going to start incorporating product and restaurant reviews in this blog as a continued guide to the best healthy foods I can uncover for my readers.

Today's product is one of my new favorite beverages. Puripan Aloe Vera Tea in a Jar is a product I found while waiting for a wine tasting to start. Being a fan of teas, I wandered into the tea shop and began perusing the loose leaf teas. However, I already had a rather large collection of dried teas that I needed to use before I would allow myself to buy more. I was about to wander out of the shop when the woman behind the counter asked if I had tried fermented teas. I must have looked confused, because she went on to explain the history of fermented teas in Korea, and went on to explain how Puripan made their fermented teas.

I was told that aloe is a natural remedy for stomach troubles. It seemed like perfect timing since I had just gotten over a bug, so I agreed to try a sample of the aloe tea. It was warm, and sweet. But not like a fruit or sugar, but just a sweet aloe. There were pulps of the aloe floating in the tea, which was fun to play with in my mouth as I chewed on the pulp while sipping the tea.

I bought a jar and keep it stored in the fridge. I have a water cooler that dispenses hot water in my apartment, and sometimes I just can't wait for tea to brew. I toss a spoonful of the aloe tea in the bottom of the mug, add some hot water and stir. Sweet, warm and soothing. For only $8.00 you get a jar that makes what seems like a neverending amount of tea. I am sure I will run out eventually, but I will have to go back and buy more! I hear it is great mixed with sparkling water for a low calorie soda.

Nutritional Label says that it makes 35 servings at 40 calories a serving. Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Sugar, Natural Honey, Citric Acid

Ease of Use: Wonderfully easy! Just add hot or cold water and mix!
Value: Cheaper than soda, pricier than tap water!

Tea, tea, fabulous TEA (Warmth on a Cold Day Blend)

This isn't a recipe. Well not a real recipe. But just one of my current favorite tea blends. During the summer I love to make my own shaken iced teas and in the winter, there is nothing more soothing to the soul than a warm cup of tea. I should warn you though, I am a tea snob. I will drink almost any unsweetened tea in a pinch, but when given a choice, I must have loose leaf teas. Only loose leaf teas can be messy when in a hotel or at school. I use the Teavana teamaker when I am at home, but it is bulky. So I have purchased filters to make my own tea blends. I purchase the larger bags, even though I use them for single cups, because it allows the leaves to fully expand.

As I make blends, some are so delicious, I want to share them! Unless you add milk or over sweeten your tea, it is a fabulous low-calorie and high antioxidant beverage.

One teaspoon of each of the following (this tea can be brewed several times, the strength and sweetness will decrease but it is still yummy for at least one or two extra cups):

Gingerbread Cookie Tea
Honeybush Vanilla Tea
Haute Chocolate Rooibos Tea
German Cane Sugar

Mix together in tea bag and tie up the bag. Toss it in a mug and pour hot water over tea. Steep for 2-5 minutes. Enjoy!