Apparently, New Zealand has some really great coffee, but don’t ask me for any recommendations.  I, my lovely readers, am a tea drinker.

Having a “quick cuppa” with some bikkies {biscuits, aka, cookies} is part of the culture over here.  My staff break room at work is fully equipped with hundreds of tea bags, a milk fridge {yes – an entire refrigerator devoted to milk} and a hot water tap.  It was pretty much inevitable that I fall into the habit of drinking tea while at work, and that slowly transitioned into drinking tea during the morning on my days off.

I try to limit myself to one, maybe two, cups a day.  I never drink it past noon – if I do, it’s a fair bet that I’ll have trouble sleeping that night.  I take mine with a healthy drop of milk, no sugar.  I like it strong and hot.  No green or herbal teas, thank you very much – black tea is the way to go in my book!

I stocked up on some really delicious teas when we were Stateside.  My supplier of choice is Upton Tea Imports out of Massachusetts.  They pack the tea just for you with your name and the freshness date clearly printed on each individual package.  My mom had some in the kitchen when we got there and I happily sampled her supplies – so yummy!  I had to go online and order some for myself.

My favorite tea right now is the New England Harvest Blend – a mix of china tea, cinnamon, dried apple, almonds, and vanilla bean.  It’s from Germany and it’s so delicious with milk.  It makes me think of a crisp Fall day in the States with crunchy leaves underfoot and the smell of woodsmoke in the air.

My second tea-of-choice at the moment is the East Frisian Sunday Tea – a blend of assam and bourbon vanilla.

Other teas in my pantry include Melange de Chamonix, Chai Agni (decaf), Chai Spice, East Frisian BOP, Kensington Breakfast Blend, Irish Breakfast Blend CTC (crush-tear-curl method), Mincing Lane Blend, Tippy Orthodox GBOP Assam, Cranberry Flavored Black Tea, and Melange Noel (a “Christmas Tea” made up of black tea, cloves, vanilla, cardamom, citrus peel, rose petals, and almond pieces).

I’ve even got my own little tea scoop, two different brewing baskets, a “to go” cup for tea with a built in tea-leaf strainer, and a tea infuser.

Brewing Basket #1

Brewing Basket #2

Chris has tried to claim one of these brew baskets for his coffee, but I’ve put my foot down.  He already has a fancy-dancy coffee machine and a french press all to himself, and putting coffee in the brewing baskets can alter the flavor of the tea.  Sorry, Chris!

Having a cup of tea in the morning is my “aaaahhhhh” moment.  I usually enjoy a cup shortly after Joe’s first feeding of the morning but after I’ve had a full glass of water (don’t want to get dehydrated!).  It’s relaxing and gives me an excuse to take a moment or two to think about the day.

Do you have a tea addiction?  Or is coffee your morning drug of choice?

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