I confess that I have a new love when it comes to minty tea beverages. Normally, I am a big fan of a super-strong, extra minty flavor punch in my mint tea. Ever since I brought this box back from a trip to Canada, I have been finding this tea in my rotation. President’s Choice Chocolatey Mint Black Tea is a smoother, more sophisticated blend. It contains caffeine, which means it is a great drink to have on those mornings where I get started a bit slower.
I was skeptical about the chocolate flavor in the tea, because I have tried more than one tea blend that used cocoa powder and just came away with an off, bitter taste. With this tea, I feel like I get to have everything: the flavor benefits of drinking minty hot chocolate with the added benefit of an energy boost, no sugar crash, and no calories!
Unfortunately, I don’t know how to buy this tea outside of physical stores in Canada. If you’re headed there, will you buy me a box?
About 3 months ago, I was in the rainforests on the island of Borneo, sleeping next to bands of proboscis monkeys. They’re funny looking, with big noses, prominent bellies, and long tails. I laughed while watching their playful antics at dusk and the early morning hours – they jump between branches, trying to find the best place to sleep. I am so grateful that I was able to have the chance to see them in person. Proboscis monkeys are endangered because they can only survive in the rainforest on one island in the world, and there is still a big problem with trees being cut down to sell and to make space for palm oil plantations.
I’m posting about them today in honor of Earth Day. If you donate to any of a number of wildlife organizations before the end of April, Google will match your donation. If you’re willing to donate even a little sometime this year, it is worth it to do it in the next week from the link below. As a fun bonus, the Google Doodle has a quiz to tell you which animal you are. I found out that I am a wooly mammoth. Take the quiz yourself, and let me know what your spirit animal is!
https://www.google.com/doodles/earth-day-2015
*PS- quote from the play Cyrano de Bergerac
Did you know that a group of rattlesnakes is called a rhumba?
This is not a rhumba. These little guys are the symbol of my home state of Massachusetts. Can you see all three of them? Do you know which type of snake they are? These are Garter Snakes. I spotted them while on a hike this afternoon. A group of snakes can be referred to as a den, nest, bed, pit, or knot. Next time you are out in the forest, keep your eyes peeled for snakes! These ones are harmless, so please don’t be afraid and please don’t accidentally step on or hurt them. Happy April 15th!
Sometimes, I get lucky – like today, when I found out that Houston’s 28th annual art car parade was happening! Who doesn’t want to see dinosaur cars?
Or how about a Viking head?
Beware the Trojan horse.
If you’re getting peckish, maybe this fellow will help you out:
If you can’t tell by now, the art car parade cars range from the everyday-driveable to sculpture. I love folk art, and this is one of those wonderful celebrations of it! Check out more photos (including a toilet car, a fancy suspension with a nice paint job, dragons, a toaster with butter dish, running motivators, and luchadors) on the flickr photo stream.
Houston is holding its annual art car parade today from 2-4pm. If you’re in town, stop by!
http://www.thehoustonartcarparade.com/faqs/
After traveling for 100+ days with something, I feel like I have a good sense of how good it really is. In particular, there is one item I never want to go without again. And lucky for you, it is on sale on Amazon right now!
The item is a multi-port USB charger. I shopped around before I chose this particular item, so let me explain why I like this better than many of the other options out there:
- I wanted a device that had a cable between the hub and the socket. Having a cable gives me more flexibility in how I set up my room, like leaving my charging phone on the bedside table so I can get to my alarm quickly without disturbing others. I also worried that a design where the hug plugged into the wall would add too much weight to the socket (I have experienced this socket problem with lighter things!), and also be limiting in tight places where furniture is close to the socket.
- Accepts 100-240 Volt input. There is more to travel and your electronics than just the socket being different shapes. It is important to know that your devices (especially those precious ones like your cell phone) will not be damaged while charging them in different power environments.
- Had enough ports to charge all the items I was bringing with me. There are versions of this charger with different number of USB ports to suit your needs. I promise I won’t judge you if you need more than 5….
- Promised to charge my devices quickly. This wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but I was very happy with the performance of the charger.
- Physical size. I was pleased with how small the box is on this device. The cables take up more room than it does!
I have even appreciated having this device during the non-travel moments of my life. It can just be nice to charge all my USB powered things in one spot.
Here’s an Amazon link to the specific device I have: Anker® 40W 5-Port High Speed Desktop USB Charger with PowerIQ Technology. I’m not making money off this, just sharing my experiences. http://amzn.com/B00GTGETFG
I recently enjoyed the locavore food at The Skinny Pancake in Burlington, VT. Everything was delicious, but what really blew my mind was a vegetarian breakfast burrito wrapped with an herbed crepe instead of a tortilla.
The atmosphere inside is relaxed and funky, with big reclaimed wooden booths, a bar, and a stage. The tea selection adventures beyond black/green, and the coffee is tasty. Need another reason to check this place out the next time you’re in Vermont? They serve breakfast all day.
Travel, Food, Reviews, and (of course!) Tea
the mint tea drinkers society 