Harney & Sons, Indian Spice with coconut syrup latte

I purchased this tea when I was given the gift card to Harney & Sons.  This is a great tea!  I even have used it when I make Kombucha too.  It has notes like a chai- the great warming spices of cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Ingredients:  black tea, cardamom flavor, cinnamon ground, nutmeg, cardamom spices



I decided to make this into a latte.  I got out my almond milk and coconut syrup.

In my milk frother I added almond milk and then some coconut syrup and frothed it on warm.  I never measure anything, so it is up to you how much to add.


For a little kick, I added chili powder.  I added that into the cup with the tea.


This is a black tea so I had the water temp over 200 degrees and I steeped it for 4 minutes.


I used an extra big mug so I could get lots of tea and lots of frothed milk in the cup.


I also added some heart sprinkles on top for fun and color.


  I love the tea just by itself, but when you add milk it elevates it to another level.   I love the spicy chai notes and then the sweetness with the coconut was a great blend.  These teas from India are great!  It's on my bucket list to visit India and it is because of teas like this.  They are wonderful and classic!


Gong Fu Milk Oolong, Des Moines, Iowa

While in the Des Moines area my friends and I stopped into Gong Fu Tea.  I have been here once before about 10 years ago, right soon after it opened.  Two buddies opened this place in 2003.  I love hearing the stories behind people who start tea places.  Check out the website to see their story.


I am ALWAYS on the hunt for tea, so we stopped in while we walked around the area.

I am not sure what the crate/top box says, but I know it is something about tea, lol.  The tea symbol in Chinese is the extent of my Chinese symbol knowledge.  My goal is to get some tea crates like this.  I want to have some in my shop I have some day. 

tea in Chinese Characters



The staff was really knowledgeable about the tea.  Several of my friends did not know what to get, so she did a good job of asking them questions about what they like.  She made several suggestions and did a good job of helping.  She also knew what she was doing when making the tea.  I have been to some places that even though they call themselves a tea place they don't make it correctly.  

She measured it correctly, had the correct water temp, and steep time.  It takes longer but it is so worth it!!


They had lots of nice tea supplies.


Lots of things to pick from and look at.



They do have a few places to sit, so you can sit there with friends and enjoy a cup of tea.


The only thing I did purchase this time was a cup of tea to go.  I love Oolong, so that is what I went for. 


Milk Tea- This semi-oxidized tea varietal has a very distinctive "buttery" characteristic to its liquor that is the result of a unique combination of harvest-timing coupled with processing technique. The leaves are selected from tea plants growing in the mountains of Fujian province, China at elevations between 1600 and 4000 feet above sea-level. The plucking must then occur only on a morning following a precipitous drop in temperature in comparison to the day before. The hand-picked leaves are then removed to the tea factory where they are carefully oxidized in climate controlled rooms, steamed and rolled, then dried and packed for the enjoyment of the lucky few tea enthusiasts that have access to this rare treat.



I enjoyed the Milk Oolong tea.  It had the Oolong flavors that I enjoy.  There is no milk in this tea, it just has a smooth milky, buttery note.  There was also floral aroma with the tea.  I was really happy with this tea.  The price was good, the staff was friendly, and the shop was clean.  I would recommend this place. 


We walked around the east village stopping in some of the shops.  It was cold out, so it was nice to be holding a cup of hot tea.



Scenic Route Bakery, Tangerine Iced White Tea and Turmeric Ginger Chai Latte, Des Moines

While in Iowa visiting friends we went to Des Moines for some tea.  There was a lot of art and charm downtown.





Scenic Route Bakery was really nice and clean.  I like the industrial feel here. The staff was friendly and helpful.  


We were there for lunch and so many things looked good!!  The drinks sounded good too, I ended  up getting two because I could not decide what to get.



The prices for the food and drink were good too.  The Kale Salad I had was wonderful.  


Kale..….…..$8.25 Garbanzo, sunflower seeds, roasted red pepper, goat cheese & red wine vinaigrette

I thought the Tangerine Iced Tea and Turmeric Ginger Chai were both really good.  The Tangerine notes were there subtle but there.  The Turmeric and Ginger played nicely together with the chai.  I thought it was good mix.  Over all I was pleased with both drinks and would get them again.


This little adorable guy stole the show!  He is just adorable.  


What a super fun group to enjoy lunch with.  I hardly ever see these ladies, but it was great to spend the afternoon together.


Right across the street is this fun wall mural.  We walked around the block and did some shopping it is a really nice area, I had a lot of fun.