Sips to slay and refresh

 

A toast to things served in glasses. Aqua martini glasses I scored at a garage sale often hold my yogurt parfait desserts. It’s so elegant to serve a glass of health with a little spoon. Toppings can anything. A recent round called for slivers of orange peel and a crushed granola bar. Anything goes… in a glass. Here are some other ideas for your cups and mugs:

 

Chariteas – Because Port Arthur was originally named Aurora, we can imagine the colors and spectacle of the Northern Lights. Imagine them in a pot of tea. If you have a clear brewing system, you can get a show with color-changing tea that goes from deep midnight blue tones to dusky purple. Mango, coconut, rosehips, butterfly pea flower help give you this aromatic “magic.” We wowed a tea lover who I hope will come back for Summer in Provence, featuring lavender and lemon balm. Indonesian Rainstorm is a mix of black and white tea with a fragrance I’d travel for. But the barley and sweet honeysuckle is right here in my cup. Chariteas is about fair trade and the upcycler in me also loves labels peel right off black tins for repurposing. Oh, what secrets you may unleash from them. www.chariteaspot.com

 

Good Earth – A recent Galveston excursion put me in a tropical mood. Tropical Mango & Moringa herbal tea kept music in my head and mouth all the way through my ferry ride. Since 1972 Good Earth has been about positivity, color and making things better. The flavor is nearly visible through biodegradable tea bags and the aroma is heavenly. Choose from ginger, turmeric & lemon, sweet & spicy original and limited edition 50^th anniversary decaffeinated lemongrass flavor when you go to www.goodearth.com

How you slay – Do you want broken up tea dust in little bags? Maybe your focused life calls for blends you can see, smell and control in little reusable silicone bags. If a blend such as Raspberry Limeade with organic black tea, dried raspberry and kaffir lime leaves appeals to you, go to www.sipnslaytea.com to meet tea fans like you. They’re a total package of calm lifestyle. You may know it when you come across the Lady Business blend for….that time. Hey, a tea break is healing in so many ways….

 

Calming Tonic – Sounds good already, right? Plant-powered tonics from U relax balance noble kava, lemon balm, that ashwagandha everyone is talking about and… 1-theanine. There’s always something new to learn, but the concept of winding down is ageless. These are clinically proven to keep you calm, makers say. They taste natural and numb up my tongue a little and that is what they call kicking stress to the curb. These are NOTHING like those energy drinks with crazy labels you may find at the gas station. Investigate on your own at www.drinku.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie raising her glass. Do you have a foodie note to share with her? Reach out at darraghcastillo@icloud.com