We were relaxing this morning over a cup of our newest lush and wonderful tea. Sweet Cherry Chocolate to be exact. When I was struck with the idea of what people do in a pinch when they are low on a favorite Scentbyspirit.com tea or just want to try something different.

Combine what you have with something else? Feasible yes...doable absolutely! What are some combinations you could try in your own kitchen? Here are a few ideas and tips on how to do this.

So, you are low on SBS Teas and are eagerly awaiting a new shipment.

You roll into the kitchen desperate for something soothing and good to fill your cup.

You open the tea cupboard (and I know many of you have one!) and what do you see..... your beloved Vanilla Moon with only enough for one cup left....biting your knuckles you wonder, should I ??? Oh how will I go another 3 days until help arrives??

Never fear!
In the back of your Scent by Spirit tea stash you see several tins you haven't had a chance to try or maybe only have used once.
Say you see SBS Almond Tea.
Vanilla and Almond are excellent together!
Or even Cherry, strawberry or the all time treat chocolate!
Like the time honored triple colored pink, brown and white ice cream an idea leaps into your mind!
Blend them together. Easy as pie well or tea in this instance.

Words to the wise, even though it may smell/seem good, never dump your entire tin into your mixing vessel. Some teas will over power and may be too astringent and lock out the taste of another.
Best to start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up to a whole tin or so once your recipe is perfected.
What flavor do you want to be predominant? Say it is strawberry.
Start with 2 teaspoons of Strawberry, add 1 teaspoon of chocolate and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to a baggie. Mix thoroughly and let it sit for awhile. A day or more is ideal, but if you are in a rush for a rush, then take a shot at it right away. Definitely steep for 3 minutes, no more than 4.
Taste it, sweeten it to pop the flavors out if you like.
Feel free to adjust your flavors. Want more chocolate than strawberry? Add more chocolate. Here are some great ideas for combinations:
Vanilla/Chocolate
Orange/Chocolate
Strawberry/ Vanilla
Praline Delight/Chocolate
Raspberry/Super Coconut
Peach/Caramel
Cinna Blast/ Green Mate
Earl Grey / Super Coconut
Tangerine Man/Chocolate

The list goes on and on and on. Experiment and have fun. Feel free to post your creative blends on our forums. We have a special board just for blends that our customers and friends make.

Until next time...Stay Steeped!

We have been cooking up some red-hot products at Scentbyspirit.com this last week. So, here's a daily dose of something to help us switch gears. Hydration and moisture is on our minds as the warm sunny days of summer are fast approaching.

I have been obsessed with lips and water this week. Too much talking and not enough water makes a person dehydrated. A quality Lip Balm helps to alleviate the symptoms of chapping and dryness, but really the ultimate key is water water water. If your lips are chapped dehydration has already set in and it is time to hydrate the body, and fast.

Water is the source of all things good and wonderful. The human body is comprised of mostly water, 70-80% in fact. So it only makes sense that we require a lot of it to function at our best. Water lubricates our joints and muscles, fuels our immune system and keeps our skin looking young and healthy. These are only a few of the many things water does for us. Did you know that the average human body can live up to one month with no food but only 1 week without water? It only requires a 1% decrease in your bodies water level for you to experience thirst. If you lose 10% of your bodies water, you can actually die. Of course there are many other factors that can attribute to this more permanent state of being.

Water with herbs is another way to get in your daily dose, if you don't like the plain taste of water. Try icing up some peppermint tea not only will it give you that much needed ration of water, but peppermint has been known to aid in digestion and sooth upset tummies. In short, water...it does a body good!

Another day another tea... actually several were tested and I have quite the caffeine buzz going on here. Even Big Foot would be hard pressed to match this energy buzz! The sun is shining here at our studios the grass is green and very long. What better day than to write and drink teas...

First on the plate or rather cup today was a vanilla flavored black tea. We are always looking to improve current flavors so we picked this one up to give it a go.
And it is gone gone gone! Outta here. While it was a nice mellow vanilla, it lacked the succulence of our current best selling darling of vanillas Vanilla Moon.

Next our monkey helper boy tested out the alternative version of our Paradise Tea. This is a fruit tea with no caffeine, just fruits and herbs. Nice and sweet, monkey boy said that it was about the same as our current offering just a tiny bit more tart. We think that this will be a "pass" du jour as well.

Next I am cupping and then drinking a FTGFOP1 s.f.
(Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe First Grade Leaves second flush)
translation Indian Black Tea from Margaret's Hope

This was a lovely cup even for s.f. the after taste is full bodied and satisfying.

Today was also newsletter day where we offered some great articles and recipes.

It usually takes us the better part of a day to finalize everything and get it looking good. After it is released, the feeling of joy can be overwhelming in more ways than one. LOL

Well folks I'm Andy Rooney...WAIT no I'm not, I'm Head Genie and this is a wrap!