Tea Time in Our "New" Kitchen!

I don't have a dish to share with you today because over the weekend, I was painting my kitchen!  It needed a little sprucing up, and now it is a beautiful, happy color yellow. :)

Before the paint....

Almost done!  I have to get my husband to help me with the tall parts!

Because our kitchen smelled like paint fumes (and was a bit mess) yesterday, take-out was our food of choice.  We got delicious burritos from our favorite Mexican hangout: Cha Cha Cha.  Great name, and awesome food. 
I still wanted to share something with you, and tea has been on my mind.  I have been trying to find a great non-caffeinated substitute tea for making chai, but it was only recently that I discovered a perfect fit.  I could have, of course, just used decaffeinated black tea, but I was hoping for something that tasted even better.  We have been drinking a lot of Yogi Tea's Chai Rooibos, but it can be pretty expensive buying enough boxes to keep up with our insatiable lust for tea.  We drink tea all day long, every day, so that habit can be pricey.  So not only did I want something that tasted great on its own and in chai, but something that was more affordable on our budget.  One great way to save a bit of money buying tea is to buy in bulk.  Some of our favorite teas, like Yerba Mate come in large bags of bulk tea (that's about $8) and last us for months.  Plus, with bulk tea you are not stuck with all the packaging that has to be discarded.  I have invested in a few good re-usable tea strainers, and although they take more work to wash them, they are totally worth having.  

Since we loved the Chai Rooibos so much, I decided to try and find something comparable to that in the bulk tea section...and I found just plain Rooibos tea.  It was cheap, so I got a small baggy just to try it out.  

Once I got home, I had to research it because what the heck is Rooibos anyway?  And was it caffeine free?  Wikipedia said, yes, it was caffeine free and is named "rooibos" or "red bush" for the plant from which is it derived.  It originated and is grown only in Africa and has many health benefits.  It is made just like black tea and is served with milk and sugar or lemon and honey.
Once I tried plain Rooibos with a touch of milk...I was hooked.  Unlike black or green tea, Rooibos has low tannin levels, and so is much less bitter.  It is smooth, mild, and sweet.  In my opinion, it doesn't need any extra ingredients to make it tasty, but I have found that milk lends a little extra sweetness.  I have yet to try it in chai, but I think it will be a perfect fit.  

Plus, it is a beautiful rust color!

Another tea that I got in bulk (for a treat) was Matcha Latte.  This is a very fine, green tea powder that dissolves in hot water.  It is NOT cheap ($37 a pound!), so I just got a tiny bit to try....and boy! is it delicious!!  Why is expensive food so tasty??

About a teaspoon per cup will make this sweet, light tea that is a beautifully grassy green color.  It is both beautiful and delectable on it's own, but add a little milk, and it is Divine!  As a connoisseur of tea, I can tell you that this is one of the most perfect teas in creation.  As much as I adore Roobios, matcha latte is it's own exquisite experience.  Though, it will be a rare and and extravagant experience!
Matcha Latte is also a great seasoning for dessert.  The Japanese use it in their popular sweet, mochi, but this week (for Valentine's Day!), I'm going to be making Matcha Latte Marshmellows!  I can't take credit for this idea since my sister-in-law gave it to me.  But it is such a good idea, and it comes at the perfect time of year.  So, watch out for a homemade marshmallow recipe soon!