A red and green teacup and … green tea!

It’s always fun to see who will send the first Christmas card to our home each year, and this year, I was delighted that it was a tea company! The cute card from Japanese Greentea Co. featured the Peanuts gang, perennial favorites, and inside was…

A sample of loose tea!

This was their Issaku premium green tea, and I couldn’t wait to try it. I haven’t tried any new green tea in a while, and I figured it would be a nice change from the mint- and spice-flavored teas I’ve been indulging in. This tea had that wonderfully rich “brothy” taste, with almost a buttery finish, and as a longtime fan of good green tea, I enjoyed it very much.

Since it was the first day of December yesterday, I used my red and green Princess Anne Bone China “Noel” teacup from England. I found this for just $4.50 at an antique mall in Wisconsin years ago.

And as if a tea card and sample weren’t gifts enough, I was delighted to learn that Japanese Greentea Co. included Tea With Friends on a list of blogs for those who love Japanese tea. How lovely! If you’d like to learn more about the offerings from Japanese Greentea Co., click here.

Twinings Jasmine Green Tea

One thing I have learned about my tea-sipping habit is that I can easily get in a rut. Last week, I polished off nearly all of my pumpkin spice tea, and this week, I wasn't surprised to find myself wanting something different, something lighter. Fortunately, I'd recently come across a great buy on one of the only Twinings teas I don't remember ever trying.

I love the pretty magenta color of this tin of Twinings Jasmine Green Tea. I found it on sale at Ollie's the other weekend for just $2.99, and the expiration date was still a year away, so I felt safe in buying it. When I opened the tin, I was surprised to see a freshness seal.

When I sniffed the green tea leaves, they had that lovely light floral fragrance that I so enjoy in jasmine-flavored teas.

Soon, I was happily sipping a refreshing new-to-me green tea, and it was the perfect tonic after perhaps going a little heavy on the spice teas. Do you mix it up with your tea selections? I'm wondering whether I'm the only one who hops from pumpkin spice to jasmine in the fall!