Accessories Reviews

I have had this wine opener for three years now and have never been disappointed with its performance. It opens wine bottles effortless and looks beautiful in my dining room. It opens both large and small wine bottles perfectly every time. A must for wine enthusiasts!

I love to sit at my computer and drink JAVA while I work on my newsletter and website. I am constantly thru out the day running back & forth to the microwave to reheat my coffee cup, NOT ANY MORE this is a GREAT ITEM! I just hooked it up today and am LOVING IT! 5 STARS from me!

I have had one of these "Screwpull" tools for years. I was getting new ones for friends that liked how easy Champagne was to open when you used this tool. You have control without losing any of the champagne.

Excellent product.. a girl's best friend are diamonds.. yet this silver kitty keeps her mistress' friends safe from the drain!!! Thank you for the great service Goodness and Love!

As an avid quilter, this press has made pressing my quilt squares and design pieces a snap. It cuts my pressing time in half and holds my seams for piece quilting like a dream. I would recommend this NON steam press to all quilters. There is never any worry about water spots or leakage on your fabric. And when pressing my everyday shirts and pants, I have the option of the spritz spray bottle that is included if necessary. I found that the tempature control works exceptional for any fabric or clothing attire that I pressed. I will definitely tell all the members of my sewing guild about the many wonders of the Simplicity SP100 press.

After several years of using the same laundry basket, traveling around the country, mine finally split apart and I had to get a new one. I took some time to look around and decided that the one that best fits my needs is this one. It's sturdy and durable. Also, with the handles on all four sides it is easy to carry. I've been using this basket for several months now and it has been just what I needed. Highly recommended for college students.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." -Henry James, Portrait of a Lady

This "English Breakfast" style tea is quite satisfying and has a darker color than most teas I've made. I just drank a cup of "Awake" and definitely feel invigorated and ready to write reviews. I always get a kick out of their little notes on the back of the tea bag packet that gives the address and then says: "Allow two weeks of this lifetime for a written response."

I'd like to say that their teas are best steeped for an extra 5-10 minutes to draw out all the delicious flavors. I use my coffee maker to make tea. Simply put the loose tea in a coffee filter, then allow the boiling water to drip over the tea leaves.

Tazo has quite a good variety of teas, although I tend to prefer the herbal infusions and black tea blends to the green tea. I'm probably brewing the green tea in much hotter water than is required.

The sensual blend of exotic spices, teas and herbs used in their teas include a mixture of the following: Black tea, green tea, hibiscus flowers, chamomile flowers, lemongrass, spearmint leaves, blackberry leaves, cinnamon, Rooibos, Gingerroot, rose hips, orange peel, rose petals, licorice root, safflowers, black pepper, lemon verbena leaves, cardamom, cloves, peppermint leaves, chicory, sarsaparilla root, lemon balm leaf, star anise and red poppy flowers.

Apparently the formulas for these teas were found on a stone uncovered by a low tide in the Red Sea. I decided to research this mysterious history and found:

"The earliest known record of Tazo is the Tazo Stone, discovered by a team of archaeologists and tea scholars in the late 1980s when a solar eclipse caused unusually low tides in the Red Sea. Once the arcane language of the stone was translated, it was a simple matter to recreate the formulas for these remarkable beverages and reintroduce Tazo to civilization." - the exact phrasing at many sites that are selling the teas

At least this is the mysterious explanation for how they blend their magical tea. I had to go research this topic futher. Undaunted by pop up ads galore, I searched endlessly for information on this great mystery, all while Freedy Johnson was singing "you think I'm made of stone." That should have been sign enough, but onward.

This then led me to stories of "the lusty bellow of bull water buffalo" and Lost Cities. All the sites discussing this ancient stone are either selling the tea or have copied the information directly from tazo's site. " tazisto modif of Ba, tazor" brings up every listing for tea at a well-known online store. I then found information on tea drinking during the "Tang Dynasty" and information about china, which appeared at a number of sites in the same wording with no reference to accompany this excerpt:

"At various times throughout history, Tazo has surfaced among the more advanced cultures of the day as a calming and lyrical addition to the routines of daily life. During the Tang Dynasty, around seventh century A.D., gifts of Tazo were used to coax various moguls into attending a summit meeting where China was, for the first time, unified. The formulas for these ancient beverages have recently been rediscovered by a team of archeologist and tea scholars and are once again available to stimulate your taste buds and renew your spirit."

Then, onward to researching the court of King Zoser, a Lost Princess of Oz, Minoan civilizations and then herbal medicines. It is a good thing I have lots of tea to drink. Now if only I had a chief philosopher with whom I could contemplate the mysteries of this tea.

Anyway, when you drink these teas you can at times transcend reality for moments at a time and that is all the truth I need about these teas. Some of these teas even evoke a sense of wonder.

What does one have to do? Does one have to travel to the Nile and drink Hibiscus tea while talking to an archeologist to find more information? I also visited a few forums and found others discussing this mysterious tea.

Ok, so as predicted by the song, maybe this is all steeped in romanticized tea lore. Yes, this tea company has been mingling fact and fiction in the most amusing of ways. The rock slab carved with mysterious hieroglyphs and titled "Tazo Stone" is just an amusing fantasy and there is nothing wrong with having a little fantasy mingling with your tea leaves.

I can highly recommend these Tazo Teas:

Awake
Earl Grey
Decaffeinated Tazo Chai
Passion
Wild Sweet Orange and Lotus make a nice iced tea when blended together

P.S. I'm in Complete Bliss now that I just found out that TAZO also makes a "Plum Delicious Juiced Tea" made wtih iced green tea, plum and pomegranate juices. It is just delicious, but I can't find it here at Amazon to review. It is aromatic and pomegranate juice makes a perfect flavor partner with the more bitter flavor of green tea. It is not overly sweet and tastes like a combination of pomegranate juice and honey. I love the taste of pomegranate juice, but eating a pomegranate is quite the time consumming experience. I used to pick fresh pomegranates off bushes on the way home from school in Africa. Yes, they are best eaten outside.

"A single cup of Tazo Calm has been known to have the same effect as sitting for 45 minutes in a mountain meadow on a sunny day with your shoes off." ~tea packet

Drinking this particular tea blend almost begs for 32 ounces of water. You can brew this tea in your coffee maker by letting the water drip slowly onto the tea that is sitting in a coffee filter.

Normally, I put this tea on before I start a yoga workout in the evening. By the time I'm done with the workout, I'm ready to just sit in bed and write in my journal. This is now my tea of choice because it has such a calming effect and the smoothness of this tea is superior especially when blended with orange blossom honey.

This tea has a magical, almost golden color with a sparkle of brass. The ingredients in this herbal blend are almost romantic. How often do you drink a tea with "rose petals" in the blend?

Ingredients: Chamomile flowers, hibiscus flowers, spearmint, lemongrass, rose petals, blackberry leaves, safflowers, peppermint, sarsaparilla, lemon balm, licorice, and other natural flavors.

Drinking Tazo teas could be considered to be a religious experience. Once I tasted the first Tazo tea, I started drinking them religiously.

Chamomile is known for its soothing properties and after drinking this tea I have vivid dreams and my sleep is deep and calm and I wake up refreshed. Tazo Calm Herbal Infusion will allow your body to relax into sleep and can be especially calming after yoga, before bed, or when writing peaceful thoughts in your journal.

To drink this tea in the middle of a mountain meadow would take tea drinking to new levels of bliss. I'll try it one day soon.

After drinking one 16-ounce cup of this Calming infusion, I'm always ready for a second cup!

~TheRebeccaReview.com

"A single cup of Tazo Calm has been known to have the same effect as sitting for 45 minutes in a mountain meadow on a sunny day with your shoes off." ~tea packet

Drinking this particular tea blend almost begs for 32 ounces of water. You can brew this tea in your coffee maker by letting the water drip slowly onto the tea that is sitting in a coffee filter.

Normally, I put this tea on before I start a yoga workout in the evening. By the time I'm done with the workout, I'm ready to just sit in bed and write in my journal. This is now my tea of choice because it has such a calming effect and the smoothness of this tea is superior especially when blended with orange blossom honey.

This tea has a magical, almost golden color with a sparkle of brass. The ingredients in this herbal blend are almost romantic. How often do you drink a tea with "rose petals" in the blend?

Ingredients: Chamomile flowers, hibiscus flowers, spearmint, lemongrass, rose petals, blackberry leaves, safflowers, peppermint, sarsaparilla, lemon balm, licorice, and other natural flavors.

Drinking Tazo teas could be considered to be a religious experience. Once I tasted the first Tazo tea, I started drinking them religiously.

Chamomile is known for its soothing properties and after drinking this tea I have vivid dreams and my sleep is deep and calm and I wake up refreshed. Tazo Calm Herbal Infusion will allow your body to relax into sleep and can be especially calming after yoga, before bed, or when writing peaceful thoughts in your journal.

To drink this tea in the middle of a mountain meadow would take tea drinking to new levels of bliss. I'll try it one day soon.

After drinking one 16-ounce cup of this Calming infusion, I'm always ready for a second cup!

~TheRebeccaReview.com

"Sitting on the porch of a bungalow on a tea plantation in Darjeeling, you can see the peaks of Everest and Kanchenjunga as you sip a cup of this exquisite brew. Life is good."

If you want a subtle tea with a smooth, soothing flavor, then Darjeeling is an excellent choice. The slightly floral flavor is much milder than an Earl Grey. I especially love this blend when eating a Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar. For some reason, the flavors mingle nicely. I think it is the slightly nutty flavor of the Darjeeling.

While many of the Tazo teas are blends of a variety of teas, this tea is purely a blend of Organic Black Darjeeling teas. The tea is grown near India's border with Bhutan. There are only "true Darjeeling" tea leaves in this tea.

This tea is just perfect when blended with an Organic Sucanat: Natural Sugar Cane. You might also want to try using "milk powder" instead of cold milk with your tea. I find it helps to keep the tea strength and adds a creamy element to the smoothness of this tea.

Darjeeling is a very satisfying blend for morning tea. You might also enjoy AWAKE and Earl Grey if you enjoy this tea.

Drinking Tazo teas literally becomes a magical experience. There is something mysterious going on here. The teas even seem to have a magical glint or luster to them. When you drink Tazo teas the world looks more beautiful and you feel much more aware of life itself. I find that my creativity soars after drinking Tazo teas.

For more information on the mysteries of Tazo Tea, read the review for the Tazo Assorted Teas.

For a calming experience try the Tazo Calm Herbal Infusion which is perfect for quiet evenings, after completing a yoga workout or just to sip on while you write in
your journal.

~TheRebeccaReview.com