May 08, 2013

Tea flavors

I'm so glad it's the start of a new Weight Watchers week for me. My weeks start on Wednesday (my weigh-in day), and I like starting a fresh week with a clean slate. After three days of being back on track, I hoped that the scale wouldn't reflect Saturday's binge. I was pretty happy when I stepped on!

I didn't post a weigh in last week because I posted Katie W.'s guest post. Two weeks ago, I was at 132, so I'm down half a pound from then. I'm very happy with that, because I had a couple of BAD eating days.

I'm almost back down to my "happy weight" of 131, so I'm going to stay in weight loss mode on Weight Watchers until I hit 131, then I'll switch back to maintenance. My main focus this week is just to stay binge-free. The first few weeks after a binge are really hard to stay on track.

This past week, I earned more activity PointsPlus than I've ever earned before--82! My goal was to reach 10 per day.
That gray line is my goal line (8 PP per day), and I reached it almost every day. On the days I run, it's not too hard to reach that line, but on my rest days, I have to find all kinds of reasons to move. 

Today was a rest day as far as running, but I definitely got in a workout.We had three yards of dirt delivered this morning to fill in the tire marks in our yard. The neighbors keep parking in our yard, which is SO annoying; so I passive-aggressively spread out the dirt and planted grass seed, and then staked it out so they get the hint that it's not a parking lot. And by "I", I mean Jerry.

I spent the entire morning pulling weeds, and picking up random sticks in the yard. I have a big blister on my palm from using the dandelion puller, but it kept me super busy. In the afternoon, I went to Kohl's to use up a gift card from Christmas. I got a pair of jeans for $8, and a cute lace top and cami for $12.


A few people have asked recently what flavors of David's Tea I really like. I'm always saying how much I love their tea, and I've ordered it three times now, so I've tried quite a few of them. Here is a list of what I've tried (all are black tea unless noted):

Red Velvet Cake
Glitter & Gold
Toasted Marshmallow
Movie Night (green tea)
Cookie Dough  (white tea)
Toasted Walnut (green tea)
Read My Lips
Bollywood Chai
Banana Dream Pie
Buttered Rum
Salted Caramel
Ceylon Star
Coffee Pu'erh (pu'erh tea--no idea what that is, or how to pronounce it)

Other than the green teas, I always drink my tea with 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. fat-free half & half per cup. I think the cream and sugar make it taste more indulgent, and it only adds 17 calories per cup, so it's worth it to me.

What can I say? I like variety!

My very favorite flavor is the Red Velvet Cake. I wish I had a candle that smelled like that tea, because it's heavenly. It really does have the flavor of cake.


Also in my top three four would be Toasted Marshmallow, Glitter & Gold, and Read My Lips. If you like cloves, you will love Glitter & Gold. Read My Lips is perfect if you like mint and chocolate together. It's hard to describe the Toasted Marshmallow one, other than that I love it!

Movie Night sounded very strange to me when I read the ingredients, but it's really yummy. It kind of reminds me of buttered popcorn. Cookie Dough really does smell and taste like cookie dough, although it's a more subtle flavor than some of the others. I like strong flavor, so that's why it's not in my top four. Toasted Walnut was another subtle-flavored one. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I'd order it again.

Bollywood Chai is very fragrant and strong, like pretty much any chai. It would be delicious with lots of sugar and cream, like a typical chai would be served, but I thought it was pretty good how I drank it. If you like chai, you will enjoy this one.

Banana Dream Pie really does taste like I imagined it to. I'm normally not a banana-person, but I do like this one a lot. Buttered Rum is good; I can't think of much to say about that one. I thought I would love the Salted Caramel tea, but I didn't care too much for it. I was kind of turned off by the smell of it, but the tea itself is milder than the smell.

Ceylon Star is kind of a subtle flavor, but it's good. I have no idea what "Ceylon" means, so I don't know if the name describes the taste ;) Star Anise is one of the ingredients, so that could be it. It reminds me a little of the Toasted Marshmallow flavor.

The only one that I really disliked, and has been sitting in my cupboard unused since, is the Coffee Pu'erh. The description says that even die-hard coffee people will like this tea, so I thought maybe it would be a nice one to have when I crave coffee. I really disliked the smell of it, and it tastes exactly like it smells.

David's Tea sends free samples with each order, and those always suck me in! I taste it, love it, and then order it (which I'm sure they're betting on when they send samples).

I'm not affiliated with David's Tea in any way, and I don't get commission or anything if anyone buys it (unfortunately, because I talk it up all the time!). I did e-mail them to ask if they would let me give my readers a discount code, and they said no :(  Bummer. Sorry! I tried.

If any of you have tried any of David's Teas, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on favorite flavors. I just saw that there is a Birthday Cake flavor, which you know is going in my cart next time!


51 comments:

  1. I really love the salted caramel tea. it does stink but I use about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon in the 8oz steeper to get a stronger flavor. I also have the red velvet cake and coconut oolong. I think I actually like the coconut more than red velvet cake (but I'm a coconut nut), but so far salted caramel is my fave

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  2. YUM! I think I am going to order some! Are they expensive?

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    1. As far as tea goes, their teas are about the same price that you would pay anywhere else. Tea can be pretty expensive, but a small amount goes a long way. One day, I'll try and figure out just how much it costs per cup!

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  3. There's a David's tea not too far from me.. I think I need to go pick up some tea! I've been there once before and tried their cold tea, but never bought any. My mom also got me one for Christmas that I tried recently (because of your reviews!) and it smelt amazing, but I wasn't a fan of the taste. I like stronger tasting ones as well.. I'll have to go test some out :)

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  4. I love tea! I prefer regular old orange pekoe but it is a treat that I look forward to everyday! Just the ritual of having a cup out of my favorite mug makes me happy!!

    Congrats on buckling down and getting that scale under control, I admire your ability to persevere!

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  5. AnonymousMay 08, 2013

    Pu'erh tea is when the leaves are fermented. It is used in weight loss tea a lot. I find it gross.

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    1. I think Pu'erh tea is the kind they served at tea break when I took Tai Chi. The name sounds familiar. If that is indeed the same kind, I loved it.

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  6. AnonymousMay 08, 2013

    Oh and Ceylon is tea from Sri Lanka.....I have a friend who owns a tea company and I am a tea nerd LOL

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  7. I love David's Tea I like to buy the samplers so I get a bunch of different flavors to try at once.

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  8. I agree, good job on gaining control again so quickly! I admire that! I have David's Strawberry Rhubard Parfait, Birthday Cake, Mint Choc Rooibos and Super Chocolate. I was a little disappointed with the Super Choc that it wasn't THAT chocolatey as I expected. I think the Straw/Rhubard is probably my favorite of these 4 and I think it would also be really good iced this summer. I'm ready to try some new flavors :)

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  9. I have not tried David's yet (waiting until I go into NYC so I don't have to pay for shipping) but I was inspired to try tea based on your last post, so I went to Teavana. I bought three of their flavors and LOVE the caramel almond amaretti. Here's my review if interested: http://wp.me/p1N36Q-5x

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    Replies
    1. I hate paying for shipping too, so I end up order $50+ worth at a time to get free shipping. They really know how to market to me, between the free samples and free shipping. ;)

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  10. Great. Now I want tea and I have none. =)

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  11. AnonymousMay 08, 2013

    I love glitter and gold! I have the birthday cake one, too, but I don't love it. I really like the Saigon Chai. And Pink Flamingo is really good! Because of you, I'm now addicted! :)

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  12. Those teas look so luxurious! I've always been much more of the coffee person, but all those flavors have me craving to try some ;).

    Congrats on the weight going back to normal!

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  13. Oh Canada is a great one too! The sweet indulgence sample pack is awesome.

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  14. AnonymousMay 08, 2013

    I started drinking David's Tea because of your blog!! One of their stores is less than a mile away from me, so it's super convenient. My favorite so far is the birthday cake, although read my lips is a close second.

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  15. Jennifer ChiddentonMay 08, 2013

    My boyfriend and me drink a lot of David's Tea! My absolute favorite is the Organic Blueberry Jam (black tea) it tastes like blueberries. The Super Berry and Citrus Oolong are also really good.

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  16. I started drinking David's Tea after you mentioned it. My favourite is the salted caramel. I find it tastes just like caramel! So good!

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  17. Too bad they didn't pass on a discount code, you are giving them a lot of business! I ordered the last time you posted...toasted walnut which leaves an uncomfortable mouth-feel, movie night which you are right tastes like buttered popcorn but it's kind of weird and I have to be in the mood for it, and I tried birthday cake but didn't like it, to caramel-y sweet. Read my lips was a sample that I loved and will order next time. Another sample I received was the maple one and mothers helper, not a fan of those either. I love their teas, such great variety.

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  18. I started ordering David's tea after reading your blogs. I love red velvet cake and salted caramel. I tried to like the toasted marshmallow but both the smell and taste were off putting to me. Maybe too much cinnamon and allspice flavor. I'm looking forward to trying more of their teas. Thanks for the introduction!

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  19. RaeJean BrownMay 09, 2013

    I'm ordering Stormy Night and Pom Tango... :) I'll keep you posted. Thanks for trying to get a discount code! Boo to them. lol

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  20. Congrats on having a successful weightless week. You're such an inspiration. I am finding it challenging to be on maintenance, thinking I should be able to eat like a "normal " person. Then I find myself grazing on stuff I haven't eaten in months. And the scale shows it. Trying to get back on my weight-loss mindset.

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    Replies
    1. Debbie, I am having a hard time with maintenance as well. I definitely do better with a "weight-loss mindset" and then try to have one treat a week. Problem is stopping the treat mindset once I start.

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  21. I had never heard of David's tea till I read your blog. I got the red velvet and cookie dough and both of these are so good! I had a sample of the green tea and enjoyed that,although its nothing fancy.

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  22. AnonymousMay 09, 2013

    This may be a silly question...but do the teas have calories in them? I LOVE tea, I just don't like to drink my calories (or points). Thanks!

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    1. Their FAQ's say that most of their teas contain "virtually no calories, sugar, or carbs", but I just e-mailed them for the specifics, so I'll let you now if I hear back from them. Regular, unsweetened tea usually has about 2 calories per cup; if I had to guess, I would say most of the dessert teas from David's that I've tried would probably have less than 5 calories per cup. Some of them contain dried fruit, or sprinkles, or chocolate chips, so they will contain a few calories; but the amount is so tiny that it's negligible.

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    2. The nutritional info says that no tea contains more than 5 calories so I count the calories of the stuff I add in only

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  23. We've bought a lot of David's Teas thanks to your blog posts! Neither me nor my husband like coffee. My favorites are Santa's Secret and Love Tea #7. My husband really likes the Cherry Cola and one other one. We've now got a large drawer in our kitchen dedicated to teas!

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  24. I'm surprised they haven't offered up a sampler as a giveaway!

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  25. OK, I just went there yesterday and I'm embarrassed to say that I spent over $300 on teas, tea kettles, strainers, etc. I was giddy and so was my daughter. But as my daughter said, "We won't need to go back there for years!"

    Anyway, here are some of my favorites: Absolutely nuts, Bear Trap, Goji Pop, Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait.

    My only concern is that in the ingredients, they list "flavoring" but don't say what it is. There teas taste so good, I'd love to know what the "flavoring" is...

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  26. I am tempted to try some tea from David's. It sounds delicious. Your descriptions of the various flavors brought Jelly Belly flavors to mind, except their toasted marshmallow flavor is awful. Tastes a bit like vomit. Does David's have stores? There is a tea store out at the mall that is always giving samples. I have tried some once or twice, but not sure if it's David's or not. I guess I could Google it, huh?

    Damn neighbors. What did Mark Twain say: "Good Fences make Good Neighbors"? Something like that. Hope Jerry staking out the new dirt and grass seeded area will get your point across to them!

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  27. Wow--almost all the David's Tea stores are in Canada! I will have to check out on-line ordering like you.

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  28. AnonymousMay 09, 2013

    I just finished up my birthday cake tea. :( Love that stuff! My sister gave me a sampler for my birthday (from the San Francisco store) so I have lots more to try. Love their stuff!

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  29. When I was in London we drank tea 3x a day inbetween seminars (i was there for business), ever since then I've been hooked. I'm really interested in trying some of these unique flavors!

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  30. Thanks for this post! I've been wanting to know which ones to order because the site is a little overwhelming. Now for the question about how you prepare your tea - I don't have a kettle, so I generally warm some water in the microwave and then steep the bag (or a mesh ball if I have loose tea), in the mug. Do you prefer to use a steeper? Thank you again for this! I have one from Teavana from about 10 years ago, but I forgot how to use it!

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  31. Yankee Candle makes a Red Velvet Candle that is AWESOME!! smells just like it, and it has cream cheese goodness. Highly recommend it. I used to work at Yankee Candle, and its one of my top five!!!
    My boyfriend's birthday is on the 24th, and he loves red velvet cake, so on your recommendation, I bought him some of the David's tea. I just started reading your blog, and started at the very beginning, and you are so inspiring. 3 weeks ago, I began my weight loss journey. My starting weight is 253 pounds, and I am going strong. You are keeping me motivated on the days that I can't find the motivation in myself. Thanks Katie!

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  32. I always want to order this tea when you talk about it but I have gastritis and tea really makes my stomach hurt...I wonder if they have a few flavors that are made specially for these problems.

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  33. This may seem odd, I love tea, but I'm not so much a hot tea drinker! I have kidney issues and have been told to stay away from Black Teas, so this is a great option for me. I'm wondering, would these taste good as iced teas?

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  34. AnonymousMay 09, 2013

    If you want an amazing red velvet candle, try Target. Their soy candle line has amazing fragrances, and the red velvet scent is dead-on ( You can't get them online, but here's the one I'm talking about: http://www.target.com/p/red-velvet-cupcake-soy-blend-large-jar-candle/-/A-13683533#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=candle+red+velvet). Plus, they're only $10 for a large-sized jar candle :-)

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  35. I tend to have a hard time sleeping, and I used to think I couldn't sleep without a glass of wine or beer in the evening. I recently decided to significantly cut down alcohol and tried doing a Sleepytime tea in my Keurig. I love it!! It has now become my evening ritual, and I actually feel like I have a harder time sleeping whenever I do have a beer in the evenings.

    I would love to try some of the David's Teas, but it looks like all of their cool flavors are Black teas, which have caffeine.

    Do you ever have a problem with the caffeine? Do you drink the teas in the evening? Are there any caffeine free ones that anyone recommends? I love the Sleepytime and chamomeille teas, but it would be nice to have some other flavor options.

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    1. I am extremely sensitive to caffeine. The black teas I have are labeled with a 1 or 2 (1 being low caffeine, 2 being medium). I try to use the 2's for morning, and the 1's for night time. The tea really doesn't bother me at all (caffeine usually makes me extremely jittery, anxious, and even nauseous) as long as I stick to just two cups.

      They sent me a sample of an herbal tea (no caffeine) and I loved it, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was!

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    2. Thanks! That's great to know that you can drink at least one cup of the level 1 without having any of the negative affects. Maybe I will try one of their level 1s :)

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  36. I love tea and recently got some from Teavana when I was on vacation. I didn't realize it would be so expensive, but when she rang it up it was like $45 for the tea and the tin. I got a blended tea because I loved the sample in the store. Would you say that David's Tea is comparable to Teavana in taste and price?

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    1. Honestly, it compares in price, but not so much in taste (in my opinion). I loved Teavana's tea UNTIL I tried David's. Once I had David's, I took myself off of Teavana's e-mail list and I won't order it again. THAT'S how much I love David's Tea!

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    2. Thanks for the info! I am going to have to order some once I use up some of the tea in my cupboard. :)

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  37. AnonymousMay 10, 2013

    You introduced me to David's Tea, and I'm a fan. I haven't tried that many flavors yet (though just placed my 2nd order today, Mother's Day gift to myself!!) I really enjoy the chocolate chili chai because it has a nice little kick to it. Salted caramel is also yummy :)

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  38. I just ordered some tea from David's. I am excited to try some of these flavors.

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  39. I just ordered some teas from David's! I'm so excited to try them! BUT, I have NEVER used a steeper. Any instructions you would like to pass along?

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    Replies
    1. I wrote a little about it a while back... http://www.runsforcookies.com/2012/11/indulgence.html

      I was super intimidated to use a steeper at first, but it's VERY easy!

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  40. Ahhh I gave David's a try a couple months ago and just ordered the larger size of the one I love - Mint Chocolate Rooibos. It's caffeine free so I can drink at night. I wanted to love the Coffee Pu'erh based on the description but I just couldn't. I do like the smell though! I can't wait to try more, thanks for reviewing all those!

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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