Avocado Leaf Tea

I drink a lot of tea, particularly during the cooler months. Once I've had my morning cup of coffee, I switch to a milder beverage, preferably one with less caffeine. Too much of that stuff not only makes me jittery, but also gives me heart palpitations. Rooibos is my go-to, and while I really enjoy it, sometimes I am looking for a different flavor profile.

Then I discovered tea made from avocado leaves. I know! Though avocado toast doesn't thrill me, I do find the beverage made by steeping the leaves of the avocado tree rather exciting. For one thing, it's actually quite delicious--smooth, and non-tannic--and naturally caffeine-free, which is a huge plus. And it is purported to have all sorts of health benefits. Avocado leaves contain flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenes, and serotonin, substances which have been known to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, help kidney function, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, elevate mood, promote alertness and memory retention, reduce stress, and aid in forming healthy sleep patterns. All the things.

I realize I'm making a cup of tea sound like a miracle cure, but there is strong scientific evidence that tea made from the leaves of Persea americana Mill can control blood pressure and help reduce the formation of kidney stones. Avocado Leaf Tea (the brand name, so easy to remember) has information on their web site, along with links to health studies that corroborate this.

I brought home a few samples of Avocado Leaf Tea from the Fancy Food Show last year. It was summer and I don't drink as much tea then so put them away and forgot about it. When I stumbled upon the bags recently and made a pot, I realized how much I liked the stuff. So I ordered both the natural and lemon flavors (flavored with lemongrass and honeybush, a relative of rooibos) which have become my brew of choice recently. And they don't have me bouncing off the walls, like my recent experience with a couple of pots of Earl Grey.

If you're looking for a healthful tea beverage, I recommend you try Avocado Leaf Tea. The folks who own the company are really nice too, and I like to support and promote nice people who make good things.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Quinoa Milk

We went to the Natural Foods Expo at the end of September but have been so busy we haven't had an opportunity to go through our bag of brochures and business cards and sit down to write about some of the more interesting products at the show. Still haven't gone through that bag yet, but as I'm currently finishing up a glass of Suzie's Quinoamilk, I thought I should talk about it while it's on my mind.

For a while there in the summer I was attempting a vegan diet, at least during breakfast and lunch. That means no animal products of any kind, so I was left with using non-dairy milk in my coffee and cereal. I have always disliked soy milk, plus I have a mild allergic reaction to it. Rice milk is an abomination. Almond milk is much better, but I only like the stuff made by Blue Diamond. Coconut milk is ok, if you like coconut. But I find all of them leave an aftertaste.

Enter quinoamilk. As we were finishing up at the Expo, I noticed a table with little cups of off-white liquid. I was thirsty, saw that the product was made from quinoa, and thought why not? And it was very, very good. Not at all like cow's milk, of course, because it lacks that fatty mouthfeel, but much much better than all of the other non-dairy milks I have tried. And it doesn't have an aftertaste. The Suzie's rep was encouraged by my reaction and gave us a quart each of the original unsweetened and vanilla sweetened flavors to take home.

Suzie's Quinoamilk is great for people who have soy or nut allergies, and it's gluten-free, too. And while it's great in coffee and cereal, I enjoy a glass of it on its own, cold from the fridge. I would never do that with cow's milk, so I'm thinking that rather than drinking a glass of cold water with my chocolate chip cookies this Christmas while Mr Minx and MinxBro are drinking milk, I'll have me some Quinoamilk.

The stuff should be available at Whole Foods and other fine retailers nationally, but if you don't see it, ask for it!



Posted on Minxeats.com.