January Round Up: The Best, Most Interesting Blogs this Month

January was a wonderful start to the new year. It definitely didn’t let me down. Being National Hot Tea Month, it was jam packed with many tea related events. The first official National Hot Tea Day was announced, Food Bloggers Canada and Tea Association of Canada hosted a Twitter Tea Party, and the Toronto Tea Festival was held.

My monthly round up is a day later than usual because I didn’t get back from the festival until really late and perhaps I was tea drunk, too. The first thing I wanted to do when I got home was go through all my tea goodies from the busy, yet amazing weekend. I will definitely be sharing more about the Toronto Tea Festival on the blog within the next week or two so stay tuned. Until then, here are some of the great posts from last month that are definitely worth a read and subscribe.

Tea

Mel Had Tea | The Six Basic Types of Tea and How to Brew Them – If you’re especially new to tea, this post from Mel is the best place to start when wanting to learn more about the beverage. It’s clear and concise – and I really like that she included the rare yellow tea.

CuppaGeek | I Tried Something New Today…I Baked With Matcha! -It’s always so exciting when you hear about people experimenting in the kitchen with tea. Nichole shared a recipe she used to make Matcha Shortbread Cookies and they look amazing!

Steep Stories | There Is No Money In Tea – Geoffrey has once again said everything he needed to say in the best way possible in this rant. My favourite line is “The value lies in the way we – as people – experience it.” But, honestly, can we just talk about how he needs to make a book or something of all the hilarious tea photos he creates?

Tea Street Blog | My Homemade Masala Chai Jars – I’m a huge fan of a great masala chai, especially during the colder seasons. Sam sells all the fixings you need to make a delicious batch of masala chai in a cute jar on her new Etsy store. In this post, she shares how to prepare the perfect cup step by step with beautiful photos.

Beauty

Sense of Aesthetic | The Truth About…Detox Teas -Nothing irks me more than those detox tea companies ripping off consumers with their “natural teas” that will apparently work miracles. The popularity and even the fact that many are endorsed by celebrities is one of the most annoying things. Stephanie talks about the dangers of these “teas” in this excellent post.

Food

A Mind “Full” Mom | Green Tea Ramen Soup – I instantly had to make this recipe once I saw Kristen post it. Using tea as a broth for soup isn’t something new to me, but what interested me the most was that it was a tea infused recipe that only took 15 minutes to put together (and a lot less time to consume because it was delicious!)

Wheat Free Mom | Gluten Free Double Coconut Bacon Cookies – These cookies sound delicious and I had to add them to this monthly round up because this recipe from Carrie uses vegan coconut bacon. If you haven’t noticed already, a couple weeks ago I shared a recipe for coconut bacon using tea (#TeaBacon!!!) and I am definitely baking these with them.

Misc.

Beth Dunham | Painting with Light – Beth shares some great tips for one of the most frustrating things as a blogger – snapping photos without natural light. Especially with winter days, there is never enough of it. Her tips are perfect because they are quite simple and only require two items!

Do you have a blog you think I should check out? Let me know in the comments below!