Tag: favorites

While coffee holds a large chunk of my heart, hot tea has captured a section of it in the past few years. (I say, “hot tea” because as a Southerner, sweet iced tea has always been a glorious thing, though I usually only drink it now as a special occasion due to the sugar content.) Though I drank it semi-regularly before, after going to Laura’s Tea Room in the small town of Ridgeway, SC, my love for the beverage became more enthusiastic. There’s something about a tea party, the variety of teas, the little sandwiches and cakes, dressing up and wearing hats, pretending that you’re drinking with the Queen … or pretending that you are the Queen, that ushers in such happiness. Now, I often use tea to wind down my day, to signify that it’s time to stop eating, snacking, extending dessert and start preparing for bed.

I’ve recently become obsessed with the Republic of Tea website, so a lot of the teas on this list come from there. They have great teas and its just a fun web store. I’m not a paid advertiser for them, I just appreciate them. If you do get inspired to try some different teas, use my referral link to help me get more tea.

Here’s my list of favorite teas right now.

Blackberry Sage

This tea has a rich berry taste without it being a berry focused tea. It’s a black tea, so I like to add a little bit of half and half or milk, which makes this already creamy tea (it doesn’t have lactose in it, so I don’t know why or how it feels creamy to me before, but it just does) divine. Get this tea.

Thai Ginger

I’m not usually really into the herbal teas, but this one is surprisingly wonderful. It has Thai ginger and lemongrass, so it has kind of a lemonade taste to it. I just add about 1/4 teaspoon of honey to it and it is quickly becoming my favorite evening wind down tea. Get this tea.

Cream Irish Tea from Metropolitan Tea Co.

The only tea this go around that’s NOT from the Republic of Tea, I can only find this specific tea at Laura’s Tea Room, which makes me sad. I’m down to just a little bit of loose leaf tea left in my tin and am clinging to the memories. This is definitely a tea to add cream or milk. It’s practically coffee. I’m also a fan of Irish Cream flavors, so it’s pretty perfect.

Vanilla Almond

I love almond flavored things. I love vanilla flavored things. Put them together and it’s like the perfect marriage. These partners never tire of each other and I never tire of them. I don’t know what else to say. It’s delightful. Get this tea.

Caramel Vanilla Cuppa Cake

It’s seriously like drinking cake. Add some cream to it and you won’t even need to eat dessert. There are no calories in this tea, which feels nuts. When I’m really trying to curb my sugar intake, I drink this when I get a bad sugar craving. Also, funny story. This is also the same tea as the Downton Abbey Mrs. Patmore’s Pudding Tea. I did not realize that and ordered both of them once, thinking that I was ordering two different teas! I paid less and got more tea in the Caramel Vanilla Cuppa Cake tin. Not to say that I don’t enjoy my Downton Abbey tin, just know that you’re definitely paying for the name. Get this tea. 

Mayonnaise. It’s something that I take seriously. It’s a polarizing ingredient because of its texture and sometimes misuse. I guess there are some people out there who don’t like the taste of it either, but those people just have misinformed tastebuds. Mayonnaise is versatile. Sure, you can use it plain as a condiment on your sandwich, burger, or with some fries. But it is so much more. You can bake with it. You can use it as the glue to bread your meat for frying. It is in sauces, deviled eggs, potato salads, and dressings. It can crisp up a piece of bread better than butter when you’re making that grilled cheese sandwich. I’d say that most Southerners value their mayonnaise, and when it comes to mayo, brand matters. Here are my top 5 mayonnaise brands.

1. Duke’s

Founded in South Carolina when Mrs. Eugenia Thomas Duke began selling sandwiches with her signature mayo to soldiers-in-training during WWI, Dukes has been a staple in households in the Southeast and beyond ever since. (read the whole story here: dukesmayo.com/stories/our-history).

The product has held strong for over 100 years, unwavering in its goodness.

2. Duke’s

This classic can be found at picnics, potlucks, cookouts, and family reunions all over the Southeast. It has just the right tang for all of your condiment needs.

3. Mayonnaise by Duke’s

What can I say?

4. Duke’s Mayonnaise

There’s no other mayo that can hold a candle to Duke’s.

5. Duke’s Mayo

Because Duke’s is the only appropriate mayonnaise for pretty much anything.

Honorable Mention

Blue Plate Mayonnaise

Founded in Louisiana and in 1927 after Duke’s, this one will do you all right if you can’t find Duke’s. Someone on the Internet says that it is the same as Hellman’s, but I don’t feel like researching that.

Chick-fil-A Mayonnaise packets

I’m down with the mayo that Chick-fil-A provides for their sandwiches. I also eat it with nuggets, strips, and fries. And sometimes, if I’m in a pinch and don’t have any Duke’s in the house, but need a few tablespoons of mayo, I’ll scour the kitchen for leftover packets.

I like crunching down on some Doritos or Pringles and taking down a sleeve of Double Stuf Oreos as much, if not more than the next person. However, I sometimes like to step out of the snack box and get a little fancier. I guess you can translate “fancy” or “bougie” to “healthier,” but that’s a whole other soapbox about how our systems are flawed because the artificial stuff is more accessible than then real stuff, etc. Needless to say, when I have my snacks that are a little different from the mainstream, it’s not uncommon to be accused of being “bougie.” So, here’s a list of my favorite “bougie” snacks right now.

Chomps Beef Sticks

The beef stick. You might associate it with convenience stores and truck driver snacks. Maybe you can still hear those Slim Jim commercials with Macho Man Randy Savage saying, “Snap into a Slim Jim, oh yeah!” It’s kind of beef jerky, but kind of not. It is likely not a snack that you would call “fancy” or “high class” or “bougie.” But Chomps makes a better beef stick and has elevated the game of dried, preserved meats.  In the Chomps stick, you don’t get all of those preservatives and additives. Reading the ingredients list won’t make you want to hurl. So Chomps sticks are a great way to work in some extra protein. Get Chomps here. 

Tony’s Chocolonely Bars

Maybe I’m using the term “bougie” liberally, but these candy bars fall into the category because they are usually around $4-6 in the store and aren’t available everywhere. I bought my last ones at Whole Foods and they were on sale, 2 for $7. This is not your 89 cents impulse buy at the checkout counter. They’re pretty big bars though and when I eat them, I usually eat them over the course of a few days. They also make me think of what Willy Wonka bars would be like if Willy Wonka really existed. Unlike Willy Wonka though, Tony’s is candy company that refuses to use slavery to make their chocolate. Apparently, slavery is a huge deal in the chocolate industry. Thanks to Tony’s, we’re now more aware.  Get Tony’s here.  

SnoFrisk Spreadable Cheese

I freak out anytime I see this stuff in the store. The only place that consistently has it is Whole Foods, and I don’t make it over there that often. The first time I tried it, it was a random, limited time item at Aldi. Just one spread, and I was in love. So was Brittany. We text each other about this cheese. It’s like a cream cheese, but lighter. It’s 80% goat’s milk and 20% cow’s milk. It’s Norwegian. It feels indulgent, but clean all at the same time.

Smart Sweets

One day I was going down a YouTube video hole and started watching a video of Antoni Porowski in his kitchen, talking about things that he liked in his kitchen. He showed off his candy jar and in that candy jar were Smart Sweets. I had never heard of Smart Sweets, but Anotoni explained that they are lower in sugar than regular candy, but aren’t artificial. I don’t think that he was paid by Smart Sweets, he just really liked them. So from there, I started my “researching” and discovered that these candies are plant based, only about 3 or 4 grams of sugar per bag (depending on the candy you get), are high in fiber, and are a women owned business. Even better, I learned that I could actually buy them at my local Target. I hauled myself down to the store and they were already scarce on the shelves, but I purchased what was available. I’m grateful that I did. They taste similar to other candies, but not as sickeningly sweet. Their texture is a bit different because of the natural ingredients used, but I think that they’re pretty dang good. And I don’t feel gross and regretful after eating a bag of them.

Topo-Chico

We need something to wash all of this food down. I don’t think that this was ever intended to feel bougie, but when “hipster” Millennials (me, kind of) brought it out of obscurity from the Mexican foods shelf of the grocery store, its value and price (sorry about that) went up. Glass bottles just feel more expensive with their weight and metal bottle caps that you have to pry off. To my dismay, Coca-Cola acquired it recently, but fortunately have not seemed to have messed with the product too much. Topo-Chico is the crispest sparkling water that you will drink. I mean, there might be something else out there, but if there is, it probably shoots completely off the bougie charts. Water sommeliers are a thing, so anything is possible. Anyway, when I want to feel extra fancy, I add some lemon or lime (or both) slices to my Topo-Chico and for a moment, all is right with the world.