Mighty Leaf Tea : TeaTop Brew Mug and Vanilla Bean, Organic African Nectar and Green Tea Tropical #Review and #Giveaway

I have a coffee travel mug and even a tea mug, but I have never tried a TeaTop Brew Mug until now. Like with coffee, I feel a fresh cup of tea is as desirable and even though tea holds it’s flavors and quality better than it’s counterpart, I still would like the option to brew as I go. The Mighty Leaf Tea Company not only makes this happen but the mug works perfectly with no mess or fuss. The tea bag hangs freely but you won’t lose the string, as there is a nice notch that holds it in place. When you have achieved the strength desired in your cup of tea, you simply just pull the tea bag up and the cup does the rest.  You even have a place to rest the bag away from your ready to drink tea. The insulated cup allows you to just sip and enjoy!.

Retail Price Point: $16.95 for a cup that let’s you make sure ever cup steeps perfectly every time, plus it’s snazzy looking.

When it comes to enjoyment, Mighty Leaf Tea sent a trio for me to try:

Mighty Leaf Taste of the Tropics Gift Sampler-

• Vanilla Bean
  A black tea base with a deep infusion of Vanilla Beans from Madagascar. This tea tastes as good as it smells and even though vanilla has warm notes, this tea’s flavor is so clean that you get a light and almost crisp notes. As much as I love Vanilla, it can overpower if not used wisely but that is something that Mighty Leaf tea was able to balance out with true perfection. Simple but left me craving for a second cup in no time!

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• Organic African Nectar
  This variety is tropical and almost fruity in flavor. You get nice herbal notes and a kiss of sweetness that makes you believe there is honey in your cup already. This tea uses a blend of rooibos leaves, organic hibiscus and dried blossoms. I enjoyed this blend cold by brewing a cup, allowing it to cool, and then letting it rest in the fridge to get ice cold. It went well with dinner and because it’s caffeine free, I did not have to worry on those late dinner nights either.

• Green Tea Tropical
  You have a green tea base that is accompanied by dried fruits and flowers. The blossoms are marigold petals and cornflowers.  The fruits are also not your usual citrus mixes like with other teas. Think pineapple sweetness with even notes of guava. This variety pushed all my other green teas a notch down and became my favorite. I love adding just a touch of honey to not take anything away from it but most times I just enjoy it as-is.

Retail Price Point: The above trio retails for $30.00 and you get a generous amount of tea bags. Each box has 15 whole leaf pouches…..that’s 45 cups of happiness!

Like what you saw?

Well, it’s GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

One lucky winner will be able to win the above items and Mighty Leaf Tea will send them directly to your home. It’s their nice way to share and play Santa for us! All you have to do is:

1. Sign-up to their Newsletter and you already are rewarded with a 15% off coupon towards their artisan teas
2. Follow them on Twitter
3. Follow “Like” them on Facebook
4. and please leave a comment on this blog post below

Four easy steps and it could be yours. #Giveaway starts today 12/01 and ends on 12/14. I will announce the winner on the 15th and then ask for your information, which I will forward to the company. Good Luck!!!

Connect with Mighty Leaf Tea and find your favorite tea at:

• On-line
• FaceBook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Pinterest

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Mighty Leaf Tea.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.  The Giveaway prize will be supplied by the manufacture and items/product package may change if items above are out of stock.

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Baking: Hawaiian Bread Loaf Recipe, Aloha Bread

Being tired of bread that reads like a science experiment gone wrong, I now just resort to baking at home. My experiments, at least when they fai,l are not filled with chemicals and the dog has benefited from a few “oopsies”. Thankfully, this is not one of them and it’s very easy to make….you don’t even need a dough hook.

Hawaiian bread is suppose to have a little tropical flair with a touch of sweetness from the Pineapple Juice and is usually a nice soft texture. I love making ham sandwiches with it but also just eating it with a little butter.

Let’s begin….

You will need:
3 cups of All-Purpose Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill), plus

• 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour (to be used after the dough rises)

1/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/4 cups of 100% Pure Pineapple Juice (I used Langer’s Pineapple Juice), and at room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (depends on your taste)
5 tablespoons of White Sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
4 1/2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (melted), plus

• 1/4 tablespoon of softened Salted Butter (to grease the bowl the dough will rise in) and another 1/4 for the final rise and to grease the dish you will be baking in.

First mix your wet ingredients, this would be eggs, pineapple juice, vanilla, butter and white sugar in one bowl. Then in another bowl mix your 3 cups of flour, salt and yeast. Using the mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a spatula), start incorporating the dry ingredients to the wet. I usually do it by hand using a spatula and you will get a sticky dough that is ragged looking. It takes me about 2 minutes by hand to accomplish this. If the dough looks too dry, add a little more pineapple juice. If the dough appears too wet, start by incorporating a little flour until you are left with a moist dough that does not have a over sticky appearance/feeling.

I then allow the dough to rest one hour in a buttered bowl that is big enough to allow it to double in size. This is where I use the 1/4 tablespoon of Salted Butter and it helps keep the dough moist but also does not let it adhere to the bowl.

After the dough doubles in size, I flour the surface and dump the bread dough to start incorporating the 1/4 cup of flour. I begin to first punch down the bread and then slowly knead it for a minute and until the flour is incorporated. I just keep folding in until I get the right texture and if it’s too moist, I slowly add a little more flour if needed. I then take the 1/4 tablespoon of butter and grease the loaf pan I will be baking in. I add the dough and again allow the bread to rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.

Set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown in color. I then take the bread out and allow it to cool 15 to 20 minutes and pop it out of the pan to further cool down. I give it a couple hours and then start slicing and enjoying. This bread makes great panini style sandwiches and I love how it also toasts up. Get creative and enjoy!

Beautiful Nooks and Crannies in the Bread!

Note- My recipe uses 100% Pineapple Juice that has no added sugars or sweeteners. I feel Hawaiian bread has a touch of sweetness but should not start off being a dessert style bread. It’s suppose to be versatile and this why I control the sweetness by adding my own sugar and adjust my vanilla to fit my tastes or future uses.  You can also make buns for sliders using this recipe, versus just a loaf 🙂

Panini Ham Sandwich I made with the loaf.