Organic Mate Limon Chai

This has been an interesting week for me--one that's worthy of some back-patting, in the form of delicious tea.

A grad student's/unpaid intern's work is never, ever finished. Next week is ship week for the magazine I work at, so the past three days have been filled with fact checking, research, and nearly going permanently cross-eyed from starting intently at hundreds of different websites with phone numbers, addresses, and names, all in a variety of fonts, colors, and layouts. Then, the phone calls--disconnected numbers, PR contacts, leaving messages. Off to the side sits another project to recruit college seniors from various schools for a photo shoot. More phone calls, more e-mails, and impending deadlines. Add an interview with a relatively well-known bassist, a midterm, a book jacket design project, and fall registration, and now you know why I

 need a damn cup of tea already! Nevermind that I only have saltines left in the cupboard, and a fresh crop of projects for the coming weekend. One day at a time, right? That's right. And today, it's teatime.

I prep my water to near boiling before I steep my Mate Limon Chai for 4 minutes. There are varying opinions that it is better to use water that's not fully boiling, as there have been studies that show yerba mate contains carcinogens. But never fear. I am of the sound mind that the key to most everything in life is moderation (except when it comes to '80s movies and sweet dance moves). If you drink yerba mate every single day, you may want to so some more extensive research and decide if it poses a health risk, but drinking mate every now and then won't kill you. At least not before any number of a million other things will.

This blend contains organic mate blended with several herbs and spices. It smells lightly pungent, the way citrus fruits do. It has a very herbal scent and a smooth, earthy flavor with overtones of ginger and lemon. After my week-o-insanity, I'm elated to have a medicinal concoction that soothes my nerves. This tea would be perfect for soothing a sore throat. It may feel like spring in Boulder, CO (jealous!), but here in Boston it's freezing in my house at the moment, so I take my favorite black Steepin' Mug into the corner of the room where a rather large heating vent is cut into the floor. I turn the thermostat up a few degrees, grab a blanket and sit underneath it while the warm air from the heating ducts, as well as my tasty tea, warm me up with no delay. Approximately eight minutes later, I've somehow curled 

onto my side with my head in the cat's bed, and fallen asleep. I've completely, and blissfully disconnected from the world at 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening. Glorious. Thanks, TeaSpot! 

She looks how I feel!