Mountain Rose Herbs (and Teas, and More)

It's too bad that Mountain Rose Herbs is a mail order company, because walking into this modern apothecary would surely be a magical experience. Luckily, though, you can bring a bit of this experience home with a variety of wonderful, high-quality products to stimulate the senses and soothe the spirit.

At this time of year especially, Mountain Rose Herbs' luxurious tea selection is sure to be a hit. Choose from a variety of fair-trade, organic black, green, red and herbal teas. For a special treat, try the flowering teas, hand-sewn packets of tea leaves and flowers that unfurl artfully when brewed. In case you're not in the habit of preparing loose teas, you can also pick up any tea supplies that you need, such as tea pots, strainers, or reusable tea bags.

If you make only one more stop at Mountain Rose Herbs, make it in the herbs and spices section, where you'll find a mind-boggling array of savory seasonings and medicinals to pore over, all conveniently cross-referenced with traditional and modern herb lore information. On the other hand, if you've got plenty of time, there's also more to explore. Wend your way through page after page of aromatherapy oils, essential ingredients for home herbalists, prepared medicinals, bath and body products, and even a selection of beautiful and practical storage jars and bottles.

Choice Organic Teas: More Than Flavorful

The Green Connoisseur has already brought you a wealth of information on organic and fair-trade coffee, and it’s only fair to provide a follow up for those of you who love tea. Unfortunately, many cultivated tea farms use massive amounts of pesticides and unsafe practices to grow tea. Choice Organic Teas are beneficial in many different ways, including using natural methods to control pests and provide nutrition to soil. The result is not only flavorful and delicious tea – but a healthier environment and a healthier you. The organic tea fields benefit local wildlife, provide safer working conditions for tea gatherers and other workers, and produce more and healthier crops than cultivated tea farms – especially those that use pesticides and chemicals. The only thing that could make this delicious and organic tea more appealing is the fact that Choice Organic Teas feature Fair Trade teas as well. By protecting the workers who help bring the tea from the fields to you, Choice Organic Teas is standing up for the rights of these workers. Through the Fair Trade program, workers are able to earn competitive pay, benefits and other opportunities. For instance, workers are able to receive Fair Trade premiums that they have used to ensure retirement comfort, provide education assistance to children of their villages, lighten the workloads of those who live in the villages, and much more. Just a few of the delicious Fair Trade teas offered through Choice Organic Teas include:

• White Jasmine Tea

• Classic Blend Green Tea

• Green Moroccan Mint Tea

• Decaf Green Tea with Peach

• Irish Breakfast Tea

You can even try the new Fair Trade Earl Gray Tea at a 10% discount in April. Choice Organic Teas remains the company to offer more varieties of Fair Trade Certified tea in North America than any other. What does all this mean for the flavor of the tea, though? As you brew a delicious pot of tea, no pesticides or chemicals end up in your teacup. The robust flavor is completely natural and absolutely delicious – the kind of taste that only pure tea can bring you. So go ahead and have another cup! Photo 1 by Kanko on Flickr, Photo 2 Courtsey of www.ChoiceOrganicTeas.com