Time Flies!: February 2016

February 29, 2016February 28, 2016 / saraletourneau / 20 Comments

Welcome to the latest edition of Time Flies! It’s my version of a monthly update, where I recap the past month’s accomplishments and articles, share news and random things from my offline life, and hint at what may be coming in the month ahead.

Happy Leap Day, everyone!

So, February 2016. Wow. Not only did it soar by, but was it ever busy at the blog! For some reason, I don’t typically notice how much gets accomplished each month, but I felt it this time around. Maybe it’s because I was working on a few lengthy posts at the same time, but all the effort was worth it. So, I gave myself a short break last week, which gave me time to catch up on other things.

March already looks like it’ll be a ton of fun, btw. A new character interview is posting tomorrow, and I’m stopping by Pages Unbound in a few weeks for a fun interview about my love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. 🙂 For now, let’s recap the past month.

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Tea Time at Reverie: Tea Maineia’s Cold Comfort Herbal Blend

February 15, 2016February 15, 2016 / saraletourneau / 4 Comments

Today’s Tea Time comes courtesy of the Maine-based tea shop Tea Maineia, as well as my first head cold of the winter. (No worries, I’m feeling much better now!) But really, it’s funny how your health or frame of mind dictates the kinds of tea you crave. In this case, I tried Tea Maineia’s Cold Comfort, a blend of green tea, fruit, and herbs known for their healing properties. Read more of my thoughts on it at A Bibliophile’s Reverie. 🙂

A Bibliophile's Reverie

During a recent trip to Maine, I visited Tea Maineia in Winterport, about 25 minutes south of Bangor. What a charming place! Not only does Tea Maineia carry a wide variety of teas (black, oolong, green, white, and herbal / rooibos), but it also sells teapots, mugs, and locally made condiments and other foods that pair well with tea. It also has a bright, welcoming environment inside, and the owner is friendly and wonderfully knowledgeable. If you’re ever in the Bangor area, I highly recommend checking out Tea Maineia!

And of course I couldn’t leave without purchasing some tea. 😉 So, for today’s Tea Time, we’ll cover one of Tea Maineia’s several herbal tisanes. Cold Comfort blends green and rooibos teas with fruit and herbs often used for alleviating symptoms of the common cold. How does this unique infusion brew up? And did I find it comforting during a recent head cold?…

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Time Flies!: January 2016

January 31, 2016January 30, 2016 / saraletourneau / 26 Comments

Ah, January. In some ways, I can’t stand this month. It means winter – which also means cold, snow, ice, and other seasonal yuck. Can you blame me for counting down the days to spring? (49!!) But in other ways, January was a sigh of relief. After one of the most hectic Decembers I can remember, relaxing and returning to a slower, somewhat normal routine has never been more welcome.

I couldn’t resist an Olaf gif here. XD

Before I go much further – a quick word to anyone waiting for the next edition of the Character Evolution Files. It’s coming, I promise. Between three big blogging commitments last month (Chronicling The Craft, a guest post for WriteOnSisters, and my next DIY MFA article), I didn’t have time to start drafting File No. 6 until this past week. And when writing lengthy articles (which often have minds of their own) and juggling deadlines, sometimes you have to reshuffle your priorities.

So, yes. Character Evolution File No. 6 should post in mid-to-late February. Stay tuned for that as well as a call for character interview questions (Tuesday, February 2nd) and the blog’s first guest post (Tuesday, February 9th)! Oh, and the guest post I’m working on for WriteOnSisters? Ohhhhhh I can’t tell you how THRILLED I am about it. 😀

For now, let’s recap January’s happenings.

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Tea Time at Reverie: Inspired By Jane’s Donwell Abbey Black Tea

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 / saraletourneau / Leave a comment

What happens when you combine black tea with a wine often used in Italian cooking? You get Inspired By Jane’s Donwell Abbey, a black tea with cinnamon and marsala wine. It’s not a combination you see much from your typical tea vendor – and as I discovered, it was actually quite delicious. Read my review of Donwell Abbey at A Bibliophile’s Reverie to learn more.

And yes, Donwell Abbey is another tea inspired by one of Jane Austen’s novels. 😉

A Bibliophile's Reverie

“It was a sweet view—sweet to the eye and the mind. English verdure, English culture, English comfort, seen under a sun bright, without being oppressive.”
– Jane Austen, “Emma”

I confess that Emma is one of the few Jane Austen novels I haven’t read. But when Inspired By Jane asked which tea samples I’d like to try, I was immediately intrigued by Donwell Abbey. Named after the the estate owned by Emma’s neighbor (and future love interest) George Knightley, this black tea boasts a unusual yet appealing combination of cinnamon and marsala wine flavors.

Hmmmmm. I do like the sweet, tangy taste of marsala wine sauces in chicken marsala and chicken saltimbocca. So, how will it blend with cinnamon and black tea? Let’s brew some and find out, shall we?

The Basics

Donwell Abbey can Inspired By Jane’s Description:“Almost a ‘gentleman’s tea,’ but everyone will love this rich, full-bodied black tea…

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Tea Time at Reverie: Whispering Pines Tea Company’s Rivendell Tea

January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 / saraletourneau / 5 Comments

I think I know a number of readers who will leap at learning more about this tea! And in my opinion, this unique and delicious oolong blend was a stunning reflection of its namesake. Head on over to A Bibliophile’s Reverie now to read my review of Whispering Pine Tea Company’s Rivendell Tea!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

“Shadows had fallen in the valley below, but there was still a light on the faces of the mountains far above. The air was warm. The sound of running and falling water was loud, and the evening was filled with a faint scent of trees and flowers, as if summer still lingered in Elrond’s gardens.”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”

Oh, have I been itching to introduce our fellow bibliophiles to Whispering Pines Tea Company! This Michigan-based vendor specializing in loose-leaf teas, herbal tisanes, and handcrafted tea blends. Many of Whispering Pines’ offerings are inspired by the wilderness of northern Michigan. A select few, however, are influenced by literature, including three coming from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.

Which brings me to our first Whispering Pines tea for review. In Middle-Earth, Rivendell is the stunningly beautiful home of Lord Elrond and other Elves, and a…

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Time Flies!: December 2015

December 30, 2015December 29, 2015 / saraletourneau / 44 Comments

Did I ever tell you that Lilo And Stitch is my second-favorite animated Disney movie after The Lion King? ;)

Confession: “Lilo and Stitch” is my second-favorite animated Disney movie after “The Lion King.”

Yes, it’s me popping in! 😉 I’m on hiatus until Monday, January 4th, but I thought I’d still post a Time Flies to “officially” wrap up the month.

How have your winter holidays been so far? Do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve? I’ll most likely stay at home and call it an early night (I’ll explain why shortly). The last two months have been nutty on all fronts, so it’s been nice to breathe deeply and relax the past few days.

If you noticed things were slower here than usual this month – you’re correct. I scaled back on my blogging activities in December because of all the busyness, and also to get a head start on my January posts. So, you probably haven’t missed much if you’ve been away, but here’s your chance to catch up:
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Tea Time at Reverie: Sweet Jane Bennet from Bingley’s Teas

December 15, 2015December 15, 2015 / saraletourneau / 3 Comments

It’s our last Tea Time of 2015! Today’s is also an appropriate choice for the holiday season, a black-and-green tea blend named after the kind yet reserved oldest daughter of the Bennet family from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Read more about Sweet Jane Bennet from Bingley’s Teas at A Bibliophile’s Reverie!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

“Oh! You are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life.”
Elizabeth Bennet to Jane Bennet, in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”

No one can deny that Jane Bennet is a sweetheart. The eldest sister of the beloved Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice, she’s kind, soft-spoken, and patient, an optimist who sees the best in people. Maybe it’s no surprise that Jane caught Charles Bingley’s eye – she’s an angel, in both demeanor and physical beauty.

What would an angelic character’s tea taste like, then? If you ask Bingley’s Teas, their answer would most likely be Sweet Jane Bennet from their Jane Austen Tea Series. This blend of black and green tea combines…

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Time Flies!: November 2015

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015 / saraletourneau / 29 Comments

Huh? What do you mean, tomorrow’s the first day of December?! I’m not ready to think about 2016 yet!!

It’s insane how quickly this year has sped by. November in itself was a blur. I was hoping things would quiet down after a nutty October. Nope. Life offline turned into another kind of crazy altogether. So I’ve craved more time than usual to relax and meditate, and I know I’ll still need it now that the holiday season is underway.

Btw, I hope all my fellow Americans (and anyone else who celebrates the holiday) had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’d traveled out to state to spend it with relatives, hence my absence from the blog and social media for the past few days.

Let me give you a chance to catch up on the past month’s posts now:
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Tea Time at Reverie: Teasenz’s Ali Shan Milky Oolong Tea

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 / saraletourneau / 2 Comments

Oolongs are wonderfully versatile when it comes to flavor. They can be floral, vegetal, fruity, honeyed – or, in this case, milky. It sounds like a weird combination, but it’s actually not so far-fetched. Find out why in my review of Teasenz’s Ali Shan Milky Oolong at A Bibliophile’s Reverie.

Also, I’ll be “off the grid” for the Thanksgiving holiday. I should be back on social media either Sunday or Monday, and my next blog post will go live on Monday as well. Until then, have a good rest of your week and a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

teasenzlogo

Awwww, we’re down to our final Teasenz sample! I’ve really enjoyed trying this Chinese vendor’s selections over the past year. Each has been of superb quality, to the point that I know I’ll be a customer in the future. 😉

So, what have I saved for last from Teasenz? Ali Shan Milky Oolong. (Yes, the name does sound strange if you’ve never heard of it before.) This particular kind of tea is grown only in Taiwan, in the country’s Ali Shan Mountain region. According to Teasenz, the area’s soil conditions and the production methods used for these leaves bring out a unique milk flavor and creaminess. Read on to find out how these qualities manifest once Ali Shan Milky Oolong is brewed.

The Basics

Teasenz Ali Shan Milky Oolong 1 Photo courtesy of Teasenz

Teasenz’s Description:“Intense creamy taste with floral undertone. A one-of-a-kind tea from Taiwan with a fantastically creamy flavor resulting from its unique roasting process. Our Ali Shan…

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Tea Time at Reverie: Golden Tips Tea’s Assam Enigma Black Tea

November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 / saraletourneau / 2 Comments

Today’s tea review at A Bibliophile’s Reverie covers a surprising Assam black tea from Golden Tips. I say “surprising” because although it’s strong and assertive like other black teas from that region of India, its flavor profile is quite unique. Read on to learn more about Assam Enigma.

A Bibliophile's Reverie

Time for another new vendor! Golden Tips Tea was kind enough to send a generous package of samples for future Tea Times. This family business in India sells single-origin, unflavored teas from some of the country’s finest tea regions. Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, and even the neighboring country of Nepal are represented. I’m excited to finally dive into their offerings, and I hope you are, too!

And with the fall days growing shorter and chillier, it’s the ideal time to break out a new black tea. Assam Enigma catches my eye first from the Golden Tips stash. This blend of summer-picked black tea leaves is said to carry the strong, malty flavors that Assam teas are famous for, with a few surprises. (Plus, doesn’t the word “enigma” in the name entice you into trying it?) So, let’s get brewing.

The Basics

Photo courtesy of Golden Tips Tea