Off-Topic Chat: "The Tea Room"

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Use this thread to post conversations about topics other than Mansfield Park.  Since our club is about a Jane Austen book, I've renamed the chatroom "The Tea Room." 

[Everyman]

What are your favorite teas to enjoy here in the tea room? For myself, I like to start the day with one or two cups of a hearty Assam with milk and sugar to get the juices moving. Then later in the morning I turn to Keemun, Congou, or Yunnan. In the afternoon I usually prefer a Ceylon-Darjeeling mix which my vendor describes as an Iced Tea mixture but I enjoy hot, and toward dinner I enjoy a cup of Baker Street blend which has a touch of Lapsang in it -- I don't enjoy straight Lapsang, but this late afternoon tea is perfect for a pick-me-up. Then before bedtime I'll have a cup of exquisite Jasmine tea, calming and soothing.

All, of course, made with loose leaves -- my Irish grandmother insisted, rightly, that "you canna' make a good cup of tea by dipping a mouse up and down by its tail in a cup of hot water."

I will slip in other teas occasionally -- an Oolong, a Nilgiri, or even occasionally a straight green or white -- but the above is my usual daily routine.

Are there other tea lovers here? What are your favorites?

[dulcinea3]

I like tea, but am no real connoisseur.  I actually rarely drink hot beverages, but once in a while I will have a cup of tea (I don't like coffee), and I enjoy iced tea, which I make in my Mr. Coffee iced tea pot.  I prefer flavored teas, and my favorite teas are by Bigelow, especially Lemon Lift.  I also like Constant Comment (orange spice) and Plantation Mint.  Constant Comment now comes in a green tea variety, and they have green teas with mint and with lemon; the mint one is a decent substitute for Plantation Mint, but the lemon one doesn't have the spices of Lemon Lift.  For a soothing hot cup, I also like their vanilla varieties, like Vanilla Caramel.  When in college, I sampled many of the Twinings varieties, and remember especially liking Lapsang Souchong, but when I bought it more recently, I guess I don't care for as much any more.  I do NOT like herbal teas, except chamomile.

[awashburn]

Wow...and here I was impressed with old Earl Grey.

In all honesty...my current tea fix is the sweet tea at McDonalds.  Now, I know it doesn't sound very sophisticated, but that stuff must be laced with something...because it only took one sip to get me hooked!!

[awashburn]

Considering this is an open forum...I thought it might be nice to discuss some Austen films.  I've seen just about everything I can get my hands on, but I was sorely dissappointed that I missed both Sense and Sensibility as well as Persuasion on PBS.  If anyone has seen them, I'd love to know if it's worth buying the DVDs.

[nvoggesser]

I'm an Earl Grey girl myself....maybe it's an English teacher thing!  I hate to say that I use the "mouse technique"... especially when I'm in the mood for a hot beverage at school.

I have tried the loose tea thing, but haven't got the hang of it yet.  Maybe I'm just strange, but there's got to be a technique to it.  Got any suggestions?

Movies...have you tried Netflix?  They have most movies, including PBS and other varieties.  That way you could rent before investing.

Nancy

[Everyman]

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nvoggesser wrote:
>I have tried the loose tea thing, but haven't got the hang of it yet. Maybe I'm just strange, but there's got to be a technique to it. Got any suggestions?>

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After trying almost every device on the market for making loose tea by the mug -- mesh balls, strainers, tea socks, you name it -- I have found that work works for me are the replacement baskets for the Chatsford teapots. They are nice mesh baskets, plenty roomy enough to let the leaves open freely, which they can't do in most infusion aids. I make my tea one mug at a time, rather than making a pot of tea, partly because I don't drink fast enough that pot tea is still hot with I'm ready for a second cup, and mostly because I like to switch from one tea to another during the day.

I get them from my primary tea supplier, Upton Tea. I use the two cup strainer basket for my smaller mugs, and the four cup strainer basket for my larger mugs. I just put the basket in the mug, put in the tea leaves, pour in the boiling water, and after the proper amount of steeping time just lift out the basket and toss the leaves in the garbage. Quick, easy, effective, and makes a great cup of tea.

[Everyman]

By the way, have you tried Earl Grey with sugar? I never much liked Earl Grey, but a friend gave me a small packet of special EG once, thinking she was doing me a great favor. The packet suggeted addign sugar, so I tried putting i a small sugar cube, and sure enough, I really do like it that way on occasion.

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nvoggesser wrote:

I'm an Earl Grey girl myself....maybe it's an English teacher thing! I hate to say that I use the "mouse technique"... especially when I'm in the mood for a hot beverage at school.

I have tried the loose tea thing, but haven't got the hang of it yet. Maybe I'm just strange, but there's got to be a technique to it. Got any suggestions?

Movies...have you tried Netflix? They have most movies, including PBS and other varieties. That way you could rent before investing.

Nancy

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[nvoggesser]

I drink my tea "straight up!"  I've never tried it with sugar.

Nancy

[dulcinea3]

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awashburn wrote:

Considering this is an open forum...I thought it might be nice to discuss some Austen films.  I've seen just about everything I can get my hands on, but I was sorely dissappointed that I missed both Sense and Sensibility as well as Persuasion on PBS.  If anyone has seen them, I'd love to know if it's worth buying the DVDs.

---

I quite liked Sense and Sensibility.  That was a two-parter, so they were able to do a better job of it.  As for Persuasion, that is my favorite Austen story, and I liked it, but I thought it was inferior to the Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version.

I imagine I will eventually buy them, regardless!

Message Edited by dulcinea3 on 05-06-2008 11:22 AM

[dulcinea3]

I like my tea with sweetener, but without milk.  A slice of lemon can be nice, too.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

We actually have a thread on the board, Ashley, that's called "Austen in Other Media," or something like that.  Many members will discuss the various film adaptations there.

Let me know if you have any questions!

EDIT:  I see that the thread I mention above is about Mansfield Park, in particular, Ashley & all, so I've added a new thread for other novel adaptations.  Thanks!

~ConnieK

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awashburn wrote:

Considering this is an open forum...I thought it might be nice to discuss some Austen films.  I've seen just about everything I can get my hands on, but I was sorely dissappointed that I missed both Sense and Sensibility as well as Persuasion on PBS.  If anyone has seen them, I'd love to know if it's worth buying the DVDs.

---

Message Edited by ConnieK on 05-06-2008 02:12 PM

[ROSIE]

Has anyone tried Barry's teas imported from Ireland.

I am a devoted coffee drinker but the Barry's teas are a wonderful change

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Everyman wrote:
What are your favorite teas to enjoy here in the tea room? For myself, I like to start the day with one or two cups of a hearty Assam with milk and sugar to get the juices moving. Then later in the morning I turn to Keemun, Congou, or Yunnan. In the afternoon I usually prefer a Ceylon-Darjeeling mix which my vendor describes as an Iced Tea mixture but I enjoy hot, and toward dinner I enjoy a cup of Baker Street blend which has a touch of Lapsang in it -- I don't enjoy straight Lapsang, but this late afternoon tea is perfect for a pick-me-up. Then before bedtime I'll have a cup of exquisite Jasmine tea, calming and soothing.

All, of course, made with loose leaves -- my Irish grandmother insisted, rightly, that "you canna' make a good cup of tea by dipping a mouse up and down by its tail in a cup of hot water."

I will slip in other teas occasionally -- an Oolong, a Nilgiri, or even occasionally a straight green or white -- but the above is my usual daily routine.

Are there other tea lovers here? What are your favorites?

---

[awashburn]

Irish anything is GREAT! as far as I'm concerned.

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ROSIE wrote:

Has anyone tried Barry's teas imported from Ireland.

I am a devoted coffee drinker but the Barry's teas are a wonderful change

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